Little Man review in Rift magazine!

Great opening track has to be said right off the bat about Little Man’s “Of Mind and Matter”. “Tarots and Arrows” shoots out the speakers with a punchy melody, tight harmonies, and nice slick, thick guitars. The song keeps most of its focus on the catchy repetitive chorus, which in simplicity there is enjoyment. It is followed up by eleven more poppy, well produced tracks that include nice mid-tempo, Oasis sounding rockers like “Don’t Pray to Fantasy” to more folksy sounding rockers like “Did You Know” and “Savers”.

The strength of Little Man lies within their use of strong harmonies and gentle melodies. Somewhere throughout the music, one can hear traces of Big Star and Camper Van Beethoven, as well as an ever present Beatle-vibe. I even heard some David Bowie on “Get it to Ground” and T.Rex on “Not Quite So High”. I’m not one that usually goes for over polished products, but the precision found on this disc only adds to its charm. It is only natural with such pretty songs that they need pretty production. It is definitely a disc that demands repeat listening, which is nice because not all disc that one gets to review ask for that. Let me keep this short and sweet, there are no regrets in tuning into Little Man’s vibe.

February 2009 Update

Countdown to the Eclectone Showcase
It's that time of year again. Just nine days away from the annual Eclectone Showcase! I’m not sure why we did it in the first place, but a big event in the middle of winter made sense at some point. Maybe we wanted to warm hearts and minds against a cold Minnesota winter, or maybe we weren’t that high minded and simply got bored sometime mid-February. Regardless, we’re excited to announce this year’s Annual Eclectone Records Showcase at the Varsity Theater, Saturday, February 28th. The two-stage event will feature nine acts, including recent Eclectone additions The 757s, Six Mile Grove, The Porchlights and Tom Feldmann & The Get-Rites. Other performers include: Hojas Rojas, Dan Israel, Little Man, The Mad Ripple and Mark Thomas Stockert. Music starts a little after 8 o'clock and goes until 1 a.m. We hope you’re able to stop by. As challenges abound for all of us this winter, we will be donating a portion of the evening’s proceeds to one of our local food shelves. Come for the music, come to support those in need in the community, or just stop by to see old friends. $6/$8.

Artist Updates
The 757s are heading to the SXSW music festival next month and are gearing up for a new album with Eclectone in 2009... Dan Israel has a new (mostly) solo acoustic album called See the Morning Light due out in stores in April. Buy it now on CD Baby... Little Man continues to rake in great reviews for Of Mind and Matter -- "Absolutely essential" says esdmusic.com... The Mad Ripple continues to Hoot on Thursdays at The Beat Coffeehouse. Watch and listen live on HowWasTheShow.com... Six Mile Grove is getting some great airplay around the world, from MPR to the BBC. Call up your favorite radio station and request something off Steel Mule today! ... Tom Feldmann and the Get-Rites performed live on Iowa Public Radio during a visit to Iowa City earlier this winter. Stream a 20-minute podcast of the set on the Get-Rites' travel blog... Martin Devaney has been busy writing, playing and recording with his new country duo The Porchlights, with Jake Hyer (The Get Up Johns). ... BTW: Heiruspecs have just announced a spring tour in support of their new self-titled album, which is now on iTunes. Get ready Midwest!

Upcoming Shows
Feb 21 2009 8:00P 757s @ Uptown Bar Minneapolis, Minnesota
Feb 26 2009 8:00P Little Man @ Blue Devil’s Lounge Menomonie, Wisconsin
Feb 27 2009 7:00P The Get-Rites @ Speak the Word Church Golden Valley, Minnesota
Feb 28 2009 8:00P Eclectone Records Showcase at the Varsity Theater Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 13 2009 8:00P 757s @ 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 19 2009 8:00P Little Man @ Record Bar Kansas City,, Missouri
Mar 20 2009 8:00P The Get-Rites @ White Horse Saloon St. Cloud, Minnesota
Mar 21 2009 8:00P 757s @ SXSW Lamberts Downtown BBQ Austin, Texas

"New" "martindevaney.com"

Check it out at, uh, www.martindevaney.com

The Get-Rites on Iowa Public Radio

Tom Feldmann and the Get-Rites were down in Iowa City in November for a performance on Iowa Public Radio's "Java Blend Radio Show." It was an hour-long show, but Tom scaled it down a 20 minute podcast version. Check it out using the player below.

Eclectone Records showcase at the Varsity Theater!

Saturday, February 28
Varsity Theater

Little Man
Six Mile Grove
The Mad Ripple
Mark Thomas Stockert
Hojas Rojas
The 757s
Dan Israel
The Porchlights
Tom Feldman and the Get Rites
2 stages! Band/Acoustic
8pm doors, 830pm music. 830 sharp!
21+ $6/$8

a portion of the evening's proceeds will go to a local food shelf

sponsored by 89.3 The Current

Dan Israel on the Local Show!

Tune in to 89.3FM the Current (or mpr.org) Super Bowl Sunday at 5pm. He was the first ever guest on Chris Roberts' show and this will be his record (?) fifth appearance!

New video - Six Mile Grove

Less than two weeks to go until the big Six Mile Grove CD release party at Bunkers. Saturday, January 24 is the big date. Be there!

The album, Steel Mule, sounds great in our humble opinion. The Twin Cities got a little sneak-preview last week at a listening party at The Hollow in downtown Minneapolis. After spinning the disc a few times the guys picked up their instruments and played a short set in the backroom.

If you weren't there, here's a bit of what you missed. Hope to see you on the 24th!