Luke Temple-”Make right with you”
Seattle singer-songwriter Luke Temple’s debut is a collection of songs that even the most jaded anti-folk hipster could catch himself humming on the street. The tunes are deceptively simple, with Simon and Garfunkel-style melodies, and Temple’s sleepy vocals belie a melancholy just beneath the surface. His high-pitched voice recalls a young Graham Nash by way of Elliott Smith; it’s showcased best on ballads such as “Private Shipwreck” and “In the End,” with its spooky lyric “It’s cold here in Iceland/And the drunks on the street tie chains onto misery’s gates.” Culled together from years of early-morning songwriting — before Temple headed off to paint murals in wealthy people’s houses — Hold a Match has enough understated soul to give Conor Oberst a run for his money.

ALEX MAR - Rolling Stone
(Posted May 19, 2005)
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Damien Jurado - “Paperwings”
When folks talk about Damien Jurado, there seems to be some confusion. Damien’s a tortured soul, Damien’s a folk singer, Damien’s a pop song master, Damien’s sad and down, Damien’s silly, Damien’s crazy, Damien’s just your average guy. Some confusion, and that’s okay. All of the disparate statements aside, everyone agrees on one thing: Damien writes damn good songs.
Artist site

Mike Doughty - “Busting up a Starbucks”
Mike Doughty returns with his ATO Records debut and first full-band album since his former group, Soul Coughing, disbanded in 2000.
Mike’s Blog