Buffalo’s Iron & Wine fans who haven’t explored the latest album will be in for a pleasant surprise when the band comes to town in mid-April. The tour to promote the new album will be coming our way very soon and tickets are still up for grabs.
Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam has been making indie/folk music for 10 years now, producing new sound ideas every time he goes back to the studio. After spending three years out of the studio since recording The Shepherd’s Dog, Beam recently returned to compile his most recent album, Kiss Each Other Clean, which was just released on January 25, 2011 by Warner Bros. Records. Anyone who has heard Iron & Wine’s music before can easily recognize Beam’s peaceful vocals and dreamlike storytelling from the early days, but since then he has been crafting and expanding his range of sound layers.
Much like the album previous to it, Kiss Each Other Clean brings new sounds and new ideas to the table. It has ten dynamic tracks that reveal Beam’s memories of hearing his parent’s record collection and the sounds that dominated the radio in earlier years of folk and rock. Listeners will recognize similarities to Fleetwood Mac, Elton John and Stevie Wonder. “It sounds like the music people heard in their parent’s car growing up… that early-to-mid-’70s FM, radio-friendly music,” Beam said in an interview with Spin. “There are a lot of live horns and synths, too.” The songs range from light to heavy, each one with its own instrumentation, its own feel, its own story. Those who haven’t heard the album yet are sure to be surprised.
The album is the collaborative work of Beam and producer Brian Deck, who have worked together on the band’s past three albums. The rhythm section consisted of Matt Lux, Ben Massarella and Chad Taylor. Other musicians who collaborated on the album include Joe Adamik, Jim Becker, Thomas Bartlett, Stuart Bogie, Rob Burger and Sarah Simpson.
The concert will be held on Friday, April 15 at 7 p.m. at the Town Ballroom. It is being hosted by Funtime Presents and Supernaut Booking. Special guest The Low Anthem will be joining Iron & Wine on stage that evening. All ages are welcome to attend.
To order tickets, click here, call 888-223-6000, or stop by the Town Ballroom box office, located at 681 Main Street. For more info about the concert, visit www.townballroom.com or call (716) 852-3900. To learn more about Iron & Wine, check out the band website.
Sarah Maurer
I moved to Buffalo to attend Canisius College in 2007 and began writing for Buffalo Rising as a journalism intern in 2010. Working with Newell and meeting numerous entrepreneurs, activists and everyday folks who were working to make their city better made a huge impact on my decision to stay here. After witnessing all the positive development and grassroots initiatives happening in neighborhoods throughout the city, I was inspired to pursue a term of service in AmeriCorps and a career in Buffalo's non-profit sector. I currently work in the housing department at the Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center of WNY and am excited to be a part of their ongoing efforts to revitalize the Broadway Fillmore neighborhood. I also volunteer as the project coordinator for Artfarms Buffalo. I continue to write for Buffalo Rising because I love having the opportunity to stay connected to those working toward positive changes for the Queen City.