Cracklin Moth : My Heart Is Leaking EP [2007]
-----------------------------------------------------
1. My Heart Is Leaking
2. Car Wreck
3. Quarrel In My Heart
4. Other Life Forms
5. Sword Of The Word
[DOWNLOAD FULL ALBUM]
2. Car Wreck
3. Quarrel In My Heart
4. Other Life Forms
5. Sword Of The Word
[DOWNLOAD FULL ALBUM]
My Heart is Leaking just caused me to rethink my view on second-hand smoke. The heart-filled vapors flowing from the ponderer on the cover are an alluring foreshadowing of what lies ahead; dreamy alt-country twang mixed with the best of Pet Sounds experimental pop and the emotionally diverse and lush orchestrations of ELO. The unsigned Chicago quintet’s first EP (Redbird, released back in 2005) leaned heavy into the alt-country and Americana territories. My Heart is a delightful diversion into the more elaborate and developed mix of singer/songwriter Matt Ammerman’s and his band’s capability in just five songs to give you crisp songwriting that’s colored beautifully with picture painting lyrics telling tales of love, pain, joy, grief and celebration and teaming with cloud-nine keyboard meanderings and a rhythm section that on “Other Life Forms” for example, made me wish that all second-hand plumes could be this sweet to my soul. - Chris, Catania, PopMatters, 2007
Cover design by Matt Ammerman (illustrator unknown)
Independently Released
©2007 Matt Ammerman
All songs written by Matt Ammerman
Recorded by Chris Ploeg
Produced by Chris Ploeg and Matt Ammerman
Mixed by Scott Bozak
Mastered by Glenn Brown
Artist performing on this album include: Matt Ammerman, John Hasbrouck, Rocco Labriola, Drew Lindsay, and Shawn Rios.
Cracklin Moth : Redbird EP [2006]
--------------------------------------
There’s a moment during “Special,” the lead track from Redbird EP, the five-song debut by the Chicago alternative-country quartet Cracklin Moth, that simply slays me. “Heard it from the [Lord]/Heard you whisper through the pines,” soulful vocalist and songwriter Matt Ammerman sings. “So we drove out to Chicago/And by the weekend, she was mine.” Familiar faces on the local music scene, Ammerman, bassist John Hasbrouck, drummer Shawn Rios (Palaxy Tracks, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir) and lead guitarist and pedal steel player Rocco Labriola first came together under the name Redbird in the summer of 2004. Alas, another group had already claimed that moniker, forcing them to change their name. But Cracklin Moth is more enigmatic anyway, and the local quartet got to keep its original name for their first strong release. - Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun Times, 2006
Cover illustration by Matt Schommer
Cover Design by Chris Ploeg
Independently Released
©2006 Matt Ammerman
All songs written by Matt Ammerman
Produced by Chris Ploeg and Matt Ammerman
Artist performing on this album include: Matt Ammerman, Steve Baker, John Collins, Greg Duenow, John Hasbrouck, Chris Jepson, and Adam Ollendorff.
Cracklin Moth: HearYa Sessions Live EP [2007]
-----------------------------------------------------
1. Extra Galactic*
2. My Suicide*
3. Eulogy For Bashu*
4. Forever Song*
5. Walking The Cow (by Daniel Johnston)*
6. Outro*
7. Battle Of Floyd Collins (Bonus)+
8. A Frown That Disarms (Bonus)^
2. My Suicide*
3. Eulogy For Bashu*
4. Forever Song*
5. Walking The Cow (by Daniel Johnston)*
6. Outro*
7. Battle Of Floyd Collins (Bonus)+
8. A Frown That Disarms (Bonus)^
The HearYa Nation is in for a big treat this week, the venerable Cracklin Moth. Before you read any further, do yourself a favor…click on Eulogy for Bashu, and prepare to listen to one of the best tracks I’ve heard all year. I simply can’t let you read any further without a little mood music. Feel free to take your pants off. The song is that good. Last Monday night… I walked into the hallway of Shirk’s studio to find lead singer Matt Ammerman smoking a duster and knocking back a Fat Tire. I liked this guy already. We exchanged pleasantries as the rest of the band filed in with their gear. As they warmed up in the studio, I knew we were in for something special. Cracklin Moth are five musicians that unite to form a magical sound all their own. Matt Ammerman’s one-in-a-million voice and melodic guitar, Shawn Rios’ varied arsenal of percussive beats, Griff Baron’s trotting basslines, Drew Lindsay’s whimsical keys, and the pedal steel guitar of Rocco Labriola that gives the band its signature sound. After several savory heaters out on the fire escape, Cracklin Moth settled in and started playing the type of music that makes you thirsty. It was a Monday night, but the beers were flowing for all. They started things off with “My Suicide”, the first of five previously unreleased tracks that the band played. As mentioned earlier, the crown jewel of the night for me was “Eulogy for Bashu”. The rest of the tracks are exceptional, as well. Take note of the bass-percussion interplay that starts off “Walking the Cow” (another favorite), the fuzzy guitars on “Extragalactic”, and the landscape that the pedal steel guitar creates on “My Suicide”. Almost the antithesis of the Steve Miller Band, each song Cracklin Moth played was uniquely different and uniquely good. - HearYa Indie Music Blog, 2007
Cover design by Matt Ammerman (photographs by HearYa)
Independently Released
©2007 Matt Ammerman
All songs, except Walking The Cow (by Daniel Johnston), were written by Matt Ammerman
*Recorded and Produced by Stephen Shirk
+Recorded by John Hasbrouck
^Recorded 2005 at Martyrs in Chicago
Artist performing on this album include:
*Matt Ammerman, P. Griffin Baron, Rocco Labriola, Drew Lindsay, and Shawn Rios
+Matt Ammerman, Rocco Labriola, John Hasbrouck, and Lawrence Peters
^Matt Ammerman, Steve Baker, Greg Duenow, and Chris Jepson
Matt Ammerman : Demos Volume 1
----------------------------------------
1. Lions
2. Not Even The Cops Are Out
3. Head Light
4. Shine
5. North Electrole
6. Double-Minded Man
7. Trouble
8. The Union
9. Unsung Songs
10. Sherlock Sleeps
[DOWNLOAD FULL ALBUM]
2. Not Even The Cops Are Out
3. Head Light
4. Shine
5. North Electrole
6. Double-Minded Man
7. Trouble
8. The Union
9. Unsung Songs
10. Sherlock Sleeps
[DOWNLOAD FULL ALBUM]
This first volume of home demos (recorded between 2001 to 2008) contains many songs tracked the day they were written. All songs were recorded in my apartment, located on the north side of Chicago. While these songs are not studio-quality recordings, I hope listeners will be able to appreciate their sense of sincerity and spontaneity.
Cover design by Matt Ammerman
Illustrations by Arthur Rackham
Independently Released
©2009 Matt Ammerman
All songs written by Matt Ammerman
Recorded by Matt Ammerman
Matt Ammerman : Demos Volume 2
----------------------------------------
1. Till The Clouds Break Apart
2. Shadows On A Dying World
3. Someone’s Following Me
4. Every Time Is Every Time
5. Something I Could Lean My Troubles On
6. If Dying Is Living
7. Son Of A Sea Cook
8. All In Your Head
9. Jesus
10. Sitting Strong
2. Shadows On A Dying World
3. Someone’s Following Me
4. Every Time Is Every Time
5. Something I Could Lean My Troubles On
6. If Dying Is Living
7. Son Of A Sea Cook
8. All In Your Head
9. Jesus
10. Sitting Strong
This second volume of home demos (recorded between 2001 to 2008) contains many songs tracked the day they were written. All but one song were recorded in my apartment, located on the north side of Chicago. While these songs are not studio-quality recordings, I hope listeners will be able to appreciate their sense of sincerity and spontaneity.
Cover design by Matt Ammerman
Illustrations by Arthur Rackham
Independently Released
©2009 Matt Ammerman
All songs written by Matt Ammerman
Recorded by Matt Ammerman
Lead guitar played by:
Rocco Labriola (Every Time is Every Time)
Adam Ollendorf (All In your Head)
