For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can help a young musician in need see his goals come to fruition...and you'll have something nice to listen to in the process...John Meeks will thank you kindly...
The music you are hearing was recorded at SDRL by the great but not late Pall Jenkins. Jimmy Lavalle graced the place with his bass so I guess, in your face...
John Meeks is currently recording the rest of a full length album due out early 2009 on Loud And Clear Records. Stay tuned, and in the mean time, check out...
"For a city known by the rest of the country as a playground of beaches, babes and beautiful weather, San Diego sure does produce some great country music. And now you can throw John Meeks (of local indie-rockers Plural) into that unlikely fold.
The songs on this all-too-short demo are simple enough, sticking close to typical love-and-loss-in Loserville material, but Meeks bypasses the nasally twang for a vocal style that’s both passionate and penitent (think Gram Parsons or Nashville Skyline-era Dylan). Some interesting guests stop by (The Album Leaf’s Jimmy LaValle on bass, Black Hondo’s Lucina González on harmonies), while a chorus of horns closes the concisely epic “On the Road Not Again,” all with splendid results.
Meeks hasn’t created anything that’ll have Nashville scouts beating down his door (that’s a good thing), but he’s produced three DIY songs that compare with anything being produced south of the Mason Dixon. Buy it off iTunes. Download it off eMusic. And eagerly wait for more."
" John Meeks has been playing and recording for 15 years, but his new Three Song Demo is the pre-release EP to his first full-length album, due out this Fall. It isn't as if Meeks has spent more than a decade trying to come up with some complex musical formula. In fact, what is so compelling about Meeks' music is his simple, straightforward approach. The three acoustic, country-twinged songs are free of artifice, aren't overly produced or orchestrated, and sound effortless.
Musically, the basic arrangements of shakers, drums, acoustic guitars, and the occasional electric lead stick to classic country, singer-songwriter convention. "I draw a lot of inspiration from a lot of pre-1980 country music," says Meeks. "George Jones, Willie Nelson, Kitty Wells, Roy Acuff, Marty Robbins, etc." The influences are clear, but that's not to say the songs don't offer anything new. They stand out in no small part to Meeks' exceptional voice. The modesty of the instrumentation is what allows Meeks' folky vocals to shine through, and his raspy timbre and earnest tone make the music endearing.
The EP is surprisingly consistent, making it difficult to name a single best track. "Bay Moon" is the most upbeat of the three songs, thanks to its energetic percussion (Meeks actually majored in percussion performance in college). "I See Your Lips" is a front-porch rocking chair song with a few nice, well placed sing-a-long harmonies. "On The Road (Not Again)" features the only instrumental departure with a slight infusion of horns, but Meeks' unaffected croon still reigns true.
For the full-length record, Meeks is currently recording nine more tracks to be added to these three.
HI thnx for the friendship! Think it’s great to have musician friends all over the world!!! I stopped by to listen to your music and enjoyed it very much …really sounds GREAT!
Greets from “D E E Z E L” (Belgium) and lots of luck in every thing you do!! If you can find the time check out my music too please and tell me what you think, “Love junky” is our first single release !! (thnx)
Four more little sonic gems for your August pleasure are now available on the site. Blitzen Trapper, Boulder Acoustic Society, Jay Brannan and The Wiyos. Yet another fine quartet even though we say so ourselves as picked them out.
hey john just stopped by for a listen.. i really love your music!! maybe we'll play a show together someday when i'm back in cali.. hope you're doing well!! xo ruby
