Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, Johnny Cash, Nick Drake, Tom Waits, Bruce Cockburn, Gillian Welch, Andrew Bird, Jeff Lang, Joanna Newsom, Smog, Jordie Lane, Fireside Bellows, Sixteen Horsepower, Woven Hand, Timesbold, The Kill Devil Hills, The Black Keys, The White Stripes, Something for Kate, Spoon, Primus, The Dirty Three, Godspeed You Black Emperor, June of 44, Shipping News, Mogwai, Phish, Sebadoh, Ricaine a whole host of self-indulgent post-rock and too many more to list.
Sounds Like
Folk, country, blues and rock thrown together in a dusty garage, angrily churned up and blasted out with a little too much overdrive and embellishment - and frequently indecipherable lyrics - all tempered by a healthy obsession with melody...
Matt Ellis & the Dark Ales are Matt Ellis, Dave McDonald & Rachel Robinson. They are three singer-songwriters from Melbourne that were fortunate enough to find a common love of good music and a deep interest in each other's writing. They have been collaborating in various forms since meeting in April 2009 at the legendary Station 59 open mic in Richmond.
In October 2009, the trio released their debut album A-Sides under the name of McDonald, Robinson and Ellis on indie label Backyard Records, which showcases a collection of their favourite songs to date, and while separately representing each artist, every song was very much a reflection of their work as a group.
After the successful launch of A-Sides, the trio reformed as Matt Ellis & the Dark Ales, focusing on the Dark Country Ballads and Progressive Blues Rock of singer Matt Ellis, with Rachel Robinson donning the bass machine, and Dave McDonald stepping up to the Percussion stand under the alias "T-Bone".
The group is frequently supported by guest musicians such as Steve McDonald on keyboards, Amie Dempster on cello and Rachel Hocking on fiddle, providing a truly eclectic line-up under the Dark Ales collective. If you like your music dark, dusty and brooding, the Ales will not disappoint.
Matt Ellis & the Dark Ales's Friend Space (Top 19)
FRIEND VOTE is the place where your friends can visit, VOTE for YOUR songs and get you into the TOP 100. Voting is open from Monday to Sunday EVERY WEEK!
Pleased to meet you--thanks so much for being friends! Perhaps we'll meet for real at a show sometime soon--I'll be wandering around the country 'til October. All the best 'til then! Cheers, Aaron P.S. twitter/aaronbeaumont :)
Thanks for stopping by and offering your friendship - I had a great time discovering your tunes. I like your style - you're very much heart and soul. :) Glad to meet you!
Cheers! Did you catch my set?! I usually play with my eyes closed so wouldn't know who was there, not even a god, though if a god was there I recon I'd be able to feel that . . .
