Danny Newcomb & The Sugarmakers - Masterwish w/ Mike McCready. *update .. new single 2016
Mike McCready plays on the new Danny Newcomb & The Sugarmakers record. Release date August 1st.
http://www.northwestmusicscene.com/2015/06/danny-newcomb-the-sugarmakers-shine-bright-on-masterwish/
Danny Newcomb & The Sugarmakers Shine Bright on Masterwish
By Casebeer
– June 14, 2015Posted in: Album, Album Reviews, Blogs, News, Reviews
NewcombWe listen to a lot of new music at NorthWest Music Scene. And while there is some really good, even great music being made in the northwest these days, sometimes we are even surprised at how good something is. Of course there always has been good and great music coming from here, you just have to know where to look. Recently we received one of those really great ones from Danny Newcomb & The Sugarmakers. The album is called ‘Masterwish’ and it drives home a message that I’ve always felt doesn’t get talked about enough. And that is, “what exactly is the Northwest Sound or Seattle Sound”?
We’ve long said that it is impossible to label and unfair to group together bands that sound nothing alike (like Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam) and place them in a box. ‘Masterwish’ smashes any preconceived notion people might have about what Seattle is supposed to sound like. ‘Masterwish’ is also totally devoid of the sometimes worn out rock and roll cliches. Instead, it paves the way for a bright new sound that encompasses what the northwest is about.
While the musicianship is stellar to say the least, the true strength of this release lies within the songwriting. The lyrics are married to the melody in spectacular fashion; Danny Newcomb has created a sound and a groove all his own on this album. The first song “Known World” starts out with a simple bright guitar riff, quickly giving way to Newcomb’s ever-capable voice and some absolutely brilliant bass work from Rick Friel. The drums also shine on this track as Eric Eagle is allowed to feel the song. It’s a fantastic tune that sets the tone for the rest of the album.
The second song is called “Nightmare” and it follows along the same lines as the first song, although it’s a little more up-tempo with Friel’s thick bass very audible. In fact, the potent rhythm section of Friel and Eagle powers this groovy tune. Newcomb’s killer guitar work is on display on this song as well, with very tasty lead work. The third track, “Believe It”, really shows off the musical diversity of Danny as he is brilliant on both vocals and guitar. Add a healthy amount of keyboards and some fantastic backing vocals and you have the recipe for an incredible song. The guitar is clean and bright perfectly in sync with the bass and keys as they start building into something magnificent. By the time the last 30 seconds or so of this song roll around, Newcomb is gracefully blistering the neck of the guitar, Friel and Eagle are both in the zone, blending with the keys and backing vocals to turn this one into a magical experience. Although it’s hard to pick a favorite on this album, “Believe It” certainly has to be a contender.
“One Wish” is the fourth song and finds Newcomb pleading with his love interest to make the right decision and go with him instead of the other guy. While thinking about what this reminds me of, it took some time, but let’s pretend for a second that all the Beatles would have been able to stay together and keep recording, this is what I imagine they’d have sounded like at some point and this wasn’t the first time I got that feeling while listening to this album. Once again the band displays just how tight they are and they dish out more of the delicious groove that is found throughout.
Danny Newcomb & The Sugarmakers is a band that is made up of people that have known each other for a long time. Newcomb and Friel’s musical connection can be traced back to the days of Warrior and Shadow, which also included Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Mad Season fame. This trio was also 3/5 of The Rockfords, which also included Carrie Akre and Chris Friel (Newcomb’s bandmates from Goodness).
Mike McCready’s guitar work can be found on Track number 6 “Sundays” as he makes a cameo and drops a luscious guitar solo. McCready has a long history with the members of this band and it shows as he just blends in so naturally, even though he’s in one of the most popular rock bands on the planet. This song is another bright spot on this incredible album, and if you aren’t careful with it, it’ll be stuck in your head all day.
The basics for ‘Masterwish’ were recorded at Electro Kitty Studios in Seattle and the home studio of Ian Moore on Vashon Island, as well as the home studio of John Goodmanson. ‘Masterwish’ was masterfully produced, engineered and mixed by Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Harvey Danger, Death Cab for Cutie). Musicians in addition to Danny Newcomb, Rick Friel and Mike McCready are Eric Eagle on drums with Annie O’Neill and Fiia McGann singing backup. Jason Stayczec also lends his keyboard skills on a couple songs. The band is going to release a 7″ vinyl single of “One Wish”/”Sundays” on McCready’s new label Hockeytalkter Records in July, with a digital release of the full album expected to be released in July as well.
The 10th song on the album is the title track of ‘Masterwish’ and clocks in at 4:14 with an infectious groove, including part of the hook “I’ve been waiting for this moment” and once again all the members are just filling a role in perfect synchronicity, deep in the pocket. It also allows Newcomb to once again prove that he is no slouch on the guitar; in fact, he is exceptional. The last song “Luckiest Man” is an acoustic offering that is a beautiful song and a great way to end this album with some fantastic finger-picked guitar.
In a perfect world this album would be a smash hit and I hope it is because it’s that good and it deserves as many ears experiencing it as possible. It’s full of bright, upbeat and energetic new “northwest” music with nothing over- or under-produced. At the beginning of 2015 an album came out that was written by ex-Green River drummer Alex Vincent for his new band Ex’s With Benefits and I called that the early contender for “Seattle Album of the Year”. That album now has a rival in ‘Masterwish’. We highly recommend picking this one up when you get a chance.
Listen to a song from the album ‘Masterwish’ HERE
http://www.northwestmusicscene.com/2015/06/danny-newcomb-the-sugarmakers-shine-bright-on-masterwish/
Danny Newcomb & The Sugarmakers Shine Bright on Masterwish
By Casebeer
– June 14, 2015Posted in: Album, Album Reviews, Blogs, News, Reviews
NewcombWe listen to a lot of new music at NorthWest Music Scene. And while there is some really good, even great music being made in the northwest these days, sometimes we are even surprised at how good something is. Of course there always has been good and great music coming from here, you just have to know where to look. Recently we received one of those really great ones from Danny Newcomb & The Sugarmakers. The album is called ‘Masterwish’ and it drives home a message that I’ve always felt doesn’t get talked about enough. And that is, “what exactly is the Northwest Sound or Seattle Sound”?
We’ve long said that it is impossible to label and unfair to group together bands that sound nothing alike (like Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam) and place them in a box. ‘Masterwish’ smashes any preconceived notion people might have about what Seattle is supposed to sound like. ‘Masterwish’ is also totally devoid of the sometimes worn out rock and roll cliches. Instead, it paves the way for a bright new sound that encompasses what the northwest is about.
While the musicianship is stellar to say the least, the true strength of this release lies within the songwriting. The lyrics are married to the melody in spectacular fashion; Danny Newcomb has created a sound and a groove all his own on this album. The first song “Known World” starts out with a simple bright guitar riff, quickly giving way to Newcomb’s ever-capable voice and some absolutely brilliant bass work from Rick Friel. The drums also shine on this track as Eric Eagle is allowed to feel the song. It’s a fantastic tune that sets the tone for the rest of the album.
The second song is called “Nightmare” and it follows along the same lines as the first song, although it’s a little more up-tempo with Friel’s thick bass very audible. In fact, the potent rhythm section of Friel and Eagle powers this groovy tune. Newcomb’s killer guitar work is on display on this song as well, with very tasty lead work. The third track, “Believe It”, really shows off the musical diversity of Danny as he is brilliant on both vocals and guitar. Add a healthy amount of keyboards and some fantastic backing vocals and you have the recipe for an incredible song. The guitar is clean and bright perfectly in sync with the bass and keys as they start building into something magnificent. By the time the last 30 seconds or so of this song roll around, Newcomb is gracefully blistering the neck of the guitar, Friel and Eagle are both in the zone, blending with the keys and backing vocals to turn this one into a magical experience. Although it’s hard to pick a favorite on this album, “Believe It” certainly has to be a contender.
“One Wish” is the fourth song and finds Newcomb pleading with his love interest to make the right decision and go with him instead of the other guy. While thinking about what this reminds me of, it took some time, but let’s pretend for a second that all the Beatles would have been able to stay together and keep recording, this is what I imagine they’d have sounded like at some point and this wasn’t the first time I got that feeling while listening to this album. Once again the band displays just how tight they are and they dish out more of the delicious groove that is found throughout.
Danny Newcomb & The Sugarmakers is a band that is made up of people that have known each other for a long time. Newcomb and Friel’s musical connection can be traced back to the days of Warrior and Shadow, which also included Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Mad Season fame. This trio was also 3/5 of The Rockfords, which also included Carrie Akre and Chris Friel (Newcomb’s bandmates from Goodness).
Mike McCready’s guitar work can be found on Track number 6 “Sundays” as he makes a cameo and drops a luscious guitar solo. McCready has a long history with the members of this band and it shows as he just blends in so naturally, even though he’s in one of the most popular rock bands on the planet. This song is another bright spot on this incredible album, and if you aren’t careful with it, it’ll be stuck in your head all day.
The basics for ‘Masterwish’ were recorded at Electro Kitty Studios in Seattle and the home studio of Ian Moore on Vashon Island, as well as the home studio of John Goodmanson. ‘Masterwish’ was masterfully produced, engineered and mixed by Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Harvey Danger, Death Cab for Cutie). Musicians in addition to Danny Newcomb, Rick Friel and Mike McCready are Eric Eagle on drums with Annie O’Neill and Fiia McGann singing backup. Jason Stayczec also lends his keyboard skills on a couple songs. The band is going to release a 7″ vinyl single of “One Wish”/”Sundays” on McCready’s new label Hockeytalkter Records in July, with a digital release of the full album expected to be released in July as well.
The 10th song on the album is the title track of ‘Masterwish’ and clocks in at 4:14 with an infectious groove, including part of the hook “I’ve been waiting for this moment” and once again all the members are just filling a role in perfect synchronicity, deep in the pocket. It also allows Newcomb to once again prove that he is no slouch on the guitar; in fact, he is exceptional. The last song “Luckiest Man” is an acoustic offering that is a beautiful song and a great way to end this album with some fantastic finger-picked guitar.
In a perfect world this album would be a smash hit and I hope it is because it’s that good and it deserves as many ears experiencing it as possible. It’s full of bright, upbeat and energetic new “northwest” music with nothing over- or under-produced. At the beginning of 2015 an album came out that was written by ex-Green River drummer Alex Vincent for his new band Ex’s With Benefits and I called that the early contender for “Seattle Album of the Year”. That album now has a rival in ‘Masterwish’. We highly recommend picking this one up when you get a chance.
Listen to a song from the album ‘Masterwish’ HERE
Post edited by demetrios on
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https://www.facebook.com/pages/Danny-Newcomb/156930004458305?fref=ts
So, just got my album downloaded for digital: August 1!!!! Will be on iTunes, Amazon, sweeter and probably streaming on the planet of the apes!
August 1! Love, d
...
Will have CDs then and the hockeytalkter 7" on vinyl soon after.
Danny Newcomb’s stellar reemergence comes as no surprise to fans who have followed this talented native son since his rise as lead guitarist and songwriter for Goodness, the alt-rock Seattle band that released three albums and toured worldwide, supporting acts such as Pearl Jam, Cheap Trick, and Oasis, and co-headlined a tour with Candlebox (1995-2004). Goodness reunited for two sold-out concerts in 2008 and 2009. Newcomb is also a founding member of The Rockfords, a Seattle band that also featured Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Carrie Akre (Goodness, Hammerbox), Chris Friel, and Rick Friel, and released three albums (2000-2004). Newcomb, McCready, and the Friel brothers first made rock music together in the metal/punk band Shadow in the mid-1980s.
Danny Newcomb will debut his new band’s album, ‘Masterwish’, as a digital release on August 1, 2015, as a 7” vinyl single release at Easy Street Records on September 4, 2015(released by Mike McCready’s Hockey Talkter Records), and via a CD release party at the Tractor Tavern on September 21, 2015, featuring special musical guests.
"Danny Newcomb is not only one of the best guitarists in the Northwest—he has also always been an amazing songwriter. His new album, Masterwish, is fantastic, and I hope people take the time to listen! They won’t be disappointed." – Mike McCready, lead guitarist, Pearl Jam
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-is-lost/id1020896128?i=1020896267
Danny Newcomb & The Sugarmakers In-Store!
Easy Street Records
4559 California Ave SW (West Seattle), Seattle, Washington 98136
..
If anyone is able to pick me up their 7" single exclusively sold @ Easy Street Records that night please let me know. 7″ vinyl single of “One Wish”/”Sundays” includes Mike McCready.
Tractor Tavern tonight, 9 pm with Massy Ferguson and Strong Suit
Come on out, if you can! Rick Friel will be playing lead bass!
Tonight we'll have copies of the record for sale, and we'll be playing all the songs. Been a long, cool year with a lot of help from friends on this record -- Mike McCready, Ian Moore, Jason Staczek, John Goodmanson, Chris Adams, and of course my good friends in the Sugarmakers.
It has been super cool getting the songs out there and having such a positive response. I love writing songs, and the longer I worked on this project the more I have loved singing them. That has given me a new lease on a musical life.
Thanks again, Kexp for putting us in rotation, and getting the music out.
Shake those sugarmakers now, won't you?
Best, Danny
http://www.amazon.com/Masterwish-Danny-Newcomb-Sugarmakers/dp/B014TY6X1W/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1446198646&sr=1-1&keywords=pearl+jam
This title will be released on December 11, 2015.