We are very pleased to announce that Douglas E. Powell & The Rising Spirit are releasing their second album, Overnight Low on the 15th April on Bandcamp

Douglas will be performing the tracks from the album on the 27th April at Pilton Village Hall, Barnstaple, Devon supporting Ben Ottewell from Gomez. Get your tickets from Three Sticks Productions

Welcome to the Twister Valley Radio Program 3. More cuts from the record collection of musician and collector of fine tunes Douglas E Powell. This program features tracks from the likes of Midlake, Billy Childish, Keith Seaman and Moon Duo among others.

Twister Valley Radio, Program 3 by Twister Valley Radio on Mixcloud

A Rest Before The Walk, Keith Seaman

Take one electronica scene scape audio architect from Portsmouth and folk singer from Devon and put then into a rural recording studio for the weekend and see what happens. That is just a very small part of the story of how Keith went from concept to product.
See what folks are saying about this record at The Sunday Experience and Wyrd Daze Vol.4
The album is now available to buy via the Ghost Box Records Guest Store

It's Been A While.........

Apologies for the radio silence folks but we have been busy on the other social networks with all things Twister Valley. So here is a quick update on what has been a very productive year thus far. Douglas E Powell and The Rising Spirit has released their long awaited new album Good Men Get Lost At Sea. There is really good buzz about the new album across the web boosted by a play of the track Nash's Tower on BBC Radio 6 Music's Gideon Coe show and a lot of air play on various internet radio stations around the world. We would especially like to thank Brian Player at The Acoustic Cafe Radio Show who has long been a supporter of Douglas's music. We will be making the album available on download soon, Bandcamp we think but for now the album is available on CD via Douglas's web site at www.douglasepowell.co.uk

Good Men Get Lost At Sea

Earlier in the year we decided to release a limited edition (50 off) EP, The Twister Valley Sessions featuring 2 pre-mastered versions of songs from Good Men...'She Turns Their Heads' and 'Good Ol' Twine' also a re-mixed version of 'Light Beams' from Douglas's 2008 album The Iron Coast. We are glad to report that all copies have now been sold so good luck trying to find one. You can listen to tracks from the EP at our Soundcloud page.

The Twister Valley Sessions EP

Glenn's Guitars

Big thanks to Glenn at Glenn's Guitars for hooking Douglas E Powell up with his Larrivee D-03. If your into your guitar porn, go check his site out.

Test Transmission Archive Reel No.9

Keith Seatman (aka Keith Wyatt) has compiled yet another fine audio mix on mixcloud as part of the Test Transmission Archive Reel series (No.9). This latest mix contains the 2000 re-mix by Jim Jupp (aka Belbury Poly) of the Douglas E Powell track The Ballad of the Roman Road. The original version of the track and it's companion video can be found at Douglas's web site.

Brian Player

A big thank you to Brian Player at Covent Garden Radio who has been playing songs from Douglas E Powell's albums The Still and West and The Iron Coast all week. Brian also has a session on the Winchester Folk Club Podcast, it's well worth a listen. You can also follow Brian's work on Twitter at @BrianPlayer1

BBC Radio 6 Music Vinyl Special with Andrew Weatherall

Eclectic record collector and victorian policeman look-a-like Andy Weatherall spins a vinyl only mix for BBC Radio 6 music. My personal highlight 'The Fang' by Nervous Norvus.

Enjoy.

Test Transmission No.6

Douglas E Powell's new song Nash's Tower, a homage to sculpture David Nash is now playing at Keith Seatmans, Test Transmission No.6

Douglas E Powell and The Central Casting Band, The Landmark, Illfracombe, 12th November

If you are coming along to my next show at The Landmark Theatre, Illfracombe, Devon on the 12th November , can you please pre-book your ticket on the theatres on line box office at THE BOX OFFICE as a lack of pre-booked tickets is threatening to cancel the show. Come on It's only £2.00!

** Douglas E Powell and the Central Casting Band, with DJ support slot from the Hippy Cowboys, The Landmark, Illfracombe, 12th November **

Douglas E Powell and the Central Casting Band, The Kings Arms, Georgeham, 30th September

Douglas E Powell and the Central Casting band will be bidding a fond farewell to the summer with a set of acoustic folk with a dash of Americana at the Kings Arms, Georgeham, Devon on Friday the 30th September. Playing some old songs and some brand new songs from the forth coming album The Crooked Black Highway. Live music from 9.30pm.

In Her Palace........

A big thank you to Mr CP Mandrake for posting his footage of Douglas E Powell's song 'In Her Palace' on Youtube. Filmed at Pilton Village Hall, 11th June 2011.

BBC Radio Devon, Introducing Session, Aug 10th

Douglas E Powell will play another BBC Introducing session on the 10th August at 18.30 (gmt) on BBC Radio Devon. He will be playing songs from his forth coming album The Black and Twisted Highway. You can listen to the session live on line or on digital here.

Test Transmission Archive Reel No1; Keith Seatman

Fellow musical archivist and all round specialist in the sonically odd, Keith Seatman, has pieced together a collection of musical curiosities as part of series of transmissions entitled Test Transmission Archive Reel No1. This gold mine of strange can be found at mixcloud. Keith tells us that he is already working on his next transmission which is due to be aired in early March. I encourage you to take listen.

Central Casting on Soundcloud

You can now listen to 2 new demo versions of In Her Palace and England's Great Waterways by alt-folk band Central Casting at Soundcloud. The band are busy in the studio recording their first album which is due for release on TVR in the summer of 2011 (we hope).
Central Casting's first live show of 2011 will be on the 26th February at the Pilton Hall, Barnstaple supporting Peter Bruntnell also on the evenings billing; Owls, Small Town Jones and Job on Robot.

EX33 on The Music of Douglas E Powell

It has been a busy couple of years since EX33 last caught up with songwriter Douglas E Powell. In 2009 Douglas got married to his wife Tamsin. In 2010 they bought a house together in Devon and soon followed the birth of their first child Joshua. “It’s has been a whirlwind year for us all and it’s amazing I have found the time to fit in the music”, says Douglas, but somehow he does. “It has all been made a lot easier with the piecing together of a home studio to record my latest musical project with new band Central Casting. I wanted to put a band together to record my third album after the success of my last two albums The Still and West in 2006 and The Iron Coast in 2008. Both albums were mostly recorded with vocals and acoustic guitars. I wanted to experiment with percussion, strings and electric guitars on this new project but still stay true to my folk music roots. Fiddle player Jason Pratt and I had been talking about a musical collaboration for ages but we just didn’t seem to get around to putting anything into action. I gave Jay some acoustic demos of the new songs I had been working on and he started writing fiddle parts. Once Jay and I had the basis of songs worked out I sort the talents of other local musicians. Life long friend and bass player Andrew “Tizz’ Tizzard was more used to playing distorted electric guitar in front of a stack of vintage valve amps in grunge bands back in the 90’s rather than a bass player and backing vocalist in a folk band but he gladly rose to the challenge. Percussionist Will Greeves was borrowed from fellow songwriter Jim Jones’s band”. Line up complete, in March 2010 they stared rehearsals as the band Central Casting, “a name usually associated with the casting agencies in the American film industry but it seemed to fit with the concept of a musical collaboration between like minded local musicians”, says Douglas.
Douglas had already been booked to perform solo sets at various folk festivals and shows around the country over the summer of 2010 so Central Casting was billed to perform along side Douglas. For the record the first ever Central Casting gig was at the Holmfirth Folk Festival, Yorkshire in May 2010. “It was a bit of a baptism of fire for us in front of a tough northern crowd who had never heard of us, but we survived unscathed and played a second set the following day at the beautiful Victorian Picturedrome Theatre to a sell out audience”. Other standout shows over the summer included headline slots at the Goldcoast Oceanfest, The Hatherleigh Folk Festival, The Tobacco Factory, Bristol, Lilicos, Barnstaple, The White Lion, Braunton, Pilton Village Hall playing support to American songsmith Forest Sun and a live session on BBC radio Devon, Central Casting described by the BBC Introducing Session as “classic English folk with a hint of Americana”. Once their busy schedule of gigs over the summer had been completed the band set their sites on recording an album in Douglas’ home studio in Knowle. “We hope to have the recording process completed by early 2011, and once all the tracks are mixed and mastered and the cover artwork is sorted we can release the album on my label Twister Valley Records in the spring/summer of 2011”. Central Casting are booking shows around the UK for 2011 and I am sure that they will be performing live at the usual local venues in the not to distant future. Douglas is also working on the score for the long awaited surf film One Day directed by filmmaker Richard Gregory.

For more information on the music of Douglas E Powell, Central Casting and Twister Valley Records visit their web sites at www.douglasepowell.co.uk, www.myspace.com/centralcasting and www.myspace.com/twistervalleyrecords.
To win a CD copy of Douglas’ last album The Iron Coast simply add your name and the word WIN to the mailing list at www.douglasepowell.co.uk and we will randomly pick a winner before the end of the year.

SHNDG5 - The Loft, Portsmouth, Dec 3rd

Line Up:

The Magic Horns (live Av remix)- Jez Stevens has been asked to re/deconstruct the drone rock track "The Morning Haze". Originally recorded by a mysterious duo from Devon. The remix will serve as a soundtrack to found footage of Hilsea Lines Ramparts and environs...

Dangerous/Poindexter (live soundtrack)- Dangerous (Tom Day) / Poindexter (Jez Stevens) will be improvising a set comprising live electronics, guitar and effects. Heavily influenced by motorik/kraut beats and swirling psych P/D will provide a soundtrack to highlights taken from Peter Sykes The Committee(1968). (starring Paul Jones).

Black Powdr Engine (live AV set)- A shndg stalwart, Black Powdr Engine continues to develop his post-breakbeat, psyche dub. The only real AV/VJ in town - imagine Meat Beat Manifesto playing live with mangatronic visuals by a VJ out of a William Gibson novel...

The Random Scarves (DJ set)- Shndg bumped into these trilby wearing, scarf flinging nut jobs at Hospitality - funkalectic dubstep...in their words: "The Random Scarves – purveyors of the finest weirdno and circus of sounds around. These creatures can be heard, here & there, sticking some indiscriminate beats and funky bass to various congregations of the electronic way."

Simon Heartfield (live AV set)- Will be previewing new material from the as yet untitled forthcoming album of music based on the extraordinary 1970 novel Bomber by Len Deighton, which was nominated this year for the Lost Booker prize. The album is due for release 2Q 2011 and this will be an exclusive glimpse at work in progress.

Geodesic (DJ set) - Keith Seatman playing kraut rock oddities.

Dr. Lighthouse (VJ)- A figurative blend of mashed up films and incandescent images.

Shed Dweller (VJ)- Offers a geometric onslaught of monochrome patterning.

Location:
The Loft
Above the Kings, Albert Rd
Southsea, United Kingdom

£4 on the door

The Iron Coast re-issued on itunes

It's not only the Beatles who are issuing their back catalogue on itunes. The Iron Coast by Douglas E Powell has now been re-issued on itunes. So get your copy before the Christmas rush.

The Office Top 10 Play List October 2010

1. Broadcast & The Focus Group - Investigates Witchcults of the Radio Age (Warp) - Hauntology is still alive and being practiced in a village hall near you.

2. The Great Lake Swimmers - The Legion Sessions (Nettwerk) - Canada's finest live in one of their favorite venues.

3. Otis Gibbs - Grandpa Walked A Picketline (Wanamaker Recording Company) - Another slice of country soul from the bearded one.

4. Sleepy Sun - Fever (ATP Records) - Stoner rock from San Francisco.

5. Money Mark - Push The Button (Mowax) - A classic from the prince of lo-fi.

6. Forest Sun - Walk Through Walls (Painted Sun) - A group of friends rent a cabin in the wood and a beautiful record is made.

7. Hot Rod City - Compilation (Sundazed) - Songs about custom cars and girls from the 60's.

8. Rough Trade - Country Sampler 1 (Rough Trade) - A must have benchmark in Americana.

9. Songs of Witchcraft & Magic - Compilation (Wild Goose Records) - Before Hauntology there was this.

10. Dillard & Clark - The Fantastic Expedition / Through the Morning Through the Night (A&M) - Two for the price of one from this under rated duo.


Visit our myspace site for more of our favorite bands and music

Forest Sun with support from Central Casting, Pilton Village Hall, Devon, 20th August

Douglas E Powell will be playing a support slot with his band Central Casting for Americana song smith Forest Sun at the Pilton Village Hall, Barnstaple, Devon on the 20th August. Forest Sun is an award winning songwriter based in San Francisco and he is spending a few days in the West Country as part of his European tour.

Tickets are on sale for £7 and are available from Wild West Country or simply email us to reserve your tickets and pick them up on the door. It's a BYO evening making it a very cheap Friday night out!

Doors at 8.00pm, DJ sets from the Happy Cowboys, live music from 9.00pm to 11.30.

Here are a few things the American press have said about Forest Sun:

‘The music of Forest Sun radiates warmth and enthusiasm. It catches. You can't possibly listen to his music without feeling good. I have had the good fortune of presenting Forest Sun and his music to the listeners of my radio show, "In The Spirit." Pick up and listen to any one of his many CDs and go for a joyride.’
Gary Goldberg - WRPI - In the Spirit.

‘Artists that he recalls include Ryan Adams, Jack Johnson, John Gorka, Todd Snider, even Van Morrison and Lyle Lovett. But I think it's more of an attitude; his songs are jaunty, timeless and spirit raising, even life-affirming.’
Mac McDonald - Monterey Herald.

‘Forest's performance Saturday night reminded us of the good old days when the San Francisco folk music scene happened in small and intimate venues – where you felt like you were part of the music.’
La Tienda News.

We hope to see you there.