12/15/09...Radio!

Just dropping a note to say Hi and see what's up. There are a few developments in my world of music: one is that I am working with Peter Hay of Twin Vision on some radio promotion efforts. Beginning in late January 2010 (better late than never!) we'll be sending out the "Good Intentions" CD to about 200 radio stations throughout the country, targeting the non-commercial (left on the dial) Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) and Americana programs, in hopes of getting some airplay and who knows what else. I'll also have a track ("Long Gone") included on the "A Taste of Triple A" compilation sampler which also goes out to almost 300 stations. So hopefully, we'll generate some interest and reign in some new fans and at the very least, get out the good word. I'm excited to get it going and feel free to call or write in to your favorite station and request your favorite song from our CD.

In the meantime we're already thinking about recording the next CD. Probably have about 8 tracks now that are good to go and some others that are still a-brewin'. I usually have 4 or 5 parts and pieces of songs laying around that I can go to when the inspiration is otherwise not necessarily happening, which helps keep me from total despair! So the band has been working up some of these as well as some brand new songs, fresh out of the box. It's exciting to think about recording again considering how much we learned last time and how much we've played since then. We had a great time working with Mark Poole of Zone 8 Studio so I imagine we'll be calling on him in a few months (get that Mark?!) to start talking shop.

I had a good time playing over Thanksgiving at Auburn Road Vineyards in my old hometown, seeing lots of old friends and hopefully making some new ones. It's crazy for me to realize that sleepy old Woodstown now has a winery with live music and a music store (Woodstown Music) where you can find things such as a Fender Rhodes piano or a 1959 Gibson ES 225T that I barely managed to walk away from last time. Pretty cool!

We're on a bit of a hiatus now while Forrest takes a month long trip to Peru (Chile?? I can never keep up with this guy), but we're working on booking shows for next year (solo and with the band), and if you know of any good venues in your area drop me a line; I'm always hankerin' for a good road trip.

That's about it for now I suppose. I'll leave you with a YouTube clip I've been somewhat obsessing over lately. It's RL Burnside doing "Pour Black Mattie". I think it's the rhythm that gets me and the ease at which he seems to be laying it down. Seems so simple but is really hard to duplicate (for me anyways!).

Hope everyone has/is having a great holiday and I hope to see you soon,

-Sam

06/17/09...Vocal cord woes

It's been quite some time since the last update, so I figured I'd drop a line just to check in. It's been a crazy summer already.

About a couple of months ago after a string of shows in the area I found that my singing voice was acting kind of strangely. The top of my range was cut off and I found that I could no longer hit certain notes. Now, this is bad for someone like me who doesn't necessarily have the widest range to begin with! It was also kind of scary in that it seemed to come out of nowhere. So, a friend of mine and fellow musician from the Pittsburgh area Jason Kendall who'd experienced similar symptoms years ago recommended that I get my vocal cords checked out ASAP, which consists of a visit to an ear, nose, and throat specialist who puts a small tube up your nose and down the back of your throat, allowing them to actually see your vocal cords. Quite a strange sensation, but not as bad as it seems. I won't go so far to say that it was enjoyable, but you get the idea. Anyway, turned out that things were looking pretty rough in there, but the good news was that there were no growths or nodules and I probably just needed rest and lots of water. Things have been improving since then; still not back to 100% but I am able to limp through songs that before were impossible. Yesterday I went to a speech pathologist that analyzed my vocal characteristics with a computer program and some other exercises and the results looked good. She also predicted my future and it only cost me $5! Haha, just kidding. This whole ordeal has been kind of worrisome but it has made me realize how easy it is to take your voice for granted. It's been so strange to strum a guitar and NOT sing along. My neighbors may have been happy, but not me. Yet we forge ahead, and I've managed to write some songs here and there.

Personally it's been kind of crazy as well. Meg and I took a two-week trip to Nepal in May, during which we signed a contract for a new house here in town. On top of that we've got our wedding coming up in July, so needless to say, we're both kind of in the red zone, but we haven't gone over the edge yet. It's an exciting time. Looking forward to seeing many of you in July!

Also excited about some upcoming shows. On the 27th of June we'll be playing Gene's Summer Fest, an all-day party type of thing here in town with a slew of other bands. In August we're splitting a show with The Beards of Comedy Tour featuring Morgantown's favorite son, Joe Zimmerman. Should be a hoot! In September I'll be at The Elkhenge Music Festival in Beverly, WV with other acts like The Juggling Suns and Vince Farsetta. Woo Hoo!

Meanwhile, the band is slowly and steadily working up some new material and I'm really looking forward to getting this train a-rollin' again. There have been a few updates to the website and MySpace page, so stop on by if you haven't for a while.

I hope everyone is doing well and look forward to seeing you sometime soon,

-Sam

02/17/09...Free Download! T-shirts! Memphis!

A band version of the song "Nebo" has been added to the Tunes page as a free download. We recorded this in the studio a few months ago but decided against including it on the album. So now, you can have it for free! Just go to the Tunes page and scroll down to the bottom. Windows users can right-click and select 'Save Target As...' to save the mp3 file. Or you can just click on it to listen.

Also, the lovely ladies at Backtory Prints decided to use me as their first subject and created two really cool t-shirts. Here are the designs:

You can order a shirt online from their site by clicking here or on the above images. Spend some time checking out their site and check back often as they have lots of cool ideas in the works.

And finally, a short re-cap on the trip to Memphis to participate in the IBCs. I had a great time playing on Beale St. and meeting lots of nice folks and even got to check out some local attractions. Graceland was much more cozy than I had imagined, especially when I learned that Elvis used to cruise around the grounds and even out on the street with his pals in go-karts. I love go-karts! He was only 22 when he bought the place. We stopped by the National Civil Rights museum as well, which is based in the Lorraine Hotel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was staying when he was shot and killed. The museum is packed with info. spanning the heart of the civil rights movement and it really made me think about how we treat each other as a people and how recent these events really were. I guess the tendency is to think that we learn from our mistakes and that things get better with time. I certainly hope that's the case. Anyway, I would recommend a visit to the museum if you're in the area.

We got some good photos and even some video of performances (I hope to post online soon), had some good food, and heard some great music, and I need to thank the WV crew for coming down and cheering me on and especially Jack and Donna from the WV Blues Society for their continued support. See you soon!

01/26/09...The Sam Lamont Band debut CD "Good Intentions" is now available!

It seems like a long time coming since we headed into the studio back in October (??), obsessing about cow bells and reverse guitar. I must say, not only does it sound pretty good (a-hem), but it looks pretty darn good too, thanks to Meg Juckett for some original artwork and Erica Fitchett for her graphic design wizardry. Check the TUNES page for downloading and ordering. Let us know what you think, and THANKS!

Sam Lamont...vocals, guitar, harmonica
Ray Cook...guitar
Jake Hiles...bass
Forrest Schwartz...drums
Kelley Klemmick...vocals
with special guest Kim Monday...organ

01/24/09...Mid-Atlantic Tour Re-cap and Memphis!

We've had some exciting developments! First of all, I just completed a mid-Atlantic mad dash of a tour with friend and fellow songster, Ben Gilmer (www.myspace.com/bengilmer). I think the official tally was 14 shows in 13 days, from eastern TN to NYC, Pittsburgh, DC, and points in between. The whole thing actually went smoother than I thought it would with the only hitch coming at the very end when I came down with a bit of the flu. But we forged ahead! Only the way we were joined by some other great musicians and singers for special shows including Brandon Blevins and Chris Printz, who played drums and bass on Ben's album, and Kelley Klemmick, who I've been singing with for years now. I have to thank all the friends and family who let us crash on their floors, beds, and couches, we really would not have been able to do the whole thing without your hospitality. Too cold to sleep in the car! (I'm too old for that anyway) We've got a bunch of photos and even some video footage that we hope to get posted online soon, just in case you missed us the first time.

In a couple weeks I'll be heading to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge as a solo act. Should be interesting, I think there are about 100 bands and 60 solo acts "competing" from all over the world. It'll be a great time just to go and see all the music. Like a musical Mardi Gras in Memphis. The WV Blues Society was kind enough to put on a fundraiser for me and Ms. Freddye and Blue Faze, the Pittsburgh-based band that will also be representing WVBS in Memphis. The show was hosted by Gary at the Blue Moose Cafe here in Morgantown, and I have to say thanks to everyone involved.

11/01/08...Re-Mastered Solo CDs Available Now!

I recently had my solo CD re-mastered by Mark Poole at Zone 8 studios and sent it away to have it pressed.  The hardcopies and digital files are now available through CDBaby and DigStation.  It's the same songs and same mix, just with a bit more overall boost, or as they say in musical circles..."oomph".  Mark really did improve the sound with his extensive knowledge of parametric equalizers and flux capacitors. Plus, the packaging looks really cool.

If you have already purchased the old type and would like to receive a new copy, just drop me a line.

Thanks, hope to see you soon!

10/10/08...Week 1: Studio

Phew.  We wrapped up the first week in the studio with a 10-1/2 hour day yesterday.  It's kind of disturbingly narcissistic focusing all your concentration and thought on your own sound for that long, and the danger of obsessing over every part is for real.  However, it truly has been fun.  I have to say thanks to Mark Poole for his general good vibes (and sound) and for inspiring creativity.  We continue to come up with ideas on things to add, rearrange, take away...get weird. 

I have to give big props to the band as well.  This week has really shown the high quality of musicianship.

Forrest, Jake, and Ray...thanks.

There will be cowbell. 

Sam

10/08/08...2008 West Virginia Blues Society Contest Winner!  Last Saturday I competed in the 2nd annual WV Blues Society competition in Fairmont, and placed 3rd overall and 1st in the solo/duo category!  The prize includes sponsorship to compete in the 2009 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN in February, as well as a sweet looking trophy to add to my collection (which incidentally, begins now).

Congrats to the first place winners Ms. Freddye and Blue Faze from Pittsburgh and second place The Jon Justice Band out of Cincinnati, OH. 

Thanks again to all the organizers of the event and everyone involved.

See you in Memphis!

-Sam

08/26/08...Just letting you know about my good friend Ben Gilmer's recent CD release. I do some singing and some guitar pickin' and some harmonica playing on a few songs, along with a bunch of other talented musicians. All the songs are Ben's original compositions and you can check it out at: www.myspace.com/bengilmer Let me know what you think!

06/07/08...This week I went into the studio to record some guitar, vocal, and harmonica tracks for Ben Gilmer's upcoming CD. Ben assembled quite a cast of musicians for this debut of all original material and I can't wait to hear the final mix. Mark at Mountain Fever Studios (Willis, VA) was a blast, even though enduring Ben's diva ways did grow somewhat tiresome. (haha) I think the recording part is done and their on to mixing now, so keep an eye and ear out for this CD in the next month or so.

10/05/07...As you may have already noticed, the website has been re-designed, upgraded, facelifted, beautified. I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to Erica Fitchett who is responsible for these changes. Thanks Erica! If anyone is interested in contacting Erica about her website design, drop her a note at: elfrica@aol.com. Also, please check back often for more downloads and updates and good stuff. Thanks!

09/06/07...In an all-out marketing assault, the CD is now also available on itunes Forgive me for pandering to The Man...check out tunes anyway!

08/06/07...The CD is now available on CDBaby! You can also access the store in the music page.

06/07/07...A store has been added to the Music page to allow you to download the songs or the entire album in mp3 format. I'll have clips posted soon. I also intend to allow you to purchase hardcopies of the CD for those of you that still like to have something to hold on to. For now, however, you'll have to send me an email and do it the old fashion way, or better yet, come out and see a show!

...I've also joined the masses and created a MySpace page where you can sample some songs and leave me messages and all that. Stop on by! (www.myspace.com/samlamontmusic)

05/31/07...THE CD IS FINALLY READY!! At long last. Eleven original songs. I will have some for sale at the Black Bear tomorrow and hope to have them available on the web soon.

05/22/07...Last minute BROKE DOWN ENGINE show added!! We will be playing this Friday at Rhythm and Brews in Morgantown (Glenmark Center). BDE consists of myself (vox and guitar), Brian Renzella (vox and guitar), Forrest Schwartz (drums), and Jake the Snake Hiles (bass) playing some electrified blues and funky good time music. This is our first show in some time, so we're looking forward to gettin' down! Our friends The Gear will also be playing. Hope to see you there.

03/14/07...I am also currently working on recording a handmade-homegrown CD of my own original music which I hope to have finished soon and available online. It will be fairly raw and unpolished since I'm recording it all myself, but that's ok, polished stuff gives me the willies.