- Steven Alvarado - News

Portland, Maine

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Hi friends, I spent a week up in Maine and played some songs and made some new friends who I adore. Here are some photos. Left to right: Steven on Stage ☆ Derek in Drag ☆ Ken & Derek ☆ Ken, Derek, & Steven in a canoe ☆ Colby, Steven & Derek ☆ Ken, Steven, Frank & Robert ☆ Steven, Derek, Ken, Ryan, & David.

Hope Nunnery

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Hi everyone,

I came across an artist in the studio the other day that I really love. Her name is Hope Nunnery. She's amazing and I think you may like her too. I would call her sound "Mountain Music". As you know, I'm big on lyrics and it seems like few people know how to write them anymore. Ms Nunnery certainly knows how. Check this is out:

"Mama got a black eye, she staring out the window
Puffin on a Pell Mell, coffee getting colder, she
Big and fat and pretty, better than a movie star
Mama sweet foot tapping to the sound of the soft guitars."

That's from a song called Little Pink Radio.

You can find her here: www.hopenunnery.com

And see her below.

-Steven

Airplay on Folkcast!

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Hi Everyone,

There's a great Podcast in the UK called Folkcast. They just aired their season finally and featured my song See You Again to close the show. I encourage you to listen the entire show but if you must, you can skip ahead to the last three or four minutes to catch the song.

More news later!

Steven

Blogging Again

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Hi everyone,

Just a quick announcement to tell you about my new Blog called Monkey Grin.

Here is the description of what it's all about: "Welcome to Monkey Grind, my Blog. I've tried my hand a couple of times at Blogging but never seemed to get it quite right. I think all I was really looking for was an outlet for all the "other" things that I have to say or am interested in. That's what this Blog is all about. To collect & post anything I find interesting. That could mean news, a political issue, music, or a YouTube video I think is funny. I don't intend to post regularly, just whenever I feel like it. So, it's probably best to subscribe if you want to get new posts as they happen. This is my secondary outlet that has nothing to do with my life as a recording & touring musician. But then, on the other hand, I guess you can't really separate the two. This is just a better forum for "everything else" than my music website."

Check it out and leave your comments! http://stevenalvarado.blogspot.com/

-Steven

More Podcast Play!

Sat, 29 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Hi all,

My friends over at HomoPod Radio played me on this weeks show.
I even did a station I.D. for them. I've posted the show below for you to listen.
My song comes on second.

Steven

TV Soundtrack

Sat, 08 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Hi Everyone,

A while back the PBS television show Road Trip Nation used some of my music as background on a couple of different episodes. They have since partnered with Fuel TV and are now doing a Mini Series with short episodes around 7 to 10 minutes or so for television. My song New York from Let It Go is featured in episode 5.

I've posted the episode below for you to watch. My song comes on at 3.5 minutes.

More news later!

My Favorite PodCast is Back!

Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Hi Everyone,

My friends over at HomoPod Radio have been off the air for a while taking a long break and have decide to re-launch the show on May 16th. Mark Carnahan the host, puts together a really great show every week with some great music. The show gets a whopping 10,000 downloads a month! Mark has an eclectic taste in music and I've been the Featured Artist of The Month a couple of times on the show. We even did an interview for an episode (I think when The Howl Sessions came out) but unfortunately due to technical problems the interview never aired. Maybe we'll do a new one for you in the near future. To celebrate the launch I wanted to re-post those episodes that I was on for you.

Look for HomoPod Radio on the internet, May 16th!

PART ONE

PART TWO

New Album Review from: Zeitgeist/UK

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Hi friends,

Let It Go came out in April 2008, yet after almost two years, it continues to get good reviews. This one is from the UK from Zeitgeist/Stuart Hamilton. Zeitgeist is a great music review sight describing itself as an "idiosyncratic collection of music news and reviews", to which I very much agree. (http://www.the-rocker.co.uk/)

Mr. Hamilton reviewed my previous album The Howl Sessions to which he says in this new CD review that he "drooled rather unbecomingly over that one". Any music journalist willing to say something like that has my unwavering respect. I offer a tissue along with my humble thanks for that beautifully written and enthusiastic musical evaluation. I also send my thanks for reviewing Let It Go and offering his influential stamp of approval.

The Howl Sessions is definitely the album that sort of put me on the map (I'm still obscure) and it garnered an enormous amount of positive press. I still love that album and all of those reviews are still posted here on my sight. Let It Go has also done extremely well and is still going strong. While both albums sold well, Let It Go surpassed The Howl Sessions total sales after about three months of its release and is still selling (mostly through downloads at iTunes). The new review from Zeitgeist is below as well as the original review of The Howl Sessions.

Enjoy,

Steven

STEVEN ALVARADO
Let It Go

Mott St Records

It's been a while since Mr Alvarado and I crossed path. In fact, it was way back in 2005 when I got more than a wee bit excited about his "The Howl Sessions" release. I drooled rather unbecomingly over that one.

This record sees him creating his "record about heartbreak", which is always fertile ground for a singer / songwriter. Of course, it can also get self-indulgent and narcissistic but that's, thankfully, not the case here.

There are some really delightful tunes here with 'Nobody Knows' bringing back some very unhappy memories. Git. However, he does get a bit more chipper on 'New York', one of the few outward looking moments on offer. He's also put together another top-notch band for this album with Marc Ribot, Kenny Wollesen, Rob Burger and Joe Quigley having served time with the likes of T-Bone Burnett, Norah Jones. Beth Orton and Lisa Loeb, amongst others.

If you only listen to one song before making your mind up, then take a listen to 'Blue'. That should make your decision very easy indeed.

-Stuart Hamilton/Zeitgeist

REVIEW: Steven Alvarado
The Howl Sessions (Mott Street)

Solo album 3, in a recording career going back to 1991 isn’t a frenetic release schedule, but it’s worth waiting for something this good.

His vocal style alone would make this worthwhile, even if he was singing the equivalent of the telephone directory, for his warm, lived in voice, is a treat. However, he knows how to write a memorable tune as well. Amongst the many highlights here are the tragic “Morphillia (A Girl I Knew)” and “Wish You Were Here (Postcards From Hell)”, which show a depth of lyricism rarely heard these days. How can you go wrong with an opening stanza of;

You told me I’m going to Hell
I’m finally here and doing swell
I’ll send you a card ”˜wish you were here’
”˜umm humm, down here

He is well respected enough to be able to call on some well connected players to help bring his vision to life, with Rob Burger (Rufus Wainwright, Norah Jones) on organ, Joe Quigley, (Shawn Colvin, Lisa Loeb) on bass, Mike Presta, (Counting Crows, Melissa Etheridge) on drums and Richard Barone, (Lou Reed, Patti Smith) on bongo's, amongst others.

But it’s to his credit that his songs and voice rise above the backing to make a righteous claim for respect in his own right. A truly excellent release.

-Zeitgeist (LONDON)

Winter in New York

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Hi friends,

Well it's been quite a winter here in New York City. We've had record snow fall and I can tell you that I am ready for summer. I think we are about done with the snow after this last storm and I am very much looking forward to the warmer weather of Spring. The good thing about winter is that I am forced to stay in a lot and there is not much else to do but write songs, so that's what I've been doing!!

More news later...

Steven

New Songs-New Look

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Hi everyone,

Happy New Year!! It's a new decade, can you believe it? And what a great start I'm off to! I wrote two songs last night!

I guess it's official, I'm writing a new album. I usually like to keep that to myself for a while until I have most of it written, but what the hell... I figure I may as well tell everyone since I'm so excited about it.

Well, the songs are pretty damn good (if I do say so myself). I get the feeling this is going to be a really good album. The songs are from the heart, as always. I can't wait to share them with you. I hope to be in the studio by this summer.

As you know, once I get in the groove, I usually write pretty fast, two or three songs a day. Maybe a new album out by 2011? That sounds like pretty realistic to me.

Also, hope you like the minor website update we did. Changed the color and the cover page.

More news later,

Steven