Songdog
Encyclopedia
Songdog are a Welsh three-piece folk noir band noted for their intelligent lyrics and sparse (often acoustic) musical arrangements.
Lyndon Morgans was a playwright before going into music. He wrote a play entitled Water Music which was shown at London's Cockpit Theatre
in 1992.
The band’s debut album, The Way of the World, was self-released. Nevertheless, it received some positive press, including a four (out of five) star review from Martin Aston of The Times
in June 2001. Morgans "is smitten by that old salty Belgian dog Jacques Brel
, as shown by the sparse, candlelit arrangements and tremulous vocals".
In 2003 the band’s second album, Haiku, was released on Evangeline Records. The album received a four (out of five) star review in Uncut
. "If 2001's superb 'The Way of the World' was a fittingly damaged, literary affair for a songwriter in thrall to the Beats, Brel and Dylan, 'Haiku' ups the ante with more extreme, nerve-jarring tales of love and sex in all its obsessive, voyeuristic, clammy glory".
By the time of the third album in 2006 the band had signed to One Little Indian Records
. Again the album received some positive press, including a 4.5 out of 5 star review in The Sun newspaper. "There's a raw honesty to Morgans' acute insights set in sparse, intimate musical surroundings... The Time of Summer Lightning is one of those albums you can get lost in for weeks. Another example of why quiet might just be the new loud".
2008’s A Wretched Sinner's Song was a double album
released to mixed reviews. The NME
wrote that Lyndon Morgans’ “storytelling hints at a real gravity”.
On A Life Eroding, the band’s fifth album, “Lyndon Morgans’ lyrics are as evocative as ever, but his graphic, oddly magical songs haven’t previously enjoyed such well-plotted arrangements”. Mojo
awarded the album four (out of five) stars.
Celebrity fans include Bruce Springsteen
, who covered "Days of Armageddon" (from 2003 album Haiku) for "walk in music" on his European tour and personally requested a copy of their third album, The Time of Summer Lightning. Haiku, the title for Songdog's second album, means a Japanese verse of three short, unrhymed lines. Tracks from the third album received radio airplay on Jonathan Ross'
BBC Radio 2 show and John Kennedy's
XFM show, amongst others.
Songdog have supported Joan As Policewoman, Ed Harcourt
, The Handsome Family
and The Go-Betweens
, Australian indie rockers.
Background
Band members include Lyndon Morgans (vocals, acoustic guitar and songs), Karl Woodward (electric guitars, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, keyboards) and Dave Paterson (drums, keyboards, percussion).Lyndon Morgans was a playwright before going into music. He wrote a play entitled Water Music which was shown at London's Cockpit Theatre
Cockpit Theatre (Marylebone)
The Cockpit Theatre is a Fringe Theatre in Marylebone, London. The Cockpit Theatre was designed by Edward Mendelsohn built in 1969-70 by the Inner London Education Authority as a community theatre and is notable as London's first purpose built Theatre In The Round, since the Great Fire of London...
in 1992.
The band’s debut album, The Way of the World, was self-released. Nevertheless, it received some positive press, including a four (out of five) star review from Martin Aston of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
in June 2001. Morgans "is smitten by that old salty Belgian dog Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
, as shown by the sparse, candlelit arrangements and tremulous vocals".
In 2003 the band’s second album, Haiku, was released on Evangeline Records. The album received a four (out of five) star review in Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
. "If 2001's superb 'The Way of the World' was a fittingly damaged, literary affair for a songwriter in thrall to the Beats, Brel and Dylan, 'Haiku' ups the ante with more extreme, nerve-jarring tales of love and sex in all its obsessive, voyeuristic, clammy glory".
By the time of the third album in 2006 the band had signed to One Little Indian Records
One Little Indian Records
One Little Indian Records is a London-based independent record label that rose from the ashes of punk record company Spiderleg Records. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarchist punk bands, and managed by ex-Flux of Pink Indians Derek Birkett. The first success came with A.R. Kane and...
. Again the album received some positive press, including a 4.5 out of 5 star review in The Sun newspaper. "There's a raw honesty to Morgans' acute insights set in sparse, intimate musical surroundings... The Time of Summer Lightning is one of those albums you can get lost in for weeks. Another example of why quiet might just be the new loud".
2008’s A Wretched Sinner's Song was a double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
released to mixed reviews. The NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
wrote that Lyndon Morgans’ “storytelling hints at a real gravity”.
On A Life Eroding, the band’s fifth album, “Lyndon Morgans’ lyrics are as evocative as ever, but his graphic, oddly magical songs haven’t previously enjoyed such well-plotted arrangements”. Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
awarded the album four (out of five) stars.
Celebrity fans include Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, who covered "Days of Armageddon" (from 2003 album Haiku) for "walk in music" on his European tour and personally requested a copy of their third album, The Time of Summer Lightning. Haiku, the title for Songdog's second album, means a Japanese verse of three short, unrhymed lines. Tracks from the third album received radio airplay on Jonathan Ross'
Jonathan Ross (television presenter)
Jonathan Stephen Ross, OBE is an English television and radio presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross from 2001 until he left the BBC in 2010. Ross began hosting a new chat show on ITV1 starting 3 September 2011...
BBC Radio 2 show and John Kennedy's
John Kennedy (DJ)
John Kennedy, is a DJ who presents Xposure on XFM, between 10pm and 2am Monday-Thursdays. He is the only DJ to have been with XFM constantly since its inception and the show is the longest running of all of the specialist shows John Kennedy, is a DJ who presents Xposure on XFM, between 10pm and 2am...
XFM show, amongst others.
Songdog have supported Joan As Policewoman, Ed Harcourt
Ed Harcourt
Ed Harcourt is an English singer-songwriter. To date, he has released five studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, Here Be Monsters, was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize...
, The Handsome Family
The Handsome Family
The Handsome Family is an alternative country band, formed in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The band was formed in 1993 by husband-and-wife duo Brett Sparks and Rennie Sparks and drummer Mike Werner, although the band would later revolve around Rennie, who writes the lyrics, and Brett, who writes...
and The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Australia in 1977 by singer-songwriters and guitarists, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. They were later joined by Lindy Morrison on drums, Robert Vickers on bass guitar and Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, and backing vocals,...
, Australian indie rockers.
Key songs
- 'Goodbye Isabel' and 'I Love My Angel's Plastic Wings' from 'The Way of the World' (2001)
- 'The Girl on the Escalator at HMV' and 'Days of Armageddon' from 'Haiku' (2003)
- 'The Waitress from Yorkville, Toronto' and 'Childhood Skies' from 'The Time of Summer Lightning' (2005)
Quotes from Lyndon Morgans
- “If I could create a record as powerful as mid-period Joni MitchellJoni MitchellJoni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, or Leonard CohenLeonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
, Tom WaitsTom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, I'd die happy”. - “I'm not a great believer in this idea that rock music is cool because its disposable, its chewing gum - enjoy it then throw it away - I think when you write music you should strive to endure, like a great writer or painter. All the great rock music that I value is on the same level as any other art forms - when I try to write a song, I try to write it as if its forever (although I'm not claiming that any of our stuff will live beyond tomorrow..) I wouldn't be happy just stringing together a cliched set of chords, saying this'll be energetic and get people's rocks off tonight”.
Albums
- The Way Of The World (Self-released, 2001)
- Haiku (Evangeline Records, 2003)
- The Time of Summer Lightning (One Little Indian RecordsOne Little Indian RecordsOne Little Indian Records is a London-based independent record label that rose from the ashes of punk record company Spiderleg Records. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarchist punk bands, and managed by ex-Flux of Pink Indians Derek Birkett. The first success came with A.R. Kane and...
, 2005) - A Wretched Sinner's Song (One Little Indian Records, 2008) Leaked on January 16, 2008.
- A Life Eroding (One Little Indian Records, 26 Apr. 2010)