Caffeine-Headache

Sean Hayes, the singer-songwriter, not the Will & Grace actor, is undoubtedly one of my favorite musicians. His new album Big Black Hole and the Little Baby Star has just been released (you can purchase it on iTunes or eMusic). I've only had this album for a few days, but I already know this will be one of my Albums of the Year. It's been far too long since Sean Hayes last album, but it sounds like he's been through a break-up, "F****d Me Right Up" is one the best (or saddest rather) break-up songs ever written, and found someone new, "Calling All Cars" tells of two broken hearts coming together. I have already listened to this album 1,500, 234 times...now I simply must turn it off.

Exerpts from article in SF Gate:
Hayes achieves that in spades on Big Black Hole. You can hear it in his vibrato-laden vocals, which share the open, vulnerable quality of such contemporary scene makers as Conor Oberst, Devendra Banhart and Antony (and the Johnsons), with a touch of Tim Buckley for good measure.

Now in his mid-30s, Hayes feels an affinity for the younger denizens of the freak-folk movement, who likewise hark back to the "primitive" sounds documented in the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music. "Devendra [Banhart] has got something really cool going. I like what's happening. It's a vibrant scene, and I'm pretty excited to see it come up. It resonates with me, even though I'm a little older than those musicians. It wasn't around when I was in my early 20s."

On recording the album (from Cd Baby): "In December 2004; I was playing a benefit for Kitchen Sink Magazine. The event was held in a big warehouse space in Oakland California. Rouge Wave played, a women was giving out free hair cuts, but most important for me was that I ran into Etienne De Rocher and he invited me to come to his garage studio to record some songs. One of the first tracks we did, using an old Ace tone drum machine, is the last song on the record “Turnaroundturnmeon”. Right away I wanted to record my next record in Etienne’s garage. It seemed right. I was in a dark space and this was a shining light. He has a small garage, hardly enough room for three people but I felt at home. Plus I have always really loved Etienne’s music. It took a few more months and conversations but eventually we recorded more songs. Hope you all like it…"

Sean Hayes will be performing on April 18 at Largo in Los Angeles, CA.

Here's some Mp3's courtesy of the SF Gate (although a voice comes in to let you know what you've just listened to towards the end):

"Boom Boom"

"Same God"

"3 A.M."

"Baby Black Hole and the Little Star"

Here's a couple of clean Mp3's courtesy of I Guess I'm Floating:

"Calling All Cars"

"F****d Me Right Up"

And what the hell, here's one more that I just can't seem to get enough of. I don't know why, but I just love the verse near the end when he sings "When the ladies have their high heel shoes on, they want to go out dancing"...poetry in motion.

"Pollinating Toes"

Listen to more samples here.