saddle creek

Before you listen to her new album, Maria Taylor suggests you prepare yourself. Listen to it, she says “in a dark room, with a candle or two with headphones, maybe in the bath, but definitely horizontal.” Though much of the deliciously diverse "LadyLuck" is inspired by the end of a relationship, it’s not dripping with sadness and grief, nor is it in-your-face empowering. Rather, Taylor strikes a stunning balance between melancholy (aching strings, hushed vocals) and uplifting (rolling rhythms, shimmering keys), highlighted by sharp lyrics that draw optimism out of sadness.

There are several bands named Mayday. Mayday is also well known as a recording moniker of Derrick May. One is a metallic hardcore band from Virginia Beach, Virginia in the 1990s. They released two 7"s, a 10" and a split with Integrity. While they were never particularly popular, they were fairly influential as one of the first hardcore bands to incorporate very overt metal elements. The other is an indie rock band from Nebraska.

Tim Kasher is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska. He is the frontman of indie rock groups Cursive and The Good Life, both of which are on the Omaha based label Saddle Creek Records. Prior to those bands, Kasher was in a band called Slowdown Virginia. He also made a brief appearance with the Omaha band Commander Venus and The March Hares. Kasher has a very close relationship with Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes. They grew up in Nebraska together, went to the same Catholic high school, Creighton Prep. It is rumored that Tim taught Oberst to play guitar.

Goodshank made his high profile musical debut playing acoustic guitar in The Moldy Peaches. He has also had a prolific solo career, recording 14 albums in a five-year span and touring Europe with artists including Jeffrey Lewis and Kimya Dawson. He has since become a prominent voice in the underground NYC music scene. Goodshank's style, while usually centered around his solo guitar and singing abilities, draws from a variety of pop and underground art and musical influences and employs many instrumental textures.

Read more about Toby Goodshank on Last.fm.