Mcgowan

"The first necessary pop record of the new year. Along with companion Jesse Hoenig, this American inhabits vague pop landscapes, neighbor to John Lennon ballads and the melancholy of American Music Club. Somewhat brilliant do-it-yourself-pop to sink into, as well as applaud tremendously." // 4/5, Expressen

"The American Mcgowan Southworth has played the guitar with the pop wonderkid of the 90's Ben Lee. But this home-made debut flies more freely towards a darker and more psychedelic background, where echoing pianos ring over thundering drums and acoustic guitars." // Aftonbladet

translation from Swedish by Olle Bergel.
Original review found at
http://www.dotshop.se/ds/release.php?code=MPT006CD - dotshop.se

I’m not really sure if this guy’s name is McGowan or Mcgowan, it says both on his MySpace. How are those things decided anyway? I think his name is McGowan and he goes by Mcgowan as an artist. Confusionnnn.

Whatever, this McSomething from Brooklyn is ripe with pop/rock to make those naming shenanigans hardly matter. Sunshiney, hook-laden pop defines Mcgowan’s latest work off his album American Regular. We already know that from his pedigree he’s going to come up with some grand pop tunes – he worked with Ben Lee on his uber popular Awake is the New Sleep, including the standout single, “Catch My Disease”. As Mcgowan says himself,

"I was trying to reflect my generation, where I came from, and the present state of things – but mostly trying to make a raw, fun, rockin’ record."
Amen to that.

June 20, 2009

- Knox Road

From start to finish the new Mcgowan record stands on its own as a stellar piece of art. From emotionally charged ballads such as the lead off track "starting over" to radio friendly pop/rock with "half of me", Mcgowan's songwriting gets the attention it deserves. "Make it Great" and "Lucks Gonna Change" help fill out the very ardent mood of the album, proving that Mcgowan's music career is just blossoming. - Cheeky Records

(article is about Mcgowan's project "The Seventeens" with Nini Camps. Their song "Ruby" was featured on an episode of Real World: Brooklyn)

The Seventeens started out as an idea. It was a choice by two very independent artists from very diverse backgrounds to step away from the music machine and write for the sake of writing.

McGowan Southworth and Nini Camps are The Seventeens.

McGowan’s collaboration on Ben Lee’s album “Catch My Disease” garnered him a “Single of the Year” award at the ARIAS. However, with roots in the “Live Free Or Die” state of New Hampshire, McGowan honed his songwriting skills and performance style long before by playing coffee shops and clubs along the East Coast. As his fan base grew so did McGowan’s visibility in the industry. In 2002 a friend recommended him to Ben Lee, which resulted in several years of both live and studio collaboration with the critically acclaimed Australian. That same year McGowan released his first solo LP on indie Manic Pop Thrill. McGowan recently toured with Mutlu (Manhattan Records) and recorded the follow up to his solo debut with legendary producer/engineer Henry Hirsch (Lenny Kravitz).

Nini, a Brooklyn based Cuban American, has been a fixture on the touring scene since early 2000. She has toured all over the US, London and Canada, performed with Joan Osborne at Madison Square Garden and participated in NXNE, SXSW, and NACA Regional /National College Booking Conferences. Touring as an independent artist, Nini has supported Ari Hest, Los Lonely Boys and was invited to represent the United States for the World Cup Music Festival performing in stadiums throughout Germany. After signing with Cherry Lane Music Publishing, Nini has been successfully writing for film and TV including recent placements in As The World Turns -8 songs performed on-camera, Sydney White (Morgan Creek), Life Is Wild (The CW), Cane (CBS), Out Late (Forever Films), Degrassi: The Next Generation (The-N, CTV). She has also stepped out of the singer songwriter realm to write for specific projects such as PoKemon (Disney/Geffen) and Hello Kitty (Lakeshore Records). - MTV

by Danielle Allaire

New West Records has announced that long time popster and hipster Australian Ben Lee has finally signed to their label for the release of Awake Is The New Sleep, due out February 22, 2005.

Ben made the label hop after working with LA indie favorite Dim Mak records, where he released a split EP with Pony Up. On this release Ben covered the summer anthem of all rock kids Modest Mouse's "Float On."

According to the label, Awake Is The New Sleep is Ben's definitive album, compiling his pop savvy younger days with his assured optimism and matured musicianship riding at the helm. Along for the ride are long time partner-in-crime Lara Meyerratken and guitar whiz McGowan Southworth, as well as special guests, including Jason Schwartzman, Har Mar Superstar, Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis and Jason Faulkner.

Ben Lee will tour extensively in support of Awake Is The New Sleep. - Filter Magazine

Describing the road to his own music, Mcgowan notes, "I grew up with folk and classical music on NPR. I was about 5 or 6 when I heard the Beatles and the Stones and my little world caved in to rock and roll. Later there was a long period of listening to reggae - lots of Marley - he was a major force, musically and spiritually." This led Mcgowan to teenage rock band, Christopher's Pocket, bringing him from rural New Hampshire to Philadelphia - his home prior to New York. After the Pocket folded in early 1999, Mcgowan turned to guitar-for-hire at studio sessions to pay the bills, but also realized he could and should step out and start singing his own songs. He built a following by playing coffeehouses and clubs from Boston to Baltimore, and found himself with thousands of myspace.com friends.

A break from Mcgowan's own music came in 2002 when he joined Ben Lee?s band, touring the world, making the late night TV rounds, playing shows with Beck and Phantom Planet, and also co-writing and recording on Ben?s Awake is the New Sleep album.

It was during his two-year excursion with Ben that Mcgowan took a detour to Philadelphia-based drummer/engineer/producer Jesse Honig's temporary home in St. Louis. The two Philadelphians-in-exile produced nearly 30 tracks over the course of two long weekends, capturing a restless spirit with intimate and inspired recordings that bring you into the makeshift living room studio where they recorded. The duo feverishly tracked guitars, drums, bass, keys, vox, loops mixing a veritable kitchen sink into shape, working quickly, nearly instinctively, and creating the most perfect pop of their young careers. Their recordings eventually become the album Mcgowan .

As Mcgowan tells it, "This record just fell in our laps. I was on tour and itchin' with ideas that I couldn't seem to express in a little van. Jesse had just moved to St. Louis and set up instruments and recording gear in his house. We felt like we were in a foreign land, and that led to an adventurous attitude."

"There's a lot of punk and soul in my head," says Mcgowan of his sound. "I like spacey music and psychedelic sounds. Most of the time, though, I'm trying to front with an acoustic guitar, which means I rely heavily on the craft of pop songs to fill the sonic void. I'm excited for the album 'cause I think it is going to reflect a lot of elements that people don?t always get to hear from me." To date, most McGowan material has been available through his Web site only. That will change with the release of Mcgowan on Manic Pop Thrill. Capable of touring with a band or as a solo artist, Mcgowan is preparing to spend the remainder of 2005 doing both first on a solo tour with Zack Hexum and Robert Gomez that will take him across America this summer, and then with his current band, which includes Jesse Honig (Thelma)on drums, Tom Scheponik (Gringo Motel) on keys, and Rob Hann (Shovel, Ben Lee) on bass.

The album will be released Jan.16th on Manic Pop Thrill/Dotshop - melodic.net