In House #1589: Chris Volpe's Refugee Blues; Clumsy Lovers and Rocky Votolato In the Area This Weekend

Chris Volpe is a promising San Francisco-based singer-songwriter whose music draws obvious comparisons to the likes of Dylan, Drake and Paul Simon. His 2005 self-release Refugee Blues had already garnered plenty of attention when it was recently named the Independent Music Awards 2006 Folk Album of the Year, an honor that has in the past been bestowed upon the likes of Chris Whitley, among others. Given the way the album sounds, it's amazing when one considers the fact that all fifteen tracks were recorded in one take, nor were there any overdubs. One gets the feeling that the young Volpe is just getting started.

Chris Volpe

Elsewhere, live music hits the area this weekend as Rocky Votolato goes the unpredictable route by playing in Provo, UT at some place called Velour. Votolato, as you may know, is touring in support of his 2006 release, makers, which came out on Barsuk in January. The album has more or less completed Votolato's transformation into a straight-up country/folk singer-songwriter-- given where he was and where he is, it's been a fairly impressive one.

Rocky Votolato

Meanwhile, the long and unending road that Vancouver's Clumsy Lovers travel comes back around once again, as they play Ego's in Salt Lake City tonight and the First National Bar in Pocatello, ID tomorrow night. The band's most recent release, Smart Kid, came out last year on Nettwerk after a string of self-released titles. Despite the nearly non-stop touring, the band never seems to fail in delivering a high-energy, sweat-soaked show.

Clumsy Lovers


In House #1589. Airdate: 3/31/06 Focus: Recent release from San Francisco's Chris Volpe, Refugee Blues, plus the Clumsy Lovers and Rocky Votolato play live dates in the area this weekend. Also, new music from Neko Case, Scott Miller and more.



PLAYLIST