Thanks to everyone who came
out in support of our performance
at this year's NW Folklife Festival.
BIO
Lowell James began his music career in Seattle in the early nineties as a founding member of The Flowerbox Army, alongside his brother Arlen and their friend Scott Bennett. Unlike some of their contemporaries at the time, The Flowerbox Army molded their sound after the acoustic material of songwriters like Dylan, Lennon & McCartney, Simon & Garfunkel, Elton John and Cat Stevens. This set the band apart from the rest of the Seattle music scene and was likely the source of confusion over whether they were local or not.
The band's music was featured on local-friendly stations like 90.3FM KCMU (now KEXP) and 107.7FM The End. Their unique blend of "psychedelic-tinged folk pop [was] a gust of unpolluted wind," according to Seattle's music mag, The Rocket. James took on a more prominent role as their live sound evolved. After working with several drummers, the group eventually found in Sean Raftis the mix of talent and personality they had been missing. They reformed as the roots rock foursome, The Calhouns, whose performances introduced Seattle to a transcendent mix of alternative, Americana and pop music.
James went solo after the breakup of The Calhouns, and with his successful solo debut What a Revolting Development, he was one of the first artists to be featured on MP3.com, the groundbreaking online community of recording artists that gave rise to Garageband.com and iTunes.
Having recently completed Lemolo, the long anticipated follow-up to What a Revolting Development, James has crafted another "gust of unpolluted wind" that just may breathe new life into modern music.
MUSIC
Use the media player located below the navigation menu on the left to access a selection of tracks.
THINGS WILL IMPROVE
As sure as I stand
In this quicksand sinking a weight
Has been lifted off
A sleepwalker drifting off
To a better place
I tip my hat to
Those who make their move
Keep a positive attitude
Things will improve
Across the sky
A dying spark in a silver haze
Is floating away from view
At first what I thought was you
Was just a flake
But you'll fade to black soon
Other people do
A devil of a daydream
Run away from him
Never look behind for too long
You never know he might be closing in
Never mind what could have been
I believe in love
But I don't want to put up a fight
'Cause I'm already in for the night
And I feel like I'm losing my best friend
Over and over again
OH! THE PROMISES
It's a strange way youre acting in front of us
But with the same long, lost look in your eyes
Knowing nothing of what may become of us
As we drive to the airport
A panic so deep
Like strangers playing keep away
Something broken inside that won't heal
And tears that sunglasses should not reveal
It's like the sound of a thousand footsteps approaching
And the worst of it's only beginning
I don't want to make a collect call to 713
Turning the world upside down
With my fists held tight
And my head on your shoulder
What in the world went wrong
That I'm waving through a window?
As a cockroach drowns in a swimming pool
A heart that breaks too often turns to stone
A scattering of the lives
A bird in flight
And my head on a tray-table
Oh! The promises we make
A place where everything was beautiful
And nothing hurt
With my nails chewed off
And my head on a pillow
Leave him bleeding
A new day
You don't say
My home is in Houston
A LIGHT STILL REFLECTS
I hung up the telephone and I cried
The words I heard were
"She's taken a turn for the worse and you better
Get on back now"
You're losing a battle
I'm refusing to accept
And as I came to the room
They were laying hands upon you
And praying while you slept
I drew a picture of an angel and hung it on the wall
A sign that I believe
But I whispered at the sign of every shallow breath
"Come on back now"
I wanna go where you're going
But I don't know where to begin
My faith is slipping away
I'm waking up to a bad dream
And breaking down again
I feel you slipping away
A warm summer's morning
I paid my respects
Now the curtains are drawn
But a light still reflects
And it's blinding and beautiful
The sweetest love I will know
Everyone is saying "If there's anything I can do"
But no one knows
And nothing's real and I feel like I'll never
Make it back now
I'm crying in front of strangers
And trying to catch my breath
With my head in a cloud
I'm wishing you were here
And missing you to death
I hang my head in my hands
MAYBE YOU COULD LOVE ME
Hours go by I want to know you
Maybe you could know me too
Days go by I want to see you
Weeks go by I want to be with you
Maybe you could be with me
It's a good life
You would be happy
We could share our secrets
I've waited a long time
(Maybe you could love me too)
Years go by I just want to love you
Maybe could love me too
I WANNA FEEL THE SUNSHINE
The cold hands of the earth reach for me
But I'm scaling the walls to the top of the tower
Crawl out of the darkness
And stand up in the light at the dawn of the hour
I wanna feel the sun shine
Then kick in the heads of the dead at my feet
Releasing the demons from
The memories they occupy
Strung out by a host of spirits
Still clinging to life by the skin of their teeth
Dig up the surface
I tear at the layers to reveal what's beneath
Fear in your eyes leads to heartache
It feeds at your soul its a grave mistake
Oh for heaven's sake!
Its a heartbreaker heartbreaker!
But if I'm torn to pieces
What'll become of the ones I love?
EVOLUTION ISN'T FAIR
A seedling that grows
In a swamp and then goes
Anywhere the wind blows
A spotlight that glows
Striking a pose
In someone elses clothes
What would you suggest?
A bullseye on their chest
Someones vomit in a taxi
You go your way
Ill go mine
Keep on your toes
Bros before hos
A punch in the nose
So what would you suggest?
Someones gotta take a backseat
Evolution isn't fair
Evolution isnt kind
But I dont care
Evolution isnt fair
But I dont mind
FAIRYTALE OF LIES
A sweet pollution
These words of love and all that chatter
The clouds roll in
The smoke that blows from lips that flatter
Like flowers in a landfill
Like broken bottles in a meadow
The writings on the wall
A moonlit walk across a ghetto
It's a dream come true otherwise
It's a fairytale of lies
It's a fairytale
When you would breakdown
I'd ease your worried mind and hold you
Now you're turning to other guys
Too close for comfort
A scream for freedom softly spoken
This love is dying
A blossom on a branch that's broken
SING TO ME
My mom has gone and left us but her life is celebrated
We speak of the joy and sorrow in the words we dedicated
In memory of a loved one who will be missed
My sister and my brother standing beside me
To set her soul free
Oh yeah it's alright
She's free from the shadows that steal from the light
Your bodys already lost but your spirit needs direction
So I sprinkle the Blood of Jesus on you for protection
Listen to the Spokane Symphony play
Your favorite piece a sweet release into heaven
To set your soul free
Free from the shadows that steal from the light
I close my eyes in wonder at the beauty that's within you
And in every step Im gathering the courage to continue
Find a source of comfort and strength and move on
Undaunted through the headstones to the horizon
Set my soul free
WHAT'S COME OVER YOU?
Whats come over you love?
Your words are hurtful
No one should ever hear such things
Dont threaten to end it all
And stop slamming the doors
Im losing the will to save the day everyday
Tell me when will you hold your head up high?
THE KEY IS LOVE
Broken and bruised you lose sight of something
Weak in the knees but please if you run away
Remember the key is love
The key is love
Losing sleep over people whove hurt you
Cut down to size your eyes start to turning red
Now thats really something
Your heads to the floor and your poor heart is aching
If youre down and out and you doubt that youre good enough
: :
A limited run of the deluxe edition of Lemolo, the long-awaited second release from alt country singer/songwriter Lowell James, has been made available exclusively for lowelljames.com visitors while supplies last. Use your credit or debit card, or login to PayPal. Price includes shipping and handling.
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NEWS
January 2010:
Lowell and company are rehearsing for some upcoming live shows. More information to come...
December 2009:
Merry Christmas!
November 2009:
Lemolo and Lowell's first solo album What a Revolting Development now available on iTunes.
October 2009:
Having just returned from a successful trip through Europe, Lowell continues to promote Lemolo.
September 2009:
The first run of Lemolo has been completed!
August 2009:
Just received confirmation that the final artwork for the album cover of Lemolo was received and print production / album duplication with Pip at Realtime is underway.
July 2009:
Lowell, working with Mark Guenther at Seattle Disc Mastering, picked up the final "mastered" version of Lemolo.
The next step is the duplication process.
June 2009:
Lowell was at the mastering studio working on a reference CD to determine if any tweaks are necessary before the final cut of the album.
Lowell gave us a sneak preview of his latest project by sending unmastered versions of four tracks off Lemolo. The beautiful requiem, "A Turn For The Worse," recalls the dreamy feel of The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, but it could have just as easily been a lost outtake from Beck's Sea Change. The driving riff of "Oh! The Promises" was a collaboration with Lowell's brother Arlen and Calhouns drummer Sean Raftis, but James himself built an epic piece from that framework -- perhaps inspired by John Lennon's dark, experimental material on Abbey Road. In contrast to that darkness, James lays down a comfortable, upbeat groove on "Things Will Improve" and manages to make the theme of separation positive (for the most part). "Maybe You Could Love Me" is almost immediately Lennonesque, yet James' style shines through with hopeful romanticism and he delivers an instant classic.
Lowell says he's done with the final vocals for "Oh! The Promises" and plans to remix another song, tentatively titled "Fairytale of Lies".
All songs ©2010 Lowell James. All Rights Reserved.
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