Second Stage: Flora Shakespeare

by Meg Ruddick

Download "Simple Divide (Wyatt Earp)" (Right-click or control-click to save to your computer)

According to a MySpace blog post, Flora Shakespeare gave away its four-song EP, Out of Our Hands, to fans as a gift. "Out of our hands and in to your car, ears, hearts, mind, spirit, life, sub-conscience, etc." The EP is a short, fun, and definitely infectious introduction to the Tennessee quartet.

Back in 2004, Michael Zadick and Josh Cooper began writing songs together in their hometown of Murfreesboro, Tenn. It wasn't until 2007 when bassist Graeme Morris and pianist Timothy Kenyon joined in that they got their official start as Flora Shakespeare. This past May, they began recording their first full-length record with producer Joel McAnulty (a.k.a. Joel J. Dahl) of the Nashville-based band, De Novo Dahl. The new album is expected for release sometime this October.

The EP, which is available for free streaming on MySpace, is filled with saloon-tinged piano and slurred barroom chants. Handclaps, whistling, and group singing give each song a friendly, down-home vibe. I love the ramshackle groove and yelping vocals on the Out of Our Hand's standout track, "Simple Divide (Wyatt Earp)."

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3:57 PM ET | 10-21-2009 | permalink

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