Album Notes

Daniel Gannaway
flashback*

A friend gave me FINE BY ME while I was travelling and it seemed to click with exactly where I was at, wherever that was, becoming a kind of 'processing' album for me. It was at least six months later that I actually met Daniel when he played a support to Carla Werner at the Hopetown Hotel in Sydney. It was a heartfelt and intimate live experience hearing live versions of those songs I'd gotten to know so well interspersed with songs from a new album he'd brought with him, 'flashback'. Needless to say, flashback went into immediate rotation on our car stereo.

flashback was, like FINE BY ME, a sleeper album. It definitely took a few listens before we caught ourselves knowing lines and humming along. While it was still an album predominately based around Daniel's voice and acoustic guitar, flashback definitely had an edgier and more varied feel from it's predecessor. There was a sense of adventure, a feeling that you were learning new things along with him. Daniel's songwriting had become cheekier, more socially observant and less apologetic in some way.

Starting with the clip clop tribute to a friendship song 'His name's Tom', the distortion tinged pleading of 'Sarah', the quiet/heavy/quiet of theft song 'Good job?' and the acoustic semi-pop bounce of 'Boy racer car sale', flashback immediately sets a few different tones. It then drops into the melancholy strum of gambling addicted 'Your winning way' and the ever so gentle mourning tone of 'Rest'. The much needed lift back up comes in the form of trippy title track 'flashback' and the high energy run of 'Look Mama!' [apparently using the text from a postcard to his mother] which leads into the lyrical loping [around what I'm sure is Bondi Beach] of 'Her piano', this song also gives a hint that Daniel at this point had set upon defining his own course for that immediate future music wise. Quirky harmonica laced 'A french girl' brings things back up to a quicker stroll with the happy remembrance of an exotic past love and the bluesy, story telling style of 'Not a candidate' carries you into the album ending and curiously titled 'Fuck the gardeners' [an obvious play on gardeners being the advocates of the 'tall poppy syndrome' - a NZ/Australian phenomenon - in their cutting down of anyone standing taller than the accepted status quo]. After this up and down ride it's a driving and motivating end to the album, leaving you with the feeling to go out, stand tall and be proud.

Inspiring to see that Daniel is following that feeling himself.

Lucy Cooper

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Albums by kiwi [NZ] indie singer/songwriter Daniel Gannaway:

2008 - JOINED LIKE NOTES
2007 - HEADING FOR COUNTRY
2006 - OP-ED: Environmental / Social / Political
2005 - SUMMER STORM | A collection of ukulele ditties
2004 - darling one year
2002 - BOOTLEGGED AT THE 12 BAR CLUB [released 2006]
2001 - Bound and Suburban
2000 - Bootlegged at the Temple
1999 - flashback*
1998 - FINE BY ME

http://www.cdbaby.com/all/danielgannaway

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More truly independent releases:

2008 - ELECPHONIC: TRIPLEPHONIC
2007 - ELECPHONIC: SOPHOMOREPHONIC
2006 - ELECPHONIC: ELECPHONIC
2004 - kidameln - the kidameln lo-fi

http://www.cdbaby.com/group/trulyindependent

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truly independent has kidameln's debut & Daniel's first 3 albums in the CD Baby $5 Specials!

http://www.cdbaby.com/group/trulyindependent

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truly independent recommends a newly recovered live gem of Daniel:

BOOTLEGGED AT THE 12 BAR CLUB
[11 Songs - Solo Acoustic - London - April 2002]
@ http://www.cdbaby.com/danielgannaway8

Recorded live in an intimate little venue in the centre of London – the 12 Bar Club – Daniel’s vocal range and delicate guitar, sometimes complimented by harmonica, are collected surprisingly well and make for a beautifully meandering compilation.

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OP-ED: Environmental / Social / Political
@ http://www.cdbaby.com/danielgannaway7

"Documenting many of Daniel's previously unrecorded songs of environmental, social and political importance, OP-ED is an inspired compilation of acoustic material on guitar and ukulele - all recorded in Hawaii during February of 2006."

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SUMMER STORM | A collection of ukulele ditties
@ http://www.cdbaby.com/danielgannaway6

"Written and recorded in Hawaii and New Zealand, Summer Storm - Daniel's sixth solo outing - references laidback island life with the ukulele's nylon strings, while wrapping it up in the kind of dynamic folk/indie-rock/electronic feel..."

"...like Gannaway's home country, this music [SUMMER STORM] is an exotic, faraway place in relationship to the rest of the overall modern musical landscape. Nevertheless, these unique Gannaway sounds offer a pleasant getaway" - Indie-Music.

"...The great aspect of the album [SUMMER STORM] is that each song's arrangement maintains a minimalistic nature, which shows a discipline and a depth of understanding on Gannaway's part. Underneath the ukelele, the cruising drums and harmonic supporting bass grooves provide an all around easy and easily recommendable listen..." - NZ Musician Magazine

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darling one year
@ http://www.cdbaby.com/danielgannaway5

"...A perfect blend of lyrics, emotion and rhythm...If your looking for some refreshing new music for the soul, I whole-heartedly recommend darling one year as a must have for your collection." - AllAboutSurf.com

"...Down to earth and laid back, it has none of the musical tension of trying too hard or the injection of false emotions. Suburban folky and bohemian chic, it [darling one year] ties up agreeably layered and distorted vocals into an angst-ridden, quirky pop as catchy as The Strokes but easily as mysteriously engaging as James Keenan Maynard..." - Indie-Music.com

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Daniel's music is available from such online digital providers as: CD Baby; SNOCAP; Mp3tunes; AudioLunchbox; Apple iTunes Music Store; Rhapsody; Napster; BuyMusic; Emusic; Sony Connect...

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CafePress Stores Now Open!

http://www.cafepress.com/danielgannaway
http://www.cafepress.com/kidameln
http://www.cafepress.com/elecphonic
http://www.cafepress.com/trulyindie