Azure Ray releasing new album, announce U.S. Tour Dates

Azure Ray are touring this fall to support a new album that comes out on Sept. 14! Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink have had their solo music going on for several years now, but the two have been working together on a new album with their band and are going to perform in New York this fall. Their sound has been classified  as "dream-pop" in the vein of Twin Sister today. On November 13th the pair perform at Mercury Lounge on November 13th. Tickets are on-sale Friday at noon. They also play The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on November 14th. Tickets go on-sale Saturday, July 17th at 10am. Details on the new album below. 

It’s been six years since celebrated female duo Azure Ray released their critically acclaimed album Hold On Love. The highly anticipated new full length from Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor is a sublime future classic titled Drawing Down the Moon, set for release on Saddle Creek on September 14, 2010. The record was produced by Eric Bachmann at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, North Carolina, mixed by Michael Patterson in Los Angeles, CA, and features guest appearances by Andy LeMaster and Liz Durrett. With three prior full-lengths and an EP, the duo drew fans from around the globe with their transcendent songwriting and stunning vocals, and Drawing Down the Moon is an even more impressive and beguiling delight. Their undeniable talents lie in balladry so breathtakingly visceral that it soars straight through the ears into the veins until it pumps firmly into the heart. Azure Ray are famed for their bittersweet melancholy and Drawing Down the Moon is a perfect ode to their harmonious musical gifts.

Tracklisting and full U.S. Tour date below. 

Maria Taylor @ Maxwell's in Hoboken TONIGHT, played the Bell House (Brooklyn)

Maria Taylor will perform tonight at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey with the Whisphertown 2000. Doors are at 8:30pm. Tickets are $10 and can be bought here.

Maria Taylor and the Whispertown 2000 performed on Easter at Brooklyn's The Bell House, a 350+ capacity room with stools, a sofa, dim lighting and chandelier. In honor of the holiday, Maria gave away Easter eggs which contained chocolate and a slip saying either "Happy Easter! Thank you for coming to the show. Love, Maria" or contained a prize. The first band up was Brooklyn's Hawk and Dove. They had a nice vibe, but were a bit boring at times and sounded out of tune. It was nice to hear a violist to. They had free demos available to. Next, was the Whispertown 2000 from California. They had a blues/folk rock feel. It was cool to see three of the members switching off on instruments, especially the drums. For the last song, Maria Taylor played drums. She could be seen in the audience since the last song of Hawk and Dove.


Maria Taylor went on at 10pm and started with the title track to her new album, Ladyluck, then went right into the old "Replay." It was great to hear the rockin' version of that one. The last time I saw her at Knitting Factory last summer, she played a lighter version of the song in the encore, but it didn't do the song justice. During "Good Start" members of the Whispertown 2000 were dancing around, it was a fun song with a nice groove. She played a lot of the new songs in the beginning, then played older songs. She closed with "Xanax" in the regular set, then the cheers brought the band back. She played "Song Beneath the Song," then by the crowds pleading, decided to play "Leap Year," which they hadn't practiced. it was the first encore of the tour, she said. More cheers brought on "Light house," then the band left and Maria decided to played "Two of the those two," and the lovely night was over.

Read the rest and see the setlist at "read more."

Maria Taylor @ Knitting Factory, NYC 6/18- review

Maria Taylor performed at the Knitting Factory to a modestly sized, passionate, and excited crowd, for an evening of lovely, lush, acoustic/ indie folk rock. Opening was friends Johnathan Rice and Nik Freitas. The sound was excellent, especially when Maria started. Her voice was clear and beautiful. Most of the musicians collaborated with one another, including Freitas playing guitar for both Rice and Taylor, and Taylor playing drums for Rice. Good indie rock, new songs, and near swooning was in store at this show.

Nik Freitas performed some very nice songs lyrically and acoustically, but the vocals didn't seem right. Though, his presence wasn’t that captivating the lyrics really touched me. After a few songs he really shined. Songs included, “All the Way Down,” and “Sun Down.” He recently opened for Rilo Kiley and will be playing with Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band this summer. Good for him.

Next was Johnathan Rice who played a sincere, heartfelt set. Maria played drums for him. His lyrics seemed to be about dealing with loss and love. He clearly is one who has gone through a lot of struggle and it's heard in his songs. Although not my typical taste, I enjoyed Rice and it was nice to listen to something a little different. He's dating Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley. Good for him.

Maria Taylor was lovely and captivating, for her light rock/ acoustic performance. She started with a stripped down version of “A Good Start,” coming off her 7-song digital EP Savannah Drive. The EP is a collection of favorite songs from 11:11 and Lynn Teeter Flower and new songs, all performed acoustically. She played four new songs, including the self titled track to her new album "Lady Luck," a cover of Skeeter Davis’ “End of the World,” and “Song Beneath the Song,” “Clean Getaway,” and “The Ballad of Sean Folley." "Xanax," a near 6-minute power start of a song about fear "ended" the set. The band really jammed on this one.

She was comical at points, like when someone in the crowd shouted, "You look really pretty," and she replied, “Thanks, that’s weird considering I really haven’t slept or bathed in a very long time (laughs). Must be the red wine."

The encore was mostly by request and started with “Speak Easy.” Somewhere in this set Taylor invited her sister up to play percussion and sing. It was cute. Next was “Replay,” which someone shouted they wanted to hear. Maria was unsure about playing it. Though she reacquainted herself with the song, said it was her first time playing it on this tour, and that she might forget the lyrics so the crowd has to help her out. "Replay" is filled with great lines:

“So with dignity and grace/ Boy you'd have to erase/All the things in your mind/that replay and replay and replay and replay and replay/The things that made you cry/that you forgave, you let go by/or you will push the one that you love out of your life/out of your life.”

This verse speaks perfection for me and I love it when I am able to connect with an artists lyrics in this way. She had the crowd choose either "Two of those two," or "Leap Year." The crowd choose the tear jerker, about a long distance relationship. "I will wait for you/ But please come soon."