For bandleader, mastermind, singer/songwriter/guitarist Walter Salas-Humara, his band The Silos has become a true family over the five decades of its existence. Only at the beginning, in the 1980s, could one speak of a relatively stable lineup, and then again around the turn of the millennium. Otherwise, constant lineup and location changes determined the Silos‘ activities, depending on the current life situation of this ever-so-infinitely charismatic and likeable musician from New York City with Cuban roots, who also successfully pursues painting – for example, with his iconic, abstract animal paintings, often the subject of special art exhibitions. Musically, Salas-Humara mostly pursued solo careers in the decade before Corona, releasing several strong albums that, stylistically, didn’t stray too far from the familiar Silos sound: this clever, memorable mix of indie/guitar pop with traces of Velvet Underground, Television and Feelies, as well as the alt-country rock that flourished in the 80s, based on everything from the Byrds to the Flying Burritos. With ‚Family,‘ the first Silos album since ‚Florizona‘ (2011), Walter Salas-Humara solidifies his status as an important figure in the independent scene and an influencer of the Alt.Americana/No Depression scene. Despite widely scattered recording sessions in New York, Austin, the Midwest, and Germany, despite the inclusion of no fewer than 20 musicians, all contributing to the
global Silos family, and despite the conditions created by the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, which meant that most musicians recorded their parts in isolation, the result is a very cohesive and compact-sounding album with a strong rock factor. The pounding opener ‚My Favorite Animal‘, the riff-driven ‚The Right Palace‘, and the complex acoustic/electric ballad ‚Dreaming Of Paris‘ provide a great start, followed by the powerful ‚Colorado River‘, the ’60s-style garage rocker ‚Snow King‘, and the super-melodic acoustic anthem ‚The Spanish Man‘. After the concise one-riff guitar rock of ‚Rocking And Raging‘ and ‚Dominico Del Vecchio Lane‘, a story song dominated by tricky guitar lines, the Cuban section of the Silos catalog receives a potent addition with the Spanish-sung ‚Puede Ser‘. ‚Love And Trust And Friends‘ scores highly as a finale with wonderfully airy, sun-drenched pop over a relaxed R&B groove, including duet vocals by fellow band member Jerry Joseph. This results in 44 minutes of 10 new tracks composed by Salas-Humara (some with family members), all of which bear the exquisite Silos seal of approval and will take their deserved place in the Silos cosmos! The family includes such familiar names as guitarists Eric Kassel, Jose Reyes, Erik Sanden, and Jason Victor (Steve Wynn/Dream Syndicate), Bruce Martin and Jonathan Rundman on various keyboards, the German rhythm section of Robert Poeschl and Max Gruber, the American rhythm section with Rod Hohl and Konrad Meissner, Jerry Joseph drummer Steve Drizos, and the backing vocals of Cynthia Keefe and old companion from the Vulgar Boatmen days, Dale Lawrence.
Mailorder English
THE SILOS with their newest album Family finally available through the Blue Rose webshop!
New studio album by ELLIOTT MURPHY – Infinity – now also available on vinyl!
Where do you go after a 50-year career in music and as many albums? I suppose INFINITY is the answer and thus the title of my 52nd (I think) album, which will be released as a limited edition CD on March 7, just in time for my tour of France/Belgium/Spain, and Italy (via Cruise ship). It’s my first studio album of original songs since Wonder (2023) and in this very recent family of songs, I tried to peer into the future while being grounded in the icons of my youth all wrapped in a diverse genre-defying musicality. Hopefully, it’s a personal collection that will appeal to the universal musical collective consciousness. That’s been my modus operandi since my debut album, Aquashow (1973).
INFINITY was produced, arranged, and mixed by Gaspard Murphy, and all songs (except “Count My Blessings,” co-written by Olivier Durand) were written by me in a surprising flurry of creative activity last year. The album was recorded nearby at Murmure studio in Paris with contributions by my musical partner for 29 years, virtuoso guitarist Olivier Durand, violinist Melissa Cox, and percussionist Alan Fatras with double-bassist Gerard McFadden on one track. Keyboards, electric bass, drum programming, and additional instrumentation were all handled by Gaspard Murphy and myself.
I’m convinced that inspiration comes in unpredictable waves, and there’s no telling when new songs, complete with melodies, rhythm, and lyric fragments, will start crashing onto the shore of my unconsciousness. But the trick is to just get on board when they do and don’t let them loose until done. Last year, I was in the grip of just such a mania and made a decision to write a song a day, which proved impossible, but fortunately, that leveled out to about a song a month, which was well within the capacity of my creative output. In some fashion, INFINITY takes on the form of a novel with songs replacing chapters and characters both past, present, and future, dancing hand in hand with a „ghostly rhythm partner…“
General Store Neuheiten / new releases week 23+24/2025
New category in our General Store: Customer recommendations!
For many years, actually since the beginning of Blue Rose Records and our mailorder service, we have been receiving tips from our customers and friends about including CDs in the mail order program. We liked to do that every now and then, but we had previously integrated these recommendations into the “normal” program. From now on we will list customer recommendations separately, as these CDs do not always be brand new titles. And we will only be able to recommend CDs that can supplied by wholesalers or distributors. And yet quantities are limited, so please don’t wait too long if you’re interested. Then let’s get started – have fun and THANK YOU for the tips!
Anniversary T-Shirts of 30 years Blue Rose Records – a must-have for a fan!
These T-shirts are available exclusively through the Blue Rose webshop and at events organized by Blue Rose at the Waldhaus in Heilbronn.
General Store Neuheiten / new releases week 15-17/2025
General Store Neuheiten / new releases week 11-13/2025
General Store Neuheiten / new releases week 6-8/2025
Due to big demand – another bunch of customer recommendations!
For many years, actually since the beginning of Blue Rose Records and our mailorder service, we have been receiving tips from our customers and friends about including CDs in the mail order program. We liked to do that every now and then, but we had previously integrated these recommendations into the “normal” program. From now on we will list customer recommendations separately, as these CDs do not always be brand new titles. And we will only be able to recommend CDs that can supplied by wholesalers or distributors. And yet quantities are limited, so please don’t wait too long if you’re interested. Then let’s get started today – have fun and THANK YOU for the tips!
