Sunday night is a great chance to catch a couple of fantastic songwriters in one of the best venues around town. Max García Conover just released an incredible new album, Motorhome (here’s our review), and J. Van Cleave fronts a really fun band featuring his original songs.
Van Cleave is a veteran of the New England music scene, having toured extensively with The Bridge Builders and Air Traffic Controller. He grew up playing fiddle, and has brought those chops to playing guitar and mandolin, and writing really good songs. He draws favorable comparisons to Dave Matthews, blending lots of interesting chord structures and lyrics that tell a story while still holding mystery. Here’s “And We Do It Again,” off of his EP that he released last year:
Conover is based out of Maine, but is no stranger to the Boston/Cambridge scene, having played at Atwood’s, Passim, and many other venues around town. Aimsel Ponti called him “Maine’s answer to Bob Dylan,” and as much as that kind of praise can be daunting, Conover’s lyrics give and give to an attentive listener–they’re full of vulnerability and humor and insight. Give a listen to “Self Portrait, Part One,” from Motorhome:
Photo credits:
J. Van Cleave by Sam Swan
Max García Conover by Rafael Arocha