ARTIST: Richard Julian
TITLE: Slow New York
LABEL: Manhattan Records
GENRE: Folk-Rock
TIME: 41:14 min
SIZE: 55,3 MB
RIP DATE: Jan-26-2006
RELEASE DATE: Jan-24-2006
WEBSITE: n/a
Track List:
01. Love of Mine 02:34
02. Slow New York 03:20
03. If A Heart Breaks 02:33
04. Don't Wait Up 03:15
05. Cold Grey Sky 03:02
06. Cheap Guitar 03:23
07. A Short Biography 02:27
08. Photograph 03:52
09. Making Movies 02:23
10. End of the Line 03:27
11. Damn 03:14
12. Cheap Guitar (Reprise) 00:38
13. Seven Shades of Blue 03:10
14. On Your Own 03:56
Release Notes:
Richard Julian says his new album, Slow New York,
isn't so much about New York, but a state of mind.
However, his songs contain imagery drawn from the
Manhattan landscape. A New Yorker might recognize
the reference to the yellow boundary lines on subway
platforms that symbolize risk in the song, "Don't
Wait Up."
"I'm always writing subway imagery," Julian notes.
"There's something about standing down there,
waiting for that light to show up in the dark."
Julian's songs deal with relationships that are in
the dark or on the edge, set in a world of "Cold
Grey Sky" (another song title), unpaid bills, and
frustrating long lines. There's a sly humor in the
song "End of The Line," wherein Julian laments the
increasing rudeness of customer service. He notes:
"When I've been performing that song lately, I've
been dedicating it to 'the company of the week'."
Richard Julian grew up in Delaware, began writing
songs at age 14, nixed college in favor of the music
business, and played for a year in Las Vegas lounge
bands. But he sensed that Vegas was not his scene
and he split for the Big Apple. "When I came to
Manhattan, I was like Jon Voight in Midnight
Cowboy," he jokes. "I didn't have any music business
connections [in New York]."
He lived the life that inspired his songs:
low-paying jobs, observations of local characters,
and gigs in small clubs. He made two albums for the
indie Blackbird label, but after it folded he found
himself at a career impasse. It was the early '90s,
singer-songwriters weren't "in," and Julian had to
take a day job selling real estate.
So he stepped into the "yellow line" by using his
credit card to fund a DIY album, Good Life, which he
recorded on vacation time from his day job. When
Good Life got good coverage in the New York press
and impressive Web sales, Julian was able to return
to music full-time.
Now Richard Julian is garnering praise from people
he has always looked up to. Norah Jones invited him
on her 2002 tour and co-produced two tracks on Slow
New York. He was delighted to receive an accolade
from Randy Newman. Does he think they share a
sensibility? "I know from the few times I've talked
to him, he's really into harmony. Maybe he likes
some of the stuff I come up with."