ARTiST: Duff Ferguson
ALBUM: Good Things
BiTRATE: 209kbps avg
QUALiTY: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.97 Final / -V2 --vbr-new / 44.100Khz
LABEL: Single Recordings
GENRE: Rock
SiZE: 57.26 megs
PLAYTiME: 0h 36min 21sec total
RiP DATE: 2008-10-17
STORE DATE: 2008-01-10
Track List:
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01. We Will Escape 3:42
02. Good Things 3:25
03. The Things That Lovers Do 3:35
04. One Day at a Time 3:06
05. Never Enough 4:18
06. Valentine's Day 3:56
07. Make It Right 3:47
08. Forever California 3:11
09. Marry Me 3:42
10. No Secrets to Hide 3:39
Release Notes:
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ôLet me send some hope!ö
So sings Duff Ferguson on the head bobbing title track to his new record Good
Things. And what a letter of hope we receive in these 10 tracks, bursting with
joyous melodic pop that quickly dispels any doubt that the future can be
shinier, happier, and better lit than today.
Leading the charge is DuffÆs ôconfident, honey sweet tenorö voice that
ôresonates with a romantic, femme-friendly vibeö (Music Connection) as it dives
into the melodies. The pairing of his distinctive tone with harmonies by Todd
Herfindal of The Meadows, Heather Waters, Carmen Doane, and Jared Barkan
provides a perfect front for a crack band that shifts quickly from quiet and
sweet to a loud rocking growl. Femme friendly it may be, but there is plenty
here for both boys and girls in the energetic choruses, meaty guitarchestras,
danceable grooves, and taut solo leads.
The tight 35 minute record kicks off with a pure dose of soaring rock in ôWe
Will Escape,ö followed by a clap-along feel good chorus in ôGood Things.ö ôThe
Things That Lovers Doö (a Todd Herfindal co-write) adds some Stonesy swagger
alongside the quirky ôOne Day At A Time,ö a mind bending boot stomper co-written
with Simon Lynge. Of course, to every silver lining there must be a cloud or
two, and the recordÆs soulful tunes ôNever Enoughö (a Rich McCulley co-write)
and ôValentineÆs Dayö take us to the rainier side of love. But the record jumps
back to its feet with ôMake It Rightö and a driving new California anthem,
ôForever California,ö which both capture the albumÆs themes of optimism and
renewal. Rounding out the disc is a pair of unabashedly romantic tunes, ôMarry
Meö and ôNo Secrets To Hide.ö
To bring the record to life, Duff once again enlisted the production assistance
of Rich McCulley and Herfindal and stacked his band with friends old and new
from around the Los Angeles pop and roots scene. Alongside DuffÆs and
HerfindalÆs guitars, we hear guitarist Tony Gilkyson (Bob Dylan, Tom Waits),
drummers Tommy Rickard and Mike Stinson, and strings by Amy Farris (Dave Alvin,
Brian Wilson). Also included are bassists Rick Barrio Dill, Kevin Houlihan, and
Rob Douglas, as well as keyboardist Dennis Hamm.
Good Things follows DuffÆs 2005 EP 400 Miles (also produced with McCulley),
which was named one of the top 25 releases in 2005 by an unsigned band in Music
Connection Magazine. DuffÆs solo touring has taken him up and down the West
Coast and to Arizona several times, performing at colleges, clubs, festivals,
coffeehouses, and house concerts as well as on network television and radio
along the way. MTV licensed his song "Sigh" in 2007.
Duff was born in New York City to a musical family and grew up singing in church
choirs and school musicals before discovering rock guitar in his teens. He
performed as a solo artist, session musician, and nationally touring lead
guitarist based in Manhattan and San Francisco, self-releasing four EPs before
landing in Los Angeles in 2004.
Duff is currently performing up and down the West Coast and Arizona. He can also
be heard as a lead guitar player with Sam Shaber's band The Bones, Kim
Divincenzo, and Jared Barkan.