2011 Year in Review and “On Up the Road” named “Top Ten Albums of 2011!”
This past year was by far my most exciting musical year to date. With the passing of 2010 and the successful release of “Tripping and Running,” I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t have as good of a year that followed my debut C.D. I was happy to be proven wrong. This past year flew by. In a strange way, it feels like it didn’t even happen. My sophomore CD “On Up the Road” was released in early May and just days after the release I embarked on my second national tour with Olivia Brownlee. It was a wild adventure in which we covered close to 20,000 miles traveling across the country. Throughout the year I managed to play just under 200 nights of the year. At times I feared I would start to burn out but the support from all of you, friends, fans and family I feel like the flame is still burning.
The shows seemed to grow as well. Of course there were the usual pub gigs, small crowds and bad nights, but there were far less of them. Show highlights for the year include a sold out Jacklin Center for the Arts in Post Falls Idaho, a radio show at the Rockin’ B. Ranch in Spokane, WA, A rockin’ night at the Fairview Inn in Talkeetna Alaska and for me the best show was the sold out homecoming show at the House of Blues Foundation Room in Boston! Other highlights include a successful radio campaign which landed my music on close to 300 stations nation wide as well as charting on some CMJ stations. I’m amazed and blessed by the outpouring of support both at home and on the road. I’m honored to be surrounded by such a wonderful community that supports not only my music, but the music of my fellow musicians. I’m looking forward to a successful and eventful year in 2012. I am smack dab in the middle of my first Kickstarter Campaign raising funds for my third CD and a book, which is doing very well. I expect my book and E.P. to be released in late March of 2012 and have many other surprises in store. Thanks to everyone for tuning in and helping to make 2011 and “On Up the Road” something that we can all be proud of! The people haven taken notice….”On Up the Road” has made a couple lists for “TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2011!” Here’s what they said!
THE PATRIOT LEDGER:
“On Up the Road” Top 3 local releases of 2011
Local troubadour Psaros, now living in Rockland, takes a huge leap forward with his sophomore effort. The difference is in the songs, as Psaros has become a storyteller of precision, with arrangements that reflect his hundreds of gigs here and all over the country. He’s also achieved a really unique sound of his own, and catching one of his local shows is highly recommended.
FAKE PLASTIC TUNES:
“Top Ten Releases of 2011″
01. The Twilight Singers – Dynamite Steps
02. Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole
03. Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire
04. The Dreaming – Puppet
05. Jane’s Addiction – The Great Escape Artist
06. Tom Morello: The Nighwatchman – World Wide Rebel Songs
07. Tom Waits – Bad As Me
08. Sebastian Bach – Kicking & Screaming
09. Jolie Holland – Pint of Blood
10. Jay Psaros – On Up The Road
FPT wrote about “On Up the Road”
On Up the Road is what good summer music is all about. Without any of the pretentious cookie cutter sound of a lot of groups today vying for the top spot on summer living radio, Jay Psaros starts the first track with a sweet groove that continues throughout the twelve tracks to conclude with the stunning Tipping and Turning that begs a listener to restart and listen to the album again.
I’ve been excited about Psaros’s music since hearing his first albumTripping and Running and immediately falling for the fresh air in music that it provided. I’m a big fan of jam bands so I have naturally gravitated to the sweet jams that both of these albums exhibit. Psaros fits right next to bands like Phish, Widespread Panic, Jackie Greene, and Rusted Root.
This is the kind of music that makes a person want to take off their shoes and dance barefoot on the grass – preferably at an outdoor concert listening to one of Psaros’s sweet tunes.
