“Call Me Up High” by Dan Mangan

Dan Mangan is making a mixtape! Being Elsewhere Mix CD is a follow up to his acclaimed 2022 album Being Somewhere, that features reimagined versions of songs from the album, covers of Bob Dylan, Damien Jurado, & the Lumineers, and a few new tunes as well.

“Call Me Up High” is one of those new songs, and was recorded with deadmen (Matt Peters & Matt Schellenberg) in Los Angeles. Dan says, “I vividly remember feeling overlooked by girls in high school. I knew I had something special to offer, but most of my crushes were unrequited. ‘Nice guy’ tropes aside, I had this sinking feeling that if they were in a tough situation, I could help, and they’d see how awesome I was. I brought up this concept with the deadmen and there was a lightning storm of creativity. The entire song came together in about 4 hours. It was extremely exciting and eerily easy. Everything moved so quickly and ‘Call Me Up High’ sounds like nothing I’ve ever been a part of before. Most of my music is for the heart and the head, but I can’t listen to this song without moving my body.”

Further to that, the whole idea of the mixtape is a throwback to when Dan started dating his now-wife, and burned her some mix CDs for her Hyundai Accent!

You can watch the video for “Call Me Up High” below, and mark down August 30 for the release of Being Elsewhere Mix CD

Kirk

“Leave It All Behind” by Cuff The Duke

It’s getting closer to the release of the highly anticipated (especially by me!) new album from Cuff The Duke! Breaking Dawn will be out September 6th, and we have our second single from it now as well.

”Leave It All Behind” is a reflection on the hiatus the band took (this is the first new music in 10 years) and frontman Wayne Petti figuring out what was next after not playing music anymore.

Of this new life and the song, he says: “I felt like I failed because music would no longer be my sole focus. The line “I bought the lie that I told myself, now it's coming back to haunt me” reflects how young musicians can become overconfident, believing their success will never end. But every artist faces ups and downs, and when reality hits, it can be a nightmare. Saying, “I’m getting ahead of it by leaving it all behind,” was the headspace I needed to be in, to move forward as one chapter ended and another began.”

Christine