Audio Collection
When We Were Big
Boris McCutcheon
Boris McCutcheon crafts his own style of Americana roots rock. From the deserts of New Mexico, to the shores of Cape Cod, his music takes you on a nomadic trek rocking you through the elements of nature and life.
| # | Title | Length | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Hitch A Ride | 2:49 | Play |
| 2 |
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Beautiful Prison | 3:18 | Play |
| 3 |
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Idiot Lights | 2:28 | Play |
| 4 |
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Clumsy Kiss | 4:25 | Play |
| 5 |
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Slow Diablo | 3:00 | Play |
| 6 |
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Sad Mountain | 4:09 | Play |
| 7 |
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Santa Rosa Plums | 4:00 | Play |
| 8 |
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Gift Horse | 4:26 | Play |
| 9 |
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Fine Suede | 4:01 | Play |
| 10 |
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Mole In The Ground | 5:18 | Play |
| 11 |
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Pumpkin Farmer of Half Moon Bay | 3:42 | Play |
| 12 |
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Hurt | 3:36 | Play |
| 13 |
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Meet Me | 3:20 | Play |
| 14 |
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Diablo Waltz | 15:37 | Play |
| 1:04:09 | ||||
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|---|---|
| Bitmunk Marketplace Service | USD $0.98 |
| CD Baby Artist Royalty | USD $5.97 |
| CD Baby 9% Digital Distribution Cost | USD $0.54 |
| Bitmunk Download Service | USD $0.79 |
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| Total | USD $8.27 |
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Description
Boris McCutcheon had been collecting the pieces of his musical mosaic long before he picked up a guitar 15 years ago. He was born in 1969 in Holliston, MA, grew up on farmland, and attended Marlboro College in Vermont. For 9 years, he soaked up the scenery and spirit of New Mexico and Northern California before returning to the east coast sea-sprayed village of Woods Hole, MA. Boris has made his living as an organic farmer and an irrigation designer. He knows hay from straw.
Boris writes songs with organic, gritty beauty, but they're not precious. He doesn't like songs that are precious. Instead, he depicts the natural world, walls built by human hands and emotions, and characters cloaked in sadness with piercing imagery. Boris has a unique knack for noticing sights, sounds, and feelings that are beneath the surface, or askew. His lyrics can take a fantastic turn and more than a few will prompt you to ask, "How did he ever come up with that?"
Its more than Boris' keen insights and how he strings words together that give the songs their distinct personalities. Its also the music. He infuses elements of folk, rock, bluegrass, and old school country and blues. But this music doesn't just accompany the lyrics, it sustains them. His brand of roots music is heartfelt -- from the unhurried ballads to the rocking numbers and rollicking ditties -- with melodies that get stuck in your head. Ouch!> Whether Boris takes the stage as a solo act with his guitar and blazing harmonica, or is joined by his electric Boston band, the performance is engaging, passionate, and downright fun!
The separate mismatched pieces of Boris' life experiences, his intuition, and musical influences fit together to form his mosaic -- a beautiful, original, mystical pattern of music. Every time you listen to it, another little piece catches your attention and it shows you something else.
Recently, Boris returned from a trip out west with his latest Americana-roots-rock composition, When We Were Big. The new album was recorded at Wavelab Studios in Tucson, AZ by Engineer Craig Schumacher (Neko Case, Calexico, Evan Dando, Steve Wynn). The virtually live album was created in 7 days, with most of the tracks recorded in one take, due in part to the "desert core" sound and the relaxed atmosphere of Wavelab. Craig's collection of unique and traditional musical instruments combined with seasoned musicians and 16-track, 2 inch recording opened the door to a gritty, organic concoction of musical intelligence and significant, expressive lyrics.
The collaborative chemistry of Producer Pete Weiss (Zippah Studios, Brookline, MA), Percussionist Jeff Berlin (Hybrasil, Dangerous Brothers) and multitalented musicians Brett Davis (F Street Sheiks jug band) and Nick Luca (Calexico, Giant Sand, John Doe) with Boris and Craig at the helm, crafted a substantial composition of roots country rock. When We Were Big toys with every twist and turn of nature and emotions a human being can be exposed to (or exploited by). From the swampy frustrations of confinement in the banjo-laden Beautiful Prison and innocent awkwardness of Clumsy Kiss to the mysterious Meet Me, jovial rejections of Hurt, and the questions of 9/11/01 in Sad Mountain, Boris's lyrics show kinship to the spirit while his music penetrates and infects the soul.
Playing regularly throughout New England, Boris has been selected as "Hottest From The Campfire" in the legendary Club Passim's biannual campfire series. WMUA's Acoustic Caf calls Boris one of the top "Singer-Songwriters of the 90's and New Millennium."
"BORIS McCUTCHEON has been circulating a five-song promo, "When We Were Big demos" (CD, www.borismccutcheon.com, 2003), which gives many good reasons to look forward to the official release. Both the material and performances strike an impressive balance between variety and focus. Several songs sound as though they could be radio singles, including the catchiest number, "Santa Rosa Plums," with its '70s singer-songwriter appeal. "Gift Horse," a personal favorite, recalls the Swinging Steaks. It features lyrics such as "Deep is for keeps, shallow is for fun, I thought you were the one" and has a straight-forward melody with subtle hooks."
Alan Lewis, Boston Globe
"What a great expressive story-telling voice - strong lyrics - great guitar picking and use of the harp - very diverse rhythm. No weak moments at all!"
Ray Pieters, Radio Milo, Belgium