Matt Keating

After consistently putting out critically acclaimed records throughout the 1990s on the ALIAS label (Archers of Loaf, Yo La Tengo, American Music Club), and most recently the 2003 TILTAWHIRL on POPTONES, the newest UK label from Alan McGee, Keating joins the current resurgence of American singer/songwriters with his latest work, SUMMER TONIGHT, set for release on KEALON RECORDS on July 11th.

SUMMER TONIGHTwas produced by Gary Maurer from HEM and features members of HEM as well as duets with PATTY GRIFFIN and his wife EMILY SPRAY(who wrote "14th St.," the single from LAURA CANTRELL's most recent release on MATADOR RECORDS).

From sultry confessions like the intimate twang of the title track "Summer Tonight" -- a pedal-steel powered pas de deux with his wife Emily Spray -- to nuanced, socially compassionate tracks like "Wish I Was Gold," Keating brazenly breaks from his urban, indie rock reputation and heads for the heartland. With a lilt and some loping regret, Keating goes grassrootsand delves into a beautiful wash of sound, a score to a dusky summer twilight and the softly defiant chord of screen doors slamming. And with this very American declaration of both comfort and consternation, Keating has recorded what might well be his best album to date.

To make SUMMER TONIGHT, Keating recruited his long time band, The Clear Channel Five -- Erik Della Penna (Natalie Merchant, Joan Baez), Chris Erikson, Gary Maurer, and Mark Brotter -- along with additional musicians like pedal steel aficionado Bob Hoffner, Steve Curtis (Hem), bassist Nick D'Amato (Poppa Chubby) and violinist Claudia Chopek (Mike Viola, Jill Sobule). It was recorded in the spring and summer of 2005 at Loho Studios in lower Manhattan. This being his fifth full length release, Matt Keating once again delivers an emotionally bare and moving musical portrait of what Q MAGAZINE in their 1997 four-star review called "his succinctly observed stories of the lovelorn and broken down".

Listen to "St. Cloud"

Watch "Sorry Son" and "St. Cloud" live in the studio.

Watch "Do in the Dark" and "Runaway Clown" live at New York's Living Room.

Watch "Sorry Son" live in the studio:

Purchase Quixotic on iTunes