The Makin Waves Song of the Week is “Kerosene Mountain,” from the new Mint 400 Records split EP, “Chansons de lune,” by Son of Dov and Renee Maskin.
Mint 400 Records label mates Son of Dov and Renee Maskin have a great mutual artistic admiration that has spawned the fantastic new split EP, “Chansons de lune.”
The four-song outing features two songs written by each artist, but they perform together on all four. The crafty colab includes Son of Dov’s “Kerosene Mountain,” the Makin Waves Song of the Week, which was inspired by and features a duet with Renee.
As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “Kerosene Mountain” also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on July 19 on “Radio Jersey” at ThePenguinRocks.com. If you miss it, you can tune in any time in the archives at The Penguin and Mixcloud.
“When I first saw Renee play in a tiny Central Jersey coffee shop, I was all in,” said Son of Dov, aka Dennis King. “A special voice with riveting songs I could connect with. Fast forward a few more years or so, and we've become friends with a passion for writing songs. I think it was Renee who said we should do something together. I was so motivated by the prospect that I spent some time looking over her photos by John Decker and started strumming the verse for ‘Kerosene Mountain.’ Two days later, I sent her the finished song rough, and she was down. Soon enough, we began working on the full project.
“‘Kerosene Mountain’ means nothing and everything to me,” he continued. “I feel safe writing with analogies and metaphors. The supernatural world and natural world motivates me.”
Named by Renee and translated from French as “Songs of the Moon,” the EP also features Renee’s “Jacques Cousteau,” a twangy but ethereal tribute to oceanography and at long last love, and the surging “Jungle Green,” and Son of Dov’s sad pine “Wild Winds,” featuring pedal steel guitarist Joe Palmisano, the only other musician on “Chansons de lune.”
While the multi-instrumentalists likely won’t play as many instruments as they do on the EP, Son of Dov and Renee can be seen live Aug. 10 at Factory Records with Part-Time Custodian.
Son of Dov also will play Sept. 28, Asbury Park Porch Festival; Oct. 20, Edenville General Store, Warwick, NY, and Oct. 25, The Sanctuary, Butler, with Tom Barrett.
Renee also will play July 18, Salvation, the rooftop bar of The Asbury hotel in Asbury Park; July 19, The Paseo, Rahway, as part of the city’s Summer Music Series; July 20, Bread & Roses Film Fest Fundraiser, Art 629, also Asbury, with Martin Howth; Aug. 16, Long Play Cage, Pittsburgh, with Morgan Erina and Casey Catone; Aug. 18, Edenville General Store; Aug. 23, Sweet Side Records, Glens Falls, NY, with TJ Foster and James Mullen; Aug. 24, Cafe Improv, Princeton; Sept. 24, Art in All Dimensions festival, Rahway; Sept. 26, Pet Shop, Jersey City, and Oct. 19, Elephant Talk Indie Festival, Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall, Atlantic City.
For more about Mint 400 Records, visit https://www.mint400records.com. Click https://sonofdov.com/home for more about Son of Dov. And Renee can be found online at https://www.reneemaskin.com.
Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and contact Bob at [email protected].
