Jose Gonzalez Preps for a Big 2007

Jose Gonzalez releases an EP with his new band Junip, adds the finishing touches to his sophomore disc, pays tribute to others, and receives praise in return.

Folk101 favorite, Jose Gonzalez is currently holed up in Sweden preparing for what should be an mega-successful 2007. On the heels of his highly successful debut, Veneer, this singer-songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire refuses to rest on his laurels.

First, he just released a new EP with his side project band, Junip. This trio, fronted by Gonzalez’s signature guitar, also features keyboards and drums. The record, called Black Refuge, was released in December in Gonzalez’s native Sweden, and the group will follow it up with a yet-to-be-named single early in 2007.

He is also in the process of penning new material for his sophomore album. Stay tuned on this front.

As if that wasn’t enough, Gonzalez also recently participated in a Beatles tribute in celebration of George Martin’s introduction into the UK Music Hall of Fame. The performance will flicker across U.S. screens on VH1 in the near future.

And with this being award season and everything, Gonzalez was recently indirectly nominated for a Grammy as Zero 7’s album The Garden, on which he contributed some stellar vocal parts, received a nod for best Dance Album. Check out the Suite101 Dance and Techno section's look at Zero 7 for more information.

Finally, while you’re waiting for the actual appearance of all these projects, you can check out Jose live in concert via Spin Magazine’s Spin House Live series. A handful of tracks are available to watch, and can also be downloaded via iTunes. You can then compare notes to Folk101’s recent review of his live performance.

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