SKU: 81229933171

Matt the Electrician: It's A Beacon It's A Bell - COMPACT DISCS

Sale price$17.98 Regular price$19.98
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $5.00 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 22 - Jul 27

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Matt the Electrician: It's A Beacon It's A Bell - COMPACT DISCSTitle: It's A Beacon It's A Bell Artist: Matt the Electrician Label: South Central Music Product Type: COMPACT DISCS UPC: 884501950145 Genre: Rock Release Date: 2007 08 30 Number of Discs: 1 Matt the Electrician crafts sharp narratives with equal measures heart and home. Evidence: It's a Beacon, It's a Bell. The longtime Austin resident's excellent new album showcases a seasoned songwriter in top form. "Look out the window at the road rushing by," he

Title: It's A Beacon It's A Bell
Artist: Matt the Electrician
Label: South Central Music
Product Type: COMPACT DISCS
UPC: 884501950145
Genre: Rock
Release Date: 2007-08-30
Number of Discs: 1

Matt the Electrician crafts sharp narratives with equal measures heart and home. Evidence: It's a Beacon, It's a Bell. The longtime Austin resident's excellent new album showcases a seasoned songwriter in top form. "Look out the window at the road rushing by," he sings on the stunning "Muddy Waters." "The shatterproof glass breaking up in your eyes/Your own private movie when things fall apart/Everyone's trying to break your heart." Details whittled from real experience frequently fortify his songs. "Muddy Waters" backs the claim. Matt dreamed up the song as he drove around Austin with his 12-year-old daughter after a big storm. Water under the Lamar Bridge was brown and green, colors he thought an interesting mix. "Yeah, it's dirty, Dad," his daughter said, unimpressed. "Muddy Waters" deftly charts our decidedly varying perceptions at different times in our lives and with age comes an acute awareness that everything moves in cycles. Listen closely. Lessons quickly emerge within the song's ebb and flow. Like "Muddy Waters," Matt's songs typically mirror his family life and the complexities of living as a touring musician and father, often far from home, on the move and unable to be in touch. Accordingly, It's a Beacon, It's a Bell offers several uniquely personal and autobiographical portraits brimming with universal truths. High watermarks deliver stark snapshots as engaging as enlivening. Sparse landscapes guide the journey. In fact, Matt has wanted to make this stripped-down record, a collection entirely with just guitar and vocals, for some time. These songs simply fit the mood. In some cases, they're admittedly quieter by nature and comfortable to play without accompaniment and longtime fans certainly will celebrate the evolution. While Matt has a local band, he tours internationally as a solo act and the most common question he hears on the road: "Hey, which record sounds like what you just did?" Well, It's a Beacon, It's a Bell finally offers the answer. Revisit the lush Accidental Thief (2011) for comparison. It's a Beacon, It's a Bell shines with simplicity. The new album effortlessly backs deep-browed story songs with an intangible everyman appeal, a characteristic folks quickly gravitate toward. "As a songwriter, Matt is able to balance honesty and sincere sentiments with really engaging story telling and humor," says instrumentalist and frequent collaborator Scrappy Jud Newcomb. "It's not always easy to pick out his influences, which I think is fantastic." In fact, Matt cites one legendary songwriter with lighting his creative fires as he wrote It's a Beacon, It's a Bell: Townes Van Zandt. While he loves being immersed in Texas songwriters who tell a straightforward story, Matt's most drawn to the Lone Star State's most elegant lyricist, a songwriter he only discovered upon moving to Austin in 1996. Like the boundless poetry moving forward Van Zandt's writing, Matt focuses these new songs more directly on the poetry of his words, finding ways to leave all the right lyrical holes while coloring in details important enough to spark imaginations. "Matt's greatest asset as a songwriter is his natural ability to tell a story," says Austin-based singer Seela Misra. "The world in his retelling is brutally honest, tender and hilarious at the same, a comforting combination. Equally comforting is his singing voice. You believe what he tells you." Key words: Honest, tender, hilarious. Yes, Matt's most thoughtful moments mirror Van Zandt. They shadow Guy Clark. Haunt every great Texas storyteller with an eye for triumph and truth. Still, every lyrical twist and turn maintains his own unique style and substance. "I think Matt will be an influence on a lot of songwriters in the future," Newcomb says. "What really stands out about Matt as a performer is he makes every crowd his own. By the end of his set, no matter who they came to see, the audience will be Matt the Electrician fans."

Tracks:
1.1 It's a Beacon It's a Bell
1.2 Only for You
1.3 Arkansas
1.4 Muddy Waters
1.5 The Family Grave
1.6 Pioneer Bride
1.7 Shivering
1.8 John Elliott
1.9 Under the Wire
1.10 Last Ones Left
1.11 Suitcase
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 81229933171

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.6 ★★★★★
Based on 14 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
L
Verified Purchase
lebowitzit
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Fits Fine, Looks Great, Sizing Makes No Sense
Size: 16.5" Neck 32"-33" Sleeve, Color: White, Size: 16.5" Neck 32"-33" Sleeve, Color: White
I hate shopping for dress shirts. For me, at least, it is a thoroughly frustrating experience, mostly because there's no consistency at all to the sizing. Actually, that's not quite true: dress shirts consistently DON'T FIT ME PROPERLY, which means I have to look at a lot of shirts and scrutinize size charts - which are usually incomplete, when they're provided at all - before finally finding The One. And sometimes, like this time, I don't manage to find The One. But this shirt comes close, as I will explain. The problem stems from my physique, which I never thought of as unique, but here it is: I'm short (just under 5'4", with a 40-41" chest, a little extra weight (so my middle is about the same), a 36" waist, 33" arms when measured the traditional way (more on that later) and a 16" neck. That last measurement is the single biggest problem: most shirt manufacturers apparently think that if you have a 16' neck, you are shaped like Omar the Tentmaker. Van Heusen is no exception. Note that this shirt is listed as "fitted". Now, that's a completely amorphous descriptor, which, I suppose, is true for most shirt fit descriptors these days. But if you look at Van Heusen's "regular" fit shirts, you'll find that they think if you have a 16" neck, you must have a nearly 50" chest and your waist is over 45". That's not regular, that's freakin' portly! I was afraid to even look at any of their Big & Tall men's dress shirts -- if their idea of regular fit was this skewed, then I didn't want to know what they think Big & Tall is. Thankfully, this is a "fitted" shirt, so Van Heusen thoughtfully provides the 16" neck version with a 42-44" chest and 36-38" waist. That's the size I bought, and it actually fits me pretty well. Still a little loose for a "fitted" shirt, but it doesn't look baggy, and that's what I was after. But a little more realism in the size descriptions would be greatly appreciated. Regarding the sleeve length, I really don't know what's up. I've seen charts that tell you how to measure it, but no matter how I measure it, I never manage to come up with any of the sleeve lengths provided on size charts. I have noticed that there appear to be two ways of measuring it, though. One way, which I call the traditional way because it seems to have been around longer, starts the measurement somewhere between the edge of the shoulder and the neck. At least, I think that's where it starts -- approximately. As I said before, I never manage to come up with the same number. But by this measurement, my correct sleeve length is 32-33", and the average guy's is probably 34-35". In the last year or so, when I shopped for shirts, I found some size charts using a different method, because the numbers were a lot lower, anywhere from 22" to 28". I have no idea where they came up with that measurement, nor do I know what mine is by this method, because the shirts I ended up buying so far have all used what I referred to as the traditional method. Anyway, the shirt looked quite nice on me, right out of the package, and continues to look quite nice on me after a couple of washings. The photo I attached is what the shirt looked like after being washed twice. I wash my shirts on my machine's Delicate cycle and hang them to dry. When cared for this way, the shirt does a pretty good job of living up to the listing's claim of wrinkle resistance. It doesn't come out perfectly smooth and crisp, but it looks good enough that I don't feel inclined to iron it. I decided on a poplin shirt because I was shopping for a summer-weight shirt that would breathe well. But poplin shirts proved nonexistent in my local stores, and not all that plentiful online. Poplin shirts listed online with full size charts so I could tell whether or not they might fit me were nearly as hard to find as igloos in the Mojave Desert, and poplin shirts whose size charts indicated that they were available with dimensions that would actually fit me were somewhere between that and hen's teeth. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I found this one. But the composition of poplin appears to be open to some interpretation. I own a few poplin business shirts (which I wear without suits and ties), and upon receiving my new Van Heusen shirts, it seemed to me that my poplin business shirts were lighter and breathed better. But then it occurred to me that shirt manufacturers often treat their material with coatings that improve the luster and crispness of their shirts for display purposes, and such coatings might be why my new shirts felt stiff, heavy and not particularly airy. Not wanting to give up and send the new shirts back, I decided to take a risk and launder them to see if that improved the feel. Thankfully, it did. After two washings, my new shirts are less shiny than delivered (which I'm fine with), a lot less stiff and breathe reasonably well. So... these shirts fit well, look good and feel good. Check, check and check. That means I'm fully satisfied with them, right? Wrong -- I am NOT fully satisfied with them. It's summertime. Summertime where I live is hot and often quite humid. I wanted shirts appropriate for that weather. To me, that has always meant lightweight broadcloth short-sleeve shirts. But it seems that today's Fashion Police have decreed that there is no longer such a thing as a short-sleeve dress shirt. They have decreed that today's well-dressed men must wear heavy cotton, long-sleeve shirts year-round. Well, excuse me for living, but some of us perspire when dressed that way in summer heat. Poplin shirts were presented to me as the compromise between acceptable modern fashion and comfort. Linen shirts were also recommended, but I couldn't find a single linen shirt what didn't have a crinkly, casual finish, much less one that was intended to be worn with a tie. With extreme effort, I found a poplin shirt that fits well, and I bought two of them, but while they are more comfortable in the sticky summer heat than heavy cotton, they are NOT as comfortable as my old short-sleeve dress shirts. I want new short-sleeve dress shirts, dagnab it! But until I successfully identify and locate all those insane Fashion Police, blow up their air conditioners and confine them to a Chicago Summer Simulator (otherwise known as a sauna) for three days in their heavy cotton shirts so that they will once again bless the manufacture of short-sleeve dress shirts, I guess these Van Heusen fitted long-sleeve poplin shirts will have to do.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2024
T
Verified Purchase
Tom McCartney
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Great quality and true to size labeled.
Size: 16.5" Neck 32"-33" Sleeve, Color: White
Top quality shirt at a great price. Sleeve and neck size true to as labeled. Material lightweight, which is perfect. I could not be happier with this purchase.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2026
C
Verified Purchase
Cut-AWAY
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 4
Top neck button is hard to close!
Size: 18" Neck 32"-33" Sleeve, Color: White
The top neck button is hard to close when you need to wear a necktie, especially if you have arthritis of the fingers like I do! Also, If your neck is a size 18 , it’s a tighter than what I’m used to! Otherwise a great fit and nice material!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2026
S
Verified Purchase
Serguei
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
Great fit
Size: 18" Neck 36"-37" Sleeve, Color: Lemon Glaze
Great fit. It’s hard for me to find a shirt that fits right, but this one works perfectly. Van Heusen makes reliable, good-quality shirts.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2026
J
Verified Purchase
Juanita Ramirez
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Beautiful Shirt
Size: 16" Neck 32"-33" Sleeve, Color: White
Great Shirt good quality!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2026

recommand products