WFHB ADDS 2.12 & 2.19
DATE: 2.19.07ARTIST:JJ Grey & Mofro
TITLE: Country Ghetto (Alligator)
GENRE: rock/mainstream
GRADE: A
REVIEW: J J Grey is a singer-songwriter in his late 30s with talent and
historical references. His music borrows from Stax/Volt and Mississippi
hill-country blues, and he sings with feeling, in an unforced deep drawl,
about the condition of poor whites in the South. But hes also got a band
with an excellent groove, and thats what makes the difference on Country
Ghetto (Alligator). His biggest weapon is the drummer George Sluppick, who
puts a lot of funk into a medium tempo, and recalls the kings of heavy
foot: musicians like John Bonham and Gregg Errico from Sly and the Family
Stone, who drove their bass-drum beats into your spine. These songs dont
have to be half as accomplished as they are. It would be a pleasure to
hear this band play covers all night.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:
REVIEWER: nytimes.com
DATE: 2.19.07
ARTIST:M. Ward
TITLE: To Go Home (Merge)
GENRE: rock/alt
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Kind of a teaser EP, but it's M. Ward so check it out! To Go Home
is from his Post-War album, it's a Daniel Johnston cover. The other three
tracks are all previously unreleased. All in that gravelly, uplifting M.
Ward style.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 4
REVIEWER: Jim Manion/WFHB
DATE: 2.19.07
ARTIST:Sophe Lux
TITLE: Waking The Mystics (Zarathustra)
GENRE: rock/alt
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Sophe Lux is a theatrically
envisioned troupe that taps into an age-old musical blend of thought and
concept. Interestingly, singer and visionist, Gwenneth Haynes is the
sister of filmmaker Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, Safe, Far From Heaven),
which reveals the currency of their upbringing as it passes hands. From
the menacing cover to the thematic songs found within, Waking the Mystics
is a collection of observations on this current time and its various
stones of realizations. With lyrics that are inspired by the ruminations
of such philosophers as Fredric Nietzsche, combined with the poetics of
William Blake, you will definitively get a mindful of lifes inadequacies
and our entrapment within our own primitively Neanderthal approach to it
all. The album begins with Target Market, a look at how we absorb
ourselves against the political landscape by immersing within the numbing
trivialities of shopping. On Lonely Girl, there is an homage to Kate Bush
with her vocal style and the intriguing witch lyrics and which carries
through in Marie Antoinette Robot 2073, a song in four parts. By Little
Soldier of Time, she is back to a Lovich style. Sophe Lux shows their
greatest disdain for the lack of spirituality that has formed like a
low-lying fogbank over the expressway of humanity in the brilliantly
created God Doesnt Take American Express.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 12
REVIEWER: musictap.net
DATE: 2.19.07
ARTIST:Anais Mitchell
TITLE: The Brightness (Righteous Babe)
GENRE:folk/ss
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Anais Mitchell starts her latest album, The Brightness, with this
line: "Come out, come on, come outside ... I wanna see you half-lit ...
laughing with the whites of your dark eyes." With the whimsically simple
guitar part and Mitchell's reticent, pixie-ish voice, it's a tempting
invitation. It may take a few listens, but sooner or later, your bound to
follow Mitchell into The Brightnes. For me, the urge to follow came from
the thickening of this first song. In the throes of a chorus of sorts,
Mitchell's voice is joined by other voices on the one syllable of "Oh,"
which they repeat so many times, it becomes its own invitation. Mitchell,
according to her bio, has spent quite a bit of time traveling the world
and commenting on it through song. The Brightness only adds to her
collection of observations, musings, flirtations, and demands. She tackles
just about every topic here, turning each experience and observation into
a verbal force that straddles the line between the personal and political.
Using piano and guitar, Mitchell plays each instrument until it's dripping
with both sorrow and hope, spinning her way deep into The Brightness
before removing the glare.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8
REVIEWER: folkmusic.about.com
DATE: 2.19.07
ARTIST: Ono
TITLE: Yes, I'm a Witch (Astralwerks)
GENRE: rock/alt
GRADE: A
REVIEW: The worlds most famous cult musician has won the admiration of
jazzbos, new wavers, no wavers, riot grrls and dance DJs in her 45-year
career, and its not just because she can ululate like an orgasmic mental
patient. Caught between crystalline emotion and conceptual play, her
decades of uneven pop and sometimes-bewildering experiments holds
something for every stripe of charismatic weirdo. Here Cat Power, Peaches,
DJ Spooky and others reimagine songs spanning Onos catalogue, typically
layering her original, haunting-to-haranguing vocals over their own music.
For Ono who has made visual art simply by asking that people picture
something in their heads this surrendering of her craft makes perfect
sense. And it works: Her voice, threaded into the idiosyncratic sounds her
acolytes carefully cultivate, morphs into excellent electro hooks and
harrowing confessions. If the students sound like masters, then Yokos
generous legacy is secure.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14
REVIEWER: blender.com
Also added 2/20 at WFHB:
Richard Swift Dressed Up For The Let Down Secretly Canadian
The Silos Come on Like The Fast Lane Bloodshot
Andrew Bird Armchair Apocrypha Fat Possum
The Besnard Snakes Are The Dark Horse Jagjaguwar
Peter Bjorn and John Writer's Block Almost Gold
DATE: 2.12.07
ARTIST: The Soul of John Black
TITLE: The Good Girl Blues (Cadabra)
GENRE: BLUES
GRADE: A
REVIEW:The Good Girl Blues is virtually a dissertation on traditional
blues, as Bigham explores its many variations whilst deftly connecting it
with more modern sounds. He does this brilliantly on "Swamp Thang", at its
core a porch pickin' blues piece that surreptitiously threads its way
straight into hiphop, a style accented by the beats and Bigham's slipping
towards rapping his lyrics. Likewise "Slipin' and Slidin'" is pure swamp
blues, except for the eerie effects and a touch of hiphop scratching that
slithers through. "The Moon Blues" is traditional blues to its very core,
with a sensuous, smokey jazz club aura, but with Bigham's lead guitar
licks hinting at the rock'n'roll that eventually expropriated it. "Fire
Blues" gives a further nod to that progression, blues filtered through
white hands for a decade and landing fore square in the mainstream,
although Bigham's vocals remind us, that simultaneously Black soul artists
were pulling the sound back home. The fabulously funky "Feelin's" tips a
hat to one of the first Black acts to cross the divide between blues and
rock, Sly & the Family Stone. Widening his net, Bigham crosses the border,
digging "The Hole" with Lead Belly's sweat and a shovelful of Latin
rhythms. "Moanin'" digs even deeper to find a link between the blues and
flamenco, capturing the emotion of both, amidst a blur of guitar
strumming.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10
REVIEWER: allmusicguide.com
DATE: 2.12.07
ARTIST:Patty Griffin
TITLE: Children Running Through (ATO)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: Collective mourning brings us together. People who need their
music fused with overwhelming positivity may not understand Griffin's
appeal, but for anyone's who's felt a hellhound on his trail or stared
into the glacial isolation of a Northern sky, the bond is strong and
permanent. Griffin isn't one to draw attention to herself. Her best
material has always been her gently unfolding wallflower portraits. She
can wail with the best of them and usually finds a few choice spots on
each album to air out this talent. Children Running Through is no
exception. "Stay on the Ride" sports a funky backdrop with uptown horns
for her to kick up her cowboy boots to, while "Getting Ready" delivers a
kiss-off ("I'm getting ready to let you go") to a demanding railroad
rhythm. But they are diversions we accept as the necessary setup for her
natural forte as a singer of quiet, desperate songs. She begins Children
with "You'll Remember," a modern spiritual constructed in near silence,
her voice echoing off the cathedral walls as gently brushed drums and a
standup bass provide the backdrop with an organ barely puncturing the
ghostly aura. She breaks the spell with the aforementioned "Stay on the
Ride" before settling back in with "Trapeze," a loose duet with Emmylou
Harris that's an emotional tug of war-people are drawn to the daring
adventures of the risk-taker only to find solace when, "one of these
nights the old girl's going down." Griffin's characters may never
completely trust love but they'll always understand conflict. "Burgundy
Shoes" is a snapshot of childhood recollected with simple piano notes that
are suddenly joined by his orchestral sweep, adding a cinematic score to
this modest bus ride to Bangor, while "I Don't Ever Give Up" manages a
quiet loudness that never overpowers Griffin's fragile delivery.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10
REVIEWER: paste.com
DATE:
ARTIST:Youth Group
TITLE: Casino Twilight Dogs (Anti)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Producer Wayne Connolly, who did an excellent job on Jar, outdoes
himself here, creating an album that shimmers and shines, sparkles and
glows. The Beach Boys Pet Sounds was an obvious inspiration, and one the
band borrowed too, especially for "On a String," but there's plenty of
glamour and elegance shot through the set as well. On "Sorry" the guitars
are positively iridescent, on "Dead Zoo" they glow, and on the surging
"Under the Underpass" they shine and pulse, just a bit blurred to bring
out the song's epic quality. They reverberate on "Daisy Chains," as
Connolly and the band slowly swell the sound, until it finally bursts
forth in full majesty. But for all their luminosity, Youth Group are
capable of tougher stylings, as they prove on the more aggressive "Catch
and Kill." In contrast, the haunting "Sicily" transmutes the sun-dappled
Mediterranean into song. Of course, the glorious music is only half the
band's appeal, of equal import are their emotive lyrics and Toby Martin's
sweet, strong deliveries. The themes range from the sarcastic -- "Sorry"
-- to the serious -- "The Destruction of Laurel Canyon" -- the latter
written about the 2005 L.A. mud slides, and "TJ," a pensive number about
the real life tragedy of a young boy who met his death while being chased
by police. From the savage -- "Catch and Kill," to the savoir faire -- the
ode to idleness "Start Today Tomorrow," Youth Group's poignant and
thought-provoking lyrics and storytelling style have pushed the group into
the emo bag, but with their incandescent music, they're far too glittering
to be left with that label for long.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10
REVIEWER: allmusicguide.com
DATE: 2.12.07
ARTIST: Elvis Perkins
TITLE: Ash Wednesday (XL)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW:As an XL signing theres no doubt a great deal of attention will be
lavished upon him as Thom Yorke and Devandras new bedfellow, but from the
assured sounds of these simple but devastatingly effective songs I doubt
hed even bat an eyelid. Simplicity is the key here I think, Perkins has by
the sounds of it resigned himself to the fact that hes not going to be
breaking any stylistic boundaries, so instead of risking some unsuccessful
experiments he has gone instead, guns-blazing, for perfectly formed pop
music. This is pop music in the same way as the Beach Boys or to a certain
extent the Beatles is pop music; memorable and beautifully handled songs
which drift around your consciousness and haunt you throughout the day. In
fact I wouldnt be surprised if one or more of these tracks was picked for
a trendy advert or two, they just have that sunny (yet mindfully
melancholic) feeling which would endear them to the uneducated masses.
With skeletal but creative production to match the songs, we have gorgeous
moments such as Moon Woman II which echoes the best Jon Brion has to offer
next to downbeat numbers like The Night & The Liquor which sounds like Low
recorded in a broken down bar somewhere, complete with hazy piano and
distant drums. A truly gorgeous record which deserves every success, Ash
Wednesday is something youll no doubt be hearing a lot more of.
INTERSTING NOTE: Elvis Perkins is the son of the late Tony Perkins, who
starred as Norman Bates in Hitchcock's Psycho.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 4, 7, 9, 10
REVIEWER: boomkat.com
DATE: 2.12.07
ARTIST:Bethany & Rufus
TITLE: 900 Miles (Hyena)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW: And the second-generation beat goes on. First, there was the
platinum splash made by sitarist Ravi Shankars daughter, Norah Jones. Then
Jen Chapin, echoing the moralist vibrancy of her troubadour dad Harry,
began a slower, though no less impressive, ascent. Now, Bethany Yarrow,
offspring of Peter (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame), is, in tandem with
cellist Rufus Cappadocia, carrying the folk-fueled family torch. In
addition to boasting an iconic dad, Yarrow also shares with Jones and
Chapin the distinction of a keen, dusky-voiced musicianship that blurs
folk, rock and pop. Working her way through more than a centurys worth of
material, traveling from the traditional railroad work song Linin Track
and the antique title tracks wayfaring blues to Jesse Winchesters gently
infectious Isnt That So? and Phil Ochs achingly beautiful No More Songs,
Yarrow sounds eerily like a softer-edged Patricia Barber. Consistently
proficient as she is, it is, though, Cappadocias brilliance that gives
this disc its remarkable sheen. His palette, extending from the baroque
majesty of No More Songs to the Nashville kick of If I Had My Way, is
incredibly rich and, as superbly demonstrated on the Spanish lament
Asturiana with its intriguing dirge/hymn dichotomy, amazingly clever.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
REVIEWER: jazztimes.com
DATE: 2.17.07
ARTIST: The Last Town Chorus
TITLE: Wire Waltz (Hacktone)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: If youve got that deep depression thing going on right now and
with the schizophrenic weather were having, I wouldnt fault you this
record could be your Prozac. No, it wont make you feel better; itll just
mask your symptoms and make you feel like youre not the only one with
weighing thoughts. (Its advised to keep sharp objects at arms length at
least on the first listen.) Megan Hickeys voice guides you on a monotone
adventure through break-ups (Its Not Over), uncomfortable memories of
childhood (Huntsville, 1989) and old lovers (You), in search of an
ultimate understanding. Its depressing and therapeutic at the same time.
The eerie yet beautiful sound of a lap steel guitar, maneuvered by Hickey,
strings the 12 songs together as if the album is one long
stream-of-consciousness session. I feel guilty that my favorite cut is a
cover of David Bowies Modern Love (which was played recently on Greys
Anatomy). Its so much different than the original, it took me a few
listens to find those familiar hooks.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9
REVIEWER: leovia.com
Also added at WFHB this weeK
JJ Cale & Eric Clapton The Road To Escondido Reprise
Ojos de Brujo Techari Diquela/Six Degrees
Dean & Britta Back Numbers Zoe
Lily Allen Allright, Still... Capitol
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Manion - Music Programming Director
WFHB 91.3/98.1 FM - Bloomington Community Radio
108 W. Fourth Street Bloomington, Indiana 47404
(812) 323-1200
Music Tracking: 1-3pm Eastern on Wednesday - (812) 330-1905
email: ionman@bluemarble.net
listen online: www.wfhb.org
WFHB Music Blog: http://wfhbmusic.blogspot.com/
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posted by WFHB Music @ 11:42:00 AM
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