WFHB ADDS 2.27.07 - 4.10.07 (47 reviews!!!)
Greetings music lovers,My apologies for not posting reviews of WFHB Adds since 2.19.07 - computer
problems, spring fund drive and a transition in our GM position all conspired to
create a gap in my information-sharing. I will resume posting Add Reviews weekly to
the WFHB music blog. Reviews for 4.23.07 will be posted on 4.25.07.
~Jim Manion/WFHB Music Programming Director
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2.27.07
DATE: 2.26.07
ARTIST:Money Mark
TITLE:Brand New By Tommorrow (Brushfire)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: Former Beastie Boy collaborator, Money Mark, offers sentimental
pop with musical depth and clever lyrics. Songs about breakups, loneliness and
broken hearts do not feature too prominently in rap music, nor do acoustic guitars and harmonicas feature in the typical alternatives. Brand New By Tomorrow, released by Jack
Johnson's Brushfire Records, has Money Mark lamenting lost love over warm
and tender instrumentals. But, while others may turn this combination into
moody blend, Mark manages to find humor and an upbeat spirit. The album
opens with "Color of Blue," a song that turns the despair of a perished
relationship into unavoidable life experience. There's pain, but also a
bright future ahead. Even in a song called "Everyday I Die A Little,"
Money Mark finds balance in sadness and potential. This duality
characterizes the remaining 10 tracks of the album, culminating with the
title track, an acoustic number that simply reminds that a broken heart
can easily be repaired. Brand New By Tomorrow may find Money Mark straying
from his typically funky and experimental sound, but does so with a
wonderfully pleasing result. A surprising twist on melancholy subject
matter, the album is a wonderful listen and a great reminder that music
can capture the often confusing nature of life's relational ups and downs.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 11
REVIEWER: www.ballerstatus.com
DATE: 2.26.07
ARTIST:Winterpills
TITLE: The Light Divides (Signature)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Novelist and music writer Jonathan Lethem says: "The Light Divides
ups the ante on Winterpills' shimmering, resonant, heartbroken pop glory.
These songs, as musically sophisticated and delicate as any of songwriters
Philip Price's career, and given otherworldly treatment by band members
Flora Reed, Dave Hower, Dennis Crommett, Jose Ayerve and Brain Akey,
nevertheless feel essential, even familiar, like old friends. The hooks
and harmonies have been burnished so they glow from within - it's as if
Winterpills has brought to light songs you were already humming to
yourself, but didn't know it.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 6, 8, 9, 13, 14
FCC: 4 (FUCK)
REVIEWER: milesofmusic.com
DATE: 2.26.07
ARTIST:Elana James
TITLE:Elana James (Snarf)
GENRE:COUNTRY/WESTERN SWING
GRADE: A
REVIEW: The ex-Hot Club of Cowtown violinist stretches her musical vision
on her self-titled debut. James, one of the premier young stars of hot
jazz, has put together a collection of standards and originals that
showcase both western swing and string jazz, and her incredible playing.
James evokes a bygone era smoky clubs and all-night dances without
sounding like she's a curio piece brought out to be shown once in awhile,
only to be placed back in storage. She makes the music live and breathe.
Legendary fiddler Johny Gimble guests.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 10
REVIEWER: milesofmusic.com
DATE: 2.26.07
ARTIST:Southern Culture on the Skids
TITLE:Countrypolitan Favorites (Yep Roc)
GENRE: country/alt
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Listeners should be prepared to hear a slicker SCOTS than theyre
used to. Anyone familiar with their earlier work knows how chicken grease
and banana pudding drip from every song the band has ever written, but
here, they turn the frydaddy down a bit on their way to giving some
country classics a rock treatment. It works really well for cuts like
Wanda Jacksons Funnel of Love and Joe Souths Rose Garden (made into a hit
by Lynn Anderson), both of which boast vocals from Mary Huff. One of the
unexpected surprises to be found on Countrypolitan Favorites is the large
number of Huff vocals. Shes always been good for a song or two on SCOTS
records and onstage, but shes all over the place on Favorites, either
taking the reins for lead vocals or sharing duets with guitarist/usual
singer Rick Miller. Its a good choice. Even on a countrypolitan treatment,
Millers vocals still show a good bit of twangsomething countrypolitan
historically avoided like the plague. Miller and Huff play off each other
especially well on Onie Wheelers tale of neighborhood swinging, Lets
Invite Them Over, a song that fits right into the SCOTS tradition.
Wolverton Mountain shines too, right down to the yodeling background
vocals courtesy of Huff. In typical SCOTS fashion, though, Countrypolitan
Favorites doesnt just trot out the usual suspects; the countrypolitan tag
cuts both ways. In the same way that several countrypolitan classics get a
rock treatment, there are also a few rock tunes getting their first
countrypolitan treatment. The Kinks Muswell Hillbilly gets a twangy
treatment loaded with an organ tone thats about three short feet away from
the Mysterians 96 Tears. The Who's Happy Jack, of all things, finds its
spunky guitar line translated to hillbilly banjo and hoedown bounce (and
it works surprisingly well). T. Rexs Lifes a Gas gets guitar-fuzzed out of
its mind, and CCR gets a pair of nods ("Tombstone Shadow and their
Golliwogs-era Fight Fire").
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 14, 15
REVIEWER: www.popmatters.com
DATE: 2.26.07
ARTIST:Dolorean
TITLE: You Can't Win (Yep Roc)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Dolorean's "You Can't Win" opens with the title track: percussion,
bass, organ and piano added in hypnotizing layers, and Al James singing
purposefully "You can't win." It's statement of resolve, not resignation,
and as if fades into the next rack, "We Winter Wrens" -- with its
beautifully filigreed banjo and strings -- there's a sense this is the
start of a masterwork, a metaphorical triumph over darkness. "Beachcomber
Blues" is a meditation, Jay Clarke's piano and Emil Amos' guitar providing
a lovely coda that echoes the songs wistful sentiments. Not more than a
snippet, "You Don't Want to Know" echoes the title track's melody with an
eerie distortion that recalls some of Neil Young's musical experiments.
"Just Don't Leave Town" opens with a spooky organ and James' distorted
vocals before coming into focus with a statement of faith in one's art,
one's hometown, one's purpose.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10
REVIEWER: www.pittsburghlive.com
DATE: 2.26.07
ARTIST:Utah Carol
TITLE: Rodeo Queen (Utah Carol)
GENRE:ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Utah Carol`s Grant Birkenbeuel and JinJa Davis create ethereal
soundscape songs that are simultaneously enchanting and creepy. The duo`s
soft and seductive harmonies create a dreamscape world -- children`s
stories for adults -- that initially provide comfort like the scent of
baking bread in mom`s kitchen. After you get past the pretty surface
themes of heartache, sabotage, obsession and hope waft out. This mix of
the hypnotic aspects of shoegaze pop, the sensuality of whispering Don
Gibson, and the small-town-life-is-ok-until-you-look-closer aspect of
David Lynch film making gives Utah Carol its unique, engaging and,
sometimes, creepy appeal.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 6, 8, 10, 13
REVIEWER: www.milesofmusic.com
DATE: 2.26.07
ARTIST: Minmae
TITLE: 835
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Songwriter Sean Brooks penchant for turning the caustic into works
of morbid beauty is once again evident in Minmaes most inspired and
cohesive work to date. With a new lineup and a new outlook, 835 finds the
band at the crossroads of experimental and pop, of noise and rhythm, of
chaos and order. Originally, Minmae came together as a project in music
deconstruction, experimenting with sound as a non-band [collaborative]
group. But through changes in lineup, philosophy, and outlook, have
evolved into a band contrasting that deconstructed approach with a real
overarching structure and theme to the songs they write. Yes, they still
recall many of their oft-compared contemporaries (Smog, Pavement, at times
the Silver Jews) but 835 is decidedly unlike anything theyve made before.
Songs like Your Band Controls The Weather set a new, warmer tone against
Brooks wry lyrics and understated vocal style. Its been a long road thus
far and its far from over, but 835 is the record Minmae fans have been
waiting for, and that fans-to-be will fall in love with.
FCC #1: FUCK
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12
REVIEWER: SPECTRE reviews
also added:
Arcade Fire Neon Bible Merge
Tad Robinson A New Point of View Severn
Sondre Lerche Phantom Punch Astralwerks
3.06.07
3.06.07
DATE:3.5.07
ARTIST:Air
TITLE: Pocket Symphonies (Astralwerks)
GENRE:ELECTRONIC
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: Pocket Symphony, the fourth studio album by French duo Air, is a
stovetop reduction of the bands atmospheric sound. Only the very basics of
Airs well-groomed romantic pop are in play: the classically cognizant
affectations and electronically inclined augmentations, the sweetly
ephemeral repetitions of musical motif, the weightless sensation of
modernism adrift in its own waking dreams. There are no further
embellishments of aesthetic here or adjustments in methodology. It is
perhaps the first album in Airs now decade-long career built solely on the
bands essence alone. This is not to say that the record is boring, though
its exceptionally rainy-day gait is impossible to ignore. Airs previous
album, Talkie Walkie (2004), had a moderate pace and enchanting demeanor,
but Pocket Symphony is downright somnolent, like Talkie Walkie on
Quaaludes. Left Bank may sound like Nick Drake circling the planet and
sport a beautiful acoustic guitar riff, and the instrumental Space Maker
may subtly fall into a wonderfully descending coda, but such hallmarks
tend to be overshadowed by the overall sleepiness of things.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 6, 10
REVIEWER: www.popmatters.com
DATE: 3.5.07
ARTIST:Moaners
TITLE:Blackwing Yalobusha (Yep Roc)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: The Moaners were already rockin' the messed-up blues with
impressive results on their debut album, 2005's Dark Snack, but they dig
deeper into the heart of their music on their sophomore release, 2007's
Blackwing Yalobusha, and it's one wild and moody ride. Blackwing Yalobusha
was recorded at the Mississippi studio that used to be the Money Shot,
where much of the Fat Possum Records roster did their best work, and the
ghosts in the room seem to have gotten into Melissa Swingle's guitar; she
feeds plenty of primal slide work and gutsy chordings through her amp, and
while she's hardly a virtuoso, she generates a truly commanding racket
that conjures up an impressive, soulful power. Laura King's drumming is
perfectly simpatico, filling up the spaces and pushing the tunes forward
without wasted force, and in Blackwing Yalobusha's finest moments, you're
never conscious that there are only two musicians playing these songs. The
Moaners aren't really playing the blues -- there are too many fractured
structures and too much indie rock irony for that -- but the closer they
get to the tangled roots of their influences, the stronger they become,
and Blackwing Yalobusha is a satisfying step forward for this duo.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10
REVIEWER:Mark Deming, All Music Guide
DATE: 3.5.07
ARTIST: Jorma Kaukonen
TITLE: Stars In My Crown (Red House)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Five years after Blue Country Heart, Stars in My Crown finds Jorma
Kaukonen continuing and expanding on that Grammy-nominated work. It's
again a relaxed setting, but the stylistic range has taken on a compelling
diversity. Not generally a prolific writer, Kaukonen has written a welcome
five of the disc's fourteen numbers this time out. They range from the
perfect and prayerful opener "Overture: Heart Temporary," with its
12-piece string section holding his acoustic guitar and vocal aloft, to
the lilting instrumental "A Life Well Lived." Kaukonen's choice of covers
has left him room to make them his own, while also adding to the portrait
of who he is as an artist, and how he got there. It would be right to
expect a Rev. Gary Davis song on this album, and there are two of them,
but it's his take on Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around" that amazes.
It's an audacious choice for reinterpretation in which he both honors the
original and finds a natural ease for his own voice. Throughout the entire
set, the small and subtly varying ensemble plays with elegant style,
peppered with occasional playful hijinks.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 12
REVIEWER: --David Greenberger
DATE: 3.5.07
ARTIST:Wilderness Plots
TITLE: Wilderness Plots (Rosehill)
GENRE: LOCAL/FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW: A collaborative effort from local singer/songwriters Carrie
Newcomer, Michael White, Tim Grimm, Krista Detor and Tom Roznowski. Themes
of the songs come from local writer Scott Russel Sanders Wilderness Plots
collection of stories.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: all
REVIEWER: Jim Manion/WFHB
DATE: 3.5.07
ARTIST:Viktor Krauss
TITLE:II (Backporch)
GENRE: ROCK/MAINSTREAM
GRADE: A
REVIEW:One nice thing about being an in-demand session musician: Youve got
all the right names and numbers in your Rolodex. Viktor Krauss, an
Illinois-born bass player who currently resides in Nashville, has recorded
and toured with Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Chet Atkins and Jewel. On
his own debut album, 2004s Far from Enough, he enlisted two of his
employers, guitarists Bill Frisell and Jerry Douglas; hotshot drummer
Steve Jordan completed the band, and little sister Alison Krauss sang a
haunting version of a Robert Plant chestnut. On II, Krauss doesnt stray so
far from what worked before. Even so, Krauss expands on what was a
successful model: Hop and Dudeman conjure a worldly wanderlust informed by
Ry Cooder and Bill Laswell, and Eyes in the Heat suggests a celluloid
cityscape by night. Two more singers have cameos: Ben Taylors sandy croon
on When Shes Dancing is destined for heavy rotation on WFUV-FM, while Lyle
Lovetts delivery in (I Could Have Been Your) Best Friend is a textbook
example of that singers deadpan soul.Steve Smith
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 6, 9
REVIEWER: timeout.com
DATE: 3.5.07
ARTIST:Maria Taylor
TITLE:Lynn Teeter Flower (Saddle Creek)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Omaha, Nebraska, USA must be a dreamy, featherbed sort of place to
live. As in her previous band, Azure Ray, and like many Saddle Creek label
mates, of whom Bright Eyes is the most well-known, Maria Taylor makes
music of subtle, dreamy, folky beauty, in this instance cut through with a
sharp electro knife. Taylors voice isnt that distinctive but has enough of
a smoky edge to be interesting, not fey. My own fault stands out, as does
no stars, the former sparsely simple in its refusal of sympathy, no stars
for a far more complex but equally uncompromising message. Other songs
that reveal a heart and a take on life that is worth hearing. Good stuff.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10
REVIEWER: americana-uk.com
DATE: 3.5.07
ARTIST:Kelly Flint
TITLE: Drive All Night (Bepop)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: Postmodern folk with a tinge of Americana. If you want to reduce
it to an easily digestible phrase, that's what you might call the music of
Kelly Flint. As the sultry voice for the trenchant songs of David Cantor
in cult faves Dave's True Story, Kelly made five albums and was the toast
of the New York Times, the Kennedy Center, and more. But now it's time for
her to spread her solo wings. In the album's warm, organic arrangements,
acoustic sonorities, and occasional open-road, real-America flavor, you
can discern Flint's Midwestern youth, spent soaking up the classic
folk-rockers of the '70s. In the more complex shapes that Flint's lyrics
conjure in the mind's eye, and the subtle harmonic twists that keep DRIVE
ALL NIGHT from becoming strictly an "Americana" album, her coming of age
in New York City is apparent. Her involvement in the jazzy sophistication
of Dave's True Story, her immersion in the complicated, urgent,
shades-of-gray sensibility that is the experiential dividend of New York
life it's all in this striking new batch of songs. Sometimes the trenchant
bite is just under the surface, and sometimes it snaps up to nab a piece
of your heart. Produced by Jeff Eyrich, bassist and producer for Dave's
True Story, DRIVE ALL NIGHT doesn't leave Flint's previous musical life
entirely behind; you can still hear the combination of hope and
world-weariness, blue moods and gossamer balladry that helped make that
group indie darlings. But this album adds another string to Flint's bow,
and establishes her as a distinct musical entity, ultimately reliant on
nothing but her own artistic road map.
NOTE: KELLY IS SARAH FLINT'S SISTER.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 12
REVIEWER: www.amazon.com
also added:
Eleni Mandell Miracle of Five Zedtone
My Brightest Diamond Tear It Down Asthmatic Kitty
Nurse & Soldier Marginalia Brah
3.13.07
3.13.07
DATE: 3.13.07
ARTIST:Ry Cooder
TITLE:My Name Is Buddy Nonesuch
GENRE:FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Described on the sleeve as "another record by Ry Cooder", this
unexpectedly rapid follow-up to Chavez Ravine is another epic concept
album and musical excursion into vanishing America. It's epic not because
of the songs (some of which feature only Cooder on guitar backed by his
son Joachim on drums or the great Van Dyke Parks on piano) but because of
the ideas behind the project. It revisits the styles of the 1930s and 40s
- the era of Woody Guthrie, hobos, Joe Hill and American communism - and
mixes all this with a series of allegorical animal stories. (The "Buddy"
of the title, it transpires, is a red cat in more senses than one.) The
concept may be laboured, but the music is entertaining. The songs echo old
folk, blues, bluegrass, lounge jazz and country favourites, and there are
historic performances from such veterans as Pete and Mike Seeger, and
Terry Evans and Bobby King, whose vocal work on the stomping story of
racism, Sundown Town, is one of the high points of an over-clever but
often intriguing set.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 13, 14
REVIEWER: GUARDIAN.CO.UK
DATE: 3.13.07
ARTIST: Amy Winehouse
TITLE: Back to Black (Universal Republic)
GENRE: SOUL/FUNK/R&B
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Back To Black is one of those rare albums on which everything just
feels right. Amy Winehouse has a voice that goes well beyond her years,
filled with a jazzy soul that leans much more towards the classic sounds
of Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Billie Holiday than her UK pop
counterparts. Where Winehouse sneaks up on you is in her lyrics, which
make for an interesting contrast to her classic vocal style. For an artist
in her early twenties, it is cool to hear somebody embrace such a
jazz-inspired sultry delivery like Winehouse, such as in the lead single
"Rehab." This biographical tale of refusing to check herself into rehab
makes for a perfect album opener. Produced by Mark Ronson, the '60s sound
of the track is filled with strings, saxophones and a great groove.
Producer Salaam Remi takes that whole vibe up a notch on "Tears Dry On
Their Own," sounding like it was recorded forty years ago. Ronson brings
back the smooth groove to "He Can Only Hold Her," perfecting blending the
classic soul voice of Winehouse with a beat that should please any indie
music fan that has an ounce of good taste. Pushing the boundaries of pop,
soul and everything in-between is what makes Back To Black such a joy. Amy
Winehouse tells it like it is, ripping pages out of her diary and
transforming them into timeless songs of love and personal struggles.
Fitting somewhere between Beth Gibbons from Portishead and Lauryn Hill,
Winehouse may have given us a modern day classic.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 5, 7, 10
REVIEWER: thetripwire.com
DATE: 3.13.07
ARTIST: Vusi Mahlasela
TITLE:Guiding Star (ATO)
GENRE: INTL/AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: Music in a variety of stripes in South Africa played an integral
role in shackling apartheid in the '90s, and poet-turned-songwriter
Mahlasela served as a central figure. Today the singer/guitarist maintains
a powerful voice in his country's embrace of freedom and justice. With his
second ATO release, Mahlasela delivers 16 impassioned tunes infused with
the personal and the political. He's joined on the peace-seeking "Sower of
Words" by fellow countryman Dave Matthews, who has championed his career.
What's remarkable on "Guiding Style" is the stylistic diversity, including
gently lilting love songs like "Everytime," the reggae-tinted "Chamber of
Justice," the bluesy "Tibidi Waka" spiced by Derek Trucks' slide guitar,
the Afro-pop jaunt of "Jabula," the mbaqanga ebullience of "Ntombi Mbali"
and the sprightly scat of "Thula Mama." Dan Ouellette
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14
REVIEWER: www.billboard.com
DATE: 3.13.07
ARTIST:The One AM Radio
TITLE: This Too Will Pass
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Hrishikesh Hirway has an amazing ear for crafting subtle melodies
that are absolutely beautiful. Under the name The One AM Radio, Hirway's
musical career has recorded three full-length albums as well as a handful
of EPs. The latest, This Too Will Pass, shows this Los Angeles
multi-instrumentalist performing on guitar, cello, drums and drum
programming, supported by an ensemble cast of strings and horns. This is a
stunning album in every aspect, from the music and lyrics to the
incredible artwork. The cover image of a home on fire sets the tone for
the album, an emotionally intense collection of songs written from a rough
patch for Hirway. His songs focus on his journey through break-ups,
writer's block and a trip to his now vacant family home, taking him from
Los Angeles to Rhode Island. It took him two years to complete This Too
Will Pass, resulting in a piece of work that is honest, intimate and
timeless.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 13
REVIEWER: www.thetripwire.com
DATE: 3.13.07
ARTIST: Low
TITLE: Drums & Guns
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Simply put, Drums and Guns is brilliant. Darkly shining in a sea
of anti-war and politically charged releases, the husband/wife duo of Alan
Sparhawk and Mimi Parker along with bassist Matt Livingston, have
beautifully blended a macabre worldview with their signature
slow-churning-yet-poetic soundscapes. What has changed a bit this time
around is in how minimal the trio allows the sound to become, which isn't
much. Fridmann has become the master at creating roughly produced textures
which fill in Low's white space perfectly. Drums and Guns is a headphones
album, in that the cans are needed to catch all the sampled idiosyncrasies
in place. "Pretty People" morosely starts the album with Sparhawk
declaring over distortion, "All soldiers/ They're all gonna die/ All the
little babies/ They're all gonna die/ All the poets and all the liars/ All
you pretty people/ You're all gonna die." With an appropriate tone
established, Spawhawk and Parker continue to espouse their political and
spiritual views of the world on appropriately-titled songs like "Murderer"
and "Your Poison," the latter of which is a largely a capella number that
works surprisingly well. Livingston's enhancements are perfect on Drums
and Guns, drawing the listener into the throbbing "Murderer" and picking
things up a bit on "Always Fade," which finds an atypical street beat
backing up the minor harmonies. Other tracks like "Breaker" have
Fridmann's fingerprints all over them, utilizing drum loops and a dirty
organ to get the job done.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 12
REVIEWER: lostatsea.net
DATE: 3.13.07
ARTIST:Son Volt
TITLE:The Search (Transmit Sound)
GENRE:COUNTRY/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: When Jay Farrar reunited Son Volt in 2005 for Okemah and the
Melody of Riot, the good news was that even though most of the members had
changed, the bands mixture of folk, country and classic rock sounded
basically the same. The bad news was that the formula had gone stale.
Thankfully, Son Volt is up to some new tricks on The Search. Leadoff track
Slow Hearse is a piano ballad overlaid with Eastern-style guitar, and
thats followed by The Picture, a terrific Stax/Volt-style soul song, of
all things. Alongside these experiments, rockers like the title track and
alt-country weepers like Methamphetamine and Highways and Cigarettes sound
like returns to form instead of a band going through the motions. As with
most Son Volt albums, The Search has some filler. But if this isnt a full
return to the glory days of the groups 1995 debut Trace, its a big step in
the right direction.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 5, 7, 9, 11
REVIEWER: www.harp.com
DATE:3.13.07
ARTIST:Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
TITLE:Living with the Living (Touch and Go)
GENRE:ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Ted Leo might occasionally feel nostalgic one of his best-known
songs, Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?, yearns for old-fashioned ska
but hes not. Better than any other current musician, he understands that
punk rock is unfinished business: a promise that needs to be kept. He also
understands that punk rock is less a style or an ideology than a
commitment, and that understanding suffuses Living With the Living. Leo
has never shied away from songwriting variety, but this album might be his
most wide-ranging yet, even as it showcases a further tautening of the
threads connecting him to Pharmacists bassist Dave Lerner and drummer
Chris Wilson. Some of the paths Leo and the Pharmacists take arent
particularly unexpected. A Bottle of Buckie explores friendship via an
Irish-American take on the Pogues and Army Bound cuts Leos razor-barbed
guitar riffs across a martial rock beat. But The Unwanted Things is a
surprisingly fluid, sweet angle on the punk-reggae combination explored so
well by Elvis Costello and The Clash, while La Costa Brava mixes crunchy
pop-rock with a romantic urge to travel to sunnier climes. If Leo werent
in such good, tuneful voice, these stylistic transformations would be even
more surprising than they are.
Producer Brendan Canty of Fugazi helps to keep the music lean. Ted Leos
intelligence and intensity come through quite clearly, each undimmed by
the other. Living With the Living keeps the promise.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 6, 8, 10
REVIEWER: vitalsourceemag.com
also added:
Otis Taylor Definition of a Circle Telarc
!!! Myth Takes Warp
Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective Cumbancha
3.26.07
DATE: 3.26.07
ARTIST: Los Straitjackets
TITLE: Rock En Espanol Vol. One (Yep Roc)
GENRE: ROCK/MAINSTREAM
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: Nashville-based instrumental rock combo Los Straitjackets have
been proving for years that rock & roll is a truly universal language by
doing away with vocals, but for this album the masked guitar manglers have
decided to focus on a more specific tongue -- namely Spanish. For Rock en
Espanol, Vol. 1, Los Straitjackets have recruited three talented friends
to perform a set of rock & roll classics in Spanish -- Cesar Rosas of Los
Lobos, Big Sandy of retro-country kings Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, and
Little Willie G., lead singer with legendary East L.A. soul-rockers Thee
Midnighters. While most folks will be familiar with these tunes in their
English-language originals, many of the versions that appear on this album
were taken from Spanish rewrites recorded by in the '60s by Mexican teen
groups such as Los Teen Tops, Los Locos del Ritmo and Los Rebeldes del
Rock. Sometimes things change a little bit in translation, as "Hang On
Sloopy" gets turned into a lover's plea to a gal named Lupe, "Dizzy Miss
Lizzy" is transformed into "El Microscopico Bikini" (speaking of another
universal language), and "Wild Thing" becomes "Loco Te Patina el Coso."
While this all might sound like a goof to some folks, Los Straitjackets
play these tunes with their usual mixture of chops, fire and effortless
swing (and guitarists Eddie Angel and Danny Amis are in great form on
these sessions), while their special guests really deliver the goods.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CDS WHERE EACH AND EVERY TRACK IS RECOMMENDED. TOO MUCH FUN!
REVIEWER: ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
DATE: 3.26.07
ARTIST:Antibalas TITLE:Security (Anti)
GENRE: International/Afrobeat
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Antibalas is an American take on Nigerian Afrobeat, one thats
become more refined with each subsequent release. Security (Anti Records),
the bands fourth full-length album, leaves the Afrobeat sound for new
territory. The song Beaten Metal standoffishly greets listeners with
off-kilter horn stabs, lock-step percussion, and chirps and chatter of
guitar and organ, before it breaks down into a groove played on scrap
metal. Antibalas scales back tempos and focuses on creating an atmosphere
more suited for a sensual horizontal mambo than frantic footwork. Except
for a few brass bursts, Sanctuary and Age gently bubble along, kept in
motion by calm guitar swipes and a combination of keys and vibes.
Keyboards and vocal harmonies dominate the song Hilo, making it the first
Antibalas tune you can cuddle with.
Security has its up-tempo moments as well, (like the excellent
vocal-driven War Hero) but only on the extended Filibuster XXX do things
get truly hot. True to its title, the first seven minutes serve as a warm
up to business at handcalling out the GOP for its many flaws. Though it
lacks the timely bite of Indictment, their previous political jam,
Filibuster, gets the body moving and ready to shake fists at any nearby
suits. Musically, Security defies its title and flouts expectations of
Antibalass abilities. Whether they hold on to this current aesthetic is
irrelevant. Security suggests whatever they do will be moving.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 5, 7
REVIEWER: www.alarmpress.com
DATE: 3.26.07
ARTIST: Joe Ely
TITLE: Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch (Rack 'Em)
GENRE:Country/Alt
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Dont let the tongue-in-cheek subtitle Pearls from the VaultVolume
XX fool you; this is Joe Elys first studio record of new material in over
three years, as well as the debut of his own label. He hits a home run
right out of the gate; Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes combines ringing
declamations with the sort of killer hook that keeps you hanging on a song
to cycle back to it. Nothing that follows quite reaches those heights, but
theres plenty of vintage Ely all the same (and a new wrinkle or two to
boot, particularly the ample use of horns): tales of ramblers and
gamblers, down-and-outers and outlaws (including his rewrite of the story
of Miss Bonnie and Mister Clyde), songs about love (Little Blossom) and
danger (Up A Tree), and the muscular side of his roadhouse mix of rock n
roll, country, Tex-Mex and blues.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9
REVIEWER: www.harpmagazine.com
Track 9 features some excellent lead guitar from david Grissom, who used
to live in Bloomington long ago...
DATE: 3.26.07
ARTIST: Uncle Earl
TITLE: Waterloo, Tennessee Rounder
GENRE:FOLK/CC
GRADE: A
REVIEW: ON "WATERLOO, TENNESSEE," it's easy to see the individual
contribution of each of the four women in the string band Uncle Earl.
Rayna Gellert's fiddle may be the group's most recognizable element; it
drives the bouncy "Wish I Had My Time Again" and adds a ghostly tone to
the group's cover of Ola Belle Reed's "My Epitaph." Abigail Washburn's
voice on "The Last Goodbye" captures the song's mixed emotions with equal
parts melancholy and sass, and her banjo complements her soft yodeling on
"D&P Blues." On "Bony on the Isle of St. Helena," Kristin Andreassen's soothing singing
turns the ballad about Napoleon's last days into a folksy lullaby.
Andreassen's guitar and K.C. Groves's mandolin lay a foundation for most
of Uncle Earl's songs, but Groves's most stunning moment comes with her
crystal-clear, Alison Krauss-like vocals on "I May Never," a composition
whose lyrics were penned by her mother, Carol Groves.
But Uncle Earl is clearly a collaborative effort, not a collection of
talented women fighting for the spotlight. On "One True," Andreassen's
gentle voice serves as a foundation for her bandmates' rich harmonies, and
the prayerlike "Easy in the Early ('Til Sundown)" is a haunting a cappella
song anchored by the women's stomps and hand claps.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:
REVIEWER: www.washingtonpost.com
MUSIC TRIVIA NOTE: This album was produced by LedZep bassist John Paul
Jones. He has been producing roots music stuff lately, but according to
the press release his interest in American roots music goes back to 1970
when he was on tour with LedZep and bought his first mandolin in
Evansville, Indiana. (a show I attended when I was 14) -Jim Manion
DATE: 3.26.07
ARTIST: Olav Larsen & The Alabama Rodeo Stars
TITLE:Love's Come To Town Hyena
GENRE:COUNTRY/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Already a cult phenomenon in Scandinavia and gaining quick revere
in the UK, Olav writes songs that sublimely resonate with broken hearts,
lost highways, sunshine daydreams and drunken promises. Astutely supported
by his band, The Alabama Rodeo Stars, "Love's Come To Town" is adorned
with acoustic guitars, fiddles, harmonica, dobros, pianos and accordions.
And while that might sound downright reverent to his influences, Olav and
his band deliver with an urgency and modernity that finds them sitting
comfortably amongst the likes of Giant Sand, Wilco and Ryan Adams. As the
UK's Maverick Magazine recently declared: "This is one of those rare
happenings, an album that warms the cockles from uplifting start to
fantastic, celebratory end. The more you play this the more you enjoy it
until it becomes a best friend."
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 12
REVIEWER: www.milesofmusic.com
also added:
Tinariwen Aman Iman: Water Is Life World Village
Modest Mouse
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank Epic
Graham Parker Don't Tell Columbus Bloodshot
The Innocence Mission We Walked In Song Badman
The Fratellis Costello Music Cherry Tree
4.2.07
DATE: 4.2.07
ARTIST:Grant-Lee Phillips
TITLE:Strangelet Zoe
GENRE:rock/mainstream
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Grant-Lee Phillips says hes wearing his influences on his sleeve
on Strangelet, but he does more than mimic his heroes la Ryan Adams. Even
on nineteeneighties, his 2006 covers collection, Phillips revealed the
melancholy that was sometimes masked by the production on college radio
hits like Boys Dont Cry. Part of that is simply a function of his
distinctive voice, a soaring tenor that always sounds poised on a fine
line between bliss and heartbreak. But Phillips is more than just a pretty
voice. Ever since his days as leader of Grant Lee Buffalo, Phillips has
shown a remarkably consistent ability to craft catchy, haunting folk-rock
ruminations steeped in American myth. So even if Johnny Guitar recalls T.
Rex, Dream in Color evokes early-1990s R.E.M., and Soft Asylum sounds like
an outtake from a recent U2 album, theyre all identifiably and wonderfully
his own.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10
REVIEWER: www.harp.com
DATE: 4.2.07
ARTIST:Willy Mason
TITLE: If The Ocean Gets Rough (Astralwerks)
GENRE:folk/ss
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Mason is a 22-year-old rustic singer/songwriter who's added his
Martha's Vineyard musical gang for a second album heavier on texture
(hello, cello!) and sweeter on harmonies (courtesy of his mom, Jemimah
James). His slumbery Jonathan RichmanmeetsBeck vocals make every song a
potential slacker lullaby, as exemplified by "I Can't Sleep." And the
stories underneath the tunes question the world with that "What the fuck
am I doing?" insecurity that comes from choosing the path less traveled.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10
REVIEWER: www.spin.com
DATE: 4.2.07
ARTIST:Little Axe
TITLE: Stone Cold Ohio (Real World)
GENRE: blues
GRADE: A+
REVIEW:That Gritty 21st Century Spaced Out Blues Combo
Guitarist Skip McDonald comes with another installment from that gritty
21st century spaced out blues combo Little Axe. If you're feelin' the
Alabama 3's intro to the Sopranos you'll immediately warm to the sound of
Little Axe, but the likeness stops there 'cause Skip's agenda is deep.
This is a man who along with drummer Keith Leblanc was pivotal in creating
the sound of the legendary Sugarhill Gang. However it was an alliance with
On U Sounds dub-master, Adrian Sherwood, that shaped the sounds on Little
Axe's seminal 'The Wolf That House Built'. Four albums on 'Stone Cold
Ohio' continues to pull from the air the spirit of those old field
recordings and deliver music that connects, that you can touch. They kick
of with a tune that references the creepy Dick Cheney and a nation
marching off to war to the flag of the US dollar while the next cut, the
hilarious 'Jive Talk' takes us back to the sharecroppin' South. With
Little Axe you're always at the crossroads and as Bob Marley said, "You
are the big tree. We are the small axe coming to chop you down..."
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 10
REVIEWER: Straight No Chaser
DATE: 4.2.07
ARTIST:LCD Soundsystem
TITLE: Sound of Silver (Capitol)
GENRE: electronic
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Of course James Murphy is a critics' darling. Writers love process,
and between his opinionated interviews and his lyrics' music-geek
in-jokes, the Brooklyn producer (with Tim Goldsworthy as The DFA) and
artist (as LCD Soundsystem) is as besotted with the way things work and
are received as anyone who depends on a byline for a livingso much so that
it's a little surprising he didn't name this album Difficult Follow-Up.
Then again, Sound Of Silver doesn't sound especially laboredany more than
the previous LCD Soundsystem releases, at least. Sly self-consciousness is
a Murphy stock in trade; here, the most obvious example is "North American
Scum," a funny defense of his home continent. Self-referencing is a
primary tactic as well. The drum-machine-only beginning of the leadoff
track, "Get Innocuous!", recalls, most likely deliberately, the top of
LCD's first single, 2002's "Losing My Edge." Then it goes somewhere else
entirely, in an effective bait-and-switch tactic that leads into a groove
where live-drumming overlays, calm piano pulse, staccato bass, and
late-'70s-Bowie vocal might be LCD's most tightly meshed hybrid yet. The
longer, more expansive tracks are where Sound Of Silver is at its most
effective. "Someone Great" features a deadpan vocal melody reminiscent of
mid-'70s Eno that receives an unexpected lift in the refrain near the end,
as well as from a lovely bubble-popping synth line. "Us V Them" merges
loose party funk with jittery post-punk like it was the most natural thing
in the world. Sure, lots of other people have done this lately, but few do
it with Murphy's flair.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 6
REVIEWER: www.avclub.com
DATE: 4.2.07
ARTIST: Willie Nelson/Merle Haggard/Ray Price
TITLE:Last of the Breed (Lost Highway)
GENRE: country
GRADE: A+
REVIEW:Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price are the Mount Rushmore
of classic country music, and they earned every line in their granite
faces through a half-century of honky-tonk tunes about whiskey rivers,
swinging doors and city lights. Each of them can fill a jukebox with
country standards, and each keeps rolling across miles and stages as if
the road goes on forever. Nelson, 73, has recorded albums with Haggard,
69, and Price, 81. But the two-CD, 22-song "Last of the Breed" is the
first to bring the three together. They sound like the legends they are,
their instantly recognizable voices full-toned and expressive with grit
and grace. Amazingly, they focus on songs that predate even them. Drawing
on the repertoires of their mutual influences, they trade lines on songs
from Bob Wills, Gene Autry, Floyd Tillman and Lefty Frizzell. Kris
Kristofferson joins them for a somber reading of his gospel favorite, "Why
Me." The ace band is anchored by Texas fiddler Johnny Gimble and steel
guitar hero Buddy Emmons, and producer Fred Foster keeps the mood breezy
and nostalgic, as these true American idols wink and vamp through songs
they know and love. Anyone who enjoys Western swing and traditional Texas
barroom tunes will love them, too.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: CD1 1, 4, 7, 8, 11
CD2: 1, 4, 7, 9, 11
REVIEWER: Michael McCall/AP
DATE: 4.2.07
ARTIST: Adrian Sherwood
TITLE: Becoming a Cliche (Real World)
GENRE: electronic
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: As well as being one of the world's most influential producers,
the Tackhead/On-U Sound mainman and former Clash DJ is a highly rated
chef. Sherwood's second solo album adopts a cook's approach to music:
taking a basic stew of reggae and hurling in flavours from drum'n'bass and
Asian tablas to Gregorian chants. With vocal/dinner guests including
Dennis Bovell and the Pop Group's Mark Stewart, Becoming a Cliche flits
from glorious, horn-laden reggae to political assaults, and underlines his
gigantic contribution to the way music sounds today. With everyone
catching up, it's becoming harder for him to break new ground. Still,
getting his daughters Denise and Emily to duet with roots legend Lee Perry
on the Jackanory-like Animal Magic ("'Rastafari', says the cat") invents a
whole new genre: infant dub.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 11
REVIEWER: www.guardian.co.uk
DATE: 4.2.07
ARTIST:Lucy Kaplansky
TITLE: Over the Hills (Red House)
GENRE: folk/ss
GRADE: B+
REVIEW:The New York folk singer delves into further family ruminations on
"Over the Hills," a patchwork of her own music and other artists' songs
bent to her personal strengths. Her singing is tranquil but not impassive,
conveying satisfaction over mandola and whining pedal steel guitar whine
on "Manhattan Moon." She's a levelheaded vessel for the story of a woman
making the most of what is left of her life in the rootsy rock number
"Amelia." Steady, soothing reflection fills the contemplation of a lost
parent in "Today's the Day," and Kaplansky bookends that frank remembrance
with a pragmatic look over the horizon on the simple acoustic pulse of the
title track. Her approach to "Ring of Fire" is built to simmer, but her
earthy manner polishes up lyrical nuances long overshadowed by Johnny
Cash's memorable roar. She swaddles Roxy Music's "More Than This" in
measured vocal warmth, and the purity of her tone nestles into the
jangling cowboy country of Ian Tyson's "Someday Soon," in each case
finding fresh definition in the familiar by enhancing its finer details.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 9
REVIEWER: Thomas Kitner/ctnow.com
DATE: 4.2.07
ARTIST:Ozomatli
TITLE:Don't Mess With The Dragon (Concord)
GENRE: intl/latin-world fusion
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: Ozomatli is known for stirring up a musical melting pot, and on
its first studio album since 2004's "Street Signs," the ultimate live act
is back in party mode. Funk jam "After Party," cumbia "La Gallina" and
feel-good merengue "La Temperatura" sound like the perfect tunes for
crowding the living-room dancefloor. Even hip-hop track "Magnolia Soul"
realizes Ozomatli's signature blend of party and protest with a light
touch, as an ode to the good times rolling again in post-Katrina New
Orleans. Known for masterfully weaving funk, jazz, hip-hop and Latin
styles, Ozomatli's forays into pop-punk and reggaetn on this album are
well-made but less riveting. It's hard to stay completely original album
after album, but Ozomatli does exactly that when it sticks to the sounds
of Los Angeles it helped put on the map.Ayala Ben-Yehuda
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 3, 5, 6, 8
REVIEWER: allmusic.com
also added:
Fountains of Wayne Traffic and Weather Virgin
J Dilla Ruff Draft Stones Throw
4.10.07
DATE:4.10.07
ARTIST:The Rosebuds
TITLE: Night of the Furies (Merge)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: "Night of the Furies" finds Merge's the Rosebuds headed in a new
direction, one that eschews traditional indie rock for '80s-era keyboards
and bass-heavy dance pop. The vengeful, mythological creatures the album's
title references enhance the dark, eerie undertone of the arrangements,
which play well against the catchy melodies and hook-friendly choruses of
husband/wife duo Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp. "My Punishment for Fighting"
and "Cemetery Lawns" could pose as New Order cuts, while the shimmering
"Get Up Get Out" has a full-on disco groove and "I Better Run"
approximates the Human League's "Don't You Want Me." "Silja Line" starts
out as an acoustic number, replete with hand-clapping and a "whoa-ooh"
chorus, and the title track puts a delightfully poppy finishing touch on
an album unexpectedly packed with dance jams. Jill Menze
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7
REVIEWER: www.billboard.com
DATE:4.10.07
ARTIST: Chris Knight
TITLE: The Trailer Tapes (Drifter's Church)
GENRE:COUNTRY
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Chris Knight recorded eleven of his finest songs in 1996 without
any production fuss and before he had a major label release. Those
recordings now comprise The Trailer Tapes. Hes no great shakes as a
guitarist, but he has one of those Steve Earle, God-honest voices, which
makes you listen to every word out of his mouth. But his singing voice is
only a minor selling point. More compellingly, he has a way of telling
complicated stories with simple words that leave every listening ear
stunned and amazed. One such unplugged stunner is Ritas Only Fault. This
is the story of a woman who could no longer take being abused by her man,
so she killed her lover and ended up in prison. This bad man, as Knight
puts it, was Ritas only fault. Knights character, however, cannot see any
major flaws in the womaneven with the prison uniformand visits her
whenever he can. You feel bad for Rita because she was only doing what she
had to do. You also hurt for Knights character because he longs for the
one he cant have. Hard Edges is a close second when it comes to naming the
best song on this CD. It describes a girl who wanted to be a ballerina as
a child, but ended up dancing at an adult club, instead. And like any
observant songwriter, Knight gazes into the soft heart barricaded by this
womans hardened outer walls.Many of these songs eventually made it to
proper Knight albums. One of these is Something Changed. It describes a
man that left a small townperhaps to join the military, maybe for some
other reasonbut when he returned home, his girl had married and fallen
into the arms of another man. Like many songwriters of his ilk, Knight was
a bit of a diamond in the rough when he first started out. Chris Knight
music is hard to fit into any nice, neat musical category. He has a fine
country voice, but he doesnt play the mainstream country game. Ritas Only
Fault and Hard Edges are the sorts of songs Earle and Bruce Springsteen
would kill for, making Knight well worth investigatingeven if you wont
know where to file his music once you locate it. RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3,
4, 5, 7, 9
REVIEWER: www.popmatters.com
DATE:4.10.07
ARTIST: Lou Rhodes
TITLE:Beloved One (Cooking Vinyl)
GENRE:FOLK/SS
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: Lou has arrived at this release, her first solo record, by a
circuitous route. Prior to 2004, Lou had spent close on ten years making
music with that extraordinary trip-hop outfit Lamb, wherein her sensual
vocals and intimate, mysterious lyrics provided an imaginative (if
seemingly illogical) emotional counterpoint to the starkness of the
electronica generated by her production partner Andrew Barlow. After the
band - and their working relationship - disintegrated, Lou took to the
road on a journey of self-discovery, finally coming to rest at Ridge Farm
studios, where this album was recorded. Simple, luminous and yet
beautifully ornate acoustic textures are the order of the day, entirely
supplanting her former drum'n'bass gambit; her own guitar is omnipresent,
and assistance is given by a small number of extra musicians playing hand
percussion, cello, Chinese instruments (erhu/violin, bamboo flute), Tuvan
guitar and double-bass. Here, Lou's life philosophy and life struggle is
inseparable from her songs and her music; she's a survivor, and Beloved
One betrays an honesty, intimacy and profoundly close-up involvement that
at times is quite spine-chilling.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9
REVIEWER: netrhythms.co.uk
DATE:4.10.07
ARTIST: Laura Viers
TITLE: Saltbreakers (Nonesuch)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Veirs has changed the name of her band since her last album. The
three longtime sidekicks who used to be known as the Tortured Souls are
now called Saltbreakers, like this album. It makes sense, given the
buoyancy of the Washington singer-songwriter's more recent material and
her fascination with nature. The album takes a middle ground between the
skewed spookiness of Carbon Glacier and the expansive art-rock of its
follow-up, Year of Meteors; some songs are hypnotic nu-folk (Nightingale),
while others rock out (Phantom Mountain). As often as not, they ebb and
flow between both. To The Country is the odd one out, with its mix of Mali
rhythms and gospel choir. But the spellbinding quality of Veir's sharp,
chilly vocals - at their most powerful on the tracks Black Butterfly and
Don't Lose Yourself - stops it sounding like something a Church of England
vicar thought up.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 6, 8, 10
REVIEWER: Sylvie Simmons,www.guardian.co.uk
DATE: 4.10.07
ARTIST:Jarvis Cocker
TITLE: Jarvis (Rough Trade)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: After 20-plus years fronting Pulpone of the most beloved and
consequential bands of the recent Britpop eraJarvis Cocker goes it solo
for Jarvis, a grand, tuneful record that sounds unsurprisingly like Pulp,
but with a broader stylistic range. Cocker will always be Cocker, which
means that even when he crosses The Righteous Brothers with tropical
plunking on "Baby's Coming Back To Me," or samples Tommy James' "Crimson
And Clover" on "Black Magic," the songs' basic forms remain Pulp-y, from
their hyper-cinematic arrangements to their core of wizened melancholy.
The main difference between Jarvis and Pulp's final album, We Love Life,
is that the new record feels far less portentous, and more brightly poppy.
In the wake of Different Class, Cocker began taking his songwriting
awfully seriously, resulting in some emotionally devastating music, little
of which could be called "fun." On Jarvis, songs like the ominous-sounding
"I Will Kill Again" stay in a lower, lighter key than Cocker has been
using over the past decade. "I Will Kill Again" is a fully developed
piecewith strings, piano and harmonium mixed together for maximum
lushnessbut it's fundamentally gentle, and stands out when balanced
against songs like "Fat Children," which sets quirky lyrics to Blur-like
indie-rock. Still, even while whipping up trifles, Cocker retains his wit
and poignancy. Both are present in "Baby's Coming Back To Me," where the
hopefulness of the title also raises the specter of when "baby" will
inevitably leave again. And Cocker's pulse is strong in "Black Magic,"
which repurposes a garage-rock classic to demonstrate how pop hits can
aptly describe our interior selves.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 3, 4, 6, 9, 10
REVIEWER: www.avclub.com
DATE:4.10.07
ARTIST:Greenpitch
TITLE:Ace of Hearts Funzalo
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A-
REVIEW:Danish band makes spare, haunting, emotional, lo-fi rock.What do
you get when you mix fragile Bjorkish vocals, music box twinkle keyboard
and melodica sounds, dreamy steel guitar string washes and cryptic yet
full-fledged emotive lyrics? All the way from Copenhagen, Green Pitch show
how strong quiet can be. Green Pitch features the ethereal yet sweetly
strong vocals of Rex (thats a girl, that Rex) Garfield and the guitar
intertwinings of partner Ste Rasch. The music evokes sounds of old school
Ice Cubes and the melodic tunesmithing of a Sam Beam or a Sufjan. The
upstart of songstress Rex Garfield and guitarist Ste Rasch, Green Pitch
creates keyboard-driven, lilting indie-pop that eerily echoes the Stars,
but with a low-voltage Flaming Lips undercurrent. Remaining within the
confines of the majority of bands who utilize male/female vocals to charm
their songs across, the content deals predominately with love lost and
failed relationships. Ace Of Hearts is at once comforting and disposable,
like that old, worn-out T-shirt that belongs to your ex that, for whatever
reason, you continue to hold onto.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 3, 5, 7, 8, 11
REVIEWER: -- CMJ New Music1
DATE:4.10.07
ARTIST:The Avett Brothers
TITLE:Emotionalism (Ramseur)
GENRE:COUNTRY/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW: I really like The Avett Brothers. I thought last years Four
Thieves Gone was phenomenal. They play music rooted in folk and bluegrass
(oh yes, there are banjos involved), but they definitely know how to rock.
Each song is lovingly crafted with great melodies and nice, tight,
brotherly harmonies. If you like My Morning Jacket or Bright Eyes, this is
for you. This whole album is just great, but if you need singles, check
out Die Die Die or Paranoia in Bb Major.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: www.30music.com
REVIEWER: 1, 3, 5, 8, 12
DATE:4.10.07
ARTIST:Neil Young
TITLE:Live at Massey Hall (Reprise)
GENRE:ROCK/MAINSTREAM
GRADE: A+
REVIEW:The Neil Young goldrush started late last year with a 1970 set from
the Fillmore East, and will climax in the autumn with Archives Part One,
an 8CD box. For now, though, theres this solo show, recorded in Toronto on
the Journey Thru The Past tour (and set to be included in the Archives
box), a long-time staple of Young's bootleg catalogue. In many ways, its
the mirror image of the Crazy Horse-accompanied 1970 Fillmore electric
rampage. After six years of hard work in America, Young was on the brink
of superstardom thanks to his recent link-up with Crosby, Stills & Nash.
The previous years release of CSNY's Dj Vu and Youngs own After The
Goldrush had heightened the sense of expectation. Despite often wayward
ill health, it was his season of intense creativity. Reminiscent of Dylan
in his mid-60s heat, His high-flown vocal navigates the upper register with an
ease and daring which has, naturally, diminished over the years. See The Sky About To
Rain, not released until 1975, is a special treat from the future, while
Don't Let It Bring You Down is beautifully blitzed out. The segue from A
Man Needs A Maid into Heart Of Gold is a perfectly plangent pop moment,
Ohio is haunted and vexed, and The Needle And The Damage Done' comes
dedicated to Danny Whitten. But, really, the whole thing is faultless.
With several songs in the set that were unreleased at the time, Young
unsurprisingly demurred at producer David Briggs suggestion the show be
issued before Harvest. No matter - 36 years on, its a still riveting
performance.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: all
REVIEWER: GAVIN MARTIN www.uncut.co.uk
also added (see reviews elsewhere on blog)
K oko Taylor Old School Alligator
Angelique Kidjo Djin Djin Razor & Tie
4.17.07
DATE: 4.17.07
ARTIST:Bright Eyes
TITLE:Cassadaga (Saddle Creek)
GENRE: ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: The most surprising thing about his latest album, Cassadaga, is
how beautiful it is. Not beautiful in the way Bright Eyes has long been
knownsharply observed lyrics delivered in a seasick croonbut beautiful in
a sweeping, orchestral way. As ambitious as this album is, there's a
surprising lack of anguish on display. It's like the strumming
poet-romantic of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning finally met the dark musical
prodigy of Digital Ash in a Digital Urn and shook off the hangover.
Recorded and mixed by longtime collaborator Mike Mogis, with Nate Walcott
and M. Ward playing several of the myriad instruments, Cassadaga is the
first album Oberst has recorded outside his tiny Nebraska studio, and,
sonically, it has the adventurousness of a kid playing with new toys.
There's violin, cellos, banjo, horns and a hefty dose of lap steel. The
first track, "Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)," begins with a whir of
found audio, and a distorted orchestra crescendos into what is almost a
THX moment, which is fitting; the album itself is cinematic, like a
cross-country trip with a camera perched out the window, catching the
world outside as it blurs pastfrom California on through the Midwest and
into the cacophony of Times Square. Cassadaga appears to have no real
theme except its wandering natureit's a mishmash of musical genres as much
as locales. The second track, "Four Winds," is a slick Nashville
toe-tapper that could charm any dance hall. A a song like "Make a Plan to
Love Me" sounds like a girl-group classic piped in from some spectral
radio signal circa 1955. "Whenever I hear beautiful music, it's always
from another time," Oberst sings, and Cassadaga seems like his own musical
DeLoreana collection of sounds, moods and shadowy stories that,
side-by-side feel perfectly at home.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7
REVIEWER: Sarah Hepola Paste Magazine
DATE: 4.17.07
ARTIST:Tracey Thorn
TITLE: Out of the Woods
GENRE: ROCK/MAINSTREAM
GRADE: A
REVIEW: For a woman who released her first album a whole quarter of a
century ago, Tracey Thorn sure sounds attuned to teen angst on Out Of The
Woods, her sophomore solo effort (yes, her first since 1982): "So you
close your bedroom door/And you kneel down on the floor/'Cause you don't
want to get caught," she sings on "A-Z" (produced "A-to-zed," Brit-style),
a track that bristles with cascading, submerged synths and a plodding
bassline approximating the languid movement of a body underwater. Thorn
sings with the kind of convincing, youthful abandon aging disco divas like
Madonna strive for; with its gloriously ugly, elongated synth lines, the
album's lead single, "It's All True," could be an outtake from Thorn or
Madge's debut. She then emerges as an older, more cynical woman on "Easy"
and "Nowhere Near," in which she feels like she's "turned into someone's
mother," both figuratively and literally. Fans hoping for a reprisal of
the popular house remix of Everything But The Girl's "Missing" may be
disappointed ("Hands Up To The Ceiling" is not at all what its title
suggests), and Thorn's voice isn't even immediately recognizable on the
opening track "Here It Comes Again," but, just as Thorn authentically
portrays the voice of more than one generation, Out Of The Woods likewise
manages to seamlessly transition between understated chamber-pop ballads
reminiscent of Annie Lennox and more hip, club-friendly fare.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 6, 8, 9
REVIEWER: Slant Magazine
DATE: 4.17.07
ARTIST:Lifesavas
TITLE:Gutterfly (Quannum)
GENRE: HIPHOP
GRADE: A
REVIEW: The latest from the veteran Portland hip hop trio is an ambitious
concept album that operates as a soundtrack to a non-existent
blaxploitation film, combining smart, socially conscious rhymes and some
slamming beats with adventurous production steeped in 70s funk and soul.
Special guests include George Clinton, Vernon Reid, Fishbone, Smif N
Wessun and members of Digable Planets and Dead Prez.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 7, 8, 11, 12, 14
REVIEWER: Don Yates/KEXP reviews
DATE: 4.17.07
ARTIST:Dale Watson
TITLE:From the Cradle to the Grave (Hyena)
GENRE: COUNTRY
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Austin's honky-tonk troubadour has always been enamored with the
greats Johnny, Elvis, George, Hank but who knew that 10 days in a
Tennessee cabin once belonging to the Man in Black would peak Dale
Watson's self-coined Ameripolitan. Watson's 12th proper LP, From the
Cradle to the Grave, pays homage to Cash with train beats and comfort
tunes, a stew of classic Bakersfield country and vintage Western swing.
Opening with chugging shuffle "Justice for All," Cradle matches Watson's
baritone with mariachi horns. Throw in a bossa nova ("It's Not Over Now"),
pure-Dale heartbreaker "Time Without You," and a good-time ride with a jar
of moonshine ("Hollywood Hillbilly"), and you're verging on lifetime
achievement. He nearly did it on 2004's Dreamland, but Cradle to Grave is
Watson in all his tight-jeaned, leather-chapped, tattooed glory.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10
REVIEWER: Darcie Stevens, Austin Chronicle
DATE:4.17.07
ARTIST: Martin Sexton
TITLE: Seeds (Kitchen Table)
GENRE: ROCK/MAINSTREA,
GRADE: A
REVIEW: You never know just which Martin Sexton you're going to get from
one track to the next on Seeds, his first studio album of new material
since 2000s Wonder Bar. In a sense that's always been true of this
chameleo-like singer/songwriter, but this time around the patchwork quilt
of styles and sounds is even more deliberately premeditated. Citing the
Beatles' interlocking song suites of Abbey Road and the impressive array
of cartoon voices masterfully invented by the late Mel Blanc as his dual,
if disparate, inspirations, Sexton worked hard to lay out a landscape of
surprising shifts in temperament and environment for these songs. And then
he worked doubly hard on the fine-tuned, last-minute touches, tossing in
found sounds and a bit of this and a lot of that to dust each track with a
signature. But none of that in-studio fancifulness would be worth much of
anything if the songs were no good and, for the most part, they are fairly
fetching.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 14
REVIEWER: Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide
also added:
Watermelon Slim & The Workers The Wheel Man Northern Blues
Metheny Mehldau Quartet s/t Nonesuch
Juba Dance Orange Audio 8
Calvin Johnson & The Sons of the Soul K
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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