RECENT WFHB ADDS
5.28DATE: 5.28.07
ARTIST:Vince Bell
TITLE:Recado (Steady Boy)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: From all of us who were beating the paths around Texas in the 70s,
I always felt Vince was the best of us - Nancy Griffith
Vince Bell is one of the great under-known songwriters around. He was
poised for noteriety in the 70s/early 80s but in 1982
he nearly died in a car wreck and had a long slow recovery. This is fourth
CD since and his work is beyond most folk/country singer-singwriters. Bell
writes with deep insight and creates his songs with unusal arrangements
and colors. In a singer/songwriter scene that is oversaturated with the
mundane and generic, Bell jumps out like the real deal he is.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 4, 5, 8, 9
REVIEWER: Jim Manion/WFHB
DATE:5.28.07
ARTIST:Adrienne Young
TITLE:Room to Grow (Addiebelle Music)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Adrienne Young is a passionate advocate of community gardening and
supporting local farmers. That earthiness comes through in her music. Over
the course of now three albums, Young - along with frequent songwriting
partner Will Kimbrough and backing band Little Sadie - has offered up some
of the freshest, most organic folk and bluegrass originals of the past
decade. It's hard, but not impossible, to top. "I keep turning over in my
mind/Did I get it right this time?" Young asks near the end of "Room to
Grow." The answer: Yes. In a string of ever-improving successes, this
elegant song cycle is Young's finest hour yet. Glorious hoedowns like "In
Between the Heartbeats" and the title track stand out, as do more gentle
beauties such as "River and a Dirt Road" and "Givin' Up the Fight." The
cover of Joni Mitchell's "Free Man in Paris" is good for some hoots, too.
But "Leaving It Behind" provides the deepest moments of transcendence.
Equal parts heartache and gratitude, it is the purest, most affecting
into-the-sunset declaration since Robert Earl Keen's largely overlooked
masterwork "Let the Music Play." Timeless.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 3, 5, 8, 9, 13
REVIEWER: Brian Atkinson/Country Standard Time
DATE:5.28.07
ARTIST: David Olney
TITLE: One Tough Town (Red Parlor)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A+
REVIEW:Over his four-decade career, David Olney has built a reputation not
as a kind-hearted troubadour but rather as a performing songwriter
possessed of a sharp literary mind that cuts to the bone of the human
condition. Whether the subject matter is heartbreak or armed robbery,
Olney's cinematic style and fearless approach to lyric writing have won
him renown as kind of a musical outlaw. Listening to his latest CD, One
Tough Town, due out on June 5 on Red Parlor, is like watching a Sergio
Leone Western: It's gritty, smart and dangerous, and you can't take your
eyes off the screen. One Tough Town takes us on a back-roads tour of
American music, and while totally entertaining, shows us a side that isn't
always pretty. One of Olney's biggest admirers was the late, great Townes
Van Zandt, who said of him: Anytime anyone asks me who my favorite music
writers are, I say Mozart, Lightnin' Hopkins, Bob Dylan and David Olney.
Olney is one of the best songwriters I've ever heard -- and that's true. I
mean that from my heart. In 2005, Olney teamed with producer Jack Irwin
(The Legendary Shack Shakers, Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart) and began
recording at Irwin's studio with guitarist Sergio Webb. He enlisted some
unconventional instrumentation (tuba, banjo, clarinet, ukulele) and
proceeded to let it rip.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11
REVIEWER:...SOMEWHERE ON THE INTERNET...
DATE:5.28.07
ARTIST:Future Clouds and Radar
TITLE:Future Clouds and Radar (SAK)
GENRE:ROCK/MAINSTREAM
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Around the globe people just discovering the FC&R debut are rapidly
transitioning from the "acquisition and listening" phase of their
experience into the infinitely more hazardous "describing and comparing"
phase which often follows or is accompanied by a brief episode of
unfettered enjoyment. Professional and amateur wordsmiths alike, in
attempts to describe this bold unapologetic opus have thus far called it
"ambitious", preposterous", "joyous", "feral", "sinewy", "orchestral",
magnicent and"sprawling". Some unclaimed adjectives offered here for your
consideration are "sidelong" "matter -of -fact", "listless", "saturnine"
"hefty", "redolent", "unreconstructed", "deconstructed", and "foppish".
FC&R have drawn comparisons to Herb Alpert, The Flaming Lips, The 13th
Floor Elevators, Captain Beefhart, Robert Pollard and ... Tolstoy. So far
not mentioned are Laura Veirs, Hall and Oates, The Nazz, Death Cab for
Cutie, The Ass Ponies, or the highly underrated Eudora Welty. The record
has been compared to a blanket, a journey and Pickett's Charge but so far
not to a poultice, a carjacking or "Seward's folly".
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:
CD 1: 2, 3, 6 CD 2: 2, 3 (although all the tracks are worth exploring)
REVIEWER: FC&R website
DATE:5.28.07
ARTIST:Cary Brothers
TITLE:Who You Are (Bluhammock)
GENRE:FOLK/SS
GRADE:A
REVIEW: The debut album from Cary Brothers comes on the heels of two
previously released EPs, and there's a little cross over content-wise.
However, after subsequent listens it becomes apparent that while the
preceding material was enough to build a strong base of fans, it will be
this album that solidifies the artist as one of the most entrancing in a
budding musical landscape.
The musical themes range from the religious ("Jealousy," "All the Rage"),
to the introspectively somber ("The Glass Parade"), to various views of
relationships ("Honestly," "Think Awhile"). The most pop-minded title
track ("Who You Are") leads into an absolutely gorgeous ballad ("The Glass
Parade"). The mellow, trance-like and repetitive "All the Rage" fits
firmly between "Think Awhile" and the album's closer "Precious Lie" - the
three song set acting as three parts of a final play. And all of this
takes place while fan favorites "Ride" and "Honestly" ravish the listener
before plunging them into the a bass-driven track ("The Last One") and the
string backed "Loneliest Girl in the World."
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10
REVIEWER: Jason Tate/AbsolutePunk.net
DATE:5.28.07
ARTIST:Rufus Wainwright
TITLE:Release the Stars (Geffen)
GENRE:ROCK/MAINSTREAM
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Is it too fanciful to call this pop opera? Here we have tragic
themes of self-loathing and unrequited love, delivered in a rounded tenor
frequently dripping with life's sorrows, set amid some of the most
ambitious orchestral arrangements since George Martin got busy with the
Beatles. Up to now, there just hasn't been enough French horn in pop, and Rufus is
the chap to put that right. Of course, you cannot do stuff this big
without help. Executive producer is Neil Tennant - a man well used to
crafting camp, glorious pop - and there is a small army of arrangers, as
well as guests such as Richard Thompson on guitar and Rufus's mother and
sister Kate McGarrigle and Martha Wainwright. What this congregation of
talents produces is something which refines yet further the formula of his
Want One and Want Two albums. Here we have a new millennial gay Edith Piaf
baring his soul with rare elegance. Standout tracks include Tulsa, the
Oklahoma city hymned with oh-so-European piano and strings; Release The
Stars, a peculiar big band affair concerned not with galactic goings-on
but the contractual arrangements of Hollywood actors; and Do I Disappoint
You, a magnificent brassy overture which elevates self-doubt almost into
something noble and celebratory. But two songs make this a
mini-masterpiece. Going To A Town is a wistful condemnation of his home
country, distilled into the ennui-laden line "I'm so tired of America".
But there is a whole opera contained in Between My Legs, which begins as a
strange bubblegum rock song, mutates into something Phil Spector-ish, then
features a dramatic spoken-word tract by Sian Phillips before a finale
right out of Phantom of The Opera.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 5, 9, 12
REVIEWER:Paul Taylor/manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Artist: Sinead OConnor
Album: Theology
Label: Rubyworks; KOCH Records
Date: 5/30/2007
Review: Theology represents Sineads first studio album of original songs
since 2000s Faith and Courage. In the seven years that have passed,
Sinead released a critically acclaimed album of Irish traditional songs
(Sean-Nos Nua), announced her retirement from the music industry, and then
resurfaced with a stellar reggae collection in 2005 (Throw Down Your
Arms). Theology represents a natural progression from Throw Down Your
Arms by incorporating a Rasta message in several songs. Originally
intended as an acoustic collection of spiritual and inspiration tunes,
Theology evolved into a two-disc album. Disc one represents the Dublin
Sessions, which are acoustic guitar driven versions of Sineads songs. The
London Sessions of disc two are full band renditions and includes her
first single, a cover of I Dont Know How to Love Him by Andrew Lloyd
Webber and Tim Rice song from Jesus Christ Superstar. Theology also
includes a cover of Curtis Mayfields We People Who Are Darker Than Blue.
Of Sineads original tracks, standouts include Something Beautiful and If
You Had a Vineyard. Both versions of these two songs are excellent. The
full band version of 33 and Whomsoever Dwells are among the more catchy
tracks on the album. But go with the acoustic versions of Rivers of
Babylon and The Glory of Jah. Theology works for morning and afternoon
mix shows alike, but the album has a strongly religious/spiritual theme.
Recommended Tracks:
Disc One (Acoustic): 1, 5, 10
Disc Two (Full Band): 10, 4, 6, 1
FCC Warnings: None. We People Who Are Darker Than Blue includes the term
jizzer, but I dont think that violates FCC regulations. Play at your own
discretion. You cant really hear the term on disc two.
Reviewer: Catie Kosinski
DATE:5.28.07
ARTIST:Ibrahim Ferrer
TITLE: Mi Sueno (World Circuit/Nonesuch)
GENRE: INTERNATIONAL/CUBA
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: The success of the Buena Vista Social Club series gave Cuban
singer Ibrahim Ferrer the chance to finally begin his dream project in
2005, the recording of an entire album of bolero pieces, the musical form
Ferrer loved above all others. Unfortunately the 78-year-old singer died
in August of that year while sessions for the project were still underway,
and that Mi Sueo (My Dream) exists at all is in itself a small miracle.
Ferrer left behind high-quality vocal demos of the boleros he still
intended to record for the album, but these tapes were apparently
misplaced and Ferrer's dream seemed destined to go unfulfilled. The demos
were eventually recovered, and Mi Sueo has finally seen the light of day.
It is the perfect goodbye from Ferrer, a fitting and beautiful last
testament that spotlights his easy and smoky vocals over subtle,
non-intrusive arrangements generally featuring pianist Roberto Fonseca,
guitarist Manuel Galbon, and bassist Cachito Lopez. The late Rubn Gonzlez
adds piano to the beautiful "Meloda del Ro," a track produced by Ry Cooder
in 1998 that fits seamlessly with the newer recordings. Javier Zalbar's
clarinet lines add perfect lift to "Copla Guajira," the closest thing to
an up-tempo piece here, but then the romantic lilt of the classic Cuban
bolero isn't about speed and energy but is instead about an elegant
gliding through the motions of love, and Ferrer does it perfectly. He
would have been proud of this album. It has a calm and measured grace, and
flows like a watery sequence from a dream -- Ibrahim Ferrer's dream, to be
exact.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 12
REVIEWER: ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
also added, reviewed elsewhere on blog:
The Skatalites On The Right Track AIM
The Bad Plus Prog Heads Up
6.4
DATE: 6.4.07
ARTIST:The Bears
TITLE: Eureka! (The Bears)
GENRE: rock/mainstream
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Avant-pop guitarist Adrian Belew has described the Bears as his
concept of "the Beatles from an alternate universe." If the tightly
crafted pop of 2001's "Car Caught Fire" was the Bears' version of "Rubber
Soul," the looser, muscular vibe of "Eureka!" is the band's version of the
Fab Four's more experimental "Revolver." Belew's mystical "Doodle" even
concludes the album as a nod to "Tomorrow Never Knows."
When the Bears revisit "On," a psychedelic rocker from Belew's 1996 LP "Op
Zop Too Wah," the song is elevated by Chris Arduser's textured, dizzying
percussion and Bob Nyswonger's nimble fretless bass playing. Arduser's own
"Troubled Beauty" is surprisingly the album's most restrained and tender
moment. Nyswonger slyly contemplates hypocrisy and greed during the
insidiously catchy "Veneer." Belew borrows a riff from King Crimson's
"Dinosaur," while Arduser pounds a menacing, tribal pattern on the
tom-toms. Guitarist Rob Fetters is the perfect foil for the Twang Bar King
during "We Never Close," careening through gymnastic solos that remain
uniquely tuneful. As a songwriter, Fetters' hooks dig deepest. "Idiot in
the Sky" describes a spiritual seeker's frustrating attempts to comprehend
the Man Upstairs, taking issue with the view of God as a cosmic heavy who
deals out karmic retribution. "In every life some rain must fall,"
acknowledges Fetters, "but why the genocide?" Fetters' "Normal" visits
fractured but ultimately typical family dynamics, remembering days when
"Christmas felt like Halloween." Nonetheless, Fetters recognizes a
refining process at home wherein "you go in dirty, but you come out
clean."
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10
REVIEWER: chicago sun times
DATE:6.04.07
ARTIST:Paul McCartney
TITLE:Memory Almost Full (Hear Music)
GENRE:rock/mainstream
GRADE: A
REVIEW:Beyond the speculation about his personal life, the real news is
that the ex-Beatle is alive and kicking, artistically speaking. He's
delivered a mature, poignant statement, thankfully short on lightweight
material. And a ton of it really rocks. Lyrically speaking, McCartney
looks back at his past, driven by the urgent march of time -- he turns 65
this month, believe it or not."You Tell Me" is the only track that could
be about Mills. It's a melancholy lament recalling lost, blissful moments
with a loved one, but even that may be an interpretative stretch. There's
no doubt about the meaning of "Gratitude," a scintillating song of
appreciation that bursts with emotion and conjures "Here, There and
Everywhere." "Ever Present Past" and "That Was Me" are also major
achievements, both of them evocative trips back in time. Dense with images
that move from playing childhood games to playing in the Fab Four,
McCartney doesn't even approach drippy sentiment. Both songs are propelled
by their spiky rhythms and brightly colored melodies. "That Was Me" is the
most exceptional section of a five-song medley that is sure to draw
comparisons to the medley on "Abbey Road," especially with McCartney
finishing his with "The End of the End" as opposed to the Beatles closing
with "The End." McCartney's message in this stately, piano-driven track is
a startlingly clear-eyed acceptance of death, or as he says, "the start of
a journey to a much better place." Just as the "Abbey Road" medley is
followed by one more song ("Her Majesty"), "Memory Almost Full" also
finishes with one more. It's the astonishing "Nod Your Head," a
pulverizing rocker out of the "Helter Skelter" school that shows McCartney
is not ready to go down quietly.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 7, 9, 13
REVIEWER: detroit free press
DATE: 6.03.07
ARTIST:John Doe
TITLE:A Year In The Wilderness (Yep Roc)
GENRE: rock/alt
GRADE: A
REVIEW:It comes as little surprise that John Doe employs three different
female vocalists (Kathleen Edwards, Jill Sobule, and Aimee Mann) to assist
on A Year in the Wilderness. After all, it was Exene Cervenka's restless
harmonies that bolstered Doe's own dusky lead vocals, providing X with a
distinctive sound that has seldom been imitated and never bested, even by
the group's own alumni. Doe nonetheless continues to refine the formula,
delivering sharp, literate lyrics to rugged, often pensive odes. He mines
a kinder, gentler, but no less incisive territory of the somewhat
precarious space between the sexes. Doe even strums an acoustic guitar in
full folk-ballad mode on "A Little More Time," a somber reflection on love
lost. Former X guitarist Dave Alvin provides rootsy firepower on the
driving "Hotel Ghost," as close as this disc comes to the old L.A. punk
days. But Doe's raw approach chafes at the introspective nature of these
songs, adding somber, gritty gravity to the uncompromising lyrics of
"Unforgiven," "you say I'm good for nothing, so nothing's good enough for
me." While the set lacks the blazing nervousness of X's best material, the
older/wiser Doe preserves an uneasy sense of youthful alienation that
sports a musically grizzled, five-o'clock shadow. These songs resonate
with a mature, biting broodiness that updates, but never dilutes, his
legendary early work. --Hal Horowitz
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11
REVIEWER: amazon.com
DATE:6.04.07
ARTIST:Judith Owen
TITLE:Happy This Way (Courgette)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A-
REVIEW:A layered homage to Owen's native Britain, Happy This Way is
co-produced by Owen and John Fischbach, engineer of Stevie Wonder's
classic 1976 album Songs In The Key Of Life. The new recording ranges in
mood and style from the fun British Invasion pop-rock of "Painting by
Numbers" to the wistful chamber-pop of the strings-laden "Conway Bay". For
Owen, Happy This Way culminates a longstanding preoccupation with the
United Kingdom especially the childhood and family memories it represents
for her, and the ways it has contributed to her current worldview. Of
course, Owen has a sense of humor about identifying as a British diva: she
is accessorized in the Happy This Way album photography with a glass of
champagne in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. Think Sandie Shaw,
Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield with a wink and a nod. Happy This Way is
the follow-up to her highly acclaimed album Here, the album that recently
led to her discovery by NBC's "Today" show and builds upon a body of work
beloved not only by critics, but also by fellow musicians. Cassandra
Wilson called Owen "one of the most passionate, mesmerizing, thoroughly
creative vocal artists on the scene today." Jamie Cullum has deemed her a
"female Randy Newman."
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10
REVIEWER: www.glee.com
DATE:6.04.07
ARTIST:Loudon Wainwright III
TITLE:Strange Weirdos (Concord)
GENRE:folk/ss
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Iits a natural progression that LWIII is supplying the entire
soundtrack to Judd Apatows Knocked Up; the follow up to his 40 Year Old
Virgin (in which Loudon played a priest, of all things). Having heard
Wainwrights composition, Grey In L.A (the opener here) he realised that
his patented acerbic, barbed commentary on modern urban living was the
perfect accompaniment to an acerbic, barbed commentary on life (and love)
in the self-same city. He was entirely right. For years Wainwright has
laboured to shake off the dull Bob Dylan comparisons that marked his early
career. The truth is that hes always peddled a much more friendly and
(most importantly) humorous form of singer-songwriting. Strange Weirdos,
bringing together Wainwright with new partner in music, Joe Henry, is
filled with amusing broadsides at life on the West Coast (Grey In L.A.,
Valley Morning) and moving explorations of the meaning of love and
parenthood. The comedy factor is there at every turn, but X Or Y stands
out as a classic Loudon ditty on the lottery of procreation. Meanwhile
songs like ''Final Frontier'' and ''Doin The Math'' hide deeper, more
sobering truths behind the witticisms. These are the songs of a man whos
lived a full life. Boasting supporting roles from legends such as Richard
Thompson and arrangements by the incredible Van Dyke Parks, this is a
lush, fully-rounded album that stands on its own.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12
REVIEWER: bbc.co.uk
DATE:3.06.07
ARTIST: Band of Bees
TITLE: Octopus (Astralwerks)
GENRE:rock/mainstream
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: Already a success in the UK, Octopus is another solid album, which
capitalizes on the best of the best from their previous releases and
manages to cover a new genre for each leg of the aquatic beast from which
the album takes its name. Starting off the album is "Who Knows What The
Question Is?" It's a romp and stomping jaunt into the overall good vibes
that will follow with the rest of the album. Lead vocalist Paul Butler's
thickly accented croon accompanied by the country twang of the first
couple of tracks is very reminiscent of Ringo Starr's Beaucoups of Blues
(specifically "$15 Draw"). They move onto '70s rock with "(This Is For
The) Better Days." This is probably one of the main standouts of the
album, owing much to Steve Miller Band. In fact, its smooth electric keys
and positively harmonious chorus make it feel like a track left off Fly
Like An Eagle. Covering more ground, they turn on the funk with a dash of
reggae in "Left Foot Stepdown" and "Got To Go." These are straight up
Exploitation tunes. Blaring trumpets and a spicy organ provide the
soundtrack to a grainy montage of platform shoes kicking in the chins of
mutton-chopped leisure suits and pimp rings slapped across the face of no
respect. It's almost surprising that an outfit from the Isle of Wight can
get this sound down so well. The highlight is the love-tinged "Listening
Man." Ghosts of The Righteous Brothers and The Drifters float across the
airwaves, sighing the sweet sound of love and devotion on a cool summer
night. There might be a little Sam Cooke in there, too.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7
REVIEWER: bbc.co.uk
also added, reviewed elsewhere on blog:
Candye Kane Guitar'd and Feathered Ruf
Page Frances And The Family Telephone Suicide Squeeze
Fridge The Sun Temporary Residence
Spanish Harlem Orchestra United We Swing Six Degrees
6.11
DATE: 6.11.07
ARTIST:Paula Cole
TITLE: Courage (Decca)
GENRE: Rock/mainstream
GRADE: A
REVIEW:With her first album in eight years, there seems to be little doubt
that Paula Cole is aiming to shake the Sarah McLachlan-wannabe tag that
has hung with her since the days of Lilith Fair. Though she rode the
alternative wave during those times to her eventual notoriety, this time
around Cole appears ready to paddle the mainstream. Enlisting the help of
some notable, if unfamiliar, songwriters, the Massachusetts-bred singer
has the striking (and professionally trained) voice to make the cut. Cole
devotees will drift to a pair of ballads: the sexy, bass-driven "In Our
Dreams" and "Lonely Town," a saga of isolation guided by the piano of
Herbie Hancock. And while the 11 songs are cohesive enough to run as a
package, cuts that stand out as potential hits include "El Greco," a
declarative song of restitution, and "Hard to Be Soft," a jazz number
decorated with Brazilian-themed rhythms. Whether this renewal can lead to
even greater approval remains to be seen--but the audience left over from
years gone by is just happy to hear Paula Cole singing again. --Scott
Holter
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 6, 10
REVIEWER: amazon.com
DATE: 6.11.07
ARTIST:Various Artists
TITLE:Anchored In Love (Dualtone )
GENRE:COUNTRY
GRADE: A+
REVIEW: The album begins with fresh adaptations of two of Johnny and Junes
signature duets, underscoring the importance of their artistic
collaboration on both their professional and personal lives. Willie Nelson
and Sheryl Crow open with an earthy take on If I Were a Carpenter followed
by Carlene Carter (Carter Cashs daughter) and Ronnie Dunn (Brooks & Dunn)s
rollicking Jackson which, though employing a more modern Nashville sound,
was certainly recorded in the spirit of the original. The record features
two other notable pairings: Far Side Banks of Jordan, a lovely Kris
Kristofferson/Patty Loveless duet, and Road to Kaintuck, which, though it
features perhaps the albums most surprising coupling, juxtaposing Billy
Bob Thorntons matter of fact monologue and the Peasall Sisters angelic
harmonies, is one of the albums more enjoyable and memorable cuts. The
range between Grey DeLisles ethereal, breathtaking Big Yellow Peaches and
stepdaughter Roseanne Cashs spiritual, more traditional ballad Wings of
Angels gives evidence of the diverse set of artists Carter Cashs music
touched. Also standout are Emmylou Harris' and Loretta Lynn's
contributions. But, there is not a weakly crafted offering to be found on
the album, making Anchored in Love a consistently outstanding and
certainly appropriate tribute record that, hopefully, will only broaden
and increase the already tremendous impact of the Cash family.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, 12 (all of em, really)
REVIEWER: popmatters.com
DATE: 6.11.07
ARTIST:Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem
TITLE: Big Old Life (Signature Sounds)
GENRE:folk/ss
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Big Old Life is an album bursting with fun and exuberance, the
quartet known as Daisy Mayhem balancing a tight sound with spirit that
translates perfectly through stereo headphones. "Joy Comes Back" opens
this terrific blend of old and new sounds with something that can only be
described as gospel music played at a hootenanny. Of the title track,
Loretta Lynn would be proud of this Arbo original, Anand Nayak's smart
guitar playing halfway to Hawaii, the hootenanny morphing into a luau. The
traditional "Red Haired Boy," with lyrics by Rani Arbo, is an interesting
role reversal while the cover of "Thief" gives the music a 180, bluesy and
deep, an eloquent change of pace from the incessant up-tempo "mayhem."
Leonard Cohen's "Heart with No Companion" has Andrew Kinsey's banjo front
and center with Arbo's fiddle falling in and rounding out the mood. Bob
Dylan's "Farewell, Angelina" has an interesting production by the band and
Chris Rival, harmonica from Ben Ross and the fiddle-gone-wild giving
Zimmerman something different to think about. Rani Arbo proves she could
be the Kitty Wells of the new millennium by delivering this heartfelt disc
which is very deserving of your time and ear.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9
REVIEWER:Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
DATE: 6.11.07
ARTIST: The Pines
TITLE: Sparrow In The Bell (Red House)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Theyre a starbound, acoustic guitar duo, Ben Ramsey and David
Huckfelt, out of the lauded Iowa City scene, where they released The Pines
(Trailer Records). Signed with Red House last year. And have recorded an
album that quite likely will put them on the national map. Sparrows in the
Bell, a spellbinding gem, brandishes strong music, lyrical genius and a
silken, acoustic groove with the kick of a country mule. Anchored in the
influence of Bob Dylan, it feels like a cross between John Wesley Harding
and Bringing It All Back Home. Which takes nothing from The Pines
originality everybody, including Dylan, is influenced by somebody. Take
the lead cut, Horse & Buggy, a perfect set up and sampler for this album.
Its mesmerizing music set to existential lyrics. In one way or another
thats what all the songs here do. Beautifully. Even the cover tune,
Careless Love is an exquisite piece of sardonic writing. And the band
cooks hard behind this thinking mans boogie: thoughtful sometimes
downright eerie -- lyrics about being burned by a woman, music just as
sweet and mean she probably was. Throughout the entire album, there isnt
one throwaway. The backup band is guest artist Chris Morrisey (bass), J.T.
Bates (drums) and Bo Ramsey (electric gtr) with assistance from Alex
Ramsey (keys), Michael Rosetto (banjo), Nicholas Lemme (mandolin) and
Ethan Sutton (cello). If theres one flaw, its that the lyrics are
gorgeous, but theres no lyric sheet. Guess you cant have everything.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9
REVIEWER: twin city pulse
DATE:06.11.07
ARTIST: Carolina Chocolate Drops
TITLE: Dona Got A Ramblin Mind
GENRE:folk/old time
GRADE: A
REVIEW: Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind is a study in contrasts, perhaps even
oxymorons. The sounds found on the record are often classified as
old-time, yet Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson and are
all in their 20s. Furthermore, for the last 70 years or so, the majority
of folks making this type of music have been Caucasian. But members of the
Carolina Chocolate Drops are African-American, their name a nod to the
'20s black string band the Tennessee Chocolate Drops. Most importantly, an
oft-stated goal of the Carolina Chocolate Drops is to educate, but they
don't approach the subject of old-time music like academics, and they
certainly don't treat the 14 traditional songs on the record like
artifacts too fragile to handle. Instead, they handle them with skills and
precision passed along through playing with Mebane's Joe Thompson, a
living link to the history they celebrate. Unlike cloistered academics,
they share the exuberance of musicians on a common mission. The bulk of
the cuts here are fiddle-led tunes voiced by Robinson with harmonies from
Giddens (including Thompson's signature song, "Georgie Buck"), ancient in
origin and delivery but fresh in personality. Wildcards come in the form
of "Little Margaret," given a stunning a cappella treatment by the
multitalented Giddens, and the Flemons-sung "Tom Dula," driven by the
singer's slide banjo. Sule Greg Wilson, of the Drops' wider-ranging alter
ego Sankofa Strings, even adds percussion to "Black-Eyed Daisy," giving it
extra whomp.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13
REVIEWER: triangle independent
DATE:6.11.07
ARTIST:ALO
TITLE: Roses & Clover (Brushfire)
GENRE:ROCK/MAINSTREAM
GRADE: A-
REVIEW:Animal Liberation Orchestras third album is full of easygoing folk
pop that will make even rainy summer days all the sweeter. Lyrics about
living in a plastic bubble reflect a feel-good, stoner psychology, making
it no surprise that these four San Franciscans go way back with Brushfire
Records owner Jack Johnson. Fortunately, ALOs music is denser than his
and, with elements of funk and soul, more interesting, too. Head-bobbing
rhythms permeate Roses & Clover, but its 10 trim tracks peak at Lady Loop,
a get-up-and-dance-and-yell-out yeah! funk jam that will undoubtedly
stretch on forever live. An overheated melody dries up some of the
cathartic potential of Shine, as keyboardist Zach Gill begs a lover to
shine on this heart and make it whole again. Yet ALO seems incapable of
communicating anything other than joy and contentment musically, no matter
the lyrical content.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 3, 6, 7, 9
REVIEWER: Crystal Wiebe Harp magazine
also added this week, reviewed elsewhere on blog:
They Might Be Giants The Else Zoe
Outrageous Cherry Stay Happy Rainbow Quartz
Joan as Police Woman Real Life Cheap Lullaby
6.25
ATE: 6.27.07
ARTIST:Porter Wagoner
TITLE:Wagonmaster (Anti)
GENRE: COUNTRY
GRADE: A+
REVIEW:Released an astonishing 55 years after his first Music Row
recordings, Porter Wagoner's exceptional Wagonmaster finds the 80-year-old
Grand Ole Opry legend at his most vital. The album largely does for
Wagoner what the American Recordings series did for Johnny Cash and what
Van Lear Rose did for Loretta Lynn, in that it finds a genre legend
working with a producerhere, retro fetishist Marty Stuart, with his
instincts at their most finely tunedwho has a definite game plan for
engaging the artist's back catalogue. Wagonmaster may not be the singular
declarative statement of renewed vision that either Cash or Lynn's albums
were, but it is an album that speaks to the astonishing breadth of
Wagoner's career, which is no small accomplishment in and of itself.
"Satan's River" and "A Place To Hang My Hat" recall his best Southern
gospel recordings, while "Hotwired" showcases his wry wit on the kind of
satirical number that Brad Paisley never manages to sell quite this well.
"Brother Harold Dee" is another standout, ranking among Wagoner's finest
recitations, a style that was a genre staple for decades but which has all
but disappeared. If radio still played any veteran artists, the stone
country ballad "Be A Little Quieter" has a memorable enough hook that it
could be a hit single. The centerpiece of the album, though, is "Committed
To Parkview," a song written specifically for Wagoner by Cash back in 1983
but never recorded until this album's sessions.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2, 5, 8, 12, 14, 15,
REVIEWER: www.slantmagazine.com
DATE:6.25.07
ARTIST:Eilen Jewell
TITLE: Letters From Sinners & Strangers (Signature Sounds)
GENRE:FOLK/SS/ROOTSROCKIN
GRADE: A+
REVIEW:From the onset, Eilen (pronounced like 'wheelin') Jewell's second
CD, Letters from Sinners and Strangers, starts jumping. The first words
she almost moans, "Well, it's a rich man's world," come in over a backdrop
of rockabilly and country with a modern feel. It's impossible to miss the
smooth, sultry loneliness as she sachets through every song on the album.
Letters from Sinners and Strangers (Signature Sounds) stands as a
wonderful second release. It's full of surprises. The album haunts like
Chris Isaac, swings to country and jazz, goes south of the border and gets
down with some acoustic blues, all the while maintaining its straight-up
country vibe. The second track, "Dusty Boxcar Wall," really brings out the
lonely sounds Eilen is so effortlessly capable of. Her vocals bring to
life every word she breathes. The third track, "High Shelf Booze,"
features clarinetist, Alec Spiegelman. Spiegelman's tone is reminisce of
Arty Shaw in his heydaya real treat. Eilen plays acoustic rhythm guitar on
most of the tunes and throws in a couple of harmonica solos. Her band is
top-notch, and their musicianship cannot be overstated on this release.
Perhaps the most telling feature of the album is she and the band don't do
with the songs. They don't pack each tune with as much sound as possible.
Every song allows the listener breathing room and a chance to interpret.
Eilen, a designated soprano, never overstates her vocals and hangs back
enough to let each track flow.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 12 (all tracks worth a listen!)
REVIEWER: folkmusic.about.com
DATE:6.25.07
ARTIST:Nick Drake
TITLE: Family Tree (Bryter Music)
GENRE: FOLK/SS/UK
GRADE: A
REVIEW: In many respects, Family Tree is Pink Moons obverse a skeletal
offering from the opposite end of Drakes career, a collection that reveals
the troubled loner as a preternaturally talented figure as steeped in the
music of his immediate forebears as the 19th century Romantic poets he
channels in his mature work. Through the faint hiss of tape, listeners
will immediately detect the unique tunings and placid vocals that
distinguish Drakes best-loved songs. Its easy to see how Winter is Gone,
Blossom, Come Into the Garden, Rain and other fruits from Family Tree
could have been dusted up for inclusion on any of Drakes three releases.
All are infused with the melancholy of seasonal changes in the Arden
countryside a hallmark of so much of his music.
Whats most fascinating about the contents of Family Tree, however, is that
they belie so many of the myths surrounding the creator of Pink Moon.
Here, too, is a naked document of artist and guitar, yet the dynamics are
profoundly altered. Drake goofily serves up a Bela Lugosi impression in
his introduction to Milk and Honey, toots clarinet with aunt and uncle on
Mozarts Kegelstatt Trio, plays Richard Thompson to his sisters Linda on
All My Trials, and sounds generally loose and excited trying out new
idioms. Far from the tortured, introverted soul many listeners have
imagined, the Drake of Family Tree is in tune with family and history,
using his prodigious gifts in a manner thats atypically collaborative and
outwardly engaged. No one could ever mistake this for Drakes best work,
but as a blueprint for what a healthier career might have looked like, it
holds a bittersweet fascination. RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 5, 10, 11, 13, 16,
23, 26
REVIEWER: By Nathan Hogan dustedmagazine.com
DATE:6.25.07
ARTIST:Bad Brains
TITLE: Build a Nation (Megaforce)
GENRE:ROCK/ALT & REGGAE
GRADE: A
REVIEW:If you are hoping for something similar to Bad Brains or even Rock
for Light then you may be slightly disappointed. On the other hand, if you
loved 1986's I Against I, you are going to be more than pleased by this
batch of songs as they most closely resemble that album, both musically
and production-wise. Beastie Boy Adam Yauch seems to almost go out of his
way to make all of these songs sound as if they could have been ripped
straight from the aforementioned album, which is in a no way a bad thing.
Musically, Build a Nation is roughly half hardcore (8 songs) and half
reggae (6 songs). Admittedly, this is not a perfect album; I could have
done without "Give Thanks & Praises" and I would have liked to have heard
HR go a little nuts like he did on those earlier records, but by and large
this is a strong addition to the Bad Brains catalog. Songs like "Jah
People Make the World Go Round" (which may be the best Bad Brains song
since 1986), "Universal Peace," and "Send You No More Flowers" remind me
why I started listening this band in the first place: brutal blasts of
hardcore backed by HR's infectious, soulful croon. Despite his lack of
aggression, the frontman is otherwise in surprisingly amazing vocal form
throughout the roughly half-hour duration of the album. The reggae tracks
are mostly very good as well, with "Peace Be Unto Thee" my personal
favorite. Not only more consistent than much of the Brains' `90s releases,
Build a Nation ranks up there with the better of the band's output. In a
nutshell, Build a Nation should perfectly please fans of the legendary
hardcore act.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:
hardcore:1, 2, 9, 13
reggae: 4, 14
REVIEWER: PUNKNEWS.COM
DATE:6.27.07
ARTIST: The White Stripes
TITLE:Icky Thump (Third Man/Warner Bros.)
GENRE:ROCK/ALT
GRADE: A
REVIEW:If you'd never heard The White Stripes before. Or The Raconteurs.
If you didn't know about odd sister/brother-husband/wife scenarios, the
obediently adhered to white-black-red color schemes or the references,
every time the band is mentioned, to poor drumming, Detroit and something
called garage rawk: chances are you'd simply see "Icky Thump," the band's
latest, as an inventive album by some talented people who like to borrow
from the past. It starts hard, opening with the very metal title song that
does, rather loudly, thump. But when the next song, "You Don't Know What
Love Is (You Just Do What You're Told)," dips far into '70s
classics--echoing Bad Company's "Shooting Star"--it becomes clear the
record won't be sticking to one theme. Bagpipes and an in-the-round sound
help "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn" become a great Celtic rag, almost a
sea shanty. "Bone Broke" is straightforward rock. And "Conquest," a rumbly
cover of the '50s pop samba by Patti "Doggie in the Window" Page, actually
includes a guitar-versus-mariachi-trumpet face-off. If there's a lot here
that still brings to mind a certain blues-tinged band--the Robert Plant
tones in Jack White's voice are always inevitable--songs like the closer,
"Effect and Cause," reach further back into blues and folk history. With
stripped-down acoustic guitar and an advice-giving yarn ("You're like a
little girl yelling at her brother/Cause you lost his ball"), songs like
this make it easy to get past all that's said about the band, and all
they've done before, and just listen.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 13
REVIEWER: www.livedaily.com
DATE:6.25.07
ARTIST:Two Gallants
TITLE: The Scenery of Farewell (Saddle Creek)
GENRE:ROCK/ALT/ACOUSTIC
GRADE: A-
REVIEW:Over the last year Two Gallants were a workhorse of a band. The duo
played nearly 200 live shows, and still managed to find the time to create
some new material. Practiced during sound checks and on the road, some of
it can be heard on their new EP, The Scenery Of Farewell. Since Two
Gallants are known for their aggressive and electric live shows, it would
seem like a perfect match to be paired with producer Alex Newport (At The
Drive In), but the interesting thing is that this release is acoustic.
Following the same Americana tip that they have in the past, Two Gallants
manage to summon the essence of Bruce Springsteen's heartland rock and
bittersweet vibe throughout the recording. Opening with the hazy and
drunken "Seems Like Home To Me," country undertones dance with lo-fi
indie-rock to create one hell of a song. The quiet "Lady" and the
sleepy-eyed "Up The Country" follow suit; creating a soft, intimate
backdrop to a hot summer day. Next up is the harmonica-drenched "All Your
Faithless Loyalties," an earnest and reflective track. Finally there is
the last heart wrenching tune, "Linger On," which ends the release on a
solemn note.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
REVIEWER:ALLMUSICGUIDE
DATE:6.25.07
ARTIST: Ryan Adams
TITLE:Easy Tiger (Lost Highway)
GENRE:COUNTRY/ALT
GRADE: A-
REVIEW: Easy Tiger will be hailed as one of his finer efforts. Once again,
hes backed by the Cardinals and deep in alt-country territory, and the
album is one of rich beauties and poignant moments. Its success comes from
Ryan sticking to what he does best; produce stirringly tender songs that
offer as much in expansive passion as they do in quiet introspection. Off
Broadway and Oh My God, Whatever, Etc both tug at your emotions as they
meander along, Rip Off manages to mask a punching lyric with a lush
melody, and Two, resplendent in its off-kilter chorus, understated
harmonies - provided by Sheryl Crow - and tear-jerking lyrics, is his
finest slow-burner to date. In short, expect your heart to break, your
eyes to moisten and your mind to wander. Of course, this being Adams,
there are a couple of less pleasurable flashes, and its a toss-up between
whether the awful Neil Young rip-off Tears Of Gold or the moment in
Halloweenhead when he decides to add a B to his name and shout Guitar
solo! takes the crown. But both are forgivable for the sheer beauty that
surrounds them. Ever an unpredictable artist, Ryan Adams has upset the
expectations once again with Easy Tiger by producing an album of genuine
coherence and stability. Irregular service has been resumed.
FCC: TRACK 4 FUCK & SHIT
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 5, 8, 10
REVIEWER: bc.co.uk
DATE:6.25.07
ARTIST:Rocky Votolato
TITLE:The Brag & Cuss (Barsuk)
GENRE: FOLK/SS
GRADE: A
REVIEW:On his fifth full-length, The Brag & Cuss, and second with Barsuk,
Votolato digs even deeper into his Texan roots, bringing in a B-3 organ
and banjo alongside the harmonica and assortment of guitars he had on the
previous album. Still, even with the band, what comes through most clearly
is Votolato's voice, which is better than ever here, rough and emotive,
honest to a fault. "Stare through the beers and years and the bags and
bruises fade/...Beaming through all the brag and cuss, promising the
fall," he sings in "The Old Holland," his scratchy vibrato especially
audible as he holds "brag," wise with whiskey and years on the road. No,
Votolato's not that old, not some grizzled veteran, but his lyrics hold a
kind of sincerity and acute observation that beget images of a worn but
not weary man, a man who's seen enough by now to know something of the
world. "You say, 'shut up, you're crazy, you can't go back in time,'" he
says in "Postcards from Kentucky" over picked strings and soft drums,
fitting the syllables of his lines in expertly and adeptly, while "Before
Your Were Born" shows Votolato's understanding of love's age-old quality.
But despite the individual strength of the songs -- "Lily White"'s full
chorus, the nicely measured "Whiskey Straight," the country shuffle of
"The Wrong Side of Reno" -- The Brag & Cuss finds its true power as an
entity, in its ability to tell a story of loss and love and gravel and
home, subtle but still affecting, simple but definitely not hushed.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10
REVIEWER: allmusicguide.com
also added this week, reviewed elsewhere on blog:
Minus Story My Ion Truss The Brag & Cuss
King Wilkie Low Country Suite Zoe
Cherryholmes Black and White Skaggs Family
Waters, Winter & Cotton
Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down Epic
Various Artists Latin Jazz Putumayo
Various Artists Gypsy Caravan World Village
Mr. V Welcome Home Vega Records
posted by WFHB Music @ 4:56:00 PM
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