tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36652163239983129912024-03-12T19:54:15.874-07:00New Music TuesdaysA weekly selection of a new band or artist chosen by the author.YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-35502831751213230222015-03-10T07:00:00.000-07:002015-03-10T07:00:00.450-07:00Diamond RugsThis week's profilee is a case study in the difference between vocalists and singers. That this difference can be best understood through a ragtag bar band supergroup is even more surprising.<br />
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<a href="http://www.diamondrugs.net/">Diamond Rugs</a><br />
<b>New Release</b>: <i>Cosmetics </i>(<a href="http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/02/stream-diamond-rugs-new-album-cosmetics/">stream it here</a>)<i><br /></i><br />
<b>Release Date:</b> February 24, 2015<br />
<b>Record Label</b>: <a href="http://www.partisanrecords.com/artists/diamond-rugs/">Partisan Records</a><br />
<b>Location</b>: Nashville, Tenn.<br />
<b>Sounds Like</b>: Deer Tick (<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/10/deer-tick.html">NMT</a></span></b>); Mean Creek (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2014/04/mean-creek.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
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There isn't a direct connection of the beauty of someone's singing voice and their ability to command an audience. Axl Rose hardly could be considered as having an enviable voice, but – before his ego overcame his ability – few could match his magnitude as a frontman. Janice Joplin sang like she was gargling thumbtacks while driving on a dirt road. She was revered as a blues-rock vocalist. Billy Corgan led The Smashing Pumpkins on stadium tours of progressive rock at the height of the grunge era with little more than nasal wheeze to deliver his anthemic lyrics. Lesser known to the masses (but hopefully to regular readers of this space), The Rural Alberta Advantage's (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/12/rural-alberta-advantage.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/rural-alberta-advantagedeparting.html">NMT</a></b></span>) Nils Edenloff croons as smoothy as a shot of vinegar, making him the perfect messenger for the band's hardscrabble Canadian prairie cannons.<br />
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Such is the case of Deer Tick frontman John McCauley in his second stint with his Diamond Rugs side project. McCauley reunites with a hodgepodge of buddies from other groups for the unit's sophomore effort, the 11-track <i>Cosmetics</i> three years after their self-titled debut. The notable vocal contrast stems from McCauley's interplay with co-lead singer Hardy Morris (who also heads up <a href="http://www.deadconfederate.com/index.php">Dead Confederate</a> as his main gig). Although McCauley's resemblance of Axl Rose is conspicuous, his blend of delivery mechanics and passion distinguishes him as a vocalist while Morris just kind of meanders along as a (not particularly interesting) singer.<br />
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In the end, it might not matter at all. The group is a bunch of friends in other bands who get together when they can to write and play songs they enjoy and – not having seen them live yet – might just be the type of band that allows you to have an awesome time at a show, not really caring how great the vocals are or how expertly they play their instruments. That's obvious on a couple standout numbers of punk-tinged, garage rock all recorded on eight tracks or less.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "Voodoo Doll" – punchy and uncomplicated; note how Morris stumbles through the verses while McCauley sails along in the chorus; keyboardist Robbie Crowell – also of Deer Tick – delivers a delightful little organ track<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "Live and Shout It" – not sure if that's Morris doing these deadpan, spoken-word style vocals (which aren't great), but the "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxU995zbfno">Willie and the Hand Jive</a>"-meets-early-Springsteen vibe is an exuberant can't-miss sing-along <br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Couldn't Help It" – there's that "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAXc2kNzN-0">Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da</a>" acoustic
guitar-driven rhythm (Morris, McCauley and former Black Lips guitarist Ian Saint Pé form a three-ax unit) paired with solid Everly Brothers-style harmonies
from McCauley and Morris that make this sound straight from 1964<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "Thunk" – while I'm still not wild about Morris out front (he does harmonize well with McCauley, though), the horn section led by <a href="http://www.loslobos.org/site/">Los Lobos</a>' Steve Berlin and Crowell's keys make this more than salvageable; "Meant To Be" – a thumpy blues-rock rumbler, with Berlin's horns again covering the spread; "So What" – a runner-up for the <u>Stay for</u> pick, it's just what this band should sound like, even if the the song itself ain't all that great on its own; "Blame" – after the intro, I expect this to be a Grateful Dead number; again, I don't know who all's doing the singing here, but I like the trading vocals in any case; Crowell's organ nod to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Manzarek">Ray Manzarek</a> is a nice touch; "Clean" – a gritty number in the Dylan-goes-electric vein; "Motel Room" – the most Deer Tick-sounding offering here, infused with some "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEo9Bh679wM">Come Together</a>" bluster; "<i>a funeral at a Chuck E. Cheese</i>" made me chuckle <br />
<u>Meh</u>: "Ain't Religion" – a clear Credence rip-off rhythm; this one would have likely end up on the <u>Skip to next track</u> pile had Morris sang it and not McCauley; slow, thoughtful numbers aren't really what this group was made for; "Killing Time" – it doesn't start off too bad (and Crowell's organ is a highlight along with Saint Pé's tres-70s sounding guitar) but this proof-of-concept (meaning the song reiterates its title or theme in inescapable ways in the performance; something that irritates me to no end) just goes on too long. I get it, you're killing time. It's sufficiently killed. YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-19738819240916813302015-02-17T04:30:00.000-08:002015-02-17T04:30:00.690-08:00Christian Letts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/LettsLettsLetts">Christian Letts</a><br />
New Release: <i>Hold Fast</i><br />
Release Date: Today (2/17/15)<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.vagrant.com/artists/bio/95-letts">Vagrant Records</a><br />
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. <br />
Sounds Like: Brian Fallon (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/01/gaslight-anthem.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/06/gaslight-anthem-american-slang.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/10/horrible-crowes.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-gaslight-anthem-handwritten.html"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>NMT</b></span>,</a> <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-gaslight-anthem-get-hurt-jenny-lewis.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Dolorean (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/dolorean.html">NMT</a></b></span>); The Barr Brothers (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/01/barr-brothers.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
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Any regular reader of this space will know I'm a fan of large, co-ed groups with a multitude of instruments and a range of styles. But for whatever reason, probably their in-your-face hippie vibe or long spells of psychadelic meandering – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes have just never really done it for me. But I'm willing to explore material from the group's individual members, as is the case with guitarist Christian Letts' solo debut, <i>Hold Fast</i>.<br />
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Although much of the ten-track release could be summed up as a less homespun version of Johnny Cash and a less gritty Brian Fallon, Letts appropriates some of his main gig's penchant for scope and grandeur in a few standout numbers that makes the effort more than a guy, his songs and a guitar. He achieves what is a rare feat, in my book: a singer-songwriter, folk record that doesn't tire too quickly in repetition. <br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl9HsibzcBA&index=1&list=PLXvxeRNDTDIjjhOmP4wy3lbEP6XzNtVmc">Charles de Gaulle</a>" – what a singer-songwriter folk number should sound like; the accompanying instrumentation is light and brisk, a breezy contrast to Letts' nearly-spoken word lyrics and bass register; an uncomplicated love song<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "The Oath" – few better ways to start a song then "here it comes, a gut-boy's oath, I'll always make a toast to life;" strong chorus harmonies and horns atop a steady folk rhythm are the makings of a great tune <br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGpds1J_rvo&index=3&list=PLXvxeRNDTDIjjhOmP4wy3lbEP6XzNtVmc">Emeralds</a>" (hints of The National in its darkness but with heartland rock sensibility, which is nearly jubilant at its closing climax; at times, Letts' vocal phrasing can channel Jim Morrison) <br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "The Keeper" – I'd have no trouble believing this as a number 11 or 12 track on a Gaslight Anthem record; somber & reflective but not a downer; train references are always good; "Boxing Day" – English by birth, Letts puts a rootsy background behind a holiday tradition Americans have a hard time understanding: a chance to start again; "Copper Bells" – I know its a tired trope, but this is the kind of song you'd expect to hear when walking through the swinging doors at an old west saloon; "La Mer" – nimble lyricism paired with unadorned acoustic guitar highlights Letts ability to excel in simplicity; "Skipping Stones" – Letts seems to be able to reach from an endless bag of fireside sing-along numbers, of which this is one; "Twenty Seven Arrows" – don't really know the background on the theological references but would like to Letts explain his perspective on this one; the electric guitar warmed up with a backing band and horns is a distinguishing factor; "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p70_pfnqUk&index=2&list=PLXvxeRNDTDIjjhOmP4wy3lbEP6XzNtVmc">Matches</a>" – "looked at death and traded this life for love" –> better writing than you'll hear on most closing numbers <br />
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<br />YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-11047455224229453562015-01-27T04:30:00.000-08:002015-01-27T04:30:02.833-08:00Hey Rosetta – Wow! Three weeks in a row! What is this, 2011 or something?!<br />
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Speaking of 2011, this week we explore the supremely talented but inconsistent Canadian baroque rock/chamber pop outfit Hey Rosetta!, whom we first covered with their third full-length release, <i>Seeds</i> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/hey-rosetta.html">NMT</a></b></span>).<br />
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<a href="http://heyrosetta.com/">Hey Rosetta!</a><br />
New Release: <i>Second Sight</i><br />
Release Date: Today in the United States (January 27, 2015) <i>[released in Canada August 4, 2014]</i><br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.sonicrecords.ca/">Sonic Records</a><br />
Location: St. John's, Newfoundland<br />
Sounds Like: Hey Marsailles (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/02/hey-marseilles-miracles-of-modern.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Ra Ra Riot (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/ra-ra-riot.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Vampire Weekend <br />
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Many baroque rock/chamber pop enthusiasts – including your blogger – were disappointed by Ra Ra Riot's recent shift away from the genre they helped define to a more synth/techno focus with 2013's <i>Beta Love</i>. Although Hey Rosetta! has actually been exploring more intricately-arranged compositions for longer than their Syracuse, N.Y., counterparts, Ra Ra Riot had generated a tad more critical and commercial interest – although perhaps only due to the former's relatively limited profile coming from Canada's easternmost reaches. Regardless, while we wait for Seattle's Hey Marseilles to follow-up their well-received sophomore effort, 2013's <i>Lines We Trace</i>, the Newfie crew has the stage to their selves. And they generally take advantage of the opportunity on Second Sight's dozen tracks of always nuanced and occasionally robust mix of folk, indie rock and baroque influences.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://youtu.be/BoMQ1kECjvY">Soft Offering (For the Oft-Suffering)</a>" – clever title and the funkiest track on the record, drawing from that Paul Simon-Meets-The Police style that Vampire Weekend has employed to perfection<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu8HMFhITqw">Kintsukuroi</a>" – in my book, ranks only behind <a href="http://youtu.be/IJZgpsNxIps"><i>Seeds'</i> title track</a> as their finest work; brisk and agile, the chorus is infectious <br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ujge_MIHLU">Harriett</a>" – who knew this group had a touch of old-school R&B in its bag of tricks? <br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://youtu.be/h3buJaa4DKU">Gold Teeth</a>" – most reminiscent of the band's 2008 effort, <i>Into Your Lungs...</i>, but perhaps with a touch more rhythmic pep from bassist Josh Ward and drummer Phil Maloney; wish there was just a bit more instrumental flourish besides guitarist Adam Hogan's light but nimble figures; a groovy, sing-along closing refrain should get you bopping about; "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pySV-xNWZOw">Dream</a>" – what a midtempo number should sound like; can easily close your eyes and hear the chorus in line with fun.'s <i>Some Nights</i> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/02/fun-some-nights.html">NMT</a></b></span>); "<a href="http://youtu.be/TTNjf-xAojk">Promise</a>" – the intro is a little too dreamy for my taste, but the thing stiffens up after 1:45 and features one of the frontman Tim Baker's more muscular choruses; "Kid Gloves" – Ward's fuzz bass here is unique for this band, centering the number as it sways from thumping verses to a more jangly chorus; "archers of pain" is a good line); "Neon Beyond" – a contender for the Surprised By section; after it hits its stride around the first chorus, it's one of the heaviest-hitting cuts in the band's catalog; <br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://youtu.be/Uh0JC0Qt1Js">What Arrows</a>" – on the other hand, the bulk of this song is not what this group does well: it's slow and sleepy until the 4:19 mark - without any fun instrumentation - at which point it becomes something slightly more interesting as the beat picks up some; it's what you'd expect a boring Maroon 5 song would sound like; "Cathedral Bells" – I'm not much for Baker on his own, which he essentially is here; just not a lot of vigor, although he flirts with the melody of Spoon's hit, "The Underdog")<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: "Alcatraz" – I get its intended to evoke isolation and loneliness; I'd rather be in Alcatraz, without this song; "Trish's Song" - likely a very well-intentioned bedside tribute to someone named Trish as she faces her death, but Baker's warbly self-harmonizing distracts from the beauty of the moment <br />
YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-42333387651867568152015-01-20T10:30:00.002-08:002015-01-20T10:30:40.726-08:00The Decemberists – What A Beautiful World, What A Terrible World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This post caps a rewarding year and a half for new releases from all three acts that comprise your blogger's holy trinity of Millennial-era most-band status: Okkervil River's <i>The Silver Gymnasium</i> (October 2013, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/okkervil-river-neko-case.html">NMT</a></b></span>), The New Pornographers' <i>Brill Bruisers</i> (August 2014, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20New%20Pornographers">NMT</a></b></span>) and today's release of The Decemberists' <i>What A Beautiful World, What A Terrible World</i>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.decemberists.com/">The Decemberists</a><br />
New Release: <i>What A Beautiful World, What A Terrible World</i><br />
Release Date: Today (1/20/15)<br />
Record Label: Capitol Records<br />
Location: Portland, Ore.<br />
Sounds Like: Okkvervil River (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/okkervil-river-neko-case.html">NMT</a>,</b></span> <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/okkervil-river.html">NMT</a></b></span>); The Family Crest (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-polyphonic-spree-family-crest.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-family-crest-farewell-drifters.html">NMT</a></b></span>); The Head & The Heart (<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/04/head-and-heart.html">NMT</a></span></b>) <br />
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Based on the selected tracks that the infamously clever Portlandians disbursed to its nerdy/hipster fandom prior to the release of their seventh full-length release, I was prepared to rephrase what I'd said about their prior record, 2011's <i>The King Is Dead</i> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/decemberists.html">NMT</a></b></span>): that it's a perfectly fine alt-country record, but plenty of acts can spin out quality alt-country material. Few have the zany ability to meld ancient folk, prog rock and nerd pop through an arsenal of unusual instruments and Colin Meloy's ongoing thesaurus-check lyrics.<br />
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Fortunately, the band's streaming of the 14-track collection a week prior to its release erased nearly all my anxieties that the group's baroque pop genesis had been replaced with an exclusively alt-country repertoire. And, to be sure, there is plenty of evidence the Americana themes – that they indeed executed with aplomb on <i>The King Is Dead</i> – will continue to be a lasting imprint on the band's new material going forward, in cuts such as the leadoff single "Make You Better," "Lake Song" and "Carolina Low." But just as encouraging is the fistful of tracks that hark back to what fans might consider as the classic Decemberists sound, ranging from the early offerings "Calvary Captain" and "Philomena" to the delightfully odd "Better Not Wake The Baby" and the album's knockout track, "Mistral." So, to all the loyalists, have no fear: The Decemberists have not forsaken you. <br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://youtu.be/Yb8oUbMrydk">Make You Better</a>" (straightforward alt rock, perhaps with a bit more oomph than your average Decemberists offering; Jenny Conlee's unadorned piano part gives the tune its warmth)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "Cavalry Captain" (welcome back to the exuberant, majestic sound that this group can deliver like few others; instrumentally reminiscent of "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FXy4h5xLSM">We Both Go Down Together</a>")<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Mistral" (one of the band's best individual tracks in some time; most of the Decemberists faithful have watched the video of Colin Meloy joining Mavis Staples for "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-HBPRmGbHM">The Weight</a>" at the Newport Folk Festival. This is that, except an original song; Jenny Conlee's honky-tonk piano is marvelous) <br />
<u>Solid effort</u>s: "The Singer Addresses His Audience" (a companion to "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGhUpvgcIKo">I Was Meant For The Stage</a>" from 2003's <i>Her Majesty, The Decemberists</i>; seems better suited as an album closing number, but perhaps here it's functioning as a prelude; some clever Meloy lines, including, "<i>we're aware that you cut your hair in the style that our drummer wore in that video</i>" and "<i>So when your bridal processional is a televised confessional to the benefits of Axe shampoo</i>"); "Philomena" (hints of 60s doo-wop; ahh, there's the crafty hooks we've come to expect from Meloy; this could be the backstory of the rake character from <i>The Hazards of Love</i>: "<i>I'll I've ever wanted in the world was too see a naked girl</i>"); "<a href="http://youtu.be/_cErckfwG_8">Lake Song</a>" (hearty; "<i>And you, all sibylline, reclining in your pew</i>" and "<i>Now we arise to curse those young suburban villains and their ill-begotten children from the lawn</i>"...fantastic writing, as usual); "Til the Water's All Gone" (Chris Funk's twangy western guitar is a new twist for the band); "<a href="http://youtu.be/98XFrVREkm8">The Wrong Year</a>" (the narrative first line – "<i>Gray Jane was a riverchild, born down by the river wild</i>" – automatically demands your attention; this number really is a nice bridge between the two eras of Meloy's songwriting); "Carolina Low" (kinda Colin Meloy sings for you; like "Philomena," I imagine this as backstory of the soldier in "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dVJo0erI8c">Yankee Bayonet</a>" "<i>I'm bound for the hilltop, gonna make it bleed</i>"); "Better Not Wake the Baby" (more integration of the celtic motifs heard on "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elN636_F5Uk">Rox in the Box</a>" from <i>The King Is Dead</i>;" you could easily be convinced this is some old folk tune; at 1:44, it's the perfect amount of time, a strategy that They Might Be Giants (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/07/they-might-be-giants.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/03/super-review-march.html">NMT</a></b></span>) have been perfecting for decades: a good idea doesn't need to be any more than that); "Anti-Summersong" (the selection that could have most easily fit on <i>The King Is Dead, </i>country to its core; the echoing bass background vocals in the chorus might be the most humorous thing on the record); "Easy Come, Easy Go" (this is one of those chronicles-of-the sailor-on-shore-leave chanties, but it sounds nothing like any sea chanty you've ever heard. If you know Great Big Sea's (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/07/great-big-sea.html">NMT</a></b></span>) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ9zUT7FS0Q">Jack Hinks</a>," this is its thematic counterpoint; again, good use of the short 2:11 runtime to deliver a fun idea, but nothing more than that); "12/17/12" (another ostensibly Colin Meloy solo number – that also delivers the album's title – but some unobstructive percussion from John Moen and female backing vocals I guess make it a band song; still, no need to pass it by); "<a href="http://youtu.be/Cm6xtkX_Dvs">A Beginning Song</a>" (oh, yes, very clever placing a song with this title as the closing number; it's far more uptempo than your standard concluding selection, especially with Nate Query's fuzz bass a-la Ben Folds Five's (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/09/ben-folds-five.html">NMT</a></b></span>) Robert Sledge) YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-10017846893706616452015-01-06T04:00:00.000-08:002015-01-06T06:38:38.810-08:00Catching Up from a Hectic Fall<br />
The conclusion of a breakneck travel schedule this past fall plus the imminent release of The Decemberists' (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/decemberists.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/decemberists-long-live-king.html">NMT</a>)</b></span> <i>What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World</i> on January 20th has pressed me to take a look at a few of the artists and releases I overlooked last year. This is by no means a comprehensive effort, but rather a good faith pact with myself to get back in the saddle in keeping up with new music over the course of thus year. Let's see how I do...<br />
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<a href="http://www.thewarondrugs.net/">The War on Drugs</a><br />
New Release: <i>Lost In The Dream</i><br />
Release Date: March 18, 2014<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.secretlycanadian.com/">Secretly Canadian</a><br />
Location: Philadelphia, Pa.<br />
Sounds Like: Okkervil River (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/okkervil-river-neko-case.html">NMT</a>,</b></span> <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/okkervil-river.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Wilco (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/okkervil-river.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Deer Tick (<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/10/deer-tick.html">NMT</a></span></b>); <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_Straits">Dire Straits</a><br />
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Nearly every review or article on The War on Drugs mentions frontman Adam Granduciel's Dylanesque vocal phrasing. That is, of course, correct, but you can read more about that elsewhere. Instead, the far more interesting comparison is the under-appreciated 80s act, Dire Straits. Granduciel hews closer to his counterpart from that group, <a href="http://www.markknopfler.com/">Mark Knopfler</a>, and their pairing of precise percussion – much in the tradition of <a href="http://www.fleetwoodmac.com/">Mick Fleetwood and John McVie</a> – with near-symphonic orchestration and instrumental virtuosity. A good 80 percent of the sextet's third full-length release's ten tracks are expansive, expressive compositions – settling somewhere between the experimental oddity of Pink Floyd and the crisp, orchestral pop of The Moody Blues. Indeed, the shortest cut – "The Haunting Idle," at 3:08 – is merely mid-record instrumental haze. <br />
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By all accounts, Granduciel serves as the band's navigation point much like Okkervil River's Will Sheff or a less volatile agitator than Jeff Tweedy is to Wilco. Much like his peers in those outfits, Granduciel is the prime genesis of the material, with the larger unit rounding the compositions into expanded and refined final products, although it should be noted bassist and occasional guitarist David Hartley is essentially a charter member along with Granduciel, while original member <a href="http://kurtvile.com/">Kurt Vile</a> amicably moved on to a successful solo career. But while both Sheff and certainly Sheff ground their sounds on alt-country frames, The War on Drugs finds its footing on much more progressive ground, with strings, synthesizers (from keyboardist/pianist Robbie Bennett) and sax solos (courtesy of Jon Natchez) stretching the sonic palate to celestial expanses. To that end, the album notes credit a dozen session players in addition to the group's standing six-piece lineup. <br />
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Much in the same manner as Deer Tick's John McCauley took a period of grief and personal malaise to construct that group's fine work on <i>Negativity</i>, Grandicuel transforms a stretch of post-touring discontent and depression in support of the band's 2011 work, <i>Slave Ambient</i>, into a deconstructed take on isolation and self-doubt. Plug in a pair of big, padded headphones and spend some time to allow <i>Lost In The Dream</i> to converse with you...<br />
<br />
<u>Come for</u>: "Red Eyes" (a good sauntering groove that verges on anthemic in the chorus; almost Arcade Fire-esque [NMT, NMT])<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "Eyes To The Wind" (the ideal blend of Granduciel's expressive vision with some Americana rock sensibility; Jackson Browne's influence peeks around the corners)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Burning" (much mid-80s Springsteen here, to great effect; the most pop-accessible offering on the collection) <a class="ProfileHeaderCard-screennameLink u-linkComplex js-nav" href="https://twitter.com/ATLStreetcar" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: rgb(245, 248, 250); color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 14px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-decoration: none !important; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="u-linkComplex-target"></span></a> <br />
<u>Solid Efforts</u>: "Under The Pressure" (the long-play leadoff track at 8:52 gives the record's pace-setter plenty of room to stretch out its legs; while the tune's primary riff is not particularly complex, with each cycle it fortifies itself and you're satisfied by the end of the first movement around 5:36; the second movement is just a bit too ethereal, though); "Suffering" (wait, a song with this title isn't a breathy romp of delight? While it's certainly slow and contemplative ["<i>like a snowflake through the fire, I'll be frozen in time, but you'll be here</i>"], there's a deliberateness and sense of measured reflection that makes the encounter of suffering much less an wrenching ordeal then the title suggests); "An Ocean Between The Waves" (the record's centerpiece, and while the passive instrumentation hardly suggests a call-to-arms, lyrically, it's a challenge to individual aspiration ["<i>Just wanna lay in the moonlight / See the light shine in, see you in the outline / It never gets too dark to find / Anybody at anytime</i>"]; Anthony LaMarca's guitar solo around 4:48 grabs hold of the lyrical assertion and becomes its traveling companion); "Disappearing" (the rhythm section of Hartley and drummer Charlie Hall are on the verge of recreating the backing parts that allowed Don Henley to have a solo career in the '80s; the instrumental interlude starting at 1:46 – with only occasional vamping from Granduciel – is the type of exploration one only finds amongst the jam bands these days); "Lost In The Dream" (although most of the album is mid-to-slow tempo, this is the only true ballad, and it's welcome; the mirrored, jangly electric guitars from Granduciel and Anthony LaMarca are a nice contrast to the song's overarching western motif); "In Reverse" (a closing track clocking in at 7:41 sounds destined to be dirge, right? Granted, it's hardly a barnburner, but the stiff rhythm backbone from Hartley and Hall that kicks in around the 3:15 mark helps the number become the way more bands should wrap things up, as Granduciel calls it, "a grand parade" about the cold wind of self-struggle)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "The Haunting Idle" (it's fine if you're listening to the record in order, but not much happening otherwise; Granduciel's isolation and depression can easily be found here)<br />
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<a href="http://sturgillsimpson.com/">Sturgill Simpson</a><br />
New Release: <i>Metamodern Sounds in Country Music</i><br />
Release Date: May 13, 2014<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://sturgillsimpson.bandcamp.com/album/high-top-mountain">High Top Mountain</a><br />
Location: Nashville, Tenn.<br />
Sounds Like: Father John Misty (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/08/father-john-misty.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Hiss Golden Messenger (<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/super-review-may.html">NMT</a></span></b>); Onward, Soldiers (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/02/onward-soldiers.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
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If you cringe at the very notion of country music, muttering "infinitely regressive" under your breath, Sturgill Simpson is the cure for what ails you. He stands aface of the constant churn of rose-colored patriotism, cheap beer and Southern pride spun out by everyone not named Brad Paisley (who does <a href="http://www.salon.com/2014/06/09/brad_paisley_on_patriotism_support_our_soldiers/">challenge many of the thematic stereotypes</a> of contemporary country). Back in the 70s, you heard this roots rock style in The Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers and recently redeployed by the likes of Onward, Soldiers and Hiss Golden Messenger. Simpson – who gets brownie points in my book for his time as a yard worker on the Union Pacific Railroad in Salt Lake City – returns the format to its ancestral country home.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "Turtles All The Way Down" (you won't hear many country sounds approach religion and spirituality quite the same way as this one does; cue it up with Father John Misty's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNu_GJ_PSZY">I'm Writing A Novel</a>" for a metaphysical pairing with as much wit as permitted)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "A Little Light" (could easily be confused as some long-forgotten spiritual, the best possible mix of gospel and country; just wish it was a little longer than it's allotted 1:40) <br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Voices" (Simpson's rich baritone is used to full effect here)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "Life of Sin" (hardly the Bible Belt sermon you'd expect from the title; a mature look at love and life) "Living the Dream" (twangy midtempo number, with plenty of honky tonk organ and slide guitar that once marked the best sounds in the country genre; nice electric guitar solo by Laur Joamets around the 2:30 mark; fine lyric: "<i>I don't need to change my strings, cause the dirt don't change the way I sing</i>"); "Long White Line" (a fine road tune, with the steady gait between bassist Kevin Black and drummer Miles Miller the defining attribute, a cover of Buford Abner's original); "The Promise" (a cover of When In Rome's 1988 hit belt-it-out ballad); "Just Let Go" (grabs you from the start with "<i>woke up today, decided to kill my ego</i>," the kind of humble self-assessment so lacking in his genre these days; both Simpson and Joamets display their acoustic guitar work here, plus some excellent vocal harmonies); "Panbowl" (a gentle way to wrap-up the album; you can instantly picture Lake Panbowl in eastern Kentucky of Simpson's upbringing; this is what a country song does best)<br />
Meh: "It Ain't Flowers (a full half-minute of near techno freakout to start
the track is something few Music City producers allow, followed by the
type of silly, surreal Western ramblings Father John Misty cultivated on
<i>Fear Fun</i>)<br />
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<a href="http://marthadiy.bandcamp.com/">Martha</a><br />
New Release: <i>Courting Strong</i><br />
Release Date: May 26, 2014<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/los-campesinos.html">Salinas Records</a><br />
Location: Durham, U.K.<br />
Sounds Like: Los Campesinos! (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/los-campesinos.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/01/super-review-january.html"><u>NMT</u></a></b></span>) (no other references are necessary; if you know and like Los Campesinos!, you should know and like Martha)<br />
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There really doesn't need to be much exposition of this lo-fi, but high energy British quartet, straddling the line between bratty and snarly (check out <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2014/10/09/340115612/the-pop-punks-of-anarchy">this piece</a> from NPR). Unlike The War On Drugs' sonic explorations, all but one track on the 10-track collection checks in at under four minutes. If you enjoy Los Campesinos! brand of infectious pop-punk, then this will be right up your alley. Like their more veteran counterparts, they sound distinctly British (or, more accurately, Welsh, in the LCs' case), with male & female trading vocals. As <i>Courting Strong</i> is the group's full-length debut, it's less finely-polished than the LCs' most recent-work – appropriate for a bunch of kids just having a good time – and also less weighed down by Gareth Campesinos' frequent musings on morbidity of late.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "Dust, Juice, Bones and Hair" (the most LCs-esque number here, play it right after "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj6SO_yKMe8">You! Me! Dancing!</a>") <br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "1997, Passing in the Hallway" (everything a teenage punk love song should be; delightfully uncomplicated; bassist Naomi Griffin's turn on lead vocals is well-deserved)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Present Tense" (the slightly more measured pace is a nice change)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "Cosmic Misery" (perky and pesky, if a bit unsettled at times); "Bubble in My Bloodstream" (surprising, it's at once the heaviest and the punkest number on the record; the mid-number stop-on-a-dime transition to Griffin's chorus is excellent); "Move to Durham and Never Leave" (as odes to hometowns goes, this one's perfect); "Gin and Listerine" (perhaps the young band's most fully-realized musical composition; hey, look it that, it's a guitar solo!; I'd like to know who this Vincenzo is they're singing about); "Sleeping Beauty" (Griffin offers her attempt at deconstructing the meek and helpless princess fairy tale trope); "1967, I Miss You, I'm Lonely" (the catchy guitar hook that leads off the song that is another nearly-blatant LCs ripoff); "So Sad – So Sad" (Yikes! A piano? Ok, there we go; although the 6:47 is positively epic for a band like this, it seems to take nowhere near that long and is nowhere near as dour as the title implies) <br />
<u>Meh</u>: It's all just great.<br />
<br />YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-65226024792267225702014-09-02T05:54:00.002-07:002014-09-02T05:54:37.248-07:00The New Pornographers (Brill Bruisers)Hey! New posts two weeks in a row! Whodda thunk it? To celebrate, we return to one of the acts your blogger considers as part of his holy trinity of millennial indie rock – along with The Decemberists (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/decemberists.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <b><span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/decemberists-long-live-king.html">NMT</a></span></b>) and Okkervil River (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/okkervil-river-neko-case.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/okkervil-river.html">NMT</a></span>): The New Pornographers.<br />
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<a href="http://www.thenewpornographers.com/">The New Pornographers</a><br />
New Release: <i>Brill Bruisers</i><br />
Release Date: August 26, 2014<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.matadorrecords.com/">Matador Records</a><br />
Location: Vancouver, B.C. / Woodstock, N.Y.<br />
Sounds Like: Polyphonic Spree (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-polyphonic-spree-family-crest.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Broken Social Scene; Library Voices (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/10/library-voices.html">NMT</a></b></span>) <br />
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In my review of this multi-national, coed octet's fifth release, 2010's <i>Together</i> (<a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-pornographers.html">NMT</a>), I dubbed the group an "indie-rock supergroup." And while that label is just as ironic now as it was then, it's still an apt descriptor of the band, with most of the group's eight members occupying themselves with solo projects or other bands during the New Pornographers multi-year hiatuses and lead vocals shared among four singers. On their sixth full-length album, <i>Brill Bruisers</i>, chief songwriter A.C. Newman (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>) remains adept at divvying-up turns out front while actually increasing the group's overall cohesiveness, no small task considering hardly any of the record's baker's dozen tracks were recorded with all the band members in the same place at the same time. Newman has proclaimed the collection – on which bassist John Collins produced along with Newman – as a "celebration record" after "periods of difficulty" which he claims were apparent on previous releases such as <i>Together</i> and 2007's <i>Challengers</i>. While I think few would describe those records as particular downers – just try calling the former's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2bMKnuv_-k">Crash Years</a>" or the latter's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpDcUHC8bbc">All The Old Showstoppers</a>" depressing – there's no doubt that from end to end, Brill Bruisers is an uplifting collection of songs.<br />
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Newman and Collins steer the group towards the decades of pop compositions manufactured by songwriters ranging from Benny Goodman and Burt Bacharach to Neil Diamond and Carole King who worked out of New York City's Brill Building referenced in the album's title. In particular, the offerings from Dan Bejar are perhaps his most accessible contributions ever in the band. In the past, Bejar's odd voice and quirky phrasing were marked counterpoints to the group's otherwise exuberant indie power-pop. Here, Bejar's jagged edges are smoothed out by a quicker pace and catchier hooks. Additionally, unlike the rest of the group's catalog, there's not a Neko Case (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/okkervil-river-neko-case.html">NMT</a></b></span>) lead track where she powers past the other vocalists with her range and power, such "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBo2qEzyHzE">Go Places</a>" off <i>Challengers</i> or "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH9Q4fsZ1IY">The Bleeding Heart Show</a>" from 2005's <i>Twin Cinema</i>. That's no detriment considering the aforementioned cohesiveness and a re-emergent Bejar.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpMQqigvcAU">Brill Bruisers</a>" (the leadoff, title crack perfectly encapsulates Newman's drive for celebration)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgteBBgtzaE">Dancehall Domine</a>" (a quintessential New Pornographers track on par with "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyWHH4NQNo8">Miss Teen Wordpower</a>" off 2003's <i>Electric Version</i> and <i>Together's</i> "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrrb0R-OjvU">Valkyrie at the Roller Disco</a>")<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMcumbSMY_8">War on the East Coast</a>" (single-handedly the best thing Bejar has ever done with the band; touches of 60s British invasion in his chorus delivery [listen to how he delivers "<i>I</i> <i>don't care</i>"] matched with an 80s synth-pop vibe)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/champions-of-red-wine-mt0050494571">Champions of Red Wine</a>" (Case is in fine form on this bouncy number, with Blaine Thurier's synthesizers out front in the mix unlike few others in the group's repertoire, parrying with chugging guitars from Newman and Todd Fancey; the complex, non-lyrical vocals on the bridge are a highlight); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/fantasy-fools-mt0050494572">Fantasy Fools</a>" (minimalist verses contrast with a highly hooky chorus fronted by Newman, with the duo of Case and Newman's niece Kathryn Calder [<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/07/kathryn-calder.html">NMT</a></span></b>] demonstrating the vocal depth scarce among bands of this era); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/marching-orders-mt0050494575">Marching Orders</a>" (the regimental beat fits the song's title perfectly, while Case delivers Newman's songwriting and phrasing probably better than Newman himself can; could easily hear Broken Social Scene writing this one); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg_GR73zErQ">Another Drug Deal of the Heart</a>" (I like the contrast of a Case lead vocals track followed by one featuring Calder, who's style is richer and more retrained than her counterpart's, but too bad it's only 1:29 long); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/born-with-a-sound-mt0050494577">Born With a Sound</a>" (really enjoy the tonal consistency among Bejar's songs on this record, plus pairing Bejar with Calder is a trick the group hasn't tried much before and it works well here); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/wide-eyes-mt0050494578">Wide Eyes</a>" (easily the most restrained effort on the album, with the rare appearance of some acoustic guitars a nice change of pace; Case's contributions on the chorus are the number's standout feature); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/you-tell-me-where-mt0050494582">You Tell Me Where</a>" (not wild about Newman's intro verse, but then Neko Case shows up and the power kicks in and we're all better for it) <br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/backstairs-mt0050494574">Backstairs</a>" (any New Pornographers number longer than 4:00 always seems like an opus; Newman and Collins let Thurier's synthesizers and Fancy's sludgy guitars take center stage here with mixed results; the chorus is catchy enough, but there's a good minute of trippy meandering in the middle that's not my favorite; I feel the same way about this song as I did about Okkervil River's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7UeGBULQ7Y">Stay Young</a>" off <i>Silver Gymnasium</i> earlier this year); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/hi-rise-mt0050494581">Hi-Rise</a>" (starts a bit slowly for my taste, but there's some reheated
Bowie influence in the body of the song; really should swap places with
"You Tell Me Where" as album closer)<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/spidyr-mt0050494580">Spidyr</a>" (this is more like Bejar's previous material: kinda strange, although the harmonica is a nice touch)<br />
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YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-76649879825675344292014-08-26T04:00:00.000-07:002014-08-26T04:00:01.135-07:00The Gaslight Anthem (Get Hurt), Jenny Lewis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The Gaslight Anthem</b><br />
New Release: <i>Get Hurt</i><br />
Release Date: 8/19/14<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.islandrecords.co.uk/">Island Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: The Hold Steady (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/05/hold-steady.html">NMT</a></b></span>), The Horrible Crowes (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/10/horrible-crowes.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Augustines (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2014/02/augustines.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: New Brunswick, N.J.<br />
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After far too much time off, why not re-start with the latest release from the act that both debuted this space and is also its most frequent subject: The Gaslight Anthem (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/01/gaslight-anthem.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/06/gaslight-anthem-american-slang.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-gaslight-anthem-handwritten.html">NMT</a></b></span>). After the died-in-the-wool New Jersey quartet's sophomore release,<i> The 59 Sound</i>, attracted a little buzz for the band, it's subsequently been on a mission to play slower. That trend continues on the group's fifth full-length offering, while also demonstrating an eagerness to play louder. Or quieter. Or sometimes both in the same song. While frontman Brian Fallon insists that the 15-track collection [deluxe edition] is a departure from the band's signature sound – like The Arcade Fire's uneven Reflekor (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-final-super-review-for-2013.html">NMT</a></b></span>) – and is prepared for critical displeasure of the album, it actually shouldn't be too great a jump for most of the band's fans. Fallon still delivers no shortage of heart-on-his-sleeve, blue-eyed soul-punk thumpers and meaty, sing-along choruses.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy8hLP3SFkk">Rollin' And Tumblin</a>' (the record's fastest number exemplifies the best the group has to offer; "<i>my ticker tape heart</i>" is a classic Brian Fallon line)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PLXqTZWKBk">Helter Skeleton</a>" (as quintessential a Gaslight Anthem anthem as anything off "The 59 Sound" or the debut "Sink Or Swim;" without knowing who wrote a line like "<i>there will always be a soft spot in my cardiac arrest</i>," I'd instinctually guess it's a Fallon lyric)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nnIE5-dfhQ">Underneath The Ground</a>" (sounds like nothing else The Gaslight Anthem has ever recorded, particularly the light – practically gentle – chorus; most prominently keyboards have ever been featured by this band)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmmvF2pLl3E">1,000 Years</a>" (steady and measured, this is the type of outcome the
group should be for in its slow-it-down movement; heartland rock-style
chorus sing-along); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVm7hTDEtt8">Get Hurt</a>" (its really quiet and somber at first, but finds a good punch at the first chorus, with the kind of jangly lead guitar parts by Alex Rosamilia that defined the first couple albums); '<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNKZKL2bfvg">Stray Paper</a>" (at times, I'm not sure if this sounds more like Metallica or Tom Petty, which is likely what Fallon was after; key supporting vocals from <a href="http://www.sharonjonesandthedapkings.com/">Sharon Jones</a>); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4g1cyvzdGY">Red Violins</a>" (this redemptive, spiritual rocker has all the markers of a track that will find a home in the middle of the band's setlists for a long while);"<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdZ2xc7BLBE">Ain't That A Shame</a>" (one of those that's alternatingly heavy and soft at times); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WszGQrPMnd0">Break Your Heart</a>" (Brian Fallon sings you a forlorn lullaby); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enB3os2lmqw">Dark Places</a>" (a full, sweeping sound following the murky intro; easily could have fit on <i>American Slang</i> or <i>Handwritten</i>); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcN3QG0O6hc">Mama's Boys</a>," "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kCOnZL7ULs">Sweet Morphine</a>" [deluxe edition] (wait, is that an acoustic guitar on full-band numbers? the western-sounding motifs on these back-to-back numbers are unique for the band, for although Fallon has scattered a handful of solo acoustic tracks across previous albums, the full band format is usually reserved for electric-only instrumentation); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPB4g8cKRng">Halloween</a>" (highly-punctuated, a different take on the typical Halloween song as a love long) <br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2edphSNRPY">Stay Vicious</a>" (what is this, a Staind song? those layers of flat crunch don't convey the band's talent very well, although the shimmer of the pre-chorus and chorus are a welcome contrast); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1-g9iun3Mw">Selected Poems</a>" (the verses are a little too hazy and meandering for this outfit, which makes the blast of the chorus a little too jarring)<br />
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<b>Jenny Lewis</b><br />
New Release: <i>The Voyager</i><br />
Release Date: July 29, 2014<br />
Record Label: Warner Bros. Records<br />
Sounds Like: Rilo Kiley (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/rilo-kiley-quiet-company.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Neko Case (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/okkervil-river-neko-case.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Eisley (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/04/eisley.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. <br />
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Last year, I reviewed what is likely the last batch of material released by the indie rock outfit Rilo Kiley, their B-sides and rarities archives collection, <i>RKives</i>. One of the primary reasons the four-piece unit from L.A. will probably not deliver any new material is the emergence of frontwoman <a href="http://www.jennylewis.com/">Jenny Lewis</a>' solo career. Like the work of The New Pornographers' (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-pornographers.html">NMT</a></b></span>) Neko Case, Lewis' solo material focuses more on country and Americana roots influences divorced from most of the indie rock power for which their affiliated bands are known. Lewis' crafty songwriting and lyricism occasionally geared to make her audience uncomfortable translate well from her Rilo Kiley work, while the presence of A-list producers <a href="http://paxamrecords.com/">Ryan Adams</a> and <a href="http://www.beck.com/">Beck</a> speak to how well her talent is regarded in the indie-rock industry. My main gripe with the overall 10-track effort is the preponderance of mid-tempo numbers, as the bulk of her Rilo Kikey effectively demonstrated the quality and power of her voice on uptempo tracks. <br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "Just One Of The Guys" (Lewis' tonal counterpoint to Case's own "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NodqGzqc21M">Man</a>" leans heavily on alt-county veneer; check out its <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irvcf6dCk-k">star-studded video</a>)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLsFuG4fves">Aloha & The Three Johns</a>" (easily the most accessible track on the record; witty but not too clever in the tale of three guys named John on a Hawaiian vacation; the rhyming of "<i>cava</i>" and "<i>farther</i>" in the outro isn't my favorite of Lewis' writing ever, though)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO54FLavL2A">The New You</a>" (the record's lyrical centerpiece, which manages to
reference both 9/11 and Metallica without coming across as heavy-handed)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5HAD_PxBvI">Head Underwater</a>" (good bounciness, if not a tad too poppy and the lyrics are a bit self-help-y at times); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1hGYDoXVIU">She's Not Me</a>" (if Lewis had been drafted into The Eagles for <i>The Long Run</i> album, she would have contributed this song; the strings point to late-70's disco-pop); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXD30ChSqfQ">Slippery Slopes</a>" (the slide guitar that accompanies Lewis' vocal melody during the verses is a nice touch, otherwise a good deal of alt-rock crunch; references to California's drug culture); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5GDwuUTYAY">Late Bloomer</a>" (this is one of those Lewis numbers – like many from the Rilo Kiley era – that could or could not be semi-autobiographical; the downbeat anti-chorus is notable in contrast to the major-chord, narrative verses); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umEUKNaBMDI">Love U Fovever</a>" (some 80s-style girl pop-rock; not sure how tongue-in-cheek this is intended to be); "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbF1Mklt5Xg">The Voyager</a>" (the title track is better than most album closing efforts, with Lewis' self-harmonizing and simple acoustic strumming paired with complex, but unobtrusive background instrumentation)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX9VDoKSj4k">You Can't Outrun 'Em</a>" (it's not all that bad, but not a ton of depth to this outlaw quasi-ballad and the desert surrealist instrumental bridge doesn't appeal all that much to me) <br />
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P.S. Speaking of The New Pornographers and Neko Case, stay tuned next week for a review of the indie supergroup's latest release, <i>Brill Bruisers</i>. YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-91482113810535877782014-04-07T04:30:00.000-07:002014-04-07T11:22:15.563-07:00Mean CreekIt's been a while. Some significant personal events have sapped much of emotional availability for side work like this, combined with a pretty sparse selection of new material and my overwhelming disappointment with The Hold Steady's (<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/05/hold-steady.html">NMT</a></span></b>) latest offering, <a href="http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19122-the-hold-steady-teeth-dreams/"><i>Teeth Dreams</i></a>, have contributed to the dearth of posts recently. Fortunately, the exuberant power-pop (or, I guess what they used to just call "rock-and-roll" back in the day) from Boston's Mean Creek might be just the cure for this funk.<br />
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<a href="http://meancreek.tumblr.com/">Mean Creek</a><br />
New Release: <i>Local Losers</i><br />
Release Date: Today (April 8, 2014)<br />
Record Label: Old Flame Records<br />
Sounds Like: The Postelles (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-postelles.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Hollerado (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/11/hollerado.html">NMT</a></b></span>); The Arcade Fire (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/arcade-fire.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-final-super-review-for-2013.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Boston, Mass.<br />
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<br />It's a shame that there needs to be a sub-category for the kind of material that Mean Creek is pumping out on their fourth full-length release. It's pretty straight-forward rock-and-roll: guitar, bass, drums, vocals. Plenty of swagger and punch. These days, you might term is power-pop. Or indie rock. Or post-punk. Whatever the label, it really doesn't matter. If you're sick of dream-synth, emo folk and noise rock, the eight tracks of <i>Local Losers</i> are the antidote. Recorded at Boston's Fort Apache studios (where some of my favorite records by <a href="https://myspace.com/tugboatannieband/music/songs">Tugboat Annie</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sheila_Divine">The Sheila Divine</a> were produced), the quartet doesn't over-complicate things, instead doling out quick bursts of enjoyable, sing-along rock music. Kind of like an amped-up version of The Postelles or an enjoyably less clever Hollerado. Thank God for that.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "Cool Town" (the album opener is brash and hard-hitting; although there's plenty of "let's move to California" tropes out there in rock music, I never seem to tire of hearing just one more; Hey, look: a guitar solo! I thought those were <span class="st">passé</span>!)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "My Madeline" (remember when The Arcade Fire promised their next record would be filled with shorter, more rock-oriented tracks? Well, this is what it should have sounded like, with Mean Creek co-fronters Chris Keene and Aurore Ounjian besting the most recent efforts of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne in that department)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Mass. Border" (has an anthemic, heartland rock quality to it that would make it a candidate for a live show closing number)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "Anxiety Girl" (a thumping punky romp with a catchy hook); "Night Running" (the trade-off vocals between Keen and Ounjian strike the rare balance between ramshackle and polish); "Johnny Allen" (the pace is just a bit more restrained than the others, not no less muscular); "Hangover Mind" (its verses somehow manage to vacillate between breezy and murky, then it delivers the knockout punch in the chorus); "Teenage Feeling" (Keene's first verse could have easily found a place on the aforementioned, less-obtuse Arcade Fire record that should have followed The Suburbs; the closing number doesn't wrap things gently, which is more than welcome on a record with this much hustle)<br />
<br />YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-1453796410441120102014-02-25T12:17:00.000-08:002014-02-25T12:17:13.320-08:00The Family Crest, The Farewell Drifters, Natural Child<br />
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<a href="http://www.thefamilycrestfamily.com/">The Family Crest</a> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-polyphonic-spree-family-crest.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
New Release: <i>Beneath The Brine</i><br />
Release Date: Today (February 25, 2014)<br />
Record Label: <a href="https://www.tenderlovingempire.com/">Tender Loving Empire Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: Hey Marseilles (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/02/hey-marseilles-miracles-of-modern.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Hey Rosetta! (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/hey-rosetta.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Of Monsters & Men (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/01/super-review-january.html">NMT</a>)</b></span>, The Polyphonic Spree (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-polyphonic-spree-family-crest.html">NMT</a></b></span>), The Arcade Fire (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/arcade-fire.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-final-super-review-for-2013.html">NMT</a></b></span>), DeVotchKa (<span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/devotchka.html"><b>NMT</b></a></span>)<br /><b>Location:</b> San Francisco, Calif.<br />
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Back in August, we told you everything you need to know about this San Francisco mega collective and hinted at their forthcoming sophomore full-length release. Now that it's here, we're still impressed with the scope of the outfit's undertaking, which has been fortified with a more cohesive overall sound and theme on the record's dozen tracks, although one – "Love Don't Go" – first appeared on <i>The Headwinds</i> EP. Just wish those of us on the East Coast could see them attempt to execute their massive project on stage, as the bulk of their shows are closer to their San Francisco home base.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/beneath-the-brine-mt0048629217">Beneath The Brine</a>" (serving as both the title and leadoff track, the epic number utilizes the unit's massive orchestral and vocal muscle to build both tension and grandiosity from the outset; the strings and percussion are both exceptionally voluminous and nearly manic at times; I love the operatic soprano wailing away in the background – a signature of their debut album, <i>The Village</i> – I'd love to know who she is)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-world-mt0048629218">The World</a>" (easily the poppiest offering on the collection; the beat is jaunty, reflecting the best of The Decemberists (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/decemberists.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/decemberists-long-live-king.html">NMT</a></b></span>) and the restrained instrumentation during the verses is a welcome counterpoint to the buoyant chorus; the band's agility is demonstrated on several occasions as it stops on a dime, no small feat for such a large unit with french horns and Hammond organs vying for their measure in the spotlight)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/howl-mt0048629221">Howl</a>" (as the second half of the New Orleans-style jazz funeral following "William's Dirge," its sufficiently celebratory and boisterous; if you remember the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uiYp8xKjLM">Squirrel Nut Zippers</a>, they're doing a pretty good representation of that sound; the clarinet is fantastic, along with the muffled trumpets)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/love-dont-go-mt0048629219">Love Don't Go</a>" (it would be double-dipping to list it higher after picking it as my Come for selection in my review of <i>The Headwinds</i> EP last time, as little has changed since then); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-waters-fine-mt0048629222">The Water's Fine</a>" (the jazzy flavor of "Howl" continues, with John Seeterlin's standup bass figuring prominently as strings and percussion battle between smooth fluidity and jagged staccato); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/i-am-the-winter-mt0048629223">I Am the Winter</a>" (gentile and simple – with flutes and oboes complimenting frontman Liam McCormack's acoustic guitar and warming vocals – it's a fitting trailer to the recently-wrapped Olympic Winter Games); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/she-knows-my-name-mt0048629224">She Knows My Name</a>" (the most intricate, chamber rock example on the record, with more operatic soprano – a non-sarcastic yay!); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/as-we-move-forward-mt0048629225">As We Move Forward</a>" (benefits from a driving pulse around which the instrumentation and verses stroke and swirl; McCormack's restrained phrasing in the chorus prevents it all from becoming too frenetic; has become among my favorite tracks on the album after repeated listens); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/when-the-lights-go-out-mt0048629226">When The Lights Go Out</a>" (takes far too long – about 1:45 – to get going in earnest, but there's some nice, understated folk here in the remaining 2:45 – or, as least as restrained as this particular brigade of musicians can get); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/theres-a-thunder-mt0048629227">There's A Thunder</a>" (does not belie its title, with low register percussion and orchestration suggesting stormy conditions that test – but do not defeat – the mettle of McCormack's protagonist); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/make-me-a-boat-mt0048629228">Make Me A Boat</a>" (a song that sounds much older than its age, like it was once song my monks shuffling through harmonic hallways, a notion aided by the wordless refrain in the first chorus; an epic bookend to match the opener)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/williams-dirge-mt0048629220">William's Dirge</a>" (it's well-described by the second clause of its title, but its too short at 1 minute even to arrive at a fully-formed opinion) <br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: with so much effort required to set the band in motion, they wisely don't waste tracks<br />
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<a href="http://thefarewelldrifters.com/">Farewell Drifters</a> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/farewell-drifters.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/07/farewell-drifters-echo-boom.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
New Release: <i>Tomorrow Forever </i><br />
Release Date: January 28, 2014<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://compassrecords.com/">Compass Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: Great Big Sea (<a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/07/great-big-sea.html"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>NMT</b></span></a>); Southeast Engine (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/02/southeast-engine.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/04/southeast-engine-canary.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Onward, Soldiers (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/02/onward-soldiers.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Nashville, Tenn.<br />
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As this review serves as my third assessment of new Farewell Drifters material, they've now drawn even with The Gaslight Anthem (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/01/gaslight-anthem.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/06/gaslight-anthem-american-slang.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-gaslight-anthem-handwritten.html">NMT</a></b></span>) for most-reviewed act in this space. And this review comes at a time of transition for the quintet-turned-quartet, following the departure of violinist/fiddler Chris Sedlemeyer. While the unit previously focused on bluegrass with a pop vocal harmonies, the revised effort is rounded into folk-rock, with the introduction of more percussion, keyboards, horns and – gasp – an occasional electric guitar. Your blogger can appreciate reaction that the band is denying its roots – having noted in the most recent review of the group that "that same proliferation of new material also suggests that epic shifts in tone or style are not likely" – they don't stumble too much in the process of redefining their sound. Frontman Zach Bevill – sounding no less like Better Than Ezra's Kevin Griffin than before – works with his bandmates to retain the same top-notch songwriting while adding new instrumental flourishes that add a new dimension for the band. <br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "Bring 'em Back Around" (song structure should be familiar to those who know the group, but this time with drums and electric guitar; lyrically, its nothing earth shattering, but has a tad more sandpaper than chock pop-rock, reminiscent of Onward, Soldiers' "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDJBhhk51Bc">Cinder Blocks</a>")<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "Modern Age" (this take on the new year, new vision theme could so easily be a Better Than Ezra number; the bell chimes and chorus vocals are both new elements that establish the band's new sound profile);<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "To Feel Alive" (the best mix of the group's prior identity with just a touch of rock punch; listen to that, it's a guitar solo!)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "Brother" (fantastic harmonies, but is it a tad sappy? Maybe); "Tomorrow Forever" (the banjo and fiddle paired with the marching snare beat are the heart of the track leading to the sing-along chorus); "Tennessee Girl" (simple lyrics, simple melody); "Neighborhoods Apart" ("<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v74yTy1UTuk"><i>I remember running through the wet grass...</i></a>" Oh, wait, that's another version of this song; mandolin and fiddle parts that were such a staple of past Farewell Drivers tunes step out front again); "Relief" (a bit slow in the verses, but it finds its way to a pretty uplifting chorus full of solid harmonies and a hooky melody); "The Day You Left" (not incredibly elaborate, but has a mountaintop serenade quality); "Starting Over" (the paradox of the song's title as the closing number should be apparent; there's some good background harmonies along with Bevill's introduction-by-way-of-departure ode)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "Coming Home" (the definition of the troubles-of-the-touring-musician
trope – Harry Chapin did it first and did it better in "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s5r2spPJ8g">Cats in the Cradle</a>"; a bit wrapped up in country pop but, then again, its not hard
to listen to) <br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: "Motions" (look, I get the point that the song's tone is to illustrate the lyrical theme of "<i>going through the motions</i>;" that doesn't mean its enjoyable, although I did enjoy the slow buildup of drums and strings at the close of the track)<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/naturalchildband">Natural Child</a><br />
New Release: <i>Dancin' With Wolves</i><br />
Release Date: (February 25, 2014)<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://burgerrecords.11spot.com/">Burger Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: The Sheepdogs (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/08/sheepdogs.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-sheepdogs-self-titled.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Dawes (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/super-review-may.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Deer Tick (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/10/deer-tick.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Nashville, Tenn.<br />
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Imagine you found a full-length, never-before released album of originals circa 1971, classic rock that's a grainy mix of blues and country. It's a sound that comes across as both spontaneous and deliberate at once. This is the rare level of output achieved by the Nashville-based trio on their third full-length release. It also marks the sort of great leap forward realized by Deer Tick last year on <i>Negativity</i>. This time, the group brought in session players Luke Schneider and Benny Divine, respectively to add pedal steel and keyboard/organ flourishes, further augmenting the classic rock approach parlayed by co-frontmen Seth McMurray (guitar) and Wes Taylor (bass) along with drummer Zach Martin.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/dont-the-time-pass-quickly-mt0048356875">Don't The Time Pass Quickly</a>" (comes across like a tongue-in-cheek Rolling Stones deep cut; fun and brazen)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/saturday-night-blues-mt0048356879">Saturday Night Blues</a>" (look up Deer Tick's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIEdkb8xDu0">Dream's in the Ditch</a>" and Dawes'
"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH8Jjz6PRYk">From A Window Seat</a>" and play this track between them; one of those
moments when you remember what rock-n-roll should be about)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/nashvilles-a-groovy-little-town-mt0048356882">Nashville's A Groovy Little Town</a>" (brilliantly relaxed and more rusty than honky tonk)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/out-in-the-country-mt0048356874">Out In The Country</a>" (I love that this song about the country is more bluesy and jazzy rather than slathering on bromides about pickups, Skynyrd and red clay); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/country-hippie-blues-mt0048356876">Country Hippie Blues</a>" (the rolling boogie groove from Taylor plays
brilliantly with Divine's pedal steel, while McMurray's guitar figures
are freeflowing without becoming too jammy; "<i>don't go judge a cover before you read the book</i>" is a fantastic line); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/firewater-liquor-mt0048356877">Firewater Liqour"</a> (Taylor's inpatient bass lines and Divine's ominous organ parts suggest a scene of a backroads dive bar where things are just moments away from turning bad); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/rounder-mt0048356880">Rounder</a>" (most countrified offering among the record's 10 tracks; effortless & twangy); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/im-gonna-try-mt0048356881">I'm Gonna Try</a>" (conversely, this rubbery number tacks harder to the blues; its a little groggy at times, but not out of place for a deep cut); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/dancin-with-wolves-mt0048356883">Dancin' With Wolves</a>" (the title track wraps things up nicely with a dusty trails ballad)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/bailando-con-lobos-mt0048356878">Bailando Con Lobos</a>" (a mix of <a href="http://loslonelyboys.com/">Los Lonely Boys</a> and <a href="http://www.steelydan.com/">Steely Dan</a>, a trippy grove that The Sheepdogs have found multiple times on their recent records, but is unfocused at times; note the title is the album title in Spanish)<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: not much to dislike <br />
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<br />YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-75104725577129954512014-02-14T06:55:00.000-08:002014-02-14T06:55:51.700-08:00Top 5 Love SongsI remember once reading a rant by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe about the "odiousness" of love songs and his pride that his band really didn't do them. Of course, most people could easily rattle off a couple numbers from the group that most would objectively call love songs, namely "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oQEPfe-O8">The One I Love</a>" or "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYo2GtEvMQI">Strange Currencies</a>."<br />
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And, course, Stipe isn't totally wrong. Many love songs can be overwrought and syrupy. But that hardly means there aren't volumes of shining examples. The bulk of the catalogs of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones are comprised of love songs. Few would consider them odious songwriters. Meanwhile, the Austin, Tex., quartet Quiet Company (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/rilo-kiley-quiet-company.html">NMT</a></b></span>) has devoted their entire collection to non-schmaltzy songs concerning love. <br />
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What follows in this special Valentine's Day edition of <i>New Music Tuesdays</i> are my five favorite songs about and informed by love. Certainly, you may have your own list. That's great. Feel free to share yours in the comments.<br />
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#5 – "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)"<br />
<a href="http://www.decemberists.com/">The Decemberists</a> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/decemberists.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/decemberists-long-live-king.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
<i>The Crane Wife</i> (2006)<br />
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I initially considered making this list consist entirely of Decemberists material. Maybe next year. Few songwriters are as able to craft original yet endearing love songs as the Portland, Ore., quintet's frontman, Colin Meloy. It doesn't get much more creative than this posthumous love letter from a departed Civil War solider on the Union side to his Confederate sweetheart, a duet beautifully delivered by Meloy and Laura Veirs (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/08/laura-veirs-harpers-fellow.html">NMT</a></b></span>).<br />
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<u>Key lyric</u>: <i>"But oh my love, though our bodies may be parted, though our skin may not touch skin. Look for me with the sun-bright sparrow, I will come on the breath of the wind..."
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#4 – "She's An Angel"<br />
They Might Be Giants (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/07/they-might-be-giants.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/03/super-review-march.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
<i>They Might Be Giants</i> (1986) <br />
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Few observers think of the duo of Johns – Flansbaugh and Linnell – who constitute They Might Be Giants (TMBG) as purveyors of love songs. And that's a correct perception, as most of their lyrical compositions focus on matters of science, humor and oddity. But this cut from their self-titled debut has staying power among the Johns' most sincere – if slightly paranoid – contributions on matters of the heart.<br />
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<u>Key lyric</u>: <i>"I found out she's an angel,
I don't think she knows I know.
I'm worried that something might happen to me
If anyone ever finds out."</i><br />
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<i>#3 – "I'll Be That Girl"</i> <br />
Barenaked Ladies<br />
<i>Stunt</i> (1998) <br />
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Much like TMBG, Canada's chief musical humor export are seldom recognized for their more serious offerings, although they actually comprise a greater portion of the band's oeuvre. Not only is this lesser-known track of the group's U.S. breakout record among the best numbers on that album, but it ranks among the best songwriting the now-departed, former co-frontman Steven Page (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/10/steven-page.html">NMT</a></b></span>) contributed to the band, due to its dark, role-reversal theme resting upon seemingly cheery pop-rock instrumentation.<br />
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<u>Key lyric</u>: <i>"It's time to kick off your shoes, learn how to choose sadness. It's time to throw off those chains, addle our brains with madness. 'Cause we've got plenty of time to grow old and die, but when at last your beauty's faded you'll be glad that I have waited for you..."</i><br />
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#2 – "We Both Go Down Together"<br />
The Decemberists<br />
<i>Picaresque</i> (2005)<br />
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Meloy is particularly prolific in churning out love songs in the star-crossed lovers archetype ("<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJXQSBWO5Qc">O Valencia!</a>," "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DnzjKeXYTI">From My Own True Love (Lost At Sea)</a>," the William/Margaret storyline in <i>The Hazards of Love</i>), but, of those, this is unquestionably his best.<br />
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<u>Key lyric</u>: <i>"Meet me on my vast veranda, My sweet, untouched Miranda! And while the seagulls are crying, we fall but our souls are flying!" </i><br />
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#1 – "The Gambler"<br />
<a href="http://www.ournameisfun.com/">fun.</a> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/03/fun.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/02/fun-some-nights.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
<i>Aim & Ignite</i> (2009)<br />
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fun. frontman Nate Ruess poured everything he knew about love songs into a fragile but convicting piano ballad from the New York trio's debut. It's not Ruess' own experience of romantic love, but that of his parents. Personally, your blogger and his wife chose it for their first dance. I'm know we weren't the first or last.<br />
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<u>Key lyric</u>: <i>"I swear when I grow up I won't just buy you a rose, I will buy the flower shop, and you will never be lonely. For even if the sun stops waking up over the fields, I will not leave, I will not leave 'til it's our time. So just take my hand, you know that I will never leave your side..."</i> YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-53824357073174547132014-02-04T05:45:00.002-08:002014-02-04T05:45:17.348-08:00Augustines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.weareaugustines.com/">Augustines</a><br />
New Release: <i>Augustines</i><br />
Release Date: Today (2/4/14)<br />
Record Label: Oxcart Records<br />
Sounds Like: Gaslight Anthem (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/01/gaslight-anthem.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <b><span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/06/gaslight-anthem-american-slang.html">NMT</a></span></b>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-gaslight-anthem-handwritten.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Frightened Rabbit (<a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/02/super-review-february.html">NMT</a>)<br />
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For you bible scholars out there, you know one of Jesus' most well-known questions of his disciples as they made their way to the villages of <span class="btext3">Caesarea Philippi: "But who do you say that I am?" The encounter is told in all four gospels (very similarly in the three synoptic gospels, in Mk 8:29; Mt 16:15; Lk 9:20; and slightly differently in Jn 6:66-69)</span><br />
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<span class="btext3">So imagine a similar – although perhaps just slightly less significant – exchange occurring between Augustines frontman and guitarist Billy McCarthy and followers of the rapidly-emerging Brooklyn, N.Y. trio (formerly known as We Are Augustines). McCarthy – a dude who looks like be the musical doppelganger of Jason Segel – might ask, "who do people say that my voice sounds like?"</span><br />
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<span class="btext3">Fans might reply, "well, some might say Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon, while others might suggest Frightened Rabbit's Scott Hutchinson or Emmet Swimming's Todd Watts, and still others may say Sting, Bono or Ezra Keonig."</span><br />
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<span class="btext3">McCarthy might then ask, "but who do you say that I am?" </span><br />
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<span class="btext3">Ahh, that's where we get to the tricky part. </span><br />
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<span class="btext3">All this intro buildup is a long-winded way of saying that there's no escaping that listeners of Augustines' past and current work – including their sophomore, self-tiled release that's out today – must first reconcile their reaction to McCarthy's tone and delivery before being able to thoroughly assess their feelings on the rest of the material. Sure, the tight-sounding unit's sound easily points to the best of U2's anthemic catalog and the ambition of recent acts like Muse, while McCarthy's recorded journeys of self-discovery mesh well with the evocative, but worldly imagery of Fallon's Gaslight Anthem or Hutchinson's Frightened Rabbit. </span><br />
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<span class="btext3">But I could easily understand well-intentioned listeners hearing McCarthy for the first time tuning the group out after just a few stanzas. On the new record alone, the single line, "<i>what am I running from?</i>" on "Now You Are Free" is garbled by so much of McCarthy's chewy vocal syrup that it nearly landed the entire track on my <u>Skip to next track</u> recommendation. Seriously, Tom Waits could give the dude tips on clarity in delivery.</span><br />
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<span class="btext3">Nonetheless, once McCarthy's thick baritone jumble eases into your aural muscle memory, the bulk of the work on <i>Augustines</i> is simply triumphant. A quick listen of the band's 2011 debut, <i>Rise Ye Sunken Ships</i>, suggests the trio was capable of great things and they largely deliver on the dozen tracks of its thematic follow-up. While the nameless characters in the former reach the precipice of self-actualization in the wake of tragedy, those in the latter acknowledge from the outset that they are embarking on a rite of passage, the trail of identity and discovery. As perhaps the most pervasive narrative arcs in all of art – from <i>The Odyssey</i>, <i>Ulysses</i> and <i>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</i> to <i>Quadrophenia</i> and <i>21st Century Breakdown</i> – this notion is conveyed by McCarthy as a "Walkabout." </span><br />
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<span class="btext3">The record spans feelings of the excitement of departure ("Nothing To Lose But Your Head," "Don't You Look Back"), obstacles to overcome ("Cruel City," "Weary Eyes," "Kid You're On Your Own"), realization ("Walkabout," "The Avenue") and triumph ("Now Your Are Free"). While the emotional and artistic impetus for the journey likely stems from the loss of McCarthy's brother – and former bandmate in <a href="http://www.pelamusic.com/">Pela</a> – to suicide in 2009, multi-instrumentalist Eric Sanderson and drummer Rob Allen give pulse to the concepts and are hardly just along for the ride. </span><br />
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<span class="btext3"><u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWglq-ni2Fw">Nothing To Lose But Your Head</a>" (the definition of anthemic)</span><br />
<span class="btext3"><u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrpFddBWMrw">Cruel City</a>" (the excellent African chorus pairs well with Bastille's hit, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F90Cw4l-8NY">Pompeii</a>," that's all over mainstream media these days; fortunately for Augustines, their catalog transcends just a single song)</span><br />
<span class="btext3"><u>You'll be surprised by</u>:"<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZZRX4E/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk6">Walkabout</a>" (while I'm not wild about McCarthy's falsetto that bookends the track – its even more indecipherable than his normal diction – but its a good change-of-pace number with the piano and steady buildup through the heart of the song. I always mark down bands that don't heed by 3-2-1 ratio for uptempo/mid-pace/ballad distribution, so I should equally reward bands that get it right, like Augustines do)</span><br />
<span class="btext3"><u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZZRWH2/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk4">Weary Eyes</a>" (a perfect blend of shimmering guitars from McCarthy, sludgy bass by Sanderson and Allen's regimental percussion to compliment McCarthy's smoothest vocal delivery on this mid-tempo offering); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZZRWTK/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk5">Don't You Look Back</a>" (really a fantastic track in every way with a bouncy melody brilliantly clashing with thunderous rhythm; its absolutely glimmering at its zenith); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZZRXH6/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk7">Kid You're On Your Own</a>" (the most direct parallel with The Gaslight Anthem's style; the chorus here may be the meatiest on the album); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZZN672/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk8">This Ain't Me</a>" (once again, the lyrics in the verses are a bit muddied by McCarthy's delivery, but overall, the continually shifting battle between understatement and anthem is an enjoyable experience); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZZN6K4/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk9">Now You Are Free</a>" (a swirling sing-along with solid backbone, but to reiterate, the "<i>what am I running from?</i>" line is distracting; remember Weird Al's line in "Smells Like Nirvana," "</span><span class="btext3"><i>It's hard to bargle nawdle zouss with all these marbles in my mouth?</i>" Well, its just as accurate today as it was in 1991); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZZN7JY/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk12">Hold On To Anything</a>" (wraps things up on a hopeful note)</span><br />
<span class="btext3"><u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZZRVEQ/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk1">Intro (I Touch Imaginary Hands)</a>" (a little more productive an intro than other preludes, but I wouldn't be adrift listing to the record without it); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZZN6VI/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk10">The Avenue</a>" (more falsetto, but little else); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZZN7JY/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk12">Highway 1 Interlude</a>" (an instrumental that doesn't really advance any of the melodic, harmonic or rhythmic themes, nor resolve the collection since it serves as the penultimate track) </span><br />
<span class="btext3"><u>Skip to next track:</u> No fatal flaws</span>
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<span class="btext3"><br /></span>YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-26706652216770443272014-01-28T04:30:00.000-08:002014-01-28T04:30:01.955-08:00Deaf Havana <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.deafhavanaofficial.com/">Deaf Havana </a><br />
New Release: <i>Old Souls</i><br />
Release Date: 1/21/14<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.bmgchrysalis.com/">BMG/Chrysalis</a><br />
Sounds Like: Airborne Toxic Event (<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/airborne-toxic-event.html">NMT</a></span></b>); Library Voices (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/10/library-voices.html">NMT</a></b></span>); The Postelles (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-postelles.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Hunstanton, U.K. <br />
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For most of my reviews, I use this space to explain some overarching theme to describe my reaction to given reviewee's latest release or connect them to a larger vein of related acts. Unfortunately, the early weeks of 2014 haven't produced much compelling new material – although plenty is on the horizon in early February – so Deaf Havana essentially makes the cut here as the group whose new record I felt inspired enough to spend some effort reviewing (Bastille's <i>Bad Blood</i> deluxe edition nearly emerged solely on the strength of "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F90Cw4l-8NY">Pompeii</a>" – which you've likely heard on your preferred pop culture medium, but there's not enough there to warrant my stamp of approval).<br />
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So, what makes Deaf Havana worthy of my time, then? Well, they have some pretty catchy material on their first full-length album released in earnest in the United States, a mix of heartland rock and power pop-rock. They also smartly jettisoned half of their previous scream-metal identity with the departure of Ryan Mellor in 2010, allowing the sextet to play to the unit's inherent strengths.<br />
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Yet, at the same time, some of the material is a little thin in the message department. Occasionally, it seems like their instincts drive them towards Def Leppard when they should be channeling Bruce Springsteen and The Who, while at other times they come within striking distance of some examples of amorphous Christian rock, chock full of easy cliches and empty metaphor. <br />
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Nonetheless, enough of <i>Old Souls</i> is of sufficient quality that I feel comfortable in recommending that you give it a listen.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfGZZJnoJ0U">Boston Square</a>" (both the album's lead-off track and debut single, its easily the best in their entire catalog; The Who influences are transparent, but not recidivist)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=745moVVyyXo">Speeding Cars</a>" (although frontman James Veck-Gilodi acknowledges the band's Springsteenian bent in the previous track, "22," its here where the true nods to The Boss are most recognizable through the number's steady, chugging pace)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P1ssYOVj2A">Everybody's Dancing and I Want to Die</a>" (easily the 11-track collection's hookiest offering, in the spirit of Library Voices' excellent <i>Summer of Lust </i>[<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/10/library-voices.html">NMT</a></b></span>]) <br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvjE4K1LbHs">Lights</a>" (a lighter Foo Fighters); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04WPoZi-s1k">Subterranean Bullshit Blues</a>" (big-sound classic rock with bluesy overtones); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCmK0okpsDQ">22</a>" (heartland rock with a touch of pop confection, a la The Postelles [<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-postelles.html">NMT</a></b></span>]; "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Zn6cVv4p0">Mildred</a>" (power punk); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLysby7VHgM">Kings Road Ghosts</a>" (unquestionably the most British-sounding material on the record, with its football references)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1YIC82GE6M">Night Drives</a>" (this uber ballad is a tad cheesy); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOCXsAfiDa4">Saved</a>" (would have less trouble with this if it were actually a Def Leppard song; otherwise its a lot of shlock); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tMXnoO7skE">Caro Padre</a>" (at first I thought I would like it, since starts slow and low, perfect for an album closer, but by the end the father's son stuff becomes overwrought; if you want the proper way to handle the father's son stuff, listen to fun.'s <i>Some Nights</i> [<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/02/fun-some-nights.html">NMT</a></b></span>] or Sleeping At Last's "Heirloom" [<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/06/super-review-sleeping-at-last.html">NMT</a></b></span>])<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: I could make it through every track, but those in the <u>Meh</u> section doesn't deserve much more than a listen or two<br />
<br />YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-68738788627579389762013-12-31T18:13:00.002-08:002013-12-31T18:13:23.846-08:00A Final Super Review for 2013Happy New Year! Obviously, its been a little. No good reasons why. But let's just wrap-up 2013 with a hat trick of reviews of records – all on the same day (October 29th) – earlier this fall I've been meaning to share my thoughts on. They correlate with three different acts at different stages of their careers. The first is one of few rock acts that can make an impression on the overall pop music scene these days. The second is a rabble-rousing troupe from Wales and the third an experimental fusion rock outfit from Texas. My reaction to their respective output is presented in ascending order of positivity, at least in my view.<br />
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<a href="http://www.arcadefire.com/">The Arcade Fire</a> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/arcade-fire.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
New Release: <i>Reflektor</i><br />
Release Date: October 29, 2013<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.mercuryrecords.co.uk/">Mercury Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: Hey Rosetta (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/hey-rosetta.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Rah Rah (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>); <a href="http://www.talking-heads.nl/">The Talking Heads</a><br />
Location: Montreal, Quebec<br />
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Look, there's no shortage of critical reaction to the ambitious fourth release from the most well-known multi-gender, instrument-swapping rock collective – a double album clocking in at more than 70 minutes of run time (although it will still fit on a standard blank 80-minute CD for burning purposes). Some think it sets a new vanguard for contemporary instrumental experimentation and thematic courage. Others think it fails according to every measure conceivable and the group is perpetually pulling one off on its hoodwinked audience. You're probably not surprised to read that my impression, then, is somewhere between those polemics.<br />
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I do think the group is capable of producing moments of brilliance, both on record and in live settings. All of their past releases have had handfuls of transcendent tracks as well as long stretches of overreaching nonsense. This is no less true on <i>Reflektor's</i> 13 cuts. The flashes of influence from David Bowie, Peter Gabriel and The Talking Heads that began percolating up on their previous effort – 2010's <i>The Suburbs</i> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/arcade-fire.html">NMT</a></b></span>) – are at deluge levels here. Whether that's a welcome nod to the predecessors who informed their sonic trajectory or ugly recidivism depends on your taste.<br />
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I'm far more interested in how the group – which currently is constituted of six full-time members in the studio, along with an assortment of touring musicians – is able to weave the new material into their arena-scale live show. Having never seen the band in concert before their tour supporting <i>The Suburbs</i>, I was thoroughly won over by the unit's ability to reach epic levels of performance across their entire catalog at the time, especially the rave-like interaction between the group and audience on selections from their 2004 debut release, <i>Funeral</i>. I suspect several Reflekor tracks will manage a similarly successful transition to the stage. All the other baloney about whether the act is too full of itself in asking concert attendees to dress up for dates on 2014's worldwide tour or whether it offers anything constructive commentary on the plight of Haiti (from which co-leader Regine Chassagne hails) are all cheap shots at a group that's desperately trying to preserve the flash and flair that used to accompany rock bands of their caliber, ground that's been almost entirely ceded to the rap, hip hop and shock pop genres. I give them points for at least giving it their all. <br />
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There are a few overarching negatives, though. First, its a crime that Chassagne doesn't receive a lead vocals track of her own. While co-leader Win Butler is still the better overall singer – Chassagne can come across as breathless at times and her preference to sing in French is fine in short doses – she's, by far, the better live performer, as anyone who's seen her command the stage on "Haiti" off <i>Funeral </i>can attest. Butler can seem aloof and has the worst stage banter instincts in live music history, while Chassagne is graceful and demanding. She deserves a fuller platform. Along those same lines, there are several between-song interludes that I guess are supposed to feel like some kind of concert experience. They're awkward and pointless, and if the aim is for some ironic commentary on bad performance dynamics, they've missed their mark. In addition, Butler and company like to drop references, especially historical ones ("Joan Of Arc," Eurydice, Orpheus) but they're entirely devoid of context or illumination. It's an assortment of information that's incumbent on the listener to interpret, not the educational experience you receive in a Colin Meloy or Will Sheff song. Sure, I may be too pedantic to get some of the call-outs that are obvious to those are more well-read on Greek mythology or criticisms of colonialism, but the job of an artist isn't to make your audience feel uniformed. Lastly (and sadly), the second half is largely unproductive. There's a few interesting moments in both "Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)" and "It's Never Over (Hey Orpheus)" but no single track is fully realized on its own.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E0fVfectDo">Reflektor</a>" (six minutes is unquestionably long for a leadoff single and the record's title track is assuredly too repetitive at times; it also has the meatiest rock choruses and is the album's zenith in both tone and performance)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeYLAQIBFkI">Normal Person</a>" (don't dig too deep into co-leader Butler's reflections on normalcy – a fetish that appears in nearly every negative review of Reflektor – while missing the muscular instrumental noise that's the heart of the effort's most well-rounded track; there's also guitar solos aplenty, which should quell much of the fear that the band's transforming into an electronic-focused act; you can draw a line from this track to <i>The Suburbs</i>' "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP2HbiTfJ8k">Modern Man</a>," both of which underscore the Talking Heads influence most transparently) <br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8rgyyTEGnU">You Already Know</a>" (this Motown-flavored pop confection is decidedly the sonic outlier on the record and its great for that reason; the track's bass line is the tune's backbone, the best of an album that has numerous outstanding bass parts, with bass duties usually shared between Tim Kingsbury and Richard Reed Parry; I do wish the over-accentuation of syllables on the chorus was a little less pronounced)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVCbZrLxXL0">We Exist</a>" (touches of The Clash here, with the stabbing guitars and rolling bass line, and a fine chorus when it comes around, but its a lot of repetition to endure at times); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edmYvkdlqSI">Here Comes the Night Time</a>" (I really wish the frenetic, carnival-like intro and outro that bookend the track's midsection were actually the bulk of the number, which is the band's commentary of the original and ongoing colonial posture towards Chassagne's Haiti; how well that message is conveyed lyrically is less important than the well-rendered Carribean vibe of the song as a whole, replete with steel drums and varying rhythm signatures); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2o1hzUddIc">Joan Of Arc</a>" (after an ominously metal-like intro – one I wish they'd explored a bit more – the number's bouncy groove is enjoyable); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r75BFcH4u2k">Afterlife</a>" (there's some pretty cool rock-electronic synthesis here,
but not a whole lot of variation beyond the core lyrical and
instrumental hook, so its twice as long as it needs to be)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bIfHnmu7dA">Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)</a>" (the track's namesake is truly apropos, because the bulk of its firt half really features some kinds of awful sounds, which I'm not sure are connected with a larger purpose other than proving that, yes, they can produce an awful sound; still, find your way to the 3:00 mark, when the number brushes the periphery of Pink Floyd's more productive experimentation); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BeyS5m23Eg">It's Never Over (Hey Orpheus)</a>" (I think there's something here, but its sparse and not aided by the number's nearly dead-stop, again around the 3:00 juncture; the rest is kind of uneven); <br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwWK8uyoHdg">Flashbulb Eyes</a>" (I appreciate the sonic effect they're trying to achieve – as evidenced by the title – but its not very enjoyable but for a tiny fraction of the 2:42 runtime); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duI1Bunlpmk">Here Comes the Night Time II</a>" (the kind of ambient electronic dirge that led me to mostly avoid groups like Nine Inch Nails); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfIZPF5g-RE">Porno</a>" (not nearly as risque as the title suggests); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxxMBKqzpwU">Supersymmetry</a>" (remember every bad notion you have of double albums because its on full display here; even worse, after the 5 and 3/4 minutes of avant garde noise, you'd think there'd be some kind of neat hidden track at the end of its 11:17, but there's little more than quiet and brief instrument flourishes strewn about the remaining 6 minutes; dreadful)<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://loscampesinos.com/">Los Campesinos!</a> (NMT)<br />
New Release: <i>No Blues</i><br />
Release Date: October 29, 2013<br />
Record Label: Wichita Recordings <br />
Sounds Like: We Were Promised Jetpacks (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/02/we-were-promised-jetpacks.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/10/we-were-promised-jetpacks-in-pit-of.html">NMT</a></b></span>), <a href="http://www.brokensocialscene.ca/">Broken Social Scene</a><br />
Location: Cardiff, Wales<br />
<br />
Unlike Arcade Fire's naked ambition, the similarly-sized outfit from Wales – Los Campesinos! – seems to be quite content plugging away at what they do best on their fifth full-length release, <i>No Blues</i>: plucky, infectious indie pop-rock. The group consistently spins out easy-to-digest, relatively joyful-sounding tromps that belile frontman Gareth's recurring themes of mortality and gloom. Seriously, in addition to the entire tracks of "What Death Leaves Behind" and "Cemetery Gaits," there's morbid gems like "<i>We all know we're gonna die</i>" and "<i>May she who casts the first fist of dirt across the casket have mourners lick the mud from her fingernails.</i>"<br />
<br />
My main issues with the 10-track release are 1) although the group is among the best at meeting my 3-2-1 ratio of uptempo-to-midtempo-to-ballads, their slow songs are not particularly enjoyable. This is nothing new for the band, and even the less enjoyable slow numbers are more worthwhile than Arcade Fire's stabs in the dark at experimentation on <i>Reflektor</i>. 2) I would have like to have heard more input from Gareth's sister Kim, who handles keyboard duties and occasional lead vocals. Neither figure prominently on <i>No Blues</i>. <br />
<br />
<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/avocado-baby-mt0048219832">Avacado, Baby</a>" (the record's first single is quintessential Los Campesinos!)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/what-death-leaves-behind-mt0048219827">What Death Leaves Behind</a>" (the infectious melody obscures the
morbidity, in the They Might Be Giants (NMT, NMT) / Barenaked Ladies
tradition)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/a-portrait-of-the-trequartista-as-a-young-man-mt0048219828">A Portrait of the Trequartista as a Young Man</a>" (among the most
well-rounded tracks in the unit's catalog while still catchy; what's
that? A meaningful acoustic guitar part?)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/for-flotsam-mt0048219826">For Flotsam</a>" (again, stuff like this is what the band does best); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/cemetery-gaits-mt0048219829">Cemetery Gaits</a>" (the chorus hook is undeniable); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/as-lucerne-the-low-mt0048219831">As Lucerne/The Low</a>" (the kind of sing-along you can't wait to participate in live); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/let-it-spill-mt0048219833">Let It Spill</a>" (gradual builder); <br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/glue-me-mt0048219830">Glue Me</a>" (this is one of the slow numbers mentioned above as a bit sludgy, but the chorus still benefits from a top-flight hook); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-time-before-the-last-time-mt0048219834">The Time Before The Last Time</a>" (ibid); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/selling-rope-swan-dive-to-estuary-mt0048219835">Selling Rope [Swan Dive to Estuary]</a>" (no Los Campesinos! track should ever run 6:18)<br />
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<a href="http://whitedenimmusic.com/">White Denim</a><br />
New Release: <i>Corsicana Lemonade</i><br />
Release Date: October 29, 2013<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://dmpgroup.com/">Downtown Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: The Sheepdogs (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/08/sheepdogs.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-sheepdogs-self-titled.html">NMT</a></b></span>); The Black Keys (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/12/black-keys_12.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Austin, Texas<br />
<br />
While The Arcade Fire was overly ambitious with <i>Reflektor</i> and Los Campesinos reliable via <i>No Blues</i>, the group in this set who took the greatest leap forward on their latest release is the classic rock quartet from Austin, White Denim. I fully intended to review their sixth full-length album, <i>D</i>, back in 2011 but never quite got around to it. Maybe because I wasn't blown away with the collection other than a few numbers ("Drugs" being one of those). Regardless, their new effort is more deserving of some attention. Previously, the group would frequently become mired in extended jams that really aren't what get me going on record (I have a bit more patience in a live setting). Here, they haven't needed to sacrifice their top drawer musicianship in exchange for tighter songwriting and audience accessibility.<br />
<br />
<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMCoiehkH8U">Pretty Green</a>" (the leadoff single is a nice strut in the rhythm track and the type of hazy 70s pop hooks so successfully employed by The Sheepdogs and The Black Keys recently; it's a shame this song wasn't released in 1977)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/at-night-in-dreams-mt0048010154">A Night in Dreams</a>" (the record's leadoff hitter benefits from an excellent boogie groove while frontman James Petralli's stream-of-conscious vocals recall Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott and the guitar harmony effects employed by Petralli and Austin Jenkins are a pretty clear nod to Steely Dan)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/come-back-mt0048010158">Come Back</a>" (enjoy the fusion of jazz and hard rock here; I wish I could hear this one under the needle on vinyl)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/corsicana-lemonade-mt0048010155">Corsicana Lemonade</a>" (the pairing of the pitter-patter rhythm and Petralli's barely-louder-than-a-whisper vocals combine to produce a sense of urgency, albeit one that's somewhat restrained); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/new-blue-feeling-mt0048010157">New Blue Feeling</a>" (this feels like a very deep Beatles cut off Abbey Road; the twin guitar harmonies here are the best instrumental sounds on the album); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/distant-relative-salute-mt0048010159">Distant Relative Salute</a>" (southern-fried licks); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/let-it-feel-good-my-eagles-mt0048010160">Let It Feel (My Eagles)</a>" (this number grew on me the more I listened to
it, but the playful melody takes a little too long to not to be scared
of its shadow); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/a-place-to-start-mt0048010163">A Place to Start</a>" (although its ironically positioned at the end of the record despite its title, it's easygoing, gentle nature is the perfect place to wrap things up; kinda wish there was a saxophone solo in there, though)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/limited-by-stature-mt0048010156">Limited by Stature</a>" (I like the acoustic guitar treatment on top of the rather trippy arrangement, but I'm not totally digging Petralli's wavy falsetto through much of the track); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/cheer-up-blues-ending-mt0048010162">Cheer Up / Blues Ending</a>" (as the title's second clause implies, this is plenty bluesy, but also a bit clumsy, as it feels like most of the time its trying not to trip over its feet) <br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: Nothing repugnantYLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-74192699229563216852013-10-15T04:00:00.000-07:002013-10-15T04:00:00.237-07:00The Head and the Heart (Let's Be Still); Dismemberment PlanSometimes, a couple groups or artists will line-up nicely with mutual releases that highlight the similarity between the two acts, like my reviews earlier this year of Okkervil River and Neko Case (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/okkervil-river-neko-case.html">NMT</a></b></span>) or The Family Crest and The Polyphonic Spree (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-polyphonic-spree-family-crest.html">NMT</a></b></span>). On this occasion, there's very little that unites the new work (or previous repertoires) of this week's profilees: The Head and the Heart and the Dismemberment Plan. The former is a relatively new folk rock collective while the latter is a quirky indie rock unit that hadn't produced new material in more than a decade. Both are worth some time exploring.<br />
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<br />
<b><a href="http://www.theheadandtheheart.com/">The Head and the Heart </a></b><br />
New Release: <i>Let's Be Still (</i><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-head-and-the-heart-reach-outward-on-lets-be-still-premiere-20131008">listen to it streaming here</a><i>)</i><br />
Release Date: Today (October 15, 2013)<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.subpop.com/">Sub Pop Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: Agesandages (<a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/07/agesandages.html"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>NMT</b></span></a>), The Oh Hellos (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-strokes-oh-hellos.html">NMT</a></b></span>), The Last Bison (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/03/super-review-march.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Seattle, Wash.<br />
<br />
Much of the talk coming out of The Head and the Heart camp is how much the band has opened up to explore new sonic space after touring in support of their 2011 self-titled debut (<a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/04/head-and-heart.html">NMT</a>) and responding to the influences of those they supported on the road, like The Decemberists (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/decemberists.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/decemberists-long-live-king.html">NMT</a></b></span>), My Morning Jacket and Iron and Wine. That's all fine, but whatever evolution that has occurred between their debut and sophomore releases is subtle and fairly in keeping with the trajectory the band had established for itself on their first record. This isn't to suggest that I'm disappointed with the result; far from it, actually. The Seattle sextet's sound has certainly matured, producing a fuller and more balanced approach that beneficially avoids some of the starker moments of their premiere. Apparently, that stems from group-wide approach to both songwriting and performance, rather than relying on the bulk of the material emanating from co-frontperson Josiah Johnson, who'd rounded up the band from open mic nights where he'd been performing around Seattle, who then largely modified his existing compositions. <br />
<br />
<u>Come for</u>: "Shake" (rich, full sound, piqued by darker electric guitar by Jonathan Russell and piano from Kenny Hensley)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "My Friends" (Hensley's punchy piano is the focus from the outset and
sustains the uptempo beat throughout its delightful 3:22; solid group
vocal harmonies); <br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Summertime" (a bit of calypso vibe on this number fronted by violinist Charity Rose Thielen; provides the nice change-of-pace vocals Regine Chassagne contributes in The Arcade Fire [<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/arcade-fire.html">NMT</a></b></span>])<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "Homecoming Heroes" (the typewriter-style percussion is the song's signature, and the lyrics frame the record's theme: <i>"so, now I know, people want a story, one ending in glory and a wave of their flag;"</i> Hensley's piano is again a stand-out); "Another Story" (the heart of the group's nu-folk sound, becomes livelier as it goes); "Josh McBridge" (a little sleepy at first, but rounds out over its 5:14 runtime into among the most well-realized offerings on the baker's dozen tracks on the album; learn more about the meaning of the song <a href="http://floatfasthummingbird.blogspot.com/2011/05/head-and-heart-josh-mcbride.html">here</a>); "Cruel" (a slightly bluesy slow roller); "Let's Be Still" (as the title suggests, restrained and reflective); "10,000 Weight in Gold" (a measured, heartland/rootsy rambler); "Fire/Fear" (Russell's oaken lead guitar lines are 1977 distilled, perhaps my favorite instrumental sound on the record); "These Days Are Numbered" (Thielen's second turn out front is stark and gritty); "Gone" (when a closing number runs 6:26, its often a dirge; this one starts similarly but is totally transformed around the 1:45 mark, when the instrumentation and intensity really pick up; also, any train references are always appreciated by your blogger; closing refrain continues the band's tradition of using their name in the lyrics)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "Springtime" (really just an intro to "Summertime," and Thielen's vocals are a little ambient for my taste)<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: nothing too objectionable <br />
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<a href="http://dismembermentplan.com/">The Dismemberment Plan</a><br />
New Release: <i>Uncanny Valley</i> (l<a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/10/06/228466114/first-listen-the-dismemberment-plan-uncanney-valley#playlist">isten to it streaming here</a>)<br />
Release Date: Today (October 15, 2013)<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.partisanrecords.com/">Partisan Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: They Might Be Giants (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/07/they-might-be-giants.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/03/super-review-march.html">NMT</a></b></span>), The Tins (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Washington, D.C.<br />
<br />
I remember the first time I heard about The Dismemberment Plan. It was my freshman year in college (1999) at the Catholic University of America. A couple of my classmate from my French 101 course and I were at the They Might Be Giants' then-annual Halloween show at the 9:30 Club. That show was great (they played <i>Flood</i> in its entirety as a fake opening band called Saphire Bullets of Pure Love, who proclaimed themselves to be the greatest They Might Be Giants cover band at Syracuse University, and then criticized the fake band as a bunch of assholes when they came out for the real show. The next year, they played the setlist in reverse, starting with what would normally be the final encore, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo0X77OBJUg">Istanbul [Not Constantinople]</a>" and working their way back). Anyways, between real and impostor sets by TMBG, we were discussing various groups and my friends mentioned a local DC-based group who should appeal to TMBG fans. That group as The Dismemberment Plan.<br />
<br />
I investigated them the best I could, but the internet of 1999 was not the same as today's, so it was harder accessing their full catalog. What I did find was a little quirky and disjointed for my taste. I couldn't make a show because of the routines of college life, and when I was finally able to around 2001, they had gone on hiatus (read <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/07/travis_morrison_and_the_dismemberment_plan_what_it_s_like_to_marry_a_rock_star_.html">this interesting piece</a> from frontman Travis Morrison's now-wife who initially didn't know about his band). So, here we are more than two decades later, and the four-piece outfit's timing seems ideal as a second chance for my fandom. Although the 10-song record starts off a little disjointed, the second half builds in accessibility with some well-crafted nerd-rock tracks. As an overall statement, though, there's about 200% more strange keyboards than are necessary across the whole record. I wish they'd focus more on the guitars. <br />
<br />
<u>Come for</u>: "Lookin'" (uncomplicated indie pop-rock, the type of unpretentious love song the four-piece wouldn't have attempted in its heyday)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "Mexico City Christmas" (once you get passed the cheesy synth/drum machine intro, its funny and quicky in just the right ways; the chorus is among the meatiest Morrison has ever crafted)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Daddy Was a Real Good Dancer" (sure, its tongue-in-cheek, but so was Paul Westerberg's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8J9WssSj7Q">Androgynous</a>;" don't take it too seriously)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "No One's Saying Nothing" (on the first few listens, this track didn't appeal to me that much aside from the chuckle-inducing opening lyric, "<i>You hit the spacebar enough and cocaine comes out / I really like this computer</i>," but its gradually wearing on me a little more); "White Collar White Trash" (the only rock song I know that's essentially a listing of Northern Virginia suburbs; I like guitarist Jason Caddell's work, but Morrison's keyboards are distracting during the verses; the chorus is simple, but catchy); "Go and Get It" (the sludgy rhythm track from bassist Eric Axelson and drummer Joe Easley is a nice departure from the bulk of the collection and the shout-it-out-loud chorus is eminently singable); "Let's Just Go To The Dogs Tonight" (as close to a late-nite/party anthem that this group can muster, replete with its own audience call-and-response bridge)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "Waiting" (it's just too weird for me, and I think the lyrics sound forced to match the beat); "Invisible" (doesn't feel comfortable in its own skin); "Living in Song" (the verses are not easily digestible due to the lyrics and keyboards, but – again – the chorus is worthwhile)<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: I could put a couple of the tracks where I complain about the keyboards here depending on my mood. A taste of weird keyboards is fine; this is forced feeding. <br />
<br />
<br />YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-68055140184243335812013-10-01T04:00:00.000-07:002013-10-01T04:00:12.639-07:00Deer Tick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://deertickmusic.com/">Deer Tick</a><br />
New Release: <i>Negativity</i><br />
Release Date: September 24, 2013<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.partisanrecords.com/">Partisan Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: Ha Ha Tonka (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/ha-ha-tonka.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Dawes (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/super-review-may.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Providence, RI<br />
<br />
There's a portfolio of artists and groups that I know are liked by people who's musical tastes I respect, but I just can't seem to get interested in. I can't get beyond the trippy or moody tangents of <a href="http://www.mymorningjacket.com/">My Morning Jacket</a> or the stark and fragile whimpers of Justin Vernon and <a href="http://boniver.org/">Bon Iver</a>, while both <a href="http://www.daftalive.com/">Daft Punk</a> and <a href="http://lcdsoundsystem.com/main/">LCD Soundsystem</a> are just too much electronica for my palate. I won't criticize folks for being into those acts, but I doubt I'll ever take a liking for them. I always figured Deer Tick would be remain among those groups. While I can stomach a certain amount of un-beautiful singing by a lead vocalist if it serves the larger ethos of their catalog (see The Hold Steady's (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/05/hold-steady.html">NMT</a></b></span>) Craig Finn (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/02/craig-finn.html">NMT</a></b></span>) and Rural Alberta Advantage's [<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/12/rural-alberta-advantage.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/rural-alberta-advantagedeparting.html">NMT</a></b></span>] Nils Edenloff as examples), I never really found that Deer Tick's frontman John McCauley delivered material that justified the suffering of my aural receptors. I was also deterred by reports of the band's casual drug use, and the harder edge kind at that. Overall, there was some alright stuff, but none of it really hit my nerves, kind of the same way I feel about My Morning Jacket, Bon Iver or groups like <a href="http://grizzly-bear.net/">Grizzly Bear</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deerhunter">Deerhunter</a> (the latter is unrelated to Deer Tick). <br />
<br />
So, why I decided to click on<a href="http://teamcoco.com/video/deer-tick-the-dream-is-in-the-ditch-09-25-13"> a video of the band playing "The Dream's In The Ditch</a>" on Conan last week I don't know, but I'm glad I gave McCauley and his mates another chance. Gone was the sparse, half alt-country, half Replacements derivation of previous efforts. Instead, it was replaced on this track by a full, classic rock motif that while obviously borrowing liberally from Springsteen and Van Morrison, at least delivers a very enjoyable knockoff. Similar to my reaction to the latest work by Ha Ha Tonka last week, Deer Tick sounds like it has graduated from the self-imposed limits of their past work and is now performing in a space that's both inevitable and comfortable based on where they came from.<br />
<br />
<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-dreams-in-the-ditch-mt0047644801">The Dream's In The Ditch</a>" (see above)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-curtain-mt0047644797">The Curtain</a>" (meaty; McCauley's vocals sound as like Axl Rose singing with a blues-rock band; love the organ part from Rob Crowell and lead figures by former <a href="http://titusandronicus.net/">Titus Andronicus</a> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/04/titus-andronicus.html">NMT</a></b></span>) guitarist Ian O'Neil) <br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/just-friends-mt0047644798">Just Friends</a>" (Bob Seger called: he wants "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdP7RXkbWAY">Main Street</a>" back; sounds circa 1977, not 2013, and that's just great)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-rock-mt0047644800">The Rock</a>" (a little slow at first for a leadoff track, but gets real by the first chorus with punchy drums from Dennis Ryan and pulsing piano lines from Crowell; as usual, I'm a fan of the horns); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/mirror-walls-mt0047644802">Mirror Walls</a>" (easygoing, alt-country-style ballad); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/trash-mt0047644804">Trash</a>" (after the assault of horns in the intro, the remainder is tres-Van Morrison, all bluesy and smoky; "I want to fall in love again with the open road" and "it's my disposition as a wasteful savant" are the album's finest lines and are expertly-delivered by McCauley); '<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/thyme-mt0047644799">Thyme</a>" (the number's minor-key structure plays out like an old detective novel, it should be the soundtrack of puddled alleys and guys called gumshoes; Crowell's piano parts are his best work on the record); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/in-our-time-mt0047644805">In Our Time</a>" (like so many others in this collection, this tune sounds much older than it is, with its affable rolling country-meets-boogie flow and fantastic guest vocals by Vanessa Carlton); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/hey-doll-mt0047644806">Hey Doll</a>" (the previously mentioned vocal patterns of both Van Morrison and Axl Rose somehow meet in the middle here and its delightful; its clear Crowell has more freedom to demonstrate his value here than on any previous Deer Tick record, with his steady piano grounding the track); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/negativity-mw0002563718">Pot Of Gold</a>" (as the heaviest number on the album – by far – the effects of McCauley's history with substance abuse are most explicitly discussed here); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/big-house-mt0047644808">Big House</a>" (appropriately restrained solo, acoustic by McCauley to end the session, although he shows hints of a slight lisp that was more prominent on past acoustic tracks that often became distraction) <br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/mr-sticks-mt0047644803">Mr. Sticks</a>" (I'd be fine with it if it didn't follow two other ballads, nothing exceptional here) <br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: nothing objectionable <br />
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YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-82476286882390244312013-09-24T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-24T04:00:06.753-07:00Ha Ha Tonka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9Am-4c0ngZznZAtLAcGVt0kNhaI1McvYYlGwFQQMogZD868AEMgLTlZUmeftzjx2EweFU4kWVQEwEtVlp3MULf5T2XvSCT12emq2PfWdt1GbAG1Pa9QdX1vIdGOmS_8dik_WWRCEksc/s1600/elle-ha-ha-tonka-band-de.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9Am-4c0ngZznZAtLAcGVt0kNhaI1McvYYlGwFQQMogZD868AEMgLTlZUmeftzjx2EweFU4kWVQEwEtVlp3MULf5T2XvSCT12emq2PfWdt1GbAG1Pa9QdX1vIdGOmS_8dik_WWRCEksc/s320/elle-ha-ha-tonka-band-de.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.hahatonkamusic.com/">Ha Ha Tonka</a><br />
New Release: <i>Lessons</i><br />
Release Date: Today (September 24, 2013)<br />
Record Label: Bloodshot Records<br />
Sounds Like: Band of Horses (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Oh No!, Oh My! (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/oh-no-oh-my.html">NMT</a></b></span>); The Postelles (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-postelles.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: West Plains, Mo.<br />
<br />
Stop me if you've heard this one before: a band who has put out a few solid, but not exceptional records turns in an effort that serves not as an elaboration from their previous form, but a fulfillment of it – the type of music they were destined to make if their composite elements came together in a cohesive fashion. Such a description could easily apply to several releases we've reviewed previously here, most notably the ones listed in the <u>Sounds Like</u> field above. This time around, its the fourth full-length album by the rural Missouri alt-country, Americana quartet Ha Ha Tonka, <i>Lessons</i> (<a href="http://soundcheck.wnyc.org/story/check-ahead-ha-ha-tonka-lessons/">listen to it streaming here</a>). <br />
<br />
Over the course of the outfit's previous three records, there was plenty of earnest, stripped-down roots rock flavored with country influences and, at times, gospel-style vocal harmonies. But often it came across like they were trying a bit too hard to come across as hardscrabble and authentic, yielding somewhat forced songwriting and overwrought studio performances. Lessons, on the other hand, is easygoing and inviting, despite the fact that most of the instrumental arrangements are the most complex the group has ever delivered. If an resource economist were to review this record, they might dub it peak mandolin via lead guitarist/mandolinst Brett Anderson's exhaustive use of the instrument. A 70s-era funkmaster would be impressed with bassist Luke Long's often bouncy and occasionally groovy bass lines. Your blogger is satisfied with all of it, enjoying the output of a band that is just hitting its stride.<br />
<br />
<u>Come for</u>: "Rewrite Our Lives" (an optimal choice for a leadoff single; fantastic hook and exemplary performance)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "Dead To The World" (the album opener's 45 seconds of intro is the most elaborate and joyous instrumentation the band has recorded in their career, with mandolins, strings, pounding percussion from Lennon Bone, even touches of Celtic influence; the leadoff lyrics set the stage for the group's re-energized mission, that of overcoming inertia and embracing new ideas: "<i>I'm at the stage when I only do things that I know how to do / I can make coffee and I can make small talk, cause who wants to try something new?</i>"; frontman Brian Roberts has never sounded more genuine)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Colorful Kids" (the starkest departure from the group's previous signature sound; comes across like IRS-era R.E.M. [<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/rem.html">NMT</a></b></span>]; the verses are catchy enough to be a perpetual chorus; Anderson's mandolin is out front again)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "Staring At The End Of Our Lives" (a direct nod to the late era of The Replacements; some nice vocal harmonies in the chorus, stick around for Long's rubbery bass outro); "Synthetic Love"/"Arabella" (the short, :30 track introduces the recurring synthetic love/heart concept, then sets the stage for the record's only true ballad, a very rusty trails one at times, but the fuzzy, thumping post-choruses are something the band would never had tried before; which would pair nicely with Southeast Engine's "Ruthie" [<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/04/southeast-engine-canary.html">NMT</a></b></span>]); "Lessons" (once again, Long is the standout contributor here; the chorus, albeit catchy, is a bit repetitive – and, yes, I get that's the point – but they get points for experimentation); "American Ambition" (most similar to the bulk of their catalog); "Pied Pipers" (is Wilco-y a word? If it is, this is its definition); "The Past Has Arms" (easily the best singing on this collection); "Terrible Tomorrow" (can a western song be psychedelic? If so, this is what it would sound like); "Prove The World Wrong" (another dusty trails motif; I love albums that end with these types of farewell credos and this one builds in intensity as it reaches its zenith)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "Cold Forever" (nothing exceptionally wrong, but lacks the sizzle of the rest of the album)<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: Give it all at least one listen <br />
<br />YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-23742738976419329322013-09-20T14:35:00.000-07:002013-09-20T14:35:49.451-07:00My Optimal Okkervil River Setlist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVuxgDGpJpZrog-xuaJ5tug8RNqmT0YCADfoFgQvHN3om4d4vnHWtJkdm7MiEXvPIWSPHzGSgvo1fbUQbpkWEJHd33TzTIfWv5NUmW20Cg4ApQtnrBPKf36kqvGkoc8-ZViTrq2qjUYM/s1600/251396_10150206907328936_1513530_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVuxgDGpJpZrog-xuaJ5tug8RNqmT0YCADfoFgQvHN3om4d4vnHWtJkdm7MiEXvPIWSPHzGSgvo1fbUQbpkWEJHd33TzTIfWv5NUmW20Cg4ApQtnrBPKf36kqvGkoc8-ZViTrq2qjUYM/s320/251396_10150206907328936_1513530_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm pretty jonesed about seeing Okkervil River (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/okkervil-river-neko-case.html">NMT</a></b></span>) at the 9:30 Club here in D.C. on Monday evening. I saw them there previously on the <i>I Am Very Far</i> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/okkervil-river.html">NMT</a></b></span>) Tour and was impressed (see your blogger's photo above). Now, I went in with low expectations. I was sure Will Sheff would load the set with slow, obtuse selections that would take the crowd out of play. I was wrong. They opened with just the sort of uptempo, engaging material I would have suggested, and had a good balance between new and old stuff, as well as loud and quiet. Sheff's mid-set solo, acoustic version of "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEWnVLHRMBo">A Stone</a>" was among the highlights (watch on the linked video how just changing chords without strumming provides just enough instrumentation), as was the expectedly brash final encore "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvbYh7pOf-g">Unless It's Kicks</a>."<br />
<br />
My expectations are now raised, but I have far too many standout numbers I'd want to hear in a normal set with an opening band (iTunes tells me it's 1.9 hours without breaks). Nonetheless, he's what setlist I'd prefer in an ideal world. I'll post the actual setlist in the comments after the show. If you're in town Monday night, hope to see you there!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
On A Balcony -> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pop Lie -> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
White Shadow Waltz</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Blanket and Crib -></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Stay Young -></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Latest Toughs</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It Was My Season</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lost Coastlines</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Wake and Be Fine </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(mini-acoustic set)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Black Sheep Boy -></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Okkervil River Song</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The President's Dead</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Where The Spirit Left Us </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Calling And Not Calling My Ex</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Song About a Star</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
No Key, No Plan</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Rider</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All The Time, Every Day</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Black </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Westfall</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Singer Songwriter</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Down Down The Deep River</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Unless It's Kicks</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-- --</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
John Allyn Smith Sails</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lido Pier Suicide Car</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
--</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Savannah Smiles</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Last Love Song for Now </div>
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<br />YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-72447715753450717812013-09-17T04:08:00.000-07:002013-09-17T04:08:38.886-07:00NMT's Favorite SingersIn the previous post on Neko Case's most recent solo album (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/okkervil-river-neko-case.html">NMT</a></b></span>), I anointed her "the best vocalist in contemporary music." Which is to say she is my favorite singer currently releasing relevant new material. Obviously, there's no objective standard for ratings of this kind, merely just personal preference. I will provide warrants to support the claims I make, but there's no scientific or mathematical formula behind it. And I should explain that while singers have a wide range of impact on the songs they record and perform, what I'm talking about here is sheer vocal talent. For instance, Craig Finn (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/02/craig-finn.html">NMT</a></b></span>) is – by form – not a particularly great singer, but is a perfect frontman for The Hold Steady (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/05/hold-steady.html">NMT</a></b></span>). Likewise, The Rural Alberta Advantage's (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/12/rural-alberta-advantage.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/rural-alberta-advantagedeparting.html">NMT</a></b></span>) Nils Edenloff has a voice as smooth as vinegar, but that's irrelevant as he tears through "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFm64JKARGI">Deathbridge in Lethbridge</a>." Neither will make an appearance on this list.<br />
<br />
Another key note before getting underway is originally this list was going to be a Best Female Singers list. But as I prepared and thought about the list, the gender distinction is unnecessary. Great singers are simply great singers. Moreover, I was having trouble putting together a list that had more great male singers than female. The selections below will bear that out, so here they are in descending order from 10 to 1.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvk0witzjO-qTvubu-5y_PkQjfYo7eNhxYng0pQiCy3hz8C4nd4mpDu_CG4oujnryM6BCqzxBQfwGoB2EHpqZUR_Lhmj-iE55ZihOvdDVOe_p_OpPeMQXwphMqrVG0428PJYsnS6Me4U/s1600/img-3277--gallery-msg-123508636609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvk0witzjO-qTvubu-5y_PkQjfYo7eNhxYng0pQiCy3hz8C4nd4mpDu_CG4oujnryM6BCqzxBQfwGoB2EHpqZUR_Lhmj-iE55ZihOvdDVOe_p_OpPeMQXwphMqrVG0428PJYsnS6Me4U/s200/img-3277--gallery-msg-123508636609.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<b>10) Mikel Jollett – Airborne Toxic Event </b>(<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/airborne-toxic-event.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
<br />
Baritone frontmen are rarities (think of The National's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Berninger">Matt Beringer</a> and Pearl Jam's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Vedder">Eddie Vedder</a>) and Jollett's rich, meaty stylings represent the only deep register selection here. Jollett possesses a strong, sustaining vibrato (the ability of vocal chords to quiver on a given note) and enjoys hanging on to long phrases. His stylistic range encompasses everything from punk to new wave, and as I noted in my review of 2011's <i>All At Once</i>, can conjure reflections of Bono and Neil Diamond as easily as some of his more contemporary peers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>9) Greta Morgan – Gold Motel</b> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/11/gold-motel.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<b>, The Hush Sound </b> <br />
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Imagine if Sheryl Crow had more consistently produced songs that weren't merely photocopies of previous material geared only for Top 40 radio. That's what Greta Morgan does in her work with Gold Motel. No doubt her crisp vocals are ideally suited for very accessible pop-rock, but what she has to work with is far more enjoyable than anything Crow did after Tuesday Night Music Club. Her carefree performance on the bouncy exuberant "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgSsL0Gz874">Safe in L.A.</a>" is what earned her a spot on my list.<br />
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<b>8) Wes Miles – Ra Ra Riot </b>(<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/ra-ra-riot.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
<br />
Blending faux-Reggae vocal syncopation of Sting with intricate, yet buoyant chamber pop structures is Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles. Over the band's first few records, Miles (who's name sounds too similar to a certain <a href="http://www.lesmiles.net/#/main">LSU head football coach</a>) established a playful, genre-bending use of his tenor range that matched perfectly with the group's overall quirky vibe. It's a shame that the outfit's third full-length release from earlier this year, <i>Beta Love</i>, was such an unnecessary diversion to dance and electronica – so much so that I refused to review it – and wasted much of Miles' unique charm.<br />
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<b>7) Erin Passmore – Rah Rah</b> (<a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>NMT</b></span>) </a><br />
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The temptation to discuss Ra Ra Riot and Rah Rah within a few sentences of each other is just too hard to resist, which is why the latter's co-lead vocalist winds up at #7. Think of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9gine_Chassagne">Regine Chassagne</a> from The Arcade Fire (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/arcade-fire.html">NMT</a></b></span>) as an alto and a more accessible tone, while replicating her same mult-instrumental talents (when I saw Rah Rah live earlier this year, Passmore played drums, guitar and keyboards, although she could learn a few tricks from Chassagne on stage presence). Her standout "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0UENJiVJhw">Prairie Girl</a>" off The Poet's Dead – released last fall – will tell you everything you need to know about her vocal capabilities and should be all the band needs to hear to offer more time at the lead mic. <br />
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<b>6) Nate Ruess – fun.</b> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/03/fun.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/02/fun-some-nights.html">NMT</a></b></span>), <b>The Format</b><br />
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By far, my greatest discovery during the course of this blog's tenure is fun., which is now a Grammy Award-winning, large venue act just a few years after I helped them load out gear in the alley outside the 9:30 Club while opening for Jack's Mannequin. No small part of the groups skyrocketing place in mainstream pop is due to their frontman, Nate Ruess. After making fantastically catchy pop-rock tunes with The Format but finding little broad appeal, he shifted to fun., producing some of the most elaborate and purposeful pop music since Jeff Lyne's Electric Light Orchestra. Ruess' style is schizophrenic at times and can occasionally crack at the upper limits of his first tenor range, but check out his show-stopping performances in "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEoxSdY5pCQ">Barlights</a>" and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IJ1a36mT_w">At Least I'm Not As Sad As I Used To Be</a>" off the group's 2009 debut, <i>Aim & Ignite</i>, or the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAyNR4CEPE8">intro</a> to the 2012 commercial smash, <i>Some Nights</i>, to hear a singer in full command of both their talent and their mission. <br />
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<b>5) Tracyanne Campbell – Camera Obscura </b>(<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/search?q=Camera+Obscura">NMT</a></b></span>) <br />
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As the only foreign entry on this collection – and therefore the only Scot – Camera Obscura's Tracyanne Campbell has well-qualified to represent the world's premiere singers on this list. While her quintet's folk-rock tendencies don't present her with the same anthemic opportunities as some of her peers here, Campbell nonetheless shines among band's rich instrumental tapestries. Spend some time with 2006's <i>Let's Get Out of This Country</i> – and, in particular, its <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXkCbG1Lk3E">title track</a> – and you should come away impressed with Campbell's enjoyable mix of tone and delivery. <br />
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<b>4) Sherri DuPree Bemis – Eisley</b> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/04/eisley.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
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We're decidedly entering the power territory of this ranking, the domain of large lung capacity, full-throated chorus anthems and healthy vibrato. One of the defining characterises of these power vocalists – a trait
shared by all Top 4 singers on this list – is their ability to deliver
great volumes of sound in an effortless fashion. Among these is decidedly the strongest voice in the North Texas-based, family-only power-pop quintet Eisely. Sherri DuPree Bemis' vocals – especially on the band's third full-length release in 2011, <i>The Valley</i> – is striking in both the force she injects in numbers powerful anthemic rockers like "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UzUmt6yoEg">Better Love</a>" and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw1TejibAds">Smarter</a>" with the restraint to hold back some of that muscle on ballads such as "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpbIPyeG-r0">Mr. Moon</a>."<br />
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<b>3) Jenny Lewis – Rilo Kiley</b> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/rilo-kiley-quiet-company.html">NMT</a></b></span>), <b>Solo</b> <br />
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If you've paid attention to this blog in recent months, you'll notice my several statements of regret in missing the active lifespan of the Los Angeles-based quartet, Rilo Kiley. The contributions of the group's primary vocalist, Jenny Lewis, are the reason why. Lewis' vocal approach is frank, determined and nearly always beautiful. Her signature moments at the mic include heart-wrenching, bluesy ballads like "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mth0i8uNnVs">Does He Love You?</a>" and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=483ISyyey50">I Never</a>" as well as thundering rockers like "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1AHkgWeXwo">Spectacular Views</a>" and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Ki2h-uovc">It'll Get You There</a>," not to mention the pop-rock hit, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtNV3pOqcjI">Potions For Foxes</a>." Lewis often makes you feel guilty and abused for the sake of her characters, and that's no small consequence of her persuasive and demanding delivery. <br />
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<b>2) Aaron Perrino – Dear Leader</b> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/02/dear-leader-stay-epic.html">NMT</a></b></span>), <b>The Sheila Divine</b><br />
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Full disclosure on this one: <a href="https://twitter.com/dearleader">Perrino</a> is originally from Western New York, and I consider it a grave injustice to the cosmos that his acts never received broader recognition outside Buffalo and Boston. I remember the first time I saw Perrino and <a href="http://www.thesheiladivinearchive.com/">The Sheila Divine</a> live. It was sometime in the fall of 1999 and the band was opening for another of my favorite Buffalo/Boston acts, Tugboat Annie, at Nietzhe's in Allentown. I'd never forget them after I heard Perrino wail away at Morrisey-via-U2 rock anthems like "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4TRD-Vc9vU">Hum</a>" and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTPfofYgKxM">Like A Criminal</a>." He possesses a once-in-a-generation mix of power and vibrato that fuel antagonistic, often political numbers in both acts to arena rock territory. Dig up "<a href="https://myspace.com/dearleader/music/song/glacier-52706032">Glacier</a>" off Dear Leader's 2006 release, <i>All I Ever Wanted Was Tonight</i>, and be captivated in the song's titanic crescendo as Perrino's vocals transform into the tidal wave his lyrics suggest. <br />
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<b>1) Neko Case – The New Pornographers </b>(<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/okkervil-river-neko-case.html">NMT</a></b></span>), <b>Solo</b> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/09/okkervil-river-neko-case.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
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This should be no surprise given the lede. As a Case apologist, I simply need to point to her extensive solo catalog and time with <a href="http://www.thenewpornographers.com/history.html">The New Pornographers</a>. Her <a href="http://www.nekocase.com/presale.php">solo work</a> demonstrates her emotional delivery range – incorporating everything from multi-layered gospel choruses to rusty alt country – while her explosive power is self-evident in nearly everything she touches with The New Pornographers. The latter is often labeled as an indie-rock supergroup; it's doubtful it would have achieved that title without Case's thundering presence on numbers such as "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBAUQaj6EJo">Letter From An Occupant</a>" or "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzyp3JC9-uU">The Laws Have Changed</a>." Perhaps the greatest barometer for her overall capabilities is frequent New Porngraphers' main set closer, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH9Q4fsZ1IY">The Bleeding Heart Show</a>." At first, its a tad sleepy as frontman A.C. Newman leads the group through the verses, but Case absolutely dominates during the track's seemingly-unending chorus, although it should be noted drummer Kurt Dahle provides crucial fuel to the fire there. <br />
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<br />YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-73065184422238634802013-09-03T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-03T05:10:31.834-07:00Okkervil River, Neko CaseThis installment of <i><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>New Music Tuesdays</b></span></i> is perhaps the one I'm most excited about in this blog's three-plus year history. You see, around 2008, I had a musical re-awakening. Until that point, my interests in alternative and independent rock largely was a recirculating collection of groups from the 1990s – the heyday of alternative and grunge rock. And sure, groups like They Might Be Giants (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/07/they-might-be-giants.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/03/super-review-march.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Weezer (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/09/weezer.html">NMT</a></b></span>) and Fountains of Wayne (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/08/fountains-of-wayne.html">NMT</a></b></span>) were still delivering quality new material. But many others such as Barenaked Ladies, Moxy Fruvous, Smashing Pumpkins and many others that formed the core of my catalog had either disbanded or weren't producing the same quality of new material. That all changed when my brother made me listen to The Decemberists' <i>The Crane Wife</i> sometime around 2007 or 2008. Struck by songs like "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwgpSBsQYCU">Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)</a>," "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLY0HNds_tE">Shankhill Butchers</a>" and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5H8DwJI0uA">Sons & Daughters</a>," I was immediately compelled to explore their larger oeuvre. I was disappointed I had missed out on so much of their work that matched so well with what I love about music: wit, uniqueness and creativity – elements I found lacking in what was offered to me by mainstream music media. So, I expanded my search and came across a series of acts and artists that I should have encountered much earlier. I was saddened to find I'd essentially missed the full arch of groups like Rilo Kiley (although their recent rarities collection, <i>RKives</i> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/rilo-kiley-quiet-company.html">NMT</a></b></span>), offered me a one-time penance in this space) and Essex Green. But I was emboldened to find bands like The Arcade Fire (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/arcade-fire.html">NMT</a></b></span>), The Hold Steady (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/05/hold-steady.html">NMT</a></b></span>) and The Gaslight Anthem (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/01/gaslight-anthem.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/06/gaslight-anthem-american-slang.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-gaslight-anthem-handwritten.html">NMT</a></b></span>) still contributing outstanding new records. And ultimately, a trio of artists formed the foundation of my contemporary understanding of music: The Decemberists (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/decemberists.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/decemberists-long-live-king.html">NMT</a></b></span>), The New Pornographers (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-pornographers.html">NMT</a></b></span>) and Okkervil River (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/okkervil-river.html">NMT</a></b></span>). This week, new releases from the latter as well as Neko Case – a charter member of The New Pornographers – are sort of a reaffirmation of my ongoing quest for new music that I enjoy experiencing for my own gratification and also encouraging others to engage with via this blog. Therefore, on to the reviews...(note: since this post benefited from streaming previews from NPR's <i>First Listen</i> series, I've linked to those sources for each release given that individual track-by-track previews aren't available yet)<br />
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<a href="http://okkervilriver.com/"><b>Okkervil River</b></a><br />
New Release: <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/08/25/214471289/first-listen-okkervil-river-the-silver-gymnasium#playlist"><i>The Silver Gymnasium</i></a><br />
Release Date: Today (September 3, 2013)<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://atorecords.com/">ATO Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: The New Pornographers, The Decemberists<br />
Location: Austin, Texas<br />
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To lay it plain, the direction of the seventh full-length release from Will Sheff's intelligently emotional sextet is like nothing you've heard before from the group. Sure, individual tracks will recall past gestures, and Sheff has delved into well-realized album concepts on numerous occasions in the past. But rarely have they come across as cohesively and consistently as on the 11 cuts found on <i>The Silver Gymnasium</i>. As Sheff's own voyage back to the place of his formative upbringing in the early-to-mid 1980s in Meridian, N.H., it marks a period of time that largely corresponds to the same era for your blogger. (Note: the band prepared an interesting assortment of mulit-media promotions and teasers for the record, such as an 80s-style video game, illustrated map of Meridian and song previews. You should <a href="http://okkervilriver.com/">check them out</a>) While little of the narrative is overtly biographical, when considered in its whole, its an engaging and unique take on the growing awareness of the world during childhood, including friendship, trust, experiences and other foundational themes. The reason why the record is so distinct in the group's catalog dating back to 2002 is the fortunate avoidance of ethereal, avant-garde experimentation that Sheff used to like to scatter among more muscular, structured pieces on past records. This isn't to say there aren't slower, quieter numbers, but rather that the album's sweep is more measured in its scope. There's no pseudo electronica like "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/piratess-mt0040638306">Piratess</a>" of 2011's <i>I Am Very Far</i> or dull and drawling efforts like "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/black-sheep-boy-4-mt0026566857">Black Sheep Boy #4</a>" off 2007's <i>Black Sheep Boy</i> – numbers you listen to once, click the unselect button on your permanent library and turn back to Sheff's still substantial output of intense lyricism matched with well-delivered indie rock instrumentation. On that latter point, you'll really notice the contributions of bassist Patrick Pestorius, who adds bounce and – dare we say – a bit of boggie to the bulk of the collection. In all, <i>The Silver Gymnasium</i> doesn't let you down, not even once. <br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "Down Down the Deep River" (exceptionally poppy, great first single, albeit very long for a single at 6:32); Justin Sherburn delivers the sort of cheesy keyboards that defined Bruce Springsteen records in the mid-1980s, which is fitting for the time period Sheff is exploring here; the tale of paternal protection and support – a key experience of childhood – is well-explored here)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "Where The Spirit Left Us" (sounds like most like the Okkervil River catalog, a melodic mix of "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/calling-and-not-calling-my-ex-mt0009661058">Calling and Not Calling My Ex</a>" and "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/white-shadow-waltz-mt0040638309">White Shadow Waltz</a>;" Sheff's signature lyricism is on full display; the river-as-the-journey-metaphor returns again)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Lido Pier Suicide Car" (very nearly the one candidate for the <u>Meh</u> or <u>Skip to next track</u> selection due to the track's dreary first four minutes, but the about-face to mile-a-minute pop-rock shuffle at the 4:11 is, well, surprising) <br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "It Was My Season" (jaunty piano from Sherburn leads things off; provides the narrative stage-setting for the album's concept; background vocals and horns later on add to the number's punchy nature); "Pink Slips" (way back when, Okkervil River was essentially an alt-country act, this is kind of what that was like; surprisingly blue collar, like a nerdy Bob Seeger song: "<i>show me my best memory, it's probably super-crappy</i>"); "White" (defined by the rattling snare of drummer Cully Symington; it's always interesting when Sheff utilizes the lower register of his vocal range, which he does here in an account of changing seasons serving as a chronicle of various phases of life, growing in energy and emotion; delightfully short at 3:06); "Stay Young" (a new-wavy sound – largely provided by Pestorius' bouncy bass line and guitarist Lauren Gurgiolo's rubbery lead part – that wouldn't not have been out of place on fun.'s <i>Some Nights</i> (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/02/fun-some-nights.html">NMT</a></b></span>)); "Walking Without Frankie" (could have also been the <i>You'll be surprised by</i> pick; again, Pestorius distinguishes himself here; great classic rock references with "<i>it's a Stairway or a Slow Ride, its Rhiannon or a Landslide</i>"); "All the Time, Every Day" (dig up "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-latest-toughs-mt0001961294">The Latest Toughs</a>" off Black Sheep Boy and play this right after it; a fun chorus singalong); "Black Nemo" (ah, surely this will be one slow, throwaway track buried at the end of the record; hardly, it's rootsy Americana that could have been churned out recently by Dawes (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/super-review-may.html">NMT</a></b></span>) or long before that, Jackson Browne; worth sticking around for and ends on a gentle note)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: As I said above, "Lido Pier Suicide Car" could have ended up here, maybe you won't have the patience for the first four minutes<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: I liked it all, a first for a full-length Okkervil River record <br />
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<a href="http://www.nekocase.com/"><b>Neko Case</b></a><br />
New Release: <i>The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight; The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You </i>(<a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/08/18/210215544/first-listen-neko-case-the-worse-things-get-the-harder-i-fight?ft=1&f#playlist">NPR First Listen</a>)<i><br /></i><br />
Release Date: <i></i>Today (September 3, 2013)<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.anti.com/">ANTI- Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: Laura Veirs (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/08/laura-veirs-harpers-fellow.html">NMT</a></b></span>), The New Pornographers <br />
Location: Northeast Vermont<br />
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It is my view that Neko Case is simply the best vocalist in contemporary music. Little – if any – technology is ever needed to amplify or enhance the raw power of her singing. If you're familiar with The New Pornographers, you're aware of how essential that force is to driving A.C. Newman's (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>) indie rock confections. On her solo work, Case works with a larger palate, essentially rooted in alt-country but ranging from blues to hard rock. Like Okkervil River, the record serves as her seventh full-length release, while her contributions to indie music – even beyond The New Pornographers – are substantial, ranging from her early years as the drummer for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cub_%28band%29">Cub</a> (which They Might Be Giants fans will remember as the original composers of "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFKThNh5Vqk">New York City</a>") to Camera Obscura (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/06/super-review-sleeping-at-last.html">NMT</a></b></span>) and Jakob Dylan (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>), among countless others. <br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "Man" (everything you want from Neko Case: brash, assertive and smart; can be easy to focus on the unambiguous post-feminism while missing the driving rock foundation – her backing band is exceptional)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "City Swans" (incredibly well-balanced; strains of Fleetwood Mac's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GN2kpBoFs4">Go Your Own Way</a>" inform the number's instrumental core)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Nearly Midnight, Honolulu" (if this one doesn't make you tear up at least a little, you probably don't have a heart; Case is so bold and headstrong through the bulk of her work that her bearing witness to parental hostility [a la "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m39DWVFK-Bw">What's The Matter Here</a>" by the <a href="http://www.maniacs.com/">10,000 Maniacs</a>] is not exactly jarring, but certainly distinctive)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "Wild Creatures" (a somewhat abrupt way to begin the record, but after settling in is reflective of the bulk of Case's solo material); "Night Still Comes" (in the hands of another performer, this might be a tad lethargic, but Case's vocal talents keep it afloat; "I revenge myself allover myself" is one of the album's signature lines); "I'm From Nowhere" (a rusty combination of blues and western, Case's own nod to the 80's pairs well with Sheff's work above; I love whenever Case uses the word "kid" in any song ever, including this one); "Bracing for Sunday" (hints of rockabilly, a black comedy tale of a "<i>Friday night girl bracing for Sunday to come</i>;" jagged saxophones are reminiscent of old-school They Might Be Giants; don't miss "<i>I only ever held one love, her name was Mary Anne / she died while having a child by her brother, he died because I murdered him</i>"); "Afraid" (I would have loved this as a round, since it's a neat looping melody with great layered harmonies); "Local Girl" (would have been the most likely to appear on a New Pornographers release, although likely without the gospel choir background vocals); "Ragtime" (somewhat of a slow chugger at first, but the imagery is evocative and the chorus is pleasingly full of horns, reminiscent of The Decemberists "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFzo40x9adE">Valerie Plame</a>")<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "Calling Cards" (it's fine, but doesn't have the same degree of creativity or urgency that defines the rest of the album) <br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: "Where Did I Leave That Fire" (begins with nearly a minute of avant garde filler, and then never really gets going from there) <br />
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<br />YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-70394246962267243592013-08-20T07:18:00.001-07:002013-08-20T07:29:22.549-07:00Laura Veirs, Harper's Fellow <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.lauraveirs.com/">Laura Veirs</a><br />
New Release: <i>Warp & Weft</i><br />
Release Date: August 20, 2013<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.ravenmarchingband.com/">Raven Marching Band</a><br />
Sounds Like: Neko Case (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-pornographers.html">NMT</a></b></span>), The Decemberists (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/decemberists-long-live-king.html">NMT</a></b></span>) Valery Gore (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/03/valery-gore.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Portland, Ore.<br />
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If you follow the kinds of bands and artists we profile routinely here, you're likely already familiar with Laura Veirs, even though I don't feature a ton of solo singer-songwriters in this space (something I'll admit as a weakness in my preferences that may cause me to miss some fantastic stuff, but one that's unlikely to change; please feel free to convince me otherwise in the comments section). In addition to her comprehensive catalog dating back to 1999 and frequent opening or co-heading slots with the sort of acts we favor, she's twice appeared on records with The Decemberists, most recently on "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuBGwxnmqz8">Dear Avery</a>" off 2011's <i>The King Is Dead </i>(<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/decemberists.html">NMT</a></b></span><i>)</i> and most notably the outstanding duet with Colin Meloy on "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMt1Faz5nTI">Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)</a>" from<i> The Crane Wife</i> (2006). On her ninth full-length release, she focuses on the recurring theme of parental fears of loss and harm – a topic no less foundational to the human experience than the more oft-explored notions of pleasing your father or the journey to/from and battle for/against your homeland/town. Veirs' take here – informed by her own two children – initially seems dark and surreal but is frequently tempered by moments of brightness and hope. Additionally, reflecting Veirs' well-cultivated stature in the indie music scene, there's no shortage of outstanding guest contributors, ranging from her husband and producer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucker_Martine">Tucker Martine</a>, voice of thunder Neko Case (stay tuned in coming weeks for coverage of her upcoming <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/08/18/210215544/first-listen-neko-case-the-worse-things-get-the-harder-i-fight?ft=1&f"><i>The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight; The Harder I Fight, the More I Love You</i></a>), <a href="http://www.mymorningjacket.com/">My Morning Jacket</a> frontman <a href="http://www.jimjames.com/">Jim James</a> and Decemberists' bassist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_Query">Nate Query</a>, <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/warp-weft-mw0002556543/credits">among others</a>. <br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P8mfvCGKyg">Sun Song</a>" (easygoing leadoff single strikes a positive tone for the larger theme from the outset: "<i>As all the other mothers would remember / Stalked by winter solace in a small, warm hand / We got the sun, the sun to thank;"</i> Case's vocals in the bridge are unavoidable)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/that-alice-mt0047633853">That Alice</a>" (easily the 12-track collection's most rocking number; an homage to John Coltrane's wife, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Coltrane">Alice</a>) <br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/sadako-folding-cranes-mt0047633855">Sadako Folding Cranes</a>" (intricate, as suggested by the imagery of the origami created by Hiroshima victim <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadako_Sasaki">Sadako Sasaki</a>; Veirs is at her best as a storyteller here; James' backing vocals are intriguing without becoming distracting)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/finster-saw-the-angels-mt0047633859">Finster Saw the Angels</a>" (sparse, but enchanting; simple, repeated melody is the song's enjoyably unforced core); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/dorothy-of-the-island-mt0047633849">Dorothy of the Island</a>" (a close runner-up for the <u>Stay for</u> selection; the most direct exploration of the parental loss theme); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/shape-shifter-mt0047633850">Shape Shifter</a>" (the foreboding tale of the looming winter is softened by the protagonist's resolve to stick together; strings in the center of the piece are a warming influence); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/say-darlin-say-mt0047633852">Say Darlin' Say</a>" (sludgy, with a ruggedly frontier-settler vibe; "<i>I got my shoes from a railroad man and the dress from a driver in the night</i>" is some of the record's most evocative narrative, bookended by the train locomotive bell and whistle at its closing); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/ten-bridges-mt0047633856">Ten Bridges</a>" (folksy; beautifully illustrative of the album's central conflict between fear and delight); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/white-cherry-mt0047633857">White Cherry</a>" (jazzy and ethereal, another nod to Alice Coltrane?; lines like "<i>I take pleasure in the wind chimes</i>" are augmented by actual wind chimes)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/ghosts-of-louisville-mt0047633851">Ghosts of Louisville</a>" (I like the eerie harmonies, but I'm not really sure of their purpose in only a 30 second track); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/ikaria-mt0047633854">Ikaria</a>" (this instrumental has more meat on its bones than "Ghosts of Louisville," but I'm still missing how it complements the other material)<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/america-mt0047633858">America</a>"
(I had high hopes for some good old fashioned protest music out of
Veirs, but her criticisms of an America run amok don't include a cause
or a solution, so it comes off just as a list of unspecified gripes; I
was hoping for more) <br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HarpersFellow">Harper's Fellow</a><br />
New Release: <i>Thanks for Tonight</i><br />
Release Date: July 27, 2013<br />
Record Label: self-released<br />
Sounds Like: Kate Voegele, Brandi Carlile, The Little Willies (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/01/little-willies.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Seryn (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/seryn.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Asbury Park, N.J.<br />
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(<i>Full disclosure: I've known the band's guitarist, Eric Castellazzo, since babysitting for him when we were both much younger</i>)<br />
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In the beginning, there were essentially two forms of American contemporary music: the blues and country. While offshoots and derivatives branched off in all directions – ranging from jazz to rock-and-roll, and much more – the core of American music, popular or otherwise, owes its existence to these two genres. Out of the legendary New Jersey musical breeding ground of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbury_Park,_New_Jersey">Asbury Park</a>, the five-piece Harper's Fellow are solidly rooted in both country and the blues, yielding a hardscrabble mix of rustic Americana and rootsy twang throughout their debut, full-length release, <i>Thanks for Tonight</i>. Frontperson Cortney Metzler trades on the same sort of genre-bending, countrified blues vocals employed by folks like <a href="http://www.katevoegele.com/">Kate Voegele</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ajWFc2VqWo">Brandi Carlile</a> with the added benefit of a sturdy blues-rock ensemble <span class="notranslate">comprised of Castellazo, bassist Brendan Smith, drummer Alex Ford and background vocalist </span>Yanell Reyes. Elements of alt-country, folk, Americana and old-time country interchange freely across the record's 10 tracks, paired with healthy access to catchy hooks and choruses. I wish there were a few more uptempo numbers (the tisk-tisk of my ideal 3-2-1 ratio is scattered across past posts in this space, so the quintet need not feel singled out) as well as a few more instrumental flourishes like an occasional fiddle, organ or harmonica would have nice, but their absence is an understandable given for a new group producing a <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/harper-s-fellow-thanks-for-tonight-help-bring-the-debut-album-to-life">crowdfunded debut</a>. <br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW-AazCDl5Q">Three Paint Brushes</a>" (brisk and lively, a catchy tale spun from weightier topics: identity and inheritance) <br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FAbPjGnA_s">Bow & Arrow</a>" (spunky with jangly guitars and the album's best singalong chorus)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by:</u> "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTj3krVzWWU">Fool</a>" (don't let the uptempo acoustic number's jovial pace fool you (pun intended); its a larger message of learning from mistakes and accepting limitations; see Ed Robertson's (of the Barenaked Ladies) "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjVFoaj3uAk">Leave</a>" from 1998's <i>Stunt</i> for instrumental and thematic reference)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G__ZJl3Ygis">Amber Fallout</a>" (the record's opener eases the listener into the group's sound, punctuated by the steady rhythm section of Smith and Ford, in particular); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YsrERuWzAE">Whiskey</a>" (Castellazo's distorted electric guitar is the track's signature, and the bluesiest work on the collection); "<a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/harpersfellow">Freedom</a>" (the number's opening acoustic chords bear all the signatures of a classic country ballad); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDqd_WWO6SM#at=65">Cadillac</a>" (rockabilly-infused; has an enjoyable swagger); "<a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/harpersfellow">Finer Words</a>" (the piano adds color to another relatively slow song; its unvarnished nature is its strongest attribute); "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvE0wseQF1E">Smoking Gun</a>" (I like the more western influences here, a welcome compliment when most of the previous country flavor had been more southern-inspired) <br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/harpersfellow">Sleepy City</a>" (I know the title should be a clue, but I think "Freedom" satisfied my country ballad needs earlier; still, hardly a bad effort; it's well-performed) YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-62072767854412078962013-08-13T12:18:00.000-07:002013-08-13T12:18:10.315-07:00The Polyphonic Spree, The Family CrestAfter taking a healthy summer break, we're back at it with two mega collective groups that seem destined to appear in a review together...<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.thepolyphonicspree.com/">The Polyphonic Spree</a></b><br />
New Release: <i>Yes, It's True</i><br />
Release Date: August 6, 2013<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.goodrecords.com/">Good Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: The New Pornographers (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-pornographers.html">NMT</a></b></span>), The Arcade Fire (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/arcade-fire.html">NMT</a></b></span>) Rah Rah (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Telekinesis (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/02/telekenesis.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/super-review-may.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Dallas, Texas<br />
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In terms of mass collective indie rock groups – you know, the kind with no fewer than 5 or 6 members, usually including both men and women, who play an assortment of instruments, usually including horns and strings – The Polyphonic Spree is often considered the format's archetype. Formed by former <a href="http://www.trippingdaisy.com/">Tripping Daisy</a> frontman Ken DeLaughter after the passing of the group's guitarist Wes Berggen, the sprawling unit – whose current members contribute anything from harp to french horn – was always intended to be an experiment in symphonic pop rock. And while regular readers of this blog would expect this to be the sort of act that would appear routinely in posts, their most recent full-length record – <i>The Fragile Army</i> – was released back in 2007, well before the dawn of this space. Nonetheless, since the release of their debut album – 2002's <i>The Beginning Stages of...The Polyphonic Spree</i> – through last week's long-awaited <i>Yes, It's True</i>, the band has served as the vanguard for large-format groups with sweeping orchestrations, unusual instruments and lots of participants. While the new work's scope may be more constrained than previous efforts – really, a skeleton crew of only 20 are listed as current members – its focus is more deliberate and allows DeLaughter's poppier instincts to emerge at the forefront.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/you-dont-know-me-mt0047323530">You Don't Know Me</a>" (delightfully hyper-hooky; no conspiracy paranoia the title might suggest; more a call to arms against prejudice and divisiveness: "<i>there's always more to you than there are of them</i>")<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/what-would-you-do-mt0047323539">What Would You Do?</a>" (remember that sludgy, but poppy sound that Telekinesis has perfected? This is very similar)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/youre-golden-mt0047323534">You're Golden</a>" (the simplicity of the introductory piano is a pleasant contrast to the bombast elsewhere; like the rattling snare in the chorus and the (faux?) harpsichord highlights in the verses; contains DeLaughter's best take on contemporary social networking: "<i>it's not the car that you drive, it's not your phone with an 'i'; it's not your Facebook likes, it's not your Instagram pride</i>")<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/popular-by-design-mt0047323531">Popular By Design</a>" (a little synth-heavy, and songs like these are when I'm not so wild about DeLaughter's voice – a little measly at times, but otherwise, its a fine, catchy track); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/carefully-try-mt0047323533">Carefully Try</a>" (a nice change of pace from the spirited romps of the first three tracks; numerous instances of artful instrumentation, a la Brian Wilson's <i><a href="http://www.petsounds.com/">Pet Sounds</a>; </i>the first few chords of the chorus are reminiscent of The Killers' smash, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdGFtwCNBE">Mr. Brightside</a>"); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/heart-talk-mt0047323535">Heart Talk</a>" (could range in influence anywhere from <a href="http://www.davidbowie.com/">David Bowie</a> to <a href="http://www.talking-heads.nl/">The Talking Heads</a> to They Might Be Giants (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/07/they-might-be-giants.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/03/super-review-march.html">NMT</a></b></span>), the latter what with all the comical-sounding saxophone); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/blurry-up-the-lines-mt0047323536">Blurry Up the Lines</a>" (a bit of a slow starter, but it rounds out into something much more expansive); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/let-them-be-mt0047323537">Let Them Be</a>" (intrigued by the rumbling drums and odd water glass percussion, then the harsh bluesly horns; could have otherwise been too moody, but its much more than the sum of its parts); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/raise-your-head-mt0047323538">Raise Your Hand</a>" (the long snare intro belies the synth focus that's the heart of the song; <br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/hold-yourself-up-mt0047323532">Hold Yourself Up</a>" (has beefy hooks, but is a bit threadbare at other points)<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/battlefield-mt0047323540">Battlefield</a>" (it's appropriately named, because it's a lawn, brooding battle to get through...)<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.thefamilycrestfamily.com/">The Family Crest</a></b><br />
New Release: <i>The Headwinds</i> (EP)<br />
Release Date: July 30, 2013<br />
Record Label: <a href="https://www.tenderlovingempire.com/">Tender Loving Empire Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: Hey Marseilles (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/02/hey-marseilles-miracles-of-modern.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Hey Rosetta! (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/hey-rosetta.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Of Monsters & Men (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/01/super-review-january.html">NMT</a>)</b></span>, The Polyphonic Spree, The Arcade Fire (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/arcade-fire.html">NMT</a></b></span>), hints of <a href="http://www.moodybluestoday.com/">The Moody Blues</a> and DeVotchKa (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b>NMT</b></span>)<br />
Location: San Francisco, Calif. <br />
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You know The Polyphonic Spree and <a href="http://www.brokensocialscene.ca/">Broken Social Scene</a> and The Arcade Fire and The New Pornographers, Hey Marseilles and Camera Obscura (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/06/super-review-sleeping-at-last.html">NMT</a></b></span>) and The Decemberists (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/decemberists.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/decemberists-long-live-king.html">NMT</a></b></span>) and Los Campesinos! (<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/los-campesinos.html">NMT</a></b></span>). But do you recall the largest, most expansive musical collective of them all?<br />
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Yes, it sounds ridiculous in a post reviewing new material from The Polyphonic Spree to find an even bigger band. But here they are in the form of the San Francisco-based company, The Family Crest and their new six-track EP, <i>The Headwinds</i>. While certainly not as established as their counterparts from Dallas, the group – which features <a href="http://www.thefamilycrestfamily.com/about/">six "core" members</a> and an "<a href="http://www.thefamilycrestfamily.com/about/the-extended-family/">extended family" list</a> of what seems to be more than a hundred others who can contribute parts remotely – delivers epic-scale, lushly orchestrated compositions that are a little less reliant on synth than Ken DeLaughter's group and perhaps benefits from a bit more folksy foundations. In between their 2012 full-length debut <i>The Village</i> and their forthcoming follow-up – reportedly to be titled <i>Beneath the Brine</i> – <i>The Headwinds</i> EP keeps their growing audience satiated until next year while delivering far more than just odds and ends – its a fully-realized, dynamic and interesting collection of new material. Heck, at more than 23 minutes, its longer than some punk albums and includes two plus-5-minute selections.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/love-dont-go-mt0047542045">Love Don't Go</a>" (grandiose first single with a fine balance of pop hooks and nuanced instrumentation, chock full of horns and strings interspersed with frontman and guitarist Liam McCormick's earthy verses)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-river-mt0047542044">The River</a>" (the band wisely displays its impressive largess from the outset on this opening track; its signature vocal chorus unit flexes its muscle while McCormick's narrative is highlighted with artful strings and piano in its quieter moments)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/marry-me-mt0047542048">Marry Me</a>" (after a misleadingly ominous intro, it becomes exuberant and infectious in perfectly matches the celebratory nature of McCormick's lyrics; be on the lookout for the same sort of gypsy minstrel flair as exhibited in groups like DeVotchKa and <a href="http://www.gogolbordello.com/">Gogol Bordello</a>)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-headwinds-mt0047542046">The Headwinds</a>" (very much aligned with the recent efforts from Of Monsters & Men, akin to that group's "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/dirty-paws-mt0043801039">Dirty Paws</a>" or "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/king-and-lionheart-mt0043801040">King and Lionheart</a>"; the record's most sturdy number); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/brittle-bones-mt0047542047">Brittle Bones</a>" (dig into your Decemberists collection for "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-sporting-life-mt0000323143">The Sporting Life</a>," you might find the rhythm strikingly similar here; the only part of McCormick's singing that gets stuck in my craw a bit is evident here, a sliver of a lisp where an "h" is added to words that end in "s," like "bones[h]" or "shoes[h]" – its not fatal, but is certainly noticeable) <br />
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YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-28459690229466932982013-06-25T04:30:00.000-07:002013-06-25T04:30:01.006-07:00Special Report: NMT's Top Road Anthems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're fast approaching the dog days of summer: time for not only baseball, cookouts and pool parties, but one of the classic summertime traditions – the road trip. As for myself, I'll be driving around the great state of Minnesota this week for my regular gig, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to present a list I've had in mind to post here for quite a while: my favorite songs to compliment a road trip. While it would be easy to pick a couple Jackson Brown and Eagles classics, here are my top 15 in ascending order, prioritizing – when possible – bands and artists featured in this blog:<br />
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15) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvZtVoItXxQ">Coeur d'Alene</a>" – The Head & The Heart (<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/04/head-and-heart.html">NMT</a></span></b>) – <i>The Head & The Heart</i> (2011) <br />
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Not specifically a road song per se, but the track's rolling piano and spunky rhythm adds depth to a good roadtrip playlist.<br />
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"<i>Oh, the songs people will sing for home </i></div>
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<i>and for the ones that have been gone for too long...</i>"</div>
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14) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfeR0innKCM">On Her Own</a>" – Ben Kweller (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/02/ben-kweller.html">NMT</a></b></span>) – <i>Changing Horses</i> (2009)<br />
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Again, not about driving or the open road, but Kweller's fictional narrative of "good 'ol Alexandria" who's life was torn asunder by Hurricane Katrina is among the best work of his solid catalog, and is a textbook example of the heartland rock style that produces the best music to accompany long drives.<br />
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<i>"Always been a rambler, moving her whole life / </i></div>
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<i>Daddy was a gambler with a heavyhearted wife / </i></div>
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<i>The twilight wind blows her face and that Bronco's engine moans / </i></div>
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<i>She is gonna make it on her own..."</i></div>
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13) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cem1ME-OvQ">Stuck Between Stations</a>" – The Hold Steady (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/05/hold-steady.html">NMT</a></b></span>) – <i>Boys & Girls in America</i> (2006)</div>
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So, surely this one will be about a highway or something, right? Well, not yet, but I defy you to not be pulled to adventure from the opening guitar riff to the hard-charging tune's accounts of summertime mischief. Plus former pianist/keyboardist Franz Nicolay delivers his most vital performance during his tenure with the band on this one, and a great piano or organ part can make a road anthem transcendent, as is the case here.<i></i></div>
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<i>"Crushing one another with colossal expectations; dependent, undisciplined, sleeping late.."</i></div>
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12) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNDASqiDWnk">Down in the Valley</a>" – <a href="http://www.mergerecords.com/artists/brokenwest">The Broken West</a> – <i>I Can't Go On, I'll Go On</i> (2007) <i> </i></div>
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The most alt-rock flavored selection on this list, something about the jangly guitars and hazy vocals from Ross Flournoy – before the four-piece outfit became known as <a href="http://www.apexmanor.com/">Apex Manor</a> – offers some welcome indie rock texture to a collection dominated by heartland rock.</div>
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"<i>Sun down, blood horizon; now it feels alright / </i></div>
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<i>No one feels the darkness down in the valley tonight</i>"</div>
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11) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgjqRPiUAGg">The Country Life</a>" – <a href="http://www.crashtestdummies.com/">Crash Test Dummies</a> – <i>The Ghosts That Haunt Me</i> (1991)</div>
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Folks, this blog would likely not exist were it not for my introduction to the Crash Test Dummies in the early 1990s. They were the first act I "discovered" on my own and led me to research (pre-Internet!) bands that influenced them, like <a href="http://chalkhills.org/">XTC</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Replacements_%28band%29">The Replacements</a>, and I'm forever grateful. While I really need to hash out my history with the group that most causal music observers know as a one-hit wonder – whose one hit contained a vowel-less chorus – the purpose of this post is road songs, and "Country Life" off their fantastic, alt-country-before-alt-country-was-a-thing debut, <i>The Ghosts That Haunt Me</i>, adds some needed, non-hokey country spark to a good travel compilation.</div>
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<i>"So let's pack our bags up together, and we'll be in the clear forever..."</i></span></div>
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10) "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/somewhere-down-the-road-mt0036267258">Somewhere Down the Road</a>" – Farewell Drifters (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/farewell-drifters.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/07/farewell-drifters-echo-boom.html">NMT</a></b></span>) – <i>Yellow Tag Mondays</i> (2010)</div>
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Since we've already arrived at the country-flavored portion of this list, let's not drift too far afield, as the bluegrassy Farewell Drifters always deliver the sort of tight harmonies, honey-laced fiddles and nimble pickin' that provide a sunny, nostalgic character during treks across farms and fields.</div>
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<i>"One day soon, I know the road will take us where we want to go /</i></div>
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<i> And everything you see will be along with me, </i></div>
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<i>somewhere down the road..." </i></div>
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<br /><span></span><span>9) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olwVCye_6Do">Drive</a>" – The Gaslight Anthem (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/01/gaslight-anthem.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/06/gaslight-anthem-american-slang.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-gaslight-anthem-handwritten.html">NMT</a></b></span>) – <i>Sink Or Swim</i> (2007)</span></div>
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<span>Abruptly shifting gears, the Springsteen-via-The-Clash power punk quartet aren't necessarily exploring wide open spaces on "Drive," but rather getting the boys back home after hitting the central Jersey bars. Still, sometimes on a multi-hour drive, you need a good jolt of pick-me-up; this will do it.</span></div>
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"<i>And the only thing we know is it's getting dark and we better go / </i></div>
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<i>And the only thing we say are the despairs of the day</i>"</div>
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8) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRgK5hVkYYM">Down By the Water</a>" – The Decemberists (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/decemberists.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/decemberists-long-live-king.html">NMT</a></b></span>) – <i>The King Is Dead</i> (2011)</div>
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After serving as the most literate band in indie rock for the better part of a decade, Colin Meloy and the gang decided to shift to a more accessible brand of Americana for <i>The King Is Dead</i>. Turns out it was their best-selling record ever, and the leadoff single, "Down By the Water" exposed the Portland quintet to an expanded audience through its roots rock revival format. Guest contributions by now-former R.E.M. (<a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/rem.html"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>NMT</b></span></a>) guitarist Peter Buck (damn, isn't it a little sad to write that) and knockout supporting vocals from Gillian Welch embolden what is already a pretty catchy number from Meloy and company. </div>
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"<span><i>The season rubs me wrong, the summer swells anon / </i></span></div>
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<span><i>So knock me down, tear me up / </i></span></div>
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<span><i>But I would bear it all broken just to fill my cup / </i></span></div>
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<span><i>Down by the water and down by the old main drag</i>"</span></div>
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<span>7) "Thank You, Ringo Star" – <a href="http://www.johnyvegas.net/">Johnny Vegas</a> – Super Cool American (1997)</span></div>
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<span>This is such a hipster lede, but you probably haven't heard of Johnny Vegas (the band, not <a href="http://www.johnnyvegas.co.uk/">the comedian</a>). That's probably for good season, since the Syracuse, N.Y.-quartet hasn't done much since 1999. And that's a shame, because the tandem of frontman Keith Calveric and guitarist Mike Shimshack wrote some very hooky, alt-rock-pop in the <a href="http://www.ginblossoms.net/">Gin Blossoms</a> vein that never really found an audience outside upstate New York. Although the first verse of "Thank You, Ringo Star" is actually about a train – I know, way more awesome – the travel theme is recurrent throughout the 2:52 piano-rock confection.</span></div>
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<span><i>"All packed up and ready to go; </i></span></div>
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<span><i>cigarette money and enough for the tolls..."</i><br />
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<span>6) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLHso6hLHFA">Rain King</a>" – <a href="http://www.countingcrows.com/">Counting Crows</a> – <i>August and Everything After</i> (1993)</span></div>
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<span>Any search terms for "heartland rock" should immediately return this barnstorming classic from when the Crows were the Bay Area's favorite faux-midwestern rock band. The combination of crisp acoustic guitars, clean Fender riffs and keyboardist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Gillingham">Charlie Gillingham's</a> brilliant Hammond organ park is the definition of the sub-genre. A listen to this and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edEF3ghqZV8">Omaha</a>" off the band's excellent debut makes you remember why the group was so well-received, even during the heart of the 90s grunge movement. </span></div>
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<i>"Oh, it seems night endlessly begins and ends / </i></div>
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<i>After all the dreaming I come home again..."</i></div>
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<span>5) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXkCbG1Lk3E">Let's Get Out of This Country</a>" – Camera Obscura (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/06/super-review-sleeping-at-last.html">NMT</a></b></span>) – </span><span><i>Let's Get Out of This Country</i> (2006)</span></div>
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<span>You perhaps read my thoughts last week on this Scottish act's uneven recent release, but the title track from their 2006 record is the group's high water mark. The rush of strings, organs and playful guitars propel frontwoman Tracyanne Campbell's tale of eloping into a more vast exercise in love and exploration.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span><br /><i>
</i></span><i>
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Let's hit the road, dear friend of mine / </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Wave goodbye to our thankless jobs / </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>We'll drive for miles, maybe never turn off..."</i>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span><br />
</span>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span>4) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppzAcG-xmT0">Electric Music</a>" – Band of Horses (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>) – <i>Mirage Rock</i> (2012) </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span><br />
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<span>Last year, Band of Horses released the album of their career, and "Electric Music" is the best thing on it. It seems like this song has been laying in wait since Jackson Browne's 1977 signature "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJYRtOPUonA">Running On Empty</a>," hoping for some plucky band to find it.</span><br /> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<i>Listen to the motor getting louder as we go / </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>One way or another, gonna make it back home...</i>"
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span><br />
</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span>3) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RU111tpVwo">Across The Bridge</a>" – <a href="http://www.greatlakesmythsociety.com/">Great Lakes Myth Society</a> – </span><span><i>Great Lakes Myth Society</i> (2005)</span></div>
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<span><br />
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<span>The most lyrically complex and mysterious of any number on this list, this piece of "northern rock" – as defined by the Michigan-based quintet – includes all the trappings of great heartland rock road songs: mandolins, fiddles, organ and – most crucial – a hearty sing-along chorus led by frontman Timothy Monger (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/06/timothy-monger.html">NMT</a></b></span>).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span><br />
</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span><i>"'Neath the radial of stars / And every band of idle cars / </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span><i>In the distance, old St. Ignace..."</i><br />
</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span><br />
</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span>2) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6joaGaasMo">Keep the Car Running</a>" – The Arcade Fire (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/arcade-fire.html">NMT</a></b></span>) – <i>Neon Bible </i>(2007)</span></div>
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<span><br /></span></div>
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<span>It's hard to say the critically-acclaimed and chart-topping indie rock supergroup from Montreal has a single defining anthem – it is, after all, what they do. But this one might be the most accessible to the masses, so much so that co-leaders Win Butler and Regine Chassagne once <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsukSiGcUng">performed it backed by Springsteen and the E Street Band</a> and has been <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDxcjukqISs">covered by the Foo Fighters</a>. Although the protagonist's paranoia is a bit disconcerting if read too closely...</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Lyric"><span class="line line-s" id="line_1">"Every night my dream’s the same</span>
<span class="line line-s" id="line_2">/ </span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Lyric"><span class="line line-s" id="line_2">Same old city with a different name</span>
/ </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Lyric"><span class="line line-s" id="line_3">Men are coming to take me away</span> /
<span class="line line-s hover" id="line_4"> </span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Lyric"><span class="line line-s hover" id="line_4">I don’t know why but I know I can’t stay"</span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span>1) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJZgpsNxIps">Seeds</a>" – Hey Rosetta! (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/hey-rosetta.html">NMT</a></b></span>) – Seeds (2011)</span></div>
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<span>From the welcoming, inviting mandolin that opens the title track from this St. John's, Newfoundland chamber-rock act, the number does everything that a great road song should do: translate the literal act of travel into a metaphor of self-discovery and enlightenment with vigor and enthusiasm. </span></div>
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</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span>"T<i>he road bends long, like mother's arms / </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span><i>Reaching for these four black tires...</i>"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span><br />
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</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span>P.S. – hopefully some of you spotted that the road in the photo at the top was a railroad. It was in northern Florida, south of Atmore, Ala.<br />
</span>
</div>
YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-80892679633996606022013-06-18T04:00:00.000-07:002013-06-18T04:00:06.146-07:00Super Review: Sleeping At Last, The Lighthouse & The Whaler, Camera Obscura, Lemuria<br />
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<a href="http://sleepingatlast.com/">Sleeping At Last</a><br />
New Release: <i>Atlas: Light</i> (also, <i>Atlas: Darkness</i>)<br />
Release Date: June 10, 2013 (January 29, 2013)<br />
Record Label: self-released<br />
Sounds Like: Her Space Holiday (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/08/her-space-holiday.html">NMT</a></b></span>); Hey Rosetta! (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/03/hey-rosetta.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Wheaton, Ill. <br />
<br />
To follow up <a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/06/future-bible-heroes.html">last week's review</a> of a Stephin Merritt project with a similarly prolific and adventurous artist seems altogether appropriate. While Merritt's material can range from range from brooding and antagonistic to electronic experimentation, the volumes of work supplied by Sleeping At Last's Ryan O'Neal trends more towards uplifting and organic, if a tad too ethereal at times. Like Merritt, O'Neal culls his output into less conventional formats, including short EPs and multi-volume collections. <i>Light</i> and <i>Darkness</i> are part of O'Neal's <i>Atlas</i> series of six-track EPs, which will ultimately include a total of six records released every few months, and are "inspired by the origins, emergence and experiences of life," according to O'Neal. The series the natural successor to his <i>Yearbook</i> collection from 2010 and 2011, which yielded a new three-song EP tailored for each month of the year.<br />
<br />
Although O'Neil tends to organize his releases in a fashion similar to
Merritt, his musical style is more akin to Her Space Holiday's Marc
Bianchi, with intricate orchestral arrangements spanning a wealth of
genres from folk to progressive rock. Meanwhile, his vocal phrasing is
more reminiscent of Hey Rosetta's Tim Baker or <a href="http://www.mikeviola.com/">Mike Viola</a> of The Candy
Butchers: a high, sweeping tenor range that often begins gentle and a
touch fragile at first, but can build and swirl when called upon in
service to epics and anthems. <br />
<br />
This review will include not only the most recent volume of the <i>Atlas</i> series, <i>Light</i>, but its debut offering from January, <i>Darkness</i>, which O'Neal intended to be considered as two sides of a vinyl record. This intention is borne out by the contrast between "Uneven Odds" off Darkness and the title track off Light, which tells the story of the same character, the former from the viewpoint of a guardian of a child whose parents had recently passed, and the latter reflecting the thoughts of that same child – now as an adult – on the birth of a child of their own, the lyrics to which could be an eye-watering credo for any new parent as the instrumentation swells with resolve and hope:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"May these words be the first to find your ears:</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>All is bright and in the sun now that you're here;</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Though your eyes will need some time to adjust </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>to the overwhelming light surrounding us; </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I'll give you everything I have, I'll teach you everything I know,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I promise I'll do better...</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I will always hold you close but I will learn to let you go,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I promise I'll do better...</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I will soften every edge, I'll hold the world to its best, </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>and I'll do better...</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>With every heartbeat I have left I will defend your every breath</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>and I'll do better...</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Cause you are loved, you are loved, more than you know,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I hereby pledge all of my days to prove its so, </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>though your heart is far too young to realize the unimaginable light you hold inside..."</i></div>
<br />
There's little impression O'Neal is just simply aiming for a tearjerker here. I feel the same about the equally sentimental but just as sincere "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1jEHf9tPlk">We're So Far Away</a>" by Mae. I dare you not to be convicted. <br />
<br />
<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D3U3HOA/ref=dm_dp_trk1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371479102&sr=8-1">Light</a>" (see above)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D3U3IYY/ref=dm_dp_trk2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371479102&sr=8-1">You Are Enough</a>" (light and intricate)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D3U3JHU/ref=dm_dp_trk3?ie=UTF8&qid=1371479102&sr=8-1">Heirloom</a>" (surprisingly folksy, with acoustic guitars and fiddles; continues the motivational tale from father to son begin in "Light"<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D3U3JW0/ref=dm_dp_trk4?ie=UTF8&qid=1371479102&sr=8-1">The Projectionist</a>" (I think the first line, "When I was young, I fell in love with stories" is enough to make the whole track worthwhile); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B66IIYC/ref=dm_dp_trk1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478946&sr=8-3">Overture</a>" (gentle at first, but picks up in intensity, mostly via a simple mandolin part); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B66IJXM/ref=dm_dp_trk3?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478946&sr=8-3">I'll Keep You Safe</a>" (very lush, illustrative lyricism); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B66IL4O/ref=dm_dp_trk5?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478946&sr=8-3">Uneven Odds</a>" (tune in for the set-up of "Light," despite its morose subject matter) <br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D3U3KGA/ref=dm_dp_trk5?ie=UTF8&qid=1371479102&sr=8-1">In the Embers</a>" (slow and somber); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B66IJGE/ref=dm_dp_trk2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478946&sr=8-3">Woodwork</a>" (this is what I meant by a touch too ethereal, and its just a little repetitive); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B66IKJK/ref=dm_dp_trk4?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478946&sr=8-3">Bad Blood</a>" (nothing wrong per se, but I guess a collection entitled <i>Darkness</i> will have more slow, restrained numbers than not)<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: nothing too objectionable <br />
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<a href="http://thelighthouseandthewhaler.com/">The Lighthouse & The Whaler</a><br />
New Release: <i>This Is an Adventure</i><br />
Release Date: September 18, 2012<br />
Record Label: self-released<br />
Sounds Like: Ra Ra Riot (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2010/08/ra-ra-riot.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Hey Marseilles (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/02/hey-marseilles-miracles-of-modern.html">NMT</a></b></span>), <a href="http://www.vampireweekend.com/">Vampire Weekend</a><br />
Location: Cleveland, Ohio <br />
<br />
Don't worry, everybody – I've found it! Found what, you ask. Well, only the record that Ra Ra Riot should have released as its fourth album instead of the electronic schlock of <i>Beta Love</i>. Strangely enough, it turns out it comes via the Seattle indie folk-rock quartet The Lighthouse & The Whaler's sophomore release, <i>This Is an Adventure</i>, which came out last September but which I was only recently made aware of. There's the same faux-Sting vocals from frontman Michael LoPresti that made Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles stand out, and the same mix of Vampire Weekend-style Afropop and synth-rock and strings-forward, baroque-pop that defines groups like Hey Marseilles and Rah Rah (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>). <br />
<br />
<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRGPnQxY9i4">Pioneers</a>" (good blend of their previous folk-oriented catalog with their new, more rubbery sound; catchy hook)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0097353GC/ref=dm_dp_trk2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478319&sr=8-1">Chromatic</a>" (although its nearly a knock-off of Ra Ra Riot's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Too-Dramatic/dp/B003YEPQQW/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478608&s=dmusic&sr=1-11">Too Dramatic</a>," that was a great tune these should have no shame in trying to rip-off; combination of glockenspiel, strings and keys add even greater buoyancy to slinky guitars and bouncy bass)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0097357OU/ref=dm_dp_trk7?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478319&sr=8-1">This Is an Adventure</a>" (could be a breakout hit for the band)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00973542A/ref=dm_dp_trk3?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478319&sr=8-1">Venice</a>" (not too heavy; compliment to leisure travel); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0097354PM/ref=dm_dp_trk4?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478319&sr=8-1">The Adriatic</a>" (strings take center stage here; intriguing chorus); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00973563M/ref=dm_dp_trk6?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478319&sr=8-1">Burst Apart</a>" (if you've listened to any of the group's previous
material, you'd never suspect they'd turn out something as loose and
floaty as this); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0097358E4/ref=dm_dp_trk8?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478319&sr=8-1">Iron Doors</a>" (kind of heavy as the title suggests, but not a bad choice to slow things down by a step on an otherwise pretty peppy production); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0097359C0/ref=dm_dp_trk9?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478319&sr=8-1">We've Got the Most</a>" (once again, could double as a Ra Ra Riot number; I still have no problem with it); "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009735A4M/ref=dm_dp_trk10?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478319&sr=8-1">Untitled</a>" (love guitarist Mark Poro's figures here) <br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0097355G0/ref=dm_dp_trk5?ie=UTF8&qid=1371478319&sr=8-1">Little Vessels</a>" (never seems to catch the current it needs to get going properly, but otherwise its okay)<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: it's all aiight<br />
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<a href="http://www.camera-obscura.net/">Camera Obscura</a><br />
New Release: <i>Desire Lines</i><br />
Release Date: June 11, 2013<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.4ad.com/">4AD</a><br />
Sounds Like: <a href="http://www.maniacs.com/">10,000 Maniacs</a>, A.C. Newman (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>), <a href="http://www.maniacs.com/">She & Him</a>, Of Monsters & Men (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/01/super-review-january.html">NMT</a></b></span>)<br />
Location: Glasgow, Scotland<br />
<br />
Just a few seconds of interaction with "Do It Again" – the leadoff single from the Scottish sextet's fifth full-length release – should tell you all you need to know about the group's power and potential. Unfortunately, much of that talent is well, obscured here with mid-paced numbers that are pleasant enough, but don't churn along with the same sort of urgency and vigor as demonstrated on just a few tracks here, or elsewhere through their past portfolio. I know I harp on my 3-2-1 ratio over and over, but this record is truly the case study in why uptempo numbers need to be the bulk of any collection, followed by lesser numbers of mid-paced and slower selections. This is really a shame since I've routinely cited Camera Obscura as possessing much of the template for what I consider to be the ingredients for good music: many performers of both genders – often Canadian or Scottish – playing all sorts of instruments with the ability to span multiple genres and possessing the knack for catchy tunes. I just wish we'd heard more of it on <i>Desire Lines</i>.<br />
<br />
<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/do-it-again-mt0047394292">Do It Again</a>" (nearly as good and hooky as their all-time best, 2006's "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/lets-get-out-of-this-country-mt0009351415">Let's Get Out of This Country</a>;" lead vocalist Tracyanne Campbell demonstrates why she's one of the best in the business when she's on her game)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/break-it-to-you-gently-mt0047394297">Break it to You Gently</a>" (good energy and sturdy drumming from Lee Thompson) <br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/this-is-love-feels-alright-mt0047394288">This Is Love (Feels Alright)</a>" (the slow-paced stuff starts early, but this one's early enough that it's still interesting; some good strings and horns matched with multi-instrumentalist Carey Lander's organ balances out the bluesy rhythm section of Thompson and bassist Gavin Dunbar) <br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/troublemaker-mt0047394289">Troublemaker</a>" (its just a small step off from being very catchy; sort of an 80s college rock vibe); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/new-years-resolution-mt0047394291">New Year's Resolution</a>" (another good latent melody, but could use a jolt of power behind it; otherwise too hazy); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/every-weekday-mt0047394294">Every Weekday</a>" (fun, tropical-flavored riff from guitarist Kenny McKeeve along with Lander's hovering organ salvages this one); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/i-missed-your-party-mt0047394296">I Missed Your Party</a>" (lighthearted; horns are a welcome addition; more nimble guitar work from McKeeve)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/williams-heart-mt0047394290">William's Heart</a>" (a lulling waltz that comes close to yawn-invoking; once more, McKeeve is able to add some worthwhile contributions); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/fifth-in-line-to-the-throne-mt0047394295">Fifth in Line To The Throne</a>" (again, I don't mind Thompson and Dunbar's blues foundation – and if this were the 1 in my 3-2-1 ratio, it could fit as a You'll Be Surprised By pick – but, alas, it's just another slow song here); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/desire-lines-mt0047394298">Desire Lines</a>" (as a traditional closing track it's no problem, but good luck finding the appetite for more slow stuff if you make it this far)<br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/intro-mt0047394287">Intro</a>" (only 30 seconds, and this isn't really a concept record, so what's the need of a prelude?); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/cri-du-coeur-mt0047394293">Cri Du Coeur</a>" (might find its higher purpose as a sedative)<br />
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<a href="http://www.lemuriapop.com/">Lemuria</a><br />
New Release: <i>The Distance Is So Big</i><br />
Release Date: June 18, 2013<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://www.bridge9.com/">Bridge 9 Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: The Tins (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>), Rah Rah (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-review.html">NMT</a></b></span>), <a href="http://www.sleater-kinney.com/">Slater-Kinney</a><br />
Location: Buffalo, N.Y. <br />
<br />
If you heard Buffalo, N.Y.'s The Tins when we profiled them last year, the quirky, time signature-defying work of their fellow Nickel City-based trio should serve as a good follow-up. Guitarist Sheena Ozzella and drummer Alex Kerns share lead vocals, while the pair along with bassist Max Gregor churn through a variety of progressive and slightly odd takes on the traditional rock format, much like Primus did to a larger scale through the 1990s, albeit here with less spiffy studio production, which at times is a little distracting. (<a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/06/09/188983536/first-listen-lemuria-the-distance-is-so-big?refresh=true">Listen to the full record via NPR's First Listen</a>)<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "Brilliant Dancer" (good bouncy hook; Ozzella's vocals are flighty like if Taylor Swift found her way to prog-rock; note the first example of shifting time signatures around the 1:55 mark)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "Clay Baby" (Kerns is a few notches shy of Ozzellla's vocal talents – he can occasionally sound like a low-register <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Linnell">John Linnell</a> – but the melody vaguely reflects Modern English's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuN6gs0AJls">I Melt With You</a>," which is fun)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "Scienceless" (thick and meaty riffs)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "Dream Eater" (hard-charging, neat rolling bass line from Gregor; hooky chorus); "Chihuly" (titled for the famous glass artists, the trade-offs and interplay between Ozzella and Kerns brings a good deal of fun as we hear about an "amateur astronomer" and the "butterscotch shattering Chihuly"); "Bluffing Statistics" (I'm not wild about the disjointed percussion here, but the song concept is interesting nonetheless); "Public Opinion Bath" ("one minute you're stuck between two proud parents and a studio audience" from Kerns might be the most interesting lyric on the baker's dozen tracks; satisfyingly short at 2:12); "Congratulations Sex" (not quite Rilo Kiley's "Potions for Foxes," but still pretty humorously lurid); "Ruby" (packs plenty of punch for a closing number; Ozzella's vocals sound like a slight nod to The Cranberries' Delores O'Riordan)<br />
<u>Meh</u>: "Paint the Youth" (the rhythm seems a bit clunky and out of synch; do like the trippy organ, though); "Oahu, Hawaii" (another hint of a famous melody, this time via Queen's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t63_HRwdAgk">Radio Ga Ga</a>," but the rest of the track is a bit sparse); "Survivors' Guilt" (a little too slow and dark for their sound profile) <br />
<u>Skip to next track</u>: "Michael and Stephan Moon" (much like Camera Obscura's "Intro," it serves little purpose)<br />
<br />
<br />YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-82548286535028538402013-06-11T04:30:00.000-07:002013-06-13T08:40:38.207-07:00Future Bible Heroes<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>This week our guest correspondent <a href="http://www.twitter.com/eileencan">Eileen Can</a> reviews
the new <a href="http://www.futurebibleheroes.com/">Future Bible Heroes</a><b> </b>
album, Partygoing, out June 4 on Merge
Records. Future Bible Heroes will play <a href="http://www.blackcatdc.com/shows/future-bible-heroes.html">DC July 26 at the Black Cat</a>.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.futurebibleheroes.com/"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Future Bible Heroes</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">New Release: <i>Partygoing</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Release Date: June 4, 2013</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Record Label: <a href="http://www.mergerecords.com/artists/futurebh">Merge Records</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sounds Like: The Magnetic Fields, The Flaming Lips, Pet Shop Boys </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Location: San Francisco, Calif. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Followers of songwriter Stephin Merritt know his projects
<a href="http://www.houseoftomorrow.com/sixths.php">The 6THs</a>, the soundtrack he composed for Lemony Snicket’s <i>A Series of Unfortunate
Events</i>, and most
notably The Magnetic Fields (<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2012/03/magnetic-fields.html">NMT</a></span></b>)<b>.</b> Future Bible Heroes is the
experimental arm of his expanding musical empire, and the one in which Merritt
and bandmates Christopher Ewen and Claudia Gonson exercise their intergalactic
disco fantasies – a successful endeavor if you are listening in your basement, but
save your nickels for the four-CD boxset from Merge before you think about
stalking their tour bus from coast to coast.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The best and worst part about seeing one of Merritt’s bands live
is that there is no pretense – the ensemble typically comes across as unrehearsed
and unaware that a hundred or more fans spent money, cleared their calendars,
and are now standing (or sitting) in an auditorium, eager to see for themselves
the magnificent musicians who produced clever tunes such as <a href="http://youtu.be/IucvRF2BCF0">"The Lonely Robot</a>." What you find instead is a clan of
tired, sassy travelers, and Claudia Gonson hitching up her pants and spouting
off about Calvin Trillin books. Merritt is without exception an irritable
performer, and his chronic <a href="http://www.hyperacusis.org/">hyperacusis</a> makes
him no fun on stage. Future Bible Heroes (FBH) will be touring <i>without</i> Merritt this summer, and the
jury is still out as to whether this will enhance the group’s reputation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you can’t enjoy a band live, the next best thing is to
have them gift you with an album that serves as a party-kit-in-a-CD-sleeve (just
add friends). While <i>Partygoing</i>
doesn’t have any track as compelling as the 2002 FBH toe-tapper "<a href="http://youtu.be/x26vkkiPyac">I’m a Vampire</a>,"<b> </b>
it’s an album in the truest sense – perfect for an era in which some journalists <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2013/05/20/185534315/do-you-really-listen-to-full-albums">think no one listens to albums anymore</a><b>.</b> The key to enjoying this record<i> </i>is to play it all, in order, and give
it time. It mirrors the arc of an actual party, and with each track you find
yourself more engaged.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It opens with the intriguing A Drink is Just the
Thing, which serves as a brief and alluring overture. On to "<a href="http://youtu.be/rGAzg9cnF14">Sadder Than the Moon</a>,"
in which the lunar themes, shattered hearts and general unrequitedness of all
Merritt’s lyrics assert themselves through his cloudy baritone. Picture a
slow but earnest start to a party that is just gathering in your rec room,
wallflowers and all. The patient listener will hold tight, rearrange chairs,
and get comfortable for the rest of the album, which unfurls with "Let’s Go to
Sleep (And Never Come Back)" – a tame, 21<sup>st</sup>
century counterpart to the Magnetic Fields’ 1994 single<b> </b><a href="http://youtu.be/e_GzdN9ouYE">"Take Ecstasy with Me</a>." Despite his hearing problems,
Merritt is aging well, and his writing shows it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"A New Kind of Town" will kick 80s enthusiasts down memory lane
while managing to sound original. It pays just enough homage to trippy, sexy
techno of old, with lyrics built for a brave new world. Although Merritt is not
one to weave subtle social commentary into his songs (direct, face-slapping
opinions, yes), this all-welcoming and inclusive tune proclaims that, “<i>It’s a
dance hall for the new freaks, baby/With a dance floor where no one says maybe</i>,”
and we almost catch a glimpse of him smiling through Gonson’s vocals. “<i>There’s
a sun now</i>,” she sings, “<i>Wake up, you’re snoring</i>.” This song’s merry-go-round
continues, extolling openness and open doors, perhaps signaling a new era for
FBH, who until now had not released an album in over a decade.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The biggest surprise of the set is "All I Care About is You,"
which seems unremarkable at first but improves upon repeated listenings.
Although in real life Stephin Merritt is known to be a first-rate Mr. Cranky
Pants, no one denies the sweetness of his lyrics. You can dismiss “<i>And I don’t
care if it’s all in my head/And I don’t care if it’s complicated</i>” as sophomoric,
but a greater challenge would be to claim you don’t identify with the
sentiment. “<i>Hold my hand,</i>” he sings, and leaves it at that to pave the way for <i>Partygoing</i>’s climax.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In a 1789 letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, Benjamin Franklin
said that, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and
taxes.” The Future Bible Heroes’ version of that which is certain above all
else? "<a href="http://youtu.be/dcL1e2JkRgE">Living, Loving, Partygoing</a>."
Merritt has a habit of lauding champagne, but here we get John Waters, Andy
Warhol and Guy Fawkes floating in it, and all before this gem: “<i>At Mink Stole’s
birthday in gay Provincetown/I came to DJ and left with the clown</i>.” It’s a
warm, feel-good dance song that even a misanthrope can embrace.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sure, <i>Partygoing</i> contains
a handful of duds like "How Very Strange" and "Digging My Own Grave," but just
imagine at this point that your shindig is really hopping and the conversation
is roaring, so no one wants to be distracted by some fanboy cranking the volume
knob and shouting, “Y<i>ou gotta hear this one!</i>” It ebbs and flows, it has highs
and lows, and it grows on you as a good party should. Novelist David Mitchell
expressed it thus in <i>Black Swan Green</i>:
"You look a total wally if you dance too early, but after one crucial song
tips the disco over, you look a sad saddo if you don't." In this
collection, "Living, Loving, Partygoing" is that crucial song. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The party continues, and then slowly winds down as parties
do. You’ll be sweeping the floor and filling the recycling bin to "When Evening
Falls on Tinseltown," desperately hoping your next soiree will measure up to
this one. Misanthropy and hyperacusis be damned – Stephin Merritt and friends
always seems to have a good time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Come for:</b> </span>"Living, Loving, Partygoing"<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Stay for:</b> "A New Kind of Town"</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>You’ll Be Surprised By:</b> "All I Care About Is You"</span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Meh:</b> "Satan, Your Way is a Hard One"</span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Trippiest David Bowie Impression:</b> "Drink Nothing But Champagne"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Play on Repeat:</b> "Keep Your
Children in a Coma"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<i>Special note to all you tweeters
out there: #FBH is evidently in use for “free bingo hour” and not “Future Bible
Heroes,” but hey, the sentiment is right!</i></span></span>YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665216323998312991.post-90069930877767225832013-06-04T04:00:00.000-07:002013-06-04T04:00:06.235-07:00The Postelles<a href="http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1022/history/20130531/1507Z/KATL/KABQ">SOMEWHERE OVER CENTRAL ARKANSAS</a>, 34,000 ft -- I fear I may have done you readers a great disservice. For a variety of reasons, April was a difficult stretch to keep up with the bevy of new releases that emerged from early April until now. As a result, while I had a good list of released I wanted to investigate, it was sort of a scattershot approach, which ultimately led to – perhaps – one of the spring's best new records being overlooked until now.<br />
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<a href="http://www.thepostelles.com/">The Postelles</a><br />
New Release: <i>...And It Shook Me</i><br />
Release Date: April 23, 2013<br />
Record Label: <a href="http://plusonemusic.net/">+1 Records</a><br />
Sounds Like: Tinted Windows, The Jayhawks, Elvis Costello, Cheap Trick<br />
Location: New York, N.Y.<br />
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If you're familiar with <a href="http://www.myspace.com/tintedwindows">Tinted Windows</a> – the infectious power-pop rock supergroup project by Fountains of Wayne (<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/08/fountains-of-wayne.html">NMT</a></span></b>) bassist Adam Schlesinger and their utter joy in celebrating hooky, brash rock music – then you'll be quite comfortable with the sophomore effort of the New York-based quartet, The Postelles. The -track album is laden with catchy, well-crafted rock-n-roll, the kind most American music listeners had access to for the better part of the second half of the 20th century. Today, its harder to find. The Postelles – which, by name, sound like they should be a female soul trio from the '60s – take the clean licks and hooky choruses popularized by groups like <a href="http://www.cheaptrick.com/">Cheap Trick</a> and emulated by Tinted Windows and glaze them over with a thin layer of the sort of Americana and heartland rock acts like <a href="http://www.jayhawksofficial.com/">The Jayhawks</a> were so adept at churning out and colored by the soulful quirkiness of an <a href="http://www.elviscostello.com/">Elvis Costello</a>. I have the feeling this is the type of music <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Jonas_%26_the_Administration">Nick Jonas</a> wishes he could produce, but always is sucked into a vortex of saccharine bubblegum pop. These guys are able to span that narrow but deep gorge between high-gloss sugarwater and catchy, but malty rock. There will always be groups like The Decemberists (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/01/decemberists.html">NMT</a></b></span>, <span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/11/decemberists-long-live-king.html">NMT</a></b></span>) and Okkervil River (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/05/okkervil-river.html">NMT</a></b></span>) to push the creative boundaries of indie rock, but in the meantime, there's nothing wrong with enjoying quality work of the less heady variety.<br />
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<u>Come for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/oh-my-luck-mt0047337220">Oh My Luck</a>" (inescapably hooky)<br />
<u>Stay for</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/sweet-water-mt0047337217">Sweet Water</a>" / "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/caught-by-surprise-mt0047337221">Caught By Surprise</a>" (I can't pick which I enjoy more; both draw heavy influence from early-career Costello and sound like you've heard them all your life, in the best possible way...)<br />
<u>You'll be surprised by</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/pretend-its-love-mt0047337216">Pretend Its Love</a>" (it's the one that's different because of the solid guest vocals from <a href="http://www.alexwinstonofficial.com/">Alex Winston;</a> breezy and lighthearted)<br />
<u>Solid efforts</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/and-it-shook-me-mt0047337215">...And It Shook Me</a>" (although it was the leadoff single and is the album opener and title track, the numbers listed above are more fetching, still, its a good place to start); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/you-got-me-beat-mt0047337218">You Got Me Beat</a>" (the hardest-rocking, most Cheap Trick-sounding cut on the record); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/heavy-eyes-mt0047337219">Heavy Eyes</a>" (I could have listed it in the Meh category, since the dropoff in energy level is noticeable compared to the other tracks, but I never really mind change-of-pace numbers and they still adhere to my 3-2-1 ratio for uptempo-midtempo-slow distribution, and here its more like 3-2-0. Plus the chorus hook is just as tempting as any of the others); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/waiting-by-your-window-mt0047337223">Waiting by Your Window</a>" (clean, jangly guitars are at the forefront); "Running Red Lights (has a bluesy/soulful vibe with the R&B-style chorus vocals, with maybe hints of Ramones-era punk undercurrents elsewhere; bassist John Speyer's presence is notable here); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/tidal-wave-mt0047337225">Tidal Wave</a>" (befitting the title, insert this in a beach trip mix with Family of the Year's (<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2013/01/family-of-year.html">NMT</a></b></span>) "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/treehouse-mt0040794243">Treehouse</a>" and Grouplove's (<a href="http://dxmontagnes.blogspot.com/2011/12/grouplove.html">NMT</a>) "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/naked-kids-mt0041778625">Naked Kids</a>"); "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/you-know-i-wont-mt0047337226">You Know I Won't</a>" (rather than the typical somber closer, this one's bright and peppy)<br /><u>Meh</u>: "<a href="http://www.allmusic.com/song/parallel-love-mt0047337222">Parallel Love</a>" (generally the same sentiments as "Heavy Eyes," but the chorus isn't quite as good; still, it's quite listenable, so feel free to disregard this categorization)YLLaGDIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16922530055160380497noreply@blogger.com0