The lovely Vancouver singer/songwriter Ida Nilsen came through town while on tour opening for The Waterboys. Why? Well, story has it that she covered one of their songs on her last album, and band leader Mike Scott caught pleasant wind of it. He also invited her to help out with the recording of their new album.
Anyhoo, Ms Ida kindly dropped off a batch of her new full length How They Fly, and it's terrific! She's buddies with many Canadian aQ faves too, particularly from the Mint Records stable of artists. Everything is warm and comforting about Great Aunt Ida's music -- her singing, the well-placed entrance of horns, a nicely recorded piano, some understated electric guitar. We can see why Mr. Scott among others have taken a shine to her music. While it's rooted in country folk, there's also glimmers of '70s West Coast soft rock and '90s indie girl pop. So nice, she just might become our new Canadian darling!
A dark and dreamy drift through a late night world of moonlit sound from this UK driftrock slowcore duo. Silky serpentine guitar lines, moody meandering dreaminess, hushed whispery vocals, simple brooding dark ambient swirl, disembodied melodies. So so lovely. Like your favorite Low songs, set adrift in outer space, reflecting the twinkle of distant stars, shimmering in the soft vacuum of space. So absolutely gorgeous and otherworldly.
Packaged in a hand numbered black digipak with a tiny square piece of mirror affixed to the front.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Three songs from Steven R. Smith and his Hala Strana, ultra limited lathe cut, hand numbered, only 60 copies pressed. We got FIVE.
New album from Chicago based no depression country duo. Slow, contemplative ballads, rounded out with hollow body guitar, then steeped in smokey reverb and boomy bar room bass - the occasional guest vocal gives this cd an almost Sons of the Pioneers feel. The end result is a very authentic sounding country record (and it was all recorded on a G3... Go figure.) On Archer Prewitt's Carrot Top label.
As the title states this is a live recording of the old country and bluegrass-y couple known as the Handsome Family (aka Brett and Rennie Sparks). This intimate show took place in Chicago (their hometown since '89) shortly before they relocated to New Mexico, and as such it's steeped in heartfelt sentiment. Plenty of warm, down to earth banter filled with kooky tales comes mainly from the mouth of Mrs. Sparks, while Mr. Sparks' singing thunders deep and thick with reverb like a voice from beyond set over an earthy, twangful backdrop. Very haunting. Having written some of the most beautiful, somber ballads of the last decade - some of which have been performed by a few of their friends like Sally Timms - the Handsome Family can take you directly from a hilarious story about magic balls to the absolute depths of dramatic despair. Note: If you're altogether new to this duo you might want to start with one of their great earlier studio albums such as In The Air or Through The Trees before proceeding to this live one.
Local singer-songwriter who surprises with a remarkably un-singer/songwriter debut. Fahey/Nick Drakey fingerpickin'.
Traveling Songs is the second folksy twang album from Mr. Clay Hawkins. Vocally, he falls close to the sensitive male singer/songwriter tree a la Damien Jurado, Elliott Smith -- earnest and deeply heartfelt -- but where this album truly shines is when it's just him playing solo in his acoustic guitar on songs such as "Stepping Lightly" (or when he's simply joined by the sound of birds twittering on the ninth song "The Trip"). This Bay Area-based gent originally hails from Arizona and it shows. His skillful string plucking glows with golden desert sunset tones. Very comforting and warm.
Hey all you Alabama Chickens! Or admirers of Bay Area country boy Sean Hayes' album of that very name! If you're in the Bay Area, you just might've seen him performing with his pal Ms Jolie Holland recently. Such a great combination! From the clamour of folks coming in askin' about him, it seems like he made quite an impression. Well, we're happy to report that we've got a couple of his earlier releases for y'all straight from the man himself. Each proves him to be a prolific and consistently high caliber singer / songwriter.
This one is his debut full length originally released in 1999, and what really struck us right off the bat was how soulful Hayes' vocal delivery is on it. In fact, when combined with the meditative barebones folk guitar plucking, it bears more than a striking resemblance to that of Tracy Chapman. That in itself is by no means a bad thing, just a little startling, and apart from that initial oddness, this reveals itself to be another fine, achingly expressive album from Mr. Hayes. Fourteen songs in all.
Now, we might wanna recommend right here and now that you not be mislead by the cover and title of this cd which sort of suggested (to us at least) something akin to a Southern Culture On The Skids style hootenanny. Not so! Although we wouldn't doubt that this gent can kick up some dust on his own. Instead, how 'bout some southern Americana twang from right here in SF? Sean Hayes is the man slinging this fine Alabama Chicken, and he's joined by a luminous group of guest players. To name just a couple of them... AQ fave Jolie Holland plays her fiddle and sings on a couple of songs, and AQ dear friend Will Waghorn plays drums on a bunch of 'em too. Actually the title track is one that Holland and Waghorn both grace, and it's definitely a highlight. It's ever so solemn, haunting and perhaps the most fleshed out of the album's down home dozen with the aforementioned fiddle, as well as some ghostly musical saw, banjo, and marimba. The rest are more barebones and intimate, allowing individual instruments to linger and lope all by their lonesome. A bittersweet swoop of harmonica, some understated acoustic guitar, a handful of soft piano keys, a hushed brush-tap on a snare drum and high hat. Lovely! Hayes' softly ragged, mournful voice (Andee compared it to James Taylor) pairs so well with Holland's -- like kindred spirits -- it makes you yearn for more of their stirring duets. We'd venture to say that if you've been swooning to Ms. Holland and The Be Good Tanyas, you just might want to check this out too. Even if you haven't, please do! A moving, earnest and earthy album.
The name Sean Hayes has swiftly become one that you can trust for some really good down-home listenin'. His ever-growing following around these parts know very well that this man has a special way with both word and song. His last album, the laidback bluesy beauty Alabama Chicken from 2003, really made its mark on the Bay Area country folk community, equally appealing to fans of his fellow indie folksters Will Oldham, Jason Molina and his pal Jolie Holland as well as fans of the less grassroots-y types such as Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson or country rock vets John Hiatt and Graham Parker. This, the eagerly anticipated Big Black Hole And The Little Baby Star, is his fourth full length. Honing, fleshing out and expanding on that which came before, it sure doesn't disappoint. Not one to let the grass grow beneath his feet nor one to rest on his laurels, Hayes continues to grow as a deeply soulful songcraftsman, discovering and exploring new broader possibilities in his music. Refreshing and strong from start to finish, Big Black Hole And The Little Baby Star's fourteen songs find him at his most confident and effortless. He's joined by a number of fellow SF musical luminaries Ara Anderson (Iron & The Albatross), Etienne DeRocher, Ches Smith (Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant), Todd Roper and Kathryn Jensen. Be sure to check out the album's closing number, the slowly grooving "Turnaroundturnmeon" that perhaps offers a glimpse of his future directions. Sure to convert many many more ears to this gent's warm, earthy aural finery. Recommended!
Hey all you Alabama Chickens! Or admirers of Bay Area country boy Sean Hayes' album of that very name! If you're in the Bay Area, you just might've seen him performing with his pal Ms Jolie Holland recently. Such a great combination! From the clamour of folks coming in askin' about him, it seems like he made quite an impression. Well, we're happy to report that we've got a couple of his earlier releases for y'all straight from the man himself. Each proves him to be a prolific and consistently high caliber singer / songwriter.
This one, Lunar Lust is his second full length which came out in 2002. Much like on his debut A Thousand Tiny Pieces, what really struck us right off the bat was the earnest, yearning emotiveness of Hayes' voice. In fact, when combined with the meditative barebones folk guitar plucking, it bears a startling resemblance to that of Tracy Chapman. That in itself is by no means a bad thing, and apart from that initial oddness, this reveals itself to be another fine, achingly expressive album from Mr. Hayes. Fourteen songs in all.
Ace Of Spades is a cd-r series of live recordings showcasing the intimate acoustic music of a variety of local indie artists. The series so far boasts consistently strong performances from all participants (well played and well recorded at Mama Buzz Cafe in Oakland).
Of the Volume 5 - January 2005 edition's seven featured artists, AQ customers will probably be most familiar with Sean Hayes. His three songs include "Diamond In The Sun", "Rattlesnake Charm" and a fine rendition of the title track of his beloved Alabama Chicken album. Other stand-outs are the haunting spartan female sung three songs from Black Bird Stitches, the easy-going pop folk double-shot from Songs From The Living Room and the rousing intoxicated gypsy strings of Sour Mash Hug Band. L.Carey, Jason Webley, and P. Panamarenko (who also appears on the Vol. 6 and Vol. 8 editions).
If you live in San Francisco, you've probably seen Tom lending his remarkable pedal steel skills to a bevy of local country acts. Formerly of the band Go To Blazes, currently doing time in The Court and Spark, Tom finally releases a record on his own. He has already proven himself an amazing player, but this records shows him to be quite a songwriter, as well as a pretty great singer. Fans of the Court and Spark, Uncle Tupelo and all that should definitely check this out.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
If you dug Hillstomp's album The Woman That Ended The World here that we got in recently here at AQ, then you might want to give a gander to another one of their full lengths. One Word offers up more of the raw, rowdy twang that this Portland, OR band do so well. Seems they've started a trend that whenever they're in town to play at the Makeout Room around the corner from our shop, they bring us another release. Keep 'em comin boys! Kick up those mud-crusted boots and swing yer baby round 'n' round. Yee haw!
A new album from this Portland, OR combo who just swung through town and played right around the corner from us at the Make-Out Room. Although they define themselves as "North Mississippi-Style Punk Blues", we'd venture to say that they've much more traditional sounding Appalachian folk than that. Definitely for you if you've dug the recent offerings from Mercury Dimes, Crooked Jades, etc. Hillstomp are sorta like those considerably more mild-mannered, refined bands' rowdy, raucous cousins.
The second solo full length from Ms Kelly Hogan (formerly of Jody Grind and Rock-A-Teens). Always toting some impeccably selected songs to cover, this album contains only two Hogan originals. You may recall her crushing version of the Magnetic Fields' "Papa
After hearing me (Cup) rage on about the fabulous Neko Case, perhaps you may have been itchin' for another beautiful voice from the Bloodshot camp? Well if so, look no further than Neko's Bloodshot labelmate (and occasional country chanteuse partner in crime), Kelly Hogan. Ms Hogan and company approach their songs from a more angelic, softer angle. Although it seems at times this album teeters quite close to the country-rock mainstream, fear not, strong storytellin' songwriting, some great guest players (Robbie Fulks, Edith Frost, John Wesley Harding to name a few), and her own ol' country heart (reminiscent of a young Tammy Wynette) keep it from completely tumbling over to that side of the fence. Plenty of rich reverb-y twang, fiddle and pedal steel embellished from time to time with horns. Lovely. Top it all off with tips of the hat to Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt and Willie Nelson (with fantastic covers of "Papa Was A Rodeo" and "I Still Can't Believe You're Gone" respectively).
Hey Jolie Holland fans! Has your beloved Catalpa cd been spun down to a brittle wafer and left you craving more? Well, we've got some really good news for you! Her second solo full length (and first studio album) has arrived and it offers up a dozen more old tyme-y treasures. Sure to please those who adored her abovementioned solo debut (and we know there were *many* of you!) as well as her full band The Be-Good Tanyas, and will undoubtedly also win her plenty more admirers. She seems in slightly brighter spirits this time around. There are some songs that aren't quite as laden with aching sorrows, and a couple that even pep up tempo-wise. However, her voice seems less suited to these comparatively more lively numbers, losing some of its charm and inflections. Her voice is most potent when each word and held note are allowed to hang wavering in the air. No big worries though 'cause those songs are few and far between, leaving the rest of the album to haunt and enchant as only Ms Holland can.
Yes, along with the first blossoms of May the highly anticipated new Jolie Holland album has arrived! Definitely less mysterious than her previous two albums, but no less magical. There's not so much of the 'from where did this antique gramophone recording get unearthed?' kind of feel that characterized both Catalpa and Escondida. While Springtime Can Kill You still maintains a foundation of old country petticoats, the recordings sound quite contemporary. Very full, fleshed out and crisp... so much so in fact that the brushes played on the snare drum effectively conjure the crunch of frost beneath your boots or the first bite into a freshly picked apple. It might be a bit of an overstatement, but it seems Holland's evolved from porchswing peasant gal into more of a composed chanteuse. No complaints here tho'. This is a beautiful album with captivating songs and fine performances by all involved. Guest players include multi-instrumentalist Ara Anderson of Iron And The Albatross, and singer/songwriter David Dondero. Sure to cause extensive bouts of swooning.
Here's a new full length from this folk pop songstress following her lovely debut Honey For Breakfast album from 2002. Her slightly weary lilt of a voice hints that she might be the long lost kid sister of Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval. She picks right up where she left off with this lengthier gathering of unadorned acoustic guitar, banjo and vocals. Hushed, sweet and intimate. Please note: If you've seen her play recently and bought a copy of the cd-r that she had for sale, this might be the cd version of that same material (this is according to a Honeywell-lovin' AQ customer who did that very thing).
Ms. Honeywell possesses a lilting, lamenting voice quite akin to that of Trailer Bride's Melissa Swingle, with the added sultriness of Cat Power and the dark hum of Edith Frost's delivery. On her debut album, we have gentle porchswing songs with
It was never any big secret that AQ faves Hotel Alexis sounded a LOT like Sparklehorse. How could it be really. After all, both groups crafted gorgeously lush low key country soundscapes, more whisper and hum than twang in most cases, with sweetly crooned vocals, nestled among rich worlds of minor key misery and soft lonely blues. And Hotel Alexis' Sidney Lindner (brother to Flying Canyon's Cayce, who both play together as Golden Hotel) has a voice that's a dead ringer for Mark Linkous from Sparklehorse. But for every similarity, there are some crucial differences. Lately, Sparklehorse has moved on, Danger Mouse production, super star guest spots, and a new sound closer to a countrified Flaming Lips, which is great, don't get us wrong, but it's not the sound we fell in love with. Lindner and his Hotel Alexis still wander those same rain swept streets, are still lost and alone, recording by lamp light, finding solace in each lonely note. The sound is similar, but there is definite progression.
Lindner has continued to look inward, expanding his dark personal universe, getting more and more lush and expansive certainly, but without losing the hushed intimacy that made the debut, The Shining Example is Lying On The Floor such an absolute gem. If anything, Goliath, I'm On Your Side is even better, which is saying a lot considering how much we LOVED the first record.
The sound is simple: strummed steel string guitars, heavily reverbed piano, Lindner's sweetly soulful vocals, brushed shuffling percussion, occasional flourishes of vibraphone, mellotron, lap steel, but the magic is in the songs, and the arrangements. These are the kind of songs that would sound just as good plucked out on a beat up old acoustic guitar by a crackling fire as they would recorded with a symphony orchestra at Abbey Road. Maybe even better. The sound is crisp and alive, it sounds like Lindner is right there, head on your shoulder, singing right in your ear, melodies drift and swoon, sometimes thick and vibrant, other times muted and mumbled.
Every song on Goliath, I'm On Your Side is practically perfect, but the centerpiece has to bee the nearly 20 minute long blissed out FX drenched countrified space rock epic "Hummingbird / Indian Dog". Beginning with a vocal mantra repeated over and over amidst swirling keyboards, a sing songy melody and whirls of murky whir, the song eventually transforms into an ambient soundscape of backwards guitars, field recordings, running water, barking dogs, snippets of conversation lifted on the wind, hushed breathless vocals wrapped in reverb and buried in the mix, insistent atonal guitars, struggling to be hear over the muted whir, everything building into a super druggy blown out space rock drift, guitars warp and warble, buzzing and pulsing over the same swirling backdrop, splattery percussion drifts in and out of the mix, eventually fading out into a twangy No Neck sort of tribal drift, barely there vocals, simple hand drums, steel string buzz, some sort of indie twang "Revolution #9". And it's that sort of spirit, that pervades even the most straight forward song on Goliath, I'm On Your Side. What on first listen might sound like just a sweet country ditty, is more often than not, rife with unlikely melodies, strange sonic subtleties, and deep dark emotion. But then again, more often than not, most of these songs don't actually sound like just sweet country ditties, instead, instead, they tend to be lush worlds of soft focus twang, druggy dreaminess and sweet melancholy bliss.
It's always frustrating when we get an amazing cd-r, that we all buy, and then later have to buy again when it comes out as a proper cd. We try to make sure we know about those sort of impending plans before listing limited cd-r's. But sometimes it just happens, not much you can do. And in the case of a record as fantastic as this one, all we can do is be grateful that it is finally getting properly released, and urge all of you who missed out last time to buy it now! And as a consolation for those of us who already own the first version, the new packaging may be quite spiffy, but it's not as sweetly and nicely handmade as the cd-r's.
This is the first solo record from Sidney Linder, who plays in AQ faves Golden Hotel (with his brother Cayce) and fronts the hauntingly gorgeous Torrez. We've raved about both Golden Hotel and Torrez in the past, both bands exploring the dark and mysterious corners of ambient folk, druggy psychedelia, alt country and dreamy slowcore. So we had an idea of what to expect from Sidney's first solo effort, but there was little to prepare us for just how goshdarn breathtaking this record is.
Pefectly recorded, intimate and crystal clear, with steel string guitars, shuffling brushed drums, shimmery vibes, haunting slide guitar, hushed raspy vocals (sounding quite a bit like Jeff Tweedy of Wilco at times, and Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse at others), and perfectly melancholy melodies. This record is just so completely beautiful and utterly heartbreaking, it's a little hard to know how to describe it in a way that does it justice. Everytime we put this on, it sucks us into another world, sepia toned and twighlit, dark and dusty, lonely and mysterious. This is the kind of record that is SO evocative, that really does make you feel the music in your heart and soul. You can hear some Sparklehorse, some Court And Spark, some Wilco, some Souled American, some of Sidney's other bands, but it all sounds so personal and intimate, filtered through Sidney's psyche, his triumphs and failures, his hopes and dreams, his loves and his heartbreaks. So so so good it just kills us.
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
The last Michael Hurley lp, Armchair Boogie, reissued on Mississippi was gone in a flash, so don't hesitate too long on this one. Originally released in 1995 on the Veracity label, Parsnip Snips features homemade archival recordings made between 1965-1972. Sunny and warm, like a long lazy summer weekday in the country with nothing to do but sit on a porch and strum a guitar, Hurley can conjure folk magic through the simplest of means with a down-home at-his-leisure delivery. This is how we like him best, when he's his most laid back spinning humorously surreal tales of love, loss and space-weevils!
One thing's for sure, those Idaho Falls folks are a generous bunch. They offer up their self-titled debut album on vinyl and cd together in one package, and a very reasonably priced one at that! So you get to enjoy their rootsy, twangful tunes twice as much, or I suppose you could share it with a friend. A wide variety of tunes for those porchswing days or campfire nights - complete
Gram Parsons = Country Rock Pioneer. Before he made those two incandescently beautiful solo albums with Emmylou Harris (that IMO no record collection should be without, and we always have them in stock), before he joined the Byrds, he formed the International
So here we go again! Iron And Wine's The Creek Drank The Cradle was an AQ record of the week last year, was a unanimous staff favorite, and made most of our top ten lists for the year. Rightfully so we might add. A more beautiful and perfect record we hadn't heard in forever. And a lot of times we try not to make another record by the same band a record of the week, since usually it's hard for a band to deliver another record as good as THAT record, the one that blew us away and convinced us it had to be record of the week. But of course sometimes we do, and sometimes a band does, and this new Iron And Wine just happens to be that record. Sam Beam, who pretty much IS Iron And Wine has upped the ante, somehow navigating the precarious course of trying to progress and grow and explore, without ruining what was already basically perfect. And somehow he's done it. All of the things we loved so much about the first record are still present: gently fingerpicked guitar, sweetly breathy vocals, gorgeous harmonies, melancholy melodies, twangy banjo, slippery slide guitar, wistful and cryptic lyrics amd songs. The songs! So perfectly sweet and instantly classic. Songs that you find yourself humming to yourself even after only one listen. So what is it about this new record that makes it worthy of record of the week status? Hard to say. In fact we weren't sure if this record was actually better, or if we were just so excited to have more Iron And Wine! Because on first listen, Our Endless Numbered Days sounds like the perfect part two of The Creek Drank The Cradle. Which is a good thing. A very good thing in fact. We were all wishing The Creek was twice as long or even ten times as long. One of those records you want to never end. But the more we listened to Our Endless Numbered Days, the more it revealed itself as an entirely new record. But subtly so. It's a little more aggressive, and propulsive, the drums play a bigger part, and there are some distinctly intense bits, where the guitars are rough and the drums kind of rock. But only kind of. The core of the record is still Beam's perfect pop songs, twangy and folky, but sweet and lush, with melodies that while totally memorable and unforgettable, are so unique and fresh to your ears that you just have to sit and listen and let the sounds and songs envelop you. Some obvious reference points are Elliott Smith, America, Bread, Palace, Songs:Ohia, but the more you listen, and the more we hear from Iron And Wine, the more we realise that Beam occupies a singular place in popular music, referencing all sort of other musics, but existing totally and completely in his own sonic space. It's a rare performer who can pull that off, especially nowdays drawing from a century of recorded music.
It's really difficult for a musician to develop a distinct sound, and then to progress from record to record in such a way, that your 'sound' continues to grow and change without losing the elements that made it so unique and personal in the first place. Sometimes, if you like a band enough, you don't mind if every record sounds the same, ten more songs that sound like the last ten songs you absolutely loved can only be more of a good thing, right? But it's the folks who do manage that delicate balancing act of moving forward but remaining true to their original vision that continue to truly inspire and blow us away. Iron & Wine happen to be one of those bands. After two full lengths and one ep in about two years, this newest ep takes Iron & Wine's hushed melancholia, with its gently strummed guitars, Sam Beam's whispered/sung breathless vocals, sweetly miserable arrangements, and brings the songs' emotional urgency to the fore, where before it was only hinted at lyrically and alluded to in minor key melodies and bleak lyrical imagery. This new batch of songs is much more aggressive in tone, reflected by more percussion, more propulsive tempos and a bigger reliance on different instrumentation (violin, piano, etc.) adding a sonic veil of death and despondency to this already mournful / melancholy song cycle. But even without these changes, there seems to be no end to Sam Beam's songwriting genius. Every song is a new dreamlike world, populated by pain and sorrow, hope and happiness, love and loss, immediately warm and recognizable, like a long lost memory from your childhood, or a song you already love and cherish, but at the same time each song is a wholly unique new musical discovery full of unlikely melodies and gorgeous musical landscapes that stick with you, as if the song is an experience you lived through and remember, catchy, timeless and totally unforgettable.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Ara Anderson's sure stacked the decks in his favor for his debut release with a supporting cast that includes the beloved Jolie Holland on vocals, guitar and violin (perhaps repaying the kind favor of his stellar performance on her own Escondida album), and fine SF composer Erik Walker (psst, we also just got his wonderful album in stock on which you can also hear Mr. Anderson play). Much like that of Ms Holland, Mr. Anderson's music has an earthy, somber old tyme-y feel that's quite an anomaly these days. Much like the namesake of the seventh song ("Musee Mechanique" - the fabulous antique penny arcade here in SF) it's almost as though he's conjured his songbook pages from a very distant yesteryear. Richly expressive instrumentals are woven from player piano style ivory-tickling frolicks, wheezily congested horns, downtrodden strings and sullen woodwinds among other things -- occasionally off-kilter, whimsically carnivalesque, and often very melancholic. You might even wonder if Anderson was a silent movie score composer in a past life. The easiest (or, ahem, laziest) comparison that could be made is that many of these songs sound very much like the intimate rough-hewn music of Tom Waits minus the voice of Tom Waits (and actually Anderson has appeared on a couple of Waits' albums, Blood Money and Alice!), while others can be likened to the eccentric splendor of the Tin Hat Trio. Fans of both (as well as the abovementioned artists) should certainly take note of this talented gent. Simply wonderful!
Catherine Irwin is half of the beloved alt.country duo Freakwater... she's the dark haired modest beauty whose face crinkles up woefully when she harmonizes so prettily with Janet Bean (observed during one of our most memorable instores!) Anyway, this is her solo record and it's pretty good -- her low-key slightly grainy alto with its ever so slight kentucky accent is pretty irresistible but I will admit to really missing the incandescent harmonies she and Bean conjured up together -- this is what put Freakwater over the top. But this is still lovely, with covers of songs popularized by Elvis, Roger Miller, the Carter Family, etc., these being among the best tracks on the album.
So, if you're new to the wonderful Freakwater, then I highly recommend you first start with their sublime Feels Like the Third Time record, but if you've got all those Freakwater records, well, then here's more to tickle yer ears.
44th Jandek release...
A while back we reviewed a killer collection / career retrospective from one of our favorite bands ever. The Jayhawks. A band we would rank right up there with Uncle Tupelo in that whole No Depression / alt country movement. But a band who was much more than alt country, they were classic pop songsmiths, like the Byrds, with two singers whose harmonies could rival any songwriting partnership of the last 50 years. But like all great bands, a collection only scratches the surface, bands like the Jayhawks didn't just write songs, they wrote records, so while a greatest hits package is definitely fine, it's the records proper where they really shine. So we were super psyched to discover that two of our favorite Jayhawks records got reissued, both on cd AND lp, the cd versions with tons of extra material. First, a little Jayhawks history lesson, from our review of the anthology:
The whole No Depression movement spawned so many great bands, Uncle Tupelo of course, and post UT, Wilco and Son Volt, Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Freakwater, Old 97's, Scud Mountain Boys, Robbie Fulks, Tarnation, Split Lip Rayfield, and on and on. Very few of those bands, no matter how good or how much we dig 'em, come close to the sheer song writing genius and kick ass rocking of genre namesakes Uncle Tupelo, except for one. The Jayhawks, a consistently amazing band. Every record jam packed with incredible timeless songsmithery, the two vocalists, Gary Louris and Mark Olson had voices like angels, crafting perfect soaring harmonies, and both were incredible songwriters, one of those partnerships that comes along once in a blue moon. And the band, a crack collection of amazing players, they had EVERYTHING going for them. Yet for their whole career, success eluded them. While other, lesser bands went on to become critical darlings, or to make shit tons of money, the Jayhawks toiled in relative obscurity. So legendary was their bad luck that they were the subject of an extensive article in a national magazine (Newsweek, Business Day?) all about how to survive as a band, or not, as was the case with the Jayhawks. And their bad luck extended beyond the music business, as Mark Olson left at the height of the band's popularity to care for his wife, Victoria Williams who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. And listening to these songs again, it is criminal, and tragic, and simply hard to believe that a band this good, and songs this amazing, managed to remain so under the radar for so long. But there's something to be said for a cult following, and the Jayhawks have that in spades, fans are generally obsessed, and fans FOR LIFE. With Wilco or Ryan Adams, ask fans of those bands, and you'll probably get a "yeah, they're cool", or "sure I totally dig them, the new record is killer", but talk to ANY Jayhawks fan (Andee for instance) and you'll get an explosion of superlatives, a rant about how much better the Jayhawks are than ANY of their contemporaries, and how fucked it is that they were never huge, and since it's Andee who is writing this, well, needless to say, the Jayhawks ARE better than all of their contemporaries, and yeah, we're including Wilco and whoever else you want to stack up against these guys. It's a little country, a little rock, a little folk, a lot of pop, but they've created a sound and a style so immediately recognizable, and those voices, you'll never mistake these guys for anyone else. Easily some of the best music of the last 20 years, country, No Depression or otherwise. Totally perfect, twang flecked, utterly timeless pop music of the highest order, or maybe it IS country music, but whatever you want to call it, to these ears it sounds heavenly, and like the Jayhawks and no one else.
Hollywood Town Hall was the band's third album, but for most folks, ourselves included, it was our first exposure to these guys, and all it took was one song, album opener "Waiting For The Sun", with it's minor key riff, and those soaring crystal clear vocals, the dark introspective verses and the contrastingly vibrant sunshiney chorus, not to mention, all the little sonic subtleties, the warm whirring organ, the minimal piano, it's pretty much a perfect pop song, in the guise of alt country. And the record just doesn't let up every song here is gorgeous, melancholy and twangy one minute, rollicking and rocking the next, but always, those hooks, those harmonies, the arrangements, it's hard to know what to say. Just listen to those sound samples, and if you can somehow resist, well, we give up.
The cd version tacks on 5 bonus tracks, two previously unreleased, three single B-sides, and all of them just as good as anything on the record proper. Also includes extensive new liner notes, and lots of photos.
The whole No Depression movement spawned so many great bands, Uncle Tupelo of course, and post UT acts Wilco and Son Volt, Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Freakwater, Old 97's, Scud Mountain Boys, Robbie Fulks, Tarnation, Split Lip Rayfield, and on and on. Very few of those bands, no matter how good or how much we dig 'em, come close to the sheer song writing genius and kick ass rocking of genre namesakes Uncle Tupelo, except for one. The Jayhawks, a consistently amazing band. Every record jam packed with incredible timeless songsmithery. The two vocalists, Gary Louris and Mark Olson, had voices like angels, crafting perfect soaring harmonies, and both were incredible songwriters, one of those partnerships that comes along once in a blue moon. And the band, a crack collection of amazing players, they had EVERYTHING going for them. Yet for their whole career, success eluded them. While other, lesser bands went on to become critical darlings, or to make shit tons of money, the Jayhawks toiled in relative obscurity. So legendary was their bad luck that they were the subject of an extensive article in a national magazine (Newsweek, Business Day?) all about how to survive as a band, or not, as was the case with the Jayhawks. And their bad luck extended beyond the music business, as Mark Olson left at the height of the band's popularity to care for his wife, Victoria Williams, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
And listening to these songs again, it is criminal, and tragic, and simply hard to believe that a band this good, and songs this amazing, managed to remain so under the radar for so long. But there's something to be said for a cult following, and the Jayhawks have that in spades, fans are generally obsessed, and fans FOR LIFE. With Wilco or Ryan Adams, ask fans of those bands, and you'll probably get a "yeah, they're cool", or "sure I totally dig them, the new record is killer", but talk to ANY Jayhawks fan (Andee for instance) and you'll get an explosion of superlatives, a rant about how much better the Jayhawks are than ANY of their contemporaries, and how fucked it is that they were never huge, and since it's Andee who is writing this, well, needless to say, the Jayhawks ARE better than all of their contemporaries, and yeah, we're including Wilco and whoever else you want to stack up against these guys. It's a little country, a little rock, a little folk, a lot of pop, but they've created a sound and a style so immediately recognizable, and those voices, you'll never mistake these guys for anyone else. Easily some of the best music of the last 20 years, country, No Depression or otherwise.
Listen to the sound samples, that should really be all it takes, totally perfect, twang flecked, utterly timeless pop music of the highest order, or maybe it IS country music, but whatever you want to call it, to these ears it sounds heavenly, and like the Jayhawks and no one else.
For diehards, and anyone who is totally blown away by the sound samples below, there's also a super deluxe version with a second disc of rarities and unreleased tracks, as well as a DVD featuring all the bands videos, $33, needless to say WELL worth it. If you want that one, it's on the aQ site, search for it and add it to your cart. Otherwise, this single disc version is the perfect introduction to a group that could be your new favorite band.
The Jayhawks took what could have been a fatal blow when they lost main man Mark Olson, who was pretty much *the voice* of the band. (For what Mark's doing these days with wife Victoria Williams in the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers, see their three self-released, wonderful albums, all of which we carry.)
But Gary Louris and the rest of the Jayhawks have managed pretty nicely without Olson, it seems. (For the full story, see the long feature on them in this month's No Depression magazine.) A super rocking big time production courtesy of producer Bob Ezrin (Kiss, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd etc.), "Smile" is both a blessing and perhaps the worst thing that could've happened. Three or four of the tracks are truly among the best they've ever recorded, full of crackly twang and perfect hooks that'll have you singing along. The album is completely worth it for those songs alone. But at times the band veers into Beatles-y lush pop directions, an ill-advised decision for such a band. I mean, there's *synthesizers* on this record. And, oh god, on some of the songs the drummer is supplanted by f**king *breakbeats*. This is a Jayhawks record! Is nothing sacred? Now, Aquarius is the last place to be all crotchety and unwilling to accept that bands change and mature and whatEVER, but... .
It might sound a little weird, but the best thing about "Smile" (besides the few really awesome songs on it) is that it has made Windy re-fall in love with the Jayhawks back catalog and Andee gets to crow (in a scene seemingly straight from Hi Fidelity) "Man, I always loved the Jayhawks. But their *early* stuff is the best'. All their previous output, especially "Hollywood Town Hall," "Tomorrow the Green Grass," and the underappreciated "Sound of Lies" are fucking amazing records so worth your time. Completely timeless and classic.
A while back we reviewed a killer collection / career retrospective from one of our favorite bands ever. The Jayhawks. A band we would rank right up there with Uncle Tupelo in that whole No Depression / alt country movement. But a band who was much more than alt country, they were classic pop songsmiths, like the Byrds, with two singers whose harmonies could rival any songwriting partnership of the last 50 years. But like all great bands, a collection only scratches the surface, bands like the Jayhawks didn't just write songs, they wrote records, so while a greatest hits package is definitely fine, it's the records proper where they really shine. So we were super psyched to discover that two of our favorite Jayhawks records got reissued, both with tons of extra material. First, a little Jayhawks history lesson, from our review of the anthology:
The whole No Depression movement spawned so many great bands, Uncle Tupelo of course, and post UT, Wilco and Son Volt, Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Freakwater, Old 97's, Scud Mountain Boys, Robbie Fulks, Tarnation, Split Lip Rayfield, and on and on. Very few of those bands, no matter how good or how much we dig 'em, come close to the sheer song writing genius and kick ass rocking of genre namesakes Uncle Tupelo, except for one. The Jayhawks, a consistently amazing band. Every record jam packed with incredible timeless songsmithery, the two vocalists, Gary Louris and Mark Olson had voices like angels, crafting perfect soaring harmonies, and both were incredible songwriters, one of those partnerships that comes along once in a blue moon. And the band, a crack collection of amazing players, they had EVERYTHING going for them. Yet for their whole career, success eluded them. While other, lesser bands went on to become critical darlings, or to make shit tons of money, the Jayhawks toiled in relative obscurity. So legendary was their bad luck that they were the subject of an extensive article in a national magazine (Newsweek, Business Day?) all about how to survive as a band, or not, as was the case with the Jayhawks. And their bad luck extended beyond the music business, as Mark Olson left at the height of the band's popularity to care for his wife, Victoria Williams who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. And listening to these songs again, it is criminal, and tragic, and simply hard to believe that a band this good, and songs this amazing, managed to remain so under the radar for so long. But there's something to be said for a cult following, and the Jayhawks have that in spades, fans are generally obsessed, and fans FOR LIFE. With Wilco or Ryan Adams, ask fans of those bands, and you'll probably get a "yeah, they're cool", or "sure I totally dig them, the new record is killer", but talk to ANY Jayhawks fan (Andee for instance) and you'll get an explosion of superlatives, a rant about how much better the Jayhawks are than ANY of their contemporaries, and how fucked it is that they were never huge, and since it's Andee who is writing this, well, needless to say, the Jayhawks ARE better than all of their contemporaries, and yeah, we're including Wilco and whoever else you want to stack up against these guys. It's a little country, a little rock, a little folk, a lot of pop, but they've created a sound and a style so immediately recognizable, and those voices, you'll never mistake these guys for anyone else. Easily some of the best music of the last 20 years, country, No Depression or otherwise. Totally perfect, twang flecked, utterly timeless pop music of the highest order, or maybe it IS country music, but whatever you want to call it, to these ears it sounds heavenly, and like the Jayhawks and no one else.
Tomorrow The Green Grass was record number four, but the group's second release on American, and was maybe their most fully realized record up to that point, with easily some of their best songs. In fact, check out the sample for "Blue", which just might be our favorite Jayhawks song EVER, that effortless blend of melancholy country and big pop, strings and fiddles and piano, guitars and drums, and those perfect harmony vocals, and a killer chorus, not to mention a bridge that somehow manages to be even catchier. And like Hollywood Town Hall before it, Tomorrow The Green Grass just keeps the hits coming, "I'd Run Away" is another practically perfect jam, with it's loping melancholy piano flecked verse, and it's soaring string laden chorus, and so it goes, not a single bit of fluff or filler, seriously one of our favorite, most listened to records EVER.
The first disc tacks on 5 bonus tracks, three unreleased, two B-sides, and damn if "Tomorrow The Green Grass", which somehow got left off the album of the same name, doesn't sound just like Canadian power poppers Sloan, and listening to it now, the pop element in the rest of the record seems to blossom before our very ears. But "TTGG" is definitely a killer, as are the rest of the extras.
And as if that weren't enough, there's a whole bonus disc, the elusive "Mystery Demos", an incredible collection of stripped down early versions of tracks that would end up on later records, as well as a bunch of songs that never made it past the demo stage, just acoustic guitar, fiddle and vocals, and even stripped down, these guys manage to sound amazing, the harmonies still effortless even in this rough state. Not necessarily crucial listening for dabblers, but fans will be in heaven. And just further evidence that these guys should have been superstars.
Includes a big booklet with lots of liner notes, and tons of photos.
A while back we reviewed a killer collection / career retrospective from one of our favorite bands ever. The Jayhawks. A band we would rank right up there with Uncle Tupelo in that whole No Depression / alt country movement. But a band who was much more than alt country, they were classic pop songsmiths, like the Byrds, with two singers whose harmonies could rival any songwriting partnership of the last 50 years. But like all great bands, a collection only scratches the surface, bands like the Jayhawks didn't just write songs, they wrote records, so while a greatest hits package is definitely fine, it's the records proper where they really shine. So we were super psyched to discover that two of our favorite Jayhawks records got reissued, both on cd AND lp, the cd versions with tons of extra material. First, a little Jayhawks history lesson, from our review of the anthology:
The whole No Depression movement spawned so many great bands, Uncle Tupelo of course, and post UT, Wilco and Son Volt, Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Freakwater, Old 97's, Scud Mountain Boys, Robbie Fulks, Tarnation, Split Lip Rayfield, and on and on. Very few of those bands, no matter how good or how much we dig 'em, come close to the sheer song writing genius and kick ass rocking of genre namesakes Uncle Tupelo, except for one. The Jayhawks, a consistently amazing band. Every record jam packed with incredible timeless songsmithery, the two vocalists, Gary Louris and Mark Olson had voices like angels, crafting perfect soaring harmonies, and both were incredible songwriters, one of those partnerships that comes along once in a blue moon. And the band, a crack collection of amazing players, they had EVERYTHING going for them. Yet for their whole career, success eluded them. While other, lesser bands went on to become critical darlings, or to make shit tons of money, the Jayhawks toiled in relative obscurity. So legendary was their bad luck that they were the subject of an extensive article in a national magazine (Newsweek, Business Day?) all about how to survive as a band, or not, as was the case with the Jayhawks. And their bad luck extended beyond the music business, as Mark Olson left at the height of the band's popularity to care for his wife, Victoria Williams who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. And listening to these songs again, it is criminal, and tragic, and simply hard to believe that a band this good, and songs this amazing, managed to remain so under the radar for so long. But there's something to be said for a cult following, and the Jayhawks have that in spades, fans are generally obsessed, and fans FOR LIFE. With Wilco or Ryan Adams, ask fans of those bands, and you'll probably get a "yeah, they're cool", or "sure I totally dig them, the new record is killer", but talk to ANY Jayhawks fan (Andee for instance) and you'll get an explosion of superlatives, a rant about how much better the Jayhawks are than ANY of their contemporaries, and how fucked it is that they were never huge, and since it's Andee who is writing this, well, needless to say, the Jayhawks ARE better than all of their contemporaries, and yeah, we're including Wilco and whoever else you want to stack up against these guys. It's a little country, a little rock, a little folk, a lot of pop, but they've created a sound and a style so immediately recognizable, and those voices, you'll never mistake these guys for anyone else. Easily some of the best music of the last 20 years, country, No Depression or otherwise. Totally perfect, twang flecked, utterly timeless pop music of the highest order, or maybe it IS country music, but whatever you want to call it, to these ears it sounds heavenly, and like the Jayhawks and no one else.
Tomorrow The Green Grass was record number four, but the group's second release on American, and was maybe their most fully realized record up to that point, with easily some of their best songs. In fact, check out the sample for "Blue", which just might be our favorite Jayhawks song EVER, that effortless blend of melancholy country and big pop, strings and fiddles and piano, guitars and drums, and those perfect harmony vocals, and a killer chorus, not to mention a bridge that somehow manages to be even catchier. And like Hollywood Town Hall before it, Tomorrow The Green Grass just keeps the hits coming, "I'd Run Away" is another practically perfect jam, with it's loping melancholy piano flecked verse, and it's soaring string laden chorus, and so it goes, not a single bit of fluff or filler, seriously one of our favorite, most listened to records EVER.
The first disc tacks on 5 bonus tracks, three unreleased, two B-sides, and damn if "Tomorrow The Green Grass", which somehow got left off the album of the same name, doesn't sound just like Canadian power poppers Sloan, and listening to it now, the pop element in the rest of the record seems to blossom before our very ears. But "TTGG" is definitely a killer, as are the rest of the extras.
And as if that weren't enough, there's a whole bonus disc, the elusive "Mystery Demos", an incredible collection of stripped down early versions of tracks that would end up on later records, as well as a bunch of songs that never made it past the demo stage, just acoustic guitar, fiddle and vocals, and even stripped down, these guys manage to sound amazing, the harmonies still effortless even in this rough state. Not necessarily crucial listening for dabblers, but fans will be in heaven. And just further evidence that these guys should have been superstars.
Includes a big booklet with lots of liner notes, and tons of photos.
It's been a while since this 'Jester entertained the courtyard with his brand of turntable merriment, but he's back! The good time equation this time around is: DJ Jester + non-stop '80s-heavy guilty pleasures = Secret Love! A little more fluffy that 2004's Table For One, his gleeful turntable jugglin' act keeps aloft a bodacious array of pop culture touchstones from the past coupla decades. Chunks of tunes from Wang Chung, Prince, Foreigner, Neneh Cherry, and Yes bounce right out and bop you on the nose. The one criticism we have with Secret Love is that he often lets a piece of already over-milked music go on a bit long without any audible manipulation nor any augmentation. We've come to expect a bit more from the man than a 'riding of coattails' of the original song's greatness and/or kitsch factor. C'mon Mr. Jester, we REALLY didn't need to hear THAT MUCH of Foreigner's "Waiting For A Girl Like You". Nooooooo. Nonetheless, this is quite a truckload of fun... particularly if you're harboring a fondness for some kick ass '80s pop music!
If you like old tyme-y country and bluegrass music with lots of mandolin, you're in the company of these folks who clearly love the music that they themselves make and hold a deep reverence for their Americana forefathers and foremothers (foreparents?) such as Bill Monroe, Hazel Dickens, the Stanley Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs and the Carter Family. Jim Krewson, Jennie Benford and co. weave their own faithful rendition of the style on an equal split of traditional numbers, covers and originals on their third album Rivers Roll On By. Whether on lovely numbers like "Mt. St. Helens" or the heartier bootstompers such as "Quit Barking At Me", their strong, achingly earnest male and female voices (Jim and Jennie's, duh!) shine with a burnished glow.
We've long had a soft spot for the darkest of country folk twang -- Mark Kozelek, Tindersticks, Jesse Sykes, and Hotel Alexis to name just a handful. The last couple months have brought us a few more residing a little closer to home. Case in point, The John Francis' smoky blues filled On The Moment We Share. Deep deep male vocals and slow creeping tempo keep the mood bleak and somber. This album fits well right alongside the latest from fellow SF band The Black Swans. Music that never leaves the shadows? We're right there with 'em. Thanks for sharing!
Man, what a great set of releases the Numero Group is building. Each one not only details a particular artist/label in song, but through well-considered packaging and extensive liner notes we get a great sense of what went on behind the music. Amazing! Well, this time round, we have Fern Jones. A gifted gospel singer, who's voice carries similar croon power and soul-fire intensity as Patsy Cline or a young Elvis.
Fern's career was bittersweet, however. Early on, Fern and husband played/sang their hearts out through Evangelical tent tours all over the South, selling a vanity recording (The Joneses Sing) out of the back of their sedan. Dot Records soon released Singing A Happy Song in 1959, for which Fern had acquired a stunning backing band: Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland on guitar (Roy Orbison, Marty Robbins, Conway Twitty, Hank Williams Sr., Everly Brothers), Floyd Cramer on piano (Booby Bare, Patsy Cline, Wings, Johny Cash, Chet Atkins), Joe Zinkan on bass (Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn), and Buddy Harman on drums (Reba McEntire, Hank Snow, Willie Nelson) -- all of whom were fresh off a 1958 session with Elvis.
Despite several tours (without a single to promote), Fern's "rockabilly gospel style" songs never caught on with a conservative buying public. Fern soon stopped performing all together and found it impossible to gain back the rights to her songs after the label's lease was up. After constant threat that the master tapes might be destroyed (as were all others from that era of Dot) and a fifteen-year letter-writing campaign, Dot Records' second owners, MCA, finally awarded her the rights to these songs once again. And thankfully so. They're amazingly powerful devotionals. If you're a fan of Patsy Cline, and who isn't, you'll love love love these Fern Jones songs!
For ages now, we've wondered what it's gonna take for Cul De Sac guitarist Glenn Jones to finally be embraced by the masses the same way many of his American primitive, modern Appalachian, Takoma guitar school influenced brethren have been, like James Blackshaw, Ilyas Ahmed, Jack Rose, Richard Bishop, and even Bill Orcutt. All beholden to Fahey and Kottke and Bull in different measures, and all seemingly WAY more popular than Jones. But every time we listen to one of Jones' solo records, we're blown away, totally transported, his playing fluid and lyrical, a master of alternate tunings, and all manner of string instruments, his music is lush and gorgeous, the sound rife with lush tangles of steel string buzz, spare skeletal melodies, weaving darkly delicate, dreamily textured guitarscapes that really have no equal as far as we're concerned. The first track here is a perfect example, "A Snapshot Of Mom, Scotland 1957" is a sun dappled bit of dreamy acoustic shimmer, lush and languid, hushed and emotive, it Jones' own reimaging of the Takoma sound, recasting it as some sort of summery ballad, and it's breathtaking. Much of the record dips into more traditionally Appalachian sounds, but Jones definitely has his own way, a unique style, that definitely shines through and when he straps on the banjo, wow, a gorgeous instrument as it is, but Jones makes it sing, and weaves intricate buzzing melodies into something tranquil, haunting and just a little bit dark.
And while all the songs here are pretty fantastic, the big surprise is the 17+ minute closer, "The Orca Grande Cement Factory at Victorville", which finds Jones teaming up with drummer Chris Corsano for a sprawling bit of avant folk, Jones' guitar the centerpiece, but Corsano matching the rhythm of Jones' fingerpicking with bursts of snare skitter, clouds of cymbal shimmer, locking into hypnotic motorik rhythms and then slipping into much more freeform percussive drifts, the drums definitely staying well in the background, until the final three minutes when Corsano lets loose with a wild maelstron of frenzied drum chaos, only to quickly slip right back into the shuffling snare accompaniment, and then quickly stumble to a halt, where we hear the voices of Jones and Corsano, and get a quick glimpse behind the recorded curtain.
So fantastic, and thus obviously totally recommended. Here's hoping this new record, Jones' first for Thrill Jockey, does in fact get more people to check him out. And if you're a fan of any or all of the above mentioned guitarists (Blackshaw, Rose, Bishop) and have somehow not heard Glenn Jones, do yourself a favor...
Wonderful! Damien Jurado works his magic once again. Although make no bones about it, Jurado is wholly his own man, on this album, both his songs and his performances bring to mind other top notch singer/songwriters past and present. Perhaps an indication of a broadening of his scope, the fourth song "Lion Tamer" is strongly reminiscent of Lou Barlow's slouchy introspection, while later in the album "Northbound" captures the brittle lilt and beauty of Nick Drake, and the very next one titled "Icicle" bristles with the sullen angst of Interpol. On the closer "A Jealous Heart Is A Heavy Heart" Jurado almost out-Palaces Will Oldham. So, what is the common thread that ties all of these artists together? The ability to absolutely nail the breadth of a man's despairing emotions from the precarious and fragile to the near-suffocating and burdensome. A lush, gorgeous downer.
The first song on this album is instantly 'classic' singer songwriter stuff, so lovely that we were knocked over with surprise. Damien Jurado's beautiful second album is a dark and dreamy folk record with pop sensibilities, as opposed to his first record which was basically a pop record, his delicate warm voice perfectly complementing the sparse simple arrangements. Definitely for fans of Nick Drake, Dylan, Nanci Griffith, etc. One of Windy's current favorites.
Between this new album from Lambchop and those from Jason Molina and M. Ward, whoa, this is quite the week for country rock excellence!
Listening to the latest Lambchop album is a lot like wrapping your winter-chilled bones in an old wool blanket... or like being hugged by your favorite bearded uncle -- a bit bristly, but utterly warm and comforting. Y'know, something/someone you can always count on. Their country rooted sound is thick, smooth and dark like molasses with the piano, bass, steel guitar, strings and vocals all melting together beautifully. When this band is 'on' they simply can't be beat for deep, shadowy Americana goodness, and with Damaged they most definitely are! Recommended!
Here's a solo release from the man behind so many fine Chicago based alt-country rock combos (such as the Pine Valley Cosmonauts and the Waco Brothers... oh yes, and he's a Mekon too)! Of course, no Jon Langford project is ever truly 'solo' though, 'cause he's surrounded by so many wonderfully talented musical friends always ready and willing to chip in an instrument or a vocal. On All The Fame Of Lofty Deeds, he's joined by his Pine Valley Cosmonauts on a couple tunes, as well as frequent Neko Case bassist Tom Ray and Hillbilly Lovechild (featuring drummer-about-town Brian Doherty who has played with the likes of They Might Be Giants, Frank Black and XTC) on a couple others. An ever-engaging frontman Langford sure doesn't disappoint this time out, kicking out eleven hoarse and ragged cow-punk tunes. He ably brings together the caustic and the comic in his lamenting / lambasting lyrics on songs such as "The Country Is Young".
Fans of Beirut and Arcade Fire, imagine the uplifting spirited energies of both those bands taken out to the dusky country plains for a spell. If that sounds delightfully intriguing to you, then maybe you should lend this band your ear. Langhorne Slim & The War Eagles. Frontman Sean Scolnick's untethered, outpouring-of-emotion vocals are a close kin to the abovementioned bands', but they're also in turn quite reminiscent of Neil Young, John Fogerty and Van Morrison. If he looks and sounds a tad bit familiar to you, it may be because you've spotted him over the years touring with the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players. It's by no means a stretch to suggest that if you dig them, you'll probably find much to love with Langhorne Slim, and vice versa!
The hospitable Bay Area country/folk stable grows and grows. There's such an awesome sense of kinship among the artists (think of sorta 'six degrees of Jolie Holland' - yes, she does make an appearance here on viola!). Garrett Pierce and Matt Bauer, the band's pals and terrific singer/songwriters in their own right, brought this in recently on the band's behalf, and we're glad they did. This self-titled, self-released album is quite an impressive debut. The Last Of The Blacksmiths' Americana sound which vacillates between woe begone twang and roots rock groove has much in common with the likes of Jason Molina, Jay Farrar and Will Oldham. Fans of those artists should definitely sit up and take notice.
Each time we hear that AQ pal Jeff Rosenberg has a new music project we secretly fantasize that it'll continue to push the 'out-there' dissonant envelope as many of his past ones have (the ever-expansive Tarentel, spazz-rock duo Pink & Brown, hypnotic art-folk trio Young People, and earthy instrumental duo Lumen to name a few), and shine the spotlight more on his considerable guitar talents. But even though each of his subsequent groups have definitely kept us on our toes, each one taking a new unpredictable Rosenberg direction, quite often the unassuming gent opts to humbly play the solid, no-frills support role. Such is the case with Lavender Diamond, a timorous folk pop combo who present themselves in Lawrence Welk-worthy attire, black suits and taffeta gowns, and in which Becky Stark's gentle'n'mild vocals take centerstage while Rosenberg, Steve Gregoropoulos and well known visual artist Ron Rege Jr back her up on guitar, piano and drums respectively. Maybe this is what all those jaded hipsters need these days... some wide-eyed, earnest songs of unabashed innocence. Sure seems so, 'cause folks have been gobbling this up like crazy already. You can even easily imagine the quartet doing a great cover of Coven's "One Tin Soldier" or perhaps something by The Carpenters! As for Jeff's guitar magic, alas, we'll just have to continue crossing our fingers that he'll unfurl it again someday. But for now we can happily soak in the sunny subdued country folk of The Cavalry Of Light.
Aaah, a Devendra Banhart sighting! While in Europe back in 2004, this neo-folk troubadour recorded with the band known as Queens Of Sheba. This lil' record features one of the resulting songs of that session -- "It's A Christmas Time Celebration". Yes, we are well aware that it is already the middle of January, but who are we to squelch a little belated holiday themed music? The flipside is the elegantly attired "Impossible Occurances" by LA's dream-folk combo Lavender Diamond. Artwork by Ron Rege. Limited pressing of 2500.
