Three to Consider: Maybe, Probably, Can’t Help Myself

I’ve been traveling quite a bit for work without much time to write or even listen to all that much music. So here are three to consider that caught my interest in recent reviews and samplers—two new artists for me and one I have lost track of.

First up is the indie instrument infused Anathallo’s second album Canopy Glow. I have been listening to “The River” which reminds me of Andrew Bird (particularly the Mysterious Production of Eggs) with its ornate layering and complex lyrics. Reviews of their first album suggest that perhaps they are trying just a bit too hard, but reviews I have seen for Canopy Glow suggest consistent song writing with a wonderful mix of music and choral arrangements. The key for me will be whether the album has good variation in song style which I am not sure, so any input there or in general is appreciated. For now it’s a maybe.

The River (Buy Album)

Now what is up with dudes and cabins in the Wisconsin woods? First we had Bon Iver which probably still holds favorite album of year status for me. Now along comes Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons for our second consideration. I have been listening to “Home in the Woods” from the EP Cabin Ghosts which is apparently named for his family’s cabin in the Wisconsin woods where this is recorded. When I first heard the song, I thought it might be an older artist who had been working for some time and I had just missed him like so many others. His voice has a kind of Marc Cohn sound to it (which I really like), but the sound is more bluesy and raw in a way that makes me think of Greg Brown. To my surprise, Chisel is a newer artist (and young) which might mean we are hearing someone who is at the beginning of a promising career. I am looking forward to hearing more, so this one is a probably for me.

Home in the Woods (Buy EP)

For the last consideration we have Joan Osborne’s latest release, Little Wild One. I confess to being one of those people who only have the hit album Relish which I really loved and played a lot one summer back in Salt Lake City. I remember thinking that this is someone I am going to explore and then didn’t. I got interested again when I read the reviews of her latest album. They (the reviews) weren’t all that great, although respectful of her as an artist. But all the descriptions about songs set in New York City and her role as a newish parent attracted me—but again, I didn’t pursue. However, when I heard “Cathedrals” I couldn’t stop playing it. It isn’t the most complex song, but I simply love the arrangement, the way the tune builds and then resolves. Osborne has such a strong alto voice and the lyrics are clearly from someone who I can identify with. It reminds me of early Billy Joel in many ways, but that is a whole other issue. In short, I am quite sure this one is going to be picked up unless some dear reader tells me otherwise.

Cathedrals (Buy Album)

This Interruption in Our Regular Programming brought you by AC/DC

I am far behind in writing about discs I am listening to and tonight I had every intention of writing about a new viola d'amore-oriented-disc (I am such a tease!).  However, I got distracted by Alllison Stewart's Washington Post review of the new AC/DC album Black Ice. That is right AC/DC has a  new album out!

This is not a promotion for the new effort--I haven't heard a single track--and in some ways I am a little hesitant to talk about any album that is only being sold at "Wal-we will close a store before we give employees any voice by allowing a union here-Mart."  Still, this review just cracked me up and made me want to share.  

For those who can't be bothered with hopping over to the WaPo site to read the whole review, here are some highlights (which like the previews to a bad movie are really all you need to see), but I really should start by pointing out that Stewart assesses this album as the "best record the band has made in decades, and not only because all the other ones were pretty terrible."

Frontman Brian Johnson and guitarist Angus Young carry "Black Ice" on their backs: Johnson, now 61 (!), sings more and hollers less; Young, who seems more engaged than usual throughout, occasionally plays slide guitar. These might not seem like noteworthy developments, but for a band as resistant to innovation as this one, baby steps matter. [snip]

Its lyrics aren't worth mentioning, except to note that there are some, and they're the usual mix of cheerful incomprehensibility and innuendo-laden buffoonery. [snip]But mostly, "Black Ice" contains songs about rocking. Specifically, about how much AC/DC rocks, how much it's rocked in the past and how, if given the opportunity, it plans to rock some more in the future. Even the song about a wartime something or other ("War Machine") seems to be about a really rocking war machine. [snip]

The band's now de rigueur sex songs (forget "You Shook Me All Night Long"; AC/DC long ago stopped writing about women unless it had to) sound increasingly like Mad Libs: haphazard assemblages of a noun, a verb, the word "she" and a euphemism for "penis." [snip]

These, um, love songs are increasingly self-parodic, detailing amorous encounters so improbably hazardous ("She wanna shake you/No way to save you/She's got me shot/I'm fallin' ") you'll be tempted to wonder if anyone in the band has actually ever met a woman. They contribute to the dragginess of the disc's last half, as does "Decibel," the most generic AC/DC song of all time. "Black Ice" has 15 songs, which is about five too many: After its pulverizingly pleasurable first half, it's all filler and very little killer.

Someday I hope to write this entertaining of a piece about an album.

Random (sometimes second) Thoughts on Music from the Road

Thanks to a recent purchasing binge and a great big ole stack of discs that Wobs dropped on me right before vacation, there was quite a bit of new music listening--or I should say listening to music that was new to me and some of it was actually new. So here are a few random thoughts on those discs (although truth be told I didn't get to all of them--I mean really you have to know that someone who goes to the same place for vacation each summer isn't in all that an experimental mood when he hits the road for a summer break!).

• John Mayer Okay, so I already wrote about On Any Given Thursday and some of you pointed out that all the entertainment/gossip reporting about JM might get in the way of appreciating his music--and indeed it did seem that for the two weeks after I picked up the disc, I saw pictures of this in every mag rack I passed (do I get points for not naming names and posting a picture in a shameless attempt to drive traffic to my site?). Now I am sure that there are hipsters out there who will be just too cool for this album given his pop status (since all things pop are, well, not hip), but I am going to stick by this pick, although I am not sure it means I am going to go out and buy a bunch of his studio albums.
• Fleet Foxes This one was on my list to get from the first review I read and after hearing the cut "Mykonos" which leads off the Mixwit comp over there on the right (although it is from an earlier EP and not on this first full album). Critics have pretty universally talked-up this album and as I noted earlier, the comparisons to CSN abound. But I gotta say, I am not quite there. It is a decent first album--decent. There is some fine singing and wonderful harmonies (sometimes more Beach Boys than CSN) and the lead, Robin Pecknold, has a really strong voice. But as an album--despite having listened to it a lot (and noting Neats' eyeroll each time) I just haven't been as impressed as some. The songs weren't consistently strong, the mix seemed a bit foggy to me somehow, and it didn't make me want to play it until the grooves were gone. I could see checking out another effort from them as they clearly have lots of talent, but this would get one of those 3 and 1/2 out of 5 ratings for me making one wonder if it was more 4 or more 3. I will let you be the judge.
• Loose Fur Stripped down Wilco credited with leading to a line-up change and new sound for Wilco heading into their fourth album. Any Wilco fan is going to dig this album, Born Again in the USA, but the question for me is if and where to start dipping into the Jim O'Rourke discography--the solo one, although feel free to educate me on his Sonic Youth stint as well. You can check out Loose Fur's "The Ruling Class" on the Mixwit comp as well.
• The Walkmen Okay so Wobs laid two of their discs on me, Bows and Arrows (which made me think of some amped up version of U2) and A Hundred Miles Off which I immediately liked more. I confess to not having listened to either carefully enough to comment critically, although I can't quite tell if they are one of those bands that are just a bit too something for me, or if I am eventually going to really like. I recently read a review of their new album You and Me over at Pitchfork where they noted: "You & Me isn't as hard or immediate as the band's earlier records, but that's not a complaint; its sound is coy, and invites you to spend time with it." Perhaps that will be the way with these guys for me.
  
• Bon Iver Lastly, as this seems to be going on, I never came back to Bon Iver after my first mention of this album and my hopes that it would be as strong as "Skinny Love" which is the first tune I heard--it is. I am not sure how to describe this meditative and yet edgy disc. The guitar sound (and work in many cases) is quite unique--the singing and lyrics are intriguing and the overall songs are wonderful (and yes it does somehow sound composed by a guy in a cabin in winter). Many have commented on the strength of this album, so I won't go on, but here is one observation that might not have shown up anywhere and that is about how many of the songs end. They seem to come undone, to disassemble--as if the song is so constructed, so tightly constructed, that he just can't hold it together and it all falls apart in some clanky chaos--and somehow that fits just perfectly with this album for me.

Okay, so that is enough for now--meant to comment on the new Beck, but I think I will leave that for another post. And just a heads up--the nights are beginning to have that autumnal feeling to them, so you can imagine to see a slight shift into more posts about jazz here. It will be interesting to see how genre specific folks are in their listening habits!

Three to Consider: Additional Input Requested

The August edition of UNCUT has its usual plethora of suggestions to consider. Three that got pretty rave reviews are all tempting, but thought I would see what you all had to say about these before I went out bin sorting. And I should mention that I haven’t listened to everything I have that is new or borrowed and I wouldn’t want to violate the “no more buying until all recent additions have been digested” now would I? Right.

Okay, so here are three to consider.

The Hold Steady’s new release, Stay Positive (which isn’t all that new now), has been getting positive reviews all over the place, but Allan Jones is ecstatic: “If it was their intention with this record to, among other things, leave the listener speechless, they’ve done a good job. I’ve been listening to it virtually non-stop for the last few weeks, and I’m still trying to find the right words to describe Stay Positive [snip].” Now I have none of their albums so this would be a first and I am not sure I am in the mood for a rockin’ album right now, but this review and the Q&A with front man Craig Finn makes seriously consider dipping my toe in this pond.

Next up is Randy Newman’s new release, Harps and Angels which is his first offering in ten years—not counting all the soundtracks and arranging he is doing . . .and I am not discounting that work at all (who am I, The Academy?) since he did the soundtrack for what is probably my favorite movie of all time. It has been a while since I have actively listened to his stuff, but here again UNCUT has a provocative way of promoting this latest effort: “In the event, Harps & Angels provokes approximately equal parts gratitude that Newman got around to it, and vexation that he doesn’t do this sort of thing more often. Exactly 40 years since his eponymous solo debut, it’s both awesome and faintly depressing how few compete in his league.”

Finally, someone I know virtually nothing about, Micah P Hinson, but his new effort Micah P Hinson and the Red Empire Orchestra sounds, um, interesting: “But the real beauty of this wholly engaging record is the contrast between Hinson’s dry basso profundo and the (almost) euphoric banks of strings that swell behind banjos and acoustic guitars. The chamber music-noir of “I Keep Havin’ These Dreams” sounds like a despondent relative of “Eleanor Rigby”, while “We Won’t Have To Be Lonesome” has the ‘60s sweep of a Spectoresque teen ballad. . . . Rich in its moods, this could well be Hinson’s best yet.”


Shop or stop?

Oh to be 16 again!

How is anyone to get anything done now that I have discovered that 1) Howard Stern is going to remake Rock n' Roll High School; and, 2) Rick Springfield has a new album out! May you now spend your day trying to get one of two songs out of your head.

Your Call is Very Important to Us!

So there I was in the bookstore about to pick up the new Downbeat when my eyes were drawn to a "jazz" magazine I was not familiar with called JAZZIZ. It came in a tempting plastic wrapper with the promise of a sampler disc of "cool summer jazz." Who could resist?

Well, the cover should have been the first clue. I mean really, it is just too cool for words isn't it? But I thought--hey, the Playboy jazz festival has had some great players grace its stage right? And alas, I wasn't able to ascertain what tunes were on the sampler, but I had my hopes. And so I plucked it and abandoned the old standby.

I didn't actually get to throw that sampler in until the next morning in the car. This fine morning happened to involve Neats and the boys taking me to the train. So what could be more soothing on a trip through the morning rush than some "cool jazz." I think we made it through about four or five tracks (with skipping ahead involved). Neats kept making jokes about elevators and I kept feeling like I was on hold, waiting to speak to some corporate customer representative who was going to give me no satisfaction and so they were trying to soothe me with this music.

Of course a quick tour through the JAZZIZ site reveals that while they might talk to a variety of artists, the sampler disc is really selling "teh jazz" that you hear on radio stations with handles like "The Breeze" and "The Wave." I could be wrong here, so fans of JAZZIZ should let me know if I am. But what, you might ask, was I hoping for?

Well, when it comes to summer jazz, I hope for one of two things--deep south, hot New Orleans influenced jazz and blues, or, what I would think of as hip, cool jazz. Since it is the latter that got me suckered in here, let me suggest a few discs that exemplify that and you can add your own.

1. Let's start with Brazilian influenced jazz which is definitely a summer orientation for me. How about some Luciana Souza who is a fabulous vocalist. I might suggest Duos II which has her paired with a variety of different guitarists.
2. Not into vocals and have heard enough versions of "Girl from Ipanema" to last you forever? Then check out Joe Henderson's Double Rainbow featuring music of Carlos Jobim first with some great Brazilian players and then with a tight quartet on the jazz side including Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette and Christian McBride.
3. More upbeat but still with that dancing beat? How about Charlie Hunter's Ready . . . Set . . . Shango! with some great guitar work along with sax and drums--and, well, killer beats.
4. And when you get done with that surfin', dance party, you can also cool out with some fine west coast jazz on Chet Baker's and Art Pepper's joint effort, The Route, which benefits form Pete Jolly on piano and Leroy Vinegar on bass among others.
5. And finally, when you awake and are enjoying that first cup of java while the cool night air still lingers, throw on Frank Morgan's Easy Living with the fabulous Cedar Walton on piano.

Now that would be cool jazz.

Christmas in July

I know a few people who will be excited to get their hands on the trippy holiday DVD from The Flaming Lips.

Three to Consider

Recently picked up the July 2008 copy of UNCUT which comes with one of those fun sampler discs and this one was particularly nice--like just arriving in a college town and hearing a good local rock station. Three tunes off of it definitely caught my attention and made me add to my Potential Acquisitions list (okay, they made me start it--down there on the right yo).

First up is Fleet Foxes. The sample is "Mykonos" from the Sun Giant EP, although they have also just released their self-titled debut album which also earns a very positive review in the mag. The minute you hear them, you think CSN&Y. Think acoustic guitars and layered harmony. UNCUT's reviewer talks about the hymnal quality of their music evoking the American wilderness, which if this track is any indication is a very apt description. Sounds like a perfect pick up before we head up into the cool woods of Michigan later this summer.
Update: Review of Fleet Foxes show here in DC.

Second up is the self-titled second album from The Felice Brothers. The tune is "Frankie's Gun" which judging from the YouTube traffic is getting a lot of attention. They also did a set at Bonnaroo this year, so expect to hear more from these three brothers and their friend "Christmas" from the Catskills. Neats' first reaction when she heard it was "Dylan." That is a good call both in terms of the vocals and the basic storytelling, but they are a bit more clanky, carnivalesque (probably the accordion that makes me say that), and seedier sounding to me--more Tom Waits-like in approach.

Third (or saving the best for last) is Bon Iver--otherwise known as Justin Vernon. The song is "Skinny Love" which you can find all over the place out there on the nets. Good review of the album and a download of the tune is over at IndieMuse. Lots of comparisons to Iron and Wine out there, but he also reminds me of late Chris Whitley in his Dirt Floor acoustic mode. What I like is the simplicity and clarity of the recording and the bareness of the guitar and his lyrics--it really does sound like something just laid down in a room in a cabin in the woods.

That is it. They are all new to me so we will see what we think when we get full discs.