Little Broken Hearts
Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts
What is it about breakup albums that inspires artists to reach their greatest artistic achievements? From Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, or more recent examples like Spiritualized’s Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space or Adele’s 21, the history of popular music is filled with singer/songwriters who reach their greatest creative heights when they are at their worst emotional lows. With Little Broken Hearts, we can now add Norah Jones to that list.
Jones has spent the past several years trying to branch out from the jazz/pop/country/folk hybrid sound that made her both a star and a millionaire. From her art project/joke band El Madmo to her collaborations with Outkast, Belle And Sebastian, Q-Tip, and Foo Fighters, she’s shown that there aren’t too many genre’s she’s not interested in. Her last album, The Fall
, steered her artistic course in a much more pop oriented direction. And on her newest record, producer/collaborator/co-writer Brian Burton (aka Dangermouse) has guided her further down that path and helped her create the best album of her career. Lyrically, the album is filled with the kind of regret, sorrow, confusion, longing and bitterness that generally accompanies failed romances and infidelity. Several of the songs talk about moving on, but in a way that you know there is a whole lot of baggage going along on the journey. Highlights include “Take It Back,” “Good Morning,” and “Miriam,” a straight up murder ballad made even more creepy by the fact that it’s sung in such a honey sweet voice. It’s definitely a late night, turn off the lights and drink away your sorrows kind of album.Labels: albums
Valentina
The Wedding Present - Valentina
David Gedge is one of my all-time favorite songwriters. The way the guy can turn a phrase would make most indie screenwriters green with envy, and his skewed take on (mostly failed) relationships has made for a catalog filled to the brim with brilliant pop gems. So it’s a bit disappointing that this album just isn’t grabbing me. Sonically The Wedding Present seem to be aiming for the kind of sparse production that Steve Albini provided for their seminal 1991 album Sea Monsters
, but the songs simply don’t have the hooks that we’ve become accustomed to. It’s like when you make one of your favorite dishes but it doesn’t turn out right… all the ingredients are the same, you prepare it the same way you always do, but when it comes out of the oven it’s just not good as it usually is. Whether that’s the result of the band’s lineup changes (apart from Gedge, the entire roster has turned over since their last album, 2008’s El Rey ), or it’s just the kind of inevitable down cycle that comes during a 27 year career, I’m having to file Valentina under D for disappointment.Labels: albums
More Juice
Epic Ditch – 36 Hour EP
For their recond release, Nashville’s skate rock super group Epic Ditch have managed to dial up both their punk and pop elements. Opener “More Juice” is probably the most intense song they have released to date, and closer “Resistance Is Victory” isn’t too far behind. But in between those two hardcore jams, they are also covering the poppier terrain that brought the band leaders to prominence in the first place. Like on their first EP, Stewart Pack’s contributions tend to be a bit more melodic, but Superdrag fans who have been dismayed by John Davis’ straight up hardcore songs with this outfit will probably be pleased with “Unexploded Ordinance,” which is undoubtedly the catchiest song the band had released to date. You can stream the EP in it’s entirety on Bandcamp.
Let's Go Eat The Factory
Guided By Voices - Let's Go Eat the Factory
Christmas came early for indie rock fans last year when Robert Pollard announced that after a year plus of reunion touring, the “classic” lineup for Guided By Voices had recorded a new album. And even though we had to wait until January to get our hands on it, I’m sure there more than a few hardcore fans that were as giddy as a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for old Saint Nick to arrive. The results are worth the wait. It’s easily one of the best albums Pollard has released since the classic GBV’s last album together, 1997’s Under the Bushes Under the Stars.
I’ve read descriptions of Let’s Go Eat The Factory that describe it as “every bit a classic GBV record,” and that it harkens back to their Bee Thousand
/Alien Lanes
days. I think that anyone who describes it like that is getting more caught up in the moment than they are being honest. To me, it sounds like they are picking up where the left off after the classic lineup’s contributions to Mag Earwhig!, with their hints of synthesizers and increased production quality, even by lo-fi standards. The ensuing years Pollard spent developing his craft and improving his songwriting also shows. The songs are generally more developed than they were during the band’s early days, and 30 second song fragments that used to litter their albums are in short supply. Luckily, the hooks are still abundant.One of my biggest problems with Pollard’s post GBV solo output is that he had outsourced large parts of the creative process. He would basically have his collaborators create music and then he’d put lyrics and melodies over the top of them. Bob called it “delegating” in a recent interview, but I always just kind of viewed it as laziness, and I think the music suffered for it (with some notable exceptions; the albums he did this way with Tobin Sprout and Doug Gillard were every bit as good as their band collaborations). So for me the most welcome thing on this album is the return of Robert Pollard the guitar player. I think that, more so than the return of Toby, Mitch, Kevin and Greg (as well as Pollard’s brother Jim) is what really makes this sound like an old school GBV record.
Labels: albums
Kisses On The Bottom
Paul McCartney - Kisses On The Bottom
OK, first things first. The album title. It's terrible. I'm sure Paul liked the cheekiness of it (pun intended), but he really should have thought better. In theory, it's a line from the album's opener "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter," but here's the thing; I've probably heard a couple of dozen versions of that song, and I've always heard it sung "kisses AT the bottom," so it's not even the right line. But I digress...
I’ll admit that despite being a fan of both McCartney (definitely my favorite Beatle) and what’s known as “The Great American Songbook,” I was only marginally interested in checking this album out when I first heard about it. For the last few years it seems like the CD section of your favorite discount store is littered with albums of aging rockers doing their interpretations of old standards. But my interest level shot up about one hundred percent when I learned that Macca had Diana Krall and her band backing him up on the project. Rather than the kind of milquetoast orchestral schmaltz that Rod Stewart has been releasing for the past decade, McCartney and company turn in an understated and elegant set of overlooked classics. While a handful of the songs do have orchestral arrangements, most of the record is just McCartney singing with Krall’s quartet. A few of the songs are hardly obscure, but he mostly stays away from the obvious choices, which makes the album seem a lot fresher than similar projects from other artists. And it’s a testament to his continued skill as a songwriter that unless you’re looking at the credits, you’d be hard pressed to pick out the two new originals (“My Valentine” and “Only Our Hearts”) from the songs that are older than he is (the deluxe edition of the album also includes a new take on “Baby’s Request” from the final Wings’ album, Back To The Egg).
It’s almost surprising that it took Paul so long to make an album like this. From the beginning of his career he’s written songs in this kind of style, so a project like this almost seemed inevitable. But the results were definitely worth the wait. It’s probably the most engaging solo album he’s made since he teamed up with Krall’s husband, one Declan McManus, for 1989’s Flowers In The Dirt.
Labels: albums
Sing For Your Meat
Various Artists - Sing For Your Meat: A Tribute to Guided By Voices
Tribute albums are always kind of a mixed bag. Usually no matter how much you like either the artist being honored or the bands and singers doing the covers, you usually end up with an album where you really only like a few songs. That's definitely not the case with Sing For Your Meat. Guided By Voices has always been one of those bands that, while not hugely popular among the masses, they are massively beloved by their fans. And a lot of those fans happen to be fellow musicians.
For most of these songs, the artists strike a perfect balance between using the same lo-fi techniques that have always been part of GBV's appeal and putting their own spin on things. The songs stay true enough to the originals to appeal to the faithful without sounding like carbon copies of the source material. In general, the first half of this album is front loaded with the covers that sound closer to the originals, while the second half gets a little more adventurous, and a little more rewarding. Though there are several good tracks by big names you would recognize (The Flaming Lips, Thurston Moore, Lou Barlow, and ex-Breeder Kelley Deal's second career cover of an GBV song), it's the names that aren't quite so recognizable that really shine. La Sera turns "Watch Me Jumpstart" into organ fueled chamber pop. Blitzen Trapper bring out the undercurrent of bluesiness in "Hot Freaks" until it becomes a juke joint jam. Elf Power's lo-fi remake of "Man Called Aerodynamics" sounds like it might have if Pollard and company had recorded it on Bee Thousand
. There really isn't a weak track on this album, and unlike a lot of compilations, it's one that you'll probably end up listening to more than just the first few weeks after you buy it.Western Civ - "My Valuable Hunting Knife" (mp3)
La Sera - "Watch Me Jumpstart" (mp3)
Cymbals Eat Guitars - "Gleamer" (mp3)
Labels: albums
Ukulele Songs
Eddie Vedder - Ukulele Songs
If there isn't an old saying that states "a little ukulele goes a long way," there should be.
It's hard to say that you didn't know what to expect with this album... it's right there in the album's title, so I kind of feel stupid for complaining about it. I really liked Eddie Vedder's solo work on the soundtrack to Into the Wild
, so I figured I'd give his first proper solo album a whirl. And it's not like it's bad or anything. Despite the fact that his career began an angry young singer from the Seattle grunge scene, his various solo material has proved that Vedder sounds equally great singing with acoustic backing. But after sixteen songs with pretty much nothing but ukulele as accompaniment, things start to get a little same-y. The credits indicate that he used at least six different kinds of ukuleles in recording the album, but that just doesn't give it the sonic variety that it really could have used. The appearance of cello on one song ("Longing To Belong") indicates the kind of subtle accompaniment variation that could have been accomplished by adding a few different instruments to the mix while still keeping the theme of the album. I just can't help but think I would have enjoyed this album more if there was some acoustic guitar or piano in the background.That's not to say there aren't some good songs on here. The first half is front loaded with originals, including a new take on "Can't Keep" from Pearl Jams's Riot Act
. Four of the last five songs are covers, and it's at that point that the album really starts to wear out it's wecome, despite the appearances of Chan Marshall (Cat Power) and Glen Hansard (The Frames/The Swell Season) on backing vocals. I keep wanting to compare it to the scene in Blue Valentine where Ryan Gossling serenades Michelle Williams. It's a great scene, but if Gossling would have been playing ukulele in every scene in the movie, it would have gotten old pretty quick. I feel like if Vedder had released in EP called Ukulele Songs instead of an album, I'd have liked it a lot more. Maybe when the songs pop up individually on shuffle on my iPod, I will.Eddie Vedder - "Sleeping By Myself" (mp3) from Ukulele Songs
Labels: albums
Wasting Light
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Foo Fighters have been one of my favorite bands since I saw them open for Mike Watt before their first album was even released. But over their past two albums, they had kind of reached a point where the singles were good, but the rest of the albums were a little too close to MOR classic rock for my tastes. I never even got around to buying Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, which is something considering what a completest I normally am. Although the news of them working with producer Butch Vig (who you might remember also produced a little known album by Dave Grohl's old band) was encouraging, he had also done the two new tracks on for their Greatest Hits
album, and "Wheels" left me kind of empty.Then in February one of my friends sent me a link to the Foos website, which had a 30 second preview of "Bridge Building," and I've got to say, it definitely got me paying attention. That song opens Wasting Light, and pretty much sets the tone for what's to come... an almost unrelenting wall of hard rock and crunching guitars. It's not that they've suddenly stopped writing hooks, but the songs are backed by a much harder edge than they've had recently. Part of that can be attributed to the return to full time status of Pat Smear, which means most of the songs have at least three guitarists on them, and on songs like "Rope," it allows for three distinct simultaneous guitar parts. And when there are only two parts, like on "White Limo," there is a lot more OOMPH. Basically this is the hardest the Grohl has rocked since his Probot
side project, and the best Foo Fighters album since their sophomore effort, Colour & The Shape. Call it a welcome return to form.I'll also warn you that buying the Best Buy exclusive expanded version is pretty much a waste of money. The remix of "Rope" is unlistenable for most rock fans, and the other track, "Better Off," is hardly essential. So unless you like owning videos that are otherwise available on Youtube, save a couple of bucks and just buy the standard edition.
Labels: albums
Different Gear, Still Speeding
Beady Eye - Different Gear Still Speeding
I always thought that Oasis without Noel Gallagher would suck. Turns out that's not the case at all. I guess it shouldn't be all that surprising. As the band went on, Noel began ceding the songwriting duties, to the point that on their last three albums half the songs were attributed to other band members. It was said that Beady Eye considered carrying on under the Oasis banner without him, but changing monikers was probably a good move. Though it hardly frees them from their history of being one of England's biggest bands of all time, it does allow them to put a new spin on things.
Their debut album really isn't a huge departure from their old band's catalog. It's a similar concept... catchy ass pop songs born from the DNA of sixties and seventies rock. That said, there is a new energy throughout the album that Oasis frankly hadn't had in years. It does suffer from some of the same weaknesses. For instance, the lyrics sometimes border on banal. But there is no doubt that Liam and the boys are having a lot of fun, especially on tracks like then anthemic "Bring The Light." And when they do evoke the sounds of their heroes, it's less of a ripoff and more of a homage. For instance, "Beatles And Stones" manages to evoke the early sixties singles of both bands without directly ripping off either. Different Gear Still Speeding
manages to be familiar and fresh at the same time. Frankly, they couldn't have picked a more perfect album title.Labels: albums
Collapse Into Now
R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now
The pre-release hype trumpeted that R.E.M.'s fifteenth studio album was a return to their classic sound. If you're a fan, my advice to you is to ignore that suggestion. Unless you consider Automatic for the People as classic Stipe and company, you're setting yourself up for a letdown. There are a lot more acoustic oriented numbers, and Peter Buck's mandolin makes a return appearance. But apart from the opener "Discoverer," which evokes sonic memories of "Finest Worksong," and Mike Mills throwback harmonies on the unfortunately titled "Mine Smell Like Honey," the only thing that really evokes the bands mid-to-late eighties period is that they've put a lot more reverb on Michael Stipes voice.
It took me a couple of listens, but once I got past the idea of what the reviews said this album should be, I'm able to really enjoy it for what it is... a good album by one of America's best bands. As a friend of mine put it, there is a little something for everyone. "All The Best" picks up where Accelerate
left off, and though the thought of Eddie Vedder basically yodeling might sound like a nightmare, it works great on the "Let It Be"-esque code to "It Happened Today." Other guest appearances include Patti Smith on "Blue" (the bastard lovechild of "Belong" and "E-bow The Letter"), and Peaches on "Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter." So if the distortion riddled blasts of their last studio effort was a little too Monster
-esque for your tastes, Collapse Into Now might be just what you need to Athens, GA's finest back into your good graces.Labels: albums
Catching A Tiger
Lissie - Catching a Tiger
I gotta admit that I didn't know quite how to react when I first listened to this album. Lissie's debut EP, Why You Runnin', was a much more rootsy affair. Catching A Tiger is definitely a bit shinier, a bit funkier, a little livelier and a lot more varied. It was kind of like hearing Norah Jones' last album for the first time... the shock of a new musical setting took a bit of getting used to, but in the same way it's just a new frame for a stellar voice (the comparison is especially appropriate since producer Jacquire King helmed both albums). It probably shouldn't have surprised me that Lissie would switch things up for her next release. All of her bio material describes a kind of wandering soul, who tries on new jobs and new towns with a greater than normal frequency, even by musician standards. That same restless spirit and sense of adventure is at work in here.
Lissie - "Bully" (mp3)
Lissie plays tomorrow night, February 3, at The Mercy Lounge in Nashville. Dylan LeBlanc opens.
Labels: albums
Deadman's Hand
The Church - Deadman's Hand EP
As part of the Church's 30th anniversary tour, they released a CD that was given to each ticket holder. The Deadman's Hand EP has now been made available to the public, and if you didn't attend one of their shows this past summer, it's worth picking up. The title track comes from their most recent album, Untitled #23
, and is filled out with four new tracks. Honestly, I think it's a stronger release than the album that sprung it. Maybe it's because the songs share a common theme. The references to tombstones, liqour, card games, death and the various wild west imagery scattered throughout becomes a sort of psychedelic spaghetti western concept album. The band's trademark atmostpherics are here, but the songs seem to have a tighter focus. Whether that's brought about by the common threads of the lyrics or the looseness of recording songs that aren't meant for a proper album, the result is a release that deserves to be heard by a wider audience. It's definitely a welcome addition to the band's catalog. The Church - "Deadman's Hand" (mp3)
Labels: albums
Together
The New Pornographers - Together
If I had written about Together when it first came out a month ago, this would have been a much different review. My first impression after a couple of listens was that it was merely OK, and it didn't seem as catchy as their previous efforts. But after a week or so I started noticing how many of the songs were playing in my head at odd times... and not the obvious ones like "Crash Years" or "Your Hands (Together)." It was seemingly unlikely candidates like "My Saviour" that found themselves bouncing around my cranium while I was mowing the lawn or taking a shower. So I went back to the album with fresh ears, and was happy to discover that while Together might not have the rambunctious energy of Mass Romantic or Electric Version, that doesn't mean that the hooks aren't there. They're just surrounded with more lush and laid back musical settings. It's really a trend that started with Challengers, I guess it's just a bit more noticeable this time around.
The New Pornographers will be playing in Nashville at the Mercy Lounge on Sunday, June 27.
Labels: albums
Vampire Weekend Revisited
Vampire Weekend - Contra
I like to think I'm an open minded person, and that I don't let preconceived notions get the best of me. But I'm also human, and I realize that despite my best intentions, sometimes prejudice colors my judgement. Such was the case two years ago when Vampire Weekend broke out. I decided that a bunch of trust fund kids ripping off Paul Simon's Graceland didn't sound like my cup of tea, so I promptly tuned them out.
Something has changed though. Maybe it's that I'm older and wiser. Perhaps it's that Contra is better than their debut (I can't say, because I still haven't listened to their first album). Or maybe it's the fact that XL sent me the new album for free that caused me to give it a chance. But I've got to admit... I'm digging it quite a bit. I still don't think they're doing anything that Peter Gabriel wasn't doing 30 years ago, and listening to them feels more like a game of "spot the influences" rather than hearing something truly original. For instance, can anyone listen to "Run" without hearing the drumbeat from "Sunday Bloody Sunday?" But all that's beside the point, because I'm really enjoying their sophomore set. The combination of pop melodies and African rhythms makes for surprisingly great workout music, and it's definitely the kind of album I can imagine listening to in the car on a sunny spring day. So here's to second chances and open minds.
Vampire Weekend - "Horchata" (mp3) from Contra
Labels: albums
I Told You I Was Freaky
Flight Of The Conchords - I Told You I Was Freaky
I remember reading a review of the Flight Of The Conchords' show at the Ryman back in February that commented on how so many of their songs were really salacious slow jams disguised as acoustic ditties. After listening to their second album, I Told You I Was Freaky, it's obvious why... because a lot of the songs they played that night are indeed R&B seductions.
I've been listening to this album without the benefit of having watched the entire second season
of their HBO show, so I've been able to judge most of the songs on their own merits, without the context of the show to frame them with. There are some great and hilarious tunes on here, but in general you can definitely tell that a lot of these songs were written for the show, rather than their first album where the show was written around the songs. That shouldn't be interpreted as a knock on the album, just an observation. "Sugalumps" is quite possibly the most hilarious thing I've ever heard, and "Rambling Through The Avenues Of Time" is an absolutely perfect send up of Billy Joel. But a song like "Demon Woman" is probably appreciated more when you've seen the setup that their show provides.The other obvious influence of the show on this album is in the production. While there are still a few acoustic based tunes, most of these songs have much fuller and much more electronic arrangements than their debut did. For a band that used to bill themselves as New Zeland's fourth most popular folk comedy duo, they sound surprisingly at ease kicking out the electro-jams. As they declare on the opener "Hurt Feelings," "Some people way that we are not rappers. We're rappers." They're also one of the funniest shows on television, which makes their announcement last week that they wouldn't be back for a third season utterly depressing. Here's to hoping they at least keep releasing albums.
Flight Of The Conchords - "Sugalumps" (mp3) from I Told You I Was Freaky
Labels: albums
Tonight Is The Ghost
Hurricane Bells - Tonight Is The Ghost
Hurricane Bells is the new solo project from Longwave singer/guitarist Steve Schiltz. And you weren't supposed to be hearing it yet. Schlitz originally envisioned it as something he'd release on his own. But then his song "Monsters" got included on the surprisingly stellar lineup for The Twilight Saga: New Moon Soundtrack
and, well, plans change. His debut album is now being released by Vagrant Records, although the sped up schedule means that a digital release is preceding the actual physical release by three months.So what does Tonight Is The Ghost sound like? Basically it's a stripped down version of Longwave. It has a similar atmospheric vibe, but much less dense. Schiltz wrote, played, recorded and mixed every note on the album himself, and some of the songs have the kind of laid back, late night quality you often expect from a home recorded solo project. Other songs, like "This Is A Test" or the instrumental closer "Tenterhooks" sound a lot like his main band with a few less layers of guitar, and a few more layers of vocals.
And what about this New Moon movie he's gotten himself involved with? For reasons that I still can't quite explain, I went to a midnight showing of it last night, and it's actually not bad. I thought Twilight was the chickiest chick flick I'd ever seen, but the sequel is a lot better. There's a lot more action, and the story, while still a bit corny, isn't nearly as cringe worthy as the first one. So if you're a guy getting dragged to it by your girlfriend this weekend (which is how I saw it), you can rest easy... it's definitely watchable, and maybe even slightly enjoyable.
Hurricane Bells - "This Year" (mp3)
Why You Runnin'
Lissie - Why You Runnin'
As introductions to a new artist go, the debut from Lissie Maurus, is a pretty promising one. Blessed with the pipes of her barbershop quartet champion grandfather, and the vagabond spirit of her train jumping great-grandfather, this Rock Island, IL native has unveiled a stellar EP that is sure to turn heads. With an assist from Band Of Horses' Bill Reynolds and Tyler Ramsey, she sounds like a more homespun version of Neko Case, while the production invites comparisons to Emmylou Harris' work with Daniel Lanois. "Little Lovin' " is a lively opener, but the rest of Why You Runnin' is a more subdued affair. A gorgeous cover of Hank William's "Wedding Bells" shows that her heart's in the right place, and sets the tone for the originals that follow. "Oh Mississippi" is a wistful ode to the river she grew up with, while "Everywhere I Go" and "Here Before" are yearning ballads whose minimal arrangements are the perfect setting to showcase her gorgeous vocals. Lissie is definitely an artist I'm looking forward to hearing more from.
Lissie - "Little Lovin' " (mp3)
Labels: albums
Capgun Coup's Maudlin
Capgun Coup - Maudlin
The sophomore album from Omaha, NE's Capgun Coup is frenetic collision of 60's garage rock and 70's punk spirit. Recorded live in the studio, it documents the madhouse atmosphere of the house shows the band is known for in their hometown. Frontman Sam Martin delivers his biting lyrics with a Dylan-esque delivery, conjuring up images of what Mr. Zimmerman might have sounded like had he been five years younger and headed to Detroit or the Pacific Northwest instead of the folk scene of Greenwich Village. Whether it's the Farfisa fueled "Computer Screens and TVs," or the Ventures homage that kicks off "When I'm Gone," Maudlin is filled with a relentless energy that stands in stark contrast to the album's title.
Capgun Coup - "Sitting On The Sidewalk" (mp3)
Capgun Coup - "Bad Bands" (mp3)
Labels: albums
