Andrew Boe July 20th, 2007
Rating: 7.5
Sometimes ethereal blues and sometimes folk-pop, but almost always lovely, Keren Ann Zeidel has recently released her third album of songs performed in English. Her first two records were performed strictly with French vocals and her last release, 2004’s excellent Nolita had an ideal mixture of both languages. Whichever she chooses to perform in, Keren Ann’s voice is gorgeous and her new self-titled CD includes nine new songs that breezily float through realms of folk, jazz, and rock with wispy melancholy. Having lived in at least four countries in her life has proven to add nothing short of sophistication to her music.
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Matthew Wendus July 18th, 2007
Rating: 6.0
Slide guitar and harmonica are the dusky super duo in country and folk rock, melding like beer and chips, steak and potatoes, or cheese and crackers. A band could be composed of a troupe of retarded turtles, but if there’s slide guitar and harmonica, you can’t help but tap your toes. Seattle folkster Rocky Votolato incorporates plenty of both on his second record with Barsuk, The Brag & Cuss. The singer-songwriter melds a warm retro approach with an organic vibe to create a record that is as comforting as a crackling campfire.
Postcard from Kentucky [mp3]
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Shrie Bradford July 18th, 2007
Rating: 6.5
San Francisco duo Two Gallants seem to attract their fair share of trouble. A run-in with the police, unfortunately ending in an arrest and a night in jail, and the legal battle that ensued has left Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel scarce time to grace us with a full-length effort. The Scenery of Farewell satiates with a calm(er) set of recordings from sound checks and radio appearances.
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Matthew Wendus July 12th, 2007
Rating: 7.0
Maybe it’s the humidity, but Immaculate Machine’s music conjures up images of cropped-haired liberal arts girls wearing American Apparel panties and high socks dancing in dorms. It’s either erotic or infuriating, a feeling I sometimes run into with indie pop releases that are painted with pastels, keyboards, and clean guitars. But as I will say again and again, if there’s substance in the music, those imaginary theater majors can dance in my head as long as they want. The Canadian trio’s whimsical approach to tune-crafting on Fables weaves a lovely tapestry of jangly hits that stick like glue.
Dear Confessor [mp3]
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Scott Roots July 10th, 2007
Rating: 5.9
Ryan Adams has been a busy guy. The dreamy-eyed North Caroliner has put out five albums in the last three years, garnering him more than the average amount of press for his excesses…especially since his excesses involve heroin and cocaine. Now you might think that five albums is a lot for that span of time, but speedballs ain’t called speedballs for nothing, and the same obstructions to productivity that the Average Joe on the street might face don’t mean jack to Mr. Adams.
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Scott Roots July 3rd, 2007
Rating: 5.5
Is is really that complicated Art Brut? You write a rock song. You write lyrics to go over it. In the lyrics you talk about nostalgia, and growing up, and awkward moments of a relationship – that sort of thing. You do about 10 of these bad boys, take it to a producer who makes it sound really pretty. You call the album It’s A Bit Complicated. You go on tour. You call trucks lorries.
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Scott Roots July 2nd, 2007
Rating: 7.0
Six LPs into their career, Austin’s Spoon has become pretty ubiquitous for an indie rock band. Their singles, including “I Turn My Camera On” and “The Way We Get By” turn up all over the place, including an enlightening video of a dancing robot on YouTube. Spoon has also provided the soundtrack for a movie (Stranger than Fiction) and has done commercials for Jaguar. While the awful truth may be that the majority of fans at a Spoon show would list the O.C. as their point of entrance, Spoon’s songwriting has been consistently good for a decade: look no further than Girls Can Tell (2001) or Kill the Moonlight (2002) for proof.
The Underdog [mp3]
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Andrew Boe June 29th, 2007
Rating: 9.5
Thank Jesus, Allah, the Easter Bunny or any other minor deity that Young God Records have just re-released Lisa Germano’s 2003 masterpiece, Lullaby for Liquid Pig as a 2xCD reissue with an extra disc of home recordings and live tracks. The original version went out of print quickly as the initial record label that put it out went bankrupt. This stunning piece of music was originally released after a five year hiatus in which Germano pondered the idea of ceasing to make music altogether. Luckily, she did eventually come around and in doing so recorded this album, which is a crimson cascade of wine, broken glass and sheer beauty. Lullaby for Liquid Pig was conceived as a record about alcohol dependency and the subsequent acceptance of both her addiction and depression. It is a gorgeous album that flows like a late night lullaby, which features some hazy production and gentle ripples of intoxicating psychedelia.
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Andrew Boe June 28th, 2007
Rating: 8.0
When one thinks about light or music that is brimming with it, Shannon Wright hardly comes to mind. A few adjectives that spring up when pondering her back catalog are: cathartic, desperate and intense. These words are even intensified that much more if you have seen her live. To paraphrase a press release statement of hers, with her new release she wanted to write some songs that were direct and simple. Bob Dylan’s devastating masterpiece “Sara,” a kind of forlorn afterthought written before he was actually separated from his wife, was the ultimate type of composition that she was aiming for when writing this material. Once again, Shannon Wright releases a fair amount of her emotional burden with Let in the Light, but this time around the piano is her main instrument, and that actually makes for a wonderful record.
St. Pete [mp3]
Everybody’s got their own Part to Play [mp3]
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Lily Cutler June 25th, 2007
Best Dressed
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra at Neumo’s, Thursday June 21
I’ve noticed that in terms of big underground music scenes in the northwest, afrobeat doesn’t exactly take the cake. Nevertheless, whenever and wherever the Brooklyn-based Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra rolls through, I’ll make it my business to be there, and so will you if you know what’s good for you.
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