Columbus, Ohio band Red Wanting Blue released their eighth album, These Magnificent Miles, over the summer. Called “the hardest working band,” the album is about life on the road and in the end shows the sort of songwriting that comes about from years of refinement and more importantly, life experience. With such a familiar sound one might wonder how they got overlooked and yet we’re still stuck with the pain of knowing Creed ever existed at all.
Early in the summer I spoke of my excitement about the reissue of Dream Syndicate’s 1984 classic album, Medicine Show. Considering the amount of play its gotten over the last few months its no doubt lived up to my hopes. Furthermore its rejuvenated an old love for an album I hadn’t heard in some years, but once logged heavy time on my player. I’ll skip all the obligatory flavorful adjectives because Medicine Show is a lot of grey shades with no neon to be found anywhere. Steve Wynn states in the liner notes that there are no songs about love, no jangling pop, lots of fuzz and a resulting album that is unique in comparison to any of its contemporaries. In agreeance, what stands out with each listen is the unique head space this album puts me in; leaving me happily impaired by Wynn’s cigarette / alcohol singed delivery and Karl Precoda’s always spot on resonating guitar accompaniment.
Another one of the year’s best releases comes by way of Matthew Dear and his new album, Black City. Dear is known for taking his electronic works to wide and varied multi-layered expanses resulting in a grandiose dance of thick beat and sonics. Black City is no exception and a wonderfully consuming record thats as heady in a hip grooving way as it cavernous and singular. It opens with a hovering note and beat on the track “Honey,” an inauguration of sorts before submerging into the vibrant murk. Elsewhere the journey is in full depth traversing an uncharted distance between the mechanized and more organic as seen on hallmarks like “You Put A Spell On Me.” Its a trip and I like it.
Former Rentals vocalist Sara Radle returns with Four on September 14th, an album of easygoing structures filled with harmonies and strings to accent the keyboard and guitar propelled melodies. The mix of folk, rustica, and otherwise with pop work well to ensure Radle’s Four intertwines the episodic and personal with fairly bright and sunny results no matter the subject.
Jaill’s That’s How We Burn opens with the strut of steady drum and stirring guitar on “The Stroller,” setting the stage for one of the summer’s more memorable works. The quick loosening of lyrics on “Everyone’s Hip” immerses the listener into a world of oppositions with smooth pop melodies and often brasher guitar lines that come to define the Milwaukee group’s pop sensibility. The album is solid throughout whether that be the acoustic foundations of “Summer Mess” or the tinted melodic flourishes of “Thank Us Later,” with the latter tempting the listener to sing “Love Potion #9″ over the intro. Eleven tracks that bring a joy unmatched by the latest Arcade Fire album or any of those currently talked too much about wall of sound bands.
Omaha, Nebraska quintet Landing On The Moon offer a well concocted blend of rock and other stroke of pop on new album, We Make History Now. Harmonies, builds, and other solid constructions lend to a final appetizing work for all those inclined. Tune in below to see if this fits your bill.
Against a dry and dusty Midwestern backdrop amidst the vein of Americana, country/folk, and acoustic rock exists Wilson’s Reservoir and their self-titled album released earlier in the summer. Take in “Bullets” and the video below.
Lissie’s full-length follow up to her well regarded Why You Runnin’ EP, is out today on Fat Possum. With three of the EP’s songs on the album there is good comparison to show at some point Lissie in part abandoned the rustic country and wild of the open sky for other notions. There’s a Stevie Nicks edge that first appears on second track “When I’m Alone,” and follows seamlessly into “In Sleep.” Elsewhere, “Stranger” stands out with its spiffied up and twitching to get mental at the malt shop atmosphere. And while I like Stevie as well as many of the new tracks, reappearing EP songs like “Little Lovin’” still stand at the top.
Why You Runnin’ made us marvel at how Lissie came off wise beyond her years, whereas certain spots betray her on Catching A Tiger. “Cuckoo” and “Loosen the Knot” are appealing in an empowering MTV coming of age sort of way with quick frills that are cheap amidst Lissie’s top shelf stuff.
Having said all that, Catching A Tiger has more songwise than most current releases and in good fashion closes with the hymn “Oh Mississippi” taking us back to the old church where she is perhaps enjoyed most.
Last month Crowded House released their sixth full length album, Intriguer, recorded at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, New Zealand, during the spring and summer of 2009. Produced by Jim Scott (Wilco), Intriguer is melodically less withdrawn than Neil Finn’s solo endeavors and ultimately feels like the first real Crowded House album in ages. Finn is still a master of hook and emotion whether it be the straight forward talk of Van Gogh on “Amsterdam”, the breezy reflective island feel of “Either Side of the World”, or the back to basics solitude and expansion of “Falling Down.” Nice.
West African-born New York City-based Lachi released her debut self-titled album a couple of weeks back. The legally blind songstress builds her music by way of colorful piano, homespun lyrics, and easygoing catchy melodies. Overall a good listen that bottles realism, uplift, joy, and some new sun to permeate the ever abundant growing dread.
Singer / songwriter Anna Rose’s debut album, Nomad, was inspired in part by southern California’s musical golden age of the late sixties and early seventies. Sliding guitar and slinky rhythm occupy “I’ll Be Gone” to give it a down home coastal flair, whereas the cyclical acoustic riff on “Done” shows an appeal of floating reflection. Elsewhere there is talk of morning dew, internal memoirs, getting over it, moving on, and putting the pieces back together. All in a life, rarely in a day.
NYC’s Viva DeConcini brings a nine track tale of rejuvenation and transformation on new album Rock & Roll Lover. Even including takes on Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” and Carole King’s “Natural Woman,” Rock & Roll Lover shows itself with slinky city rhythms done up in brass, guitar flourishes, and Viva’s stylish vocals. Viva has been playing guitar since first grade and has jammed with the likes of Medeski, Martin and Wood and Trey Anastasio.
