Perry's Music Blog

Walter Becker - Circus Money

2009-08-30T23:28:00.000-05:00

If you know me, you know I have a love for all things Steely Dan. From that follows a lesser, but pronounced obsession for al things Walter Becker and Donald Fegan. The Nightfly is on my list of all-time favorite albums as well as any pre-reunion Steely Dan album.

After the initial demise of Steely Dan, Donald Fegan continued to make music. The Nightfly definitely had a Gaucho feel to it as well as lesser, but good follow-on albums. Walter Becker also made an album early on called Eleven Tracks of Whack. that made me remember that he was the angrier element of Steely Dan. Quite a nice album way back when that did get some play. Then Walter fell off the musical earth as a solo artist. He owes us nothing, so I don’t begrudge him not being right there with Fegan.

After many years appears Circus Money very much in the same spirit as Eleven Tracks of Whack. Definitely elements of Steely Day and definitely a Walter Becker album. Nothing I’ve listened two on the album belies its origin in Walter Becker’s mind. If you are a Steely Dan completist, you need to have this. If you’re not, I’m not so sure. Yep, it’s a great pop/rock album, but it has elements of Michael McDonald in there. You know, great artist from time gone by that drinks from the adult contemporary fountain of youth. Nothing here is as obvious as that - just a hint of production quality that makes me leery.

Writing this late on a Sunday evening, listening to Circus Money, maybe I’m being too critical and maybe it’s me that’s gone soft and overcompensating. Circus Money is brilliantly produced and recorded as one would expect. If you like Eleven Tracks of Whack it will not surprise you to know that you’ll also like Circus Money. If you’re a classic Steely Dan fan or more of a Donald Fegan fan, maybe not so much.

Marching Band - Spark Large

2009-08-30T22:54:00.000-05:00

Wow. I don’t run across and album often where every song gets either four or five stars. Spark Large by Marching Band is one such album. I put a quick review on eMusic that call this a nearly perfect collection of hipster anthems. Lots of syncopation and big chords in a classic chamber pop setting. Not quite as big sounding as, say, XTC, but right there with bands like The Aluminum Group. This is one of those albums that you might not like to admit you like, but I bet you will.

For Your Love opens in as a classic large pop them with a bit of counterpoint going on among some very nice sounds. Gorgeous Behavior picks up from there with some hints of a kind of island sound. Not reggae mind you, but something akin to Jimmy Buffet in a good way.

I cannot get Make Up Artist out of my head. I’ve been singing it for at least a week. Not so much the words, but the underlying tune that works really well and epitomizes what I referred to as a hipster anthem earlier. A bit of everything going on here. The play on Make Up vs Makeup is also a nice touch.

Other reviews I’ve read seem to cite Travel in Time as the top track on Spark Large. As you might have guessed, I prefer Make Up Artist, but both get 5 stars in my book. Travel in Time takes on more of a folk-ballad feel although sticking in the pop setting. This is one song on the album whose lyrics caught me - “I’m learning how to travel in time / to make right the thing things I’ve done wrong.” Classic line keeping in perfect time with the rest of the album.

Other five star tracks are Make no Plans and I Could Never. Make no Plans follows the formula for earlier tracks nicely. However, I Could Never throws in a bit of electronica sounds. Works very nicely and contrasts with what’s going on around it in a nice way. Don’t skip the other tracks as they are at most a half step behind.

I will admit to really hating this band’s name. Don’t get me wrong, I was in plenty of marching bands, so it doesn’t have anything to do with that. It just doesn’t describe anything about the band and evokes nothing when I hear it. I’m deathly afraid that Spark Large isn’t indie enough for the indie crowd and not Britney enough for the radio crowd. Please, give me hope and prove that a brilliant pop album that is just pop music can still make it big. Buy this.

Anathallo - Canopy Glow

2009-08-29T22:50:00.000-05:00

For those fans of Sufjan Stevens floating around and looking for something interesting to listen to, I give you Canopy Glow by Anathallo. Mind you, I’m telling that if you like Sufjan, there’s a solid chance that you’ll like Anathallo. I’m not telling you that Anathallo is the second coming of Sujan. There will be no second coming, so let’s just get that thought out of our heads.

Anathallo has the same acoustic sophistication of Sufjan, but it is more jangley with fewer natural sounds. I’d also throw in that time signatures and rhythmic dissonance that have a dominant role in albums like Illinoise are not present in Canopy Glow. But there is this nice feel that definitely evokes thoughts of Sufjan Stevens.

I guess I’m saying that Anathallo ain’t Sufjan, but it’s still darn nice and provides a taste of sophisticated pop that I really enjoy. Have fun with this one.

Dave Douglas & Keystone - Moonshine

2009-06-02T19:19:00.000-05:00

With Moonshine, Dave Douglas and friends have made a modern jazz classic in the mold of the great 70’s fusion bands of Jon McClaughlin, Chick Corea and Joe Zawinul. It is rare to hear this kind of album in today’s environment and even more rare to hear it done so well. Like the great albums of the 70’s, Moonshine is just enough outside to challenge sensibilities, but not so far outside to be unapproachable. Throw in the Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes, and electric guitars and you have a faithful reproduction of those bygone days.

All the tracks save one got 4 or 5 iTunes stars from me, which is quite rare. Moonshine and Married Life are my favorite tracks. Although Tough makes me dig out my old Mahavishnu albums. Married Life could have come off of any of those great albums. Although Douglas is the featured soloist, this is most definitely an ensemble effort all the way around.

I mentioned Chick Corea in my comparisons for this album, but I think McClaughlin and Zawinul are better comparisons. I think the Fender Rhodes makes me think of Corea. However, the song structure and performance style definitely lean more towards the edgy sound of the Mahavishnu Orchestra with a trumpet thrown in of course.

I wonder what the traditionalists are going to do with this album. I remember the howls when Bill Frissell won Downbeat’s album of the year with Nashville, although that album definitely leaned country. Leaning electric isn’t quite as sinful I suppose. Regardless, jazz eats it’s young and although Douglas is far from young, I’m curious to see how this album is received.

Sia - Some People Have Real Problems

2009-05-24T11:03:00.001-05:00

With the craze surrounding Amy Winehouse, other similar artists like Erin Bode and Eleni Mandell are getting some good publicity. Sia is definitely in that group. If you enjoy Amy, I think you’ll enjoy Sia. Maybe even a bit more and you don’t have to deal with the constant personal drama. Just a quick shout out for Some People Have Real Problems. The opening track, Little Black Sandals, is one of the highlight tracks for me and is on my best-of CDs I play in the car. But, Sia doesn’t go wrong anywhere on the album. Death By Chocolate is also a fantastic song. Anyone with a song called Academia is going to get a listen from me...

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

2009-05-24T10:53:00.000-05:00

Fleet Foxes was all the rage on the music blogs I read, so I decided to give them a shot. Tough to live up to all the hype. Well, virtually impossible to live up to all the hype. They do a pretty nice job of it though.

Sun It Rises starts with what sounds like gospel harmonies, quickly transitioning into an odd little Irish romp with Beach Boys harmonies mixed in. No kidding and it actually works nicely, although I’m not quite sure how.

White Winter Hymnal starts with a nice kind of 60’s kind of boy band harmonies. Something like the Righteous Brothers or the Kingston Trio. You get the picture. Ragged Wood continues along the same lines with a song that Glen Campbell might have done, but again with these rich, thick vocal harmonies with tons of reverb for good measure.

Tiger Mountain Peasant Song gets rid of the vocal harmonies and replaces them with a nice acoustic guitar, keeping the vocal style consistent. Quiet Houses follows and goes right back to the same big, slow harmonies with falsetto working above the melody.

You get the picture. The album does not vary much from its core theme, but it is excellent for what it is. The remaining songs are nice with the closing track, Oliver James, being exceptionally good.

Does Fleet Foxes live up to the hype? Pretty much and I am definitely a fan. I don’t think they are revolutionary like Broken Social Scene or Sufjan Stevens, but they are a wonderful indie band. As comes out throughout my comments, Fleet Foxes uses huge vocal harmonies and tons of reverb. They are not a twee band (at least in my mind), but do have a sugary, kind of lazy sound that pushes them in that direction.

Youngblood Brass Band - Is That a Riot?

2009-03-17T15:03:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. A brass band? Is this like John Philip Sousa stuff or what? Youngblood Brass Band is not most definitely not what I traditionally think of when I hear the term brass band. Think about the horn section of your favorite horn band, through in a tuba for good measure, hip-hop vocals and a sort of drum corps percussion section. Piss them off and you have Youngblood. No John Philip Sousa here, but I’m at a loss to explain exactly what it is and I would love to see it live.

The album opens with March and gives you the impression that you just bought a drum corps album - tight snares doing a nice intro. Then something goes haywire and hip-hop vocals appear from nowhere. Really good hop-hop vocals. Then the trumpets start screaming and a sax kicks in. Never veering far from this underlying drum line. What’s the tuba doing here? What a fantastic way to open a very eclectic album.

Nuclear Summer opens with a nice trombone solo, again with very subtle hip-hop vocals. Things are going nicely, then this kind of just barely latin things starts and goes away. Now were at a typical hip-hop line, but for some reason it really works for me. Usually I’m moving on, but this really works. Listen to the words.

Waiver is a nice romp that starts like something from a modern big-band. More on that later. Excellent song that works wonderfully and shows of some of the more subtle aspects of Youngblood. Subtle is relative by the way...

JEM starts as what could be a modern big-band chart. Mournful trumpets with additional brass layering in. Gorgeous chords here The line grows more and more sophisticated and I have visions of the Kenton Big Band or Maria Schneider. Then it ends and immediately segues into a hip-hip reel called Dead Man Stomping that again works for me. The tuba is a nice touch again.

But You Can’t Run opens in a way that causes me to wonder what the percussion section of this band looks like. It really sounds like something from a drum corps. However, there are things going on that are definitely done with a drum kit elsewhere on the album. Regardless, But You Can’t Run is just a great latin style band number.

Then there is Thanks, which takes us directly towards what you might think a brass band would be. An amazingly good brass band with a drum kit. After all of the wanderings of this album, somehow Thanks works as a closing song. Sort of a thank you for coming along for the ride.

I am suddenly a huge fan. If this is the future of spoken word music, count me in. If you’re not a fan of hip-hop (and I am definitely not) you need to check this out.

Dead Heart Bloom - Chelsea Diaries

2009-03-08T00:19:00.000-06:00

I recently downloaded Chelsea Diaries from Dead Heart Bloom based on a Pitchfork review. I wasn’t at all familiar with the group, but the eMusic sound clips revealed a nice pop group that seemed to have promise. Pretty short album with only 8 tracks, but one that I’ve grown to like very much.

I don’t know if it is intentional or not, but I can’t help think Beatles when I listen to this album. Particularly during the first song. Something about the harmonies and sound that gives me the Beatles feel. Not that creepie, ‘oh my god they’re trying to be the Beatles’ feel, but the feeling you get when it works well.

Opening track is Who Will You Love, but chorus line it comes from is ‘Who will you love when you’re gone’. Kind of changes the feel of the song right away. Wonderful track that could have easily been on Revolver. Same with the second track, Chelsea Song #2. Definitely a different feel, but still in that Beatles rock think going. Should add that they have a keyboard, even though the fab four did not, but it still has the feel.

After a couple of very nice, but nondescript tracks (that I never skip) comes the next jewel, a ballad called Someday Soon Our Time Will Come. Beautiful vocals over an acoustic guitar. Nothing more complex than that, but the vocals are gorgeous. I’d buy the entire album for this track alone.

Wish It Well continues in the same vein, staying in what I would call an alt country kind of feel. eMusic tags the entire album as Rock, but who knows what that actually means.

Bottom line is I really love this album. I don’t know how much staying power it will have in my library, but I will definitely include it on my exported playlist at work. Buy and enjoy.

Lambchop - OH (ohio)

2009-03-07T18:14:00.001-06:00

What to do with Lambchop. If I had to pick a favorite band right now, Lambchop would most definitely be in the discussion. For the life of me, I have no idea how to classify them. Growling vocals, lightly thumped guitar, tinges of alt country and lounge music. Frequently quiet, never boring. Lambchop’s latest, OH (ohio), continues in the same vein as earlier albums that seem to make it onto my playlists constantly. As with many it takes a listen or two to loosen up, but it certainly sings if you make a commitment.

First track, Ohio, is a solid intro if not overly descript. It opens the album nicely in classic Lambchop for, but does not really define what follows.

Second track, Slipped, Dissolved and Loosed, take

Sharing a Gibson with Martin Luther King is a wonderful, uptempo song that’s great regardless of the offbeat title. You’ll definitely hear the alt country sensibilities here.

Please Rise is an interesting change of pace from the classic Lambchop sound. Still the same brooding vocals over barely played guitar. However, there’s some odd kind of Burt Bacharach horns working towards the middle of the song. I don’t recall horns in other Lambchop pieces, but it works very well and I definitely approve.

The next track, Popeye, is my favorite on the album. It represents the biggest departure from classic Lambchop sound, but you’d never guess that by listening to the first minutes. Three minutes in and it’s still classic ballad work. With two minutes left, this rock riff that sounds like it could have come off a Santana album takes off. Really different, but it works well.

Close Up and Personal and the final track, I Believe in You take us back where Lambchop lives and close out the album nicely. I Believe in You is the cover that you think it is and it’s wonderful. Definitely recognizable, but done the classic Lambchop style. I think Willie would definitely approve.

I never got the alt country thing with Lambchop. I get alt country and like it, but never put Lambchop in that bin in the record store. However, listening carefully reveals some country style work, particularly in the lead and rhythm guitar and the way they interplay with the bass. I’ll definitely hear those sounds again on further listen. One thing that think I’d love to hear someday is Bill Frissell on a guest spot with Lambchop. The guitar sounds would seem to be perfectly complimentary.

Bottom line is that if you like Lambchop, you will definitely like OH (ohio). If I had to rank it against my other Lambchop albums, it would come in around second or third behind No You C’mon and It will definitely remain in my standard rotation for quite awhile.

Adele - 19

2009-03-07T11:41:00.003-06:00

After a 2 month hiatus, I'm back. I discovered that people actually read this thing. Wow. Cool. I'll try harder to stay on top if it...

I'm listening to an album in my new albums list by Adele called 19. It was described to me as Amy Winehouse without the personal issues. I think Adele leans a bit more to the pop side of things, but the description is reasonably apt.

Right now, Right as Rain, one of my 5 star tracks from the album, is playing in the background. Hammond B-3 with a nice Motown pop sound. When the track kicked in, it really grabbed my attention to the extent of an audible "wow" my wife heard upstairs. I'm getting ahead of myself...

The album opens nicely enough with a track called Daydreamer that is quite aptly named. Kind of etherial, contemplate song with Adel in fine form with just a bit of raspy soul in her voice. The song belies the album in some ways as many of the song veer towards soul as the album moves on, but the shear simplicity of Daydreamer perfectly performed got my attention.

Best for Last follows and is neither best or last, but it is quite good and not first. Chasing Pavements maintains the cool, contemplative mood nicely, but then Cold Shoulder kicks in and changes things entirely. Same sound, but hotter with a bit of a dance feel to it. Now 19 really has my attention.

Two of my favorite tracks follow and get 5 stars easily. Crazy for You brings the tempo and drive back down to a kind of alt-country (but not quite) ballad. Beautiful and brings back memories of Skylark from Casandra Wilson's brilliant album. Melt My Heart to Stone is an oddly named track that follows that brings back the strings and bigger sound. I want to say kind of jazzy, but it's more a classic pop sound - pop vintage 1950's. I love that stuff and I'm really loving this album about now.

First Love is next and doesn't grab me as much as the previous two, but it would be hard to do that.

Now comes the aforementioned Right as Rain. More of this brilliant classic pop sound that Adele brings throughout.

The last song I'll mention by name is Make You Feel My Love, bringing the tempo down with only a piano accompaniment. Backing vocals here and there on this one that I've not heard elsewhere.

Adele seems to be fit right into a collection of brilliant female singers on the scene today, singing this soulful classic pop. Leslie Fiest, Neko Case, Amy Winehouse, and my old favorite Holly Cole fall into this category. This music as as good as any I've ever heard. Please go buy it!

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

2008-12-30T01:01:00.001-06:00

I've watched with great sadness while Amy Winehouse seems to destroy her life, but have only listened to her music in passing. Just enough to know that she is an exceptionally talented person. With my free iTunes downloads from my trusty Visa card I decided to give Back to Black and shot and see what all the hype is about.

First, this album could have been made sometime in the 60s in Motown or on Chess records. It is classic R&B in the style of Aretha and friends. The only giveaway that this was recorded this century is the lyrics. If you listen closely enough (I didn't the first time through) you'll hear references to modern themes.

Second, I'm way sadder now than before I heard the music. Winehouse really is that good and pulls of the retro sound brilliantly. Her voice is commanding and compares well with the R&B masters that I have hear. Although no one is in the same class as Aretha, Winehouse is definitely in the group right behind.

Finally, I have to wonder if anyone would have listened to this if not for her horrible personal demons. Would we be listening to 60s R&B without the car wreck effect? You know what I mean - you know you shouldn't look but you have to. I hope not, but I still have to wonder.

My suggestion would be ignore the social crap and buy the album. We all fight our demons.

Polar Bear - Polar Bear

2008-12-27T14:39:00.001-06:00

I believe this is the debut album by Polar Bear. Regardless, it is a superb example of one might call experimental rock or more likely avant garde jazz. eMusic tags it as alternative, but just about everything eMusic offers can be tagged alternative. I digress...

If you are new to these genres, quite frankly most people are, then this is a pretty nice introduction. Definitely outside, but also approachable. If you want a couple of samples before you dive in, the first track Tay and the 6th track Industry are nice examples. I'm not into this stuff everyday, but sometimes it really hits the spot. I've also been in a very jazzy mood lately after spending a ton of time in indie rock and pop.

Polar Bear is worth your dime if you're into outside jazz, but beware otherwise.

As twee and twee can be...

2008-12-20T19:04:00.001-06:00

Acid House Kings is not a name one would associate with a twee band, but they are about as twee as it gets. Mondays Are Like Tuesdays And Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays is one of this month's downloads and is really quite a nice album very much in the Belle & Sebastian, Kings of Convenience, Monkey Swallows the Universe mold. I am a big fan of twee, so I'm pretty happy with this download. The vocals are excellent as well as the songwriting. If you like the aforementioned bands, you will definitely like the Acid House Kings. Still a pretty curious name though...

Downloads this round

2008-12-18T22:26:00.001-06:00

My friends at eMusic have once again made my day. Here's a list of recent downloads that I hope to get to write about soon.

Acid House Kings - Mondays Are Like Tuesdays And Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays - Twee pop if there ever was such a thing
Army Navy - Army Navy
Bennie Maupin Quartet - Early Reflections - More great jazz
Daestro - Keeper's - On the more experimental side
James Blackshaw - Litany of Echos - Brilliant steel guitar
Polar Bear - Polar Bear - Not so jazzy jazz
The Uglysuit - The Uglysuit - More indie pop

Portico Quartet - Knee-Deep in The North Sea

2008-12-18T22:01:00.001-06:00

Oh wow! I sure didn't expect this. Knee-Deep in The North Sea is among the best jazz albums I've heard in many years. Who knew steel drums could blend into a traditional small jazz ensemble this way. No kidding - steel drums. Traditional in many ways, but revolutionary in others. Definitely worth your dime and a wonderful introduction to jazz if you're trying to approach the genre. So who is going to get these guys to Lawrence???

D/A Converters

2008-12-17T08:04:00.001-06:00

As I prepare for a major overhaul of the music room, my main stereo system is in pieces all over the basement. For fun, I hooked by Benchmark DAC to the output of my trusty Mac and pulled the headphone out through my etymotic headphones. Although the Mac is a high-end computing device, it is not so much a high-end music device. At least using the rig I have.

The results are astonishing. I hear things in my music that I've simply not heard before. I've been told so often that all digital front-ends are the same and that speakers are all. This is completely false. The reproduction filter in your DAC is essential as it takes the bits and recreates the waveform you listen to. Even if all reconstruction filters are the same (and they are not), the pre-amp in your DAC is as important as any amplifier in your signal path. More important if you consider that every element of noise introduced in the DAC is amplified by every downstream amplifier. No amplifier can add back in information that is lost during reproduction and certainly no $10000/ft power cable is magically going to clean up your output signal. Garbage in, garbage out. Actually, garbage in, really big, loud garbage out is more accurate.

I mentioned cans in an earlier post and for your iPod, there's not much else you can do and remain portable. Don't get me wrong, speakers are important. Just not more important than anything else.

Balmorhea - Process

2008-12-17T07:53:00.001-06:00

What to do with Balmorhea's Process? Quite a nice album stuck somewhere between new age and classical. The form is very much that of modern, classical music, but the instrumentation will definitely keep it off the KANU airwaves. Some of the tracks definitely have the sound of a small, classical ensemble like a string quartet. But, others use environmental sounds and instrumentation more common in new age. In particular, the dominant presence of guitar and particularly piano given this a new age sound.

Does this make any difference? Not really - it's a good album regardless and I recommend it for instrumental music in the classical style. But I'm always interested in the pigeon holes that people put their art in. Particularly when some of those pigeon holes are considered "important" and others are not. I've listened to a lot of "important" music because it was important and I'm not wasting any more time with that...

Process is definitely worth your time whether you think new age is as important as classical or not.

White Shoes & the Couples Company - White Shoes & the Couples Company

2008-12-16T01:02:00.001-06:00

What to do with White Shoes & the Couples Company's self-titled debut - twee pop from the only Indonesian band in my collection. Sounds much like The Aluminum Group, but even twee-er if that's even possible. Much of this album is a bit too sweet for me, but it is well executed and a fun listen. I have to say that it gets played quite a bit and my favorite song from the album has made it onto the sampler that I share with friends. If you're The Aluminum Group, Belle & Sebastian, or Kings of Convenience, this is likely right up your alley.

Brett Dennen - Hope for the Hopeless

2008-12-16T00:56:00.001-06:00

I have an older Brett Dennen album that I've listened to a bit, but it never struck me as an outstanding album. Thus, I was quite surprised to see rave reviews of Hope for the Hopeless. I downloaded it on a whim when I had some extra eMusic downloads at the end of the month and now it's hard to get it off the iPod. This is a very nice singer-songwriter album in the style of Josh Rouse, which is exceptionally high praise from me. I'd have to say this is my favorite albume of the last half of this year.

There are four songs that really do it for me on this album. The first track, San Francisco, is very representative of the album. Brett and a guitar, rythm guitar, hammond organ, drums and bass - the standard pop lineup. But wow, these guys really play. The toe is tapping about 10 seconds in and just doesn't stop. I really love a well presented, controlled pop song and this is a great example.

Make You Crazy follows nicely with a bit of an island feel to it. Jimmy Buffet might very well play this song. I'm not as fond of it as the first track, but I never skip it either. The third track, Heaven is a classic ballad building from a simple head into a reasonably elaborate pop song. Again, it never gets skipped.

After all that, Closer To You seals the deal for me. A nearly perfect pop ballad about, well, getting closer to somebody. Again, the classic pop orchestration just done as well as it can. No pyrotechnics, but I promise you'll think of someone close to you when Dennen starts the "closer to you" chorus.

The remaining songs are nearly as good and I find myself coming back to this album over and over again. I love well-executed, understated pop music and this really is just that done about as well as it can be done. Controlled musicianship that sings out. Buy this - you'll love it.

Headphones

2008-12-16T00:39:00.001-06:00

If you love your music and really want to hear what it actually sounds like, please buy yourself some decent cans (headphones for the uninitiated audiophile). Those little white earbud things that come with the iPod make much better cat toys that headphones. I'm going to suggest tossing them as far as possible if you don't have a cat. In addition to all the pretty hip things you can do with your iDevice, it's also a pretty fine music player that you can really enjoy with the right output devices.

The one advantage to the earbuds is that the price is right. Hard to beat free. However, you can buy a wonderful set of iGrado's for $49 MSRP. I'm sure you can grab a pair for much less money. There are other excellent options as well. The folks at Headroom put out some great info on excellent headphones that range from things cheaper than iGrado's all the way to rigs that cost as much as a pretty nice new car. (Feel free to ignore the latter.)

What I've also learned from my friends in the know is that distorted sounds damage your hearing more than undistorted sound. Thus, getting a good set of cans will help you listen to your music into old age.

New for December

2008-12-03T23:01:00.001-06:00

Rounding out my eMusic downloads for November:

Brett Dennen - Hope for the Hopeless - Damn killer pop music. Same vicinity as Josh Rouse, maybe not quite that good, but really nice stuff.

Dungen - Ta Det Lunt - Can't understand a word these guys say, but the sound really good while they say it. Definitely indie rock.

The Sea and Cake - The Fawn - Oldie that rounds out my Sea and Cake collection. What can I say, it's Sea and Cake and therefore awesome.

Sebastian Weiss - Momentum - Great Jazz. Haven't listened too much to this one yet.
She & Him - Volume 1 - Paste Magazine's album of the year for 2008. I had never heard of it. More later, but it seems pretty decent to me.

TV on the Radio - Dear Science - Out there progressive, indie rock. Quite nice, but I need more time to comment on it.

The Push Stars

2008-11-19T16:06:00.001-06:00

I've written about The Push Stars before, claiming they are the best pop/rock band you've never heard of. I just went back and listened to After the Party during a 3-mile run and yet again reached the same conclusion. Best pop/rock band you've never heard of. I can't figure it out.

Go out and buy an Push Stars album. I'm not sure if they're actively touring still, but if they are definitely see a show. I would imagine they are awesome live. Oh, and if any one from the group sees this, can I get you to visit Lawrence sometime??

Jamie Lidell is what??

2008-11-13T13:07:00.001-06:00

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention in my review of Jamie Lidell's Jim that he's a white, British guy. At least the accent sounds British to me - maybe my British friends can help me out here. Anyway, how a white, British guy can channel 60's and 70's Motown so well is completely beyond me. The man surely pulls it off though and my hat's off!

Jamie Lidell - Jim

2008-11-13T12:52:00.001-06:00

Do you like that good ole' soul/funk sound from the 70's? I love it. Jackson 5, Aretha, Marvin Gaye, with all the horns, bass lines, nasty sounding synths. I can't sit still for any of that stuff.

If you're in that camp with me, then Jamie Lidell is definitely worth your time. I picked up Jim from eMusic based on the first track, Another Day, and discovered that the album does not disappoint. A tour de force of funk, with touches of modern production and sounds.

As noted, Another Day, is a great track and probably the best on the album. Think old-world soul, cleaned up just a bit. Then there's Figured Me Out with the 70's feel that makes you think Earth Wind and Fire or the Jackson 5. (Yes, Michael Jackson is insane and I really did not care for his solo work, but the Jackson 5 is another story completely.) That's followed by Hurricane, a track that could pass for something by Ike Turner. Vocals are male, so you won't mistake it for Tina, but the feel is there. Green Light feels like it invokes a bit of Marvin Gaye. I know, nothing will equal Marvin Gaye, but Jamie definitely payed attention during his Marvin Gaye lessons.

If you're in the mood for some retro funk (translation: You were before 1975) this is an album for you.

Marco Benevento - Invisible Baby

2008-11-02T01:07:00.001-05:00

I discovered Marco Benevento and Invisible Baby while perusing the editor's picks for jazz on eMusic. I listened to the online samples and jumped quickly to the conclusion that it got lumped in the jazz section because the songs don't have words. Unfortunately, that is one common definition of jazz. The first track, Bus Ride, is not what I would put in my jazz bin. At least the first part with banjo working over what was more a pop figure than a jazz figure. Towards then end when the piano kicks in with some nice solo work, I'm hooked and I will reluctantly put it in the jazz bin.

The second track, Record Book, is an equally excellent contribution. Not as driving by any means, but with a very nice feel. I had flashbacks to slow, ambient music. A drone with a constant piano and drums moving in the background so it stays just this side of ambient. Then suddenly the drone ends and a fantastic jazz riff kicks in on the piano. Nothing complex, but man is it ever catchy. I can't stop the head bob whenever this track kicks in. I almost wish the drone wasn't there, but either way it's an excellent track.

Skipping forward, Ruby is my next 5 star track. It starts quite oddly with some electronica wierdness, but then moves into a nice jazz waltz feel. Much more straight ahead jazz than earlier tracks. Nice, clean work with simple chords and progressions. Once again it really grabs me.

Finally, Are You The Favorite Person of Anybody? closes the album with yet again another song that starts outside with ambient noises and then veers right back into more mainstream jazz. This track stays a bit farther out than Ruby or Record Book, but is every bit as enjoyable.

It's always nice to find new tunes. I will definitely be checking out other work by Benevento and learning more about where he comes from. Invisible Baby is definitely recommended, but beware if you only like mainstream jazz.