Menomena - Friend or Foe

In terms of melody and beat, this kind of reminds me of the Beta Band at first. Great swagger, driving rhythms, soaring vocals on Muscle & Flo. There’s a disjointedness associated with their unique fragmented composing style that ends up being much more than the sum of its parts. “It’s hard to take risks with a pessimist,” we’re told.

Author: listener | Category: Music Reviews | Comments(0) May 2007

Can - Monster Movie

(1969) They don’t make music like this anymore. Organically, anyway. This is the kind of stuff that’s looped now. Heavy beats, simplistic guitar riffs, and enough drugs so that twelve minutes of monotoned repetitive vocals doesn’t seem like overkill. Actually, it rather kicks ass. Woo!

Listen (naked) here:

Author: listener | Category: Music Reviews, Prog | Comments(0) May 2007

Cat Power - The Greatest

When I first Chan’s earlier releases, I thought, if she lives long enough, she will be a great force in new music. With this release, it seems she’s going to live long enough. I’m one of the twelve people who watched her Trees video all the way through. That was her, out among the trees, from a distance, performing a whole lot of songs unaccompanied. At the time it may have been the most unusual music video ever made. This is very different. She’s teamed up with a bunch of fantastic musicians, as if it were an experiment to fill the empty spaces in her song with musical maturity and round it out a bit. I generally prefer singer-songwriters’ sparser arrangements to the full instrumentation, but in her case the extra instruments don’t take away from her voice. How could they? If anything she comes out more confident and forceful than ever before.

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Author: listener | Category: Indie, Music Reviews | Comments(0) May 2007

Lily Allen - Alright, Still

Pop alternative. A guilty pleasure, if it’s a pleasure at all. The music sounds canned, but that’s okay, it’s a vehicle for her voice, which is clear and pretty with a lovely British accent, and for her lyrics, which are far from deep but at least interesting and mostly free of tired cliche. Refreshing, and I hope to see more depth from her as she grows older and wiser.

Author: listener | Category: Music Reviews | Comments(0) May 2007

Jolie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You

I’ve been a devoted fan of Jolie, and of the Be Good Tanyas, ever since BGT released their Blue Horse album. Imagine my surprise upon first learning she has a thriving solo career as well. Sorry. Sue me. I didn’t know until I heard her singing The Grey Funnel Line on Rogue’s Gallery (previously reviewed here). The voice, the enunciation, is unmistakable. This album is to the BGT albums what Beth Gibbons’ solo releases were to Portishead. It is separate, more intimate, more of a vehicle for that unique voice, while retaining much of the traditional roots that drive BGT. If you ask me, this release allows her soul to shine through.

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Author: listener | Category: Music Reviews | Comments(0) May 2007

Helena Arlock

On first listen I didn’t like this disc - not for what it was but for what it wasn’t. See, what I saw on her US tour and was immediately drawn to was sparse, minimalist, dark and moving. Just her voice, low and slurred, and her cello. This collection is probably what she’s better known for, lounge-flavored electronica. It only took another listen to appreciate it properly, and to be able to recommend it on its own. I’m still waiting for the recordings of her and Gustav in Clinton, NY to be released though. Unreleased on amazon but visit her myspace.

Author: listener | Category: Electronica, Experimental, Music Reviews | Comments(0) May 2007

Gustav & the Seasick Sailors - Sirkus

I was fortunate to catch this Swedish singer/songwriter performing in Fredericksburg, VA recently while he was touring with Helena Arlock. This a fantastic release. Romantic pop vignettes a la Freedy Johnston seem to be Gustav’s forte. Outstanding tracks include Breakthrough (which begins “Won’t you stay sober tonight?”), Devil When You Cry, and Sweden Slow.

Author: listener | Category: Music Reviews | Comments(1) May 2007

Rogue’s Gallery - Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys

An absolute gem. A must for every eclectic’s collection. This collection of pirate ballads and chanteys will please fans of new music, tradional purists and fans of the artists all at once. Starting with Baby Gramps and “Cape Cod Girls,” the perfect track to set the tone. Next up is Richard Thompson and the beautifully-executed “Mingulay Boat Song.” Other standouts include a couple of tracks by John C. Reilly (”My Son John” and “Fathom The Bowl”), Nick Cave (”Fire Down Below”), Loudon Wainwright (”Turkish Revelry”), Sting (”Blood Red Roses”), Gavin Friday (”Baltimore Whores”, which I’ll state for the record is reason enough to buy the album), Eliza Carthy (”Rolling Sea”), Martin Carthy (”The Mermaid” and “Hog Eye Man”), Jolie Holland from the Be Good Tanyas (”The Grey Funnel Line”), Jarvis Tucker (”A Drop of Nelson’s Blood”) and Ralph Steadman (”Little Boy Billy”). Yes, these are all standouts, and yes, there’s a lot more, and it’s great as well.

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Author: listener | Category: Compilations, Music Reviews | Comments(0) May 2007

CéU - CéU

If Bebel Gilberto represents revival, modernization or even rehash of the sixties Getz/Jobim era popularization of Brazilian lounge, CéU is the next wave. While retaining the sultry, breathy vocals and the tones and sensibilities of the lounge soundscape, the vocal range is expanded somewhat, and even more trip-hop is added to the mix, especially in “Lenda” and the lovely tail end of “Roda.” Nice mellow version of Marley’s “Concrete Jungle” here as well…

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Author: listener | Category: Brazilian, Music Reviews | Comments(0) May 2007

Bebel Gilberto - Momento

I don’t need to tell anyone about Bebel Gilberto these days. Brazilian is the current darling of world music, probably due in part to the thriving of lounge and Thievery Corporation, and Bebel is the heir apparent to Brazilian music. She has taken the legacy she inherited and modernized it, repackaging it for the young, not unlike the nudists are trying to do with the nudist lifestyle. I dare say Bebel will have much more success. “Bring back the love,” she chants, and we’re there with her. The instrumentation in “Close To You” could have been provided by Tricky or Massive Attack. I don’t need to tell you to buy this album. You’ll buy it because you can’t stop yourself.

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Author: listener | Category: Music Reviews | Comments(0) May 2007