Category: Writing

I’m a firm believer in maintaining an eclectic breadth of music, so now I’m going to dive into some Creative Jazz with “Caved-In Heart Blues” by the Nels Cline Singers, off their JUST released Draw Breath. If the name sounds familiar, that would be because Nels is also the lead guitarist of the band Wilco (who are excellent in their own right, though wildly different than this sound). The Nels Cline Singers is an experimental/creative jazz trio he does on the side.

“Caved-In Heart Blues” is an instrumental piece, which is primarily a steady, deep drum and bass at a slow, steady interval, accompanied by some really fantastic guitar work that plays around with several elements often found within the blues. As the song progresses, other instruments are temporarily added, before returning to the core elements, creating a nice shift that serves as a refresh within the song. On the second of these shifts, it sounds like some atmospherics were added, which left me vaguely feeling like it was a good synthesis of ProjeKct Two’s Space Groove, and the quieter soloist guitar work of Mark Knopfler. This, to me, is a very good thing. I’m quite well pleased with this discovery, and I look forward to picking up the rest of the album in the future.

[“Caved-In Heart Blues” Free MP3] (You may need to enter the ID3 tags manually… I had to, at least.)

[Nels Cline’s Official Site] (Tons of good info and free MP3s)

[Draw Breath on Cryptogramophone] (Label’s Site)

[Draw Breath on iTunes]

I was introduced to Diane Cluck through my brother*, and her album, Oh Vanille / Ova Nil. Selecting a single song to talk about off this album was, well, difficult. They’re all excellent, intimate, spells woven with softly sung words and acoustic accompaniment. I ended up opting for “The Turnaround Road,” thought I was also sorely tempted by “Telepathic Desert”. As a way of a general introduction: Diane Cluck is a New York based musician who is considered part of the “anti-folk” movement (which, despite the term, is actually a genre of folk… musical genres and sub-genres often end up with bizarre titles, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it: you either like it, or you don’t). I’ve listened to Diane Cluck through a variety of means, and I must say that I think I like it most via headphones: her music is complex and nuanced, and headphones seem to work best to create that intimate, personal experience that so suits her music.

One of the most notable things about this song (and the rest of her work) is the use of strong imagery within the lyrics, with a spiraling progression created through revisited images as the revelation continues to grow. This creates a wonderful wave of images, with each connecting to the next, then revisited to tie it back to the beginning once more. As an example, the song opens with “Cars’ three point turns make pentagrams in the dirt at the end of the road where I sit in the morning.” Then, towards the end of the song, this same image is revisited, but altered, which suits the progression of the song: “Cars’ three point turns make mandalas in the dirt at the end of the road where I sit in the morning.” It’s a small alteration, but it’s a strong one: it creates a connection and relation between the start and the end, yet shows nuance and change, that the song had meaning and personal revelation for the author and, hopefully, the listener as well.

I wish there were more samples around to make available to those who might be interested: she really is well worth the listen, but currently there are very few methods to discover her work without spending at least a little money. (It makes me appreciate the KEXP song of the day arrangement even more… as well as Warren Ellis’s “for review purposes” policy: he posts it via a private server for 7 days, then deletes it, and will pull it immediately if requested by the artist.) Go listen. You’ll be glad you did.

[Oh Vanille / Ova Nil on iTunes]

[“The Turnaround Road” on iTunes Pay MP3]

[Diane Cluck on MySpace]

* – In turn, I think he discovered her through one of our former roommates, Kate. I could be wrong about that, though.

Pure, unadulterated, energetic play. That would be the best way to describe “Atlas” by Battles. They categorize their music as “Other”, and honestly that’s as good a descriptor as any. Think what would happen if you took Primus, and mixed it with Animal Collective, and that would probably give you a pretty good idea for what I’m talking about: the song operates as a cascade, with everything occurring within a set rhythm and cycling scale, adding and dropping instruments throughout in response, with a real feel of a call and response happening between one musician and another. I can’t even begin to describe how awesome that can sound when it’s done well, and in this case, it’s done quite well indeed.

“Atlas” conjures up images some sort of giant, lumbering beast, bouncing around the room like a dancing buffalo. Intrigued by the image? Go take a listen.

[“Atlas” by Battles Free MP3] (KEXP Song of the Day)

[Battles on MySpace]

Sometimes you feel like listening to songs with significance and meaning that resonates with you on a personal level… and then sometimes, you just want a really great rock groove that gets your foot tapping. We’re covering the latter tonight, with “Jacket” by David Vandervelde, off his album The Moonstation House Band. (It seems especially timely in that he released a new EP yesterday called Nothin’ No.) The song has a lot of texture to it, reminding me of a mixture of indie, glam, and 60-70s rock a la Creedence Clearwater Revival. That might sound like an odd amalgam (or maybe not), but it totally works. There’s a strong rhythm carried across multiple instruments, with lyrics that augment the song without really being necessary to listen to to appreciate the song. It’s the summer: download the song, put it in your car, and next time you’re driving around with the windows down, put this on and tell me that it isn’t exactly the right song for that moment.

[“Jacket” by David Vandervelde Free MP3] (KEXP Song of the Day)

[David Vandervelde on MySpace]

[David Vandervelde on Secretly Canadian] (Record Label)

Some of you are probably already familiar with Flogging Molly, but some of you aren’t, and it’s high time this was corrected. “If I Ever Leave This World Alive” by Flogging Molly is off their Drunken Lullabies album, which came out in 2002. The easiest way to describe Flogging Molly is if you combine Irish sessions and a punk band (I think they call it “Celtic Punk”), and the result is simply fantastic. If you like either genre of music, you should check them out, as you may be pleasantly surprised at how well these two styles blend together. What it really comes down to is that both genres rely heavily on the passion and energy of the musicians.

“If I Ever Leave This World Alive” has a strong Celtic influence, and relates an anthem for remembering friends present and past. I end up feeling a real connection with the sentiment: friends and family are incredibly important to me, and this so exemplifies how I feel: I’m here, and as long as I am, I’ll be there for the people I care about, even when things get weird. It’s hard to put into words, but I think this song gets the right vibe.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to locate a legal version online to link you to. That said, their various pages (see below) have a number of songs and videos available (there’s also a YouTube Dr. Who montage using the song if you google for “If I Ever Leave This World Alive”), so I guess it will have to suffice. Still, it really is well worth the time to look up.

[If I Ever Leave This World Alive on iTunes Pay MP3]

[Official Website]

[Flogging Molly on MySpace]

[Flogging Molly on Side One Dummy (Record Label)]

I’m not really sure where to start when it comes to “Going to a Town”. The rendition I’m listening to right now is a live recording from KEXP, though the quality and polish of the performance and recording would make you think it was from a studio album — which I think describes Rufus and his work: polished, refined, but passionate and throaty. It’s a relatively quiet, simple song, with Rufus Wainwright singing and playing the piano. His vocals are confident, with a really excellent range and variety in his tone. It feels melancholy, and lyrically relates a sense of disillusionment and frustration. All together, you’re left with a bittersweet mood by the end of it, like that aching cathartic feeling after crying in great heaving sobs, cheeks wet with tears. The feeling when you’ve begun to collect yourself, the catharsis having done its work.

[“Going to a Town” by Rufus Wainwright Free MP3]

[Official Website] (Worth going to if only to see an actually navigable band website.)

The past several songs have been a bit more frenetic and loud, so I thought I’d wrap up the week taking it down a notch, with an absolutely stellar alt-folk musician named Tom Brosseau. “Here Comes the Water Now” is a song off his 2007 album, Grand Forks, which centers around the 1997 flood of Grand Forks, North Dakota (his hometown, though he’s currently based out of LA when he bothers stopping anywhere). I originally discovered his work via KEXP, who has had him on live several times (both of which are linked to on Tom’s site, one in 2005, and one in 2007), highlighted him during a podcast showcasing “freak folk” artists, and selected “Here Comes the Water Now” as a song of the day back in January.

There’s something about the timbre of Tom’s voice that immediately puts me in mind of “Chelsea Morning”-era Joni Mitchell: it’s light and lilting, and feels like an impassioned, personal interaction between the two of you — not because of some urging or force behind the singing, but because it is simply abundantly clear that he cares about what he’s singing. Given the topic of the song — being flooded out of your home — it is perhaps unsurprising that this is the case, though that same sense of care is present in his other work as well. “Here Comes…” is primarily a solitary voice and some crisp, clean guitarwork that ambles through, establishing the pace of the song. As it progresses, several other instruments are added, but they serve very secondary roles, augmenting the focus — the vocals. It all comes together in a really excellent song that is easy on the ears, that makes you smile softly and take a moment to reflect when it ends.

[Tom Brosseau on MySpace]

[Official Website]

[Tom’s Blog (Well written and worth a read)]

[“Here Comes the Water Now” via KEXP (By way of Odeo, which archives older podcasts that may have dropped off the feed.)]

Andrew Bird has a new album out called Armchair Apocrypha, a followup to 2005’s Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production of Eggs, and it (along with its predecessor) are well worth your time to look up. Today’s song is from Armchair Apocrypha, called “Heretics”, which was highlighted back in April on KEXP’s Song of the Day podcast. It was highlighted for good reason: it’s an absolutely fantastic song.

One of the things Andrew Bird is known for is his ready use of loops to effectively play over his own work, which ends up giving a much richer sound than might otherwise be expected (he apparently does this live as well, using loop pedals to great effect). The song opens with a high hat and electric guitar, then grows to add a violin and another guitar, before the drums come up in earnest, and the pace of the song suddenly picks up. The song rises and falls several times as it progresses, before coming to a final denouement as the elements drop away to end on a quiet note. The melody is engaging, and works remarkably well with the lyrics both stylistically, and thematically.

I’ve had “Heretics” on loop while writing this review, and I must say, it simply continues to be excellent: I’ve listened to it probably a dozen times in a row at this point, and I’m still finding myself engaged by it. Whether you’ve already heard Andrew Bird in the past, or are just now being introduced to his work, you will be well pleased with this song.

[Heretics MP3]

[Andrew Bird on Myspace]

[Official Website]

Found via KEXP’s Blog, Animal Collective has released two tracks off their unreleased album, Strawberry Jam, as found at Obscure Sound. I don’t know if it’s a limited track release, or if they’ll be available as sample downloads for the duration, so I’d suggest grabbing them while you can. The two newly released songs are “Peacebone” and “Unsolved Mysteries”: I’ll be covering the latter, as I found it spoke to me more — your mileage may vary, so check them both out (links at the bottom as usual).

“Unsolved Mysteries” is absolutely an Animal Collective sound: there are multiple layers going on at once, while the song maintains a churning rhythmic cadence throughout. In particular, the guitar that opens the song acts almost like a railroad track: it pulses in a way that immediately put an image in my mind of a train barreling through the countryside. On top of this is a mixture of synthetic and traditional instruments, creating a symphonic cacophony, a style that the band has used to great effect in the past, and continues to explore with gusto. Lyrically, you catch snippets, but as they are often known for, the words function primarily as a lingual augmentation of the song, rather than vice versa: I’ve tried to pick out the lyrics, and as the other layers start coming together, it becomes difficult to do so: I don’t mind, though. It seems fitting that as the song builds to crescendo, the words matter less.

There’s a vague pop sensibility going on to this song (and “Peacebone”), though I’d hardly say they’ve sold out. If I were going to compare it to other work, I’d be inclined to say it’s more reminiscent of Feels than it is Sung Tongs. (It says something that I’m hard pressed to come up with songs or albums from OTHER bands to compare to.) If you’ve liked Animal Collective’s other work, in particular from Feels, I think you will be well pleased with their new work.

[“Unsolved Mysteries” MP3]

[“Peacebone” MP3]

[Animal Collective on MySpace (With Tour Dates!)]

I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for an impassioned monologue. Combine it with a slowly escalating, strident musical ambience, and I’m sold. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that I’m a big fan of “Built then Burnt (Hurrah! Hurrah!)” by A Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band with Choir. Don’t let the mouthful of a name deter you: they change the band name fairly regularly, and generally if you just look for “A Silver Mt. Zion”, you’ll find most of their work (though not all). It’s an interesting band that I was first introduced to by my brother Uriah, and quickly made it into my regular playlists. Their work is delightful mix of instrumentals and either spoken word or varied vocals. You really don’t mind, however, as the words form a sort of poetry with the instrumentals, creating a subtle intensity that is not to be underestimated.

“Built then Burnt (Hurrah! Hurrah!)” opens with a youthful voice addressing the audience, “Dear brothers and sisters, Dear enemies and friends,” as a string accompaniment gently rises up in the background. There is a tension to the music that perfectly augments the intensity of the monologue, which is delivered so earnestly and with such seriousness that it would be tragic were it not delivered by a child (or, perhaps, is more tragic for that fact). The imagery created through this combination is beautiful and bittersweet. The monologue ends before the song, allowing for a few moments of letting the accompaniment build, and giving the listener time to chew on the images and thoughts generated before moving on to the next track in the album.

This song is a good example of the sort of understated intensity that can be found on Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward, along with other Silver Mt. Zion albums. There is a wealth of nuance found in their music that make it well worth the time to give a thorough listening, yet there are enough strong overtones that it can also be appreciated in a cursory manner.

Finding their music online for listening is a bit problematic, I’ve found. Their official site is largely unnavigable, nor are they listed in iTunes. Their record label’s site also seems somewhat lacking in navigation or material. However, I have managed to find a few places that you can find some of their work for listening, so please check them out.

[A collection of live performances via Archive.org]

[The Band’s Official Website]

[Mountains Made of Steam (Fan Site, including links to videos and songs)]