Review: Elin Palmer - Postcards

Label: Suburban Home

Released: October 23, 2009

When I think of an album that tells a story, I tend to think of concept albums where the story often takes precedence over the music, resulting in weak, but often needed filler. Elin Palmer's Postcard has a very narrative nature to it, but in a far different way than a concept album or a rock opera. Instead of imposing narrative conventions on the music, Palmer's music itself seems to be a story.

Postcard wanders between folk and post-rock, visiting chamber music and jazz and dabbling in polka, cabaret and even twee pop along the way. Palmer draws on these traditions almost like sub plots that are interwoven throughout, peering out subtly at times and taking center stage at others. Like any good story, this one has many pulses that at times are in sync and at others run counter to each other and Palmer's ability to both sensual and vaguely eerie leave the meaning of this work ultimately in the ears of the listener. She facilitates this by letting the songs, and the album as a whole, follow their own muse. Even the final track, which seems at first to be the album's dénouement, ultimately runs its own course and becomes the climax.

Even an album with an explicit story often fails to really tell it well. Music is simply more engaging when the listener participates in the art. Few albums do that as successfully as Elin Palmer's Postcard.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

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Elin Palmer: Swedish folk by a Denver rockstar from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo.

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Review: Nathen Maxwell and the Original Bunny Gang - White Rabbit

Label: SideOneDummy Records

Released: August 18, 2009

Having performed for over a decade with the increasingly popular Celtic folk/punk act Flogging Molly, Nathen Maxwell is faced with the double challenge of living up to yet not rehashing his band's strong body of work. On his solo debut, White Rabbit, Maxwell brings songs that have been simmering inside of him, some for over a decade, and prepares to meet these challenges involved in stepping outside of his established work.

From the funky opening seconds of the album, it's clear that Maxwell will have no trouble separating himself from the band he's been a part of throughout its rise. However, don't feel alienated Flogging Molly fans, because there is a decided folk nature to White Rabbit. Replacing the Celtic angle with a predominantly reggae approach, Maxwell has made a record that avoids the formulas practiced by the myriad of local reggae groups that seem to pop up in any town with a college. His take is sparse, quiet and personal with themes ranging from self-reliance to tenderness. By mixing his folk background with reggae's mellow nature, Maxwell finds a way to both step away from and live up to his established band. More importantly though, he's written some great songs that he performs with a gentle, human conviction.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Brian Bond - Fire & Gold

Label: self-released

Released: March 10, 2009

Folk and punk has found some common ground over the years. From Billy Bragg's incendiary love and politics to Elliott Smith's dark beauty, the two genres have occasionally met in strange ways that have never been entirely one genre or the other, yet clearly rooted in both.

Brian Bond is a similar artist in a sense. Musically, he's clearly a folk artist. The songs are gentle and quiet. At times, you can hear Elliot Smith's heartfelt hooks, only with a warmer, more open, perhaps more innocent heart. In addition, these songs have had time to develop over the two years it took to write and record them. It's clear, because nothing is rushed or incomplete. By taking the time to get it right, Bond gains the benefits of well thought out songs that, at the same time, don't lose their sense of spontaneity.

But somewhere in the spirit of this album is a fierce independence and DIY ethic that is clearly punk. Some of that stems from the album's simplicity. These songs are essentially Bond and his guitar. Though most songs feature accompaniment, it is crafted so as to enhance, but never overshadow Bond's performance. Fire & Gold follows its own path, one that runs musically parallel to folk, but spiritually intersects with the strengths of punk and indie music. It is a quiet moment for punks and a shot in the arm for folk.

This isn't the folk-punk thing that you get from a Chuck Reagan or a Defiance, Ohio. It's fundamentally (and beautifully) folk with a punk heart underneath.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Kate Mann - Things Look Different When the Sun Goes Down

Label: Orange Dress Records

Released: March 17, 2009

On the surface, Kate Mann finds herself channeling a bit of Joni Mitchell and a bit of Janis Joplin, her music swinging gently across the short space between folk and blues. While it is that bit of Joni that shows up in a clever musical phrase here and there, it also manifests itself in the albums lighter, less compelling moments. But Mann's reliance on Janis makes up for those underwhelming spots with songs that have teeth to bite and hands to touch the soul.

The best example of what Mann offers though is made clear on "Robert Johnson Knew." Ever since Johnson sang about his encounter at the crossroads, the idea of selling one's soul has been oddly glorified in popular music (much like suicide and drug addiction), but just about everyone misses the point. The crossroads isn't a place for the happy or even the hedonistic. It is a place of torture and a moment of terrible decision. Mann questions if she'll really have to sign in blood. She wonders how long is forever. She isn't fabricating her demons, but vacillating between exorcising them or joining them. Honest dealing like this is at odds with the shallow lexicon of pop culture imagery. It is also Mann's greatest strength. I hope she makes it back, soul intact, because I think she may just know a thing or two herself.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: The Weather Station - The Line

Label: self-released (distributed by Fontana North/Universal)

Released: April 28, 2009

Terms like lo-fi and DIY have become quite commonplace these days. Unfortunately, these terms are often applied to music that could also be described as contrived or just rotten. The Weather Station is certainly the epitome of both of those common terms, but not of the descriptions which often destroy them.

The Weather Station is both a band and not a band at the same time. Really, it is self-taught multi-instrumentalist Tamara Lindeman with a revolving cast of characters (including her live band). Recorded in bedrooms and living rooms rather than studios and on equipment Lindeman was learning how to use as she went, the album is raw and often quite sparse. However, it's rawness doesn't overshadow a strong sense of both tradition and experimentation. On one hand, The Line is folk music as it's been played in living rooms and on front porches for decades. It captures the primal need we have to make music, to explore and expose the darkness. The album is sparse and dark to the point of being difficult, yet is carried by the honesty of those very same qualities.

At the same time, Lindeman's arrangements push the limits of what folk music can be. Droning strings, Moog, household items and "found sound" all contribute to its boldness and create tension between what folk music has long been and what it could become. As much as she pushes these songs to their limits, they are still as natural as being uncomfortable in one's own skin. Her innovations are not merely a veneer on top of traditional folk either. Instead, experimentation and tradition intertwine throughout the album to create something entirely unique.

The Line is by no means an easy listen, but then neither is any true human story. At times, it is incredibly low-key and then something, a guitar, some random noise, will pierce the lull. Likewise, there is anger and pain here, but beauty also pierces through that. It is both the confusion and the affirmation of being alive.

mp3: "East"

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Paula Sinclair - Steadygirl

Label: Old Sombrero Music

Released: March 17, 2009

Some albums are amazing in the way they push the boundaries and change the rules while others are amazing in the way they perform within existing boundaries and prove long established rules. There isn't much that's new in Paula Sinclair's music. She plays something that walks a fine line between country and folk so much so that it's difficult to tell whether it's country-tinged folk or the other way around. The rough edges hints at the garages of the mid-60s and Sinclair's voice is the perfect mix of raw and rich to broaden her appeal well into the realm of rock music. While all of this has been done by artists from the Indigo Girls to Gillian Welch, it still sounds fresh for Sinclair, because her delivery rings true. There is both honesty and trust in her music that is best summed up in the words of Steve Earle that she sings on Steadygirl, "I've got me a fearless heart/Strong enough to get you through the scary parts." These same words also reveal another great truth about her songs. The love she writes of is a giving love and what could be more true than that?

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Amadan - Pacifica

Label: Afan Music

Released: December 9, 2008

Amadan incorporate bits of the Clash, Billy Bragg, John Fogerty and the Mighty, Mighty Bosstones, but what I suspect they're really going for is the Pogues mix of traditional Irish folk and biting punk rock swagger. They don't nail the latter, but their success in other areas makes them a worthwhile listen.

There's no doubt that Amadan is a rock band, not a folk band. Their boisterous guitars and barroom swagger make that quite clear. At their core, there is straightforward rock n roll as it's always been played in garages around the world. What they attempt is to incorporate elements of the Irish tradition into their tunes. It's been done successfully before by the likes of Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys as well as the kings of the subgenre, the Pogues. However, these bands all create a chemical reaction between their two influences, making a single inseparable sound. Amadan, on the other hand, seems to simply try to interject a tin whistle here and a folk passage there and not only is it not seamless, but it is also very flat. Where the other bands use traditional elements to really take off, Amadan instead is clean and measured and safe...and dull.

That aside though, Pacifica has some fine tunes and the performance is rough and gritty and in many ways all that it should be. Luckily, the Irish bits come and go quick enough that the rest of the album can still be enjoyed.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 4/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Fall Horsie - Devil (e) Danger

Label: Youth Club Records

Released: October 28, 2008

There is a lot of music out there that isn't rock music in any way, shape or form...and yet it thoroughly rocks. None of this is headed for mainstream success, but it is often some of the most interesting music in even the broadest sense of the rock sphere. Fall Horsie is one of these bands. While the music itself ranges from chamber music to cabaret (having moments reminiscent of the Decemberists) and uses the very un-rock violin and viola, yet in its wildness and boldness it is very much a rock record. Fall Horsie's style will make them difficult for the average rock fan, but rock fans (albeit not average ones) must make up the core of their audience. That may not turn into a big cash in, but it has turned out a fine album.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Avett Brothers - The Second Gleam

Label: Ramseur Records

Released: July 22, 2008

The Avett Brothers' breakthrough album, last year's Emotionalism, was a work whose broad influences were felt throughout and whose quiet ambition made it both huge and intimate at the same time. The Second Gleam, while keeping to the Avett's signature sound, doesn't share its predecessor's breadth. Instead, it focuses on intimacy and gentle folkiness. Not a single track could be described as rousing, yet it manages to rouse the soul with its simple honesty. As ever, the Avetts prove to be deceptively fine musicians who aren't afraid to put themselves into their music in a way that reaches heights both technical and emotional. The album focuses on personal themes (the past, family, love), yet manages to express them in ways that they can be personal for each listener in his own way.

Ratings:
Satriani - 8/10
Zappa - 7/10
Dylan - 9/10
Aretha - 10/10
Overall - 9/10

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Review: Christina Carter - Original Darkness

Label: Kranky

Released: October 27, 2008

The first time I listened to Original Darkness, I wondered what in the world I'd write about it.

Now that I've listened to the CD a half-dozen times, I wonder how I can possibly say everything I want to say within the confines of a record review. My notes alone are nearly 600 words, and they don't possess any of the flowery adjectives and thrilling verbs with which I mask my mediocre writing.

So I'll try to keep it basic. This is tough music even for me, and I like tough music. Original Darkness is full of very simple musical passages -- folky guitar chords, angular melodies, troubled vocals -- that aren't very interesting on their own, but Carter layers them together in counter-intuitive and unnatural ways. Mildly pretty components meld to become an ominous and anxious whole.

The end result sounds how depression feels.

No, it doesn't sound like The Smiths, or Belle & Sebastian, or whatever stupid emo band is hip this week. Those groups sound like confusion or sadness or anger. Original Darkness sounds like clinical depression, a state where everything -- the good and the bad, the soothing and the stressful, the light and the dark -- is inseparably mixed together. You can listen to Carter's music and intellectually say, "Wow, the vocal melody and guitar chords are kind of simple and pretty," but you cannot pull the prettiness from the pain that surrounds it. It's like being able to see the beauty of a sunrise or feel the tenderness of a lover's kiss, but lacking the ability to separate it from the destructive thoughts that cycle through your mind.

The CD is far from perfect. By the end of the disc, it sounds as if Carter is running short of ideas. Although her voice is reminiscent of Beth Gibbons or Jesse Sykes, at times she sings with an in-your-face earnestness that conjures the most overwrought and downright awful folksingers from the late '60s and early '70s. The title track reminds me of the way Nina Simone tried to convey dramatic emotion at the end of "Four Women," but instead just sounded kind of silly. There are more than a few moments on Original Darkness where Carter's emotion just sounds kind of silly. To her credit, though, she never resorts to Yoko Ono-esque wailing, a cliché that would make the record unbearable.

Lots of musicians can do simple feelings: Carter's greatest artistic accomplishment might be that her music embodies a mental disorder. If you're not afraid of rough edges and dark corners, this is a CD that I'd highly recommend. It likely won't become a part of your daily listening, but it will hang around the dark places of your mind for a very long time.

Ratings
Satriani: 4/10
Zappa: 9/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Carrie Rodriguez - She Ain't Me

Label: Manhattan Records

Released: August 5, 2008

Carrie Rodriguez's voice is beautiful. It's dynamic and full and she can be sultry, powerful and breathy at will. It is, as it should be, the centerpiece and strength of this album. She has the kind of voice that could lead her down any musical road she might choose and it seems more often than not, the technically talented stick to refined, methodical styles. Rodriguez doesn't though. She Ain't Me is a rootsy, country-tinged affair that allows her to exercise her voice in a very natural way. Rodriguez shares vocals with Lucinda Williams on "Mask of Moses" and they sound great together. Likewise, her songs aren't the silly fluff that runs through so much popular music. She's written songs that deal with humanity and faith and discontent and yearning.

The trouble that She Ain't Me runs into is that it never quite seems to break out. The overall feel is just too much like the studio and the band is very good, but, with few exceptions, uneventful. Without the innate sense that comes from a band really being together, the performance becomes a cage that prevents anyone, most notably Rodriguez, from really breaking free and taking flight. Throughout, I waited to hear her let go and it just never quite happened.

All in all, Rodriguez is way too good to be dismissed. Her voice, even restrained, has so much to offer and that strength makes the restraint even more pronounced. She Ain't Me is a rewarding listen that nonetheless leaves you feeling a little bit short of full, but hungry for the next album.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

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Review: Flatfoot 56 - Jungle of the Midwest Sea

Label: Flicker Records

Released: May 15, 2007

When a band merges punk and Irish folk, the first influence that comes to mind is the Pogues, but Shane McGowan and company were more a folk band with punk attitude. The real origin of the more punk-leaning mixture is the Stiff Little Fingers. While the bands today tend to wear their Irish hearts on the sleeves (despite not actually being from Ireland in many cases) with a bagpipe here or a tin whistle there, the gritty, honest folk nature of their brand of punk rock is what really ties them to the older folk tradition. It is people's music.

Flatfoot 56 are undoubtedly a punk band and have no small debt to the likes of SLF, but unlike their peers, they owe an even greater debt to the Pogues. They offer more than just a few nods to Irish folk music, with many centered on a tradition that goes back a good many years farther than "Alternative Ulster." It's a natural occurrence for Flatfoot 56, because punk itself has much in common spiritually with folk and they run with that instinctively. That being said, Jungle of the Midwest Sea does have its share of Oi singalongs and raw guitar melodies making it dominated as much by punk as it is by folk.

On "Hoity Toity," they sing, "There is a struggle between doing what you want and doing your own thing." Musically, they resolve the struggle, because they do fit into an old, old tradition where singalong choruses encourage a pub-like atmosphere of community. In the process of meeting that tradition, they have indeed found themselves though.

Ratings:
Satriani 6/10
Zappa 6/10
Dylan 7/10
Aretha 8/10
Overall 7/10

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Review: Cephas and Wiggins - Richmond Blues

Label: Smithsonian Folkways

Released: July 29, 2008

I was scared when I was first asked to review Richmond Blues. Most of what I've heard from Smithsonian Folkways has been extraordinary, but most of the music I've discovered on their label is classic stuff that's passed the test of time. It's hard to go wrong with Lead Belly or Paul Robeson or Woody Guthrie. But a new blues recording by a couple of guys I've never even heard of? I don't know...

In fairness, I have to put my bias on the table. I don't much like the blues. I went to a cut-rate music school in the late '80s whose mission statement might as well have been, "We'll teach you to play fast." And what's the easiest thing to play when you're learning how to play fast? Yep. The blues. You haven't lived until you've sat in a room full of long-haired Norwegian men pick-sweeping their way through a Muddy Waters song.

Needless to say, it soured me on the blues. And on long-haired Norwegian men, but that's a story for another day.

So after months of ignoring emails from the label asking me if I liked the CD, I finally accepted the fact that I had. To. Listen.

And hot dog! Listening is actually pretty fun!

First of all, this is pretty simple stuff, at least by Norwegian long-hair standards. It's an acoustic guitar/harmonica duo, with vocals. No drums, no bass, no amplifiers, no keys, and certainly no 32nd notes or whammy bars or any of that crap. The harmonica is much closer to Sonny Terry than it is Blues Traveller, and the guitar and voice remind me of Lead Belly. Not that Cephas & Wiggins sound like Lead Belly, but that's a much closer comparison than anyone like BB King or Muddy Waters or Stevie Ray Vaughn.

For more than 30 years, Cephas & Wiggins have kind of been the international diplomats of a style called Piedmont blues, because they've traveled all over the world playing their music and introducing the traditional sound to new audiences. I wouldn't know Piedmont blues if it came up and bit me on the leg, but I can't imagine anybody doing the music more justice than these two men. The interplay between the harmonica and the voice is awesome. There's a great deal of call and response happening, and it's just a lot of fun hearing what I can only describe as a conversation between Cephas' voice and Wiggins' harmonica.

I'm a bit surprised by the fact that most of the songs are slow or mid-tempo pieces. From what I read in the liner notes (which alone are worth the price of the CD), Piedmont blues was popular at black house parties and social gatherings in the South and Mid-Atlantic. This isn't music I can really imagine dancing to, though, which means either Cephas & Wiggins have spent too much time playing folk festivals and universities instead of Saturday night house parties, or my days as a glowstick-waving raver have irreversably corrupted my idea of dance music. Most of these songs make me imagine sitting on the porch with a jug of hooch while I listen intently to the music. (For what it's worth, I have never drank 'hooch' in my life, be it in a jug or a glass or a paper cup. But I bet some hooch would taste mighty fine with Richmond Blues.)

This is a good CD that is very different from what most people, especially those of us who were born and raised on rock, think of as the blues. One additional appeal of this CD is that, as a rock fan, I can hear this music's influence on groups like White Stripes. Richmond Blues is definitely worth a listen, even if you don't like the blues.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 5/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues

Label: Secretly Canadian

Released: June 17, 2008

Just because an artist has done all that can be expected of him and has earned the right to rest on his laurels, doesn't mean the work he started is done. So it is with Bob Dylan and The War on Drugs has picked up the cause and put their own spin on it with Wagonwheel Blues.

The album doesn't always sound just like Dylan (though the vocals always stick to Dylan's crazy, can't-sing-but-I-can-still-pull-it-off-better-than-anybody style). At times the band sounds like the meeting of the Jayhawks and the Velvet Underground. At others, they lean toward the Smiths (fronted by Dylan and not so mopey) or space rock (also fronted by Dylan). They get big and bombastic like Springsteen (if he had Dylan's voice) at one point. They even deal in noisy guitar pop at times. But whether they're being laid-back and folky or echoey and noisy, the Dylan in them rings true.

It's tempting to assume that it's just Adam Granduciel's voice that draws those comparisons, but the reality is that goes beyond that. The cadence of his voice with the music is off-kilter and the words forced to break the meter and rhyme which really serves to emphasize the lyrics that are rich with imagery and clear pictures of places I've never been, but feel like I now know. Of course, Dylan did that too. Around each corner, the album offers some subtle or not-so-subtle angle, staying both interesting and true to itself. Again, that's Dylan.

It's interesting, because a Dylan rip-off would just be annoying, but that's not what we have here. Wagonwheel Blues is just picking up the unfinished work of a great artist and forging ahead in its own direction with that artist's spirit and with a good bit of his creativity as well.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 9/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Mad Juana - Acoustic Voodoo

Label: Azra Records

Released: September 11, 2007

I'll make no secret that songs of hopelessness and despair that have no sense of redemption or salvation have an uphill battle to resonate with me. That's not to say that none do, just that it's harder for them, because they run against the grain of my soul. Mad Juana's Acoustic Voodoo is a dark record and runs counter to my nature almost throughout. It's also excellent.

The record is dark and mysterious and downright witchy. It draws heavily on Celtic, Eastern European and even Middle Eastern folk traditions. "Ecstasy" incorporates African jazz and "Steel Will" mixes blues and burlesque with a mantra-like chorus. Their cover of the Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs" nails the song's sense of worldly depravity. Mad Juana manages to jump around without losing focus, because they maintain their thematic darkness which is more than anything maintained by Karmen Guy's voice. It is at times rich, full, breathy and sensual and always, with one exception, the comparatively uplifting "Ecstasy," vaguely tortured.

Featuring Sami Yaffa of Hanoi Rocks and now New York Dolls fame, one might expect a rock record, so Mad Juana requires a shift. However, despite influences and instrumentation that makes it non-rock, Acoustic Voodoo is very much a rock record. Better yet, it has soul which gives it an underlying hope, even in despair.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 9/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Son of Dave - 03

Label: Sparks Music

Released: August 12, 2008

In a world that is so often style over substance, it's easy to get caught up in something clever only to find that there's no substance under the covers. Having been bit more than a few times, it's also easy to go to the other extreme and forget there are artists out there like Beck and They Might Be Giants and the late (and sadly underknown) Logan Whitehurst...and now, Son of Dave.

Son of Dave (ex-Crash Test Dummies guitarist/mandolin player, Benjamin Darvill) creates a quirky melting pot of folk and funk, country and hip-hop with a healthy dose of blues and ZZ Top Texas boogie. From the gospel-heavy "Your Mercedes (Intro)" to shuffling blues of "Roller Boogie," the album takes gritty, everyman folk music and mixes it with funk and hip-hop beats. The thing is, this isn't folk music with samples of funk hits or synth beats. The loops themselves are as organic as the pure folk elements, just used in a manner that still manages to be as funky as the best hip-hop can deliver.

Son of Dave's cover of "Lowrider" discards the most common interpretations of the song and re-creates it in a way that exhibits a deep understanding of its nature. That really illustrates what makes Son of Dave more than just some novelty act. Sure, the music is clever on the surface, but beneath that, there's something real, an understanding and appreciation for music, to come back to long after the novelty wears off.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 7/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Tippy Canoe and the Paddlemen - Parasols and Pekingese

Label: Late Bloomers Works

Released: May 31, 2008

One look at the cover of Parasols and Pekingese leaves little doubt where the album is going. It mixes art deco style with the painted effects of a pre-linen postcard. As the cover suggests, Tippy Canoe and the Paddlemen look back to simpler, more honest times. There's nothing new in that. Americana bands and folk-punk bands among others have been at it for quite awhile. The better artists are steeped in these days gone by while others just have a kitschy veneer. It doesn't take long (probably a matter of seconds, not minutes) to recognize that Tippy and her band are the former.

From the rollicking rootsy country of "Mass Transmissions" to the dark sensuality of "Sleep, Sleep My Dear" and everything in between, Tippy Canoe and the Paddlemen prove that theirs is more than a passing interest in the treasure trove of the past. Tippy's voice can tap both Patsy Cline and Billie Holiday and the Paddlemen themselves are so good they're easy to miss in a sense. There isn't a self-serving note played with all focus on the songs and not the players.

While "Neighbor of the Tell-Tale Heart" is the album's most memorable track with it's rich, old time country sound and undeniable hook, it is perhaps "Champs-Élysées" that gives greatest testament to the band's strength. Anytime, a band can fit the Pretenders into an old-time album this seemlessly, they have to be good, pure and simple.

While looking to the past for inspiration is fairly common these days, Tippy Canoe and the Paddlemen easily stand out. Not only is their music completely immersed in the past, but it also exists very much in the present.

Ratings
Satriani: 8/10
Zappa: 8/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Violent Femmes - Crazy

Label: The Secret of Life Records

Released: June 24, 2008

The Violent Femmes return the favor to Gnarls Barkley (who covered "Gone Daddy Gone" on 2006's St Elsewhere) with this EP containing a cover of "Crazy." The trouble with Gnarls Barkley's offering was that it left the song entirely too intact. It sounds fine, but simply does too little to be truly interesting. "Crazy," on the other hand, gets a much larger injection of the Femmes wildly imperfect version of American roots music.

Gordon Gano's voice leaves an indelible mark on everything he touches and this is no exception. The a cappella version (which is really just the vocal track, not a vocal-only arrangement as I had vainly hoped) shows Gano's weaknesses as a vocalist, but as always, those weaknesses are strengths within the Femmes.

The loose sloppiness of the Femmes is certainly a departure from the technically superior Gnarls Barkley version, but even here it would have been nice had they taken it a bit further and really gone out on a limb to create something that has greater standalone value. Nonetheless, theirs is a version worth hearing and the "you cover my song, I'll cover yours" relationship makes this a great novelty (as does the limited edition, beautiful baby blue vinyl!).

Oh yeah, don't be put off if you don't have a turntable, because the fine folks at the label throw in a CD as well.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

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Review: Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning

Label: Yep Roc Records

Released: August 6, 2007

Liam Finn has a Beatlesque knack for writing great pop songs. Perhaps that comes from his father Neil of Crowded House/Split Enz fame, but Liam walks his own path, making the connection to his father more trivial than musical. The singer-songwriter thing can be pretty limited, but Finn's generally folky pop has at different times elements of psyche, baroque pop and reggae. He even manages to incorporate the deliberate plodding of grunge as an undercurrent to some of his songs. His hooks are easy to get wrapped up in, yet they come as curveballs and change-ups as often as fastballs. Finn does borrow a bit from Elliot Smith's pleasant, sad melodies, but not without adding his own unmistakable mark that sets him apart. As catchy as I'll Be Lightning is, and it is very catchy, it is neither slick nor shiny nor maudlin. Finn covers a range of emotions from the soothing "Lullaby" to the wild "Lead Balloon" and everything in between. Over the course of the album, he gained such power over me as a listener that I suspect he's one of those rare artists who could hold an arena captive to his music just as easily as he could a small club.

Ratings
Satriani: 7/10
Zappa: 7/10
Dylan: 8/10
Aretha: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

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Review: Mike Seeger - Early Southern Guitar Sounds

Label: Smithsonian-Folkays Recordings

Released: 2007

New Lost City Rambler Mike Seeger (half-brother of Pete) serves up 28 traditional songs, some with vocals, some without. These are old songs, songs that have been around awhile, songs that Seeger probably learned from old scratchy 78s. Seeger approaches these songs with love, appreciation and authenticity. Some of the guitars he used are as old as the songs themselves, but Seeger does have a technological advantage over the past: recordings today are much better. On Early Southern Guitar Sounds, he doesn't rehash old recordings, he relives old performances, the way people heard them live decades ago, but could only be sufficiently recorded today.

These are the kind of recordings that a serious guitar player can appreciate. At times, Seeger sounds like more than one player. The liner notes include information about history, but also tunings and hardware. This is a guitarists' album. But it's not just a guitarists' album. For the rest of us, it's just beautiful, timeless music.

Ratings
Satriani: 10/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 10/10
Aretha: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

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Live: The Bowmans

March 12, 2008, Baltimore Chop Books, Baltimore, Maryland

This was a night of endangered and lost arts: folk music, storytelling, community...and geography. That's right, geography. Over the course of an intimate night of folk music in a small (and very cool) independent book store, Sarah and Claire Bowman, through the stories attached to and included in their music, illustrated the importance of geography, where you are, to everything from scenery to relationships to state of mind. When you hear great harmonies like the Bowmans display on their Far From Home album, you have to wonder how many takes it took or how much help they might have gotten in the studio. Seeing them live in a small space not designed specifically for music answers that question: they can do it at will, no tricks whatsoever. The sisters simply have an innate sense of each other when they sing and it is simply amazing to hear it in person. Their songs, including a few new ones, could be so delicate that they mixed with the breeze blowing flyers hanging in the doorway or so bold that they literally filled the room. Their sound, with just their two voices, a guitar and light percussion, was stronger and clearer than just about any I've heard even plugged in and mixed in venues designed only for music. They trusted their music enough to bring Joe, a guy from the audience with whom they had never played in person, up to join them for a song.

Baltimore Chop Books has regular musical guests and it's a great place to see some great music. One couple brought their infant daughter and it was entirely appropriate. Others in the crowd ranged from 20s to maybe 60s. While an artist sketched the performance, others discussed baseball and news during the break. There was even a dog at the show! It was the kind of event where there were no barriers between people other than those brought with you (and even some of those were likely broken down). The place just had a real sense of human community. Add the music and it probably can't be beat.



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Review: Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly - Folkways: The Original Vision

Label: Smithsonian Folkways

Released: April 25, 2005

It's interesting how sometimes, two completely different artists can embody the greatest facets of an entire style of music. For example, take a look at The Beatles and The Rolling Stones; one is the hopeful and adventurous warmth of daylight, while the other is the nihilistic swagger of darkness. And while rock fans love to debate the relative merits of each, they were both vital to the evolution and longevity of rock music. Neither band would have made as much of an impact had the other not been there as well.

Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie were a pair much like The Beatles and the Stones. Sure, there were many similarities between the two. Both were musicians who left the world very different than they found it. Both were passionate men of great talent. Both captivated their audiences, whether they were playing for children or prisoners. From the little I've read, the two men had a genuine respect and fondness for each other, and they spent a good deal of time together both on and offstage.

But it would be hard to find two musicians as different as these two. Guthrie's voice is as inviting and pleasant as a warm spring afternoon. It's a bit thin and a bit nasally and it has a bit of a twang, but its charm reaches out to you with a warm hand and an open heart. His words are easy to understand, and you can sing along by the time the first verse is over. He offers some very complex and difficult subjects in his songs, but his voice is so accessible that people can listen to his music as entertainment without ever digging into the messages of his words.

Lead Belly, on the other hand, has a voice that is like a humid summer night. It's rough and raw and difficult, but it pulls you into its depths and holds you there like a blissful hostage. His words can be tough to decipher, but his voice is filled with truth and life. And his melodies... well, the man's music is filled with more catchy melodies than pretty much every teenybopper pop band put together. All of these things result in music that, like Guthrie's, greets listeners with a warm hand and an open heart.

Folkways The Original Vision is a good introduction to these two artists, but it's more than that. By the time you get to the end of "We Shall Be Free" (a lively performance that showcases the best aspects of both men), there's a good chance that you'll understand things you didn't understand before. You might understand that, sometimes, things aren't as different as they appear to be. You might understand that, sometimes, beauty and truth come in really unusual packages. You might understand that, sometimes, warm hands and open hearts appear where you least expect them.

The song selection is skewed toward Guthrie's music, but that's my only complaint. Overall, this is an excellent collection. Each song flows naturally into the next, and at times I became so absorbed in the flow of the music that I didn't even realize the singer had changed. And that might be the greatest strength of this collection: it lets the listener hear that these two completely different singers share the same musical heart.

Rating: 10/10

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Review: Lead Belly Sings for Children

Label: Smithsonian Folkways

Released: March 23, 1999

Lead Belly is widely considered one of the greatest influences on modern American music, yet I know few who actually listen to him. That doesn't diminish his influence, but it does call into question whether he is directly relevant today or a generation or two removed. The follow-up question would then be, if he is no longer directly relevant, is that his flaw or ours? Lead Belly Sings for Children is able to answer the first question and at least hint at the answer to the second.

When I listened to this album for review, I deliberately did so with my kids present. If Lead Belly is singing for children after all, they may catch things that I, despite a strong distaste for adulthood, would miss at my age. I was hoping for some insight from them, unencumbered by life experiences, pretensions and soul-dulling pragmatism. What I got was...well, nothing. Perhaps my kids were just a little too young (they're four and one) or maybe they just watch too much TV to be engaged by this album, but I doubt it, because they both love music. My four-year-old likes Johnny Cash, Led Zeppelin and Soul Coughing, not Barney. My one-year-old is mesmerized when I play guitar (and believe me, he's the only one who thinks it's a treat). I think it's really just that these naive little shows that mesmerized kids in person 60 years ago, have lost their effect. If Huddie Ledbetter was still alive, surely he could keep the ear of even the worst case of ADHD in person and his lessons would not be lost, but not on a recording, not today. So, his relevance may be a generation removed, coming to us through the intermediaries of 60s folk and blues, but who's fault is that? Perhaps, no one's. Perhaps, as one of those he directly influenced said, the times are a-changin'. Or maybe our generation is still waiting for a music video.

Still, Smithsonian Folkways, as always, provides some excellent information about the recordings, Lead Belly's goals and how he mixed the silly with serious to teach real life lessons. As an education, the albums is fantastic. But as children's entertainment, it is lost in time.

Rating: (kids) 4/10; (adults) 8/10

Review: The Bowmans - Far From Home

Label: Mother West

Released: April 10, 2007

The Bowmans aren't your typical Americana band. Like the more widely known Avett Brothers, they work from a broader palette than many of their peers. The Bowmans maintain a rootsy feel throughout despite breaking away from traditional folk style and augmenting their sound at times with electricity.

The vocals are the centerpiece of the music. Sarah and Claire Bowman's harmonies are rich and colorful. Best of all, they really use those harmonies to make the songs bold. It's not just something they save for the chorus, but something they use to create the ebb and flow of their music. They often incorporate a hint of jazz and it's the cadence of their voices that makes everything swing. While it may all revolve around their voices, the music behind is often responsible for some of the subtleties that make the album shine. Much of the album's understated catchiness and quirkiness is in the backing band. It is these very things that make it sneak up and grab you. In addition to the indie folk of their Americana base and the jazziness that runs through it, the Bowman's also manage to throw in some rock, with one flat out rocker, and even dabble in chamber music and vaudeville at times. They finish it all off Abbey Road-style with a fun little ditty called "Porker Song" (although unlike "Her Majesty," this one actually has a message).

Far from Home is essentially a rootsy Americana record, but it isn't old-timey by any means. At its worst, it's still fine folk music for the indie crowd, but at its best, it brings a lot more to the table and has a much broader rock appeal that throws out the limitations typically seen in the genre.

Rating: 7/10

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Review: Dusty Rhodes and the River Band - First You Live

Label: SideOneDummy Records

Released: October 9, 2007

With the popularity of the whole folk-punk thing, whether it draws on American folk music like Defiance, Ohio or European folk like Gogol Bordello, it isn't surprising to see another band throw their hats into the ring, but it does beg the question, "What does this new band bring?"

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band tap into a variety of rootsy lines, from folk to country to zydeco to cabaret to gospel even. But instead of just throwing it all together in a ramshackle way or simply speeding it up and adding electric guitars, Dusty and company add the sloppy rock n roll of the Replacements and even enough arena rock to create a big sound ("Street Fighter" even borders on prog). Instead of pulling it off in a traditional manner, they bring their old influences into the present and create what is essentially a rock album with a roots feel. As they incorporate all of these influences, it is the folk nature behind it all that makes First You Live such a cohesive album.

Rating: 7/10

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Review: Sound Neighbors

Label: Smithsonian Folkways

Released: October 23, 2007

When listening to a Smithsonian Folkways release, it's important to keep in mind that their mission is far different from a strictly commercial label. Their eyes aren't on Billboard, but on culture. There is always a clear educational goal on their albums that is incidental at best when it exists elsewhere. Still, they must straddle the often not insignificant gap between education and entertainment and they do it with far more success than could possibly be expected.

Considering the difficulty of their task, Sound Neighbors, Smithsonian Folkways' collection of contemporary music from Northern Ireland, is successful, but is also a bit of a mixed bag. It is a bit misleading that it claims to be "contemporary" music in Northern Ireland when in fact it is largely traditional music performed by contemporary artists. I had the expectation that it might tap into more than just the folk scene in Northern Ireland and give a broader picture than a single genre, even as integral as folk is for the Irish. Because of the narrow focus, it lacks the broad appeal that might make it more palatable to those of us who aren't passionate about Irish folk.

The collection's strength lies in it's ability to capture current groups making authentic traditional music. The recordings are warm and they take you to the pub or the fireside; they bring both the joy and the melancholy of the country; they are very much alive, much like the culture of Northern Ireland that has survived so much adversity. While some tracks are more accessible than others, there are no miscues and each contributes to the album's snapshot of a increasingly hopeful though still sometimes somber people. Tommy Sands' "There Were Roses" is a standout. In a song about sectarian violence that cost two families a loved one each, Sands recognizes the common human experience of beauty. It comes as no surprise that Sands has worked with Pete Seeger, because his protest is a very human one which sees that people have been divided against each other, against love and against even their own best interests. It is this recognition that brings hope and it is this hope that makes this music, which is a vital part of American music history as well, even more important today.

With Northern Ireland in a position to puts its violent past behind it, this compilation shows why we feel such a close connection to this peace versus other potential accords throughout the world. The Irish musical tradition is ultimately our own, whether we are Irish or not, and at least subconsciously we all have an affinity for these people and a particular interest in an end to their plight. While you may not care for Irish folk music in its purest form, Sound Neighbors provides a good education about the musical roots of something you do like, no matter what that something is.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Brian Dewan - Words of Wisdom

Label: Eschatone Records

Released: November 13, 2007

Clearly, some novelty records are just silly and others are, at least on some level, actually quite serious. Words of Wisdom is certainly of the more serious variety. That's not to say that it isn't light-hearted, just that it has a real purpose.

Brian Dewan apparently found these songs in old schoolbooks, garage sales, attics and basements and some date back 200 years. While the songs themselves seem rather traditional, the performances with their odd instrumentation (autoharp, electric zither, organ and accordian) and Dewan's quirky delivery, are anything but. Dewan sings these peculiar little lost pieces as if he's singing to children and perhaps it is with a child's innocence that they are best approached. Still, the topics are at times dark like a Grimm fairy tale. In a sense, Dewan plays this like Berl Ives with a dark side.

Words of Wisdom is not for everyone. It's certainly not slick or pop-oriented and makes no effort to fit into any mold. Even for those who will find his folk oddities interesting, it won't be in constant rotation. Nonetheless, it's an healthy diversion into some unknown folk music that Dewan is able to justify with his silly, yet somewhat compelling recordings.

Rating: 6/10

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Review: Paul Robeson - On My Journey: Paul Robeson's Independent Recordings / Pete Seeger - American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 5

   
Label: Smithsonian Folkways

Released: August 28, 2007 (Paul Robeson) & October 9, 2007 (Pete Seeger)

On the surface, these two albums have little in common. But I happened to put them both on my iPod, and by hearing each artist's songs randomly mixed with Primal Scream and Pedro the Lion and Picastro (it was a "p" kind of week), I heard similarities that were wonderful and surprising.

Before I get to the review, I'm going to try to encapsulate two amazing lives in one paragraph. In addition to having a voice that's as full and rich as any in history, Robeson played pro football, earned a law degree, spoke multiple languages, acted in movies, and tirelessly fought for human rights. Seeger's reedy voice may be the antithesis of Robeson's, but Seeger has the same kind of powerful mind and personality that enabled him to accomplish things that are impossible for most of us to even imagine: he attended Harvard, served in the Army, protected the environment, and tirelessly fought for human rights. (Ironically, both men lost their own rights when they were blacklisted by the U.S. government during McCarthy's Red scare.)

They traveled in some of the same circles, so similarities in their music aren't that surprising. What's really interesting is the biggest difference between the two albums. Paul Robeson sounds like he's singing about the people he loves, while Pete Seeger sounds as if he's singing for them.

The spirit behind Robeson's work on these recordings is incredible and inspirational. Every song was recorded while he was blacklisted and unable to either work or leave the country. Each recording testifies to the strength of Robeson's conviction and character. But there's a problem. On nearly every performance, Robeson is accompanied by a talented, classically trained pianist. That would be fine if these were songs for concert halls and parlors, but most of these songs are about desperate and faithful people who struggled in the fields and fought in the streets. While Robeson's life at this time surely contained amazing amounts of both desperation and faith, the music here reflects very little of that.

The single exception is "Hammer Song," which was recorded in 1957 with Sonny Terry on harmonica and Brownie McGhee on guitar. Like all musicians who played with Robeson while he was blacklisted, Terry and McGhee ran the risk of losing their right to work in the music industry, but they wanted to make music with Robeson. And on this song, the only one that belongs in the bright daylight of the outdoors rather than the twilight glow of an Upper East Side mansion, Robeson made music whose passion shines.

Compared to Robeson, Seeger's voice is... well, it's awful. (That's not fair, of course, because pretty much everyone's voice is awful when compared to Robeson.) But the man has passion. Every song on the disc -- most of which are just Seeger and his banjo -- could've been recorded under a tree with a bunch of kids, outside a California farm with a crew of laborers, at a peace march in the South, or even in the twilight glow of an Upper East Side mansion. Seeger's performances exclude no one. He reaches out to every single person within singing range, and invites them to come hear some music.

American Favorite Ballads Vol. 5 is the last in a series of expanded CD re-issues of some of the most popular albums that Seeger recorded for Folkways between 1957 and 1962. Most of these songs focus on the American frontier, and they embrace everything from class war anger to drunken desperation. No matter how dreary the subject matter, though, Seeger is a masterful storyteller whose lighthearted touch provides balance to the often dark music.

Both On My Journey: Paul Robeson's Independent Recordings and American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 5 have an enormous amount of heart, but Robeson -- intentionally or not -- erected a barrier of intellectualism and refinement around his music. Seeger is the one who reaches his hand out and invites you to come in for a listen, no matter who you are or what you know.

Rating:
Paul Robeson, On My Journey: Paul Robeson's Independent Recordings: 6/10
Pete Seeger, American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 5: 10/10

Website (Paul Robeson)
Website (Pete Seeger)

Review: The New Dress - Where Our Failures Are

Label: Red Leader Records

Released: October (?), 2007

One of the best recent trends in punk rock is the burgeoning punk/folk (or punk/roots or punk/country) movement. While this may seem to have its roots in bands like Uncle Tupelo and the Violent Femmes, that's only partially true. Bands like This Bike is a Pipe Bomb and the amazing though little known Defiance, Ohio are at the forefront, but they aren't the only game in town. The latest band to fuse punk rock not with early rock n roll, but with its deeper roots is Brooklyn's the New Dress.

While some of the other bands have become so rootsy that they will likely alienate at least some listeners, the New Dress seems to strike a happy medium between accessible pop punk and the loose ramshackle folk whose spirit and technique they capture. Where Our Failures Are features nothing but two voices, of Bill Manning and Laura Fidler, and electric guitar. The simple guitar parts and lo-fi recording fit perfectly into the discord of their vocal harmonies.

The male-female vocal trade-offs at times butt up against each other like Shane MacGowan and Kristy MacColl's "Fairytale of New York," yet at others they work together in a strange out-of-sorts harmony. The influence of early Billy Bragg is clear even before the cover of "I Don't Need This Pressure Ron" comes up. They certainly have adopted some of Bragg's phrasing and simplicity, but more importantly, they have captured his ability to write very human social commentary.

It is their old time approach that focuses on feeling rather than technique that makes this plugged-in album more traditional than many albums with all acoustic instrumentation. They aren't a copy of the past. Like the best of their peers, they have brought the essence of the past into the present.

Rating: 8/10

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Flogging Molly in the Studio and the Return of Matt Hensley

Flogging is currently cutting tracks for their new album expected in early 2008. They spent the pre-production period and are recording in Dave King's native Ireland. The band is really excited about the new material, new album and the return of their brother in arms.

Long time accordion player and gentleman, Matt Hensley has re-joined the band after leaving in January of this year for personal reasons. Matt says of his return, "The truth is that my life makes sense again, and I feel like I'm where I need to be in this world." He also ads, "I missed the feeling of 'knowing where you're at.' Being the accordion player in this band is my zone; where I belong. I got emails all the time from people who care deeply about the band. I missed being able to affect people in a positive way."

Review: Various Artists - Down Home Saturday Night

Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Released: July 31, 2007

As the liner notes describe, all across the country on a Saturday night music and good times go hand in hand and always have. American roots music, from bluegrass to zydeco, has been an influence on modern music as well as a vital part of life for many, many people. It's the latter that this compilation tries to capture.

Down Home Saturday Night crosses time and genres, mining the Smithsonian Folkways archive to create a collection of what is essentially an American roots music party. From the opening track, John Sebastian and the J Band (yeah, the "J" is for "jug") doing the old classic folksong "Minglewood Blues," to "Uncle Bud," the zydeco closer recorded by Boozoo Chavis and the Magic Sounds, every track can be taken on two levels, educational and enjoyable. Over the course of the album, cajun, bluegrass, jump blues, conjunto, Western swing (courtesy of no less than the Texas Playboys, masters of the genre), and country are all represented without the album seeming the least bit haphazard. Among all 15 excellent tracks, the New Lost City Ramblers version of "Bill Morgan and His Gal" still manages to stand out. The song itself has a clever comedy that eludes today's hip, cool indie artists along with a sing along chorus that is irresistible. Complaining about his spendthrift girl, Bill Morgan sings, "You might have known me pretty long / But sure have got my initials wrong. / My name is Morgan, but it ain't J.P.," over great old string band backup. It's more infectious than any of today's pop songs.

This may be seen as a label sampler by some, but that misses the point. Typically, a compilation like this would focus on a particular genre, be it folk or blues or zydeco or any other, as its theme. While that's a logical way to approach it, Smithsonian Folkways understands there's an even more fundamental connection, the spirit of the music. With that understanding, they create what may be the ultimate party album for people who love music. Sure, there's something to be learned on Down Home Saturday Night, but the album is such a good time, you don't even realize it's an education.

Rating: 10/10