Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!  

As you might have expected, from a My Music Monday, a while back, that I'd review Alison Krauss + Union Station's new disk eventually. 

Arcadia came out at the end of last month, so I've had a little time to live with its music. 

At the time of my MMM post, I had somewhat incorrectly stated that long time Union Station member Dan Tyminski had left the group and wasn't on this disk. Yes and no. He had recorded all his musical parts before leaving. Either he didn't record his vocal parts, or they were replaced after he departure. He even has a song he wrote that is covered on this disk.

As you'd expect, the musicianship is outstanding. Each player excels at their craft and it comes together perfectly. Jerry Douglas, Barry Bales and Ron Block have played together for a long time and it shows. Douglas is just a master of the Dobro and slide guitars. Unparalleled. 

Krauss is in fine vocal, as is newcomer (to this group anyway) Russell Moore. There is actually more of Moore than I expected. Usually, an AKUS release has two male vocal performances per and one instrumental per disk. This go round, no instrumental track and four songs with a male lead. 

So, with all the technical issues being on point, it comes down to the songs themselves. 

They're good, but I'm not super-wow'd by them. Some are standouts though. 

"Richmond on the James" is a song I'd say Tyminski would have naturally have led, but Krauss takes that role, and it works. I think I'm more surprised that she co-wrote it. I think I can count her writing credits on one hand. But it's is a solid song. 

AKUS has almost always used RL Castleman has a contributing songwriter and he has two entries here, both of which Krauss shines. But he kind of has a formula when it comes to the band and the singer. They are starting to sound familiar. "Forever" is technically practically perfect, but follows close to 2011's "Paper Airplane". Tyminski co-wrote the other song, "The Wrong Way", so it isn't as familiar. And it's a good tune. 

Russell is a strong vocalist, not too different from Tyminski. It's the songs that are a slight change up. "North Side Gal" is a swamp / bluegrass mixture that really works, though I get it's not for everyone. 

His downside is "Granite Mills". I am all for storytelling songs, which are usually on the morose side. This one is way on that side of the spectrum. As much as I don't want to hear about child labour dying in a mill fire (and I don't), it has the dark side of it (obvi), but unlike most songs like this, there is no beginning or true ending to it. Just a middle. 

"Sorry" has Russell leading with Krauss signing harmony most of the way through the song. And another plus for the disk is her fiddle playing - which has been extremely absent their last two disks. Granted on some songs you have to listen for it, but on others, it soars. It's nice to get that element back. 

Maybe some of the songs will grown more on me. Their first release from a number MMM's ago, "Looks Like the End of the Road" has gotten better with play. Hopefully some of these others will resonate on a deeper level down the way. 

Still, Arcadia is a good disk. Well produced, well played and sang. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!    

Jason Isbell has a new disk out, minus his band, the 400 Unit. It is his first solo disk since 2015's Something More Than Free. 

Technically, this could be considered his only solo disk. On his two others, he utilized the talents of other musicians. On Foxes in the Snow, it is Isbell only. Acoustic guitar and vocal. The 11 songs recorded over five days.  That's it. 

Call this album what you'd like: Roots music. Americana. Country. At times it is one of those things, or all of those things. 

Whether this is Isbell's "divorce record" or not is probably up for debate. A song title like "Good While it Lasted" seems to point in that direction, but the lyrics don't really portray it. Of course everything could be wrapped up in metaphors for all I know. The themes of beginnings or endings seems to permeate the record. 

Obviously, with one guitar and no backing vocals, this is as stripped down at music gets. Isbell is a gifted songwriter and guitarist, so it all works out - sonically. 

The disk kicks off with "Bury Me" which is probably as country as the album gets, but I like it.  The guitar work on "Ride to Robert's" (which is a bar in Nashville - which I've been to) is amazing. 

The title track is really good, possibly the best on the album. "True Believer" is up there too. 

Isbell is a storyteller as much as he is a musician. He is stellar at both.

Foxes in the Snow isn't going to sell through radio play. There isn't anything commercial enough to play there. This will be for his fans and spread word of mouth. I get the genre isn't for everyone - but honestly, which one is? 

Foxes is a good disk. While it's early in 2025, it is the best one of the year so far. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!    

I didn't have any new music for January. Well, I mean, I could have had I known about Lone Justice's "new" record. 

Yes. Quotations. 

Technically, Lone Justice hasn't had a new album out since 1986. Their output was limited - only two albums in quick succession. 

The band was branded as Cowpunk, which is somewhat apt. They were a ragtag collection playing rough traditional-ish music, who ended up with a slick producer and a record company mandated cover of an established artist's song. As their producer, Jimmy Iovine, was also producing Tom Petty, well, that's how they got their first single, "Ways to be Wicked". 

Still, in mid 2024, with zero fanfare (since there probably only 9.023 people alive who still know of the band) Lone Justice released Viva Lone Justice. 

The songs are not new. Most of the recordings are not new. Well none of the originating tracks are or were. 

There are a few from cassettes (!) when the band was new and very raw. These are cleaned up a bit with 21st century technology. As Maria McKee, the lead singer, did some work here and there with former band members in here solo capacity, one contributed to music on her disk You Gotta Sin to Get Saved (which is a great album, btw). 

But there was some unused music that didn't make that record. The Lone Justice members who were not part of those You Gotta Sin sessions added their parts on separately making it a band product. 

Viva starts with one of those songs, "You Possess Me".  It's sparse musically, but McKee's vocals shine, which is the point of this track. 

Then the tracks change to what I'd consider a vocally challenging would-be holler song with "Jenny Jenkins".  You'd have to love the outliers in Lone Justice's repertoire to appreciate this. 

Actually, that is true of the rest of the disk. There is no slickness of the first track or their first two disks. This is raw. Equal parts Cow and Punk. 

They band does a live version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You".  It is fine but not superlative, like it could have been. 

With Viva Lone Justice, you get 10 "new" songs that run less than a half an hour. 

It was an interesting experience and I'm glad it is out, but I don't see many replays. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!   

I don't think it surpising in the least that I'm reviewing the album my the Cure. 

I featured it's initial song release a month or so back. I mentioned a new disk was coming. And well....if A = B.......then you know the rest of the theorem.  Perhaps. 

Songs of a Lost World came out the first of this month, in theory, giving me plenty of time to listen to it and rate it accordingly. 

Not to keep dredging up Election 2024, but my mind got diverted and opted not to listen to the disk in such a negative head space. The Cure usually has a lot of minor key music - which Spinal Tap will tell you that D minor is the saddest of all the keys - and not so happy lyric much of the time. Why add on to my mood? 

That said, 710 played it on repeat for two days while sitting in his home office - whenever he wasn't on a work call.  ....and it was still cheerier than the election results!!!

Anyhooo......Songs of a Lost World goes nowhere fast, but it's not to say it doesn't go anywhere. For those who like the up-tempo songs of the group, look elsewhere. 

The album is about aging, mortality and impermanence which is natural for artists 45 years into their career, and fits into their somberness, but this time (maybe all times) with purpose. 

"And Nothing Is Forever", Robert Smith sings, "you'll hold me for the last time"......and "if you promise you'll be with me in the end" and it somehow might be his most romantic lyric ever.  In the first single, "Alone", Smith sings, "this is the end of every song that we sing", again, the cessation of life is implied. 

The albums sounds new, but has elements of so much of what they have done, it's new and yet it is still safe ("Warsong" is a perfect example of this). "I Can Never Say Goodbye" is about the passing of Smith's brother. So yes, more regarding the theme of ending. 

That all said, it is all good. 

It is quite amazing that Smith's vocals are really no different than 4+ decades ago.  

Songs of a Lost World is a very worthy disk for the band. There are only eight songs, but they make them all work, and well at that. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!    

I kind of get excited about a new release from Laurie Anderson.  That said, you have to reset expectations. She truly has few albums where she sings.

Most of her work is talking. Storytelling. Performance Art storytelling at that. The art comes not just from her stories or their telling, but the multi-dimensional music that comes with those. 

Her new album, Amelia, is about Ms. Earhart and her attempted flight around the world. 

This idea has been in Anderson's work process for about 24 years! Upon first hearing the first iteration, the conductor asked if Anderson wanted things different - she told him to play it faster, so it would be over sooner. She described it as a 'cacophony'. 

The project was shelved and reworked multiple times over the years, but ended up resulting in this 22 track (but only 34 minutes) of art. Most tracks are a minute or less. Only a few are two or three minutes long. 

Still, this is an amazing piece of art. It's as much art as it is music, if not more so. 

The music, the strings are excellent. Even the electronics. Mostly the latter adds to the former. A few times it's a very slight distraction. Anderson has used both strings and electronics side by side her eni

Is it fully factual? No.Not completely. Anderson uses Earhart's flight log information, telegrams to her husband and some radio transmission as her guide. 

Anderson is much more of a performance artist than a singer. Even with her "singing albums" it wasn't truly singing. Here most of the voices are hers and most of them are spoken word. I read somewhere she did about 20+ voices - narrator, Earhart, various voices over her radio, etc. She really only "sings" on "Flying at Night". 

Obviously, this is not an album that would get any radio airplay. Maybe 03:00 on some NPR station. It's not one you'd listen on repeat either, though repeat listens have been good. Just not in a row. 

The album is beautifully written and put together. The sounds and words are interesting  - all of it drawing you in. The music getting darker on the last part of the record, as you might expect. But the arrangement and orchestration are just wonderful. 

It's unclear how much, if any, of the violins were done by Anderson. This is more orchestration and not a solo art piece for her. 

I say, "give it a try". It's 34 minutes of your life. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!    

Gillian Welch is one of those artists that you love, hate or have never heard of. 

Me? Love her. 

Her 2000 (?) disk Time (the Revelator) remains one of my favourite disks of all time.  She would fit into the Americana / Appalachian music categories. Oddly, she's from Los Angeles, but has been drawn to this music. 

Welch's voice is unique and honestly, would take some time to appreciate. She has always released her music under her own name,  but each one of those has been a collaboration with her musical and life partner, David Rawlings. 

Their new disk, Woodland Studios (the name of their studio which was ruined in a tornado0, is just out and credited to both artists. Even more, previous disks had Rawlings backing up Welch. Here, they trade off songs with Rawlings taking lead on about half the tunes. 

As with all (or at least most) of their stuff, arrangements are sparse. I might be exaggerating a bit. Rarely is there anything but Welch's voice and Rawling's guitar and harmony

"The Bells and the Birds" is one of those few exceptions. An additional guitar and a keyboard are also present. Now and again, there is a stray harmonica ("Turf the Gambler").  "What We Had" has the most instrumentation with stings and {gasp} drums! ....albeit very very very low key drums. 

I like Welch's songs more than Rawlings, but that's says more about me than him. I'm used to her vocals, and more unfamiliar to him as a lead vocalist. That might take time for me. 

"What We Had" sounds like a discarded cut from Neil Young's Comes a Time disk. Honestly, that is a high compliment, as that is one of my favourite albums of all time. Really liking "Howdy Howdy", "Her Stands a Woman" and "Empty Trainload of Sky". 

Woodland Studios is a great listen. It's very low key, sparse, as I mentioned and still extremely compelling. Is it as good as Time (the Revelator)? No, but nothing is going to get to that quality. It's a tough one to beat. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!   

Crowded House has a new album: Gravity Stairs. 

I have never not bought one of their albums, or Neil Finn's solo work, or the disks he puts out with his brother, Tim.  I wasn't about to start now. 

With eight group disks over 38 years, the band has had five different iterations, with only Neil Finn and Nick Seymour being the constants. What that in mind, save 3-4 disks, the rest are variations of what one thinks Crowded House should be.....or was. Myself included. 

It takes awhile to put aside your bias on what I think and what the band now is. I'm very protective of those first four disks. All of them stand-outs in their own way, but even those differ. 

The cover itself is very Beatle-esque - Revolver influenced......or homaged at the very least. 

Neil Finn has the bulk of the songwriting credits, though he shares a few songs with his sons who are now in the band. Finn, for the last 38 years (+) has been one of the best songwriters out there. He is unappreciated (or at least under appreciated) in this regard. 

The musicianship is impeccable. Gravity Stairs is more consistent in nature than their last disk from three years ago. 

"Magic Piano" is a good opener and has a decent Alan Parsons vibe. In a good way. 

"the Howl" is pure Neil Finn, except that it was written and sung by one of his sons, Liam. It is a really good song, good rhythm and pacing. For me, it's the highlight

"Black Water, White Circle" has a bossa nova like thing going on. More in the music than the vocal, but it's different, in the positive sense. Actually, a lot of the disk is, even if it's not quite geared to the hit single mode. 

Their first two releases were just ok:  "Oh Hi" and "Teenage Summer".  Their fine, but that's about where it ends. Radio certainly didn't latch onto them. "the Howl" is the third release, so maybe that will get them exposure. 

I'm also liking "I Can't Keep Up with You".  "Thirsty" stands out due to its sparseness. I gotta say, Finn does a stripped down song on most any disk with which he's involved - solo or band. 

I really want to like "Some Greater Plan (for Claire)" as it was Neil's one collaboration on this disk with Tim. Usually they do really well together.  The lyrics were crafted from their father's diary during wartime. It is beautifully done, but it just doesn't click with me. 

Still, Gravity Stairs warrants a listen. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!  

We are pushing 30 years since I first saw the Mavericks. They opened for Mary Chapin Carpenter down at the Riffe Center (I think) in Columbus. 

For those who haven't seen or heard them, honestly, no other voice truly compares to their lead singer, Raul Malo. Roy Orbison would be the closest comparison, but with out the Hispanic flair. And a much fuller vocal. 

The Mavericks have done Country, Latin, Tex- Mex, 100% Mex, Country-Pop. They've had a few medium hits on the country charts. They are talented and should have greater exposure.  My opinion, of course. Country music, as it stands today, has little use for talents like the Mavericks. They're not singing about beers, bars and pick-ups. Their masculinity and patriotism don't need to be waved in front of you to get airplay. They're better than that. 

Moon & Stars continues with their talented output. This is a band who uses no studio trickery, though I don't remember them using too many outside artists in their recordings. There are four "guests" this outing. I don't know any of them, though none are bad. 

The songwriting and production on this disk is a broad range, and it works. They don't stick to A style or tempo. Ballads or Mariachi and anything in between. There's even a a sax on "Here You Come Again" (not the Dolly Parton song) which doesn't grate on me. ....and that's a tough chore. 

The band evokes the Everly Brother on two songs - mostly on "a Guitar and a Bottle of Wine", but decently done on "And We Danced". Both are great. Love the former. 

Ditto with "Without a Word".  All lower keys involved - all instruments, lead and backing vocals (the latter which I fucking love). 

As for the collaborations, "Live Close By (Visit Often)" was written decades ago and recorded by KT Oslin. But since it was a Malo composition, maybe it just works better in his hands. Of course, maybe a female singing a song about no strings sex was too progressive for the 1980s. 

The closing song, "Turn Yourself Around" is very Beatle-esque. Kind of a cross between "Strawberry Fields" and any of the unfinished Lennon songs the rest of the band put together posthumously.  Yet, it works. 

Maybe the Mavericks can put out a bad disk, but I haven't heard one. Granted, I don't really own their Spanish speaking disks, as I don't speak the language, but I'm guessing they're probably very good too.

NOTE:  for those who might not have noticed, there was a second post yesterday. If you're interested in seeing that, feel free to scroll down.   .......or not. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!  

I'm finding Ohio Players, the new album from the Black Keys, to be more of a mixed bag than I'd like. 

They're lead "single", "Beautiful People" just seems a re-re-rehash of some of their other work. Artists like to lead with their strongest material, but this time, this isn't the one.  Not digging their opening song on the record either - "This is Nowhere". It's like the title is ripe for reviewers to use in an unflattering light. 

And "On the Game" is just blah - but I notice it's been fed to the XM stations, which I think if' you're trying to draw people in, this isn't the one. This is a shame, as Noel Gallagher, formerly of Oasis, did co-writing on the tune and performes on it as well. 

They're bigger collaboration here is with Beck - who cowrites about half the material and performs on it as well. Overall, it doesn't change the tenor of the disk until you get to "Paper Crown" which sounds just like a full-blown Beck song. That isn't the plus you might think it is. 

It's not all bad news, of course. There are some stellar tracks here (see? mixed bag). 

"Don't Let Me Go", "Only Love Matters" are great.  "Candy and her Friends" seems different enough from most anything they've ever done. It's not an out of the park song, but it captures my attention for sure.  Ditto with "You'll Pay". The falsetto kind of works on this. 

I think the biggest issue with the disk is that it's busy. As the Black Keys technically are a band of two, they've always augmented their sound as needed with some additional musicians. This one has upward of two dozen additions. The boys almost get lost in a few of their own songs because of the crowd. 

Maybe some of this will grow on me the more I listen. I enjoy the band, so that they have a handful of good songs here is really good. I wish it had been more. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!  

I kind of semi-called back in May when the National released First Two Pages of Frankenstein. They had mentioned recording over two dozen songs and I lamented that maybe what they left off was better than the disk they released. And it kind of is. 

Actually, Laugh Track was released back in September 2023, but I'm just getting around to the review now.  Yes, two albums in less than five months. 

While mostly recorded around the same time, Laugh Track isn't solely produced by the band, there are others who put their $0.02 into this product and I think it helped. 

Don't get me wrong, while this disk is better than Frankenstein and even their last two records, it doesn't meet the expectations of their first four albums. But that's more on me than them. 

Frankenstein relied heavily on programmed drums, but that's not the case here. And their drummer is actually the base for their sound. The disk is also heavily piano driven. That's fine here and there, but show a little restraint. 

There are highlights for sure:  "Weird Goodbyes" which I featured on My Music Monday maybe two years ago has finally found a home, as opposed one-off single that most people missed. Bon Iver does well sharing vocals with Matt Berrninger. 

"Deep End (Paul's in Pieces)" is probably the most accessible track. It is actually better when heard live. "Coat on a Hook" is the low-key, but familiar National that we've come to know.  And in their last few disks where they are BIG on female guest vocalists, I'm not sure they do better than Rosanne Cash collaborating on "Crumble".  Her voice works well with Berninger, especially in the last section of the song. 

And whether you like it or not, "Smoke Detector" is at least ambitious. Clocking in at almost eight minutes and recorded live at a sound check. It's part manic, part stream of consciousness, all very sonic. They get points for originality. 

Some songs I come back to more than others. It's a decent disk. I'm glad I've stuck with them. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!    

It was almost 11 months from the release of "Panopticon", the first new work in 21 years from Peter Gabriel, and the actual release of his album i/o. (I'd link you to his website, but the it seems to be down.)

Normal cycle is usually 6-8 weeks from first "single" release to the full album. Gabriel even completed a world tour to promote the album before the it was even released in December 2023. 

Honest to g-d, I had forgotten about i/o completely, and if there was any promotion for the disk, it was completely under the radar. I'm not 100% sure the disk even charted anywhere. 

Normally, this behaviour would be a record company trying to bury a bad album. But.....it's Gabriel. Even his worst material isn't bad. Allegedly, he's been working on this disk for the last 20 years. It might be closer to him tweaking it to death than anything else. 

Perfection is the enemy of good. 

To add to this: there are three versions of i/o (of which I know):  The Bright Side. The Dark Side. The In Side. All have the same 12 songs, just different mixes. It's a good way for you to part with your $$$. 

For the record, I'm reviewing the Bright Side mix. I sampled the Dark Side - and honestly there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference, but I didn't delve into it either. 

"Olive Tree" works well, until it doesn't. It starts off so great, and then the horns (or the synth made horns?) take over the song - more so than they should or needed. "Playing for Time" is eerily like a Randy Newman song from any Toy Story movie - in voice and style. It's not bad, but, it's not for me. 

There are stand-outs, of course, "Panopticon", "the Court", "Love Can Heal" and "Four Kinds of Horses".

Those looking for "Sledgehammers" or "Big Time" need to look elsewhere. There is much more in common with his first four solo disks than that, though it does infuse a bit of So. 

Sonically, the recording is excellent. But when you tinker with is so much, it will either be great or horrible, with no in between. Allegedly at least one song has between 120-150 tracks that had to be mixed together. Even with the gadgetry, most of the songs are understated and very calm. 

I like i/o a lot. I'm not over the moon about most of it. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!   

This is another record I bought twice - once again, a vinyl version for Mort. 

In a My Music Monday post a while back, I mistakenly blogged about the title track being my first exposure to the group Milky Chance. 

Yes, I love the title track "Living in a Haze", but it seems I did a My Music Monday months before on their song from the same disk called "Colorado".   .....and that is even a better song than "Haze". 

So, I went all in and bought the disk. Twice. 

The group consists basically of two guys from Germany. They've had a few disks apparently, but this was my first. 

I'd have to say I really really enjoy about half of it. The other half is good, but not stellar. 

So, you've seen two of the really good tracks, but also enjoying "Synchornize", "Golden" and "Feeling for You". 

More potentnial with more plays will be "Like a Clown" and "Purple Tiger". 

I feel the band does better with faster tempo songs, so a few aren't really hitting for me, but I've also learned over time that often, the song that resonates least with me on an album ends up being my farvourite over time. 

I still think it's a solid purchase and there are a number of song to which I can run - and yes, that is how I'm measuring some music these days. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!   

Honestly, until five months ago, I'd never heard of the Record Company, let alone they had three other disks. I'm not has hep as some people (or myself) would like to believe. 

I made their first single, "Talk to Me" a pick a while back on My Music Monday. I'd call it our vacation 2023 song.  You know, a song you hear more than others during certain trips?  This would be that.  ...and I can guarantee that "Talk to Me" will end up in my year-end song selection. 

Due to that song, I just went all in an purchased the album. Twice. One was for me; one was a gift to Morty, as he has a working turntable, I got it on vinyl for him. 

Blobby is not a blues-rock guy normally.  Sure, I have my moments - CCR, early Rolling Stones and a hodgepodge of songs here and there, but with the 4th Album (that's the title of the disk), it mostly all works. 

There are elements of both bands I mentioned here. One of the highlights for me is "Bad Light", which has a very Stones-esque sound. But I keep coming back to others too: "Dance on Mondays", "I Found Heaven (in my Darkest Days)" and surprisingly in a song called "Highway Lady".  On paper, it wouldn't be anything I truly listen to, but I do. 

As the order of the genre has blues come first, and there are true blues moments and songs on this disk. This is somewhat new to me. I mean, sure I've heard stuff before, but never really owned it. Or played it. Songs like that had always been a part of the background for me.  "You Made a Mistake" is the deep dive into this territory. 

There is some rockabilly elements here too, but not as much as you'd think. 

I'd say this is a very different disk for me, and maybe others too. But I'm enjoying it. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!   

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit have been playing in my ears for the last few weeks with their new release, Weathervanes. 

I mentioned a bit ago, when I featured a song from the disk on My Music Monday back in July, that I have heard priase for Isbell, but had never actually heard him. A second song on the album pricked up my ears, and I went to the iTunes and purchased the entire disk. 

While the album doesn't defy a genre per se, and to paraphrase Donny & Marie, it's a little bit country and it's a little bit rock and roll. I'm going with Roots Rock. Or electric Americana. 

Isbell is probably as much a storyteller as he is a musician. I'm basing this on Weathervanes alone, as again, I've heard of him, but until this, not him.  He is a Bruce Springsteen meets Craig Finn with a little Leonard Cohen thrown in there, but with a Memphis type vibe. 

Weathervanes, in my opinion, is the album the Killers wanted to release two years ago, and failed at miserably with Pressure Machine. 

You can categorize them both as views of small town life and the sad stories that go with them. The difference was the Killers were trying for Springsteen's Nebraska, and Isbell tried for Isbell. It's not forced at all. 

There are plenty of songs based about drug or opioid use and abortion, home strife, Uvalde school shooting and such. There aren't a lot of uplifting moments in terms of lyrics, but they're put together well and played with a lot of talent. The guitars and violin / fiddle are very well done. Some of it could be from mid to late 80s Mellencamp (I say that thinking Scarecrow and the Lonesome Jubilee in mind). 

MMM was the opener with "Death Wish". Topic aside, the production and songwriting grabbed me from the first few lines. He doesn't stop there and goes with "When We Were Young", which is the most electric of the songs, probably. It's an amazing piece. 

But the more nuanced stories, "If You Insist", "White Baretta", "Volunteer" and "King of Oklahoma". The closing track, "Miles" starts with more than a nod to Neil Young's "Southern Man", but it is the longest piece and the most eclectic. 

In between all of those are good songs, but maybe not great ones. "This Ain't It" has Isbell doing an early '70s Jagger homage and "Cast Iron Skillet" didn't draw me in at all. 

I am happy with my purchase. I play the album a lot and it makes me want to explore some of the band's earlier works. For now, this is the strongest album I've purchased in 2023.

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there!  

I gotta say, I'm enjoying Stories from a Rock N Roll Heart by Lucinda Williams. It is very much one of the best records (at least so far) of 2023. 

Williams has been at this for pushing 50 years and in the last 10 (maybe longer?). I had to look, but save her first two disks, I own everything she's put out - phenomenal, good or bad. I have joked in other reviews and her vocals made it sound like she's had a stroke or a mouthful of marbles. Some of it was just unintelligible and not great listening. 

In her last few disk the vocals became better and then she actually had a stroke. Ironically, on Stories, her vocals haven't been this good since maybe Essence (which is still such a great album!). And it's co-produced by the dude who co-produced her stellar Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. 

I'd say highlights include "Last Call For The Truth", "This Is Not My Town", "Stolen Moments" and "Where The Song Will Find Me", and they are, but I like all the songs on this. 

The musicians are good, though Williams isn't one of them. Her stroke has left her unable to play guitar. At least for now. 

I'm glad at 70 she's still writing and recording music. And glad Stories is a good piece of her discography. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there! 

If I'm being honest, the title, First Two Pages of Frankenstein - the new album by the National  - might be the most interesting thing about their new release.  And it pains me to say it. 

I'd say "I'm a big fan of the band", but the last 2-3 albums have been in decline. And that decline was getting more pronounced until Frankenstein. 

It's not that it is bad. Objectively, it isn't. It is just repetitive in rhythm, style and sound. All that said, repeated listens have made it a little better,  The phrase that keeps coming back to me for the most part is:  "music for a resting pulse".  

But how bad can a disk be that mentions both New Order and the Afghan Whigs in separate songs? 

Oddly, the most interesting song on here, might not be on here. Their collaboration with Bon Iver last year (presumably from these recording sessions) might be better than anything on Frankenstein. 

This disk definitely has its moments.  The first release, "Tropic Morning News" is pleasant enough. 

The most original item is a collaboration with Taylor Swift, with "the Alcott".  I won't say it's a centerpiece, but the vocal arrangements are the most interesting on the entire disk. Almost all of them being Swift. After a while the band is purely secondary. 

The National has this triangle going on: bandmate Aaron Dessner has produced two of Swift's critical successful albums. One of those songs includes Bon Iver.  Bov Iver is part of Dessner's side project, Big Red Machine, in which Swift also appears on a song. And then of course, the aforementioned National / Bon Iver song. One begins to wonder if they can even function without each other at this point. 

I will say this:  Phoebe Bridgers - why? And on two songs? The word "milquetoast" comes to mind. Her vocals are not special or distinctive. I said it when she appeared on a Killers album: she must know where the bodies are buried. Other than that, I cannot account for her here....or anywhere. 

The band has its moments. I like "Grease in Your Hair" which has a semi-familiar vibe, but at least they pick up the beat a bit, once their into their song. But more often than not, it's a slow moving song like "Once Upon a Poolside", "Send to Me" and "Ice Machines".  "This Isn't Working" (which is an aptly named subtitle for this disk), has shades of songs from High Violet. 

Yes, there is a familiarity with this disk, but it doesn't really speak to me they way some of their disks have in the past. It's there! 

Allegedly, they recorded 20+ songs for this disk and whittled it down to 11. Kind of makes you wonder if what they left off was better than this - or worse. 

Frankenstein doesn't really leave me wanting more - it's leaves me wanting something! 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there! 

It's been nine years since Nickel Creek has put out any new music, but it is always worth the wait. Celebrants is no different. 

The three group members been playing together since before their pre-teen years, and all are quite accomplished musicians. And while I'd say they started off as traditional bluegrass artists, they've morphed into something more than that - pushing and redefining the boundaries of the genre. 

You saw (well, if you actually clicked on it) their release from the disk, "Holding Pattern" a few weeks back in this very blog. 

But for their genre-bending take starts on the opening / title track. Throughout the disk, they blend their voices, sometimes a capella in the middle of a song ("To the Airport") or changing who sings lead in the middle ("the Meadow"), or even the finger clicks in "Holding Pattern".

I'd say the most "traditional" song would be "Where the Long Line Leads", and by comparison, it is. Yet it isn't. But I like it. 

The musicianship is A-1. And yes, there are some mostly instrumentals. 

I get it if you don't like the traditional bluegrass genre, you might not like this. It sill applies the rules of no drums and the percussion you hear are taps on the mandolin, guitar or bass - and the aforementioned finger clicks. 

I'd love to see the band live, but when they come, it's still 45 minutes away, on a school night. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there! 

Listen I used their opening single a few weeks back, so you know this had to be coming:  Depeche Mode: Memento Mori. 

The band - what is left of it - were correct in selecting "Ghosts Again" as their pre-release song. Without a doubt, it's the best song on the disk.  The lead song on the disk, "My Cosmos is Mine" is a huge misstep in terms of track sequencing. It doesn't make you want to listen to the song - or album - all the way through. 

I like DM - always have. It's not to say they haven't laid a few stinkers before. Over 40-odd years and 15 studio releases, they can't all be winners, right? And it's not to say that Memento Mori is a stinker. No one is truly benefiting from a review where I've only had a week to listen to the music. But I'm pretty good at first impressions. To be clear, judging them, not making them. 

Depeche Mode hasn't really broken new ground with this disk, and in a way, it should. Now down to a duo, they had the chance to mess things up - literally. Maybe, mix things up. But they don't. Not much. Not enough. 

In a way, they're on new territory, maybe the instinct was to play it safe. And they do. 

I do not believe it is coincidence that what grabbed me as the highlights ("Ghosts Again",  "Caroline's Monkey", "Don't Say You Love Me" and "Favourite Stranger") were co-written with Richard Butler, from the Psychedelic Furs (who had a pretty good release - their first in 37 years - last year). 

Martin Gore sings lead on one track, and while not unlistenable, I don't always make it through, Dave Gahan only has co-writing credits on two tracks - one of them being pretty good, "Before I Drown". 

Unless Wikipedia is wrong, Gore doesn't play any instruments on this disk. Gahan almost never (if ever) does anyway. The guy who produced has all music credit that are not strings. It's quite a departure, as Gore was kind of the multi-instrumentalist of the group. 

As you'd expect, after Andy Fletcher's unexpected death, there are a lot of themes of grief and death that run throughout the album. 

Mori is fine, but it's not a classic. It's never going to grow into that either. 

On a side note: Depeche Mode is touring with this disk, and slated for a stop in Cleveland. At the big basketball arena. 

This interests me in many ways. I've never seen them live. And 710 asked - rhetorically - who would go to the show. It's a good question. Would there be anyone under 50?  And if so, did they just bring their parents or grandparents to see the band? 

I honestly don't know what kind of crowd this would bring. Or what kind of audience they have. They were staples in gay bars, but those aren't as prevalent as when I was "young" - and that exposure they had in those venues is 30+ years ago. I am tempted to go, but we have a while. I just don't want all the handicapped seating to get filled up before I decide. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there! 

It's actually been a few months since I did one of these. 2022 wasn't spectacular for my purchases. 2023 already has a half dozen releases slated to be released in the next few months. Including this month. 

Last week, Iris DeMent released her first disk in eight years with Workin' on a World. 

If you have never heard of her, you've never heard her. To say her voice is unique would be an understatement and it probably takes some getting used to. If you ever heard her, you'd remember - the voice is that distinctive. Raised in Arkansas, she brings out the Ozarks like no one's business. I've been listening to her for over 30 years. 

DeMent always has something to say. Her songs are not frivolous. They have meaning, they have weight. She sometimes ask questions for which she has no answers. 

The work evokes spiritualism yet without g-d. It's the voice. It's the upbringing. DeMent has always brought a sense of that in her music and it is no different here. Much like earlier works ("The Way I Should" or "Wasteland of the Free"), she challenges social standings - be it guns or police brutality. 

Workin' is a long disk. Over an hour of music and the songs are longer than her usual fare, but worth it. 

She writes great music and her voice conveys it. I get, at first, it's hard to listen to. It takes some getting use to. If you stick with it and listen to what she's singing, you'll get how she sings and why the two work together. 

So far, 2023 starts with a good disk. At least in my eyes.......and ears. 

Record of the Month

I figured I'd do a monthly 'what I'm listening to' kind of thing. This could be viewed as a lame placeholder kind of post. And probably it is. But it's my blog! So there! 

It's been seven years - almost - since the last Watkins Family Hour album.  Kind of. 

There was one two years ago, but it really just had Sara and Sean Watkins (brother and sister). The one seven years ago was culled from having other artists at their monthly live shows in Los Angeles - Fiona Apple, Benmont Tench, are amongst the rotating musicians who show up and perform with the brother an sister.  None of additional those folks were on the 2020 release. 

I suspect Covid. 

But Vol II is out and includes the above four plus others - including Jackson Browne, Jon Brion and some others of whom I've never heard. 

Even with the acclaimed guests, the show still belongs to Sean and Sara. Yes Browne sings on a cover of his own song, so that's not weird, right?  He doesn't take lead.  Apple does a good job on "(Remember Me) I'm the One Who Loves You".  And there is a nice rendition of Zombie's song - with the triple or four-part harmony - "the Way I Feel Inside". 

The musicianship is spot-on, but you kind of expect it to be. As this isn't a live recording at one of their shows, you don't quite the spontaneity of that kind of gathering, but they all do a great job of pulling it together. 

I don't know if the Watkins siblings will join Chris Thiel for a new Nickel Creek disk or not anytime soon. I saw a Tweet months ago from Thiel talking about a songwriting week with the other two, so here's hoping. 

While the Family Hour isn't true bluegrass, it hits the right amount of that to do it justice.