songwriter

Small Source of Comfort

mandy — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Full disclosure: Bruce Cockburn (COE-burn) is Canadian; I’m Canadian. There aren’t that many of us. We’re the world’s second largest country, with a population smaller than California. So we back our homeys when they’re world-class: Angela Hewitt, Frederick Banting, Sandra Oh, Denys Arcand, Jim Carrey, Diana Krall, Leonard Cohen, Karen Kain, Tom Thomson, David Suzuki, Cirque du Soleil.

Which returns us to Bruce. The world-class part, that is. He’s a musician’s musician with an extraordinary scope as a lyricist, guitar player, and singer. He can do jazzy gutbucket ("Mama Just Wants to Barrelhouse All Night Long"), a beautiful country hymn ("One Day I Walk"), a great road song ("Silver Wheels"), an anti-war descant equal to Dylan ("If I Had A Rocket Launcher"), a funny blues ("The Blues Got The World By The Balls"), a credible cover of a classic blues ("Soul of a Man"), a rocker ("Lovers In A Dangerous Time") and several other genres. He is one of the planet’s best finger-pickers, which is why he has swapped licks with guitaristas such as Ali Farka Touré. The years have been good to his voice. His lower register has deepened but he hasn’t lost much at the top.

Small Source of Comfort is the singer’s thirty-first album (!) since he began in Ottawa forty-some years ago. A generous album of twelve songs and a coda it is, too. “Called Me Back” is a wry, LOL tune that imagines why someone wouldn’t return your call, for example, “Maybe his mother ran afoul of the law” or “He coulda slid into a society scene.” The instrumental “Bohemian 3-Step” is way uptempo and alternates between complex descending chords and the quick, complicated finger-picking at which he is so adept. He shows off his musicianship in four other instrumentals on this CD that run from jazz-rock fusion, “The Comets of Kandahar,” (with superb violin help from Jenny Scheinman); to the Debussyesque “Parnassus and Fog”; to the spare, what-you-might-call-new-age “Ancestors.”

His lyrics are as original as his guitar work. “Each One Lost” is part threnody with undertones of a Scottish ballad. Bruce spent a week in Afghanistan and was present when a plane brought in the bodies of two Canadian soldiers. The song is also a celebration of the freedom for which the men fought and died; its theme, as the title indicates, is reminiscent of John Donne’s famous passage from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, which contains the phrase “for whom the bell tolls.” It’s destined to be classic Cockburn.

“Call Me Rose” is an instant classic as well. The song begins, “My name was Richard Nixon only now I am a girl/You wouldn't know it but I used to be the king of the world.” Yes, the singer imagines Richard Nixon reincarnated as a young woman—with two kids living in the projects, working out his penance, learning what it means to be poor and powerless, but also learning how to endure. These two songs are alone worth the price of admission, and you get eleven more to boot, all of them very fine.

So there you have it. One Canadian shilling for a fellow Canuck? Or one Canadian telling the truth about his brother’s tunes? Bruce is a member of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s two highest civilian awards for merit. That’s a clue. So Canuck, Aussie, Kiwi, Yank, or Brit, you should buy this CD if you love the best. I swear by the beaver and the maple leaf you’ll be glad you blew the fifteen bucks.

Written by: Neil Flowers, March 26th 2011

Live in Louisville

admin — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Carrie Rodriguez

Luz Music

“Well you have it, you love it, now it’s your turn to shove it…I don’t want to play house anymore,” sings Carrie Rodriguez on her newly released live compilation album, Live in Louisville. Her soulful voice, accompanied by rousing fiddles, makes her point with grace and force. The tunes on the album come from Rodriguez’ various other projects, but the most colorful are those she takes the credit for writing.

“I Don’t Want to Play House Anymore,” “Seven Angles on a Bicycle,” (from the album of the same name), and “Never Gonna Be Your Bride” are among the more upbeat sounds on the album, but that doesn’t mean the rest are purely maudlin. The slower tracks on the album are as much soulful as they are haunting.

The eclectic sounds of her band would put her solidly in an Americana, that amalgam of roots music that revisions country, folk, and blues, but the unique twists and turns of her voice bridge the renewed attention to the genre with more traditional bluegrass and even the more sentimental songwriting of Jewel, Indigo Girls, and Julie Roberts (of country fame).

There is an element of the unexpected in each song, whether it’s a musical bridge or a turn of phrase, and the dusky sound of Rodriguez’s voice seems to make her the perfect candidate for a closing credits track on HBO’s True Blood—a new Grey’s Anatomy of sorts for launching the hottest new music.

Rodriguez can please the country in you while reminding you through her pertinent lyrics that you’re alive, you share in disasters and joys like the rest of us. And just as you’re ready to dismiss one track as too country or too slow, the next places you squarely in New Orleans among an impromptu fiddle fest or back into a dark, dank bar with a lonely mic.

Live in Louisville's variety—in voice and vision—is well worth a listen.

Written by: Dr. Julie E. Ferris, April 14th 2010

Heartland

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Owen Pallett

Domino Records

Former Final Fantasy mastermind Owen Pallett’s voice is one of my favorites in music right now. On Heartland’s opening song, “Midnight Directives,” it floats alongside the violin lines, reaching high and stretching across the track, taking it in beautiful directions that both fit and conflict beautifully with the insistent drums and electronic elements. The song ends abruptly, and the next, “Keep the Dog Quiet,” begins as abruptly, with a staccato string line and quiet maraca accompaniment.

Heartland is noisier and more electronic than any previous Final Fantasy album, which makes sense given the experimental nature of the project. Pallett wrote Heartland as an opera about a peasant named Lewis, who is ordered by his God (named Owen, no less) to lead a revolt. Pallett posted all the lyrics to Heartland online in October 2009, giving fans months to pour over the poetry of the words before hearing them set to music.

The girl-group inspired melody in “Lewis Takes Action” directly conflicts with the violence in the lyrics: “I took No-Face by his beak and broke his jaw, he’ll never speak again.” “The Great Elsewhere” is a beautiful song that ends in a crisis of faith about “the indifferences of the Storyteller.” Heartland is not only beautiful to listen to, but a joy to unfold and interpret the world Pallett has created in this album.

The album ends with a question: “What Do You Think Will Happen Now?” Pallett absolutely succeeds at keeping the listener thoroughly engaged, but always with that question of marvelous uncertainty. If you like your indie music literary and elusive, Heartland is a challenge and a delight.

Written by: Dana Reinoos, April 8th 2010

No Rest

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:01:00 +0000

By Christy and Emily

Klangbad

Brooklyn songstress roommates, longtime collaborators, and bestie brunettes Christy Edwards and Emily Manzo have hipster cred out the wazoo. So do loads of other borough-based bands, but few have the raw talent of these two singer-songwriter women—a label that hardly defines the true depth of their talent. Their music, at times hauntingly sparse, reverberates with their lush voices and minimal instrumentation, often just Christy’s guitar or Emily’s keyboard. Sound cloying? The opposite is true. There is nothing pretentious or difficult about this album.

On No Rest, their second release this year, the gals focus on teasing out their folk influences, veering away from their psychedelic roots. At the same time, they maintain their sound experimentation and focus less on complicated lyrics. Lines like “Why not live a life of truth/Like your siblings” could be as autobiographical as they could be creative poetry put to music. No matter that their words are uncomplicated; every sound out of their mouths is truly beautiful, and there is additional beauty in simplicity.

“Idle Hands” has some of the best rhythmic composition on the album and draws to mind a more serious Girls Guitar Club, starting Christy and Emily instead of Karen Kilgariff & Mary Lynn Rajskub.

“Here Comes the Water Now” is a nod to natural disaster—and how unfortunately timely. The nearly rhyming lyrics—which pay off at the end—kept me fully engaged with the story as well as the music.

Better decide on what to bring Take a look around at everything There’s only so much time will allow Here comes the water... now

Closing track “Amaryllis”—which is coincidentally my favorite flower—uses the annual as a metaphor for periods of light and darkness. If you’ve never cared for these bulbous houseplants, just know that they’re like any other bulb. After blooming in the spring, they require months of darkness during the winter. In my experience, this typically means putting them in a large paper bag and tucking them in a dark corner until the springtime frost has vanished. C&E no doubt like these big horn-shaped flowers, as they’ve dedicated a whole song to them and sing, “Oh how lovely the plant you keep in the dark.”

From the album’s opening line—“I’m not scared of what I can’t see anymore”—to the sonic waves, gorgeous vocals, and wind chime-type sound effects, this album will mesmerize you. Let it.

Written by: Brittany Shoot, April 5th 2010

Voice of an Angel: Talking to Jill Andrews

admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:01:00 +0000

Interview with Jill Andrews

When I first spoke to singer Jill Andrews, I was quite shocked when she first answered the phone. Her voice was low, slow, and groggy, which wasn’t what I was expecting. You see, Andrews quite literally has the voice of an angel.

As it turned out, I was waking her up from a peaceful nap with her infant son, Nico. Nico was born around the time that Andrews’ critically acclaimed, Tennessee-based band, The Everybodyfields, broke up. She and her band were part of a growing wave of young musicians emerging from the south who are meshing the music of their region (country, bluegrass, and blues) with the music they grew up listening to (punk and indie rock) to create an interesting sound of their own. The Everybodyfields garnered a lot of attention early in their five-year career because of Andrews beautiful harmonizing with bandmate Sam Quinn and their constant touring with the increasingly popular Avett Brothers.

After the split, Andrews got to work creating music of her own, and recently released her first self-titled EP. No one can sing like Jill Andrews; no one can convey heartbreak and loneliness and aching pain like she can in just a single line. The EP is six songs of simple, pure, and heartfelt music, and though Andrews has a lot on her plate (a recent tour and her first child), she decided to release another six-track album recorded live at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, Georgia to benefit the International Rescue Committee and help the earthquake survivors in Haiti.

Who were your musical influences growing up?

My first tape was Diana Ross, and I wore that tape out when I was a kid. I have to say, though, that my first huge musical influence was Bette Midler. When I got to high school, I was really into folk music and started listening to things that weren’t on the radio, like The Jayhawks and Wilco. I was also really into Joni Mitchell.

A lot of what I started listening to in high school was influenced by my surroundings and where I came from. Living in the mountains of Tennessee influences the music we listened to, and the mountains were the perfect backdrop it. The music I like most now is the type of music I write and play. I like really emotional music. When I listen to songs, I want to feel something. I want to dirty dance or cry my eyes out.

When did you realize you wanted to be a musician?

I can remember always wanting to be famous, but my parents tell a different story. We always went to this donut shop together, and when I was a really little kid, my dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said a donut waitress. In high school I was in youth choir, school choir, and church choir, and all of my instructors were really supportive and made sure that I knew my voice was going to be heard.

When did you meet Sam Quinn?

Around the same time I started playing guitar, I went to summer camp. Sam was a camp counselor, and he asked me to sing a song, so I put on a cheesy karaoke tape and sang to it. I’m sure he thought I was crazy. After the first week of camp, I realized I really needed a guitar because everyone who had a guitar sucked. I knew if I practiced I could be good at it. I’m sure I made a fool of myself at first, but I began writing songs immediately after getting my guitar.

What do you hope people take from your music?

I’ve always been into helping people. I was a psychology major in college, and I worked with kids who had behavioral issues, but I quit to pursue music full-time. For a long time I struggled with the decision because being a singer seemed too egocentric. Every night the spotlight was shining on me. I got all dressed up and it was kind of like, “Hey, look at me!” I’ve since made peace with it, though. Music helps the emotional state of the world. People need music, and I need to keep making music for the sake of my own well being, so it all works out in the end.

Written by: Tina Vasquez, March 22nd 2010

A Cave, A Canoo

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:59:00 +0000

By Shelley Short

Hush Records

The deliberate mis-spelling of canoo in the title and opening track of singer-songwriter Shelley Short’s third album is never really explained, but makes sense on an unstated level. The phonetics on this album take center stage in attempting to interpret literal meanings to ambiguously dreamy lyrics. A Cave, A Canoo is a lovely, lulling album that does not shock or surprise in any way. Though the music is subtle and stripped down, large warm layers of instrumentation divert one down different streams. This allows the listener to drift along with the reverb-heavy guitar plucks and nostalgic vocals that are akin to Patsy Cline or Dusty Springfield, yet have a light, girlish edge that makes them more playful than melancholy or dramatic.

Recorded at her home in Portland, OR, A Cave, A Canoo has a distinct intimacy. Proudly described in the local newspaper, The Oregonian, as “Portland’s brand of kooky, curious charm,” there is an unmistakable Portland-y vibe. The music has an abundance of talented, dedicated, and humbled musicians who still value creativity over commercial success, and both reflects and invokes the gray, misty ambiance of the Pacific Northwest, which, perhaps because of the weather, pushes one to internal reflection. Sounds of rain on the tracks were mistaken by me for it beginning to fall outside.

The presence of accordion, stand-up bass, piano, and percussion takes individual tracks to different levels—jazz, folk, country, blues—yet merely nods in these directions rather than make a huge departure from the overall comfortable country treble tones. The collaboration with other musicians does not affect the somewhat solitary quality of the album. Other voices and sounds are merely carried on a breeze as Short paddles gently along through her songs.

With this in mind, A Cave, A Canoo is an album best listened to on ones own time. The reflective and hypnotic quality of the songs has the ability to quash all conversation except, perhaps, the internal ones. A Cave, A Canoo invites you into Short's internal conversations where sounds are more important than the accuracy of spellings.

Written by: Jyoti Roy, January 15th 2010

Know Better Learn Faster

admin — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 08:59:00 +0000

By Thao with The Get Down Stay Down

Kill Rock Stars

“Messy” and “complicated” could very well be the two best words for defining romantic love. As suggested by the title of Thao with The Get Down Stay Down’s latest record, Know Better Learn Faster, the brokenhearted masses could easily avoid painful relationships if they were just plain smarter and quicker learners. Alas, we as humans aren’t always the best decision makers, and as a small consolation, that’s why we get great break-up albums like this one.

On their second release for KRS, Thao with The Get Down Stay Down offers a varied record that is mostly energetic but also studded with a few mellow tracks. Drummer Willis Thompson, bassist and keyboardist Adam Thompson, and singer and guitarist Thao Nguyen have struck a fine balance of pacing on this album, avoiding any clichéd or sappy songs. The music itself is so lively that Know Better Learn Faster can be listened to at any time and in any mood.

Complementing the vibrant music are Nguyen’s capable songwriting abilities. She has a knack for quirky, attention-grabbing one-liners. On “Trouble Was For,” she opens the track by sultrily singing, “Everybody please put your clothes back on/We must see what the trouble was for,” and on “Body,” Nguyen pointedly asks, “What am I, just a body in your bed?”

“The Clap” gives the album an ominous and threatening opening. It’s a half-minute track complete with hand claps and layered vocals that repeats, “If this is how you want it ok, ok.” Sonically, this is as dark as the album gets, and while other tunes on Know Better Learn Faster are slowed and melancholic, none seem as chilling as the opener.

In most break-ups, there always seems to be a period of longing for the other to come back. This is a theme that is brought up frequently by Nguyen, like on “When We Swam,” where the plea is sung to “bring your hips to me,” or again on “Body,” where Nguyen makes a desire known by asking, “Won’t you reach for the body in your bed?”

But like Nguyen’s voice, which is strong and full-bodied, there’s a sense of resolve throughout the record to accept that the relationship is truly finished. On “Good Luck and Goodbye,” Nguyen sings, “Take care of your neck and spine and good luck and goodbye,” as if she is giving a reminder to learn from the past and to protect yourself from letting a relationship break you apart.

The dance-inducing “Easy” closes the album. It begins with Nguyen reminding us that “sad people dance, too.” It’s a great way to end this enjoyable album. Thao with The Get Down Stay Down leaves us with the knowledge that break-ups are never easy, but somehow, falling in love is still worth it.

Written by: Beverly Jenkins-Crockett, January 9th 2010

Cupéro

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0000

By Clarissa Cupéro

When I found out Clarissa Cupéro was only nineteen years old, I did a double take. Her gritty alto is substantial, forceful; it speaks of experience. Cupéro, a New York state native, is currently a student at Sienna College, and in addition to taking classes, she performs her songs for campus benefits (including concerts to aid student organizations such as Students Active for Ending Rape). She is still unsigned to a label, but self-released her self-titled EP last year through The Cutting Room in Greenwich Village.

This bilingual album is pervaded by driving rhythms, aggressive yet playful guitar riffs, and of course, Cupéro’s meaty vocals. The influence of classic rock artists is evident in the guitar-centric instrumentals, but her self-assured lyrics make it her own. The first track, “I’ve Got Your Number,” prompted me to dance around my apartment the first time I popped the disc into the player. The lyrics speak of experience beyond her years with a confidence and independence that is believable:

I’ve got your number, baby, I’m not digging the way you’re steering me, You’re changing me... I believe in what I stand for, Dignity, oh can’t you see?

This track, which has elicited unexpected success, is this generation’s cure for the epidemic of dependence women often feel towards any lover that will give them attention. Cupéro is strong enough to recognize a toxic relationship, and joyfully maintains her independence, asserting her agency.

Her love for Colombian rock artist Juanes is evident in the track “La Sombra”, whose Latin flair shows her flexibility as a musician to combine various styles, and once again, make this self-proclaimed wallflower get the urge to dance. Cupéro lays down a contemplative piano track on “Life is a Moment,” which along with the addition of strings, adds a thoughtful depth to the EP. “You’ll Never Be There” treats the age-old ailment of unrequited love with a positive, almost flippant attitude; as the last track, this piece rounds out the album nicely, leaving the listener with Clarissa’s sense of self and empowerment.

All six tracks exhibit an aspect of Cupéro’s resilient, albeit human personality, and display her lovely voice in concert with riffs that are simultaneously catchy and classic. I definitely look forward to hearing more from this young woman in the future. Her drive and tenacity got her noticed by two producers in the small Greenwich Village recording studio, so I am certain that as she matures and finishes her studies, she will have more music to share, and won’t stop until she gets the big break she deserves.

Written by: Cristin Colvin, January 5th 2010

Homemade Ship

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:54:00 +0000

By Rose Melberg

K Records

Rose Melberg made a name for herself in the nineties as a singer and guitarist for bands like the Softies, Tiger Trap, and Go Sailor. The prolific Vancouver-based musician has since successfully gone solo. While revered for her talent and earlier output as a band member, Melberg's latest solo release, Homemade Ship, makes a shy, serene entrance and has a difficult time leaving a strong impression.

Homemade Ship is a sparse yet pretty album. The barebones approach Melberg has taken by using only layered vocals and guitar is for both the better and the worse. Reminiscent of Iron & Wine, the album's sparse sound is inherently intimate, and Melberg's lyrics are often personal and heartfelt. In the touching "Truly," Melberg sings, "Come here better to hear me sing/Forget everything/How I made you cry." On "Old Days," Melberg casts a dreamy spell that is full of longing. Aptly named, the album does have a homemade and isolated feel to it. It conjures an image of Melberg cobbling together each track in a small room next to a fire.

But what Homemade Ship gains in simplicity, it seems to lose in dynamism. Larissa Loyva of Kellarissa and P:ano makes an occasional appearance on vocals and piano, but the majority of the album relies solely on Melberg's contributions. It's not that this approach can't work, but Homemade Ship doesn't seem to achieve a cohesive sound with distinct tracks that easily grab the listener. Most of the album's tracks, with their whimsical lyrics and soft guitar strums, could stand on their own, but together, they seem to spill over into each other, creating what often feels like one very long song.

The album is with merit, though. Melberg hasn't made it this far without knowing what she's doing. Homemade Ship is sleepy but not sloppy, lacking in twists but touching nonetheless.

Written by: Beverly Jenkins-Crockett, November 9th 2009

Gina Villalobos

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0000

By Days on Their Side

Face West Records

The fourth studio album from indie folk rocker Gina Villalobos rolls off right away with “Take a Beating to You” and from then on out, Villalobos and her voice go on a journey both swift and slow. With honest and painful lyrics penned mostly by Villalobos herself, the record rises to the top of the alt country/rock genre and may be a breakout hit for this year. There will be comparisons to Lucinda Williams and even Sheryl Crow, but Villalobos deserves to stand on her own merit with this album. Since the debut of Rock 'n Roll Pony, Villalobos has consistently put out records that rock, that roll, and that blend country, rock, and folk into something likable and listenable.

The biography on her website describes her as: “the real thing, an artist, someone who can show you where you are.” It’s a perfectly worded way to describe listening to Days on Their Side. The album keeps up with Villalobos’ other records—with her scratchy voice, a distinct characteristic that slides over the music and unifies the previous albums—but the overall tone here of breakups and bust ups goes on an emotional, but never bitter voyage. Standout tracks include “Falling Away,” which has catchy hooks and is slightly more upbeat than the rest of the songs, as well as the title track “Days on Their Side.” Villalobos also varies the sound; on “Second Chance,” she uses a banjo to bring a different vibe and a different depth to the song.

The first track, “Take a Beating” sets the tone for the rest of the songs, with lyrics like “I wanna take a beating with you/Don’t wanna talk to somebody new.” A common enough emotion for anyone who has gone through heartbreak and is trying to recover, the album is the perfect complement to sitting around with a whiskey and reminiscing over lost love.

Written by: Mónica Teresa Ortiz, October 29th 2009

Victoria Day

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000

By Melissa McClelland

Six Shooter Records

My first taste of Melissa McClelland came about a year ago when a friend had me listen to her beautiful rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s ballad of the working class "Factory." Her version gave a feminine and country-tinged perspective that worked brilliantly with the song. I was immediately impressed.

I got very excited to learn McClelland had a new album out entitled Victoria Day, after her homeland’s holiday that generally marks the beginning of summer—not unlike Memorial Day for most Americans. The album definitely carries an air of summer it its sound, so the title is quite fitting.

McClelland was born in the Unites States, but raised in Canada. Many music fans simply know her as singer-songwriter Luke Doucet’s wife, but she has proven she will not remain in his shadow—and quite possibly may even take some of the spotlight for herself.

McClelland's music reminds me much of some of Canadia's other songstresses. Her blend of powerful vocals and just enough of a country feel to give it character makes for an easy association with the wonderful Sarah Harmer. Unlike Harmer, whom often leans closer to the melancholy folk side, McClelland brings a poppier barroom feel to many of her tracks. On past efforts, McClelland’s lyrics they told stories and felt more intimate, but Victoria Day seems to play it safe on most tracks and worries more about the melody.

McClelland’s sound brings to mind a picture of square dancers twirling skirts, a well-dressed band playing, hay bales on the sidelines, and her in the spotlight. It is a classic sound, meant to entertain and keep people interested. The ballads on the album would as easily fit within a big band ballroom filled with satin dresses and evening gloves since they lack the fiddle and banjo most pure country is wont to include.

The title track, “Victoria Day (May Flowers)”, is a standout on the album, as is “I Blame You,” but I can confidently say there are no tracks that feel like a waste of time. It is a brilliantly put together album from beginning to end.

Written by: Anne Corrigan, September 21st 2009

Here Come the Vikings

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:40:00 +0000

By Astrid Williamson

One Little Indian

Astrid Williamson is a Scottish-born musician, who has been compared to Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac and lists among her influences the canon of American singer-songwriters, such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. Though I like where Williamson is coming from on her fourth solo album, Here Come the Vikings, and the album has some decent ideas for pop tunes, I have two major problems with this album: the songs aren’t well executed and don’t provide any surprises.

Here Come the Vikings is Williamson's first self-produced album. Each song on seems to have the kernel of a really good song in it, but this is overshadowed by major flaws of some kind that might have been worked out by letting the song stew a bit longer or getting some additional input. When listening to the album, the thing that stuck out the most was how often I thought about shortening this or that song or choosing different background instruments.

Williamson’s voice isn’t the greatest either. I appreciate that this is her real, unadulterated voice, but on tracks like “Storm,” it sounds reedy and uneven. She sounds better on more sultry numbers like “How You Take My Breath Away” where emotion might appropriately crack the voice. The best track on the record is “Slake,” which features spoken word and seems to only include a chorus as an afterthought.

Of course, all of this would be irrelevant if the songs were well-written and innovative. No one has ever accused Dylan of having a lovely voice, and few question his musical importance. But the songs on Here Come the Vikings just aren’t that great. Sometimes they start out good and then peter out or circle in on themselves. Other times they just annoy. They seem to rehash ideas we’ve seen before—the piano ballad, the more rockin’ song about sex, the breathy, slow number—but without enough surprises to make them worth another listen.

Maybe having a producer is not such a bad idea.

Written by: H. V. Cramond, September 11th 2009

A Ways Away

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 09:11:00 +0000

By Tara Jane O'Neil

K Records

I think I’m genetically predisposed to rock; it’s in my blood or something. I want things to be loud, sometimes fast, and always frantic. I like it when a bass line’s so fat you can feel it in your crotch. I like it when guitars rip through your eardrums. I especially like it when a drum beat is so loud you can mistake it for your own pulse. I want to hear something in the singer’s voice that essentially says, “I will sing these words as if my life depends on it.”

There are exceptions, of course, like when I listen to Elliott Smith, though it could be said the same rules apply—just in reverse. The quieter and more timid music is, the more crazed I feel. Tara Jane O’Neil’s fifth album is definitely in the “softer” category of music. It did not turn me into the crazed, emotional wreck I often become after the first chords of “Needle in the Hay,” but A Ways Away is pretty in its own distinct way.

I expect a lot of female singer-songwriters. Some might say that makes me sexist, but I just say it makes me demanding. I don’t want cliché, Lilith Fair-type, boyfriend-inspired angst, and I definitely don’t want watered down, Top 40 love ballads. I just want the music to be real and achingly beautiful. I want it to perfectly encapsulate something unique to the female experience, is that too much to ask?

TJO’s album has a quiet power that’s hard to describe. I, to this day, don’t know any of the lyrics on A Ways Away even after repeated listens, but each and every song on the record sounds like a lovesick lullaby for grownups. There are gentle, reverberating sounds everywhere, and shaky, childlike singing. If you close your eyes long enough while listening to “Dig In” or “Pearl into Sand,” you begin to think of first kisses, the electricity of love, and long, warm summers that were spent doing nothing in particular yet still managed to feel larger than life. I don’t know about you, but I’m of the opinion that that’s a major accomplishment for a timid little record.

Written by: Tina Vasquez, August 2nd 2009

Good Evening

admin — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:56:00 +0000

By Nite Jewel

Human Ear Music

Somewhere, there is an indie coming-of-age film that is just begging to be scored by Nite Jewel. Nite Jewel is the stage name of one Ramona Gonzalez, a songwriter and composer who hails from Los Angeles California. Using a multi-track cassette recorder, keyboard, drums and other various instruments, Nite Jewel’s music is reminiscent of that synthesized techno pop sound that reached its pinnacle in the 1980s. Good Evening, Nite Jewel’s newest musical endeavor, is a collection of ten songs that do not disappoint. The songs are a combination of hypnotic trance rhythms, steady dance beats and gentle female vocals. Most of the beats are slow but there is something infectious about them. You end up swaying, if not right out dancing to the music. Despite its being danceable, the music has a relaxing quality to it that makes it perfect background music for everyday activities. One can easily enjoy the music without being distracted with it as they go about their day working, cleaning, and reading. I cannot understand a word being sung in any of the Nite Jewel songs, but I’m not sure I’m supposed to. The soft, murmuring lyrics give the music an ethereal feel (This is most apparent in the track “Chimera”), which only adds to its appeal. Although I enjoyed the entire album, there were two songs that really stood out. The first was “Universal Mind” which possesses a constant, steady beat, but still maintains a beautiful tranquility throughout the track. The second song, “Artificial Intelligence,” is chipper and uplifting and boasts the kind of rhythm that people cannot help but clap along to.

Good Evening plays well as a whole, the songs seamlessly blending from one to the next. My one complaint is that the audio on the album is very soft. I had to turn the volume up considerably on my computer and in my car to hear it properly.

Written by: Victoria Kroeger, June 27th 2009

Look Ahead

admin — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:01:00 +0000

By Chrissy Coughlin

Nature Girl Records

Chrissy Coughlin’s sound is an amalgamation of pop, indie, and folk, but overall it’s good songwriting, and she switches styles with aplomb. “Back to You” starts the album out kicking; it’s a peppy, upbeat tune marked by a strong beat and understated organ. The lyrics of this toe-tapping power rock song are somewhat trite (“If I don’t turn around and stay I would be a fool/I’m coming back to you”), but it’s absolutely fun nevertheless. “Watch Your Step,” takes things in a totally different direction, with reflective lyrics and acoustic guitar and piano. The lyrics of this introspective tune, in which she voices her worries over a friend having a rough time, are thoughtful. “I know you’re used to flying/Now the curtains are drawn/How quick the daylight’s gone/And all you’ve got are the stars above/Tell me what you gonna do my friend?”

The standout track “Big Log” is a classic Southern rocker—a sultry ballad with a languid electric guitar, with tension bubbling beneath the surface. “Perfect Time” is another upbeat tune, again featuring organ. The message—take advantage of the present moment—is simple, but the straightforward melody and infectious rhythm make it a perfect sing-along. The autumnal “Wait for You” is among the most memorable tracks on the disc. It starts with a melancholy piano riff and slow guitar picking; ambiguous lyrics add to its appeal. We don’t know who Coughlin is waiting for or why, but her plaintive vocals hint at longing and desperation.

Coughlin tries her hand at jazz with Carlos Antonio Jobim's bossa nova classic “Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado),” which features piano, cymbal washes, horns, and a long sax solo. The song showcases her husky, nuanced vocal, and her adventurous choice in covering this standard pays off. The disc concludes with “Honestly,” a straightforward tune about following one’s calling. The music perfectly fits Coughlin’s inspirational lyrics and it is a heartfelt, powerful end to the album.

Coughlin has been compared to a wide range of female singer-songwriters in the country, folk, and rock traditions, including Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, and Ricki Lee Jones. While traces of these artists’ influences can be found on her second album, what she really shares with them is a penchant for musical exploration and adventure, embracing multiple genres, and balancing them with wonderful results. She is at turns delicate and introspective, self-assured and in control, but she is always worth a listen.

Written by: Karen Duda, May 26th 2009