Core Samples, featuring reviews of Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer; Eagles of Death Metal; Dexateens; Juliana Hatfield; Jeff Ellis; Thistle; ... and you will know us by the Trail of Dead; Prince Fatty; /Passenger; Jessie Baylin; Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan; Ginger
Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer
American Noel
Signature Sounds
These eight songs are the only holiday songs the late Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, who is alive and well, recorded together. According to the liner notes, originally the recordings were gifts from the president of a national hardware chain to his employees. Carter and Grammer were invited to contribute to the project three years in a row; this album compiles their contributions from that period.
The musical backing is spare. The only musicians on most of the tracks are Carter and Grammer. Arlene Hale is a guest vocalist on the title track. But whatever they play -- guitars, violin, percussion, bass -- the instruments ring out, adding to the air of good cheer, and Carter’s trademark mysticism in the lyrics. Some of these songs are home recordings from Tracy’s kitchen. Others are studio recordings, but still sound homemade.
Most of the mysticism on this album is Christian in nature. Jesus is born, Mary and Joseph look after him, the three wise men are on their way to find the Christ child. Some songs Carter wrote himself, and some are traditional carols. One cute, funny song is “Giddyup Said Santa Claus,” in which Carter gets lost on Christmas Eve, asks Santa for help, and Santa takes him along for the ride. By the end of the song, Carter has agreed to ride shotgun with Santa every year. It’s pretty clear from the gentle romp of the music that Carter and Grammer had fun playing this song.
Dave Carter was on a Jeff Buckley-like rise in the folk music world, destined to break into the mainstream, when he died of a massive heart attack in July 2002, a tragedy that echoed throughout folk music. This compilation is as good as any of their albums as an introduction to his work. He is a performer worth listening to. It’s his wise, but never wooly mysticism, his happy, positive music and speedy guitar playing, and Tracy Grammer’s wonderfully smooth voice and melancholy violin playing that made them, together, icons of modern folk music. [www.tracygrammer.com]
Andrea Weiss
Eagles of Death Metal
Heart On
Downtown Records/Rekords Rekords
Boots Electric and Baby Duck (a.k.a. Jesse Hughs and Josh Homme) are back, abetted by such partners in grime as Troy Van Leeuwen, Alain Johannes, and Brian O'Connor, with more sleazy, groovy, fun rock and roll. The kind of fun we used to have listening to the Stones back in the 70s, and beneath Homme's searing lead licks, several songs are fueled by Stonesian riffs a la "Brown Sugar". Yet between all the "Tight Pants" and "Prissy Prancin'" is the gentle, disillusioned, been done wrong "Now I'm a Fool", a standout track for me. Some reviewers have complained that this disc sounds more like Queens of the Stone Age than earlier EoDM albums did. A little. I ain't complaining. If you're tired of nearly everything that rocks these days taking itself too seriously, this is the disc for you.
Jen Grover
Dexateens
Lost and Found
Skybucket
Lost and Found, the latest album from north Alabama's Dexateens, rocks like the Rolling Stones might if they were still young and unspoiled by success. What could be better? Well, you can get it for free. Click your way over to [dexateens.net] and start downloading. Even though the band will give you this wonderful album for absolutely nothing, show some class while you're there and leave a tip in the jar.
x
Juliana Hatfield
How to Walk Away
Ye Olde Records
The title is both a line in "The Fact Remains" and spelled out in her book as walking away from bad situations and moving on alone. These situations could be romantic, family problems, or a bad friendship. Two of these relationship endings, detailed in "Shining On" and "Remember November", show how walking away may turn an unwholesome or damaging relationship into a healthy one, and allow a lovely memory, rather than a bad one.
Hatfield's lyrics are personal, almost confessional. I'm never sure if she's writing about her life or fiction, which leaves the songs open to even more interpretation than if she hadn't penned her life story.
The big surprise, though, is the music. This is a conventional singer/songwriter album, with sleek radio-ready production by Andy Chase. It would fit right in on AAA radio, if that format would get rid of the Amy Winehouse and Norah Jones clones and be open to songwriters really saying and playing something. The songs are mid-tempo, never too soft or hard, and Juliana's wonderful guitar playing makes the tunes go smoothly, even as she retains her trademark rawness. The music also brings out the emotions in the lyrics quite well, like the bittersweet tone of "Laws of Nature". The music is gentle, almost soothing, but there is an undercurrent of sadness.
There are two great guest vocals, one from Richard Butler on "This Lonely Love" and Matthew Caws on "Such a Beautiful Girl". Butler makes "This Lonely Love" gritty, as the song isn't about love, but falling for a fantasy the singer builds through the music and lyrics. Caws lends extra sadness to a song about a girl living in a dysfunctional family.
To sum things up, here's a quote about the album from Juliana's new autobiography, When I Grow Up: "I believed, maybe for the first time ever, that what I was making deserved an audience. I needed to believe it. Not that it would have a big audience-but that it was good as any popular bunch of songs. That's what I needed to summon the strength, the will, and the energy to get through the complicated recording process; to believe that it would matter to people other than myself, if they heard it... Now that I was finally at the top of my game-now that my brain and body had finally caught up to my potential-was it too late. Would anyone care?" [www.julianahatfield.com].
Andrea Weiss
Jeff Ellis
Covering the Distance
Caustic Eye
Jeff's latest finds the West Virginia native returning to his Appalachian roots, with a more country sound. Pedal steel and banjo accent the opener, "When You Come Back Around". Fiddle ushers in the Celtic-flavored "West Virginia Hills". Autoharp, hammer dulcimer, and even a washboard crop up in other songs. In the midst of it all is the pretty, soulfully sung, bluesy pop/rock love song "Sleepyhead", with it's 70s rock electric slide guitar. "Grandpa's Place" is a feel good ode to simpler times, closeness of family, and happy memories. An older song of Jeff's, "Goodnight Capital City", gets a country-fied update, but to be honest, I much prefer it as a rock ballad.
It's wonderful to have a proper release of "The Men in Sago Mine", Jeff's heart-wrenching tribute to the victims of that disaster, and the families they left behind. It's a haunting, beautiful melody in the fine Appalachian Old Time tragic ballad tradition, on a topic that's both old and, sadly, current.
As always, you can sample Jeff's music, including several from this album, at his MySpace page. [www.myspace.com/jeffellismusic]
Jen Grover
Thistle
The Small Hours
Tiberius
From underneath a cover depicting a fiber arts piece that looks like halved hardboiled eggs bearing worms upon a storm-tossed sea, comes Thistle's equally dark, thick, and enigmatic new album, released in two formats, CD and 12" vinyl LP. The LP opens with "Play the Drums", a song not on the CD, and the second song, "Coffin Notes", (which is the CD opener) is a live version. It's interesting the difference these differences make to the mood with which one perceives the album. The CD smacks you right in the face with a hard, heavy opening. The album sneaks in a bit more subtly and moodily, and I must say I prefer this version most times, and "Play the Drums" seems related to the closer, "The Departure", thus providing a nice bookend effect for the inner tracks. The live version of "Coffin Notes" is rawer and edgier and the dynamics seem more pronounced, which all adds up to a more exciting rendition, and a hint for those who haven't had the experience of what the band is like live. For these reasons, if you've got a turntable, I recommend the vinyl version over the CD (plus, for art lovers, the 12" cover shows a fuller view of the artwork, whereas the CD booklet shows a close-up of one section).
This is good, honest, intelligent post-punk indie rock, with great guitar sounds and noises, wonderful, rich bass guitar tones, and tight, forceful drumming. While essentially a guitar riff-based band, those riffs don't just repeat ad infinitum like in a lot of riff-based rock songs; they gently and constantly evolve, keeping the songs interesting, and setting up some pretty big changes within the songs, in such a way that those changes don't feel jarring. This band continues to grow as songwriters and performers, and Mike Montgomery's vocals have never sounded better, having gained in strength, emotion, and execution, yet without losing that human, fragile quality that gets you in the heart. Mission of Burma influences are very evident, cropping up in guitar and bass sounds and riffs, and similarly mathy song structures, but melded with Thistle's own ideas and lyrical topics. If I have a complaint about this album, it's that tempos are just a tiny bit sluggish at times. Speeding some of these songs up just a tad would add that extra spark, ratchet up the emotion, and capture more of the excitement the band brings live. But, really, that's a small complaint about quite a fine album. You can sample tracks from throughout their career at their official website and their MySpace page. [www.thistlewired.com] [www.myspace.com/thistlewired]
Jen Grover
... and you will know us by the Trail of Dead
Festival Thyme (10" vinyl picture disc)
Justice Records
Yes, there is a new Trail of Dead CD in the works, and personally, I can't wait. This band never wears out for me, and this gorgeous (in both looks and sound) teaser has me primed. The disc features the lush, highly detailed, expertly rendered artwork of frontman Conrad Keeley; side A depicts a fanciful sailing ship, side B a group of stunned children and mourning women. The music is typically grand Trail of Dead fare -- lush, bold, epic alt-rock, with big sound and big ideas. You may not automatically think of piano as a particularly rock instrument, but here it creates a solid, heavy foundation for the overlay of electric guitars, and takes a crisp, propulsive role. Tucked amidst the originals is a very trippy cover of the Replacements' "Within Your Reach".
This is a limited edition of 3000, so if you want one, I suggest you act fast. You can hear a couple of the EP tracks on their MySpace page (if you can get the player to stream properly). [trailofdead.com] [www.myspace.com/trailofdead]
Jen Grover
Prince Fatty
Survival of the Fattest
Tommy Boy/Rasa
A "fatty" is another term for a big joint, and the band is so drenched in pot, that I got a contact high just listening. This modern Reggae album is so much fun, with happy sounding horns, terrific singing from people like Little Roy and Hollie Cook (the Slits), great grooves to dance to, songs about good times and politics, and Mike Plenacon's production is wonderful.
In a better world, this album would be, as Queens of the Stone Age would say, the "Feel Good Hit of the Summer". It envisions a better world, where everyone dances, gets high, and feels good all the time. [www.myspace.com/princefatty]
Andrea Weiss
/Passenger
Wicked Man's Rest
Chalkmark/Cooking vinyl
The music on this album is ghostly, ethereal and wistful. It drifts along like fog or haze.
But the wonderful music is marred by the sad sack lyrics and a singer with a sob in his voice. He is not pleasant to listen to, just annoying. It's a shame that he uses the music to enhance his crying. However, the album is kind of worth it for the music. Just don't pay attention to the singer.
You can listen to an MP3 of "Do What You Like" at the Girlie Action URL. [www.myspace.com/passengerofficial] [www.girlieaction.com/passenger/dwyl.mp3]
Andrea Weiss
Jessie Baylin
Firesight
Verve Forecast
Baylin's major label debut is a good one. She is a strong singer/songwriter, and her songs are smart, well-played, and solid. All of the songs have something to recommend them, whether it is the jazzy keyboards, or the folk/rock guitars, or lyrics that dissect a breakup. While it is good, it is, at times, not the most interesting music. I wish Baylin had taken a few chances, experimented a bit with the songs, roughed them up or twisted them around. That would've made the album even stronger.
The best song is the single "Was I on Your Mind", a haunting breakup song played as gentle mid-tempo pop, but the tempo makes the song sadder. I recommend it to those who want above average pop, and an album for quiet, contemplative times.
You can listen to "Was I on Your Mind" at the Girlie Action URL. [girlieaction.com/jessiebaylin/jessiebaylin.mp3] [www.jessiebaylin.com]
Andrea Weiss
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan
Sunday at Devil Dirt
V2
The second album from Isobel and Mark continues in the vein of their first, with a variety of musical styles such as folk, orchestrated pop, blues and even an R&B-ish number. ("Come On Over, Turn Me On"). Mark does most of the singing and he is in good form here. Isobel's feathery voice is lightweight on its own, but she sounds good with Mark. Isobel wrote most of the songs and produced the album, and she is talented at both. Lots of good songs here, but I think my favorites are the sweet and folky "Keep me in Mind, Sweetheart" and "Trouble."
Pam Kirk
Ginger
Market Harbour
Round Records
This is the third solo album from the Wildhearts' frontman Ginger in three years. Where The Wildhearts' primary focus is on hard rock dominance, Ginger's solo work explores just about EVERYWHERE else in the realm of modern music.
First single "Casino Bay" starts off this record with a big blast of spacious power chords and great pop melodies, and for the next hour the hooks never let up, creating one seamless piece of music.
Last year's opus, Yoni, touched on reggae, jangle pop, Motown, and even a little disco. This time out, the bases covered on these fourteen songs (and seven interludes) are considerably more elaborate: power pop ("The Queen Of Leaving", "Overeasy"), country ("House Of Moths"), Phil Spector ("Awareness And The Great Integrity", "Shatterproof", "Casino Bay"), 70s soft rock ("Regret.com"), and yes, even some hard rock ("Attentionette", "Josser Bank"), with touches of Celtic, folk, electronica, and even circus music. All of this is done with outstanding hooks, lyrics, and vocal melodies to die for. Only on this album can you get a lyric like "I have to declare/With my hands in the air/You're just too fucking weird" sung as a 50s pop melody ("Couple Trouble")!
Easily his most elaborate project to date (nearly thirty credited musicians, including eight lead vocalists, counting his two children on "You And Me (That's What I Want)"), Ginger has pulled off the hat trick of three outstanding albums in just a twelve-month time span (Yoni from January, 2007, The Wildhearts' self titled comeback effort from April, 2007, and now this album, released in January, 2008). With the next twelve months looking to be just as busy (TWO Wildhearts albums are planned and likely another solo album for January, 2009), it'll be interesting to see if he can keep up the amazing quality of work.
This album is available in the U.S. as an import or download (currently on iTunes and Rhapsody), but it's worth every penny! [www.gingerandthesoniccircus.net] [www.thewildhearts.com]
Phil Fleming