The Final Countdown
The Librarianette and I have been singing this song for the last two weeks as we've been working on the end of school year stuff. Our Cool Friend from The Office showed us this today and I had to share. Highlights include the unusual instrument and the dude's very expressive eyebrows.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Music Monday
My Music - A to Z
I thought I had reached a milestone in my CD reviews and that I had finished A through D. Then, I realized that we had gotten new CDs since I started this project and I needed to go back and review them. So this week's edition is subtitled:
New Additions - A to D
Emotionalism - The Avett Brothers (2007)
My first experience with The Avett Brothers was at MerleFest, an amazing bluegrass festival in North Carolina. Until that point, I thought modern bluegrass was what The Attorney and I have dubbed "pot-smoking bluegrass" (which basically means The Grateful Dead and all the bands that sound like them.) MerleFest opened my eyes to other takes on this genre, including the bluegrass meets punk sound of this band. They made a whole lotta noise for just three guys and their performance was chock full of emotion. I saw them again on a giant stage at last year's ACL and they were equally as good. This album captures that emotionalism (sneaky reference to the album's title, no?) and that theme unites the album.
Faves - Paranoia in B Flat Minor, Salina, I Would Be Sad, Shame
I and Love and You - The Avett Brothers (2009)
From my limited knowledge of The Avett Brothers, this album seems to be a departure from their "signature" sound of bluegrass meets punk. It's definitely more mellow and includes more instruments than their earlier stuff. They're more tuneful and less "yelly," which works well with the tone and themes set by the opening title song. The lyrics are very introspective, and at times, a little self-indulgent. The bluegrass influence is there and they are very good on their instruments. I like it more and more each time I listen to it.
Faves - I and Love and You, January Wedding
Unsung - Slaid Cleaves (2006)
I said in an earlier review of Mr. Cleaves' work that he knows how to break your heart. He does it again on this album. This is a collection of songs written by other artists, so there is more of a mix of styles than on some of his other albums, but all are united by Cleaves' chosen themes of loss, longing, and sometimes, grace. Cleaves is a master storyteller - he makes the stop-at-nothing-to-get-to-the-top character of Millionaire as believable as the drug addicted LA starlet in The Fairest of Them All. This is a quintessential singer/songwriter album, even though the singer is not singing his own words.
Faves - Flowered Dresses, Oh Roberta, Working Stiff
Escape from Dragon House - Dengue Fever (2007)
We got to see this band at a free SXSW show this spring and they were a lot of fun. The lead singer is Cambodian and sometimes sings in her native language. Even when she's singing in English, her voice has that unique nasal twang that makes it difficult to understand the lyrics. But this is the kind of music where words aren't really all that important. They've got a funky, pop thing going on and the band even includes a saxophone! The album captures the group's vibe very well and they actually sound better than they did live (although to be fair, I did see them outdoors, under a tent, so the sound quality wasn't great).
Faves - One Thousand Tears of a Tarantula, Tip My Canoe, Tap Water
A Mad & Faithful Telling - Devotcha (2008)
We saw this band at last year's ACL fest and they were a spectacle for the eyes and ears. I wasn't sure that a CD could capture that experience, but this one comes pretty close on the ear part. Devotcha has a truly unique sound - Gypsy meets Southwestern horns meets something from the 1930s...It's really hard to explain. But it's good stuff. This CD showcases the variety of their sounds. I'm not sure on the theme because I haven't been able to figure out most of the lyrics yet. But I will keep listening and trying, and that's a sign of a good album.
Faves - Basso Profundo, Along the Way
The Dirty South - Drive By Truckers (2004)
When my dad purchased this for The Attorney for Christmas, he said that the on-line blurb described it as Southern Gothic. That is an apt description of these tales of very flawed, often dark, but very real people. I swear that I know some of these folks (and might even be related to a couple!). I really like DBT's style - Southern rock with no apologies. They alternate lead singers so the voices change with the characters. The title is the theme and though I wouldn't necessarily call it a concept album, it was definitely well thought out and put together. I haven't seen them live, but would.
Faves - Tornadoes, The Day John Henry Died, Carl Perkins' Cadillac, Goddamn Lonely Love
I thought I had reached a milestone in my CD reviews and that I had finished A through D. Then, I realized that we had gotten new CDs since I started this project and I needed to go back and review them. So this week's edition is subtitled:
New Additions - A to D
Emotionalism - The Avett Brothers (2007)
My first experience with The Avett Brothers was at MerleFest, an amazing bluegrass festival in North Carolina. Until that point, I thought modern bluegrass was what The Attorney and I have dubbed "pot-smoking bluegrass" (which basically means The Grateful Dead and all the bands that sound like them.) MerleFest opened my eyes to other takes on this genre, including the bluegrass meets punk sound of this band. They made a whole lotta noise for just three guys and their performance was chock full of emotion. I saw them again on a giant stage at last year's ACL and they were equally as good. This album captures that emotionalism (sneaky reference to the album's title, no?) and that theme unites the album.
Faves - Paranoia in B Flat Minor, Salina, I Would Be Sad, Shame
I and Love and You - The Avett Brothers (2009)
From my limited knowledge of The Avett Brothers, this album seems to be a departure from their "signature" sound of bluegrass meets punk. It's definitely more mellow and includes more instruments than their earlier stuff. They're more tuneful and less "yelly," which works well with the tone and themes set by the opening title song. The lyrics are very introspective, and at times, a little self-indulgent. The bluegrass influence is there and they are very good on their instruments. I like it more and more each time I listen to it.
Faves - I and Love and You, January Wedding
Unsung - Slaid Cleaves (2006)
I said in an earlier review of Mr. Cleaves' work that he knows how to break your heart. He does it again on this album. This is a collection of songs written by other artists, so there is more of a mix of styles than on some of his other albums, but all are united by Cleaves' chosen themes of loss, longing, and sometimes, grace. Cleaves is a master storyteller - he makes the stop-at-nothing-to-get-to-the-top character of Millionaire as believable as the drug addicted LA starlet in The Fairest of Them All. This is a quintessential singer/songwriter album, even though the singer is not singing his own words.
Faves - Flowered Dresses, Oh Roberta, Working Stiff
Escape from Dragon House - Dengue Fever (2007)
We got to see this band at a free SXSW show this spring and they were a lot of fun. The lead singer is Cambodian and sometimes sings in her native language. Even when she's singing in English, her voice has that unique nasal twang that makes it difficult to understand the lyrics. But this is the kind of music where words aren't really all that important. They've got a funky, pop thing going on and the band even includes a saxophone! The album captures the group's vibe very well and they actually sound better than they did live (although to be fair, I did see them outdoors, under a tent, so the sound quality wasn't great).
Faves - One Thousand Tears of a Tarantula, Tip My Canoe, Tap Water
A Mad & Faithful Telling - Devotcha (2008)
We saw this band at last year's ACL fest and they were a spectacle for the eyes and ears. I wasn't sure that a CD could capture that experience, but this one comes pretty close on the ear part. Devotcha has a truly unique sound - Gypsy meets Southwestern horns meets something from the 1930s...It's really hard to explain. But it's good stuff. This CD showcases the variety of their sounds. I'm not sure on the theme because I haven't been able to figure out most of the lyrics yet. But I will keep listening and trying, and that's a sign of a good album.
Faves - Basso Profundo, Along the Way
The Dirty South - Drive By Truckers (2004)
When my dad purchased this for The Attorney for Christmas, he said that the on-line blurb described it as Southern Gothic. That is an apt description of these tales of very flawed, often dark, but very real people. I swear that I know some of these folks (and might even be related to a couple!). I really like DBT's style - Southern rock with no apologies. They alternate lead singers so the voices change with the characters. The title is the theme and though I wouldn't necessarily call it a concept album, it was definitely well thought out and put together. I haven't seen them live, but would.
Faves - Tornadoes, The Day John Henry Died, Carl Perkins' Cadillac, Goddamn Lonely Love
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