In the indie and folk universes, March looks to be a month peppered with some fine releases, listed below. I highly encourage checking all of these out:

SELECT NEW RELEASES:

03-09

>Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks [Fat Cat]- Scottish Rockers (interviewed on the BIRN last year) release their follow-up to their beautiful 2008 album The Midnight Organ Fight.

03-23

>She & Him: Volume Two [Merge]- M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel reunite for more 70's inflected pop.
>Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & The Cairo Gang: The Wonder Show Of The World [Drag City]- The prolific Will Oldham releases his tenth album under the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy moniker.
>Bill Callahan: Rough Travel For A Rare Thing [Drag City]- Live album from the artist formerly known as 'Smog'. Bill Callahan's 2009 album Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle was one of my favorites of the year.

03-30
Sam Amidon: I See the Sign [Bedroom Community]- Sam Amidon's take on the folk tradition is all his own. In his first two albums he has taken old folk songs and reshaped them to a point where they're sometimes almost unrecognizable. But he does it well.

BEST BOSTON SHOWS:

>3/4- Justin Townes Earle, Joe Pug@Great Scott- Two very fine young singer-songwriters in the country/folk realm.
>3/13- Glenn Jones@Mills Gallery- Guitarist from Cambridge, MA and master in the "American Primitive" style.
>3/13- Joy Kills Sorrow@Club Passim- Young bluegrass group from the Boston area.
>3/17- Joanna Newsom@Sanders Theatre- This show is sold out but tickets are being resold for exorbitant prices online.
>3/26- Marissa Nadler@TT The Bears- Boston's own dreamy-folk songstress.
>3/28- Beach House@Paradise- Their 2010 album Teen Dream has been one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year.
>3/30- Shearwater@TT The Bears- Supporting their fine new disc The Golden Archipelago. Read More >>

2010 has already provided us with some very fine new releases in January (Beach House, Owen Pallett) and February looks to be another strong month. Here's some stuff you might consider picking up and some shows worth checking out in the month ahead:

SELECT NEW RELEASES:

02-02
>The Album Leaf: A Chorus of Storytellers [Sub Pop]- The 5th release from this critically acclaimed post-rock band.
>Midlake: The Courage of Others [Bella Union]- A group formed over 10 years ago by jazz students at the University of North Texas. They've since transitioned to a folk-rock sound in their three albums on Bella Union.


02-09
>Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here [XL]- Gil Scott-Heron's music has been highly influencial in the hip-hop and soul communities since his 1970 debut. This album is his first full-length in over 15 years.
>
Kath Bloom: Thin Thin Line [Caldo Verde]- A folk singer from Connecticut who came under the public eye thanks to a 2009 tribute album featuring artists such as Devendra Banhart, Bill Callahan and The Dodos.


02-16

>Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore: Dear Companion [Sub Pop]- Two young talented folk singers with burgeoning careers of their own come together. 

>Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Preservation [RED]- This group is a collective of traditional jazz musicians from New Orleans. One of the best there is.

02-23

>David Byrne & Fatboy Slim: Here Lies Love [Todomundo/Nonesuch]- David Byrne (Talking Heads) and legendary DJ Fatboy Slim come together. This has the potential to be mind blowing.
>Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me [Drag City]- Joanna Newsom returns from a quiet few years with a triple album. She'll be at the Sanders Theatre on March 17th.

>Shearwater: The Golden Archipelago [Matador]- The followup to this band's critically acclaimed 2008 album, "Rook."


BEST BOSTON SHOWS:

2-05
>AA Bondy@TT The Bears- Alt-Country has seen something of a Renaissance lately and AA Bondy is probably one of it's best representatives.
>Brad Mehldau@Sanders Theatre- One of the most forward pushing popular jazz pianists performs solo at Harvard's Sanders Theatre.

2-06
>Ladysmith Black Mambazo@Sanders Theatre- Most folks know Ladysmith Black Mambazo from their contributions to Paul Simon's masterwork "Graceland."

2-10 and 2-11
>The Magnetic Fields@Wilbur Theatre- Boston based band The Magnetic Fields have been one of the most critically acclaimed indie pop groups of the last couple decades. They visit the Wilbur in support of their new album, "Realism."

2-11
>Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour@Berklee Performance Center- Four jazz heavyweights on one stage: Kurt Elling, Regina Carter, Russell Malone and Kenny Barron. Read More >>

Walk into a small, austere room where every object is tinted a ghostly, piercing, just-entered-the-morgue yellow. This is the focal point of intensity before the seismic waves of social condemnation to follow in Heiner Müller’s Hamletmachine, directed by Marcus Stern at the A.R.T. in Boston. What makes this production so intriguing is it’s minimalist approach to decoding such an inherently complicated piece of work for the audience. In particular, the choice to use music as a direct indication of emotions creates a powerful connection between the audience and the meaning behind the characters. As any film scorer can easily testify to, the songs help mold a completely different experience and understanding of the scenes than the convoluted textual rants that hold far less intensity on their own.

The most poignant and memorable display of musical dominance in the storytelling comes in the last scene of Hamletmachine. Whereas the original Hamlet comes to a close with a giant spotlight on the inevitability of the death so extensively contemplated throughout the play, this production of Hamletmachine concluded with an emphasis on the life within us all that survives even the worst of traumas. An emotionally battered Ophelia sits at a table in front of orange walls while Hamlet sits beside her and gives her the space she needs to regain feeling for her numbed humanity. Hope breeds in the voice of Sufjan Stevens as he fills the emptiness with the words, “I can see a lot of life in you”, which reverberate through the room as Hamlet’s thoughts. His unspoken truth to Ophelia. Almost a plea for another chance at what could have been their life together. The experience is transcendental.

If you’re wondering how you can re-create this moment for yourself, checkout the 8th page of:
http://www.efn.org/~dredmond/Hamletmachine.PDF
Read it while listening to “The Dress Looks Nice On You” by Sufjan Stevens. (off of his Seven Swans album) Read More >>

Some people say that music gets progressively worse each year. These people are wrong. The past has a great deal to offer, but 2009 is a perfect example of an extraordinary year in music. Here are my favorite albums of the year (organized alphabetically):

• The Crying Light- Antony & The Johnsons
I can’t really try to put Antony’s music into words.

• Driftwoods- Ran Blake
A collection of expertly interpreted songs by Blake’s favorite singers, including Hank Williams, Billie Holiday and more. The best solo piano album I’ve heard in some time.

• Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle- Bill Callahan
Outstanding songs and delivery. Callahan knows how to say what he needs to: "I used to be darker/ Then I got lighter/ Then I got dark again."

• Bitte Orca- Dirty Projectors
This album is undoubtedly more realized than any past effort by Dirty Projectors. In the past I used to listen to their albums and come away thinking that they were almost one of the best bands out there. Now they are.

• A Stranger Here- Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is a living legend who gained fame in the 60’s as a direct Woody Guthrie disciple. Here he puts his stamp on some classic blues numbers, backed by a killer band. I believe the blues when I hear them from Jack Elliott.

• Northern Roots Live In Náměšť- Tim Eriksen
Tim Eriksen is one of the most powerful performers I have ever witnessed. He performs American old-time music with an emphasis on New England roots music. His voice exceptionally compelling as is his banjo, fiddle, guitar, and bajo sexto playing.

• Frank Fairfield- Frank Fairfield
A gritty old-timey album that sounds like it belongs in the 1920’s. Fairfield plays the banjo with a fury.

• Barbeque Bob In Fishtown- Glenn Jones
The best “American Primitive” album of the year. Jones’ guitar and banjo work is virtuosic and his pieces are a striking blend of refined composition and open-ended experimentation.

• Monsters of Folk- Monsters of Folk
M. Ward, Jim James, Conor Oberst, and Mike Mogis are actually really good together. They win the ‘best supergroup of the year’ trophy in my book.

• Elvis Perkins In Dearland- Elvis Perkins In Dearland
While still ringing of the desperation of his debut album Ash Wednesday, Elvis Perkins brings along a full band for some rollicking and occasionally ominous folk rock.

• To Willie- Phosphorescent
Phosphorescent takes on Willie Nelson, and succeeds.

• The Black Dirt Sessions- Jack Rose
One of two very fine 2009 releases from the late guitarist, Jack Rose. This one is as enveloping as anything else in his catalog.

• Actor- St. Vincent
Each song on Actor unfolds brilliantly. There is a lot to credit this to, but in general, the vocal delivery is what makes each song so compelling and fresh.

• Glitter & Doom Live- Tom Waits
Recorded live in 2008, Glitter & Doom Live is a two disc set. The first disc is a collection of tunes on which Waits sounds more rabid than ever. The second, called “Tom Tales” is made up exclusively of stage banter, and Waits is one of the finest storytellers I’ve heard. This album is an absolute thrill.


Honorable Mention:

• Beware- Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
• The Glass Bead Game- James Blackshaw
• All My Friends Are Funeral Singers- Califone
• Together Through Life- Bob Dylan
• Embryonic- The Flaming Lips
• Veckatimest- Grizzly Bear
• A Friend Of A Friend- David Rawlings
• Rockwell- Anni Rossi Read More >>

RATING: 87/100

If you're a casual Americana fan you might not know David Rawlings by name, but you've surely heard his signature guitar and songwriting work over dozens of albums in the last decade and a half. Though he has worked extensively with Ryan Adams, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Bright Eyes, Rawlings' most notable partnership has been with Gillian Welch. Rawlings and Welch actually met while studying at the Berklee College of Music in the early 90's and have been playing, writing and recording together since. Up until this point though, every album they released was under Welch's name and featured her on lead vocals with Rawlings on harmony. On A Friend Of A Friend these roles are reversed for nine tracks that highlight Rawlings' skill as a songwriter, but this album really isn't about an individual.

With him on every song is Gillian Welch, offering beautiful harmonies that lay nicely against Rawlings' expressive tone. In addition to the Rawlings/Welch originals that make up most of this album, Rawlings picks out a couple other gems that he has co-writing credits on: "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)" written with Ryan Adams, and "I Hear Them All" written with Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, a hot young bluegrass band that serves as the backing band for most of this album. Also included is a medley of two cover songs: "Method Acting" (by Conor Oberst) and "Cortez The Killer" (by Neil Young).

Most stunning about this album is Rawlings' phrasing, both vocally and instrumentally. He has a style that is all his own, a combination of old time feel with strains of dissonance that filter in and out organically. No matter whose name is on the cover David Rawlings and Gillian Welch are one of the most powerful teams in roots music today, and while A Friend Of A Friend is not their most outstanding effort so far (I'll reserve that spot for Hell Among The Yearlings), it certainly ranks very high up with the rest of their collection. Read More >>

RATING: 88/100

 

When The Format went on hiatus in early 2008, lead singer Nate Reuss wasted no time in starting a new group. This time, he wrangled members of fellow bands Anathallo and Steel Train to form the band “fun.”, whose debut album just came out in August 2009.

 

It’s an ambitious release, to say the least, featuring very symphonic and intricate arrangements from former Jellyfish keyboardist Roger Manning. Don’t worry, though - this isn’t a case of our-songs-are-boring-so-let’s-add-strings, this is a case of taking good songs and making them way cooler by way of arrangement. At the basis of each string-and-horn laden track is a catchy and well written song, with Nate’s melodic and heartfelt vocal parts in particular lending some serious life to the entire album.

 

Likewise, the production is great, with producer Steve McDonald lending the LP a very warm and full sound. There is a slight lack of clarity during very busy parts of the songs, but that only shows up a few times and isn’t very noticeable. What is noticeable is this: The album is full of catchy and creative music, and was clearly the result of a whole lot of hard work and toil from everybody involved. Any indie pop fans are not going to want to miss this one, and I expect to see it popping up on best-album-of-the-year lists real soon.

Read More >>

It is 9:45pm on Wednesday November 18th, 2009. Crime in Stereo and Glassjaw have just played amazing sets in the hip and artsy House of Blues in Boston. In the interim of stage breakdown and set-up, there is an eager crowd pressing together in anticipation of the headlining act, Brand New. A band well known on the alternative rock scene for 9 years, Long-Island based Brand New is comprised of lead vocalist and guitarist Jesse Lacey, guitarist Vincent Accardi, bassist Garrett Tierney, drummer Brian Lane, and guitarist and keyboardist Derrick Sherman.

As the members of Brand New make it out to the stage and settle into their positions with their respective instruments, the melodic riffs of “You Won’t Know” (off the band’s third album "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me") begin to ring through the house. The excitement of the crowd is literally palpable as bodies smash together and heads bang. Jesse Lacey’s vocals, drenched with emotion, are mixed in with the voices of a lively sold out crowd from the first moment he opens his mouth to the last. Everything sounds incredible. The timing is clean, the blend between the harmonies, melodies, and rhythms is on point, and the dialogue between the musicians onstage as well as their communication with the audience is that of a well-seasoned group. As the set progresses, so does the level of energy in the house. Older songs off "Deja Entendu" start up mosh pits in the middle of the floor. The more pop punk songs off Brand New’s first album "Your Favorite Weapon" guarantee crowd surfing and all out motion madness. Even songs off their newer album "Daisy" keep us all riveted. The music pumps up the flow of adrenaline in an undeniably charmed crowd rocking out to the bittersweet mix of haunting melodies and steady beats that is Brand New. Read More >>

Every Back Bay resident knows about the Boston Symphony Orchestra. They know the talent of the musicians; that every violinist, flautist, and trumpeter in the orchestra is an accomplished soloist in their own right, and that the BSO has performed extensively, in Boston and worldwide. They probably are also aware of Joshua Bell, the Grammy-winning violinist who redefined the word “virtuoso,” starting only as a 14 year old with The Philadelphia Orchestra. They may even be aware of conductor James Levine, whose picture hangs on the side of every streetlight on Massachusetts Avenue in the Back Bay area. His fiery conducting style is well-represented for pedestrians and drivers alike to see as they pass by. What they don’t know, however, is exactly how much work went in to creating this – and nearly every – BSO concert: the hours of countless rehearsals crammed into one short week, the coordination required to bringing in a soloist of such heightened fame as Joshua Bell; not to mention the years of struggle, disappointment, and tenacity comprising the respective life stories of Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, and Johannes Brahams. Read More >>

RATING: 76/100

 

Between Monsters of Folk self-titled debut, The Avett Brothers I and Love and You, Phosphorescent’s beautiful Willie Nelson cover album, To Willie, and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s Beware, it’s been a pretty good year for alt-country. So enter One Fast Move Or I’m Gonefrom Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard, the recently released soundtrack to the 2008 documentary of the same name, about Jack Kerouac’s 1962 novel Big Sur. The lyrics were created using excerpts from Big Sur as well as Kerouac’s poem, Sea. Whereas Farrar is established in the alt-country scene as a former member of Uncle Tupelo and currently as the front man for the veteran group Son Volt (who released the album American Central Dust this year), Benjamin Gibbard is the front man for the indie rock group Death Cab for Cutie, who while talented, does not inspire confidence in the ability to compose a heart-wrenching country song.

 

So my expectations were low. The equation of indie rockstar + alt-country veteran + the words of literary legend Jack Kerouac could not possibly have a good ending. Surely these two albeit talented gentlemen would create a product that would both trivialize Kerouac and at the same time reveal their own shortcomings. I only thought this because there are some legends who seem untouchable and Kerouac is probably one of them. As you might expect though, here’s the twist: It’s actually quite good. While Farrar and Gibbard don't come close to touching Kerouac in profound quality (as I'm sure they didn't intend to), they give a respectable effort that yields repeated listens.

 

Read More >>