Son of 2014 Year in Music (Part 2)

As promised, more 2014 music. In case you missed Part I, this is just a quick look at the music I found last year that I at one point or another liked enough to save to my Spotify 2014 playlist. So naturally, most of it I will give positive reviews, but not all of them.

Disclaimer: My listening habits have really changed with older age and newer technology. Instead of absorbing most albums as a hole unit, most of my listening has been collecting large amount of music together and hitting random. This is especially true since circumstances have dictated that I just haven't been able to buy music like I used to, thus the Spotify account.  This means that I haven't really had a chance to absorb most of these albums as albums. I am going back to them as I write these blurbs, thus the idea of the "Instant Rating".

Jack White – Lazaretto

Really, what can I possibly say to make you check this out if you haven't already? I'm a HUGE Jack White fan, and have found that nearly every album he's been a creative part of is better than the last. I have no idea if I'm in the minority or not with that opinion. I'm just aware of the celebrity scene enough to know that Jack has made a bit of a name for himself, and if you were interested you would already have given it a spin.

That said, I'm really enjoying his solo work. I feel that Mr White is maturing as a musician as I'm maturing as a person. He has always showed a deep love and understanding of Rock music, and it's older cousin, the Blues. But now, with just his name on the cover, he seems to feel more free to explore the nooks and crannies of Pop/Rock. There is no real “concept” behind the project, where as the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, and the Dead Weather all seemed to be about specific musical identities. As a solo artist, he is free to hire different musicians for different musical topographies, so his albums sound just a bit less coherent, but also a bit more adventurous.

There really isn't a single song on Lazaretto to sum up the entire thing, but the video for the instrumental High Ball Stepper is kick ass, so enjoy some eye candy and a pretty solid song as well. And then if you're not already a fan, go and listen to the rest of the album in the back ground a few times over the next month or so, and see if maybe you like Jack White after all.

Instant Rating: 7 out of 10

Phish – Fuego

Another legacy band. Chances are pretty decent that you have at least heard of Phish and that you already have made up your mind about them. Maybe you think they're just a jam band, one to see live after you've smoked enough weed to alter the local weather patterns, but that their studio records suck. Certainly many, many Phish-heads would agree with such a statement. But I submit to you that that concept is only half right.

In truth, Phish is two bands, the live jam band where no two shows are alike, and the studio recording band, that has now recorded 12 full LP's. For me, it's a little too soon to say just how good this album is, but it is damn solid! I really thought that Trey and the boys had a major misstep with The Round Room but rebounded a bit with Undermind. 2009's Joy never really caught my attention, either. But Fuego feels a bit more solid. It's not a return to form, as it sounds nothing like the early proggy records, nor the funky Story of the Ghost or even Farmhouse. I'm not even sure I would call it catchy, but every time one of the tracks comes around I find I am just enjoying the experience of listening to it.

I once said that it was impossible to listen to Phish music for more than 20 minutes and not be in a better mood. And I think I will stand by that statement for Fuego. There's nothing deep being said, lyrically or even musically, other than the expression of the joy of playing music. And really, that's all one ever needs.

Instant Raiting: 7 out of 10. This is subject to change (as are all of my ratings) as I absorb it more as a unit and not as separate tracks.

Pat Mastelotto & Tobias Ralph – To Pa Ra Ma

Before I say anything else, I just want to say that the music on this album is AMAZING!

There, that said, you are probably asking yourself, who the fuck are Mastelotto and Ralph? Well, to star with, they are both drummers. Mastelotto has simply played with everbody, including Patti LaBelle, Al Jarreau, XTC, Hall & Oats and Robyn Hitchcock. He was the drummer of Mr Mister, but don't that against him. He first came to my attention when he joined King Crimson in 94. As far as Ralph goes, I have no idea who he is, as Wikipedia doesn't even have a page for him, and the To Pa Ra Ma page just says he is a member of Adrian Belew's band.

Now that we got our introductions out of the way, how is the music? I'm surprised you asked that, cause I already told you its AMAZING. That said, it really won't be for everybody. It is certainly percussion heavy, as you should expect from two drummers. But is isn't really a show off piece. Other instruments are used as well, and the over all effect is that of a Jazz album, but only in the sense that Medeski Martin and Wood put out Jazz albums. It's a combination of electronic sounds and samples and acoustic instruments. In fact, a lot of the sounds that you might think were electronic drums are probably acoustic.

Bottom line is, if you like your music to be catchy with a “hook”, actual verses and choruses, and lyrics you can sing along with, then this probably isn't for you. But, if you like MUSIC, maybe something a bit on the avant garde side of things, then this just might be for you.

Instant Rating: 8.5 out of 10

The Strypes – Snapshot

However, if catchy hooks, verses and choruses, and sing along lyrics are your thing after all, this is the damn album for YOU! The Strypes are four kids (lads?) from Ireland. Somewhere along the line, they raided their grandparent's record collection and wardrobe and decided to start a band. They are retro almost to the point of feeling contrived. But thankfully, it actually feels like they really understand the original British invasion bands and what made them so effing terrific.

I just love the garage band blues inflected music of 65-68 from both sides of the pond. I think that was the height of the innocence of Rock and Roll, before things got so heavy and serious.  (mind you, I also love that heaviness and seriousness, too) Rock was just maturing enough to have some teeth, but still young enough to be exuberant and playful. This is the exact era that The Strypes are trying to emulate, and they do it damn well.

The music on Snapshot is mostly originals, but I think they would have climbed up the charts in 66. Today, I'm afraid, they are a curiosity at best. The oldest member of the band will turn 20 this year, so they are cute kids playing at being mods or rockers right now. If they were 10 years older nobody would have paid the least bit of attention to them. (I can think of at least two local bands in the last ten years that would prove that point.) But what they are doing is real, not just imitation and nostalgia. They have gone to the past to capture the raw energy of youth that is sadly missing from much of today's music. All the modern acts feel so serious and humorless next to these young men that are just out there seemingly having a damn good time.

Instant Rating: 7 out of 10

Okay, four seems like enough for now. I just looked at my 2014 playlist, and we are not quite half way through it so far. I think I will do two more post with 5 reviews each in them, and that should wind it all up. Thanks again for reading, and please leave a comment.

Also, if you are from outside the USA, I especially invite you to comment. My trackers say that I have at least one reader in Canada (Brent?), Ireland, the UK, Belgium (Derek?) and maybe even some from Eastern Europe and Russia. So, if you are from there, or any other nation, just drop a quick note simply saying where you are reading from (or more, if you want to). And if you have some great music from the past few years that isn't known to most people, share that too.

Ciao for now!

 A bonus tune from the Strypes covering Rollin and Tumblin. 

2014 In Music -- Part 1

Welcome dear faithful readers, and all newcomers! Thankfully, today we take a break from the depressing and terribly personal stuff to talk about something truly important. No, not politics, religion, nor even science. I'm talking about the really important stuff, Music.

In truth, this blog is coming several weeks too late. Other things just kept getting in the way. But at least its not a four year gap, like the last one! This is just part one, btw. What I'm going to do is just briefly review all the albums that I felt good enough about to save to my Spotify 2014 playlist. That means that most of the records will get a positive review, but not all of them!

 

So, without further ado (which is think is Latin for “bullshit”) here are the first four albums on my list. 

Purson – The Circle and the Blue Door

Well, I goofed on this band. This was some of my favorite music from 1014. That is, until just a few seconds ago when I found out I was wrong, and it actually came out in 2013. Oh, well, it's still damn good. Lead by veteran British rocker Rosalie Cunningham, they are a good blend of modern psychedelica and straight ahead rock. Their Facebook page says they are Big Psych, Facemelter, and Fuzz Wowowpopsong. Stand-out tracks include The Contract, Leaning on a Bear and Spiderwood Farm. In fact, the latter is just and instant classic, and will be in my playlist for years to come. 

The song arrangements are often quite inventive, and the pacing and moods one the album are properly varied. All the players are at the least competent, and as a band they are quite tight at times. Still, it feels very organic and not forced at all. I would happily go see this band if I ever get the chance.

Instant Album Rating: 8.75 out of 10

The Golden Grass – The Golden Grass

According to their Facebook page, The Golden Grass plays a “soulful mix of heavy-country-funk-boogie and progressive-psychedelic-freakbeat,” but if you just want to call them a Stoner Band, that's fine by me. The album opens with “Please Man” which is an early 70's soaked hard rocker. And that is pretty much what you get for the rest of the record. Even the vocalist, Professor Plum Brandy, sounds right out of 1971. Brandy also plays electric guitar in this power trio, with The Golden Goose on drums and Heat Lightning on bass.

Yes, they are from Brooklyn.

The album itself is also very old school. Only five songs, clocking in around 36 minutes. So, its borderline as to whether its an LP or an EP. Most of the songs are pretty standard retro-rock, but really well done. If I walked into a bar one night and heard these guys playing I would be very, very pleased.

Instant Album Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Radio Moscow – Magical Dirt

Damn, I am so of two minds with this album. I first heard of Radio Moscow back in 07 or 08 when they released their self titled debut. I lost track of them until this one, and on first listen, I was just blown away! They call themselves Psychedelic Blues, and that's about right. Again, Stoner Rock works just as well. (Psychedelic and Stoner Rock seem to be a big thing right now.) But whatever label you put on them, they just fuckin' rock! The drums are crisp and frantic, reminding me a lot of Mitch Mitchel, but maybe even faster. In fact, the theme of this whole record is old school power trio rock played at blinding speed, best listened whilst driving way too fast. 

Hailing from Iowa, Radio Mosco is singer/guitarist Parker Griggs and whoever he can get to stay with him long enough on bass and drums to be called a member. Seriously, it seems each album and tour there is an entirely different line up. Either Griggs is a major asshole or he doesn't pay very well I would guess.

Stand out tracks are just about any of them. The arrangements are tight, complex and just fun. The guitars are fuzzed out, overdubbed to the breaking point, and panned to the left or right just like the old days. The only problem I have, and it is sometimes a big one, is with the vocals. They just don't cut it for me. Griggs has less range than George Thorogood and is slightly less pleasing to the ear. But if you can get passed that, it is a an amazing album, just not as amazing as I first thought it was.

Instant Album Rating: 8 out of 10 during the instrumental sections, 5 out 10 with vocals.

Black Moth – Condemned to Hope

While generally part of the new Stoner Rock scene, they have a bit more of a metal feel to them, particularly early Sabbath era Metal. Two things jump out at you when you check out this band: first, they have a female vocalist. Like Purson and other bands I found this year, it really works well for them. I can't imagine why it took so long for good rock music to discover the female lead. Heart did it well, and Janis should have showed everybody that a lady can rock as good as any guy. But it's still rare to hear.

The second thing that stands out is that the cover was painted by Roger Dean, legendary artist of many Yes and Asia covers.

The Leeds band shows a great understanding of the riff and its fundamental importance to fuzzed out Metal Rock. They feel heavy and lumbering, like three in the morning feels when you're just leaving the bar. But, like some metal (or indeed staggering drunks) there are a few missteps. The lyrics on “The Undead King of Rock 'N' Roll” are as cheesy as you would expect from the title, and the delivery of the vocals is equally iffy. But this is really picking nits, as for the most part Condemned to Hope is a solid album, yet another pleasant surprise in my search for new music.

Instant Album Rating: 7 out of 10

That's it for today.  There is plenty more great music from the last year to cover yet, enough for 3 or 4 more posts like this!  And I promise that not all of it is Stoner Rock, but yes, some of it will be.  There is also some Progish stuff (of course), some weird(er) stuff, and maybe a surprise or two.  Please come back, and please comment.  

Album Review: Wilderness Heart by Black Mountain

Wilderness Heart

Wilderness Heart is the newest album by the Canadian rock band, Black Mountain, released in the U.S. tomorrow. It's a more focused and in many ways restrained follow up to their 2008 release, In The Future.

Black Mountain is a five piece band, drums, bass, keys and guitars. The guitar player (Stephen McBean) serves as one half of a singing team along with a female vocalist, and is the sole credited writer. Musically, the band wears their influences on their sleeves, giving a familiar yet new feel to most of their music. Vocally, the two singers often blend in beautiful and haunting harmonies, at other times take turns on solo lead. Amber Webber's voice is used quite movingly as a back up instrument, too.

This album just drips with late sixties, seveties, and early eighties rock. Echos of Deep Purple appear throughout, with hints of Dylan and Jefferson Airplane, although that last is an easy comparison due to the nature of Webber's voice. (That is not a bad thing!) Black Mountain also makes great use of Led Zeppelin's juxtaposing heavy and light sections. While much of it may sound derivative, to my ears they are taking up the mantle of music long past its popularity. Like Wolfmother, they are leaders in reviving the Rock form, and deserve to be much better known.

The opening track is one of the highlights. “The Hair Song” features a nice acoustic and electric guitar riff that falls into a groove and never climbs back out. In many ways, it feels like a Zep out take, or the best song that the Black Crows could ever record, if only they made good songs. It would make a great single, especially in 1974.

“Old Fangs” on the other hand is their first single. With a heavy bottom and rough edged organ riff, it sounds good, but doesn't quite feel right. Perhaps it's a little too simple and uninspired, especially in the verse sections. It feels like they are trying too hard to make a “Rock” song. With its early 80's, pre-hair band vibe, it's easy to picture it as the offspring of Deep Purple and Jefferson Starship. I haven't yet decided if that's a good thing or not, but it is my least favorite part of the record.

Acoustic guitars and wonderful harmonies dominate “Radiant Hearts”. A little Dylanesqe phrasing compliments the lyrics that don't quite want to fit in with more traditional rock styles. In some perverse way, it actually reminds me of some early Genesis songs, like “Carpet Crawlers” or even “Ripples”. It's mellow, but in a very intense way.

“Rollercoaster” opens up dramatically with a welcome heavy organ/synth riff, calming down into a quiet first verse. The second verse builds a basic rhythm, to just flat out rocking there after. This very solid song ends well, but ends too soon.

In fact, if I have any major complaints about Wilderness Heart, it's that none of the songs really stretch. Each song has a tight arraignment, quite well done and mostly tasteful. Black Mountain's last album had a good mix of shorter songs and some longer pieces, such as the epic 8 minutes of “Tyrants” and the spacey, moody “Bright Lights” at double that time. Here, the longest of the ten songs is 5:14, the shortest 3:52.

Wilderness Heart shows Black Mountain are growing as song writers and arrangers, but maybe a little less adventurous. Some of the songs even feel like they are trying to be more popular, instead of playing from the heart.

Case in point: “Let the Spirit Ride”. The first thought I had at the opening of the song was Judas Priest circa 1982, back when heavy metal was a sped up version of Deep Purple. The steady 4/4 thump snare on the drums, the guitar and bass playing 8^th note power chords with occasional whole notes tossed in. The guitar solo is like the rest of the song, high energy if a bit cliched. For just a moment during the organ solo, I thought I was listening to “Highway Star”.

On the vinyl version, “Buried By The Blues” opens up side two. This laid back song features wonderful harmonies, giving it a great moody atmosphere. Strumming acoustic chords are backed by long electric guitar notes and what I swore was a mellotron! I had assumed that the strings were a modern day synth recreating the mellotron sound until I checked the album sleeve. Nope, they actually use the damn thing, bless them! (The mellotron was a favorite of King Crimson, and used by the Beatles and the Moody Blues, too. It is a keyboard that triggers actual pieces of tape, usually with voices, strings, or flutes recorded on them. By all accounts, it was a pain to keep in tune, or even working properly when out on tour.)

Looking at my notes for “The Way To Gone”, I see I wrote the following: “I wish my band had wrote this – accessible rock, but w/ integrity!” It starts out with upbeat acoustic strumming and a shaker. It builds into a tight arraignment, with simple parts layered on top of each other, becoming quite dense. The guitar solo is short and sweet. Is it a perfect number? Maybe not, but it's close enough for Rock n' Roll.

The title track starts with a quick drum intro, followed by heavy riffs from the organ and guitar. Very Machine Head era Deep Purple again, but no complaints here. The shuffle rhythm feels like the shark swimming on the cover. “Wilderness Heart” features a nice little break with noodling guitar and heavy toms, followed by more mellotron, using the voices this time. This song is a microcosm of the album as a whole. It feels like a dangerous animal, but one that is caged and ultimately safe.

“The Space Of Your Mind” features more acoustic guitar, the vocals having a slight “Eve of Destruction” feel to them. Over all, it is a very sonically pleasing track.

The final track is “Sadie”. More acoustic guitar, picking this time, underscored by long deep bass notes. Amber's voice augments the lead vocals very nicely. This song is moody, not a rocker, but it does build up, almost forming a groove before fading out. It's a way to end the record, almost as if they knew someone would put the headphones on to listen to the album as they went to bed.

Overall Wilderness Heart is a very solid album. It features a sonic landscape much broader and brighter than In The Future. The song structures may not be pushing the envelope as much, the songs may be a bit more comfortable, but Black Mountain works that to their advantage.