Favorite Non-Heavy Records of 2015

Yesterday was the heavy records, meaning metal, stoner rock, doom,  psychedelic, etc etc. Today I am going to do the comparatively mellower stuff. So this will be power pop, indie rock, alt country and that sort of thing.

The way I cull these down to ten is by thinking "If I could only listen to ten from 2015, which would they be?" So with that as the basis I narrow it down. I'd rather have this than that, even though I really like that.

Again, no order to these. Scratch that. My #1 of the album actually isn't on the list, because it is my band Braddock Station Garrison's album: A Hint of Recognition. Shameless self promotion. In fact, unlike the other list, these are bands that I would love to open for. In fact, we have played with one of them before!

The Dark Beautiful Sun by William Duke: Jangle-pop goodness. Has a real Byrds' flavor, if they stuck to playing their poppy stuff. Opening track "The Golden Ring" has a tempo change in the middle that I swear I am going to steal.

1989 by Ryan Adams: Sure, it is his Taylor Swift cover album, but that doesn't stop it from being amazingly good. I have a lot of respect for Taylor Swift. This album shows that she is a good song-writer; a cover can be well done and interesting, but the song needs to be strong or the whole thing falls apart. Ryan just puts his stamp on each of the songs, and it works. When Taylor decides to record a stripped down record, Ryan Adams should be behind the board.

Laugh In The Dark by Tommy Keene: I took my guitar player Tom to see him at Iota and he was impressed. The song-writing is just a clinic. Every track, both old and new, was fantastic. Tommy's new record is more of the same. Just great power pop songs, perfectly written and executed. I tried desperately to get on the bill when he played Iota, but to no avail.

Parking Lot Regrets by The Silverites: Disclaimer, these guys are friends. But that doesn't stop them from making the list. Again, great melodic, smart power pop songs.  Out of all the bands we play with, they are the ones I hate to follow, because it is damn hard to be as good as they were. That said, I will play with them any time, any where.

Lessons From A Shooting Star by Rene Bo: I heard this guy on a Swedish power-pop podcast that my band was honored to be included on. The thing about power-pop is that when it's done well, it really affects me musically. It makes me want to pick up a guitar and play, and write, and borrow. HA! And hearing this makes me want to write songs.

Monterey Canyon by John McAteer and Gentleman Firesnakes: Disclaimer 2, John is a friend from high school. And if his band ever got out of Little Rock and played DC I would beg to play with them. This record has a bunch more keyboards on it; has a positive 80s vibe to it.  John has a very strong vocal style that works very well with the songs. And the songs, they are great!

Earthquakes & Tidal Waves by Dot Dash: Another local band that I think are just great. These guys have an edge to them more than the others, power-pop mixed with punk in a good way, not in a cheesy Green Day way. They were the other band on the bill with Tommy Keene I was desperate to get on to, to no avail.

Kintsugi by Death Cab For Cutie: Knowing that Ben Gibbard broke up with Zooey Deschanel, you can hear where that seeps into the songs.  When it was about to come out, I read interviews where he said this would be a different DCFC album and fans might not dig it. That is true, but if you don't like it, then you really aren't interested in seeing the band evolve. It's not a drastic evolution; it feels natural for them.

California Nights by Best Coast: This record I was most torn about putting on my list, because it is very simple lyrically.  One of the things I like about the other records is that they are all smart. Clever. That isn't happening here, and that is not meant to be a swipe at them. It is what it is. But the music and the melodies and the performances are fantastic. I keep coming back to this record because it's great to listen too.

The Traveler by Rhett Miller: This record was the last to make the list and had to fight it's way out of a very good crop. But Rhett always does great stuff. Another of his power-pop records he gets to make when not with the Old 97s. It's more of that and it's just plain good.

Autumn (Defense)'s In The Air

The Autumn Defense is a project featuring Patrick Sansone and John Stirratt, both members of Wilco. While Sansone has been part of Wilco for only a few years, Stirratt has been playing bass there since they formed from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo.

The Autumn Defense offers the two an opportunity to share the spotlight, which in Wilco is occupied primarily by Jeff Tweedy. Whereas Wilco started as alt-country, morphed into a sort of American-Radiohead, before settling into a dad-rock niche, TAD delights in the soft rock of the 70s. Singer/songwriter type stuff but lushly produced and orchestrated. I have listened to a few of their albums before but with their latest, called Fifth, they finally and perfectly hit their stride.

I am a big fan of the early records of the band America, and Fifth fits in perfect harmony with those records. Fifth sounds like it stepped out of a time machine, especially the lovely "August Song" which could easily find itself on Homecoming. The harmonies are not as overt as America did in their best days (think "Ventura Highway") but TAD come close. "The Light In Your Eyes" has a particularly great chorus section.

I would not categorize the record as an homage, because that is a bit of a negative descriptor. Fifth is a great record on it's own merits. It's well written and well played and extremely well made. There is nothing searing our loud or heavy here. Fifth is the kind of record you play on cool night on a desert highway with the top down. It doesn't push boundaries but it plays within established ones to great effect. Great songs are great songs. And when they sound this good they make for a very enjoyable listening experiencing.

Here's "August Song"

All Request Hour: Timber Timbre's Hot Dreams

My friend Joe Apple sent me a Facebook message asking if I would review an album he recommended. I am all up for that. Joe has good taste in music and the record he recommend was one I had not heard of: Hot Dreams by Timber Timbre.

Timber Timbre is a Canadian indie-folk act led by singer/songwriter Taylor Kirk. It's very atmospheric, very elaborate sounding. The record starts off vocally sounding almost like an old Rick Nelson record, but about halfway through the album owner "Beat The Drum Slowly," the reference becomes Richard Hawley, a fine English singer/songwriter who spent some time in Pulp. Hawley is a guy I once said was music to drink Scotch to. This record is very much in that spirit. It reminds me of a less sinister Nick Cave record.

I like the line that opens the title cut "I want to dance, I want to dance, I want to dance with a black woman." Lyrics like that grab the attention. Lyrically it's an interesting record. "Curtains!?" is a great cut; opens with a heavy beat and keyboard with sharp electric chords on the guitar, a quiet break in the middle before ending loudly. "Bring Me Simple Men" reminds me of Urge Overkill covering "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon." The music feels like it could be a soundtrack to a spaghetti western or a Tarantino movie. "Resurrection Drive Part II" is another such cut, but in this one I can see sinister looking hippie-chicks dancing behind a thumping beat and weird violins scraping. Maybe I am just weird.

What I like about it is the mood it creates. It is an incredibly interesting record. And that's good praise. So many records are dull; this one holds the attention. When one song ends here I am eager to hear what is coming next. Thanks, Joe, for the recommendation!

Here is the title cut "Hot Dreams."

Aimee Mann and Gord Downie Side Projects

Aimee Mann has long been a favorite songwriter of mine. After Til Tuesday, who were a fine 80s band in their own right, she made two outstanding power-pop solo records: Whatever and I'm With Stupid. If you watched Melrose Place (I didn't) you probably heard "That's Just What You Are" off the latter record. She also got a lot of exposure doing songs for P.T. Anderson's Magnolia, a movie that was written with Aimee Mann in mind, and which featured all the characters in the movie singing "Wise Up." The rest of her solo output has been good but not great. Her 2012 record Charmer is probably the best of the post-Magnolia output.

Now she has teemed up with Ted Leo to form The Both. Ted Leo is considered an indie alternative (whatever that means) artist but labels aside he's a singer/songwriter. I never really got into him that much, but after hearing this record, I should give him another shot. The Both is a great collection of power pop gems. Mann is on bass and Leo on guitar and they take turns on the lead vocals. Both sound great, but it's even better when they harmonize. At first glance it seems to be a trifle, just a one-off side project of two established artists having fun, but the songs are so well written and so well played it isn't fair to dismiss it as such. My two favorite are "Milwaukee" and "Pay For It," both of which bounce along merrily with great melodies, clever lyrics and super production. What I like best is that Mann has never had a guitar player working with her as intense as Ted Leo. His playing makes the songs roar to life. They are playing the 930 Club on Friday night and I am hoping to go.

My most favorite band on the planet not named Rush is also Canadian: The Tragically Hip. I have written about them extensively before (here and here and here) so my admiration is well known. Their singer is the amazing Gord Downie. He has mellowed out a bit as he has gotten older, but he is still one of the most mesmerizing performers I have ever seen. He seems to go into a trance when singing. Hip shows are always an amazing experience.

He has just released a collaboration with fellow Canadians The Sadies called Gord Downie, The Sadies And The Conquering Sun. The Sadies are another band I never quite got into; they were always a bit more eclectic than I had patience for. I was honestly surprised when I heard about this record. Downie has done a few solo records himself, all of them interesting but all of them again eclectic and therefore not as interesting to me as Hip records. The fact that he was making a record with another band was a bit disconcerting. What about the Hip? Why does Gord feel like he needs to work with another band? Are they breaking up! GACK!!

Hopefully a break-up isn't imminent. For the time being, to get a Gord fix, this will have to do. The best track is the kick-off track "Crater." Noisy and gritty guitars drive the tune. "Los Angeles Times" is a nice mid-tempo number with a good Clarence White-esque guitar solo at the end. Ltrically it's typical Gord Downie; sort of weird, sort of obtuse, sort of rambling but clever in every way. If this was a Hip record it would be a good Hip record, but not as good as the classics.  Perhaps Gord just wanted a break from his band; collaborating with old friends and seeing what happens. I hope he doesn't forget where home is.

Here's the FANTASTIC video for the FANTASTIC "Milwaukee" by The Both:

And not quite fantastic but still extremely cool, here's "Crater" by Gord Downie and The Sadies.

Pass The Buck

Peter Buck was the first former REM-er to come out with a solo record. He also appears to be the only one planning to do that. Only a year after his eponymous and vinyl-only solo debut, he returns with I Am Back To Blow Your Mind Once Again. The debut was not earth-shattering. It felt loose and fun, things that Peter Buck never really seemed when he was in REM. The follow-up here, also a vinyl-only production, is more of the same.

His primary cohort is Scott McCaughey, he of The Minus 5 and long-time collaborator/pal of Buck. It is kind of a bluesy, boozy record.  I don't suspect this record took terribly long to make. It reminds me in terms of feel of the record he and Mike Mills and Bill Berry did with Warren Zevon back in the early 90s as Hindu Love Gods. It's the kind of record that musicians make when they are having a good time. It's not an artistic statement, it's not reaching for something great. It's a portrait of a talented artist doing his thing. It does not quite live up to it's name. But it's a welcome diversion.

Buck does not have the most magnetic voice. It is often drenched in effect but his voice is sort of a natural effect. He was not meant to be a front-man. But that is not a criticism, just a fact. It suits the vibe though. When McCaughey takes the lead vocal on the nice mid-tempo cut "Fall On My Own Sword" it's a noticeable shift.

The first three songs are solid rockers, especially the third one "Life Is Short" where Kurt...somebody. The credits on the back label don't go into much detail. Anyway he gets off a great psychedelic guitar solo that goes on a bit too long, which is perfectly fine.

The Drive By Truckers' Patterson Hood shows up for the most interesting song on the record: "Southerner." It features Buck on a sinister sounding enow guitar while Hood recites the lyrics, capturing what it means to be a southerner of a certain age.

The only song I could find on YouTube was "Drown With Me," which features Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker on lead vocal, and sounds like it could have come off of New Adventures in Hi-Fi. I didn't look that hard for a video, though.

Holdin' Steady

The Hold Steady are one of the best live bands on the planet. There is an incredible energy that fills every one of their shows. As Craig Finn shouts at the end of their live record "There is so much JOY in what we do!" I got to see them for the fourth or fifth time (I forget) on Monday at DC's 930 Club. As always they put on a great show but it did seem a little more subdued than previous. Maybe that was because they are a bit older, or maybe because my wife and I perched from the club's balcony so that we had perfect sound and a perfect view. When I've gone solo I usually get down front, so though  the mob at the front didn't seem particularly ornery, perhaps being away from it proved less exciting. The crowds are part of what make their shows more revival than concert. Everybody knows the words to the classics, and the classics were well represented. It was a wonderful show, and if you like classic Thin Lizzy-sounding rock with a madman holding court at the lead singer mic, then you should love The Hold Steady as much as I do.

Their latest record is Teeth Dreams and it is an improvement from their somewhat disappointing Heaven Is Whenever. That 2010 record sounded a bit lethargic to me. It was their first without keyboardist and backing vocalist Franz Nicolay. He brought a lot to the band. It took a record for them to adapt. Steve Selvidge, who used to be in Lucero, is now an official member and he brings a great compliment to Tab Kubler's guitar playing. They share lead duties and it rely ram homes the Thin Lizzy sound for me. A bunch of their solos start together, diverge to wrap around one another, before coming back. The short solo in "Saddle Shoes" is a nice sample of this.

Lyrically, Craig Finn is one of the best around. Maybe THE best. As always his songs are more stories. Tales of losers and drug addicts and lapsed Catholics and teenagers looking to score.  It's interesting, it's smart, it simply resonates. His voice is not for everybody, he uses this sing-talk style that folks tend to find grating. I found it grating when I first heard them, but the music draws you in and lends itself to the stories Craig is telling, the worlds he is building in his lyrics. The album closes on a new note, a great nine-plus-minute opus called "Oaks" which features some of Craig's best singing.

Here's a cool trailer for the new record. All hail The Hold Steady!!

Favorite Records of 2013 - Number 6

The words Elephant Stone immediately call to mind The Stone Roses, that hard luck British band that spawned a million mop-headed imitators. Canada's Elephant Stone sounds like they owe thanks to The Stone Roses but they do not imitate that band at all. They are excellent at creating a sound all their own. Twelve-strings, keyboards, sitars, grooves. It works.

There are great grooves at work here. "Heavy Moon" has this slinky rhythm that gets the head bobbing. "Setting Sun" and "Masters of War" have that great classic sounding twelve-string guitar work. "Hold Onto Your Soul" is a total Teenage Fanclub homage. That's not a bad thing because the Fannies are an awesome band themselves. The sitar gets broken out half-way through the record. I am listening to the record as I write this and I couple pretty much just name each sopng and tell you how great it is. "Looking Thru Baby Blue" has a hyper-Pink Floyd kind of feel, especially in the organ line.

I guess this gets lumped into the psychedelic, trippy category. But it is not weird psychedelic. It is much more like a kaleidoscope. Most psychedelic music mellows you out; this will brighten you up.

Here's the most groovy cut..."Heavy Moon."

Up next...the most progressive of this year's favorites, from one of the artists I most admire.

Favorite Records of 2013 - Number 7

Arbouretum's Coming Out of The Fog is striking for the classic rock vibe it has. The band that comes to mind is Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Take "Renouncer," it struts along at a slow beat with a thudding bass and heavy guitar run.  It's the kind of song that would play when we first see the smooth not-too-sure-about-this-guy in a movie. There's a sense of dread around it. "All at Once, the Turning Weather" is similar. Nothing fancy in either of these tracks but there is a tremendous heavy vibe. Not a metal heavy but a strong rock heaviness. That classic rock heaviness is balanced by other tracks with a cosmic-American sense like side 1 closer "Oceans Don't Sing." Pedal steel and acoustic guitars come together to close out the side on a warm note.

This record is about mood, it is about texture. I played a couple tracks for a friend who was not impressed at first, but he came back to me a few months later with greater appreciation for it after giving it a chance on his own. When I first heard it the power beneath it struck me. I liked the simple beats and simple bass lines propelling the guitar playing.

Arbouretum are a Baltimore band. I live in DC but even though the distance is not immense I cannot say I have a good feel for the Baltimore scene. A band like Arbouretum makes me wonder about the rock and roll life. Not the nonsense you see on Behind The Music about big-time-bands but the working life of a small time band. I imagine the guys in Arbouretum must have day jobs. They just finished up a two-week tour that took them as far as Chicago and Atlanta. Making a life out of music is terribly difficult, especially a life that has spouses and kids and mortgages and bills to pay. I would love to go out on a tour with my band but a) I know the likelihood of that is slim to none; and b) I have a job and taking a month off to do that is not feasible. We just recruited a new bass player because ours sadly had to move away to St. Louis. He's been in a moderately successful band, especially when compared to what we have accomplished. But he has still had a day job the whole run of that outfit. It is tough sledding I imagine.

Here's the aforementioned "Renouncer."

Up next...Canadians invade the list!!

Favorite Records of 2013 - Number 8

Sometimes albums come out of nowhere. No buzz, no future warning, no seeing them open for somebody else. Sometimes it's just happenstance. Destroy This Place's self titled debut is one of those records. I read The AV Cub on The Onion's site and I noticed a blurb titled "Destroy This Place Show How Press Releases Can Get It Right." The name of the band caught my eye so I checked it out, which led me to their Bandcamp page, which led me to searching out whether they had their record on vinyl, which led the vinyl copy arriving in my hands a week later. A chance encounter with a headline on a website brought about commerce. Hooray technology and capitalism!!

DTP is a perfect example of what I talked about before about the state of rock n roll. You listen to this record and you are assured that rock n roll is just fine. It's noisy, it's aggressive, it's remarkably memorable. It is a loud record, in fact I just went to the stereo to turn it up louder. The songs bite and snarl but they are filled, I mean FILLED, with great hooks and harmonies. For such a noisy record the singing is not just great but put nice and clear in the mix! Serious kudos to producer Mike Bridavsky, this is one of the best produced rock records I have heard. Mike, if you read this I would love to have you produce my band's next record.

DTP probably should be higher on the list. It's easily my favorite power-pop record of the year and if I was in a more power-pop frame of mind it probably would be my #1 favorite of the year. And I am KICKING myself for not going to see them earlier this year. Please come back to DC soon. Pretty please! I promise I won't be lazy.

Back to the point, this record shows that their is plenty of great rock out there if you just go and look for it. It might be hard to find and it might not be popular but it is out there. These guys have almost 900 likes on their Facebook page. What the fuck? Bands like Destroy This Place belong on the radio. If not terrestrial radio then DEFINITELY on Little Steven's Underground Garage. C'mon, Silvio! Play more bands like this!!

Next up....another great guitar record from a great Baltimore band.

Favorite Records of 2013 - Number 9

Minnesota is a cold place in the winter. As I write this it is 1 degree in Duluth, MN, which is where Low is from. That is cold. In terms of misery, I prefer cold weather to hot weather because I can do something about cold. I can keep putting layers on. When it's hot, you can only strip down so far, and then you have to worry about getting sunburned. When it's cold you can put on a tee shirt and a button-down shirt and sweater and a coat and a couple pairs of socks and trudge around in the snow.

Low makes music for cold days, for staying inside with a warm beverage and a nice fire and a hi-fi and maybe a book. Especially their latest record, and my #9 favorite record of 2013, The Invisible Way. I like this record for that very reason. It is an open record; it has open spaces between the notes that make every note you hear stand out. It is not a busy album. It does not fuss or complicate things. Every instrument, every voice begs to be heard. Jeff Tweedy, of Wilco and Uncle Tupelo fame, does an excellent job producing in that he does not get in the way. It takes a deft hand to make an open record sound as good as this one.

Low is Mimi Parker, Alan Sparhawk, and Steve Garrington. Ms Parker and Mr. Sparhawk are married. The former does most of the singing and those songs I like better. But the latter's are no slouch either. When they sing together it works well. It is tricky to sing together; maybe not so much when you are a professional, at least then you are more firmly aware of whom you can and whom you cannot sing with. In my band, as it meager as it is compared to the real deal here, harmonies sometimes work and sometimes they...do not. But we do not pretend to be pros at this; we do try our best and sometimes it does not always work.

Though I like Ms Parker's sung songs better, I choose to provide the album opener "Plastic Cup". It is a perfect example of the record and if you like this I strongly recommend checking out the rest. I like this one because I like the lyrics. The plastic cup in question is a piss cup and at one point in the song the cup is found buried thousands of years later and thought to be the chalice of some forgotten king. The fact that lyrics like that can work in an acoustic trio show you the quality of the material.

This is the second one for today because I did not have a chance yesterday and I want to be done by New Years Day. Tomorrow we go from mellow to very very noisy.

Start Your Weekend Early!

Tomorrow night, which would be Thursday September 26, my band Braddock Station Garrison hits the stage once again. This time at the Tree House Lounge at 1006 Florida Avenue, NE in Washington DC. This is a nice intimate club, occupying the second floor of a townhouse right next to Gallaudet University. No jokes about a rock club next door to the school for the deaf. Actually makes perfect sense, I think.

It's a special show for us. We are supporting California's Aloha Radio on their national tour. They are a very cool alt-surf-indie band. Also sharing the stage is our good friends Bells & Hunters; the are a great modern rock band sure to impress you. A real treat for us is having our record producer Don Zientara open the show at 8pm with what I expect will be a great acoustic set. When we last saw him he had a surf-themed slide show so it really fits perfectly with the bill.

Speaking of our record, it is finally available. It is called High Water. You can get digital copies at iTunes and Amazon. You can also get a real CD or digital version through CDBaby. You can stream it through Spotify and Rhapsody. It astounds me that our cool little record is available at all these places. Most importantly we have a whole box full of them that I shall have in tow tomorrow night. Come on down and get a copy!!

High Water features 6 original songs: "Into Your Arms," "A Lot To Ask," "Fall," "Maria With Child," "California Specific," and "Girl Gotta Gun." All were recorded and mixed at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington VA by Don Zientara and mastered by TJ Lipple. Photography was done by my wonderful wife Jodi. Our logo was designed by the extremely talented Emily Blackwell. The package design was put together by our own Patrick McCann. Not surprisingly we encourage you to get yourself a copy!

We hope to see you there!!

Patrick, Steve, Michael and Tom
at Manassas Battlefield 

Disconnecting Art From Action

For the most part I don't really dig emo bands. I find them kind of tiresome in general but moreover they tend to lack in hooks. Surfer Blood falls in the sort of emo, more indie rock kind of thing but has the pop hooks I hold near and dear to my heart.

Album opener "Demon Dance" gets things off to a rousing start before giving way to "Gravity", the best track on the record. It has one of those great 90s college radio choruses. Then there is a spectacular hook at the start of the chorus of "Weird Shapes" that soars up before doing a Walter Payton-esque stutter step. "I Was Wrong" bumps along like a harder-edge Shins track. The second side doesn't resonate as much as the first but it still bounces along.

Lyrically the record has familiar tropes of broken relationships and bad love. But it has an added element of real life that is potentially hard to disengage from. Before the record came out earlier this year, band leader John Paul Pitts was arrested for domestic battery, though charges were ultimately dropped. The interview I have read is admittedly one-sided to the artist, but it is also something he hasn't shied away from. He acknowledges it while not going into details. That's his right I reckon, but it provides a context around a song like "Squeezing Blood" that has lyrics like 

Damning allegations have come to light

Stapled to the background in black and white

That's the way it's always been

That's the way it's gonna end

All this world fell silent when I read the verdict

Steven Hyden writes about disconnecting art from the person much better than I ever could. He eloquently describes his challenges and dutifully brings in the likes R. Kelly and Chris Brown. He ultimately dismisses the record because the music isn't worth the guilt he would feel about liking it; the music isn't worth the hassle.

For me, I have no idea what went on in the world of this songwriter. I don't know the man, the woman, what the situation is/was/will be. Is he an asshole? Was he in a complex and volatile relationship and just snapped? Why were the charges dropped? Because there weren't any to press? Because the woman has her own issues to sort through? I don't condone anything here, but nobody knows the truth but them.

If he had come out and been all Sean Connery that would probably be one thing; or maybe not. Do I not watch James Bond movies or Indy 3 because Connery is a douche? If I equate morality with all the artists out there, then there probably won't be much to watch or listen to or read. J.D Salinger ran through girls like they were going out of style, does that make Catcher In The Rye unworthy of appreciating (or depending on my mood being exceptionally critical of)?

But what's the limit? If it came out that the lead singer of my favorite band murdered somebody in cold blood would I still listen to their records? Wow, probably not. If it came out that Pitts did assault his girlfriend would it change my view of the record? Maybe. Probably. Would I even remember five years from now any of that? Like Hyden I agree it isn't spectacular so as to remain culturally relevant because of any potential backstory, sordid or not. So I am left to sort out how I feel about it.

Interesting questions; a bit of heaviness to what is ultimately a lightweight yet enjoyable record. In Surfer Blood's case, I am in no position to judge anything but the music. In that vein let's just call the music what it is: a good indie rock record.

Anyway, here's the video for album opener "Demon Dance."

Sunday On The Town

Looking for something interesting to do? Have I got a suggestion for you!! Come see my band, Braddock Station Garrison, do its thing at The Black Squirrel. This is a very cool place located in the heart of Adams Morgan on 18th Street in Washington DC, just down the street from where Jimi Hendrix did a five-night residency in 1967. History!!

The Black Squirrel has some of the tastiest burgers in town along with one of the slickest beer menus around. Plus it's an intimate little place to see a show. And did I mention it is FREE. As in NO COVER CHARGE! As in come on in, plop down have a burger and a beer (or three) and enjoy the free music!

We go on around about 9pm, so don't be late!! There's a public parking just around the corner, which we highly recommend if you are not cabbing or Metro-ing down. Come on down early to hang out!

Here's our sweet-ass flyer! Come on down and tell us how good it looks!!

Even more shameless self promotion!

Yep, that's my band! You can hear what our demos sound like here and can see how we bring it here. And most importantly you can LIKE us here!

So yeah, we are playing a show Saturday June 8 at DC's Bier Baron. This is the old Brickskeller located in DuPont Circle. Doors open at 730, show is at 9, and it's a trifling $10 at the door.

We are fortunate to have two amazing artists joining us: Emily Henry is a gifted singer/songwriter and she will be kicking things off; I know 100% you will like her as much as we do!! Steve Bowes is an old friend and he will be joined by his Pharmacy Prophets cohort Wes Fleming for some old fashioned cry-in-your-beer acoustic numbers and slow ballads (as Johnny Cash would say). Then as a special treat (I hope at least) I'll be doing some numbers from my two solo records before Braddock Station Garrison does a special acoustic set; we are seriously excited about this set because you will see us in a whole new light. What better way to spend a Saturday night in DC?!?

Here's a catchy little number you will hear at the show. It's called "Fall."

 We hope to see you there and appreciate the support!

Impossible Truth

I am not alone in thinking it but I feel the guitar is the most expressive musical instrument besides the human voice. I've written before about my appreciation of guitar-based instrumental music, especially that done by Explosions In The Sky and by James Blackshaw. We can add a third brilliant artist: William Tyler.

Tyler comes from Nashville but Music Row doesn't rub off on his music. Like Blackshaw, he works at creating soundscapes driven by working through chords and progressions. Where Blackshaw uses the 12-string acoustic, Tyler uses both electric and acoustic. The results are often stunning. The songs are mostly just his guitar but a few tracks employ stand-up bass and horns to perfect effect.

His latest record is Impossible Truth. Though I sometimes rag on Pitchfork, they are a fantastic resource for finding new music; this record is yet another. It was on my Spotify playlist for a couple months before I decided it was an LP I needed to add to the collection.

I take back what I said about Nashville; there is a country-vibe that permeates the songs. Take the gorgeous "Cadillac Desert." It's eight minutes long here; give it at least a few.

There is a definite rustic element; I see a front-porch kind of thing in my mind's eye. Not just the beauty of the playing but the sophistication of the song is what draws you in. It is very difficult to make music like this that stays engaging. It's easy for it to become pretentious or meandering or down right boring.  Tyler doesn't do that. The music shimmers off the LP. This kind of stuff needs to float on the air, waft into your head and settle in. I listen and I feel I need to pat attention. Where is it going next? It has a basic structure that may be repetitive but it builds and builds and works itself around and takes new paths. It's perfect for late night driving or as I am wont to do lay back on the couch with the headphones pulling on a beer.

Thanks to William Tyler for a very beautiful record.

Across The Crystal Frontier

My biggest prize from Record Store Day 2013 was a copy of the new Calexico 12" Spiritoso. I don't know if they intent to give this a wider release; I think the rules of Record Store Day say you are not supposed to.

The best way I can describe Calexico is to say they are what an indie band would sound like when hired to score a spaghetti western. Like the town they take their name from, there music is rich with their native Arizona. Acoustic/electric guitars mesh with strings and horns and a wide variety of percussive instruments. I've dug them since I read about them in the old No Depression magazine; I think the first CD of theirs I bought was the brilliant Hot Rail. It is still my favorite of theirs but the others are all wonderful.

Calexico is mainly the work of two fellows: Joey Burns and John Convertino. They played with one another in a couple other bands (Giant Sand being one) before finding their niche with Calexico. The music is well beyond what two fellows can do, at least when they do it live. It is really different from what's out there. Indie rock has a broad spectrum of acts and Calexico occupy their own place. The southwestern flavor has such a unique vibe. There are probably other bands that do something similar but I don't know who they are and I doubt they could do it any better. This kind of thing can easily fall into a rut or even into parody but each record moves forward from the last and is always interesting. Instead of aping the same themes or treading the same ground, they find a great balance of staying true to their roots while expanding on the scope. The music evolves from record to record but it stays grounded in where it came from.

Spiritoso is extra-special in that it was recorded live with big time assists from orchestras in Vienna and Potsdam. I hesitate to say they play their hits (there are none really) but if you're familiar with them you'll recognize these tracks. Through the headphones it's simply fantastic. The swells from the orchestra are exhilarating; the way the horns fill the bottom and the strings seem to soar above let the songs take on a life of their own. It is very cinematic music; one can easily see a rider crossing a dusty plain, a an old time locomotive chugging along a desert floor, a coyote silhouetted against the moon. It sounds cheesy here but the execution of the music is just brilliant. It is joyous and soothing all at once. It's great music to unwind to.

I haven't had a chance to see them live but I understand their shows are a real treat. There's a lot going on with it and I one day will get to see how they pull it off live. It will be an experience.

Here's a great tune called "Para." I hope you enjoy!

Modern Rock Retro Rebels

Modern radio is an absolute wasteland. Current rock music is made up of junk like Imagine Dragons and dozens of crummy bands that name themselves <something> the <something else>...Cage The Elephant, Young The Giant, Walk The Moon. It seems the only real rock bands getting any radio play are Foo Fighters and The Black Keys, and the latter get way more credit than they deserve.

Even on Sirius it's difficult to find modern rock music that is listenable. I've started listening to Garage, or more exactly Little Steven's Underground Garage, regularly. It's a mix of classic 60s rock tunes with bands that take their inspiration from those classic 60s tunes. The songs here are as straight-forward as the name implies: it's music you would expect to come out of the countless garage bands that were inspired by The Beatles and The Stones and all their imitators both good and band.

Last night at DC's The Black Cat I saw three such bands. I have not heard them on Garage but they would be well at home there. The Black Angels, supported by Allah-Las and Elephant Stone. I saw The Black Angels a couple years ago on a bill with Black Mountain and came away impressed. When I saw they were hitting DC touring behind a new record, and after getting goaded by my neighbor, I snatched up a ticket before it sold out. The other two bands I hand't heard of so I checked them out on my new best friend Spotify. Elephant Stone I really dug...the Allah-Las were what I like to call "meh" (but that will change!!!).

Trust me they have a guitar player...he's just too far to the right. 

Elephant Stone are a four piece from Montreal. When I listened to them I liked the sort of Starfish-era Church vibe they gave off. Then I noticed the sitar coming in and had a Kula Shaker moment, thinking the Indian vibe was a bit much. When they hit the stage last night I realized where this particular influence came from: the keyboardist and the singer/bassist/sitarist were both Indian. After seeing white kids spend effort trying to emulate George Harrison this was almost refreshing.  

The name Elephant Stone reminds me of The Stone Roses. These guys are more like a catchier Tame Impala. The singer guy started out on the sitar but then moved on to a sweet blonde Rickenbacker bass. He would jump back and forth as the music required. His bass lines I really liked...very groove oriented. Listening to it now my head is bouncing and my foot is tapping. Halfway through the set a little girl who must have been their biggest fan in the world nudged her way in front of me and proceeded to jump and twirl and pump her fists for the next 15 minutes. She wasn't annoying, I was just worried that she would break my jaw. I gave her a couple gentle pushes in the back when she got a bit too close and only got my foot stepped on twice. No complaints she was just having a good time and I can dig it.

What do they sound like? Here's "Setting Sun" the lead track off their latest, self-titled record. I happily left with a vinyl copy. I bought it from the guitarist. My voice is shot from my allergies in overdrive right now, so I just smiled and gave him $20 and happily shook his hand.

The Allah-Las hadn't impressed me much on Spotify. Live it was a very different story. They blew me away. They are from California. They have a very heavy 60s American garage band vibe; very chimey surf-like sounding guitars. They had the proverbial "bitch seat" of the bill. They had to have all their gear set up after Elephant Stone tore down and it took a bit of time to get the sound right; poor guys had to stand there waiting for the sound guy to get to them. Happily the crowd didn't get restless and incite revolution and take it out on the band. It did do harm to the set because they got cut off one song short. That was a drag.

60s revivalists Allah-Las. This is a good thing.

Music-wise, like I said, they blew me away. Here's a band where my initial listen to them, granted through my iPhone while at work, didn't really impress me. But live all their charms and talents came shining through. What struck me beyond the retro 60s vibe was the fact that many times all four of them sang together and that it sounded great. Great harmonies and great vibe made the songs come alive. They did a couple instrumentals that in general I am not a fan of but in this case worked because the music was so good. The retro thing was topped off by the gear: the guitarist in front of me played an old-school Murph while the bassist rocked a Danelectro. I hadn't planned on buying their record but I dug the music so much I felt I couldn't leave without it.

Here's the video for "Tell Me (What's On Your Mind)" from their self-titled LP. Dig the suits.

The Black Angels are from Austin and are the most experimental of the three bands. They have a modern take on the 60s psychedelic sound thing. The stage show included the trippy looking lights and colors and shapes broadcast on some white board they had strategically set up on the stage. They also had two left-handed guitarists, which must be some kind of record.

The Black Angels. Trippy, man.

Strangely enough the band I mainly came to see wound up leaving me the coldest. It didn't help that after I took the above picture I had to move to the back because they were SO FUCKING LOUD. The mix wasn't right because when the third song started it was like an icepick into my ear. It also didn't help I was positioned right in front of the speaker. And it finally didn't help that two douche bags decided to push themselves right in front of me. Unlike the dancing Elephant Stone fan, these guys were assholes. I didn't make a deal about it because a) I can't really talk; and b) when the girl a couple people down from me did make a deal about it he called her a "fuckin bitch" and told her to "shut the fuck up it's a concert." Here was another case where I didn't feel like getting my jaw broken, this time from the fist of a douchebag. This plus how LOUD IT WAS sent me to the comfort of the back of the room where the volume level and personal space situation was just fine.

What about the music, man? Oh yeah, right. They are the least tuneful and catchy of the three bands, which explains why they are on the top of the bill and the most likely to get radio play. Sorry was that out loud? Don't get me wrong, I really like them. I ordered their record (Indigo Meadow) so it came the day after it came out (what's up with that, Amazon Prime?) Their music is almost like a carnival. It swirls and it growls and it's like what an acid trip is described as by someone who has never come close to an acid trip. There is something disconcerting about the front man; he doesn't look like a front man. He looks like the guy getting me another PBR. He has a kind of whiny, nasally voice but it works for the songs. The other band members, except for the good-looking blonde drummer lady, didn't really register, but the guitarist in front of me before I high-tailed to the back played a nice natural hollow-body and a black Rickenbacker that looked weird because he held it left handed and thereby upside down.

Here's the lead single "Don't Play With Guns." Steven Hyden, one of my favorite rock writers, shat all over it for Pitchfork. To each his own. He gave this song a special shout out in not liking because it was written around about the Aurora shooting business and the lead singer guy said some things about this song in that context which should have probably been left unsaid. 

So all in all, and despite douchebags taking my spot, a really enjoyable evening at The Black Cat. Whenever I can go to a show where all the acts are especially good it's a great time.

More With Less

Low is Mimi Parker, Alan Sparhawk and Steve Garrington. They are a very simply put together band: guitar, bass and drum. Occasional keyboard. Parker and hubby Sparhawk trading on vocals. They might be the prototypical indie rock band. Their records are sparse in theory but full in delivery. Take "Just Make It Stop" from their latest record, The Invisible Way:

On a record full of pretty songs this is probably my favorite. The record was produced by the great Jeff Tweedy. An interesting choice because he isn't known, at least to me, as a producer. But the vibe established here shows a deft touch. The well written material is given plenty of room. I said it was full in delivery. Though the parts are relatively small, there isn't much overdubbing or overdoing that I can hear, each part has a weight, has an impact. Each part has a personality; each part stands together with the rest to create a well constructed whole. The crunchiest song is "On My Own" with a frightening guitar squall lurching through the midsection. But it doesn't overwhelm the piano lilt moving underneath or the vocals soaring above. Here's a record that is really well written and really well made.

Sparhawk and Parker's voices work well together. It's the work of singers who are well acquainted with one another, who know where the other's voice belongs, who know how to integrate the uniqueness. One comparison was what Gram Parsons and Emmy Lou Harris did together; I don't necessarily agree with that. The point was the country flavor but the way the voices worked together so well. My disagreement is that with Gram and Emmy Lou you always get the feeling that Emmy Lou was second fiddle to Gram; less a partner and more a supporting act to Gram's svengali-act. That isn't the case here, not even close. If anything Parker has the upper hand; her songs are the more affecting. That is no knock on the other tracks, especially the great opener "Plastic Cup," just a tribute to the high quality of the songs, both lyrically and arrangement-wise.

I had never really given Low a chance before. I knew of them but had never listened. Earlier in the year I got into Sparhawk's noisier side gig Retribution Gospel Choir (whose latest features Wilco sideman Nels Cline), so when the new Low record dropped I felt compelled to take a closer look. I am glad I did. Exposed to them now is a better-late-than-never kind of deal. An outstanding record, one that has a good chance of making my top 10 favorites of the year.

The Latest Strokes record is.....zzzzzzzz

Thanks to Spotify I didn't waste my money on the latest Strokes record. I did have the vinyl on my Amazon wish list...even had it pre-ordered. But when I got Spotify I went and canceled all my pre-orders, figuring I would do something novel and this time wait to hear the album before I committed to buying it.

I reckon I was going to get the record because it's what music nerds like me should do, right. I've talked about this before with My Bloody Valentine. That record is at least interesting and has 1000 years worth of waiting behind it. The new Strokes record, Comedown Machine, has its moments but is a severe letdown.

I am not a big Strokes fan to start with. I bought Is This It? when it came out and thought it was good, a return to snotty late 70s NYC club rock. On reflection it's still pretty good. Room On Fire and First Impressions of Earth had their moments. I thought the first side of Angles was actually very good, before it flew off the rails halfway through

So Comedown Machine drops and the rock writers get a chance to rhapsodize. When I first saw the cover I thought it was some kind of place-holder. Nope, turns out that's it. The music? One good song, "All The Time". Some fine. Most lousy.

I read a Pitchfork review of the first Jet record. Jet are a mediocre band that came in the wake of The Strokes and are regularly crucified by the likes of Pitchfork writers. Amongst the litany of complaints is that they make a concerted effort to sound like other bands. And I guess they come across as douchebags. I guess when snotty New Yorkers do it it's OK, because everything I have read about The Strokes makes them seem like douchebags. Albert Hammond is quoted as saying how Jet makes him want to stop playing music. What an absolutely banal thing to say. It's nonsense...it's something a hipster says to sound cool.

The Strokes play their own game of Who Do We Sound Like Now? From Blondie on "Welcome to Japan" to Talking Heads on "Slow Animals" to The Killers on "Happy Ending" to A-Ha on "On Way Trigger." Really? A-Ha is what we are shooting for?

Listening it to a second time it's even worse. The first time, maybe because it was sort of in the background, it didn't quite register. Now as I pay attention it comes in full force. The problem is these guys are not songwriters. They are hipsters posing as a band. There isn't a single thing that is new or revolutionary or even interesting going on here. It's a waste of time. Enough. I just shut it off and turned on something that is worth my time.

PS...if you like it, that's cool. Just not my thing. I am glad you dig it!

Musician's Music

As my band humbly worked towards finishing our demos (and now begin to lurch towards making a real album) I would often joke I knew how it felt to be in Boston. Label legal shenanigans coupled with a perfectionist of a band lander led Boston to take 8 years to go from album 2 to album 3. My Bloody Valentine up the ante to an exponential level taking 22 years to release the follow-up to their Loveless.

Now I will admit that I was never in the MBV-camp. When Loveless came out in 1991 I was firmly in the metal and classic rock world. The most likely opportunity for me to catch on would have been college, but I went the power-pop and chimey guitars route, not much interested in the MBVs and Sonic Youths of the world. These were bands that said stick-it to pop music conventions. For me, I was always drawn to melody and a catchy tune. I enjoy bands that make a racket just fine, but I still like to hum it.

Loveless is now found in my iTunes, mainly because it's one of those albums I was supposed to have. Before I fell for the vinyl-resurgence I was a max subscriber with eMusic. With all those credits available it allowed me to back fill the collection rather nicely. One of the things I did was go through Pitchfork's list of Best Albums of the 1990s and add those in. Some I drew the line at, but Loveless made it in.

Right after the New Year My Bloody Valentine, after a few months of rumors and suggestions and false alarms, dropped their new record mbv. It came about without any official fanfare but exploded on the appropriate Twitter accounts. It was available for purchase at their website and the demand was so much it crashed their servers. I waited till the next day, when I ordered the vinyl (naturally). It came with a digital copy of the record so I have been listening to it since it downloaded. I held off on saying anything about it because I wanted to wait until I could hear the actual record.

Last Tuesday it finally arrived. And last night I gave it the headphone experience. And it left me pretty much the way it did listening through the computer speakers. Which is to say underwhelmed. Mainly that has to do with pseudo-expectations, or trying to hear what everybody else who raves about is hearing. The first three tracks are classic sounding MBV, which is to say a wall of guitar noise. It gets kind of synth-y in the middle before going to a hybrid on the last couple tracks. It's the middle section I like, songs like "if i am" and "the new you" are the highlights. They float along like good 90s indie rock should. The breathy vocals throughout are muddy, buried way in the mix; I think there was only one line that I could actually understand what was being said. Rock writers call these ethereal; I call it muddy. Listening to the record, I wonder why MBV even bother with lyrics because you can't hear them. They do that on one song, "nothing is," and if that's what all of their instrumentals would sound like then I reckon they best keep up with the ethereal vocals because that song is horrific...it seems to be a loop of noise that goes no place.

The reviews from the expected places are uniformly ecstatic. Pitchfork gave it 9.1. I think if Kevin Shields (he pretty much IS MBV, like Tom Scholz is Boston) could take a shit on a record and the reviews would be glowing. It makes me think that this is a record that really only other musicians like. Stuff like Sonic Youth and the Velvet Underground. David Lee Roth (of all people) has an excellent observation attributed to him, that rock writers love Elvis Costello because they all LOOK like Elvis Costello. I think he is on to something.

It obvious that there is a lot of effort expended for this record. A lot of tinkering and exploring is going on and Shields took his time tuning it exactly the way he wanted it. Whether that's because the music needed that long or whether he's just a perfectionist or he and the band just had shit to work out doesn't really matter. Here the record is. Personally I don't feel it should have taken 22 years to make THIS, but it is what it is. For all that time spent, it still sounds like a record that would have come out a year after Loveless.

I guess this makes me some kind of knave or ignorant schlub or unsophisticated boob. Go back to your Skynyrd records, caveman! No, that's not true. I don't really like Skynyrd. I appreciate MBV and Kevin Shields effort and dedication and craftsmanship, and I applaud finally getting it done and the non-descript way they went about it. And if you, dear reader, love it and find joy in it, then I am all for it.

Here's the song I like best: "the new you"