The Reveal Listening Lounge

Stephen Thomas Erlewine loves Paris Hilton!

2006-08-23T09:38:00.000-05:00

I love Stephen Thomas Erlewine. He's such a fascinating critic-- his writing is always great, and his tastes can be quite unpredictable. He's never ashamed to admit it when he likes an album by, say, Pink, or Christina Aguilera.

But man... I'm having a hard time swallowing this latest review:

It's easy to hate Paris Hilton -- lord knows that she and her friends like Brandon Davis are walking advertisements against the repeal of the estate tax -- but any pop fan who listens to Paris with an open mind will find that it's nothing but fun.

Andy Whitman loves Lambchop!

2006-08-23T09:33:00.000-05:00

Andy Whitman loves Damaged, the latest feast of beautiful weirdness from Lambchop.

I've heard the album a few times myself, and I too think it's a great piece of work from one of America's most visionary and idiosyncratic bands. It's difficult, slow-moving, and extremely bizarre, but it's worth your investment of time, as it's filled with wisdom and wit.

Riverside Battle in Review

2006-08-21T15:22:00.000-05:00

Remember Ollabelle, the funky, fiesty little Americana band discovered by T-Bone Burnett? Their debut album was one of the best surprises of 2004, and now they're back with Riverside Battle Songs. I've posted my review of the album at Reveal.

Tom Waits brings home Orphans

2006-08-18T15:15:00.000-05:00

Pitchfork has the exciting news about what will probably be the most exciting 3-disc, 54-song collection released all year:

The 54-track release includes a 94-page booklet and over three hours of music, ranging from waltzes to blues and Celtic ballads to lullabies. According to Waits, "Orphans [contains] rough and tender tunes. Rumbas about mermaids, shuffles about train wrecks, tarantellas about insects, madrigals about drowning. Scared, mean, orphaned songs of rapture and melancholy. Songs that grew up hard. Songs of dubious origin rescued from cruel fate and now left wanting only to be cared for. Show that you are not afraid and take them home. They don't bite, they just need attention."

A number of tracks on Orphans were originally recorded for film and theatre, and some are reworkings of songs by other artists, including the Ramones, Daniel Johnston, Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, Leadbelly, Jack Kerouac, and Charles Bukowski. Waits produced the epic album along with his wife and long-time collaborator Kathleen Brennan.

High Praise for Cruel Words

2006-08-18T14:51:00.000-05:00

I've posted a brief review of another one of 2006's must-hear new records-- Johnny Dowd's Cruel Words.

Next up: My long-delayed-- not to mention just plain long-- review of Jolie Holland's Springtime Can Kill You. Stay tuned!

New album news: Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams!

2006-08-16T12:31:00.000-05:00

So, Willie Nelson's got another new album in the pipeline. Songbird comes out in October, and includes both new versions of classic Willie cuts as well as Jerry Garcia and Leonard Cohen covers.

And the crazy part: The set is produced by Ryan Adams, whose Cardinals appear as Nelson's backing band throughout. Billboard has the story.

Beck reveals more Information

2006-08-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

Billboard has posted some further news about the upcoming Beck album, The Information. Due on October 3, the set was produced by Nigel Godrich, who also worked with Beck on Sea Change and Mutations, not to mention the recent Thom Yorke record and just about everything Radiohead's ever done.

Here's the set list:

"Elevator Music"
"Think I'm In Love"
"Cell Phone's Dead"
"Nausea"
"Soldier Jane"
"Strange Apparition"
"Dark Star"
"Movie Theme"
"We Dance Alone"
"No Complaints"
"1000 BPM"
"Motorcade"
"The Information"
"New Round"
"Horrible Fanfare/Landslide/Exoskeleton"

Blue on Review

2006-08-14T14:19:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is a joyous day for fans of the sadly-defunct Sixpence None the Richer-- Leigh Nash releases her long-awaited solo debut, Blue on Blue. I've got a fresh review served up at Reveal.

Beck leaks The Information

2006-08-10T09:47:00.000-05:00

According to NME via Pitchfork Media, Beck has a new studio album set for release this October, titled The Information-- and it sounds like he's up to his usual tomfoolery. Check out the Pitchfork story for the scoop on the album and its tour.

Kelly Joe Phelps' Tunesmith Retrofit: My review.

2006-08-09T12:16:00.000-05:00

Look at the track times on Tunesmith and you’ll notice that, for a Phelps record, these songs are comparatively short. It’s not that they’re slight—they’re just taut, lean, cut close to the bone. These aren’t the works of a guitar show-off, but of a storyteller and poet. Phelps’ lyrics are front and center here, and they’re delightful—brilliantly observed, eloquently stated, full of character and wonderful turns of phrase. They’re not sermons, parables, or political screeds—they’re slices of life, beautifully preserved for posterity. Phelps’ lyricism is enchanting, even inspiring… More>

My favorite album of 2006 gets a little... longer.

2006-08-09T12:12:00.000-05:00

My favorite recording yet released in 2006-- Bruce Springsteen's We Shall Overcome-- is about to get re-released... with five new songs, as well as extended DVD extras. Billboard has the scoop.

Tom Waits| Orphans Tour| Nashville, TN

2006-08-07T09:30:00.000-05:00

Goodness gracious-- last night's Tom Waits show was truly one of a kind. I've never been to a show with such an enthusiastic crowd; the auditorium was sold out, and there were even people standing along the back walls. There were people who had come to Nashville from Dallas, New York, even Germany to see the show-- it is, after all, Waits' first American tour in at least six years-- and everyone there was clearly a huge fan; the man sitting next to me said he owned a bar in Texas called Tom Waits' Bar! And good grief... I've never heard such thunderous applause from an audience craving an encore; there was stomping, shouting, pounding on the walls, and all manner of cacauphonous mayhem.

As for Waits, I can see why he doesn't tour more often; it's a miracle his voice has held up the way it has. He sounded as strong and as powerful as I've ever heard him, shouting and howling and spitting and growling his way through a two-hour set. Like it or not, the man's voice is just incredible. He was animated and theatrical, dancing around the stage, his whole body shaking. He was warm and funny, too, telling stories and bantering with the audience. He's a very witty and coherent guy-- much more personable than I was expecting, honestly.

Here's the set list, as taken from another Web site; there were two or three songs that I didn't recognize, so I'm taking their word for it:

Make It Rain
Hoist That Rag
Shore Leave
Gods Away On Business
All The World Is Green
Blue Valentine
Down In The Hole
Cemetery Polka
Tom Traubert's Blues
House Where Nobody Lives
Cause Of It All
Bye Bye Baby
Murder In The Red Barn
Shake It
What's He Building In There
Trampled Rose
Get Behind The Mule
Don't Go Into That Barn
It Rains On Me
Sins Of The Father
Going Out West
Day After Tommorrow
Heartattack And Vine
(Spoonful)

Review Updates

2006-08-07T09:26:00.000-05:00

Just a quick word to say that I've posted two new reviews within the past few days:

Here's my take on the promising but ultimately frustrating new album from Antje Duvekot.
And, here's my review of the hell-raising, barn-burning new record from Def Leppard.

New album news: Peter Gabriel! Outkast! Massive Attack!

2006-08-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

In what might be the best music news of the summer, the great Peter Gabriel has announced his imminent return! Well, sorta-- he's referring to the upcoming project Big Blue Ball, which features a number of well-known rock musicians performing with ethnic musicians from Africa, Asia, and Sout America. Gabriel himself handles lead vocals on several tracks.

Meanwhile, Outkast has finally settled on the track listing for their new disc, Idlewild.

And, Massive Attack is hard at work on new material.

Ghost Reviewer

2006-08-01T12:20:00.000-05:00

Things have been pretty slow in terms of music news and happenings, but I'm positively drowning in excellent new music. Over the next several days, I'll be posting about many of the great new recordings that I've been enjoying. And, for my first review of the month of August, here's my take on Jeffrey Foucault's Ghost Repeater-- one of the year's finest singer-songwriter albums.

My trip to Greenland

2006-07-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

I've just posted my review of Greenland, Cracker's new album and one of the most susprising and delightful records I've heard all year. Here 'tis.

REM is back! Sorta...

2006-07-25T09:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Morgan for pointing out this choice bit of news.

From Billboard:

R.E.M.'s pre-major label stint on I.R.S. Records will be anthologized on two CDs and a DVD due Sept. 12 via EMI Catalog Music Marketing. "And I Feel Fine" will be available as both a single-disc CD package and a double-disc set with a host of rarities, live cuts and previously unreleased selections. The DVD, "When the Light Is Mine," features a mix of music videos and live TV
performances.

As expected, the single-disc version of "And I Feel Fine" includes the finest tracks from R.E.M.'s first five years, from "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" and "Radio Free Europe" to "Driver 8," "Sitting Still" and "Begin the Begin." The set appropriately closes with "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," from 1987's "Document," the band's final I.R.S. album
before inking with Warner Bros.

But it's the two-disc edition of the collection that will prove a bounty for R.E.M. collectors, as it includes the first authorized release of the studio outtakes "Theme From Two Steps Onward" and "Bad Day." The former has circulated on bootlegs for years, while the latter was originally recorded during the sessions for 1986's "Life's Rich Pageant." It was revived and re-recorded for inclusion on R.E.M.'s 2003 retrospective "In Time -- The Best of R.E.M."

Other nuggets include an early 1980s version of "All the Right Friends" (which was re-recorded for the 2001 soundtrack to "Vanilla Sky), demos of "Hyena" and the early live favorite "Mystery to Me," a "live in the studio" version of "Just a Touch" and live takes of "Ages of You," "We Walk" and "1,000,000" taped July 13, 1983 at Boston's Paradise.

"When the Light Is Mine" is highlighted by performances from the U.K. TV show "The Tube" of "Talk About the Passion," "Radio Free Europe" and "Can't Get There From Here" (featuring a blonde Michael Stipe), a 20-minute film titled "Left of Reckoning" and a 1984 performance of "Pretty Persuasion" from "The Old Grey Whistle Test." The label promises "rare interview footage and acoustic performances" but details of these features have yet to be announced.

American V: The review is up!

2006-07-24T21:33:00.000-05:00

Just one more quick note to say that I've posted some thoughts on American V: A Hundred Highways, the chilling final album from Johnny Cash. Here's the review!

New album news: The Hold Steady

2006-07-24T15:56:00.000-05:00

Yipee! One of my favorite rock bands working today, The Hold Steady, is set to release their third album, Boys and Girls in America, on October 3. Billboard has the tracklisting, the story behind the album's title, and more.

Glimpses of Paul Simon

2006-07-24T13:21:00.000-05:00

Paul Simon's new album, Surprise, is the latest album to be featured in Christianity Today's "Glimpses of God" column.

I must confess that, sometimes, this column frustrates me a bit, but this one is, in my opinion, a real winner. And that has nothing to do with the fact that I wrote it. Seriously.

Late to the party...

2006-07-23T20:49:00.000-05:00

Well, better late than never, I guess-- I've finally arrived at the party with my review of Gnarls Barkley's debut disc, St. Elsewhere. Here ya go!

New Cockburn this week!

2006-07-17T18:17:00.000-05:00

My copy of the new Bruce Cockburn disc, Life Short Call Now, is on its way from my friends at Rounder Records. If you're a Bruce Cockburn fan, though, you'll probably want to get to the store and pick up your copy tomorrow; AMG's Thom Jurek seems to think it's well worth it!

...and now, my review of The Eraser

2006-07-16T19:55:00.000-05:00

For those who haven't noticed it already, on Friday I posted my review of the new Thom Yorke album, The Eraser.

Here it is.

Camera Reviewa

2006-07-13T16:22:00.000-05:00

I've just posted my review of this fine album...

Let's Get Out of This Country, the new set from Camera Obscura, and one of the finest albums I've heard all year.

You mean... there are people who DON'T like Sufjan Stevens?!?

2006-07-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

Wow. Now here's an audacious move. Stephen Thomas Erlewine-- editor of All Music Guide, and one of my favorite music critics-- makes A Case Against Sufjan Stevens:

His charm started to show some cracks on Seven Swans, a quiet respite between states albums whose bare-bone nature had little of the flair of Michigan. Without this flair, Sufjan seemed like a pedestrian Elliott Smith, only without Smith's haunted grace or natural melodicism. It was a bit of a one-dimensional album, so Stevens' return to baroque on Illinois should have been a consolidation of strengths, which for many listeners it is. Many fans and critics find it a sophisticated display of wit and delicate composition, since there is often a tendency to label any album with woodwinds and brass as being sophisticated. But even if Sufjan can play oboe, even if the time signatures in his songs shift, his music doesn't play as sophisticated, because of the school-report nature of his subjects -- each song is thoroughly researched, spit-shined, and presented for the class, as if he's reciting all that he learned during his time in the library -- and there's not much variety within the music itself. Most songs on Illinois and The Avalanche, this week's outtakes and demos collection assembled from the same sessions, all bear strikingly similar arrangements, all assembled from Stevens' by now familiar trick bag: wispy choruses, tempo changes, whistling woodwinds, cutesy harmonies. It's music that gives the impression of being sophisticated and complex, that never comes close to the sophistication of Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks, Jimmy Webb, or what Illinois most closely resembles, Brian Wilson in his SMiLE guise.

Modern Times Gets a Cover!

2006-07-10T15:45:00.000-05:00

Here it is... the next Bob Dylan album cover!

Best Avalanche Ever?

2006-07-09T15:39:00.000-05:00

James Christopher Monger has reviewed Sufjan Stevens' The Avalanche, a collection of outtakes and B-sides from the Illinois album, due in stores this Tuesday-- and he says it's almost as good as Illinois itself!

Andy Kellman on The Eraser

2006-07-07T14:27:00.000-05:00

All Music Guide's Andy Kellman has posted a lengthy review of Thom Yorke's first "un-solo" album, The Eraser-- and while it isn't quite a rave, it's certainly very positive.

Solomon Burke does Nashville

2006-07-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

So didja hear about Solomon Burke's new country music project?

As reported earlier, it's produced by Buddy Miller. It's got duets with Emmylou, Dolly, and Patty Loveless. It's called Nashville. And it comes out September 26.

Tom Waits is hitting the road!

2006-07-05T11:27:00.000-05:00

Tom Waits comes out of his cave for a rare round of touring... and would you look at that! He's going to be visiting my neck of the woods!

Pitchfork has the dates:

08-01 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
08-02 Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
08-04 Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre
08-05 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
08-07 Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre
08-09 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
08-11 Detroit, MI - Opera House
08-13 Akron, OH - Akron Civic

Opus on The Drift

2006-07-04T14:38:00.000-05:00

Jason Moorehead is celebrating Independence Day with a review of Scott Walker's The Drift-- one of the most, uh, liberated albums of the year. And by liberated I mean insane.

Is it pretentious? Most certainly. It's likely that The Drift will be the most pretentious album you'll hear all year. And maybe next year. And maybe even the year after that. But that doesn't mean The Drift is something that can just be dismissed, as many no doubt have. The Drift is undoubtedly difficult and sometimes, is only palatable in small doses. But Walker certainly isn't pretending to make any other kind of music. He's very conscious of what he's doing.

For all of its surreal, absurd blocks of sound, it's clear that each and every moment of the album is carefully composed. While a good deal of experimentation may have gone into the album's creation, nothing seems off the cuff or thrown in there "just to see what happens". The long spaces of silence, the sudden eruptions of sound, the strange wordplays and imagery, the vocal phrasing -- each is intended to illicit the maximum effect. But what effect?

The River in Review

2006-07-03T21:39:00.000-05:00

The River in Reverse-- a collaboration between Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint-- is both the most pointed criticism of American government and one of the most joyful celebrations of American culture that you'll hear all year. Thus, it seems fitting that I'd get my review posted just in time for the Fourth of July.

Five stars for Willie Nelson

2006-07-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

Stephen Thomas Erlewine has reviewed the new three-disc Willie Nelson box set, The Complete Atlantic Sessions, which includes two hard-to-find Nelson classics, as well as an entire live set and plenty of B-sides and studio outtakes. And is it a set worth having? Well, it is according to Erlewine, who gives it a whopping five-star rating:

So, even if Nelson's time with Atlantic was brief, it was certainly pivotal, and ripe for a collection like Rhino's superb 2006 triple-disc set The Complete Atlantic Sessions. Over the course of these three discs, the two albums are presented in their entirety, adorned with outtakes -- some alternate takes, some early versions, some unreleased songs -- and then on the third disc the scrapped live album Live at the Texas Opry House is presented... Nelson has had plenty of great live shows over the years, but this is one of the best captured on record, and the vitality of this show -- it still sounds exciting decades after it was recorded -- acts as a wonderful counterpoint to the carefully considered studio albums. And all three discs together add up to an essential testament to Willie Nelson's most creative period.

Rolling Stone previews A Hundred Highways

2006-06-30T16:03:00.000-05:00

Next Tuesday-- the Fourth of July-- is the release date for the fifth entry in Johnny Cash's American Recordings series, A Hundred Highways, and Rolling Stone has the first review of the album that I've seen. They say it's a dark, harrowing winner.

Ron Sexsmith's Time Being: A First Listen

2006-06-20T15:17:00.000-05:00

Boy, they just don't make singer/songwriters like Ron Sexsmith anymore.

There aren't too many artists working today who I love more than this guy, and perhaps none who can match his humility and gentle, restrained eloquence. He's a lyricist of uncommon warmth and romance, and his melodies can hold their own against Elvis Costello or Paul Simon any day. He's an uncannily cheery fellow, with lyrics that come perilously close to sentimentality but somehow transcend schmaltz, ringing with honesty and sincerity.

His last album, Retriever, is a modern-day classic, and last year's side project with Don Kerr, Destination Unknown, is a delight. Last Friday I received a copy of his newest record, Time Being, and it has immediately joined the ranks of my favorite Sexsmith discs. It's warm, understated, and filled with the same humility and sweetness that characterize all of Sexsmith's music. It's a more laid back collection than Retriever-- a bit less pop and a bit more folk-rock-- and it succeeds in capturing many of that album's charms while also branching out into new territory. It's everything a sequel should be.

If you live in Canada or Europe, you can buy the album right now. American listeners, I'm afraid, will have to wait until the fall. But it's well worth it-- nearly every track here is a gem:

"Hands of Time" is a mid-tempo folk-rock number, fusing the pop sensibilities of Retriever with acoustic guitars that harken back to his earlier works, as well as some of the electronic flourishes that characterized Cobblestone Runway. It also introduces the album's central themes-- the passage of time, and the contrast between the temporary and the lasting.

"Snow Angel" is an album highlight, and one of Sexsmith's most beautiful ballads, telling the story of a love that didn't last but nevertheless left a permanent mark on the two lovers.

"All in Good Time" is the record's first single, and as seamless a fusion of Cobblestone Runway and Retriever as one could ask for. Sexsmith's redeems the sadness of the last song with some of his trademark optimism: "All in good time, the bad times will be gone."

"Never Give Up On You" is a calypso number-- seriously-- built around acoustic guitar and gentle percussion. It's also one of Sexsmith's sweetest love songs.

"I Think We're Lost" starts off like a Coldplay single, with its chiming piano and soaring chorus, but quickly establishes it as this album's "Wishing Wells"-- a dark, brooding rocker of uncharacteristic despair. This one's sure to be a concert highlight.

"Reason for Our Love" has one of my favorite lyrics on the whole album, establishing the divine appointment of romantic love. Musically, it's a moody, jazzy tune in the same vein as "Foolproof."

"Cold Hearted Wind" is a lilting, springy little folk number that might remind you of Paul Simon, James Taylor, or Gordon Lightfoot.

"Jazz at the Bookstore," one of the album's boldest experiments, is a surprisingly edgy, bluesy rock number, with lyrics lamenting the commodification of great art.

"Ship of Fools" is another song of protest-- "We're all in the same boat, darling, a ship of fools it seems"-- set to a typically infectious Sexsmith pop/rock tune.

"The Grim Trucker" might be the most bizarre thing Ron Sexsmith has ever done, an oddly progressive number that shifts from breezy folk to Beatlesesque pop to crunching guitar rock.

"Some Dusty Things" is a moody, mid-tempo folk number that sums up some of the album's chief themes-- consider it a sort of sequel to "Hands of Time."

Finally, "And Now the Day is Done" is a gentle lullaby-- a solo acoustic guitar performance-- that serves as a fitting conclusion.

Is it as good as Retriever? No, it lacks that album's punch, its poetry, and it cohesion. But it's a worthy follow-up, and it easily holds its own alongside Blue Boy and Cobblestone Runway. It's sure to be one of the year's finest releases.

More on Modern Times

2006-06-13T12:47:00.000-05:00

Rolling Stone gives us a teaser:

We just got a sneak preview of his upcoming album, Modern Times, due out on August 29th. Times, which Dylan produced himself, mixes elements of 2001’s Love and Theft – blues variations (think “Cry A While”) and whimsical ballads (think “Floater”) – with the darker, swampier vibe of the Daniel Lanois-produced classics Time Out of Mind and Oh Mercy. Only Dylan’s current touring band plays on the new one: ringing in our ears was the bone-chilling vamp “Ain’t Talkin’”, which may be Dylan’s most powerful album-closing epic ever. Other song titles include “Thunder On the Mountain,” “Spirit on the Water,” “Workingman’s Blues,” “When the Deal Goes Down” and “Neddy Moore.”

Dylan gives us Modern Times

2006-06-12T14:54:00.000-05:00

Holy smokes! Stop the presses! NME has some very thrilling news:

Bob Dylan's first album of new songs in five years will be called 'Modern Times' and released on August 28, according to an inside source at his US record company, Sony-BMG.

A number of hand-picked journalists were given a playback of the album in New York City last week but were required to sign legal undertakings not to talk about what they heard. One record company source described the album as similar in style to 2001's 'Love & Theft'. Another source claimed the dozen songs include "at least three masterpieces".

Thanks to Jeffrey Overstreet for catching this!

More reviews of Danielson and Scott Walker

2006-06-09T15:21:00.000-05:00

I just noticed James Christopher Monger's review of Ships, the deliriously fun, wildly creative new album from Danielson. My own rave review will be posted eventually, but for now here's Monger's:

This is Smith's Led Zeppelin 1, 2, 3, and 4 all wrapped up into one giant boot stomp of a record, one that will no doubt please longtime followers and convert a few new ones into the fold. Lyrically, Smith is as colorful and incomprehensible as ever, trading childhood imagery for fluidity and astute observation for parable, with the notion of nautical camaraderie at its core. Standout cuts like "Did I Step on Your Trumpet," "Ship the Majestic Suffix," and the surprisingly straightforward closer "Five Stars and Two Thumbs Up" sound as communal as they read, and like every other song on the glorious Ships, they render the listener speechless. Highly recommended.

Meanwhile, Andy Kellman is talking about Scott Walker's landmark album The Drift:

From the outset, the album seems impossibly insular and impenetrable, especially if you've been led to believe that Scott Walker's name is synonymous with recluse, but it has everything to do with real lives (or, more accurately, real deaths). Walker is acutely aware of what's going on with the world outside his supposed candle-lit bunker; he's only finding very unique (OK, bloody minded) ways to bring them up. Any mystique behind the recordings is laid to waste by one scene from a documentary, titled 30 Century Man, which shows Walker -- a baseball hat-wearing sixty-something man from Ohio -- instructing another man on how to thump a slab of meat. It looks and sounds absurd, of course (the participants seem to be aware of this), but then again, the results are used in a song inspired by the public executions of Benito Mussolini and his mistress. Broken spells aside, how much more bleak could this album be? None more bleak.

Beware The Drift!

2006-06-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I had a chance to listen to Scott Walker's new recording, The Drift.

It won't be the album I listen to the most this year. In fact, listening to it is such exhausting work that I probably won't listen to it much at all. It's as emotionally draining, as utterly terrifying as any album I've ever heard.

And it will probably be one of the year's releases-- if not the release-- that sticks with me the most.

It's a chilling, utterly disarming piece of work that demands your full attention. It's a long, slow cycle of disturbing images, fractured poetry, and surreal bursts of sound. It's unlike anything you've ever heard.

And just get a load of these reviews!

"This is out in the margins, removed from 'pop' and 'alternative' genres by the scale of its reach, its bloody and bold ambition. It is complex, multilayered, densely plotted, wordy. It's also scary, harsh and bruised."

"It's unlikely that any other album will sound much like The Drift this year, and even less likely that it could be forgotten if heard even once."

"No easy listening feat by any stretch of the imagination, Scott Walker's The Drift will provide critics and general music fans with talking points for the next 10 years. It is, simply, a work of staggering emotional sentiment and complexity that few will be able to match."

"The Drift--in all its nightmarish, bloody glory--is as bold and profound a comment on our times as has emerged so far this century."

"The Drift is like a nightmare you look forward to repeating."

American V details revealed

2006-06-07T09:35:00.000-05:00

Pitchfork Media unveils the tracklisting of the upcoming, supposedly final studio recording from Johnny Cash, American V.

New releases this week: Costello! Toussaint! Obscura! Zero 7! Rux! Walker!

2006-06-05T18:35:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, Tuesday, bears the dubious distinction of having the date 6/6/06.

On what I'll assume is an unrelated note, tomorrow is also the release date for a host of intriguing new recordings. Most exciting of all-- at least for this listener-- is The River in Reverse, the new Elvis Costello-Allen Toussaint collaboration produced by the great Joe Henry. Stephen Thomas Erlewine is raving:

This undercurrent of protest gives The River in Reverse thematic cohesion -- and as politically minded pop goes, it trumps such other 2006 albums as Neil Young's Living with War, if only because it isn't so heavy-handed about its intentions -- but what makes the album rather extraordinary is that it's as much celebration as it is protest. There is joy and tenderness within the performances of Toussaint, Costello, his backing band the Imposters, and Toussaint mainstays the Crescent City Horns, all captured by Joe Henry's clean yet warm production. If Costello pushes his phrasing a little harder than most interpreters of Toussaint -- not only does Allen himself have an easy, casual delivery, but so did such singers as Lee Dorsey, Aaron Neville, Ernie K-Doe, and Lowell George -- it suits the spirit of when the album was recorded, and Elvis is balanced about by the earthy, natural sound of the band, and Allen's graceful harmonies. As pure music, this is impossible not to enjoy, and this rich blend of R&B, blues, soul, and funk illustrates exactly how important New Orleans is to America's culture, and that it needs to be embraced in the wake of the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. Ultimately, the greatest achievement of The River in Reverse is that it, like the music of New Orleans itself, can not be pigeonholed or reduced to one specific thing. It can seem like a party, or it can seem like a bittersweet elegy, which is only appropriate for an album borne out of tragedy but created as a celebration.

Meanwhile, the new record from Camera Obscura is drawing praise from across the board; check out this review from Tim Sendra:

Head Camera Tracyanne Campbell writes amazingly intimate and tender ballads that can break your heart with the slightest lyrical twist, swell of strings, or vocal harmony. That she sings these songs in a voice so sweet and direct adds an extra level of feeling to songs like the wrenching "Country Mile" and the almost unbearably melancholy "Tears for Affairs." The band's gentle and restrained playing and the expansive production courtesy of Jari Haapalainen are note perfect as well. Whether rocking out in a Motown manner or lying back with some mellow country-rock, the combination of music, lyrics, melodies, and vocals is, well, enchanting.

And how 'bout that new Zero 7 disc, Garden? Marisa Brown says it's great:

While Sia's emotive voice has been long proven to be an excellent fit with Zero 7's music, the relative flatness of Gonzáles' adds a nice texture to the rolling movement behind it. And main songwriter Henry Binns, who also take lead vocals occasionally, is a master at adding harmonies that bring a kind of light pastoral intensity to the pieces, and gives them a great sense of structure. With Garden, Zero 7 have created what could be the ultimate summer evening record: warm pop hooks, lush instrumentation, unobtrusive electronica elements, and '60s-style harmonies that all come together into superb, wonderfully descriptive songs. And what could be better than that?

And then there's Carl Hancock Rux, whose new album is reviewed by David Jeffries:

Working with a smaller set of musicians -- and for a smaller label -- the multi-disciplinary artist Carl Hancock Rux delivers what is arguably his most musical album to date. There are more "songs" on Good Bread Alley than on the poet/author/vocalist's previous efforts, and Rux also uses his deep baritone singing voice more than usual. Hip-hop and electronica make brief appearances, but most of the sounds here are neo-cabaret, neo-classical, or downtown loft blues, played naked and live enough to suggest what a one-man show from Rux might sound like.

And then there's that new Scott Walker album, which, frankly, sounds a little scary.

Over the Rhine: Live in Nashville and Atlanta

2006-06-05T09:58:00.000-05:00

Holy smokes! This weekend I had the joy of seeing Over the Rhine play a pair of knockout shows, one in Nashville and one in Atlanta, and both gigs were absolutely dynamite-- ten times better than their show in Knoxville last year, which was itself an excellent, grade-A performance. These guys are to small clubs and theaters what U2 is to arenas and stadiums.

A few highlights:

-- THEY'RE RECORDING AGAIN! Karin said they'll be hitting the studio again very, very soon. Her description of the new record was priceless: "We're not sortin' through a bunch of heavy crap this time, so it should be a pretty light-hearted record."

-- The new songs... well, gosh, where to begin? They played four brand new ditties-- all of which, I assume, will be on the new album-- and at least three of them ("Trouble," "I'm on a Roll," "Entertaining Thoughts") sound like instant OtR classics. "I'm on a Roll," especially, ranks right up there with "My Love is a Fever" as one of the most whimsical, downright FUN songs they've ever done. And as for the fourth new song, "I Don't Want to Waste Your Time"... well, it still sounds a little rough at this point, and the music sounds far too similar to "Little Did I Know." The lyric is killer, though-- I'm sure it'll end up being a concert-closing highlight if they play with the arrangement a bit.

-- Linford is a helluva storyteller. He didn't say a word in Knoxville last October, but he was talking up a storm last night, sharing stories about his upbringing and how some of the new songs got written. I'd pay money just to hear him talk. And so, I think, would most of the other folks gathered at those two shows-- both audiences were mesmerized, silent and attentive, appreciative of his hypnotic command of the language.

-- They opened with "Latter Days," and the song has never sounded better.

-- Same with "Jesus in New Orleans."

-- Same with "Show Me." And "Lookin' Forward"-- I've heard four or five versions of that song by now, and last night's was far and away the best. Ah, heck, every song was spectacular-- there were what seemed like dozens of standing ovations during both shows.

Here's Atlanta's set list; the Nashville show was mostly the same, minus "I Want You to Be My Love" in the main set, and, because the club was triple-booked, they only had time for a one-song encoure, "When I Go."

Latter Days
Jesus in New Orleans
Born
Lookin' Forward
I'm On a Roll
Entertaining Thoughts
I Don't Want To Waste Your Time
Linford's monologue/Piano instrumental
Little Did I Know
Firefly
Show Me
Trouble
Drunkard's Prayer

First Encore:
The Seahorse
Summertime
When I Go

Second encore:
Hush Now

Surprise! A new review is up.

2006-06-05T09:38:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned yet that my review of Paul Simon's new album went up at Reveal last week?

Well, it did.

Pitchfork hears the eraser!

2006-05-24T10:55:00.000-05:00

Is the anticipation for Thom Yorke's new album killing you?

Well it probably will be if you read Pitchfork's generous song-by-song preview of the new album.

The Eraser is a sumptuous, Nigel Godrich-produced layer cake of plaintive piano, haunting synth squalls, and chugging guitars built atop skittish programmed beats and devoured by Thom Yorke's anguished ruminations on the pressures and paranoias attendant to fame and expectation. And no, it's not a techno record.

Reveal returns! (Or, the Springsteen review is up!)

2006-05-22T21:38:00.000-05:00

After a painfully long hiatus, I'm diving back into review-writing this week. Reveal is back, with a slightly modified design and new reviews of the film Over the Hedge and the new Bruce Springsteen album...

Here's my take on We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions.

Check back later this week for more new music reviews.

Critics make a racket over the Raconteurs; plus, more praise for Jolie Holland.

2006-05-17T15:33:00.000-05:00

Critics are all making a fuss about Broken Boy Solider, the debut album from Jack White's new outfit, the Raconteurs. A few folks really seem to hate it...

If The Raconteurs were any other group (that is, if The Raconteurs didn't have Jack White), the press/Blogosphere would slam it. (from Tiny Mixtapes)

...but most are singing its praises:

The songs zing with the excitement of two music nerds caught up in a game of "Top This!" (LA Times)

An album that sounds effortless, but at times almost dissyingly diverse--imagine The White Album, but made by happy people. (Mojo)

It's brief and even a little slight, but it's almost as much fun to listen to as it must have been to make. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

For a full rundown of reviews, check out Metacritic. And be on the lookout for my first impression, posted later this week. For now, I'll just say that I don't love it quite as much as The Times, but I definitely come down on the positive end of the spectrum. These guys are dynamite.

And while you're at Metacritic, just take a look at the reviews for Jolie Holland's new one-- which is currently hanging in there as one of the best-reviewed albums of 2006!

My boss on The Boss

2006-05-16T13:34:00.000-05:00

Mark Moring, the big cheese over at Christianity Today's Movies and Music pages-- not to mention a long-time Bruce Springsteen fan-- is singing the praises of The Boss' new album, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions-- which is likely to stand as the most straightforwardly inspiring, joyful, and celebratory party album you'll hear all year.

First impressions: Jolie Holland, Springtime Can Kill You

2006-05-15T17:14:00.000-05:00

This one may be a tough sell; after all, Jolie Holland's new album, Springtime Can Kill You, isn't for everyone.

It's not an album for those craving big pop hooks; slick, radio-ready production; wild, eclectic, Sufjan-y arrangements or jubilant celebrations. Nor is it an album for the impatient, or for those with a distaste for melancholy, whiskey-sour midnight folk music.

Rather, it's an album for those who love the simple, disarming power of the human voice-- and oh, what a voice! Falling somewhere between Karin Bergquist and Leslie Feist, Holland's voice is sometimes heartbreaking in its grief, sometimes so sexy it'll make you break out sweating. It's the most potent weapon in her arsenal, and she knows it-- she plays with it, contorts it, stretches out those long vowels and phrases her songs with the precision of an actor. Springtime Can Kill You is the best singer record I've heard all year.

It's also an album for those who love poetry-- Holland's lyrics seem simple at first, but they open up to be surprisingly complex meditations on love, lust, loneliness, and longing. Recurring images-- changing seasons, birdsong, moonshine, dreams-- weave their way throughout the album, connecting both the originals and the three covers into something cohesive, something with vision.

It's an album for those who appreciate the great tradition of American song-- though these are all intimate, front-parlor folk songs at their heart, Holland paints them in subtle shades of country, jazz, and rock. "Stubborn Beast" and "Moonshiner" sway with a seductive country strut; "Crazy Dreams" is a feverish, punch-drunk pop ballad; "You're Not Satisfied" is an off-kilter Dixieland jazz number from the other side of midnight; "Mexican Blue" is an odd, epic closer that you won't believe.

And, it's an album for those who prefer a clean, unobtrusive production and the sounds of creaky old acoustic instruments-- the album is populated with horns, organs, acoustic guitars, steel guitars, upright bass, and lots of piano.

So yes, it's slow-moving. It's laid-back and patient. It's beautiful. It's profound. It's reminiscent of Over the Rhine's Good Dog Bad Dog, in all the right ways. And, for this listener, it just might be 2006's Album of the Year.

Sufjan speaks, downplays The Avalanche

2006-05-15T12:48:00.000-05:00

File this under "From the Mouth of Sufjan, or, Our Indie Prog-Folk Hero Speaks!" Stevens had a conversation with Pitchfork Media in which he discusses, among other things, his upcoming collection of B-sides and outtakes, The Avalanche.

What's striking about the interview is how... well, uninterested Sufjan seems in the new album. He's got very little enthusiasm for the project, and doesn't seem to think too highly of many of the songs. In fact, the whole thing makes The Avalanche seem more and more like an attempt to milk more money out of the Illinoise cash cow. Disappointing.

Pitchfork: Were there any plans to tour behind the material on The Avalanche?
Sufjan: I don't think so. I don't think it's worth touring. There's one song...
Pitchfork: You sound really, really excited about this record.
Sufjan: [Laughing] I'm excited about it, but from a technical point of view. I like some of the songs. I think there's one song I would play live, which is "The Mistress Witch From McClure". But it just sounds like another song I wrote.

Lone wolf at the door

2006-05-14T20:20:00.000-05:00

The bad news: Still no word on a release date or title for the new Radiohead disc-- in fact, it's looking more and more like we're going to have to wait until next year for new studio material from them.

The good news: Thom Yorke has revealed the details concerning his first ever solo outing, The Eraser, due in July! Pitchfork has more details.

New album news: Woven Hand is back!

2006-05-11T09:58:00.000-05:00

Here's another bright beacon on the musical horizon: It looks like David Eugene Edwards has a new disc in the pipeline-- Mosaic, Woven Hand's follow-up to 2004's excellent Consider the Birds, arrives in the US on August 22.

More on Paul Simon

2006-05-11T09:51:00.000-05:00

More and more critics are singing the praises of Paul Simon's Surprise-ing new album, including Paste's ever-reliable Andy Whitman:

Surprise is Simon’s most unabashedly autobiographical work since 1983’s Hearts and Bones. He sings about his wife, his children and the hole in his soul that seems unable to be filled. He looks for answers in family and God, but the answers are complicated, and they resonate with unresolved dilemmas. On “Sure Don’t Feel Like Love” Simon’s deceptively cheery melody masks a sucker punch as he ponders the chemistry of teardrops—mere electrolytes and salt—and why that chemistry doesn’t even begin to explain the calculus of sorrow and regret. On “I Don’t Believe” he wonders why the idyllic, sun-dappled family times are so ephemeral, and why the next day always dawns grey and bleak. Eno wraps these conundrums in his patented ambient gauze, which perfectly mirrors the disquieting, ruminative songwriting. Bill Frisell’s guitars and Herbie Hancock’s keyboards peek through occasionally, but it’s Eno’s production, and Simon’s impressive acoustic fingerpicking—again, his best since Hearts and Bones—that mark this album, sonically.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Overstreet blogs his first impressions:

It's fresh, bright, meditative, spontaneous, amusing, revealing, testimonial, atmospheric, and (as Josh Hurst promised) the best thing he's done since The Rhythm of the Saints (although Saints remains my favorite by far).

It's also surprisingly focused on God, the need for him, the mysterious ways in which he works.

But not everyone thinks it's so pleasant. No surprises here: Pitchfork rips it.

Contractually mandated "surprise" pun: In the end, Eno really isn't one. Talking Heads' 1980 Remain in Light owed as much to African polyrhythms as Simon's wildly successful Graceland did six years later. Moreover, Simon has always changed trappings from album to album, bringing on Nile Rodgers and Philip Glass for 1983's underrated Hearts and Bones and looking to Brazil for 1990's Rhythm of the Saints. But while a trendy folk-rock arrangement initially made "The Sound of Silence" a hit, memorable songs made Simon & Garfunkel worthwhile. On Surprise, Simon neglects his strengths, and the record's Plastic Eno Band mud paint can't bring them back.

Living with politics...

2006-05-09T12:21:00.000-05:00

So, by now you've probably heard all about Living with War, Neil Young's new album of explicitly political, Bush-bashing protest songs. But have you heard the music itself? Apparently it's been streaming on the Web for a while now, but I've just now stumbled across the link at Neil's blog. You can hear the record for yourself here.

More new album news: Erin McKeown

2006-05-09T11:43:00.000-05:00

Great news from the May edition of the Erin McKeown newsletter:

NEW ALBUM NEWS- here it is, buried in the may newsletter, but we wanted to send out a little teaser to the loyal fans. MCKEOWN has just finished recording a new album, the promised STANDARDS project. recorded live in 4 days, the album features an all star cast that will be familiar to many of you who have seen MCKEOWN play over the last year. SAM KASSIRER did his dance on the piano and wurly. TODD SICKAFOOSE brought his inimitable tone to the low end. ALLISON MILLER hit her drums with the perfect mix of humor, precision, and balls. and MCKEOWN brought it home with banjo, electric and acoustic guitars. to say this record is fun is a serious understatement. seriously. we'll have more news next month, but you can mark your calendars for a release later this year.

For what its worth, McKeown's last album, We Will Become Like Birds, was one of my five favorite albums of 2005.

New Release Tuesday: Simon! Jolie! Gnarls! Neil!

2006-05-08T20:05:00.000-05:00

Surprise! Would you believe that Paul Simon's new album-- his first in six years-- is drawing raves from top critics? Just check out this high praise from Stephen Thomas Erlewine:

With repeated plays, Simon's songs don't seem as open-ended, and there's more to discover within Eno's production, particularly in how it plays off Simon's recurring themes of faith, aging, fatherhood, and getting by in George W. Bush's U.S.A. But this is not by any stretch a protest record; "How Can You Live in the Northeast?" and "Wartime Prayers" are about the uneasiness of living in the post-9/11 America, yet they're not statements of outrage, they're about the emotional toil of the time, and they have counterparts in the wearied narrators of "Once Upon a Time There Was an Ocean" and "Outrageous." It adds up to a bittersweet undercurrent that runs through Surprise, not unlike the melancholy threaded throughout Hearts and Bones, which this also resembles in its overall introspective tone and arty bent, but this is hardly a one-dimensional record; there is gentle hope and wry humor as well, giving this music a rich elegance that makes it stand among Simon's best work. Unlike such deservedly praised comeback albums from some of his peers -- such as Dylan's Love and Theft, the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang, Paul McCartney's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard -- Simon doesn't achieve his comeback by reconnecting with the sound and spirit of his classic work; he has achieved it by being as restless and ambitious as he was at his popular and creative peak, which makes Surprise all the more remarkable.

Meanwhile, Thom Jurek loves the new Jolie Holland disc, Springtime Can Kill You:

Jolie Holland's sophomore studio outing for Anti is a leap from her landmark Escondida. While that album traveled seamlessly from genre to genre without trying, Springtime Can Kill You moves at a slower, more labyrinthine pace toward an end that only Holland could conjure. There are many artists these days stepping deep into the rich tradition of American roots music, whether it's country, blues, folk, or gospel. To her credit, Holland is looking for something even more mercurial in her songwriting and cover performances: the American parlor -- or living room in the era before television when the radio was its centerpiece: it was the terrain where many voices, experiences, and stories from near or ghostly far came to life. Here,she articulates them in the present, often in the first person, as musical languages and as well-worn fables from life's margins.

Plus, there's no new artist more hyped than Gnarls Barkley. And, astoundingly, Neil Young's new album of politically-explicit protest songs, Living with War, is also drawing raves.

More new album news: Johnny Cash?!?

2006-05-08T16:04:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Andree Farias for bringing this one to my attention. Apparently, a fifth title in Johnny Cash's American Recordings series-- which includes the classic American Recordings disc and three other albums produced by Rick Rubin-- will be released on July 4. CMJ reports that Cash and Rubin began working on the album right after finishing American IV, the last album Cash released before his death:

On the perfectly-fitting date of July 4, American Recordings will release a new Johnny Cash studio album, American V: A Hundred Highways. Leading up to his death on September 12, 2003, the country icon was recording material with producer Rick Rubin. In fact, he began recording the songs that would comprise the album immediately after finishing American IV: The Man Comes Around. In addition to his own songs, contributing songwriters for the album include Bruce Springsteen, Hank Williams and Rod McKuen. Rubin specifically held off releasing this collection until after the press train died down from the movie and commemorative, greatest-hits packages. At press time, there was no word as to whether this is the final release of new material or not.

Another Wilco update

2006-05-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

Here's another update on Wilco's new album, straight from the horse's mouth. And by horse I mean drummer. Pitchfork talks with the band's own Glenn Kotche, who fills us in on the band's progress in the studio.

It's Wilco's world...

2006-05-03T16:19:00.000-05:00

A summer tour.

Time in the studio working on a new record.

An appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brian.

It's a busy year for Wilco... and it should be a happy one for their fans. Paste has the scoop on the band's hectic schedule.

Radiohead is on the move.

2006-05-02T09:32:00.000-05:00

I really don't want to talk about this.

I've been holing my breath for a Radiohead tour for months now, desperately hoping that they'd make it somewhere-- anywhere in the Southeast. Like Atlanta, for example, a city that is expected to become the largest in the country.

But no, apparently that's not big enough for Radiohead. The closest they're coming to me is Boston, and I'm not sure if a road trip of that magnitude is going to be doable.

Oh well. Here are the dates; hope you folks are luckier than I was...

Update: Radiohead debuted some new songs at a show in England last night!

Ani does New Orleans

2006-04-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, what's that? Ani DiFranco is releasing a new album this summer?

Oh... and it's going to deal with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath?

And it's going to be really, explicitly political? Huh. How surprising.

Rolling Stone has the scoop on this album. Having enjoyed DiFranco's last record, Knuckle Down-- mostly thanks to the involvment of producer Joe Henry-- I'm curious to hear what musical direction she takes here, though I'm afraid it sounds like the lyrics will appeal mostly to Ani's baser, preachier instincts. We'll see.

Shaken by the storm and its terrible aftermath, DiFranco has put together Reprieve, an unflinchingly political album, due in August, that expresses her frustration, sadness and sense of displacement. The way she tells it, after Katrina DiFranco could not wait to return to New Orleans, which she did as soon as possible. The serene, crisp sound of Reprieve's thirteen-song cycle sonically reflects her travels over the past year.

More on Springsteen: Pitchfork weighs in.

2006-04-24T18:22:00.000-05:00

Geez... this new Sprinsgteen album is sounding better all the time. As if the rave review from Stephen Thomas Erlewine wasn't enough, now there's Amanda Petrusich, who heaps praise on the album over at Pitchfork Media-- a publication that isn't known for being especially kind to Americana releases. Says Petrusich:

On The Seeger Sessions, Springsteen growls, warbles, groans, and gags, sounding often like Tom Waits (check the scratchy, ominous vocals on "Erie Canal") or later Bob Dylan. It's a stark contrast to Seeger's crisp, clear pipes, and it reinvigorates a handful of ancient American tracks. Like any good folk record, The Seeger Sessions tackles the tangle of war, strife, poverty, and unrest, but does so without sacrificing joy or release (really, the very reasons people began singing in the first place). The resulting collection happily drowns out echoes of Springsteen's underwhelming recent efforts, and just might be the very best and most inspiring album Bruce has produced in more than a decade.
Embracing early E Street shuffle and ditching the solemnity of 2005's Devils and Dust, The Seeger Sessions culls from a century of rich, gritty Americana tradition, from bluegrass to country to rhythm and blues to gospel, rock'n'roll, Zydeco, Dixieland, and more. Springsteen is an obvious descendent of folk tradition, but, as he writes in the record's liner notes, this is "street corner music, parlor music, tavern music, wilderness music, circus music, church music, gutter music." Or: The Seeger Sessions is a party record.

New releases this week: Bruce! Mark and Emmylou!

2006-04-23T18:49:00.000-05:00

You know, it's funny-- I wouldn't really call myself a Bruce Springsteen fan, and the idea of an all-covers album rarely appeals to me, and yet I find myself immensely enthused about We Shall Overcome, the Pete Seeger covers album that Bruce is releasing on Tuesday. That enthusiasm is in large part due to the rave reviews that are pouring in-- like this one from Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

While the songs featured here adhere to no one specific theme -- there are work songs, spirituals, narratives, and protest songs -- it is possible to see this collection of tunes as Springsteen's subtle commentary on the political state of America, especially given Seeger's reputation as an outspoken political activist, but this record should hardly be judged as merely an old-fashioned folk record. We Shall Overcome is many things, but a creaky relic is not one of them. Springsteen has drawn from Seeger's songbook -- which he assembled in the '40s, '50s, and '60s from traditional folk songs -- and turned it into something fresh and contemporary. And even if you have no patience for (or interest in) the history of the songs, or their possible meanings, it's easy to enjoy We Shall Overcome on pure musical terms: it's a rambunctious, freewheeling, positively joyous record unlike any other in Springsteen's admittedly rich catalog.

Meanwhile, James Christopher Monger is slightly less excited about the new Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris duets collection.

Bird is back... and busy!

2006-04-20T18:43:00.000-05:00

Great news via Pitchfork Media-- it seems that Andrew Bird, the man responsible for my favorite album of 2005, is not only embarking on a major tour this summer, but he's also hard at work on a new studio album, and plans to release a live set later this year! According to Pitchfork:

What we're curious about is how Bird, who's in the midst of knocking out a new record, is setting aside the entire summer for this jaunt, especially when the yet-to-be-titled follow-up to last year's The Mysterious Production of Eggs is slated for an early 2007 release. Looks like Andy B. has some stellar time management skills... or he's practicing his fresh tracks on tour. According to Billboard.com, who spoke with the Chicago musician, Bird has delivered new songs "Dark Matter", "Plasticities", and "Sycophants" to live audiences, and will likely continue to do so throughout his summer adventures. Also on the album is the tentatively-titled "The Armchair Apocalypse", which serves as the record's centerpiece. That name should be set in stone, in Pitchfork's humble opinion.

Of the record's style, Bird commented to Billboard, "I'm writing stuff that's big and spacious, with long, stretched out phrases, a sense of large, open air. But it's also really concise. I'm trying to keep it to 10 songs, but short is pretty hard to pull off when you're trying to create space. I did a recording session in the barn where I opened all the windows and miked everything, just recording three hours of ambient noise. Now I just have to find a way to work it in."

Haley Bonar and Chris Morrissey, who worked backup on The Mysterious Production of Eggs tour, and of course, Dosh, are contributing to the effort, which is being recorded at Bird's barn in rural Illinois, Electrical Audio in Chicago, and various studios in Minneapolis. Producer Ben Durrant has been working closely alongside Bird as well.

Also on the agenda are a live album (featuring both Bird and Dosh), set for self-release in the fall, and a September tour.

New album updates: Knopfler! Harris! Costello! Toussaint! Enigk!

2006-04-12T14:43:00.000-05:00

Good news galore today-- just check out these updates on three exciting upcoming releases:

1. Emmylou Harris's Web site has the details on All the Road Running, the new album of duets she recorded with Mark Knopfler, due out on April 25.

2. Music Remedy has some exciting details about The River in Reverse, the new Elvis Costello/Allen Toussaint collection due out in June. (Did I mention that Joe Henry produced it? That the Imposters played on it?)

3. Paste bears the sad news that The Fire Theft is no more, but don't fret-- frontman Jeremy Enigk is busy at work on a new solo disc.

Stipe on Katrina, music, faith

2006-04-12T14:31:00.000-05:00

Even after the abomination that was Around the Sun, I'd still call myself an REM fan-- at least for now. Thus, I was rather fascinated by BeliefNet's recent interview with Michael Stipe, in which the singer discusses hurricane relief efforts that he is involved with, his ideal America, the power of music, and the nature of faith and spirituality. It's an interesting read from a usually-provocative pop star.

You guessed it... more new album news: Sufjan Stevens!

2006-04-07T06:51:00.000-05:00

Another day, another press release:

Sufjan Stevens set to release The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album in July

Asthmatic Kitty Records has announced plans to release a new collection of songs from Sufjan Stevens, titled The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album which will hit shelves on July 25, 2006.

The little secret behind the Illinois record is that it was originally conceived as a double album, culminating in a musical collage of nearly 50 songs. But as the project began to develop into an unwieldy epic, common sense weighed in—as did the opinions of others—and the project was cut in half. But as 2005 came to a close, Sufjan returned to the old, forsaken songs on his 8-track like a grandfather remembering his youth, indulging in old journals and newspaper clippings. What he uncovered went beyond the merits of nostalgia; it was more like an ensemble of capricious friends and old acquaintances wearing party outfits, waiting to be let in at the front door, for warm drinks and interesting conversation. Among them were Saul Bellow, Ann Landers, Adlai Stevenson, and a brief cameo from Henry Darger's Vivian Girls. The gathering that followed would become the setting for the songs on The Avalanche.

Sufjan gleaned 21 useable tracks from the abandoned material, including three alternate versions of Chicago. Some songs were in finished form, others were merely outlines, gesture drawings, or musical scribbles mumbled on a hand-held tape recorder. Most of the material required substantial editing, new arrangements or vocals. Much of the work was done at the end of 2005 or in January the following year. Sufjan invited many of the original Illinoisemakers to fill in the edges: drums, trumpet, a choir of singers. The centerpiece, of course, was the title track—"The Avalanche"—a song intended for the leading role on the Illinois album but eventually cut and placed as a bonus track on the vinyl release (also on iTunes). In his rummaging through old musical memorabilia, Sufjan began to use this song as a meditation on the editorial process, returning to old forms, knee-deep in debris, sifting rocks and river water for an occasional glint of gold. "I call ye cabin neighbors," the song bemuses, "I call you once my friends." And like an avid social organizer, Sufjan took in all the odd musical misfits and gathered them together for a party of their own, like good friends.

A careful listener may uncover the obvious trend on this record: almost every song on the Illinois album has a counterpart on the outtakes. Carl Sandburg arm-wrestles Saul Bellow. The aliens landing near Highland salute Clyde Tombaugh, the man who discovered Pluto. The loneliness of "Casimir Pulaski Day" deepens even further in the foreboding soundtrack to "Pittsfield." At its best, The Avalanche is an exercise in form, revealing the working habits of one of the most productive songwriters today. As an illustration, the avalanche refers to the snow and rubble that falls off the side of a mountain, or, in this case, the musical debris generously chucked from an abundant epic. It's unlikely you'll find a mountain in the Prairie State so the metaphor will have to do. Also, Sufjan has still not made an official decision on the next state he'll tackle in his epic 50 States project, but we will definitely keep you posted.

TRACK LIST:

1. The Avalanche (3:14)
2. Dear Mr Supercomputer (4:40)
3. Adlai Stevenson (2:34)
4. The Vivian Girls Are Visited In the Night by Saint Dargarius and his
Squadron of Benevolent Butterflies (1:49)
5. Chicago (acoustic version) (4:40)
6. The Henney Buggy Band (3:16)
7. Saul Bellow (2:53)
8. Carlyle Lake (3:15)
9. Springfield, or Bobby Got a Shadfly Caught in his Hair (4:17)
10. The Mistress Witch from McClure (or, The Mind That Knows Itself) (3:24)
11. Kaskaskia River (2:15)
12. Chicago (adult contemporary easy listening version) (6:06)
13. Inaugural Pop Music for Jane Margaret Byrne (1:25)
14.No Man's Land (4:45)
15. The Palm Sunday Tornado Hits Crystal Lake (1:38)
16. The Pick-up (3:23)
17. The Perpetual Self, or "What Would Saul Alinsky Do?" (2:24)
18. For Clyde Tombaugh (3:43)
19. Chicago (Multiple Personality Disorder version) (4:35)
20. Pittsfield (6:41)
21. The Undivided Self (for Eppie and Popo) (4:59)

(Total 75:55)

Josh's Listening Journal, 4/6

2006-04-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

This year has already been a steady parade of intriguing new music releases, and the most exciting stuff is still to come. And though I've only heard one album that I'd call a shoo-in for this year's Top 10 list-- Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat, which is actually sounding more and more like Top 5 material-- there have been plenty of new albums that have captured and held my attention. Here's what's been in my player this month:

The Little Willies, Little Willies

How cool would it be to have a feisty, laid-back, slightly inebriated bar band playing classic country gems in the comfort of your own living room? Pretty cool, I think—which is why I’ve fallen in love with the Little Willies, a terrific new five-piece outfit that includes Norah Jones and four of her country-loving musical cohorts. The Willies’ debut is a modest, low-key affair, but it’s also warm, loose, and improvisational, the sound of five musicians performing without ego, clearly having a blast playing music together. There are surprising moments of pathos and humor here, but mostly it’s just plain fun; and as great as the covers are, it’s the four originals that prove the Willies are a band to watch out for.

Josh Rouse, Subtitulo

Recorded in his newfound home of Spain, Rouse’s new album has some surprising Latin influences in the melodies and instrumentation, but mostly it’s more of the intimate, earnest folk-pop he’s become known for. Imagine if Ron Sexsmith was more heavily influenced by 1970’s AM rock, and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what this guy sounds like. The melodies here will grab you on the first listen, and the beautiful, pristine production will keep you coming back.

Cassandra Wilson, Thunderbird

Working for the first time with producer extraordinaire T-Bone Burnett, genre-bending powerhouse Cassandra Wilson dresses up in her boldest, most cinematic colors yet on Thunderbird. There are keyboards and drum loops aplenty, and a couple of songs even sound like they could swim in Top 40 waters. Purists and longtime fans are already arguing over how well these new colors fit onto Wilson’s palette; personally, I think it’s the most thrilling thing she’s done in many years, perhaps even the boldest experiment of her career. You won’t believe how well she can pull of the pop-radio diva routine on songs like “Go to Mexico” and “It Would Be So Easy,” but, as always, Wilson’s greatest strengths lie in her abilities as a song interpreter, as evidenced by the smoking, smoldering blues numbers like “Easy Rider.”

Elbow, Leaders of the Free World

Take the soaring, euphoric melodies of Coldplay; the soaring emotional peaks of Arcade Fire; the twisting, mutating song structures of Andrew Bird; the instrumental innovation of Radiohead; and a lead singer who sounds for all the world like a young Peter Gabriel. That’s kinda what Elbow sounds like. If you enjoy any of the band above, just wait ‘til you hear these guys.

Sarah Harmer, I’m a Mountain

Huh… who would have guessed that Sarah Harmer’s finest work would come when she traded in her slick folk-pop sound for back-porch bluegrass? These are laid-back songs by a performer who sounds completely comfortable in her skin, with zippy, nimble performances and suitably simple production. Lyrically the album is largely inspired by a growing concern for our environment, but there’s also a heartbreaking ballad about a man suffering with AIDS, as well as an irresistible Dolly Parton cover.

The Weakerthans, Reconstruction Site

Andy Whitman was right, gosh darnit—thanks to him I’ve made a new discovery that has me running back to revise my Best of 2003 list. On the surface the Weakerthans sound like another rough-and-rowdy pop-punk band in the vein of Green Day or current radio darlings Relient K, but pay attention. There are some subtle musical complexities here, as well as some remarkably assured flirtations with country, folk, and good old-fashioned rock and roll. This is an irresistible rock record, perfect for driving or starting your day off with a bang, but the most impressive thing of all is the songwriting. These lyrics are astoundingly literate, brimming with character and creativity. Even the song titles betray something of the cleverness on display here—“Plea from a Cat Named Virtue,” “Psalm for the Last Call at the Elks Lodge,” “Over Retired Explorer”… this album gets an A-rating for the lyrics alone.

Even more new album news: Bruce Cockburn

2006-04-06T16:21:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 6, 2006

MUSIC LEGEND BRUCE COCKBURN AND LONGTIME MANAGER

BERNIE FINKELSTEIN HONORED AT 2006 JUNO AWARDS

COCKBURN’S NEW STUDIO ALBUM, LIFE SHORT CALL NOW,

DUE ON ROUNDER RECORDS, JULY 11

Cambridge, MA – Legendary singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn and his longtime manager Bernie Finkelstein were honored by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) at the 2006 JUNO awards in Halifax, Nova Scotia this past weekend. Cockburn was the recipient of the inaugural JUNO Humanitarian Award, recognizing the positive social, environmental and humanitarian contributions made by Canadian artists. Finkelstein, founder of Canada’s oldest independent record company True North Records and Cockburn’s manager for over 35 years, was honored with the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award, recognizing individuals who have contributed to the growth and development of the Canadian music industry.

“I am deeply touched that CARAS is honoring me as their first recipient of the Humanitarian Award,” said Cockburn. “I hope that the introduction of this award will inspire as many artists as possible to participate fully in the global community.”

A critically-acclaimed singer, songwriter and respected music activist, Cockburn has been honored with multiple awards throughout his thirty-five year career, including the Tenco Award for Lifetime Achievement in Italy and 20 gold and platinum awards in Canada, where he is also an Officer of the Order of Canada and inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. He is also the recipient of honorary degrees in Letters and Music from several North American universities, including Boston’s Berklee and Toronto’s York University. Cockburn’s songs have been covered by such diverse artists as the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, Barenaked Ladies, Jimmy Buffet, Maria Muldaur, k.d. Lang and others.

On July 11, Rounder Records will release a new studio album by Cockburn entitled Life Short Call Now. The album follows-up 2005’s Speechless – Cockburn’s first-ever instrumental record which garnered rave reviews from numerous publications including Acoustic Guitar, Guitar World Acoustic, Performing Songwriter and others. Life Short Call Now was recorded just outside of Toronto and includes 12 Cockburn originals (track listing below). More details to be announced soon.

Track Listing for Life Short Call Now:

Life Short Call Now
See You Tomorrow
Mystery
Beautiful Creatures
Peace March
Slow Down Fast
Tell the Universe
This is Baghdad
Jerusalem Poker
Different When It Comes to You
To Fit in My Heart
Nude Descending a Staircase

Founded in 1970, Rounder Records is America's premier independent label. Rounder and its Zoë, Heartbeat, Philo and Bullseye Blues imprints have a catalog of over 3000 albums, representing a wide variety of folk, roots, rock, blues, and reggae music.

(Thanks to Thom for this one!)

Still more new album news: Gillian Welch

2006-04-03T17:33:00.000-05:00

Yet another exciting piece of music news, via Jeffrey Overstreet: Billboard reports that Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are back in the studio, with another album due by the end of the year!

Man... come December, I'm gonna be BROKE.

Listening Closer

2006-04-02T20:56:00.000-05:00

Well, he quoted me, so I guess I should point you folks to Jeffrey Overstreet's music page, where he's just posted some first impressions of three new albums-- Elbow, The Minus Five, and Sarah Harmer. Quick, concise capsule reviews, but just as thoughtful and descriptive as ever-- nice job, Jeffrey.

For what its worth, I've heard all three of those albums-- two of them thanks to Jeffrey's raves-- and I more or less agree with his take on all three. Hopefully I'll have a chance to post my thoughts on the Elbow and Harmer discs later this week. (Promises, promises...)

Morph the Cat-- the review is up!

2006-04-02T19:56:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to say that I've finally posted my review of this...

Donald Fagen's new album, Morph the Cat-- my favorite album of the year thus far.

Hopefully I'll have another couple of reviews posted later this week, so stay tuned!

Musical Graffiti, 3/29-- T-Bone! Simon!

2006-03-29T15:51:00.000-05:00

Lookee and listen here, folks-- here's some fantastic music news to brighten your Wednesday"

1. Yahoo has a good interview with T-Bone Burnett, in which the great producer talks about his new album as well as his work with Cassandra Wilson. Thanks to Jeffrey Overstreet for the link.

2. Rolling Stone has exciting news about a new record from Paul Simon-- his first since 2000's memorable You're the One. Surprise releases May 9th, and includes some exciting guest musicians-- including producer Brian Eno!

More new album news: Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler

2006-03-17T13:49:00.000-05:00

Yet another new album to be excited about in 2006. Rolling Stone has the story behind All the Road Running, a duets collection due April 25:

For the past decade, whenever Harris and Knopfler found themselves in the same city, they'd rent a studio and lay down country duets. It started with a brief session seven years ago and ended with two weeks in Nashville in 2001. The result is a quiet, country-flavored album featuring twelve tracks mostly written by Knopfler, including two ballads inspired by 9/11, "This Is Us" and "If This Is Goodbye." The latter, inspired by an Ian McEwan story about the doomed airplanes, has Knopfler and Harris portraying a couple contemplating their final moments together. "I'm glad it works as a straightforward love song," Knopfler says. "I wanted to just point out the value of a life lived with love in it. If there's any answer to barbarism and backwardness, then that is it."

Musical Graffiti, 3/17-- The Overstreet Edition!

2006-03-17T12:59:00.000-05:00

Big thanks to Jeffrey Overstreet for providing me with two blogworthy links for today.

First, don't miss the sneak peak of Ron Sexsmith's new single, from his upcoming album Time Being (May 16). Sounds fantastic.

And, check out Jeffrey's rave review of the new Don Peris album, Go When the Morning Shineth:

Go When the Morning Shineth is Don Peris's second solo venture, and this one is mostly made of instrumentals, with two songs along the way--one of which features Karen, and in the other he's joined by Denison Witmer.

From the dreamy “Day Trip,” with its rhythm-guitar punctuation and honey-drip guitar plucking, to “Jubilee,” in which he provides himself with jazzy drum accompaniment and interweaving layers of loop effects, it's clear that Peris is feeling a bit more experimental than usual.

The guitar stylings will be familiar to Innocence Mission fans, but the atmospheric effects give some number a fresh twist.

Can't wait to hear it!

First impressions of the new Donald Fagen album

2006-03-16T10:17:00.000-05:00

One might be tempted to call this the new Steely Dan record-- it does, after all, feature one of the band's two co- master- minds, as well as several other musicians who have appeared on recent Dan releases. And it is very much in the same vein as the last two Dan albums, stylistically-- in fact, Fagen and Becker haven't really changed their sound much at all since 1980's Gaucho, either as a band or as solo artists.

Thing is, Morph the Cat is actually better than either of the new millenium Dan albums. Sure, it's another set of smooth, sophisticated, jazzy pop, with the emphasis squarely placed on mood and tone. But the songs here are, quite simply, some of the best to ever come out of the Steely Dan camp. The melodies are more immediate, the grooves more irresistible, and, for the first time in a long time, the sleek, subdued production doesn't suck all the life out of the proceedings-- there's so much chemistry between the musicians here, so much warmth that was sadly missing from albums like Two Against Nature.

And as a songwriter, Fagen's never been better. That trademark Steely Dan cynicism is still in tact, but here there's so much humor and pathos that it's anything but a downer. There's a song about a giant, ghostly cat hovering over Manhattan; a conversation with the ghost of Ray Charles; a meditation on a quotation from W.C. Fields; even a song about a fling with an airport security officer.

At this point some of the songs run together in my mind-- particularly toward the end of the album. But that's always the case with albums from Fagen and/or Becker, and it's likely that the individual tracks will begin to distinguish themselves more with further spins. As it stands, though, this is one of the most pleasurable and memorable albums of the year so far, and may very well stand as one of 2006's significant recordings.

Ben Harper doubles up

2006-03-14T15:28:00.000-05:00

Ben Harper's got a new set of discs on the way-- yes, that's right, discs. Both Sides of the Gun is a double album with one disc devoted to rock and roll numbers and another to more introspective ballads. In other words, Harper's done turned into a Foo Fighter!

Rolling Stone has the first review.

Van Morrison Pays the Devil

2006-03-06T21:40:00.000-05:00

Oh, and by the way... Neko Case isn't the only first-class vocalist releasing a new album tomorrow.

Thom Jurek raves about Van Morrison's first full-length foray into country music, Pay the Devil.

Here comes the Flood...

2006-03-06T18:53:00.000-05:00

Ever read one of those reviews that's just so doggone enthusiastic-- yet still fair, balanced, and intelligent-- that you almost find yourself loving the album in question based on the review alone?

Mark Deming's take on the new Neko Case album is one of those reviews. And, having heard the album myself, let me assure you that the man is right. Fox Confessor Brings the Flood is a fantastic album, and better with every listen. Tomorrow's the big day, so get thee to a Best Buy or Tower Records first thing tomorrow morning!

Sample three tracks from My Flame Burns Blue

2006-02-23T22:46:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that Elvis Costello's new live album, My Flame Burns Blue, releases next Tuesday. And, as luck would have it, The Elvis Costello Home Page has full-length audio streams of three of the album's songs-- "Almost Blue," "Watching the Detectives," and "God Give Me Strength."

Gosh, who knew "Watching the Detectives" could ever be such a swingin' good time? Can't wait for Tuesday!

DYLAN'S BACK.

2006-02-23T17:47:00.000-05:00

Suddenly, I have a new #1 entry on my list of Most Anticipated Albums of 2006.

After what seems like ages of griping about a lack of new material from one Mr. Robert Zimmerman, Rolling Stone just broke what may be the best music news of the year: Bob Dylan is back in the studio, with plans to release a new record this year.

On January 31st, Dylan arrived at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie, New York, with his current touring band. For the next four days, according to Bardavon's executive director, Chris Silva, the band rehearsed new material. "It was experimental, all kinds of different licks," Silva told the Poughkeepsie Journal. "They would get into one thing, and they would go over it and over it. Then they would change gears."

Dylan -- whose first announced tour date of 2006 is a performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in late April -- then moved the operation to Manhattan to lay down his new tunes. His previous studio album, 2001's acclaimed Love and Theft, was also cut in New York, in just two and a half weeks at Sony Music Studios, with Dylan producing under the name Jack Frost.

Oh, and there's something in there about a new Springsteen record, but c'mon... does anybody really care about that guy when Bob Dylan is in the studio?!

Sufjan meets Christina?

2006-02-22T22:02:00.000-05:00

Oh my.

You've, uh, just gotta hear this one for yourself.

Thanks to opus for the link.

Rosanne Cash, Black Cadillac: My review is up!

2006-02-22T17:21:00.000-05:00

FYI, my review of Rosanne Cash's excellent new album, Black Cadillac, is up at the newly remodeled Reveal music page.

Radiohead goes nude?!?

2006-02-21T12:27:00.000-05:00

Okay, this isn't nearly as disturbing as the title suggests. But because anything and everything that Thom Yorke says or does is newsworthy, I feel compelled to mention this story from Billboard, which reveals that the band in revisiting an old OK Computer-era tune, "Nude," for their new album, recording it here with a full string section.

Aside from that, nothing new in terms of album release dates, titles, tour dates, or record label signings.

As you were.

Fiery Furnaces finish brewing Bitter Tea

2006-02-15T12:28:00.000-05:00

The Fiery Furnaces are one of those bands who have yet to make an album I really and truly enjoy, but their creative muse is so unpredictable, and their talent so undeniable, that I just can't help but be interested in what they're doing next. If nothing else it's bound to be bizarre, and who knows-- some day they just might make their masterpiece.

Their new disc, Bitter Tea, comes out April 18, and this morning Pitchfork unveiled the tracklisting:

01 In My Little Thatched Hut
02 I'm in No Mood
03 Black-hearted Boy
04 Bitter Tea
05 Teach Me Sweetheart
06 Waiting to Know You
07 The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry
08 Oh Sweet Woods
09 Borneo
10 Police Sweater Blood Vow
11 Nevers
12 Benton Harbor Blues
13 Whistle Rhapsody?
14 Benton Harbor Blues Again

The article also gives a brief description of what to expect from the album's sound:

Bitter Tea is said to be poppier and more straightforward than the Furnaces' last effort, Rehearsing My Choir, but then again, so is my toenail focus. The album, recorded in Benton Harbour, Michigan, last year, was written and produced by Mr. Friedberger while Eleanor handled the vocals and some percussion.

"Bitter Tea is a very girly record. The granddaughter record, as opposed to the grandmother record," Matt Friedberger said in a press release. The Furnaces also described the album’s sound as "Sissy Psychedelic Satanism".

Joseph Arthur pulls a Ryan Adams

2006-02-14T10:15:00.000-05:00

Holy oversaturation, Batman! Joseph Arthur's done pulled a Ryan Adams! In addition to a showcase of his paintings, Arthur's got three new albums slated to release this year. Billboard has the details:

One new album, dubbed "Invisible Parade," is already finished, having been recorded in 10 days in Berlin. "I had a bunch of songs I was writing on the road," Arthur tells Billboard.com of the 11-track set. "I'd been working on a bigger production record in Los Angeles for awhile, but I just wanted to do something really minimal. I've never done that before; something totally stripped-down. I decided to go to Berlin and find a studio and self-produce it."

Arthur says he plans to finish the L.A. sessions in March, all the while juggling work on a separate, entirely instrumental album. The only problem? The artist is currently without a label in the United States, having parted ways with Vector after the release of 2004's "Our Shadows Will Remain." Arthur was previously signed to Peter Gabriel's Real World imprint as well as Universal's Enjoy label.

"There's a couple of indies we're talking to, but I'm thinking about just going completely indie and putting [new music] out myself," Arthur says of finding a new label home. "I don't really see why not."

Live Eels!

2006-02-14T10:09:00.000-05:00

Looks like you Eels fans are going to be getting a belated Valentine-- one week from today, E and the gang will be unveiling a pair of new live recordings, one CD and one DVD. Each format will have a few songs that the other doesn't, so completists are going to have to shell out some serious dough.

The CD draws largely from last year's Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, with several classic Eels cuts and one oddball Dylan cover thrown in for good measure. The full tracklisting:

01 Blinking Lights (For Me)
02 Bride of Theme From Blinking Lights
03 Bus Stop Boxer
04 Dirty Girl
05 Trouble With Dreams
06 The Only Thing I Care About
07 My Beloved Monster
08 Pretty Ballerina
09 It's a Motherfucker
10 Flyswatter
11 Novocaine for the Soul
12 Girl From the North Country
13 Railroad Man
14 I Like Birds
15 If You See Natalie
16 Poor Side of Town
17 Spunky
18 I'm Going to Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart
19 Suicide Life
20 Losing Streak
21 Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)
22 Things the Grandchildren Should Know

For more details, head over to Pitchfork's newswire.

New single alert: Prince's "Black Sweat"

2006-02-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

A big thanks to Jess for alerting me to the fact that the first single/video from the upcoming Prince album is now out. I couldn't get the thing to play at MTV.com, but I found a fairly good version of it here.

The new album comes out at the end of April, by the way.

Some things you shouldn't get too good at...

2006-02-09T12:17:00.000-05:00

You know, even those of us who hate awards shows know that, as much as we hate to admit it, they really do matter. I mean, let's face it... do the Oscars actually celebrate artistry or excellence? Heck no. But if you win an Oscar, your film is going to get a lot more exposure and respect than it would have otherwise. Period.

Same goes for the Grammy Awards-- which are really even more absurd than the Oscars, but man, it still feels nice when they get it right. And this year, they got it right. Bono and the boys were the big winners last night-- even winning Album of the Year for the first time since The Joshua Tree. And sure, they've made at least three albums since that time that were more deserving of a Grammy than Atomic Bomb, but still... it's awfully nice to see them getting kudos from the musical community.

Here's a quick recap of last night's awards.

Musical Graffiti, 2/8-- Flaming Lips! Prince!

2006-02-08T12:38:00.000-05:00

So have ya heard about the new Flaming Lips album?

It seems like rumors have been speading about the thing for multiple years now, and, since I've never been a huge Lips fan to begin with, it hasn't exactly been at the top of my must-hear list. But after reading this song-by-song description of At War with the Mystics-- written by the Lips' own Wayne Coyone-- I gotta admit that I'm growing rather intrigued.

Oh, and the first single, available on the most recent Paste sampler, is a lot of fun.

Thanks to opus for the link!

And speaking of fun... did you catch Prince's performance on SNL last weekend? DADGUM! The man's on fire! See for yourself here.

Have you ordered YOUR Taft CD?

2006-02-08T12:12:00.000-05:00

Have you ordered YOUR special edition live album from Over the Rhine, recorded just this past December at the Taft Theater?

If not... you should.

If so... boy are you in for a treat. Just get a load of this tracklisting:

1. Faithfully Dangerous
2. Spark
3. Born
4. Lookin' Forward
5. Drunkard's Prayer
6. White Horse
7. Etcetera Whatever
8. Fever
9. Son of a Preacher Man
10. Moondance
11. My Love is a Fever
12. Paper Moon
(and a hidden track - from Sunday at St. Elizabeth's, just a taste...)

I heard the band play "Moondance" when I saw them back in October, and rest assured that, if the recorded version is half as good as the one I heard, it alone will be worth the price of admission.

Return of the Belfast Cowboy

2006-02-02T17:20:00.000-05:00

Aha! Van Morrison's upcoming album of country/Western songs, Pay the Devil, now has a cover. It's a good idea, but my goodness... he sure looks pale, doesn't he?

Pay the Devil lands on March 7 on Lost Highway Records.

Kanye West on Jesus, Grammy, and porn.

2006-01-27T12:42:00.000-05:00

You know, I enjoyed Kanye West's last album. He's a talented guy, and he's done a lot to make hip-hop a more creatively vibrant genre.

But man... whenever I hear the guy speak, my respect for him just drops like a brick.

Here's a great example of what I'm talking about.

Musical Graffiti, 1/27-- Beth Orton! Elvis Costello!

2006-01-27T00:26:00.000-05:00

Just a couple of quick links, highlighting some exciting upcoming releases:

1. Rolling Stone has the scoop on Beth Orton's new disc, The Comfort of Strangers-- and it sounds fabulously intimate.

For the pared-down record, Orton stripped away the electronic elements and lush orchestrations that were staples of her previous albums. "I wanted to make the music that I liked to listen to, and I wasn't listening to electronic music," she explains. "For me, the thread that runs through everything I love is soul, is folk . . . In the end, it came to me like, 'You know what I want to make? A folk-gospel-soul record with a country tear dripping down its cheek.' But then at the same time, I wanted to do that as sparsely and minimally as possible."

2. The Elvis Costello Home Page has posted the tracklisting for Costello's new live album, My Flame Burns Blue, releasing Feb. 28.

Hora Decubitus
Favourite Hour
That's How You Got Killed Before
Upon A Veil Of Midnight Blue
Clubland
Almost Blue
Dust (only on Japanese release)
Speak Darkly My Angel
Almost Ideal Eyes
Can You Be True?
Put Away Forbidden Playthings
Episode Of Blonde
My Flame Burns Blue (Blood Count)
Watching The Detectives

* It's worth noting that All Music Guide lists a fifteenth track-- "God Give Me Strength." Boy do I hope they're right about that one!

Josh's Listening Journal, 1/23

2006-01-23T20:47:00.000-05:00

I'm starting to get some 2006 releases come across my desk, so I figure it's long past time for me to finish up with 2005's crop of reviews. I had a busy year and didn't get to cover nearly all of the albums that I wanted to, but I'm going to take some time this week to highlight some of my personal favorites. Later this week I hope to have a brief review of Wilco's latest set; after that, it's on to 2006 stuff, with reviews of an exciting new Nina Simone collection and new recordings from Rosanne Cash and Jenny Lewis.

And for today... here are some brief takes on three of my very favorite recordings from 2005. (For future reference, these are also available in the Reveal music archives.) Enjoy!

***

Schmaltz is easy. Sentimentality is a breeze. But joy—real, genuine, lived-in Christian joy? Now that’s tough to pull off in a pop song. Many have tried it, but for every “Beautiful Day” it seems like there are a dozen rewrites of “Everybody Hurts.”

Erin McKeown, like Ron Sexsmith and The Innocence Mission, learns how to do joy. But it took her a few albums to learn the ropes—her last album, Grand, strove for sincerity and hopefulness but ended up sounding irritatingly cheerful and saccharine. Even the music seemed like it was trying too hard—McKeown tried on just about every style imaginable, jumping from guitar pop to Tin Pan Alley without ever hinting at any kind of unifying vision or focus.

But now, on her latest recording, McKeown has come into her own, displaying remarkable powers both as a singer and as a songwriter. We Will Become Like Birds is an astonishing step forward, a pop album of profound poetic focus and depth. Gone are the scattershot stylistic flirtations and cheesy attempts at perkiness that characterized Grand; in their place is a work of art that deserves to be put on the shelf right beside Sam Phillips and Aimee Mann.

Rather than sampling a dozen different genres, McKeown sticks to just one here—breezy, dreamy guitar pop, with flourishes of electric piano and wisps of electronica dancing around the edges. Fuzzy grunge guitars create an impossibly gentle soundscape on the opener, “Aspera.” Cascading synthesizers build into a beautiful climax in “Life on the Moon.” The jazzy “Float” does just what its name says, drifting by with laid-back strumming and whispers of “Hallelujah.” “Bells and Bombs” is a punchy, fists-in-the-air rock number, while “The Golden Dream” is a hazy electronica trance.

McKeown’s lyrics here aren’t just happy—in fact, there’s a surprising amount of heartbreak here—but they’re sincerely joyful. Like The Innocence Mission’s masterful Birds of My Neighborhood, McKeown’s Birds represents hope in the midst of despair, faith born out of trying times. “Aspera” is a survivor’s anthem, celebrating the ways in which hardships help us to grow. “Air” is a prayer for bravery and a lamentation over untaken chances, and the terrific closer, “You Were Right About Everything,” pays homage to the faithful and the courageous. In “Life on the Moon,” science is seen as limited in its usefulness—faith in the unseen is what truly inspires. Has McKeown been drinking some of the same stuff as Andrew Bird?

It all adds up to a perfect summer soundtrack, and a record that’s completely delightful from start to finish. Here McKeown sings with confidence and compassion, and writes full-bodied songs that open themselves up with repeated listens. Now that she’s found her footing, don’t be surprised if she quickly establishes herself as one of our most gifted singer/songwriters.

***

Fiona Apple’s last boyfriend was a jackass, and she wants you to know it. On her third album, Extraordinary Machine, she plays the dual roles of poet and documentary film maker, recounting a failed relationship with an eye for detail and an ear for snappy metaphors. She’s mad as hornets and she ain’t gonna take it. And, incidentally, she’s made her finest, sharpest album yet, a blistering and heartbreaking tour of betrayal and loss that finds Apple’s musical and lyrical gifts more refined and potent than ever before.

The album almost didn’t happen. Like Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Machine seemed destined to be one of those albums that was less interesting than its back story; stuck for years behind record label red tape, the original, Jon Brion-produced version was ultimately scrapped and later revamped, this time with hip-hop producer Mike Elizondo. Where Brion’s work was busy and overdone—and, to be fair, never finished— Elizondo’s is simpler, tighter, more streamlined, often with a noticeable hip-hop edge. For her part, Apple may have the smoky voice of a jazz chanteuse, but don’t be fooled. She’s no Norah Jones—Apple sings with a cadence, a rhythm and flow that most rap artists would kill for, making each syllable pack a mean punch.

Only two of Brion’s tracks remain on the finished product, the title cut and the closing number, “Waltz (Better than Fine).” These songs are richly orchestrated, with horns, strings, marimbas, and a healthy dose of the usual Brion quirkiness. The rest of the album is leaner and more efficient, but no less stylish or addictive. Apple’s piano playing is forceful and percussive, and Elizondo jacks up the bass in many tracks to give them a propulsive momentum. Songs like “Tymps” benefit from genuine hip-hop beats, while “Parting Gift” and “Red Red Red” are more intimate and sparse. Best of all is “Not About Love,” a monstrous mutant-jazz number that takes as many twists and turns as an Andrew Bird song.

Lyrically, Machine runs the gamut of emotions associated with bad breakups, taking us from denial (the title cut) to the thirst for revenge (“Get Him Back”) to doubt (“Tymps”) to sorrow (“Red Red Red”) to a final note of acceptance and hope (“Waltz”). Many will no doubt find this final cut to be a meaningful conclusion; personally, I don’t take much solace in it. Like REM’s “Everybody Hurts,” Apple’s song is clearly reaching for something meaningful, but, without Christ, there’s nothing in the way of real grace. But she’s obviously searching, fumbling to find something beautiful amidst the chaos—and that in itself can be inspiring—and, if the kaleidoscopic sounds and bright pop colors are any indication, this extraordinary Machine is the soundtrack of a survivor.

***

On most of his songs, Craig Finn sounds completely wasted. He’s a mad drunk, who half-sings and half-speaks in long, disjointed rambles. Sometimes he’s going off about drug culture, hoodrats and skaters and dealers; sometimes he’s riffing on religion, mumbling about resurrection and the book of Exodus and the glory of Jesus Christ; usually, he’s talking about both, joining the profane and the sacred into a language entirely his own. He’s a barstool preacher who loves the sound of his own voice, and, strangely, you like it too—unpleasant though it may be, the guy’s ramblings are nothing if not compelling.

Were he by himself, Finn would probably sound like a nutcase. But, with a first-rate rock and roll band behind him, Finn’s a dynamic showman, full of fire and zeal, part prophet and part salesman, with his own twisted version of genius. His band, The Hold Steady, breaks little new ground on their sophomore album, Separation Sunday, but, when it comes to driving, propulsive rock music, they’re one of the most thrilling groups recording today. Separation Sunday works with the kind of piledriving momentum that so many other rock albums are lacking; it’s seamless and addictive, making it difficult to listen to just one of two tracks. The whole thing works as a piece, one big, beautiful mess of garage-rock guitars and pounding drums and very few discernable verses or choruses. Splashes of piano provide brief moments of calm for us to catch our breath, and flourishes of E-Street horns add some punctuation, but, overall, this is back-to-basics, bare-bones stuff, played with such ferocious energy that it sounds these guys are discovering rock music for the very first time.

It’s a surprisingly deep work, with much more to it than first meets the eye. Initially, Finn’s weird ramblings and provocative imagery can be hard to wade through, but close inspection reveals that Separation Sunday is really his retelling of the Prodigal Son story. It’s a Springsteen-like narrative of sin and redemption—with more than a few witty asides and strange tangents. The story follows a Catholic girl named Holly—short for Hallelujah—beginning in a gutter and taking us into the heart of drug culture before culminating in a resolution for the ages—“Father, let me tell your congregation how a resurrection really feels.”

Happy MLK Day from Nina Simone!

2006-01-17T10:33:00.000-05:00

Music lovers of all shapes and sizes hit pay dirt today with the relese of several new Nina Simone recordings-- compilations and expanded, remastered editions of earlier classics, all available now at your local record store.

For what its worth, I've still never found a Nina compilation as uniformly excellent in its song selection as The Nina Simone Anthology-- an absolutely essential two-disc collection that boasts just about all of Simone's definitive cuts, each one of them a gem. But some of these new sets sound fantastic in their own right-- especially intriguing is an expanded edition of Nina Simone Sings the Blues-- which earns a five-star rating from AMG critic Thom Jurek-- and Forever Young, Gifted and Black, a thematic compilation of Simone's protest and activist songs.

Who would have thought that the first must-hear new releases of 2006 would be recordings that are several decades old?

Aimee Mann: The Forgotten Amp?

2006-01-17T10:10:00.000-05:00

Wowsers... here's the first entry on my list of 2006 Tours I Desperately Hope I Get to See: Aimee Mann... acoustic! And it sounds like she'll be playing some choice nuggets from her older albums, as well as plenty of stuff from The Forgotten Arm. Billboard has the story.

Here's hoping 2006 sees more exciting tours like this one!

'Tis the Season, round IV: AMG can't feel the Illinoise

2006-01-09T19:05:00.000-05:00

All Music Guide has just posted their year-end extravaganza, listing the 50 best albums of 2005. It's a decent list-- kudos to the AMG editors for remembering Andrew Bird and Fiona Apple-- but there's... oh, just one little oversight.

You can also view lists from individual AMG editors, or look at the year's best recordings by genre.

Bird Watching

2006-01-05T15:38:00.000-05:00

Great news for Andrew Bird-watchers! According to his Web site, he's recording a new album this year, re-issuing a pair of rare older albums, and going on tour! Pitchfork has the story, including dates and tracklisting for the two re-issues.

'Tis the season, round III: Overstreet weighs in!

2006-01-05T11:19:00.000-05:00

Here's a year-end list I've been eager to see-- Jeffrey Overstreet's Top 10 Recordings of 2005, posted at Looking Closer.

I've heard all of the albums on his list, and can safely say that they're all winners. Having said that, this is the first year in a long time when Overstreet's list and my list have diverged from one another quite a bit. Last year, our lists were almost identical; in 2003 I ranked Joe Henry's disc as my favorite while he went with Over the Rhine, but other than that the similarities were striking; and I didn't post a list in 2002 for the simple reason that Reveal didn't exist, but if I had it would doubtlessly look similar to the one at Looking Closer. This year, though, my #1 pick is #5 on his list, and his #1 is my #3; also, there are five albums in my top ten that don't chart anywhere on his.

I have no idea where I was going with that; I just thought it was an interesting observation.

Oh, and for what its worth, I think Overstreet's brief summary of Illinois is better than my full-length review. Damn!

Reveal's 2005 Music Wrap-up

2006-01-01T21:21:00.000-05:00

My turn!

I've kicked off what will hopefully be a year of more frequent site updates by posting my annual music wrap-up-- an article featuring various year-end ramblings, including the list of my ten favorite recordings of 2005. Here's where all the fun is.

A few of these selections will surprise absolutely no one; others may catch you off guard. Hopefully I'll have a chance to go back and actually review some of these surprise entries in the coming week or two-- January is, after all, a slow month for new releases, so it's a good chance for me to catch up on 2005 reviews before the 2006 stuff starts pouring in.