31 oct 2012

Dent May: Do Things

review[-]by Tim Sendra After the release of his charmingly tuneful, ukulele-ridden debut The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele in 2009, Dent May underwent a bit of a sea change. He began recording uke-free dance music under the name Dent Sweat, releasing a couple tracks to the Internet but not an album. When the time came to record the next Dent May record, he incorporated the synths, dancefloor-friendly beats, and uke-free approach of Dent Sweat into his sound, dropping them on top of gently strummed guitars and May's cutely yearning vocals. Do Things has all the hooky, good-natured charm of Good Feeling Music, but also a bulked-up sound that has more kick. Where Good Feeling might have inspired a listener to sit under a shady tree sipping a summer cocktail, Do Things has plenty of that laid-back feel but it also may get that same listener up out of his or her seat and dancing. Tracks like "Rent Money" and "Don't Wait Too Long" have a burbling, midtempo R&B groove, sounding like the wispiest new jack jams ever, "Best Friend" breaks into a glittery disco trot, and "Home Groan" rocks back and forth like Ace of Base-style reggae. The rest of the record splits the difference between dreamy "Beach Boys produced by Stephin Merritt" ballads ("Tell Her," "Do Things") and upbeat, ultra-poppy songs ("Wedding Day, "Fun") that are easily a match for the best moments on May's debut record. Throughout the album, the newly synthesized and programmed musical backing fits perfectly with his songs, adding some dimension and extra stickiness to the melodies but never overpowering the homespun and intimate appeal of May's songs. His decision to ditch the ukulele was a winner, too -- it worked fine once but another album built around it would have been one too many. As it is, Do Things is a cool treat of a record, filled with catchy and sweet songs that have a relaxed and easygoing happiness that is impossible to resist.

28 oct 2012

Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Americana

review[-]by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Getting the band back together for the first time since 2003, Neil Young corrals Crazy Horse through Americana, a collection comprised primarily of old folk songs -- not the weird, forgotten ones scholars have excavated, but the familiar ones taught in elementary schools from sea to shining sea. Ornery git that he is, Neil doesn't follow his own concept to the letter, finding a way to shoehorn the Silhouettes' rocking doo wop classic "Get a Job" and the British commonwealth anthem "God Save the Queen" into Americana, their presence suggesting a possible political component to the record. Or perhaps those were the songs Young felt like playing that day. With an album as ungainly as Americana, either concept is possible and any clarity is crushed by the Horse's heavy-footed stomp. Here, once again graced by the presence of guitarist Frank Sampedro, who sat out 2003's rock opera Greendale, Crazy Horse stumble and lurch as they pound the same three chords they've been bashing out for 40 years, time not adding acumen but rather eroding whatever finesse they ever possessed. Always garage rock primitives, Crazy Horse sounds downright amateurish on Americana, as if they woke up one morning and couldn't remember how to play their instruments. Each cut plays like a first take, none worse than "Get a Job," where the band struggles mightily to achieve some semblance of swing and misses. Sometimes, this cacophony can be oddly compelling, particularly when a children's chorus -- the better to underscore these songs' origins, perhaps -- are brought into the mix, inevitably leading to everybody tripping over each other. It all winds up as an ungodly mess: Crazy Horse do, as Young asserted they would, make these songs their own, but by doing so, they've made them so nobody else would ever want them.

27 oct 2012

dwight yoakam - 3 pears

review[-]by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Dwight Yoakam effectively went into hibernation after the release Blame the Vain in 2005. He spent some time acting and playing shows, releasing an excellent Buck Owens tribute in 2007, but he shied away from original material for a full seven years, and when he re-emerged in 2012 with 3 Pears, it was to return to the Warner group after spending the 2000s as an independent artist. Oddly enough, 3 Pears feels more indie than anything he's cut in the new millennium, and not just because he's enlisted alt-rocker Beck as a producer for a pair of tracks. Yoakam, who produced the bulk of the album on his own, has decided to delve deeply into the spirit of the '60s, looking beyond Bakersfield and adding some serious swatches of pop color throughout the album. Certainly, this is steeped in the thick twang that's been at the heart of Yoakam's music since the start, but he's attempting more sounds and styles here than at anytime since 1993's This Time. This is an album where one song in no way predicts what comes next: it opens with "Take Hold of My Hand," a song propelled by a percolating bass hook reminiscent of Motown, then the album eases into the cool reflective groove of "Waterfall," a song that's a significant tonal shift from its predecessor. By the time the swinging, ringing "A Heart Like Mine," the first Beck co-production, arrives, Dwight has dabbled with sweet soul ("Trying"), laid-back into some straight-ahead rock & roll ("Nothing But Love"), and turned the honky tonk standard "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke" into a cowpunk raver that kicks harder than anything he's done since Guitars, Cadillacs Etc. Etc. By the time 3 Pears draws to its conclusion with a voice-and-piano rendition of "Long Way to Go" -- performed earlier in a lighter-hearted full band version -- Yoakam has surprised by digging deeper into every one of his obsessions, creating a record that captures the careening, adventurous spirit of the '60s without ever feeling doggedly retro. It's as fresh as any music he's ever made, and one of his very best albums.

25 oct 2012

Jonathan Edwards: My Love Will Keep

By Jedd Beaudoin Perhaps most famous for the 1972 protest track “Sunshine”, Jonathan Edwards returns with his first album in a decade. “Sunshine” could not have come at better time in pop music––emerging in the darkest hours of the Nixon administration, it became a Top 10 track in the United States. Not bad for a tune that, the timeworn story goes, wasn’t even supposed to be released––it only made the cut when an engineer recorded a track that was supposed to be released. A few years later Edwards teamed up with his old pal Emmylou Harris, adding backing vocals to her Elite Hotel album and scoring his own deal with Warner Bros. He released a quick succession of albums in the 1970s and in the late ‘80s went full-on country with the album The Natural Thing. His releases slowed to a trickle after that but he remained active with session work as well as contributions to television and film. Doubtless there are some who wish that Edwards would have been more prolific in the last few decades but the truth is that we’ve not been subjected to a series of sub par albums, half-baked collaborations or re-make albums that have only diminished the reputation and memories of a quality batch of songs. Instead, we have a release that’s true to the artist’s initial and enduring spirit and all the better for it. My Love Will Keep finds him straddling the line he’s always straddled––between country and folk, between the hip and the square. Vince Gill sings Edwards’ praises in the liner notes and Edward picks his way through a dose of originals and a healthy helping of covers. “Johnny Blue Horizon” (a salute to John Denver), “How Long” (an older tune that’s been re-worked for the album), and “Lightkeeper” are the best of those penned by his own hand––as is opener “Surrounded”. His impeccable choice of material is demonstrated through his cover of “She Loves You” with an arrangement by Eric Lilljequist, his take on the Henry Gross piece “Everybody Works In China” (which he admits is probably more relevant today than he’d like), and Paul Cooper’s “This Island Earth” (which Edwards says he first heard via The Nylons). Jesse Winchester’s “Freewheeler” and Rod McDonald’s “Sailor’s Prayer” also get the Edwards treatment and are––arguably––better for it. It’s fitting that the Appleseed label––home to Edwards’ peers such as Tom Rush, Roger McGuinn, Donovan, and Tom Paxton––oversaw this release as it’s almost complete assurance that it’s in the right hands. Edwards is an artist who absolutely understands his audience and those who have embraced his past work won’t be disappointed by this outing. Those unfamiliar can rest assured that this is probably as good a point of entry as any. It’s hard to find much negative to say about this record and although it’s hardly life changing it certainly is a welcome return from a man we’ve been missing for a while. A good primer of an artist who’s never had to make a comeback because he’s never really gone away or fallen from heights of success unfathomable to most.

23 oct 2012

The Reflections

biographyby James Christopher Monger London-based retro-pop quartet The Reflections may count Gene Pitney and Scott Walker as influences, but their moody and melodramatic blend of modern indie rock and shady '60s pop evokes contemporaries like Richard Hawley, Morrissey, and Last Shadow Puppets as much as it does the past masters. Formed in 2006, the band released a handful of singles before unveiling its debut album in late 2010.

22 oct 2012

Mindy Smith

biography[-]by Mark Deming Blending big-city intelligence and sophistication with the clear and honest passion of classic country and folk performers, Mindy Smith is a singer who combines the best of both worlds, and her talents have earned the young performer a growing reputation as an artist to watch, as well as some well-known admirers. Smith was born in Long Island, NY, and with the encouragement of her parents developed a passionate interest in music at an early age, taking up singing as a hobby. In 1994, Smith's mother lost a long battle with cancer, and after her passing Smith and her father moved to Knoxville, TN. Once they settled in their new home, Smith began exploring the musical heritage of the South and became enamored with folk, bluegrass, and the blues, developing a special enthusiasm for Alison Krauss, Shawn Colvin, and the Cox Family. Before long, Smith was writing songs and playing local shows, and in 1998 she decided to move to Nashville in hopes of making music her career. With a mere $300 in her pocket, Smith wasted little time in making a name for herself in Music City, and after winning the Tin Pan South Open Mike Competition in 2000 and becoming a finalist in the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival's New Folk Competition, Smith earned a publishing deal with Big Yellow Dog Music. Smith's big break came in 2003, when she was tapped to appear on Just Because I'm a Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton, a high-profile tribute album to the long-reigning country superstar that found her performing alongside Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, and Parton herself, who was by all accounts quite impressed with the young performer's interpretation of "Jolene." That same year, Smith was signed to a deal with Vanguard Records, and her debut album, One Moment More, was released in early 2004. In 2006 she returned with her second full-length, Long Island Shores. The holiday collection My Holiday followed shortly thereafter in October of that year. A fourth release, Stupid Love, was issued by Vanguard at the end of the summer in 2009.

21 oct 2012

Young Hines: Give Me My Change

Young Hines: Give Me My Change By Emma H. With a name like Young Hines, you’re practically destined to be a songwriter. It rolls right off the tongue. Luckily for Young Hines, he was indeed blessed with some musical talent, even if he’s been a bit delayed in getting his name to the fore; although informal and self-released recordings have been leaking out from Hines for a decade, Give Me My Change is his first proper solo album. Unfortunately, although Hines can carry a tune and maybe even write one, Change just doesn’t add up. For one thing, it’s about ten years too late, recalling the likes of The White Stripes, Spoon, and The Libertines. All good bands, but they’ve had plenty of imitators, and even the best bands to follow suit offer little more than vivid illustrations of how quickly a style of music can get played out. Young Hines is remarkably unremarkable, an average of averages, a distillation of generic mainstream rock in indie clothing. “Just Say No (Sometimes)” is little more than a T-Rex rip-off, and “Rainy Day” might as well be a poorly performed Big Star cover. Other obvious sources include such unoriginal influences as The Beatles and David Bowie. In other words, Young Hines sounds exactly like everyone else. It would take spectacular songwriting talent to make this style interesting in 2012, and unfortunately, there’s not much evidence of that here. What bums me out the most about this album, however, is that it’s not, strictly speaking, bad. There are some pleasant songs, and Hines’s talent (limited talent, but talent nonetheless) is evident. If this record were terrible, it would at least make an impression. Instead, it reminds me of a sign I once saw when traveling, which read “Decent Restaurant” and sported an arrow pointing down an alley. Decent is better than terrible, but we decided to take our chances at the place across the road, and I’d recommend you do the same—better to take a chance with your money and time than spend it on this record. At its best, the album turns to gritty, minimal blues. Jack White did it first and did it better, but “No One Knows” is still a satisfying listen. The other highlights come when Hines’s singing (rather than his songwriting) comes to the fore. It’s Hines’s voice that makes the bare-bones blues of “Young Again” so compelling. In a different tone but in the same vein, the acoustic “Lost in the Mix” shines in its simplicity. On the other end of the spectrum, the heavy rocking “Can’t Explode” seethes in enjoyable aggression. At its worst, Change features melodies that can only be described as remedial. The annoying to-and-fro tune of “Don’t Break My Fall” ranks among the worst. Likewise, the highly produced “I Ask This of You”, clearly meant to be a bold experiment, sounds like some sort of terrifying artistic vampire sucked every last drop of creativity from it before it arrived at our speakers. Meanwhile, the nauseatingly cheesy “Better Things” should inspire a cringe. It feels low, ripping a guy a new one who was only following the destiny of his name, especially when he isn’t terrible at all. But me, I’d rather hear something awful than something that’s just so-so. Whatever it was trying to accomplish, this album is too safe. Change is guaranteed not to offend, and not to inspire, a soul.

20 oct 2012

A. C. Newman- Shut Down The Streets (2012): 'I'M NOT TALKING'

Atrapado por esta canción. Aunque el resto del disco baja de nivel. review[-]by James Christopher Monger A.C. Newman, the wry, prolific, poker-faced New Pornographer, has kept his cards close to his vest over the years, pairing offbeat stream-of-consciousness lyrics with mercurial power pop melodies that suggest a steady diet of Cheap Trick, Guided by Voices, and Pet Sounds, but on Shut Down the Streets, his third solo outing, the native Vancouverite and current upstate New York denizen comes clean about his personal life, ruminating on the birth of his son, the death of his mother, and all of the conflicting emotions that hitched a ride along the way. This newfound sincerity manifests its way into the music as well, swapping out propulsive guitar for banjo and distorted Farfisa leads with clarinet, resulting in the artist's most pastoral offering to date, a notion lent further substance by the verdant, retro-singer/songwriter packaging that finds Newman striking his best Gordon Lightfoot pose beneath a rugged forest canopy. Warm, wistful, and as lush on the inside as its woodsy cover would suggest, standout cuts like "I'm Not Talking," "You Could Get Lost Out Here," and the slow-burn closer "They Should Have Shut Down the Streets" marry the winsome chamber pop of New Pornographers ballads like "The Bleeding Heart Show," "Challengers," and "These Are the Fables" -- fellow Pornographer Neko Case's unmistakable backing vocals are sprinkled liberally throughout -- with breezy and ornate late-'60s/early-'70s psych-pop. It's hardly a recipe for disaster, and though Newman's penchant for crafting songs with quick chord changes, sneaky melodies, and bridges that break in two often requires multiple spins before one can properly point out the chorus, Shut Down the Streets is as accessible as it is rewarding, and as refreshingly idiosyncratic as it is revealing.

HABITACIÓN DE JOHN PEEL

Hablado de colecciones de discos, que os parece esta? (además es interactiva) COLECCIÓN DE DISCOS DE JOHN PEEL PAGINA PRINCIPAL

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Psychedelic Pill

reviewby Steve Leggett There's Neil Young, there's Neil Young with Crosby, Stills & Nash, there's Neil Young in folky country-rock mode, and then there's Neil Young with Crazy Horse. This sprawling album (one song, the epic lead track "Driftin' Back," comes in just shy of 30 minutes long all on its own) finds Young and the Horse delivering a state-of-the-union garage guitar blast that rivals past landmark albums from the group like Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Rust Never Sleeps, and Ragged Glory.

18 oct 2012

Night Moves - Horses

review[-]by Fred Thomas This debut full-length from Minneapolis rock dreamers Night Moves was in many ways the end goal of the first few years of their existence. Rather than hone their songs by playing live or building a local buzz, Night Moves focused on recording a meticulously pieced-together early version of Colored Emotions, using the studio as a filter for their starry-skied '70s-leaning indie rock. This remixed and revamped version of the album's summer 2011 rough draft comes as the band's official debut, and the result is a collection of shimmering songs rooted in the radio pop sensibilities of Fleetwood Mac or Todd Rundgren, but also owing much to the acid casualty cowboy indie country sounds of Beachwood Sparks and a rock backbone borrowed directly from Marc Bolan. Starting strong with the one-two punch of "Headlights" and "Country Queen," Night Moves open their album with cosmic rock rhythms and guitarist/lead singer John Pelant's vocals soaring and searching through spacy reverb and gentle soft rock harmonies. There's a hazy campfire feel to much of the album, with twangy guitars and big-sky organ flourishes meeting up with Laurel Canyon-style moments of soft restraint. Album centerpiece "Old Friends" is one of Colored Emotions' most opulent selections, with orchestrated pop melancholia rising to a fierce crescendo and spilling over into its short addendum, "Put Out Your Shoulder." The album is more about a cohesive statement and sustained feeling, much in the style of classic rock staples like the Rolling Stones' wintry Goats Head Soup and Fleetwood Mac's frazzled masterpiece Tusk. The attention to detail in the production tucks away subtleties in the songs, making the album both a grower and one that rewards repeat listens. Pelant's sprawling vocal range might gather comparisons to MGMT, but the similarities are less in the frontmen's vocals and more in the complex layers of disparate sounds both bands tend to build their music from. The heavenly autoharp and nighttime desert landscape of the title track winds Colored Emotions to a close, ending a promising debut and one more considered, nuanced, and realized than most bands achieve deep into their tenures.

ANDY BURROWS

biography[-]by Steve Leggett British multi-instrumentalist Andy Burrows began his career as the drummer for Razorlight, having replaced the band's original percussionist, Christian Smith-Pancorvo, in 2004. Razorlight had already recorded their debut album, Up All Night, by the time Burrows joined the group. Unlike most drummers, however, Burrows was also a skilled songwriter, and his contributions to Razorlight's two subsequent albums helped shape the band's sound. He later used those songwriting skills to launch a solo career. A second Razorlight album arrived in summer 2006 and went multi-platinum in Europe, thanks in part to a chart-topping single, "America," penned by Burrows himself. Burrows also wrote songs for a bedroom solo project and used his free time to record the material, playing all the instruments and basing the songs around a book of poetry by an old family friend. The resulting album, Colour of My Dreams, was released by Razorlight's label, Mercury Records, in 2008. One year later, he left Razorlight's lineup and joined We Are Scientists instead. His solo projects continued, though, and he unveiled his latest band -- the quirky pop outfit I Am Arrows -- in 2010.

"Clear Eye Clouded Mind" - Nada Surf at Bowery Ballroom 1.24.12

Este excelente tema abre el disco de los Nada Surf - "The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy" la canción se titula "Clear Eye Clouded Mind", y seguro que aparecerá en mi selección de mejores discos del 2012. Power pop de alto octanaje con estrofas memorables como esta: The stars are indifferent to astronomy And all that we think we know Mars will salute your autonomy But he doesn't need to know  Saludos, Jordi

16 oct 2012

Neal Casal "White Fence Round House

Aquí prodreis ver la colección de discos del amigo: video de Neal

Malcolm Holcombe "Down In the Woods"

Para animar la discursión, Yo creo que Jordi lo dice positivamente para Wilco. Que al tocar en Revolver no se les ha subido el exito a la cabeza.

De Revolver al Liceu !!

Esta fantástica canción "Box Full Of Letters" aparece en el primer disco de Wilco "A.M" (1995). No sé si la habrán tocado (diría que no) en el escenario que tantas veces ha pisado la soprano Montserrat Caballé. Lo que si ha conseguido la banda o su manager es el Record Guinness de haber actuado en una tienda indie de discos y después en el gran Teatre del Liceu y en poco espacio de tiempo !! Que grandes sois Wilco!!

14 oct 2012

The Wallflowers - Glad All Over

review[-]by Stephen Thomas Erlewine The Wallflowers quietly entered an extended hiatus after the 2005 release of Rebel, Sweetheart, spending the next seven years flitting between tours and inactivity. During the downtime, Jakob Dylan pursued a solo career, generating respectable enough results, but eventually the band -- complete with founding keyboardist Rami Jaffee, who had left during a supporting tour for a greatest-hits compilation -- regrouped in 2012 to record Glad All Over, a vivid, colorful album that has very little connection to the austere Women + Country, Dylan's last solo album. After stripping his music down to the bone, Dylan sounds giddy to flesh out the skeleton with the assistance of a sympathetic band, sometimes augmented by his hero Mick Jones. With him aboard, the Wallflowers wander into Big Audio Dynamite territory -- complete with a lyrical shout out to Joe Strummer, "Reboot the Mission" acts as a de facto BAD tribute, while "Misfits and Lovers" splices those clean, modernistic lines with Wallflowers straight-ahead rock & roll -- and that suggests just how much ground the group covers on Glad All Over. As the record rolls on, the Wallflowers dabble with a number of different sounds, unleashing a full-on Motown bounce on "Have Mercy On Him Now," grooving with a gritty electric piano on the opener "Hospital for Sinners," letting the open road stretch out before them on the shimmering "Love Is a Country," and kicking up some dust on "It Won't Be Long (Till We're Not Wrong Anymore)." The Wallflowers don't abandon their identity as rock & roll classicists, they just now feel the freedom to mess around, and they've come up with one of their loosest, liveliest records that not-so-coincidentally is one of their best.

The Walkmen +1

Ellos mismos nos presentan su último trabajo

13 oct 2012

John Cale: Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood

John Cale: Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood By John Bergstrom As a musician and artist, John Cale really has nothing left to prove. He is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Velvet Underground, one of the most important rock bands ever. He has produced landmark albums for everyone from Nico and Patti Smith to the Stooges and the Modern Lovers. Though he has never been a best-selling artist, he has enjoyed a lengthy, uncompromising solo career, collaborating with Brian Eno and former bandmate Lou Reed among others. Ironically, to most people, Cale is best known for a cover version, his beautiful interpretation of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood is Cale’s first album of new material in seven years, and only his third since 1996. He turned 70 this year. You might imagine this would be fine time for him to take stock, sit back, and enjoy Elder Statesman status, maybe releasing an Adult Contemporary-leaning album of standards or duets. But you know that didn’t happen. The title alone tells you that on Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood, Cale is back to his scheming, challenging, and, well, shifty ways. And, improbably but not exactly shockingly, he has created one of the best albums of his career. “Seducing down the door” has become one of the more indelible lines from Cale’s repertoire of free-associating lyrics, but Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood does no such thing. It bangs on the door like someone who has emerged from a thick, dark forest, chased by a throng of evil walking trees, then breaks it down before anyone has a chance to answer. In recent years, Cale has become captivated by, of all things, hip-hop, and Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood reflects that, in terms of production if not composition. The beats are big, thick, and chunky. The bass often throbs, and there are plenty of electronic squiggles in the periphery. Lead track “I Wanna Talk 2 U” is a typically funky, punchy, catchy production from Danger Mouse. From there, though, Cale takes the reins himself, and things only get more interesting and seedy. “Scotland Yard” is a hard-hitting smackdown, getting into a dirty groove and never letting up, while “Vampire Café” staggers along oddly, turning the idea of a hip-hop rhythm in on itself as it goes. Even as he eases off the heat, Cale is still stoking the fire, stirring up the pot. “Hemingway” rides a seemingly innocuous midtempo beat, Cale amused by Papa’s “Drowning in pina coladas / As the bulls run round the ring”. But then Cale begins shrieking “He had a thousand yard staaaare” as cacophony erupts behind him. The track ends with what sounds like an exploding piano. So much for innocuous, then. The brilliance of Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood is that the dissonance and oddity never sounds forced. Rather, it’s a product of Cale’s unbridled enthusiasm and creativity. Also, there is plenty of melody and even beauty here, too. The piano-led “Face to the Sky” is undeniably pretty, even dreamy. That impression lasts, even after the mood is punctured by industrial noise. “Living With You” meshes towering harmonium chords with acoustic guitar flourishes before it, too, takes a turn toward the sinister. “Mary” is basically a straightforward, midtempo ballad, with an eerie synthesizer in the background. And closing track “Sandman (Flying Dutchman)” is an entrancing, gorgeous aural dream, droning/soaring like a hymn, a chorus of Cales hailing the titular ghost ship. A couple ill-advised bouts of Auto-Tune notwithstanding, Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood is not a hollow attempt by a long-gray artist to co-opt hip-hop as a fountain of youth. This album is more dynamic, more enthralled and enthralling, than most of what artists a third of Cale’s age are making. And there is enough noise here, enough glitches and distorted vocals and guitars, to lend a heavy, not to mention timely, almost goth, late-1980s feel to the production as well. As usual, Cale’s lyrics are opaque, the sounds of the words seemingly more important than what they are saying when strung together. His voice has become lower and more gruff over time, but he can still hit the notes, and the underlying sense of benevolence is still audible, sometimes winking through the disquieting moments. When amid the slinky dirge of “Midnight Feast” his voice suddenly takes flight in an unexpected, weightless chord change, you are reminded the classically-trained Cale composes songs as much as he writes them. Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood achieves a balance between uncompromising, avant-garde sound experimentation and pure melodic beauty that is among the most seamless and convincing you will hear all year. Not every septuagenarian rock’n'roller can get away with an album title like Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood. Cale can, with some flair to spare.

10 oct 2012

Tame Impala: Lonerism

review[-]by Gregory Heaney There's a better than decent chance that, no matter where you are, Perth, Australia is pretty far away, a fact that pretty much makes Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker an isolated pop genius' isolated pop genius. Working mostly by himself, Parker mines this solitude with brilliant results on Tame Impala's sophomore effort, Lonerism. Diving headfirst into the realm of pop music, the way Parker uses keyboards to explore more traditional melodies makes the album feel like the McCartney to Innerspeaker's Lennon, blending the familiar with the far out to craft a Revolver-esque psych-pop experience. This shift from the guitar-heavy sound of the debut to a more synthed-out approach gives the album a more expansive feeling, allowing Parker to explore new textures through layer after layer of melody. As with Innerspeaker, sonic architect Dave Fridmann handles the mixing, and though he wasn't involved in the recording process, Lonerism definitely shares the producer's knack for using the space as an instrument in and of itself. This layering of not just sounds, but environments, creates a serene and lonely patchwork of sound, texture, and atmosphere that's a pleasure to explore, offering something different with every journey into its swirling haze of classic pop melody and modern, more experimental, construction. Most importantly, the partnership allows Fridmann to help shape Tame Impala's wild, starry-eyed ambition into something enveloping and accessible, a trick he's performed for the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev again and again. This combination gives Lonerism the best of both worlds, allowing it the creative freedom to emerge as one of the most impressive albums of the home-recording era while still feeling superbly refined.

Big Star "Ballad of El Goodo" Missouri 1993

Bueno , no sé porque me ha venido este tema a la cabeza. Tampoco sé que decir, y aunque sirva de tópico ESTA ES QUIZÁ LA MEJOR CANCION QUE HE ESCUCHADO EN MI VIDA !!! (disculpar si me repito, pero es que no se puede decir otra cosa!!). Gran Chilton , dedicada a Man the Van , que es quien nos explicó quienes eran Big Star hace un montón de años , todavía recuerdo la primera vez que vi en su casa la portada de Radio City.

9 oct 2012

The Refreshments - Banditos

Otro grupo entrañable Jordi

Jackie DeShannon

Biography by Steve Leggett Singer and songwriter Jackie DeShannon has quite a musical legacy. Her early singles crafted doo wop to intelligent lyrics. She toured with the Beatles in 1964 and more than held her own. She wrote songs with Randy Newman and Jimmy Page. She sang with Van Morrison. She was among the first artists to realize that folk and pop could work together and was a behind-the-scenes innovator in the creation of folk-rock. And she did it all with style and grace, singing with a sexy, husky voice full of energetic passion and writing songs that gracefully belied the craft behind them. By all accounts she should be a household name instead of just a respected rock & roll footnote. Born Sharon Lee Meyers in Hazel, KY on August 21, 1944, she was singing country songs on a local radio show by the time she was six years old. By 11, she was hosting her own show on the station, and was already single-minded about a career in music. After the family moved to Illinois, Myers continued to work at singing and songwriting, and recorded regional singles under various names as a teenager, including sides as Jackie Dee and Jackie Shannon. Her versions of a pair of country songs, “Buddy” and “Trouble,” caught the ear of rocker Eddie Cochran, who sought her out and introduced her to his girlfriend, singer and songwriter Sharon Sheeley. Sheeley and Myers began writing songs together, including “I Love Anastasia” (a hit for the Fleetwoods) and “Dum Dum” (a hit for Brenda Lee). Myers signed a recording contract with Liberty Records in 1960. By this point she had grafted the names Jackie Dee and Jackie Shannon together to become known as Jackie DeShannon, and it was under that name that her fine debut single, “Lonely Girl,” appeared later that year. Although she continued to release fine singles, including the Sonny Bono/Jack Nitzsche classic “Needles and Pins” and her own “When You Walk in the Room,” which innovatively merged folk-rock with a Phil Spector-like Wall of Sound arrangement (both songs were later big hits for the Searchers), she only had moderate success on the charts. But DeShannon, aside from her obvious talents as a writer and singer, was also a striking blonde with plenty of cool charisma, and Liberty Records was well aware of it, and stuck with her even though she wasn’t reaching the top of the charts. Dating Elvis Presley for a time didn’t hurt her in this regard, and neither did close friendships with Ricky Nelson and the Everly Brothers, and she was even cast in the teen movie Surf Party, where she was matched with singer Bobby Vinton. Her biggest break came, though, when she opened for the Beatles on the group’s first U.S. tour in 1964, and with a band that included a young Ry Cooder, she more than held her own. That same year the Byrds covered her song “Don’t Doubt Yourself Babe” on their debut album for Columbia Records, which only added to her visibility. DeShannon moved briefly to England the next year in 1965, where she began writing songs with a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page (speculation has long been that “Tangerine,” from Zep's third album, is about DeShannon), including “Don’t Turn Your Back on Me” and “Dream Boy.” Quickly becoming an A-list songwriter, DeShannon also penned “Come and Stay with Me” for Marianne Faithfull, who had a hit with it on both side of the Atlantic. Moving to New York, DeShannon began writing songs with a pre-fame Randy Newman (“Did He Call Today Mama?” and “Hold Your Head High,” among others). In 1965 DeShannon finally conquered the pop charts with her version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” and two years later in 1967 she played a folksinger in the movie C’mon Let’s Live a Little, which also featured singer Bobby Vee. But DeShannon was tough to market and peg -- she was obviously young and beautiful but her natural intelligence made her seem out of place as a teen idol, and the singer/songwriter era -- which later made a similar artist, Carole King, a huge star -- was still a couple of years down the road. DeShannon was as much a writer as she was a performer, however, and she stayed creative and productive behind the scenes. In 1969 she returned to the pop charts with her own “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” following it with the only slightly less successful “Love Will Find a Way.” DeShannon left New York and moved to Los Angeles, signing with Atlantic Records in 1970, but although her work for the label was critically acclaimed, fine albums like Jackie and Your Baby Is a Lady failed to find large audiences. She was well respected in the industry, though, and artists like Van Morrison, who had DeShannon provide backup vocals on his Hard Nose the Highway album in 1973, were eager to work with her. But DeShannon didn’t exactly need house-to-house fame to make her career work -- she was an accomplished songwriter, and versions of her songs kept hitting the charts even if she wasn't singing them. “Bette Davis Eyes,” which DeShannon co-wrote with Donna Weiss, was a huge hit for Kim Carnes in 1981. “Break-A-Way,” originally covered by Irma Thomas in 1964, hit big in a version by Tracey Ullman in 1983. “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” charted again in 1989 in a duet version by Al Green and Annie Lennox, and then again in 1993 by Dolly Parton. Pam Tillis' rendition of “When You Walk in the Room” topped the country charts in 1994. In all, an impressive litany of artists has recorded versions of DeShannon songs, including Bruce Springsteen, Ella Fitzgerald, the Isley Brothers, Jim Croce, Steppenwolf, the Righteous Brothers, Karla Bonoff, Mahalia Jackson, Cher, the Carpenters, and Rita Coolidge, among many others. She returned in 2000 with a critically acclaimed comeback effort, You Know Me, but the album -- perhaps predictably -- failed to connect with a large audience. In 2010 she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. DeShannon has been married since 1977 to writer and film composer Randy Edelman.

Gin Blossoms - Follow You Down (1996)

Siempre que escucho esta canción me pregunto , CÓMO PUEDE SER TAN BUENA ??!!! Tantas veces la escucho y nunca me canso de ella. En el panorama de rock americano actual encuentro a faltar bastante este tipo de grupos de los 90 que hacían temas fantásticos con estas guitarras magníficas. Si alguien conoce bandas de este tipo que lo comunique!! Este tema aparece en su "Congratulations I'm Sorry" 1996

6 oct 2012

Descendents

Biography by Jason Ankeny Fueled by "rejection, food, coffee, girls, fishing and food," the Descendents sprang up during the halcyon days of the Los Angeles punk scene; fusing the blind rage of hardcore with an unexpectedly wry, self-deprecating wit and a strong melodic sensibility which set them distinctly apart from their West Coast brethren, they gradually emerged as one of the most enduring and adored bands of their time. Formed in 1979, the Descendents' first lineup consisted of vocalist/guitarist Frank Navetta, vocalist/bassist Tony Lombardo, and drummer Bill Stevenson; initially sporting an edgy power pop sound inspired by the Buzzcocks, the group issued a debut single, "Ride the Wild," and then promptly vanished from sight. When the Descendents resurfaced in 1981, they were a four-piece fronted by vocalist Milo Auckerman, a beloved figure within the hardcore community who infused the group's identity with both unmitigated teen angst and a healthy dose of goofball humor. Amid a relentless, caffeine-powered touring schedule, the Descendents found time to record the 1981 EP Fat, a collection spotlighting both Auckerman's affection for fast food ("Weinerschnitzel," "I Like Food") and distaste for parental guidance ("My Dad Sucks"). A year later, the group issued their debut LP, Milo Goes to College; despite the considerable levity of tracks like "Bikeage" and "Suburban Home," the title was no joke -- Auckerman was indeed headed off to study biochemistry, and when Stevenson joined the ranks of Black Flag, the Descendents went on sabbatical. In 1985, the group re-formed, with SWA alum Ray Cooper replacing Navetta on guitar; after the release of the more pop-flavored album I Don't Want to Grow Up, ex-Anti bassist Doug Carrion assumed Lombardo's duties. A sunnier perspective informed 1986's Enjoy!, as evidenced by the inclusion of a cover of the Beach Boys' "Wendy," but after 1987's All, the group split again; after Stevenson formed a new group, also dubbed All, the only Descendents products to appear for a number of years were a pair of live releases, 1987's Liveage! and 1989's Hallraker. Somewhat surprisingly, Auckerman and Stevenson re-formed the Descendents in 1996 with All bassist Karl Alvarez and guitarist Stephen Egerton; in addition to mounting a tour, the group recorded a new album, Everything Sucks. Following the tour, Auckerman once again returned to his life in the chem lab until 2004 when the guys were back with two new releases, both issued on Fat Wreck -- February brought the EP 'Merican, and the full-length Cool to Be You followed a month later.

5 oct 2012

TAME IMPALA - Sundown Syndrome (2009)

Estaba leyendo unos de esos artículos en donde el músico cita la música que está escuchando en ese momento. La fuente Paul Weller , es decir directos a escuchar algo de lo que dice que seguro que será bueno. Pues entre los grupos y artistas que comenta he descubierto esta pequeña joya de este grupo de Perth (Australia) una auténtica delicia de pop psicodélico que está en su álbum "Innespeaker" (2010)Buenísimo álbum!!!. Ya han editado un nuevo disco grabado en Londres y se puede escuchar el single en Spotify , se titula "Elephant" ( y que por cierto no me ha gustado tanto como el tema del vídeo).

3 oct 2012

Sugar Pie Desanto

Biography by Eugene Chadbourne Born Umpeylia Marsema Balinton, this artist was given her stage name as well as her recording debut by rhythm and blues ubermensch Johnny Otis. He dubbed her "Little Miss Sugar Pie" in 1955, and not because she had a sweet tooth or liked to bake. "While we were in the studio he named me Sugar Pie," DeSanto recalled in an interview, "Because I was so little. I wore a size three shoe and I weighed about 85 pounds. I was very tiny." She's a half-pint in size, true, but in talent or voice assuredly not. Although typecast as a blues singer, she also takes care of business on the soul end of things and is a convincing jazz vocal stylist as well. That would be enough to gain most singers a reasonable slice of glory, but DeSanto also happens to be a hilarious comedienne, a show-stopping dancer, and a superb and highly original songwriter whose compositions have been cut by Fontella Bass, Billy Stewart, Little Milton, Bobby McClure, Minnie Riperton, Jesse James, the Dells, and the Whispers. Otis discovered her performing at the Ellis Theater, the venue which she feels was sort of a birthing ground for her musical style. Otis dropped by one of the venue's regular talent shows only to observe DeSanto walking off with first prize. He promptly offered her a contract to come to Los Angeles to cut her first record ever. From the late '50s onward she performed regularly at rhythm & blues havens such as the Apollo in New York, the Regal in Chicago, and the Howard in Washington, D.C. At the Apollo she made quite an impression on the so-called "Godfather of Soul," James Brown, leading to her becoming his opening act for two years. In 1964, DeSanto was the only female performer on a touring American Folk Blues Festival bill with a lineup that would make a blues fan soak the concert program with drool, including Willie Dixon, Sleepy John Estes, Clifton James, Sunnyland Slim, Hubert Sumlin, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Sonny Boy Williamson II, also known as Rice Miller. She has written some 100 songs and prefers to perform her own material. On a series of four excellent compact discs on the Jasman label, only two songs are not written by her. Classic Sugar Pie, released in 1997, was the first full-length live recording by this artist whose on-stage workout has always totally bypassed her record releases in terms of creativity and intensity. This recording reveals that advancing age isn't stopping her from continuing to expand her talent base: she branches out into country & western.

Band of Horses - Dilly (2010)

Este era uno de los temas destacados y uno de los singles de su "Infinite Arms" la melodía y el estribillo me recuerda en algún momento a los Fountain of Wayne. Magnífico tema power pop. Curioso vídeo de humor y violencia.