Review: Three Day Weekend CD Reviews!

I can’t remember a Memorial Day when there have been so many good albums out – or at least, albums that I like.  OK then: albums that are fairly universally acclaimed.  How’s that?  Anyway, let’s go through a handful of new ones then at the end of this post I’ll recap the best albums released so far this year.

Anders Osborne is a transplant from Sweden who settled in New Orleans in 1985 and since then has released albums of increasing quality.  American Patchwork, his first record for venerated blues label Alligator Records, is a sensational collection of tuneful blues/rock with heaping helpings of Osborne’s sizzling guitar work.  Osborne has a soulful voice and it’s showcased to perfection on “Echoes Of My Sins” and “Acapulco.”  You get some rockin’ guitar on “On The Road To Charlie Parker” and so on – this album is a powerful statement of purpose that can be a great starting point for Anders Osborne.  His backing band is sharp – Galactic’s Stanton Moore is the drummer and producer – and Osborne’s songs are an apt metaphor for his reborn adopted home city.  I love this album, and upon first listen I think you will too.

MP3: “Echoes Of My Sins” by Anders Osborne

YouTube: Anders Osborne doing a live in-store at New Orleans’ Louisiana Music Factory

Review: More New Stuff!

It’s not yet the summer, but the new albums are coming pretty hot and heavy now.  Let’s take a listen to a few new sets that have come out recently.

Peter Frampton might have been a bit of a fluke as a platinum-selling superstar in the 1970s, but he’s always been a pretty decent singer/songwriter and an outstanding guitarist.  The veteran rocker’s newest, Thank You Mr. Churchill, is a strong album that showcases the strengths that Frampton always had, even back to his days in Humble Pie.  Anywhere you want to jump in, the music rocks and the 60-year-old rocker sounds as great as he did way back in his teeny-bop-rock days.  If there were any justice in the world – and if such a thing as rock radio still existed – songs like “I’m Due A You” and “Asleep At The Wheel” would rule AM and FM.  This is a pretty good record – if you still like basic rock and roll, this one’s for you.

MP3: “I’m Due A You” by Peter Frampton

I suppose it’s appropriate that the platinum darling Dixie Chicks are going on tour this summer with the Eagles.  They don’t have a new album but Court Yard Hounds, featuring sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison under the name Court Yard Hounds, ought to give the trio a bit of new material to road-test.  Robison takes lead vocal duties on this effort, and for the most part she sounds like a sleepy Sheryl Crow.  Come to think of it, the songs kinda sound like that too.  Oh, this is pleasant enough but nothing really sticks in the ear like those one or two little time bombs that the Chicks plant on each of their records.  Highlights are probably “The Coast,” with a breezy Fleetwood Mac-like lope; “It Didn’t Make A Sound,” with some nice pickin’; and “See You In The Spring,” a welcome duet with Jakob Dylan.

MP3: “The Coast” by Court Yard Hounds

Tears, Lies and Alibis, the eleventh studio album from Shelby Lynne, is a solid affirmation of this singer’s unique talents.  Lynne is a Southern soul gal with a honky-tonk heart, and this album has a relaxed vibe that would perfectly accompany a late-night reverie.  “Alibi” is a breathtaking bit of blue-eyed soul, while “Old #7” sounds like a classic country jukebox weeper.  Very nice!

MP3: “Alibi” by Shelby Lynne

Graham Parker has been around since the punk days, but on Imaginary Television he’s mellow and personal.   Of course, for Parker “mellow” is a highly relative term: “Broken Skin” is tougher than its jangly acoustic setting would lead you to believe.  Like Peter Frampton, Parker always was a solid talent and this new album is a worthy showcase for this great artist.

MP3: “Broken Skin” by Graham Parker

Review: Lots o’ New Stuff

As usual, the new album racks fill up between SXSW and Record Store Day next weekend … and there is a lot of good new stuff out there.  So let’s get right to the best:

J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf hasn’t put out a studio set since 2002 but with the new Midnight Sessions he turns back the clock with a collection of excellent songs ranging from the elegaic rocker “The Night Comes Down (For Willy DeVille)” to the delicate acoustic ballad “The Green Fields of Summer.”  The album swerves from loose, Rolling Stones-flavored rockers like “Tragedy” (a duet with Shelby Lynne), Americana ear candy like “Always Asking For You” and love-man funkiness with “Overnight Lows” and a cover of the Lou Donaldson classic “Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky.”  In addition to Shelby Lynne, guests include Neko Case and Merle Haggard.  Highly recommended.

Listen: “Tragedy” by Peter Wolf w/Shelby Lynne

At one point on Women + Country, Jakob Dylan sings “Everybody’s Hurting,” and he is talking about an America that’s been shaken down to the roots – namely the common hard-working Americans who can’t see a future for themselves and their loved ones.  On this album Dylan visits the America that was most vividly depicted by the Band so many decades ago, and the music (produced by T-Bone Burnett, in the style of the Plant-Krauss masterpiece Raising Sand) lends the songs a ghostly, dreamlike quality.  But lest you think this is all depressing stuff, “Lend A Hand” assumes a jaunty French Quarter strut and the opener “Nothing But The Whole Wide World” perfectly blends Dylan’s voice with backing singers Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, who drift in and out throughout the album.  This album has really grown on me, and you should give it a chance to grow on you too.

Listen: “Everybody’s Hurting” by Jakob Dylan

http://www.divshare.com/download/11001560-381

Easter Egg: New Music Sneak Preview

Let’s open up a big ol’ Easter egg of new music, a lot of which was previewed at SXSW in Austin a few weekends ago.  We don’t want to get shut down by the blog police, so you can only stream these tunes … I encourage you to click through to the artists’ individual websites, because there are plenty more surprises and goodies awaiting you there.  So, let’s rock!

Courtney Love is bringing back her band Hole, although she’s the only original member left.  The new album Nobody’s Daughter is due in stores April 26.

“Samantha” by Hole

Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash drops his eponymous debut album April 6 with a slew of guest singers including Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, Lemmy Kilmister, Kid Rock and many more.  He’s also joined by ex-GNR mates Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan … here’s a surprising remake of one of their finest moments:

“Paradise City” by Slash featuring Cypress Hill and Fergie (yes)

Stone Temple Pilots are back, with Scott Weiland (apparently clean and sober) on vocals.  Their new album (I couldn’t find a title) is slated to come out May 25.

“Between The Lines” by Stone Temple Pilots

Sixties psychedelia survivor Roky Erickson has teamed with indie rock wonderboys Okkervil River for the new album True Love Cast Out All Evil, due in stores April 20.

“True Love Cast Out All Evil” by Roky Erickson and Okkervil River

Also out next week is Jakob Dylan‘s newest, Women and Country, produced by T-Bone Burnett and featuring the backing vocals of Kelly Hogan and Neko Case.

“Everybody’s Hurting” by Jakob Dylan

Guitar god Jeff Beck will release his newest album Emotion and Commotion on April 13.  He turns in some rockin’ instrumentals and welcomes guest singers Imelda May, Olivia Safe and Joss Stone.

“I Got A Spell On You” by Jeff Beck featuring Joss Stone

Song Of The Week: “Nothin’ But The Whole Wide World,” Jakob Dylan

Jakob Dylan previewed some of his new record Women And Country, at SXSW last week.  Singing with him are Neko Case and Kelly Logan, they sound pretty good together.  Women And Country comes out April 6, it’s produced by T-Bone Burnett.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Party Hard! Time for SXSW

Andrew WK is going to be all over Austin this week

A few years ago, I made the mistake of taking my wife and kids to a free “side party” at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin.   It was a band from Canada, Priestess … and as they came on stage, before anyone strapped on an instrument, even before the introduction, one of the band members said, “We are going to fuck you!”  At that moment, my wife and daughter decided to wait in the car.

So here we are again, at the beginning of another big SXSW week in Texas, with an estimated 3,000 (lowball estimate) music acts set to perform, the city of Austin is beckoning.  When you get close enough, when you can smell the barbecue and almost taste the beer, the city leans in and whispers in your ear: “We are going to fuck you.”

Ho ho.  So we are going to jump right in.  We hope to see those crazy British rock-and-rollers the Jim Jones Revue, and we would kind of like to see Japandroids, Surfer Blood, The xx, Oh No Ono, Fucked Up, Dr. Dog or any of the other “buzz” bands appearing but realistically we may wind up seeing only one from the list above.  When I mean “we,” I mean my 15-year-old son and myself, plus my college-freshman daughter and her boyfriend.   That will tend to limit the field substantially.

Well, Andrew WK is playing about seven different venues during SXSW,

Court Yard Hounds

including a (scheduled) 3 a.m . show Saturday morning at the South by South Mess festival.  We’re gonna be there for that.  Jakob Dylan, with Neko Case and Kelly Hogan singing backup, will play a few spots including Rachael Ray’s big party at Stubb’s.  Pop folkie darlings She & Him, Justin Townes Earle and Bob Schneider are also on that bill – along with Andrew WK.  We’ll try and hit that one too.  Some other big names – like the Court Yard Hounds (two-thirds of the Dixie Chicks), Alejandro Escovedo, Ray Davies, Harper Simon (son of Paul) and Muse – are gonna play too. We have no chance in hell of seeing any of those (except for Escovedo, who will bring his Orchestra to play a big free South by San Jose show Friday night).  There’s a big outdoor gathering, the Mess with Texas party, and Saturday’s lineup includes over-the-top cartoon rockers Gwar, Crystal Antlers, Japandroids and our partyin’ buddy Andrew WK.  Yeah!

Tell you what – we’re gonna hit some of those, take a few photos and maybe some video and get back to you Saturday and Sunday.  If you’re coming down, go here or here or here to get a lineup of all the free stuff.  If not, check out our SXSW preview:

MP3: “Basic Space” by The xx

MP3: “Swim (To Reach The End)” by Surfer Blood

MP3: “No Epiphany” by Fucked Up

MP3: “Delight” by Court Yard Hounds

MP3: “Shooting Star” by Harper Simon

MP3: “In The Sun” by She & Him

MP3: “Nothing But The Whole Wide World” by Jakob Dylan w/Neko Case & Kelly Hogan

MP3: “Art Czars” by Japandroids

MP3: “Ladykiller” by Priestess

MP3: “Rock and Roll Psychosis” by the Jim Jones Revue

MP3: “Party (You Shout)” by Andrew WK

Official SXSW website

30 Days Out’s SXSW survival guide

All In The Family

If you’ve been on vacation recently, you probably noticed how much your family gets on your nerves.  C’mon admit it – you love ’em but sometimes …  We know.  To help restore your interest in your family, today we present some current music from artists who have familiar familial connections.  Oh, brother – and sister.

Aimee Mann is the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter married to Michael Penn, himself no slouch in the singing and songwriting department.  And Michael is the brother of Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn … nevertheless, Aimee’s new album is @#%&*! Smilers, from which comes the toe-tapping “Freeway.”

Teddy Thompson made a name for himself by playing with his father, British guitarist extraordinaire Richard Thompson and his mother, singer Linda Thompson.  He also played in the band of Rosanne Cash, daughter of you-know-who.  But back to Teddy – he frequently plays with his close friends Rufus and Martha Wainwright who … this is out of control, let’s just say Teddy’s new album is A Piece Of What You Need.

Review: “Seeing Things,” Jakob Dylan

Over the years Jakob Dylan has taken great pains to avoid sounding like his famous father, and with Seeing Things, his first solo album, he succeeds.  On this album, sparsely produced by Rick Rubin, Dylan sounds like laid-back Jack Johnson.  Which is perfect for a CD to be released through Starbucks Coffee, I suppose.   “Evil Is Alive And Well” opens the album with a note of urgency but it quickly kicks into mellow mode with “Valley Of The Low Sun.”  Dylan offers a decaf version of his father’s blues with “All Day And All Night,” a song of the workingman that sports some nifty acoustic guitar picking.  Seeing Things just gets mellower as it progresses, and despite “Something Good This Way Comes,” a perfectly pleasant summer single, the entire album could use a bracing shot of espresso.

MP3: “All Day And All Night”

Jakob Dylan official website

Review: Roots Rockers

Don’t know if you are going to hit the road this summer, but if you do don’t forget to pack a radio.  That would be a cheap entertainment addition for any $4-a-gallon road trip and if you avoid Clear Channel-owned stations you might get lucky and hear some new stuff.  While exploring America, try and explore “Americana,” usually found on the left side of the FM radio dial.