All Eyes Out For You

New music returns!

A couple of notable releases this week lead off the 2009 releases and a welcome return to actual, for-reals new music.

• Derek Trucks Band - Already Free
  Flying to the top of priority list is the new record from Susan Tedeschi's husband Derek Trucks and his mates.  Based on everything I've heard about it, Already Free should be right up my alley (Josh's review here).
• Joshua Redman - Compass
  I'm always interested in a new record from this saxophonist, but always more so when drummer Brian Blade is in the mix.  For this album, Redman recruited two bass players and two drummers, and they even play as a double-trio for half the tracks on the record.  Pretty bold idea - count me in (available for listening and pre-order at Nonesuch).

And on the horizon in the coming weeks:

• Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion (Jan. 20)
  In case you haven't heard, this is the hipster "it record" of 2009.  (Hipster) Josh's review here.
• Andrew Bird - Noble Beast (Jan. 20)
  Cult fave's new record is also available with a second disc of instrumentals, said to be as interesting as the main draw (listen to the record over at NPR).

• Mark Olson & Gary Louris - Ready For The Flood (Jan. 27)
  Jayhawks founders reunite for a duet album.  Hear tracks over at New West Records.

And, of course, some dude named Bruce Springsteen has a new album due on January 27.  All in all, a solid lineup for January.

UPDATE:  And I should add to the list the first Great Rock Record of 2009, Heartless Bastards' new album The Mountain (due Feb. 3).  It slipped into my mailbox today, which makes it my first official new listen of the new year.  And it's a real ass-kicker!  Plenty more on this one in the coming weeks.

(You can download the title track here.)

Other new releases

Amid my hyping of the new Lucinda album, I've been remiss in noting a few other recent albums...

• Rachael Yamagata - Elephants... Teeth Sinking Into Heart 

Finally, something to separate Yamagata from the pack of talented female singer-songwriters.  Disc 1 of this set (Elephants) is nearly operatic in its reach and boldly lush in its arrangements.  Disc 2 (Teeth Sinking Into Heart) feels a bit more like a "bonus EP" but points to some interesting paths for Yamagata to further investigate in the future.  (Hear it here.)

• Ray LaMontagne - Gossip In The Grain

Faux-soul singer?  Maybe, but damn the guy is good at it.  Another beautiful set of songs that finds LaMontange and producer-sideman Ethan Johns exploring the many corners of Americana and beyond.  A bit less mellow than his excellent last outing Till The Sun Turns Black but no less great.  Ray can also be heard on Yamagata's Elephants on the song "Duet."  (Here it here.)

•  Todd Snider - Peace Queer

Todd gets all po-litical with a protest-concept EP.  Haven't listened to it yet, but I've got mild hopes for this release, which hopefully retains Snider's trademark humor.  The cover is awesome anyway.  (Available as a free download until October 31!)

• Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night 

I have stupidly been waiting for these guys to get good.  They get less interesting with each release.  What else ya got? 

So it would seem the music year is winding down.  I've got Cardinology on my list and a new one from Susan Tedeschi.  I guess November will be for catching up on what I missed so far this year (and I'm sure my readers will have some suggestions).

TK Webb & The Visions - 'Ancestor'

In what is turning out to be a big week for heavy rock in my house, I got my hands on a copy of Ancestor, the just-released new album from TK Webb & The Visions.  Webb is an artist who made his name with a feedback-stained version of modern blues, but The Visions amp his sound up to that of a fully-blown Rock and Roll Band.  It's pure 70's-era, dueling guitar rock, with a few nods to 60's psychedila.  Though Webb remains heavily rooted in the blues, it's most definitely filtered through the lens of Jimmy Page.  Really cool album for those of you looking for some excellent hard rock, without the usual suckish factor.

You can listen to Ancestor in its entirety, either at the band's website or over at Imeem.

TK Webb & The Visions are currently on tour with Witchcraft.  They come to Rudyard's in Houston this Thursday.

(More band info here, and a free MP3 of "Teen Is Still Shaking" here.)

Sonya Kitchell - 'This Storm' (Sep. 2)

(In an effort to push my random political rant down the page a bit...)

I've mentioned it before, but you should definitely check out Sonya Kitchell's new album This Storm when it is released this Tuesday, September 2.  Yet another very talented female singer-songwriter to add to the pile of 2008 releases.  Available for pre-order from Amazon for a very competitive $9.97.

You can download the first single "For Every Drop" here.  Or just try out the widget below...

Also out next week is Rodney Crowell's Sex & Gasoline.  Josh Hurst has a great review here.

Rachael Yamagata - 'A Record In Two Parts...' (Oct. 7)

Got some interesting info today.  Rachael Yamagata, whose last album Happenstance I really enjoyed, will be releasing a new album on October 7 entitled A Record In Two Parts: Elephant... Teeth Sinking Into Heart.  Kind of a cool concept - 9 tracks on the first half, 5 tracks on the second (not sure if this is two actual discs).  The bulk of the album was produced by Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis.

You can stream the title track from Elephant here - very much in line with her previous work.

The first track for Teeth Sinking Into Heart is titled "Sidedish Friend" and can be streamed here.  This one is a bit more of a departure, hence the Record In Two Parts.

Plenty more information here.

And a video preview here...

Sonya Kitchell - 'This Storm' (Sept. 2)

I may have recently alluded to the fact that I've been added to the mailing lists of a few online publicists.  In some cases - Teddy Thompson, for instance - they spotted a review for one of their clients and simply contacted me with their thanks.  Naturally, I now get hit up a few times a week to post a blurb about this artist or that.  The great thing is that these agencies rep artists that are at least in my ballpark of interest.  Still, with all the great new music out right now, it's tough to make time to give each of them a fair listen.  In most cases, I'm kindly offered a digital copy of the record, which is great on the one hand because Lord knows I don't need more CD's.  On the other hand, it makes it a bit easier to ignore an album that doesn't grab my interest.  Plus, I do feel some obligation to you readers to point you toward music that I genuinely enjoy and not just whore the blog out for cheap and easy publicity.

But I've already discovered a couple of gems.  Jessie Baylin's Firesight was a real find, maybe one of my favorite songwriter albums this year.  In fact, I bought a physical copy of that album.  A couple of weeks ago, I received a copy of Matt Keating's Quixotic and really dig that album.  

The latest in this line of treats is Sonya Kitchell's This Storm, which will be released on September 2.  Produced by Malcolm Burn, This Storm is an eclectic mix of styles, which range from smooth and jazzy to bluesy and funky.  If you're familiar with Burn's production work - which at times echoes that of his mentor Daniel Lanois - you'll find plenty to intrigue you here.  But the real draw is Kitchell's sultry voice, which possesses a good deal more depth than one would expect from a nineteen (!) year-old.  When Kitchell slows it down for the lovely, lilting "Robin In The Snow" she sounds more than a bit like Joni Mitchell (appropriate since she gained early exposure with a cameo on Herbie Hancock's Joni tribute project).  Though the album is generously influenced by the jazzy folk of Joni, there are quite a few detours into beautifully constructed pop.

Though Kitchell has been somewhat marketed to the Starbucks set (her first album was released on the Hear Music label), on This Storm she transcends the reductive label of "the next Next Norah Jones."  That would've been an easy path for this young singer/songwriter, but instead she has headed down a more intriguing road for her new album.

(This Storm will be released on September 2 on Decca/Velour.)

New music quick takes

Last week was sort of the last "big week" on the summer release calendar.  So I'm starting to catch my breath a bit, spending some time with these recent releases:

Beck - Modern Guilt

Oh dear.  Even at a brief 30 minutes or so, this album is long on monotony and short on anything new.  I even consider myself a bigger fan of Sea Change/Mutations psych-Beck than of Odelay/Guero hip-Beck.  It's easy to blame it on producer Danger Mouse, but I'm not even sure what he brings to the table.  I owe the album a deeper listen, but frankly I can't work up the enthusiasm.  Hugely disappointing.

Matt Keating - Quixotic

Here's a pleasant discovery.  Matt Keating writes a fairly direct brand of pop-alt-country tunes, set against a no-frills musical backdrop.  This double disc has its share of redundancy, but Keating keeps a pretty good head of steam for the entire thing.  Definitely recommended for fans of Matthew Sweet or maybe late-era Jayhawks.  Nice.

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

I am allowed to maybe not love this album without incurring the wrath of half of my readers?  Well, I want to love Stay Positive.  I'm trying, baby!  But I have this nagging suspicion that The Hold Steady and I will probably just be friends.  On paper, they should be just my cup of tea: post-punk power chords melded with cascading keys straight outta E Street, coupled with Craig Finn's rather clever slant on the world.  But what I don't hear are big, meaty hooks, the kind I expect to drill themselves in my brain.  I love this album in small doses, but at a full stretch, I find the sound of it a bit repetitive.  Still, it sounds great blasting from the speakers, and I definitely recommend it on that basis, plus the fact that every other critic on the planet loves the shit out of this album (see Josh Hurst and Andy Whitman for evidence).

John Mellencamp - Life Death Love and Freedom

The big T Bone Burnett collaboration delivers - for the most part.  A meditative and often bluesy piece of work, LDLF reflects on the state of Mellencamp and his nation.  It's chock full of Burnettisms like subtle organs and delicate percussion, but it's not quite the revelation of, say, a Raising Sand.  What nags me about this album is that Mellencamp seems to be making amends for recent transgressions (seen a Chevy truck commercial lately?).  How exactly will he approach this record in a live setting, which no doubt will still make room for "Jack & Diane".  Mellencamp has unfortunately been unable after all these years to reinvent himself, and this record doesn't do anything that's likely to do that.  And that's probably not what he had in mind anyway.  T Bone Burnett productions tend to point artists in new, exciting directions, but it's hard to hear this record as anything more than a really good Mellencamp album.  Still, that ain't nothin'.

New (and not-so-new) music roundup

Pretty lame blogging lately, I know.  It's been a busy week, and I was out of town for the 4th.  I pledge to step it up.  In the meantime, here's (yet) another roundup on what's been spinning on my playlists lately (iPod hard drives "spin" don't they?).

• Teddy Thompson - A Piece Of What You Need
  I found this great review from Walter Tunis of LexGo.  Pretty much sums up my feelings.  Definitely not getting enough attention - this should be his breakout album.
• Jessie Baylin - Firesight
  The aforementioned Ms. Baylin is still going strong.  It has since come to my attention that 1) she is engaged to Kings Of Leon drummer Nathan Followill and 2) she is best buds with Scarlett Johanssen.  Take my word for it - Firesight is better than Scarlett's recent album of Tom Waits covers.
• Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
  Guitar World currently has a cover story on this album and a very nice and lengthy track-by-track breakdown.  If you have never bothered to check out Hendrix's masterpiece, it's time.  I got more interested in this record when I heard Daniel Lanois cite it as one of his favorites.
• Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won
  Because you forgot that, once upon a time, Led Zeppelin were gods.
• Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live At Carnegie Hall
  Because you never forgot that Stevie Ray was a god - but it's nice to be reminded from time to time.
• The Black Crowes - Warpaint
  Luther Dickinson has finally found a good use for his guitar chops.  I thought North Mississippi Allstars' last album Hernando was pretty lackluster, but the Crowes sound their best since Amorica.  Still pretty derivative, but always a good time.
• Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
  He is.  You ain't.

And coming soon...

• Beck - Modern Guilt (out this week)
  The line on this one is that it feels a little slight, considering the high-end expectations of having producer Danger Mouse along for the ride.  But I'm thinking that after Guero and The Information, Beck needed to get focused and right to the point.  My copy should arrive today.  Josh's review is here.
• John Mellencamp - Life Death Love and Freedom (Tuesday)
  I am excited about a John Mellencamp album - there, I said it.  Actually, I used to be a huge post-Scarecrow fan and only stopped buying his stuff a few records ago.  Isn't John McCain still using that stupid Chevy truck song on the campaign trail?  Isn't Mellencamp a big Obama supporter?  Anyway, T Bone Burnett produced this one, and it comes with some kind of fancy-pants DVD audio disc that is supposed to sound fantastic.  But you had me at T Bone.  Walter Tunis reviews the album here.
• The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (Tuesday)
  Five stars in Slant Magazine, and Josh has been raving about it for months.  Sold.

Best of 2008 (so far, again)

I think this is the second such list I've made so far this year, but this list got much longer during the month of June.  I suppose I should put a giant asterisk on it due to the fact that several of these albums are mere days or weeks old.  Always hard to tell what will stick it out until the end of the year.

But, as it stands today, here's my preliminary Top Albums list for 2008:

1. Alejandro Escovedo – Real Animal
2. Sam Phillips – Don’t Do Anything
3. Emmylou Harris – All I Intended To Be
4. Hayes Carll – Trouble In Mind
5. The Black Keys – Attack & Release
6. Drive-By Truckers – Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
7. Old 97’s – Blame It On Gravity
8. Sigur Ros - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
9. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
10. Lizz Wright – The Orchard
11. Tift Merritt – Another Country
12. Allison Moorer – Mockingbird

I'm sure I missed something, and I'm sure someone will point it out for me.

Rawk!

A few notable rock and roll releases have invaded my space lately.  The new Weezer album ("the red album") was released last week, and I am digging it.  Worth it just for "The Greatest Man In The World."  Though there is probably still too much "novelty" to Rivers' writing for my taste, it's definitely the most substantial Weezer record in a long time.  After the last album, I'd decided that they'd exhausted all of their tricks.  But this record definitely has some new ones.  Credit Josh Hurst for sparking my interest.

My Morning Jacket's Evil Urges arrived last night, and I'll need some time to digest it.  Unfortunately, it's got the turgid "Highly Suspcious" pushed up to the front of the record, and you have to slog through it to get to some the good stuff (as well as some of the less offensive mediocre stuff).  I won't say the verdict is out: it's definitely a mess.  Parts of it may yet grow on me.  But for a band that seemed on the brink of something great, boy did they ever miss the mark.  (Josh disagrees, btw.)

The Black Keys' latest album Attack & Release has also made a recent resurgence in my playlists.  Odds-on favorite rock album of the year for me.  And yeah, I've seen the light and have Rubber Factory and Magic Potion on heavy rotation as well.

The Hold Steady is streaming their new record Stay Positive in its entirety over at MySpace.  It will get an early digital release next week, with the physical release due July 15 (why not just push the release date up?).  This could give The Black Keys some competition.

UPDATE:  So my toddler thinks "Highly Suspicious" (from Evil Urges) is totally, like, the Best... Song... Ever.  And she totally digs The Wiggles.  So, ya know, she has cred.  But I've decided to ease up on MMJ and give Urges a fair shake.  My wife said the song is very "anti-David", which is her unsubtle way of saying I'm being a snob (she has quite a few ways of implying that).  So I officially let Josh's comment stand on his blog that "I'm not quite sold" on the new album.  No further comment until I give it more listens.