Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

No, this is not the famed (?) city of Wisconsin, or the famed sport of preppy colleges everywhere (note: Northwestern’s women’s lacrosse is 3 time-champions…dynasty?).  Lacrosse is a pop-rock collective that writes catchy little ditties that some might characterize as irresistibly cute.  And indeed, their debut This New Year Will Be For You and Me is an album brimming with positive energies and hopeful dreams that may soon come true.  Despite the mirage of delicacy in these songs, it seems that the album itself is a strong affirmation in a karmic, serendipitous world where music can bring people together (even if it’s just for the album’s runtime).

The album gets released November 16, and you can get it cheap on Amazon with their MP3 downloads.

Listen to “This New Year Will Be for You and Me” (4.8/5)

Listen to “Who Will Bring Us Together” (4.5/5)

I wanted to bring your attention to the dreamy, ethereal collective Songs of Green Pheasant and their new album Gyllyng Street.  These Icelanders really have a knack for capturing a bewildered spirit in their music.  Although short in length, Gyllyng Street makes up for it with its sheer loveableness.  These tracks are achingly sweet, nostalgic in a sense, and conjure up images of both breathless foaming seas on an early dusk as Old Man Winter makes his way into town.  I’d highlight some tracks for you, but the best way to really experience this music is to hear it.

Go and get Gyllyng Street.

Listen to “Boats” (4.9/5)

Listen to “King Friday” (4.6/5)

The Thievery Corporation (moment of respect) spinoff Dust Galaxy-headed by half of TC’s Rob Garza-has come out with his/their self-titled debut.  I had very high expectations, thinking that I was going to be getting an early taste of what Thievery Corporation will put forth in their new album next year. What I got was something rather…plain.  Not only that, I found most of Dust Galaxy to be unlistenable.  There seems to be little coherence throughout, with the lead singer’s subpar vocals being the only thread connecting these pseudo-70s psychadelic meets eastern rhythms.  That’s not to say that there’s nothing salvageable here, but I’ll let you be the judge.

Grab a copy of Dust Galaxy…if you dare (spooky, I know)

Listen to “Overhead” (4.5/5)

Listen to “Sun in Your Head” (4.4/5)

I know, what’s taken me so long? Many reasons, but none of them are sufficient to explain why I’ve waited to write about what may be the most excellent, heartfelt albums of the year: that of Sam Beam, aka Iron & Wine. Beam’s rise to fame over the past several years has been gradual, but surely his latest release The Shepherd’s Dog will rocket him to folk-hero proportions. Much like his famed beard, Beam’s songs are thickly layered with a great deal of warmth and earnestness yet retain some kind of mystique.

The Shepherd’s Dog seems to take influences from everywhere, from the dusty trails of ghost towns to the asphalt paths of boisterous cities. It’s an album that celebrates the extroverted and the reserved, one that appeals to the ears but sings to the soul. Each track has a sparseness to it, but yet the multi-layered richness of Beam’s voice and his plethora of instruments add an incredible voluminousness each song. “The Devil Never Sleeps” is a piano-driven, ragtime-blues-meets-indie-rock ditty whose only flaw is its brevity (clocks in at 2:06). “Peace Beneath the City” is a kind of mysterious, ethereal song, that listens much like a secret that Beam is sharing with his audience. Not to mention the lovely “House by the Sea” or the achingly sweet “Carousel”, this album simply doesn’t miss.

Be obedient, and grab a copy of The Shepherd’s Dog.

Listen to “The Devil Never Sleeps” (5/5)

Listen to “Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car” (4.8/5)

UK electro-folk collective Tunng has got a new album Good Arrows is not what I would call spectacular, but I have thoroughly enjoyed a couple of the tracks from the album. Although it is quite hit-and-miss, I can’t help but find this album with its quirky found-sounds and audiophilic tendencies to be a perfect soundtrack for the day’s end. Put on “Cans” and watch the sun dip below the horizon. Enjoy…

Listen to “Cans” (5/5)

Listen to “Take” (4.7/5)

–the song in the video is Nightmares on Wax-Nights Interlude–