Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

Patrick blogged about this band several months ago, but it all seems even more pertinent now, so I’m reposting his review:

Behind every budding indie rock band is an equally fresh tagline that gets borrowed and modified by bloggers, album reviewers, and concert promoters. Vampire Weekend’s goes something like this: Ivy-league trio delivers lo-fi pop-rock tunes, tinged with African beats and summertime guitar hooks. However you mold the tagline, Vampire Weekend are pretty accessible to all but the snobbiest of music fans.

Going by the small amount of recorded material that’s available, Vampire Weekend don’t seem to have settled on “a sound”–something that is working in their favor. “Oxford Comma” is a light-hearted, breezy pop song with tasteful guitar playing and smooth vocals. “Walcott” sounds like a raw New England anthem, combined with some New York rockability and classical orchestrating.

Listen to “Oxford Comma” (4.8/5)
Listen to “Walcott” (4.2/5)

[UPDATE] The self -titled release Vampire Weekend will be available for purchase January 29, 2008.

Here’s a secret. Ireland’s secret. Damien Rice ain’t all he’s cracked up to be. Damien Dempsey–the ‘other’ Irish Damien–is where it’s at. Imagine if Seal was Irish. Now imagine if Seal didn’t have a raspy voice, but instead had a powerful booming, spine-tingling voice that could be compared to a whole slew of alcoholic beverages (see Matt Berninger of the National). Perhaps you now have a better idea of what Dempsey’s international  debut  To Hell or Barbados sounds like. It’s part Iron & Wine folky, part tribal in its immediacy and sincerity, and part original in Dempsey’s own unique style. Dempsey’s voice certainly stands out above the lovingly delicate guitars, as it skillfully flutters and sputters gracefully like leaves from an autumn sky. “Kilburn Stroll” just may be one of the most achingly sweet tunes I’ve heard, blending beautifully with the charged “Maasai” or the cautionary “Teachers”. For a guy that looks like he deals in total badassery (see picture above), it’s pretty amazing that Dempsey has conjured up so delicate and earnest a record. Looks aren’t everything, you know.

Go and buy To Hell or Barbados.

Listen to “Kilburn Stroll” (4.9/5)

Listen to “How Strange” (4.5/5)

French electro-rock collective’s track “D.A.N.C.E.” off of their new album (you know, the one with the 3D cross) is a rousing booty-shaking ditty that is sure to please dance crowds and snarky music critics alike. Check out the actors that the band hired for the Jimmy Kimmel Show, imitating Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, etc.

Justice - D.A.N.C.E.

The creative sophomore effort from Birmingham native Greg Summerlin, All Done in Good Time, is a diverse collection of inspiring songs that conjures up thoughts of The Long Winters (both in vocals and in the music itself) with higher seratonin levels. The album is lovingly adorned with catchy pop hooks and adoring vocals. With its numerous rousing pop-choir-backed choruses, All Done in Good Time seems less like a personal diary and more like Summerlin’s personal affirmation that there is indeed good in this world. It isn’t that he is overly optimistic or–heaven forbid–’cutesy’, but it is just refreshing to listen to an artist that is able to turn what can often seem like a dreary world into some guitar-laden, synthpop delight.

Go and get your copy of All Done in Good Time.

Listen to “The Final Plan” (5/5)

Listen to “Unlucky in Love” (4.7/5)

Check out Summerlin’s myspace for more tracks.

New Orleans singer-songwriter Anders Osborne has just released his sixth studio album Coming Down, a heartfelt record just in time for the holiday season. On the long player, Osborne relates much of the pain and destruction felt by New Orleaners following Hurricane Katrina, as his southern croon bellows delicately over a collection of funk-jazz-blues fusion tracks. Osborne has the unique ability to make a ballad so thoroughly captivating, as his voice ebbs and flows with real emotive power. “Summertime in New Orleans” is a James Taylor-esque ballad that celebrates the rich musical history of the song title’s namesake. “When I’m Back On My Feet” is a higher charged track, although a tad long clocking in at 7:49. The cheery, tuba-toting “Back on Dumaine” is a definite highlight on the album, contrasted with the slow lament on “Oh Katrina”.

The truth is that although New Orleans seems to take a particular significance on this album, I would be remiss to simply cast this album as a regional tribute. Coming Down is an album that celebrates revival in the aftermath of tragedy. If Osborne can come up with such a lovingly sweet commemoration of his beloved city, then surely we can find it within us to make the best out of our own tragedies.

You won’t regret it-Buy Coming Down.

Listen to “Back on Dumaine” (5/5)

Listen to “Summertime in New Orleans” (5/5)

UK funk-soul purveyor Adam Gibbons (aka Lack of Afro) has been dabbling with a variety of instruments since the age of 7, and after listening to his first long player Press On, there’s no telling that he’s going to stop anytime soon. For those who are fans of Quantic Soul Orchestra or The Go! Team, Press On is sure to impress you in its genre breadth and musical scope. “Touch My Soul” seems like a straight-up The Go! Team A-side with its hopscotch rhythms and its lo-fi warmth. The sexy “For You” has got an incredibly infectious beat that will conjure up thoughts of former underground heroes Jurassic 5 (a la ‘Concrete Schoolyard’). Overall, this is an thoroughly enjoyable album that is sure to spice up even the most wintry of days. So grab a blanket, curl up next to that stereo, and pump it loud.

Get your copy of Press On.

Listen to “For You” (4.8/5)

Listen to “Touch My Soul” (4.7/5)

You might be able to imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to find that Sondre Lerche had been contracted to do the entire soundtrack for Dan in Real Life. I was so impressed by Lerche’s debut Faces Down, that I was disappointed by his later albums. Lerche seemed to be abandoning that troubadour-style that made him so instantly affable.

Dan in Real Life, my friends, is a return to the Faces Down days, with Lerche crooning out over a rather diverse collection of songs. Lerche performs quite an interesting cover of “Let My Love Open the Door” (the strings are incredible!) and the cool-and-calm “To Be Surprised” shows Lerche making the best out of what could be a simply mediocre track. The swingy-duet “Hell No” with Regina Spektor is an instant classic, while the previously released “Modern Nature” is another delightful duet. So if you love Steve Carell or you just love Sondre Lerche, the OST for Dan in Real Life is a sure bet.

Go and get a copy of Dan in Real Life.

Listen to “Hell No” (4.95/5)

Listen to “Modern Nature” (4.8/5)

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For 642-901 it is important to do 646-203. A simple 640-822 is just not enough.

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Perhaps I have an affinity for The Redwalls because of their faux-UK 70s sound, or perhaps it is because they reign from nearby Deerfield, Illinois (30 mi. from Chicago). But either way, The Redwalls are damn good. Their “second” LP De Nova (2005) really defined the band as Anglophile rockers trying to create an authentic classic rock sound. But their new self-titled third LP The Redwalls shows an even greater maturity and originality than before.

On The Redwalls, the band seems to straddle between discipline and a certain laidbackness, as they take a conscientious approach to a rather fun and entertaining album. I found myself enjoying the album much more with headphones on, as it appears that I was able to pick up more of the subtleties in the instrumentation and vocalization. The CCR-like “Into the Maelstorm” is a wonderful ditty, and the Dylanesque “Little Sister” is so endearingly sweet that the five-minute length seems too short. However tracks like the higher-charged “Modern Diet” or the nostalgic “Summer Romance” really set the band apart as an original outfit. Indeed, in trying to bring back a golden age of music, The Redwalls are in fact creating something entirely new and delightful in the process.

Go and get The Redwalls.

Listen to “Summer Romance” (4.8/5)

Listen to “Little Sister” (4.8/5)

Get those jangly guitars and those raspy vocals out of the closet–you’re gonna need ‘em if you want to play along with Cass McCombs. McCombs reigns from “here and there, US”, and his most recent release Dropping the Writ is a real soft-spoken gem that slowly eases its way into your consciousness. McCombs’ music ebbs and flows, caresses and resists, bends and stretches with the natural rhythms of the mind. This probably won’t make as much sense in words as it will once you queue up Dropping the Writ. These are songs for a lazy Sunday morning, for the days when your mind wanders into other realms, when you need something to ground you. Have a listen to the instantly charming “That’s That” or the warming “Petrified Forest” and you too will instantly know what I mean. So stop reading! Go and get Dropping the Writ.

Listen to “That’s That” (4.9/5)

Listen to “Petrified Forest” (4.6/5)

Hopefully, all of those from the great country of the red, white, and blue (that’s the US, not France!) are feeling in tip-top shape after turkey and stuffing overload from last night. I’m not trying to be profound here, but what a friggin’ genius holiday…seriously…a holiday that revolves around the most important aspect of America–excess.

But enough of that. Here are some musical leftovers for you to peruse and enjoy. Stay well everybody, it’s getting cold!

Sam Sparro - Black and Gold

What a fantastic beat! It’s a shame the rest of the EP is a little lacking.

Andy Kim - Rock Me Gently

Ever since I heard this song in that commercial for Jeep, I’ve been really digging this old gem.

The Shins - We Will Become Silhouettes (Postal Service Cover)

The Shins’ cover is a more cheery take on the Postal Service ‘classic’.

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Advanced courses like 70-297 and 70-291 can be attempted and successfully completed after the basic criteria course 70-282 is completed.

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