Yea-Ming and The Rumours - I Can't Have It All

 

With clear-eyed introspection and determination to chronicle her journey to find her true self through the layers of expectations and perspectives of others, Yea-Ming Chen has created an authentically-voiced collage of her journey titled I Can't Have It All. She -- along with her band Yea-Ming and The Rumours -- also have crafted a top quality pop album. With tracks of '90s twee oriented guitar pop and country shaded folk rock, and melancholy but beautifully sung lyrics riding bright melodies and sweet hooks, this album deserves to be a regular on your summer soundtrack.

In addition to Yea-Ming, the players are Eoin Galvin, Sonia Hayden, Jen Weisberg, and Luke Robbins. I Can't Have It All is out now via Dandy Boy Records.

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"El Greco" by Errant Boy

 

We have many obsessions, some of which are even legal and somewhat socially acceptable. One of such obsessions is indie pop from Scotland where, at least if the surname of one of our members is authentic, some of his ancestors originated. We could list several reasons why we find Scotland to be a fertile source for our inspiration, but we prefer to illustrate our point with music. So here is the latest single from one of our favorites -- Edinburg's Errant Boy. the song is "El Greco", a noisy and beautiful slice of chaos to supercharge our midweek activities. "El Greco" will be available to stream and download May 5, and is taken from the band's third (and yet unnamed) album which will be released later this year via Errant Media.

Errant Boy are Chris Harvie (electric guitar), Sean Ormsby (vocals/guitar/synths), and Sarrah McLaren (drums).

Errant Boy · El Greco

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A Certain Smile - Bae EP

Portland, Oregon's A Certain Smile has given us three songs that amply demonstrate why they are a top class fuzz pop band. Bae EP begins with "Cherry Bomb", an aptly-named explosion of sound. The following "Honey Do" continues the hooky, fast-paced melodic rampage, and if the band stopped there, we would still be breathless and love this 7". But A Certain Smile provides a delicious, dialed-down change up with closer "Original Replacement".

Bae EP is out now in digital and vinyl formats via the Portland (formerly Seattle) Jigsaw Records.






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Mt. Doubt - In Awe Of Nothing

Mt. Doubt is Edinburg's Leo Bargery, a man gifted with a warm baritone and the knack for creating swelling pop anthems that echo Springsteen, The National and Augustines.  He may work his compositional magic in his bedroom, but the execution on his recently-released second LP, In Awe Of Nothing, has the feel and execution of a larger scope effort.  The songwriting is strong, with dark, exploring lyrics balanced by compelling melodies.  The talent on display is formidable, and the the songs will captivate the listener for a long, long time.

Three tracks are streamed below, but you can listen to/buy the entire album at the Bandcamp link below.







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New video from Wake Owl - "Wild Country" from Wild Country EP

We've written about Wake Owl for the last few months (WYMA review here). Colyn Cameron's distinctive, clear voice is nicely displayed over the mostly acoustic folk-rock. Here's a new video created for the title track of the EP:



Here are some upcoming tour dates:

MAR 03, 2013 --  Kansas City, MO -- Riot Room
MAR 04, 2013 -- Denver, CO -- Hi-Dive
MAR 07, 2013 -- Los Angeles, CA -- Hotel Café
MAR 08, 2013 -- San Francisco, CA -- Hotel Utah
MAR 09, 2013 -- Santa Cruz, CA -- Crepe Place
MAR 16, 2013 SATURDAY -- Austin, TX -- Patagonia / Austlandia SXSW
MAR 26, 2013 -- George , WA -- Sasquatch! Music Festival

New Song from Water Liars - "Linens" from upcoming Wyoming

Here's the second track to be released by Mississippi country rock duo Water Liars: "Linens". Introspective, reflective and full of verbal images, this is a really pretty track - good reverb on the guitar, great vocal harmonies:



Water Liars is Andrew Bryant and Justin Kinkel-Schuster. Their second album, Wyoming, will be out March 5 on Fat Possum/Big Legal Mess - read more, and pre-order from Fat Possum, at this link. We previously featured another advance track from the album, "Fake Heat" - click here to check it out.

REVIEW: Jo Mango - Murmuration

Indie-folk encompasses a broad range of musical styles, from quiet and gentle to loud and energetic, sincere to sly, sad to humorous.  Murmuration, the first LP from Glasgow indie-folk artist Jo Mango in six years, arrives like a whisper on the sea breeze.  The pure tone of her vocals barely audible over the minimal arrangements, the phrasing deliberate and seemingly directed inward.  The listener has the sense that he is being permitted to overhear a musical diary.  And it is beautiful.

The first track is "The Black Sun", which also was included in the soundtrack for a feature film --



Jo wasn't idle in between albums.  She obtained her doctorate in musicology and collaborated with numerous other artists.

The first single from the album is "Cordelia", which is available at this link for "name your price".



The songwriting on Murmuration is excellent, but the things that stand out the most for this listener are the quality of Jo's vocals, and the tasteful restraint in the arrangements.  With respect to the former, the vocals are note-perfect and phrased to allow the words to sink in.  With respect to the latter, while this set of songs leave enough aural space to invite an artist and producer to experiment and gild, thankfully, they resist the urge and craft details in way that seem to be nothing less than essential.  And it may be this attribute of the album that pushes it ahead of many of the offerings available in indie-folk.

Murmeration is out now on Scotland's fine Olive Grove Records.

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REVIEW: The State Broadcasters - Ghosts We Must Carry

As we've noted before on these pages, some of the best Americana-shaded indie folk these days is coming from the UK.  One stellar example is the new LP, Ghosts We Must Carry, from Glasgow's The State Broadcasters.  Of course, this type of music doesn't jump up and grab your throat and shout "pay attention".  It invites you to listen carefully and thrill at the deft little touches, which better prepare you for the well planned killer hook or understated home run lyric.  So yes, The State Broadcasters make you do a bit of the work, but it is worth it and you'll be a better person for it.

The album deals with loss and sorrow and, as the title suggests, the fact that we carry ghosts with us throughout our lives, but in a way that makes you feel better at the end of it than the beginning.  For all the sadness, you'll find a lot of joy, and perhaps a bit of salvation, in the music.  Try tracks "Kittiwake" and "Trespassers" and see if you agree that great song craft can gilt the message for the listener.





The weight of the ghosts seems a bit heavier on songs such as "Where I Belong" and "The Writing's On the Wall".  But the beauty of the music and the promise of redemption keeps the proceedings afloat.  And the listener is reminded that masterful musicians understand that giving notes space can have more effect than increased volume.






It isn't my usual practice to post so many tracks.  But I expect that many readers, particularly in the US are not familiar with the band, and I think it is a valuable service to display their range.  And despite that, I am compelled to provide one more track -- an utterly captivating cover of Billy Bragg's "The Only One"  I've never been able to play this one only once.



The six-piece The State Broadcasters is comprised of Graeme Black (guitar/vocals), Pete MacDonald (piano/trombone/vocals), Fergus MacDonald (guitar/banjo/accordion/ukelele/other effects), Gill Fleetwood (harp/vocals/other effects), Cameron Maxwell (bass/trombone/vocals), and Susan Appelbe (cello/percussion).  The Ghosts We Must Carry is out this week on Olive Grove Records (link below)

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REVIEW: Neil Halstead - Palindrome Hunches

I expect that Neil Halstead wants us to like his music, that he cares about whether we like his music.  But I also expect that he would make the music he makes even if we didn't like it.  And Neil is a guy with a lot of different things to say, musically.  In the '90s, barely 17, the surfer from Cornwall, UK formed beloved shoegazers Slowdive.  In the last decade, his vehicle was Americana/dream pop band Mojave 3.  And this month, he released Palindrome Hunches, his third solo album.  The songs are light in tone, although not necessarily thematically, and follow classic British and American folk traditions.  His supporting musicians are from the Band of Hope, including Ben Smith (violin), Drew Milloy (double bass), Paul Whitty (piano), and Tom Crook (guitar).  The album was produced by Nick Holton and released by Brushfire Records.

As with his previous solo work, Hastead's emphasis here is on songs, rather than sound.  Some of the songs are more lively than others, but all of them create an atmosphere that is perfect for reflection on an autumn evening.  You might reflect on what Neil sings, or you might drift off into your own thoughts. But in either case, you'll owe Halstead thanks for a good time.  Here is my current favorite track, the memorably named "Bad Drugs and Minor Chords" --



One effect of the arrangements featured on Palindrome Hunches is that Halstead's vocals become the primary focal point.  With such spare instrumentation, that suggests a risk.  But his rich, perfectly modulated tenor is more than up to the task.  Of course, it is purely a personal opinion, but I can't think of any other male vocalist that I would prefer in this musical setting.

"Wittgenstein's Arm" --



The excellent title track --


We actually don't bring you a lot of quiet albums on this blog, so when we do, you'll know that we really like them.  I like Halstead.  I like this album and expect you might as well.

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New single from Shambles Miller

Shambles Miller is a Glasgow indie folk musician who has featured on the blog previously.  He returns today because he has released a two-track single entitled Confessions.  Released on Monday, the limited edition CDs already are sold out, but regular CDs and digital downloads remain available.  If you'd like to take if for a test drive, here it is --



In addition to a fine sense of melody (and an accent Americans may find a bit thick), Shambles' songs tend to be characterized by a deft sense of humor.  In that vein, and as an added feature, we've linked to another fine blog on which Shambles reports his experiences with speed dating (speed dating).

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