REVIEW: Dwight Yoakam - Three Pears

For a lot of us who monitor the indie music world, it would be possible for Dwight Yoakam's Three Pears to get lost in the shuffle of excellent September releases - but that would be a shame. There's still nothing like a Dwight Yoakam album... has it really been 26 years since Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc.? More to the point, seven years since Blame the Vain, his last studio album full of Yoakam songs?

First question, to get to the point: is it worth the wait? The answer is an unqualified hell yes. The quality is, as always, excellent. Yoakam leaves no detail to chance - but the music never sounds overly "produced" - there's always an edge. Here's a live performance of the title cut, co-written with fellow celebrity and country convert Kid Rock:



Yoakam said he was sitting on that song for years and years, and had a thought to reach out to Kid Rock to see if he'd help finish it. It's not surprising that Yoakam had a song that another songwriter could help him finish in one sittting. There is nobody else who inhabits so fully the place where good country and good rock music meet...really, the place where both of them started out together in the 40's and 50's, and incorporates all the best features of both.

Check out "Rock It All Away" - a combination of Yoakam's pitch-perfect country vocals, a strong rhythm section and what sounds to me, like a very well-done reprise of the Velvet Underground "Sweet Jane" guitar lick:



On "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke" (a 50 year old Bakersfield guitar rave-up originally done by Joe and Rose Lee Maphis - if interested, check it out here), Dwight and his band really, really let go -



Apparently, it has been a live Yoakam choice for a while, which makes sense. But on the record, they really rock out, and let loose with a scream reminiscent of Bob Weir's in "St. Stephen". The scream reminded me of a time I saw Yoakam in concert, and he was introducing his version of "Some Dark Holler": "We're gonna do an old song I've known a long time. Heard it on my grandma's radio. A lot of people done it. The Grateful Dead done it. But we ain't gonna do it the way the Dead done it."

And yet, of course, Yoakam's a part of the California music scene in every meaningful way - not only has he covered the Dead and recorded songs they also recorded, but he got his start playing with California punk, rockabilly and rock bands... after giving himself a musical education in the Bakersfield style of country music.

And then there's his new musical compatriot Beck Hansen. Three Pears finds Yoakam paired with Beck, who I've thought of as a bit of a kindred spirit to Yoakam - if you doubt Beck's country bona fides, I urge you to go listen to his duet with Emmylou Harris on "Sin City" on the Gram Parsons tribute album Return of the Grievous Angel, and his cover of "Your Cheatin' Heart" on the Hank Williams tribute Timeless, not to mention his supersad, superslow Sea Change, a feast of sad vocals and guitar reverb.


But here Beck is bringing a razor-sharp pop sensibility that is very much in line with Yoakam's own. This really is a good pairing... Here is "A Heart Like Mine", the song produced by Beck:




Like the best of Yoakam's music, it rocks like a freight train and wails like a hurricane, while featuring pop touches - British invasion backbeat and guitar jangle - worthy of two of the very best craftsmen working in any branch of popular music these days.

There's "Missing Heart" - an absolute overdose of great pedal steel, the playful "Waterfalls", and the title cut, which Yoakam describes as having been inspired by John Lennon.
This is a great record, up there with the best work Yoakam's ever done, which means it's up there with the best work anybody's doing. It's likely to reside near the top of my list at the end of 2012.

Listen, read, buy: Dwight Yoakam Website

REVIEW: Delicate Cutters - Ring

There is something delicious and immediate about good southern rock; it sounds live even when it is recorded.  Today's exhibit for that phenomena is Ring, the third album from Alabama's Delicate Cutters.  It is a swampy slice of southern-Gothic energy, driven by great female vocals and accented by a massive dose of spine-tingling fiddle.  This group likely sounds unlike anyone else you are listening to these days, and you'll be happy to have discovered them.  Lest you think I'm overselling things, here is a live version of the opening track, "Where the Cottonmouths Hung", recorded at The Metro in Birmingham --



Ring was recorded at Ol Elegante Studio by Lester Nuby III and was released on Birmingham's Skybucket Records last week.  The band is Janet Elizabeth Simpson, Brian Moon, Kevin Nicholson, and Chance Shirley.

One of my favorite songs on the album is "You Want Her" which, in my view, should be subtitled "and you want this album".  The song is the first single from the album, and a free download is available on the band's website --


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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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New and free song from Tea Cozies

Today we have a present for all our readers.  No, of course we didn't actually buy you anything.  But the great Seattle garage rock group Tea Cozies is prepping the world for their October 30 release of a new EP by giving away the free track "Muchos Dracula" --



Tea Cozies are Jessi Reed, Brady Harvey, Jeff Anderson and Garrett Croxon.

We'll discuss the new EP as we approach the release date.

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New Shoegaze Discovery: Infinity Girl - Stop Being On My Side

Infinity Girl is a terrific new Boston-based band playing noisy, melodic guitar rock - shoegaze, yes, but that's not the only style. The band is composed of singer/guitarist Nolan Eley, drummer Sebastian Modak, Kyle Oppenheimer on guitar and Andrew Ransom on bass. The songs are well-constructed and part of the reason may be that Eley was developing his music as a solo act when approached by Modak at a show, asking if he wondered what the songs would sound like with a full band.

Lots of feedback, strong bass/drum support and plaintive vocals combine to make this music very compelling. It's noisy as heck, and almost (but never quite) gets off the rails on the big rockers like "Please Forget", "Blood And Dirt" and "Void", which calls to mind Swervedriver, but with a more delicate touch on the vocals.

Here's a live version of "Please Forget":



And for a little variety in the tempo, Eley's even thrown in a Yo La Tengo-style ballad, "Even If"... But I think the best songs on the record are the biggest-sounding ones, especially the high guitar sounds and crashing drums of the 6:26 "By Now".

Check it out, and buy it if you like it, at their Bandcamp site:




Infinity Girl Website

REVIEW: The Pollies - Where the Lies Begin

When I tell you that The Pollies reside in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, you might assume that they play southern rock.  And while you would be correct to some extent, I caution against listening to Where the Lies Begin with a oh-this-will-be-southern-rock filter.  Yes, there are some southern accents and southern musical flourishes.  But the classic Muscle Shoals sound is only a basic ingredient with which indie rock, soul and folk rock blend into a tangy stew.  The breadth of the arrangements, the accomplished songwriting and heartfelt delivery demand that this album be taken on its own terms as an indie rock statement of a truly accomplished band.  This is great American storytelling that was two years in the making.  Here is the opening track --


The second track, "Something New", displays the band's indie rock bona fides, while "Joe" is a Dylanesque ramble, "Little Birdie" is a rousing hoedown and "Rebel Man" is top notch southern rock.  And track nine, "The Ashes of Burned Out Stars" is a slowburning epic that will take you on a seven plus minute emotional journey.



The Pollies are Jay Burgess (guitar/vocals), Chris James (bass/vocals), Matt Green (guitar/vocals), Daniel Stoddard (steel pedal/keys/effects/vocals), Ben Tanner (keys) and Reed Watson (drums).

One of my favorite songs is "The Well".  The only version I have for you is this live version, which suffers from variable sound quality, but here it is:



The bottom line from this northern boy is that Where the Lies Begin is a southern album that demands your attention.  And you won't regret it.

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Bowerbirds - The Clearing... Nashville to California, tour starting next week

Bowerbirds will be on tour, working their way west, starting in Tennessee (Nashville 10/9, Memphis 10/10) and ending up on the West Coast:

10/09/12 Nashville, TN - The High Watt w/ Strand of Oaks
10/10/12 Hi-Tone Cafe, Memphis - TN w/ Strand of Oaks & Prypyat
10/11/12 St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway w/ Strand of Oaks
10/12/12 Columbia, MO - Mojo's w/ Strand of Oaks & Prypyat
10/16/12 Santa Barbara, CA - SOhO Restaurant and Music Club w/ Strand of Oaks & Rainbow Girls
10/17/12 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre w/ Strand of Oaks & Prypyat
10/19/12 San Diego , CA - The Casbah w/ Strand of Oaks
10/20/12 Phoenix, AZ - The Crescent Ballroom w/ Strand of Oaks & Perfume Genius
10/21/12 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress w/ Dusted & Perfume Genius
10/23/12 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge w/ Strand of Oaks & Prypyat
10/24/12 Salt Lake City, IT - Kilby Court w/ Strand of Oaks & Prypyat
10/26/12 Boise, ID - Neurolux w/ Strand of Oaks & Prypyat
10/27/12 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge w/ Strand of Oaks & Prypyat
10/28/12 Seattle, WA - Neumos w/ Strand of Oaks & Prypyat
10/29/12 Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore Cabaret w/ Strand of Oaks Khingfisher
11/01/12 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall w/ Strand of Oaks

If you're not familiar with them, check out the video for "Tuck The Darkness In":



Or this one for "Sweet Moment":



It's pretty, mostly acoustic music, although there are moments that remind me of Magnolia Electric Company... they're a North Carolina-based duo: Phil Moore and Beth Tacular, who recorded this in Bon Iver's studio in Wisconsin - hence the interesting combination of simple, mountain-based acoustic plucking and some of the more lush backing sounds.

REVIEW: Melody's Echo Chamber - Melody's Echo Chamber

Melody's Echo Chamber is the project of Melody Prochet, and is the product of the merger of two disparate styles.  Melody, a classically trained vocalist, was an instrumentalist for the pop band My Bee's Garden when she became enthralled by the scuzzy psychedelia, and in particular, the bass effects, of Australian rockers Tame Impala.  Subsequent discussions with Tame Imapala's Kevin Parker led to Kevin's production of Melody's debut LP in his home studio.  The result is Melody's Echo Chamber, a sonically intriguing and satisfying record of dream pop tinged with psychedelia and a bit of darkness.

"I Follow You" is the opening track --



The discerning dream pop fan likely will hear influences from Broadcast, Stereolab and even Cocteau Twins.  But this album manages to carve its own path, and no vocalist can be upset about a favorable comparison to Keenan, Sadier, or Fraser.  What is particularly good about the album is that Prochet and Parker didn't become fixated on a narrow style.  At times the tracks are characterized by layers of sound and, unsurprisingly, echoes.  At other times, the production yields space around the sounds, adding punch and a hard edge.

Here is the album's second track, "Crystallized".  Note the song's transition to distorted bass tones and a dominant rhythm at the 2:40 mark.




Melody's Echo Chamber is out now on Fat Possum in the US, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, and will be released in early November by Weird World/Domino in Europe.

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Introducing -- Woolen Men

Woolen Men is a Portland Oregon three-piece that plays makes spacey, psychedelic, lo-fi garage rock.  They came to my attention because they shared a bill with The Mallard earlier this year, and we like The Mallard quite a bit around here.  They have released recordings on Eggy Records and Gnar Tapes and Shit.  The members are Rafael Spielman, Lawton Browning and Alex Geddes, but I don't know much else about them.  I think it is good stuff.  Give it a chance.

But now to the music.  Here is "Way Over My Head" from The Hair of the Night, which was released in January 2012 on Eggy --



The '60s tinged garage rock of "Guess I was Dreaming" --


There are two more releases on the Bandcamp site linked below -- one from 2011 and one from 2009.

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New California Jangle Discovery: Sweater Girls - Sweater Girls Were Here

Sweater Girls are a California band featuring super-sweet female harmony vocals, jangly guitars and a bit of a punk backbeat... and boy, is their music catchy. Their new album, Sweater Girls Were Here, is a celebration of Southern California very much in the way that Best Coast's and The Go-Go's music was, and there are similiarities between them, but differences too. Sweater Girls don't have quite as much reverb, and probably a little more jangle on the guitars, and most of all, there are times you could overdose on the harmony vocals - so light, high and sweet are they. Check out lead track, "Infatuation Street":



I think "Fast Forward" is my favorite song on the record, and for a good portion of the song, the girls are just singing "La la la, la la la" over buzzsaw guitars and that nifty backbeat.

Here's a video for "Fred" - same formula, same delightful result:



I think when a band has a sound that works for them, they are well-served by working to perfect it and sharing it with the world. Based on Sweater Girls Were Here, I think Sweater Girls have the same philosophy.

As I mentioned in my review of Detective's However Strange, I had read that a recent show in LA featured Sweater Girls, Seapony (which we also like a lot and which Scott reviewed here recently) and Detective. Here's a video from "Part Time Punks"... Starts out with Seapony, Sweater Girls at about 3:10 and Detective at 4:55. Lucky audience...



The album is out this week (9/25) on HHBTM Records.

REVIEW: The Bohannons - Unaka Rising

The Bohannons are a Chattanooga band that combines swamp boogie, hard blues, full-on glam rock, and punk -- and it's just as bracing and crazy as that sounds. If you've enjoyed some of the proud Southern rock varietals we've blogged about this year: The Alabama Shakes, The District Attorneys, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Patterson Hood - this is something you will want to check out.

On Unaka Rising, they're loud and way up front with shouted vocals, slashing electric guitars and a rhythm section that swings like crazy. The Bohannons consist of  Nick Sterchi, Marty Bohannon, Matt Bohannon and Josh Beaver.

Here's the lead track "Goodbye Bill", available for free download:



They're dipping into the Southern folk tradition, too... listen to Marty Bohannon describe the genesis of "Goodbye Bill": "It's an ode to martyred labor organizer Joe Hill approaching the 100th anniversary of his death. The words are from his last will, as well as from Ethel Raim and The Pennywhistlers' song 'Joe Hill'."

And here you can stream "River Above", a haunting hard rock track with guitars layered on top of guitars:



And here they are playing "Built A World", a plaintive song of lost love as only the Bohannons can play such a thing - with a little bit of a ragtime feel and of course a scorching electric guitar solo:



The whole record is good, but I think the last two tracks are the highlights: "Ponchatrain", a call-and-response, foreboding blues song about an oncoming storm and "In The End", which races along at a punk rock pace and finishes this album by letting me know this band is just starting to shake things up.

Unaka Rising is out now on This Is American Music - produced by David Barbe and Drew Vandenberg.

The Soul Corner - The Four Tops "Walk Away Renee"

Here one of my favorite all time singers, Levi Stubbs, with the Four Tops, covers one of my all time favorite songs, the baroque pop classic "Walk Away Renee":

The song was written by 16 yr old Michael Brown, a member of the Left Banke who originally recorded it.  Amazing composition and arrangement. But add Levi Stubbs' vocals - wow!

And the equally great original:

REVIEW: Détective - However Strange

LA-based band Détective is Jim Greer (a former member of Guided by Voices), Rory Modica, and Guylaine Vivarat, a wonderful female vocalist. On their latest record, However Strange, they are playing an engaging brand of artistic, Velvet Underground-influenced postpunk that old-school fans of 90's indie rockers like GbV, Sonic Youth and The Breeders will certainly recognize - but one need not be a GbV fan to enjoy this music.

To give you a sense of their sound, here's a video from their immediately preceding EP, Basket of Masks, "Rhodesian Man":



And here's an audience video of "Holy Ghost Citizens Club" from However Strange:



Really, anyone with a taste for high-quality guitar rock ought to give this record some attention. Of course, if you already know the song "Trendspotter Acrobat", well, that doesn't hurt... Check out this link for Greer's description of how he wrote that song for Sunfish Holy Breakfast. There's an updated version on this record, and it's terrific.

Before that, though, there are eleven delightful slices of guitar rock. "Man Near the Surface of the Earth" starts out with Vivarat humming, jumps into a jangly guitar line, and then her vocals rise over the guitar to achieve a sort of transcendent effect. "Basket of Masks", which was also on the EP we wrote about earlier this year, has a nice strummed guitar line that builds tension and an understated Greer vocal, and in the middle is a noisy guitar solo. "Amber" continues the interplay between Vivarat's high, sweet voice and the ragged, jangly postpunk guitar. "Telephonia" is sung as a duet, and as on the rest of the record, features strong guitar lines throughout. Further on, "Cuba" is an instrumental, a very cool guitar soundscape.

You can listen at Bandcamp:




And you can buy the cassette from Burger Records, click here.

I see on a recent date, they played a triple bill with Seapony (read Scott's review here) and Sweater Girls (keep an eye out for a review on their delightful new record soon). If you're familiar with those bands, and the kind of music Burger has been putting out, you've got an idea what to expect from Détective. Good stuff. Vivarat's voice is engaging, the guitars are great, and the songs are consistently good. The record holds up very well.

REVIEW: Cancel the Astronauts - Animal Love Match

Sometimes what initially draws me to a band can be as simple as an evident sense of humor.  Such is the case with Edinburgh's Cancel the Astronauts.  I first tracked them down a few years ago after noting the song title "I am The President of Your Fan Club and Last Night I Followed You Home".  After all, whose interest wouldn't be attracted by a tale of stalking by a fan?  A world famous music blogger certainly sympathizes, I assure you.  But while I may have come because of the humor, I stayed with them for the music.  Cancel the Astronauts specializes in energetic indie rock anthems, and after honing their craft on two Eps, they have released a delightful 12-track debut LP, Animal Love Match.

Packed with hooks, furious pace, driving beat and swooping vocals, without losing the wry, and frankly sinister, take on melancholy, lust, desire and the travails of young life -- this is an album that will boost your mood on any fall day.  The title track begins the album with sombre keys, but less than a minute and a half in, the sound builds and the boys take off.  The second track is the fine former single, "Seven Vices --



"Intervention", the third track, is s sparkling new wave tune showcasing the bands fine melodic sense --



I find it somewhat difficult to tag this album with a genre (that sound you hear may be a collective sigh of relief from the band), but I do know this: Animal Love Match is indie guitar rock that you can dance to, drive to, and (when used safely and according to directions) enhance your mood.  The more stately numbers are fine (check out "Love Backwards" at the Soundcloud link below), but what these lads do best is to play hard and fast.  And fortunately, the fast songs dominate the track list for the album.

Here is one of my favorites, "Making Dynamite".  It is somewhat less of a pop tune than "Seven Vices" and "Intervention", and it and the following track, "Lekking", showcase the band's ability to craft a fine song at less than a punk pace --



I would feel remiss if I didn't share one of the slower tracks with you, and the penultimate track, "Catch You If I Can" is my choice.  It is a really lovely song with a piano and a bit of acoustic guitar --



Cancel the Astronauts are Matt Riley, Kieran McCaffrey, Michael Craig, Neil Davidson,  and Chris Kay.  They have been together for about four years.  Animal Love Match can be streamed in its entirety at the Bandcamp and Soundcloud links below, and purchased via Bandcamp.

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REVIEW: Dot Dash - Winter Garden Light

It is quite common to complain that Washington, D.C. is a constant purveyor of misery to the rest of the country (and much of the rest of the planet), particularly during an election year.  Well, I'm here to tell you that this fall DC has given music fans one of the best power pop albums of the year.  Winter Garden Light, the second LP from Dot Dash, delivers punk pace, a bonus quantity of pop hooks, assured vocals and anthemic choruses.  Listen to the second track while continuing to read:



The band's 2011 release, Spark>Flame>Ember>Ash, was indeed a promising debut.  However, not only does Winter Garden Light avoid a sophomore slump, it is, in my view, a markedly better album.  The guitars and vocals are better, the songwriting is tighter, and the production sanded off the rough edges without straying into glossiness.



You'll hear elements of punk and britpop, but this album isn't an imitation of anyone; the influences are just ideas, then the talent takes over.  It is a ten-track locomotive that gathers steam for a bit more that a half hour and leaves you wanting to press the replay button.



Dot Dash is Terry Banks (vocals and guitar), Bill Crandall (guitar), Hunter Bennett (bass), and Danny Ingram (drums).  They are alums of various bands, including Julie Ocean, Modest Proposal and Swervedriver.  The CD can be ordered from the label, The Beautiful Music (link below) if your local store doesn't have it.  If you like buying on line, you should note that the album is available at the Bandcamp link below for $7.  This, indeed, is one of the bargains of this election season.

So, do you watch presidential debates or listen to Winter Garden Light loud?  The choice seems clear; the links are below.

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REVIEW: Murder By Death - Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon

Murder By Death's new record Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon is out today (Sept 25) via Bloodshot Records. We wrote about them earlier this summer, noting lead singer Adam Turla's rich baritone and the rocking pace they set on the advance cut "I Came Around". That is one of the more uptempo cuts on the record, but the whole thing is carried by Turla's voice and an overall feel of foreboding.

You can download the song "Lost River" here:



"Lost River" features some dark lyrics and, as on most of the record, the sweet sound of Sarah Balliet's cello serves as a counterpoint to Turla's vocals... but there is usually some uptempo rock not far behind. In addition to Turla and Balliett, Murder By Death consists of Matt Armstrong (bass), Dagan Thogerson (drums) and Scott Brackett (piano, trumpet, accordion, mandolin, vocals, percussion). Armstrong and Thogerson supply a strong base for the guitars, horns and strings that do so much to supply a striking mood for this record.

Turla says yes, the band was named after the movie... which was a comedy. But reading the interview that accompanies the stream below, you'll see that his three favorite current authors, cited as influences on his writing, are Steinbeck, Hemingway and Garcia Marquez... perhaps supplying some explanation of the darker mood and haunting and surreal lyrics.

This is their sixth album but their first with Bloodshot. I see it as a terrific fit. Bloodshot is the label of literate, sometimes dark country-influenced rockers like The Waco Brothers, Chris Mills and the early Old 97's - so there is precedent for a band of Murder By Death's style.

You can currently stream the whole album via MTV Hive:
http://www.mtvhive.com/2012/09/17/murder-by-death-bitter-drink-bitter-moon-album-stream/.

The Bloomington, IN-based band will head out on tour with Say Anything in October. Tour dates here.

REVIEW: Sacre Noir - Sinking Into Darkness

Edinburgh's Sacre Noir are purveyors of dark electronica and rhythm and blues, with beefy bass and other lower register notes and the haunting vocals of Carrie Beattie.  This summer they released their second album, Sinking Into Darkness, on Savage Recordings, and they have been touring Europe to support the release.  The songs are an accomplished blend of lo-fi industrial and slightly sleazy blues, making it a great album for the night time.  Although no one will mistake these tunes as campfire songs, you may want to sing along.  But whether you are singing, shivering in unease or dancing, you likely will find it compelling.

"She Can't Take It" --



Sacre Noir is Carrie Beattie, Alexis Beattie, and Phil Lock, although other artist collaborate from time to time.  The band is quite experimental in the studio, and uses loops, samples, field recordings and found percussion to flesh out their sound.

Sinking into Darkness was recorded at Savage Studios in Edinburgh.

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REVIEW: Woods - Bend Beyond

Bend Beyond, by Brooklyn resident Jeremy Earl's Woods, is a strikingly rich and satisfying dose of folk rock and guitar pop.  The songs vary from more traditional pop to more jammy numbers, but it all hangs together with Earl's falsetto, excellent songwriting and tight performances form the band.  The album has noteworthy energy and exudes a confidence born of a band that knows that they have worthy material.

Here is the sunny pop of "Cali in a Cup" --




For those familiar with previous Woods releases, this one is a more straight forward affair, with cleaner and more careful production.  For those not familiar with the group, Bend Beyond is an excellent point of entry to their catalogue.

"Is It Honest" is one of my favorite songs on this album.  For me, it perfectly reflects the essential duality of the music -- a loose delivery that manages to deliver an genuine atmosphere of tension.


Woods - Is It Honest from Windows Have Eyes on Vimeo.

Bend Beyond is out not on Earl's label, Woodsist Records.  Other musicians on the album include Jarvis Taveniere, Kevin Morby, G. Lucas Crane and Aaron Neveu.

Be warned, this album gets under your skin.

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New Detroit Hard Rock Discovery: Wendy James with James Williamson and Jim Sclavunos - "You're So Great/It's Alright Ma"

Wendy James, former lead singer of Transvision Vamp is now working with The Stooges' James Williamson (guitar & bass) and The Bad Seeds' Jim Sclavunos (drums & percussion) on an album and in advance of that, has plans to release a double single consisting of covers of The Rendezvous Band's "You're So Great" and Dylan's "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)". I'll do a little more research on her solo career, which I will admit I was not aware of, but for now, holy cow! Check out these songs:

"You're So Great"



Here's the stream of "It's Alright Ma", a really provocative take:



Apparently it was Williamson's idea for Wendy to pick her favorite Dylan song, and she's done it right. A good Dylan cover is a great thing.

Wild Cub - new video for "Drive"

Wild Cub is a Nashville-based electro-rock band featuring the soulful vocals of Keegan Dewitt and Jeremy Bullock's terrific soundscapes. In August, we reviewed their new album Youth. They've got a new video for the album cut "Drive":

 
Wild Cub "Drive" (Official Video) from Wild Cub on Vimeo.

This one was directed by Fort Ripper. 

They'll play some dates w/Sondre Lerche later this month, then perform at the Soundland music fest and CMJ Music Marathon.  Tour dates at their website.