Even taken with its apparent downfalls, this is an album with which they should be quite proud. It not only proves their capability alongside their frequent collaborators, but actually asserts the relevance and necessity for a language that is wholly yMusic.
Rather than miss the mark with a couple of filler songs, she’s released an album teeming with unexceptional pieces that betray her strong hand at songwriting.
One of the most notable artists to come out of the 2010 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest was Minneapolis-based soul roots rocker Heatherlyn. Although she didn’t win the contest, she was voted into the Midwest Regional finals by popular vote so that has to count for something. And after taking a listen to her debut full-length release, Storydwelling, it is easy to understand why people like her so much.
Here, the Bottle Rockets pile into the Lucas School House, a former one-room building dating back to 1898 and strip the sound down to the bare essentials. The 13 tracks provided serve as a well-rounded and diverse sampling of the band’s excellent catalog, but prove even more memorable for the insights provided before, during, and after each performance.
As evidenced by the varied nature of the Nomad Series, the Cowboy Junkies do a lot of genres and styles well. For those that like the meandering whims and see-where-we-go improvisation of their stage dynamics, this album is made for you.
The poppy-punk trio of Male Bonding may not have the best band name in rock and roll but they craft some catchy tunes that will have you shimmying along for the brief (32 minute) full length release, Endless Now. Nothing here is going to weigh down your mind or soul, but sunny tracks like “Tame The Sun” will put a smile on anyone’s face and the quick changing “Seems To Notice Now” is just one of the single worthy jingles.
As a blues-based rock duo, Moreland & Arbuckle will always be compared to the White Stripes and the Black Keys, but that is not a fair comparison. The White Stripes used excessive fuzz to mask average musicianship while the Black Keys, until recently, used massive riffs to mask average songwriting. Moreland & Arbuckle, with a deeper and rootsier sound, doesn’t have either of those shortcomings.
Do you like folk with a twangy country feel? If so, Dehlia Low will leave you feeling fulfilled. The album is a perfect blend of old timey, almost familiar tunes, presented with beautiful vocals, impressive instrumentation, and kickin’ rhythms. Starting with the songs: with song titles the likes of “State of Jefferson,” “Living is Easy,” “Drifting on a Lonesome Sea,” and “Cannonball Blues,” Dehlia Low has followed the traditional path of folksy, oft-depressed lyricism, a mirror of the Appalachia from which their musical tradition stems.
Starting with what sounds like a dying siren, Rat City’s title track brings forth the garage rock jangle that Jack Oblivian has become revered for in some circles. Co-founder of The Compulsive Gamblers and The Oblivians, Jack Oblivian (aka Jack Yarber) has been an elder statesman in these lo-fi parts for some time, but he may have hit a high point as far as his solo efforts go with his newest release.
It’s the growing pains of Only in Dreams that capture and pull in something novel to an already saturated 60’s garage-pop revival. The Dum Dum Girls have taken a risk in trying something new, but this risk, for the most part, has paid off.
