Album Reviews

Ken Will Morton: True Grit

Southern sounding singer-songwriter Ken Will Morton’s latest release True Grit brings to mind a cross between Tom Waits, Marah, Steve Earle circa Exit O and Ryan Adams. Whether it’s the safe but solid opening title track to the roots-rock nugget “Gamblin’ Man’s Blues,” Morton can pen a song with an equally strong melody. And thankfully Morton doesn’t ease off that quality pedal for a moment judging by the mid-tempo “Hard Weathered Life.”

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Retribution Gospel Choir: Retribution Gospel Choir

Having opened for Wilco and Meat Puppets among others, this Minnesota band makes a huge impression with album number two. The trio of drummer Eric Pollard, bassist Steve Garrington and singer/guitarist Alan Sparhawk kick things off with an endearing slow-burner “Hide It Away” evoking a blend of Explosions In The Sky and Coldplay.

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Kats: I Can Levitate (EP)

The Free Ice Cream Crew has come out with another underground hip-hop scorcher via Kats’s Levitate.  The Brooklyn based MC boasts all over his “tenth album” and the braggadocios flow abounds, yet he manages to remain rooted in common stories like the tale spun on, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and that title tune, “Levitate”.

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Hot Chip: One Life Stand

Hot Chip's One Life Stand is one of the most genuine, unpretentious albums of the young year. Without trying to re-invent the wheel, the band has steadily produced albums of increasing quality throughout their career. One Life Stand is the next logical progression in their timeline, a deliciously and deceptively simple affair that showcases the band's best qualities. The subtle differences in their sound aren't forced or fabricated, making the album a unique listen while comforting the listener with a consistent, dance-driven pop style.

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Disco Biscuits: On Time EP

Two things that The Disco Biscuits have become famous for – indulgently stretched-out peaks and breakneck, trance-based improvisation – are noticeably absent on their new On Time EP. Part of a multi-release series building to the long-overdue March 16 drop of Planet Anthem, the band’s own Chinese Democracy, On Time delivers far more studio polish than the band has ever boasted, morphing this release into a sonic alter-ego. Sounding little like the band’s famed live performances, this EP provides a glimpse at a new side of The Disco Biscuits.

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Spoon: Transference

Transference remains a grower with its brooding underbelly, but once you get it, you’re thankful for the not-so obvious pop nods. The one catchy exception is “Written In Reverse,” where the ker-plunky piano and crashing drums make for another silent classic. With Transference Spoon is further cementing their status as cult survivor rather than a pop/blog flash in the pan, thanks to their intense consistency and only selling out to their fan-base, not  the mainstream.

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The Doors: Live In New York

If you've never succumbed to the earthy yet cerebral  music of The Doors, you're not likely to plunk down big bucks for a multi-CD box set, even if you find it  half-price off or more  at your local mega retailer. but if you know someone who got it as a Christmas present, take a listen to any one of the six CDs and see if the performance doesn't radically alter your perception and pre-conception of Jim Morrison and company.

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Pat Metheny: Orchestrion

The forces of nature, to which we know, all act in balance and in accordance to one another.  Seasons change and adaptations occur to maintain equilibrium, and sometimes nature produces extraordinary events.  In his new solo project and upcoming record titled Orchestrion, Pat Metheny creates a controlled universe where all acoustic and mechanical instruments work in synchronization together to produce the composed sound that is echoing in his mind.

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Hot Day At The Zoo: Zoograss

Taped at the Waterhole (Saranac Lake, New York) on Valentine’s Day 2009, Zoograss (released Jan. 12th) is one of those live albums that will turn into a word-of-mouth sensation as the rhythm of time passes.  The legendary music venue has come to be known as the headquarters of the gonzo bluegrass quartet. Filled with rowdy, foot stomping Adirondack locals (and plenty of drinks to drown a small army), the ambiance aligned perfectly with the overzealous approach of the Massachusetts group.

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