Railroad Earth’s fourth studio album, Amen Corner, blends their recipe of Americana with sprinkles of bluegrass and hints of country all over. After listening to the album, it is hard to believe that Railroad Earth has only been together since 2001, despite the fact that the band is comprised of seasoned touring musicians.
Mostly recorded live, Albertine is the soaring declaration of a young woman’s passion and life experiences that are magically told in songs like “C.S. Lewis Song” and the beautiful “Hymn,” which closes the album. It’s about time the world – outside of New Zealand and Australia – opens its ears to enjoy the promising real talents of Brooke Fraser
n their debut recording, Vermont’s Badsuit accomplish the most difficult tasks facing improvisational musicians: bringing a genuine sense of spontaneity, comparable to their live performances into the often not-so friendly confines of the recording studio.
Clinic’s latest batch of punchy British psychedelia, Do It!, is just about what you would expect from a jagged band who imbue a hazy sonic vision. The 11 tracks pulse with a classic fuzz-toned guitar, an acid-drenched set of rock songs that could’ve faired just as well on late-60s radio as it can today.
Following months of anticipation and buzz, Santogold’s self-titled debut proves to be more than hype. Abandoning her position behind the scenes, Philly native Santi White steps up to the mic with lyrics that explode and beats that don’t’ joke around. Pulling from musical tastes as prolific as her industry connections and leaving comparisons to MIA and Gwen Stefani in the dust, Santi manages to outshine them both with her poetic ingenuity.
Newton Faulkner’s “Hand Built By Robots” is familiar like a comfortable blanket…it doesn’t exactly push into new territory, but at the same time, listening to it is like putting on a favorite college CD: it’s good to hear it again after all these years.
Quirky like Regina Spektor and intoxicating like Tori Amos, Rachael Sage successfully uses her songwriting and piano skills to win you over on tunes like the opening “Vertigo” and the beautiful title track, where she sings, “Silence is sweeter than doubt.” There’s no doubting Rachael Sage on Chandelier, only the beauty of discovery and feeling content.
Everything Is Alive is a very good record. It makes me excited for their next album, because these guys just might have a great record in them. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to go call my shrink and tell him why I'm having dreams about skipping through Central Park as I'm holding hands with an indie rock boy in a sundress.
Same Old Man may be the most accessible album of John Hiatt’s career. But it’s worth serious note that the rewards of hearing this album (repeatedly) far outweigh its simplicity and that’s due to the strength of the songs. Tunes such as “Cherry Red” and “Hurt My Baby” are just two instances in which the author turns the usual conceits of composition inside out.
Like their left coast cousins The Greyboy Allstars, Lettuce is something of a modern urban musical myth. Formed in the 90's out of common experience and taste, members of the band went out on individual projects—Soulive, Scofield and solo—before coalescing once again into a powerful funk collective.
