Author: Lee Zimmerman (Page 1 of 20)

Kevin Barker: You and Me

February 5, 2010 /


RIYL: Grateful Dead, Veviter, Conor Oberst

Kevin Barker’s tenure as a sideman for the likes of Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Vashti Bunyan, Vetiver, and Espers appears to have prepped him well. On this, his first outing as a front man, Barker meshes the rustic perspective garnered from his well-heeled resume with an off-handed saunter that often recalls Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead in limber jam band mode.

Produced by Thom Monahan (Vetiver, Gary Louris), You And Me, assembles an all-star cast of nu-folk veterans, including Newsom, Pat Sansone (Wilco), Jonathan Wilson (Elvis Costello, Jenny Lewis), Eric Johnson (Shins, Fruit Bats), and Otto Hauser (Vetiver, Espers). The proceedings convene with Barker’s down-home intents on full view, the emphatic pluck and stomp of “Little Picture of You,” the low-lit gaze of “You & Me” and the modest shuffle of “Mountain & Bear” signaling Banhart’s intent to veer towards backwoods realms. Factor in the quiet saunter of “Amber” and the folk-infused delivery of “My Lady” and it becomes clear that Barker embodies both a wayfaring minstrel taken with traditional musings and a knowing musician whose work is underscored by an alternative inclination. (Gnomon Song 2009)

Kevin Barker MySpace page

Alternative, Americana, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Rock

Allison Moorer: Crows

February 4, 2010 /


RIYL: Emmylou Harris, Linda Rondstadt, Tift Merritt

Weaving her way through the series of hard-luck stories that illuminate Crows – her much-anticipated follow-up to last year’s critically acclaimed Mockingbird – Allison Moorer cries foul on any number of subjects, among them broken hearts, leaving lovers and all manner of ills in general. Apparently life for Mrs. Steve Earle is no bed of roses, and with song titles like “Just Another Fool,” “The Broken Girl,” “Should I Be Concerned,” “When You Wake Up Feeling Bad” and “Sorrow (Don’t Come Around),” it’s clear she has numerous thoughts that need venting.

Allison_Moorer_03

Then again, Moorer’s music rarely dwells on optimism. Over the course of her eight albums, Moorer’s reflected a worrisome perspective, belabored by ongoing remorse, disappointment and despair, as well as an ache and a yearning that often keeps her focus somewhat removed. Crows essentially offers more of the same, from the troubled rumblings of “Abalone Sky” and the plaintive repose of “Easy in the Summertime” to the acrimonious dismissal of “Sorrow (Don’t Come Around)” and the scorching break-up ballad “Still This Side of Gone.” The mournful sentiments create an air of unrelenting sadness, yet one that still allows the beautiful melodies to shine through. Suffice it to say, those who were smitten by Mockingbird will find Crows a similar bird of a feather. (Ryko 2010)

Allison Moorer MySpace page

Americana, CD Reviews, Country, Emo, Folk, Rock

The Watson Twins: Talking to You, Talking to Me

February 3, 2010 /


RIYL: Jenny Lewis, Cocteau Twins, Patty Larkin

After nearly a decade attempting to make their name among L.A.’s alternative elite, the Watson Twins scored their big breakthrough when they were chosen by Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis to share the billing on her first solo outing, Rabbit Fur Coat, in 2006. Since then, they’ve been able to carry the marquee rights on their own, earning themselves a deal with the venerable Vanguard label, which released last year’s major label debut, Fire Songs and subsequently, an even better sophomore set.

Despite their down-home Appalachian upbringing, the sisters lean less on heartland sentiments and more on urban rock sensibilities, a modernist approach that places the emphasis on propulsive rhythms and eclectic arrangements to bolster their dreamy harmonies. In the course of these dozen tracks, the Watsons’ vary their vocals between the languid and the assertive, with melodies that veer from ethereal hymns to those that sound positively chipper by comparison. So while songs like “Forever Me,” “Snow Canyons” and “Give Me a Chance” tend to cast the album in a meditative haze, the pronounced stomp of “Savin’ You” and “U-N-Me” bolster the bottom line and add the emphasis that’s needed. (Vanguard 2010)

The Watson Twins MySpace page

Alternative, Americana, CD Reviews, Emo, Folk, Pop, Rock

Curtains for You: What a Lovely Surprise to Wake Up Here

December 16, 2009 /


RIYL: Shoes, Spongetones, Jellyfish

There may be no better example of the sheer effusive joy power pop has to offer than that offered by the band that calls itself Curtains for You. If sheer enthusiasm could be bottled and bought, this outfit could rival any soft drink factory in terms of its turnout. Here’s a band that believes in the age-old precept that insistent hooks and catchy melodies constitute the only surefire formula when it comes to making rock ‘n’ roll that matters.

The Seattle combo’s sophomore album, What a Lovely Surprise to Wake Up Here, clearly ups the ante in terms of vivacious, uninhibited pop frenzy. From ebullient opener “The Nuclear Age” with its exuberant Beach Boys harmonies, through the unabashed hook-laden refrains of “Dumb Angel” (a subtle reference to an aborted Brian Wilson title) and the gleeful “Bop-bop-shoo-op” chorus of “Title Bout,” these Curtains consistently rise on joyful set-ups. And while the relatively subdued pace of “Chain Link Fence” and the ragtime vamp of “Small Change” seem on the surface a momentary respite, that irrepressible glow remains undiminished throughout. What a lovely surprise, indeed. (Spark and Shine 2009)

Curtains for You MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Power Pop, Rock

Proud Simon: Anchors Aweigh

December 10, 2009 /


RIYL: Train, Maroon Five, Great Lakes Swimmers

Given their generally unabashed, straightforward pop perspective, Proud Simon runs the danger of being mistaken for just another modern rock contender. Under ordinary circumstances, that predicament might ensure some anonymity, and subsequently doom them to the ranks of the also-rans. Fortunately, the band’s steely attitude and clear devotion to duty shows a decided sophistication that suppresses any frivolous tendencies while making them an outfit well worth considering.

Still, as a follow-up to the band’s thoroughly impressive sophomore effort, Night of Criminals, this five-song EP falls short of the high bar set previously, and for that reason, falters by comparison. Happily, opening track “Anchors Aweigh” shows their better instincts remain intact, and while the songs that follow vary somewhat in terms of quality, each offers sufficient cause for further listening. EPs are generally a stopgap offering anyway, so there’s every reason to expect that succeeding efforts will keep the quality intact. As things stand now, Proud Simon has no need to be humble. (Proud Simon 2009)

Proud Simon MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Melodramatic, Pop, Power Pop, Rock

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