Author: Lee Zimmerman (Page 20 of 20)

Mars Arizona: Hello Cruel World

August 27, 2008 / Lee Zimmerman

Pinpointing the exact locale of one Mars Arizona may be difficult, but the Berkley-based duo that appropriates these fictional environs as their moniker offers up an assured sound for their superb third outing. Banjos, fiddles and mandolins – not to mention the participation of legendary veteran session players David Grisman and Al Perkins — fuel their tales of hard-bitten heroes and steely glimpses at the nation’s current malaise. Fortunately though, the blues in their bluegrass never sounds so downcast as to deter from the album’s unabashed exhilaration. Intriguing covers of Neil Young’s “Time Fades Away,” T Rex’s “By The Light of the Magical Moon,” Loretta Lynn’s “Blue Kentucky Girl” and back porch standard “In The Pines” reflect the band’s diversity and should help turn heads their way, but the originals are equally embracing, a reflection of their down-home charm and rousing, rambunctious technique. Suffice it to say, there’s enough life on Mars for all. (Big Barn 2008)

Mars Arizona MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Country, Folk

Samantha Crain: The Confiscation

August 22, 2008 / Lee Zimmerman

For a girl of such tender years – being all of 20 in fact – Samantha Crain boasts a surprisingly old-fashioned approach. Her five-song EP, tellingly-titled The Confiscation, sounds like it was recorded in an antebellum parlor, with everyone sitting in a circle and playing into a single microphone. The ambiance is casually nonchalant and sometimes slightly askew, complementing Crain’s unfettered vocals, which bring to mind an unlikely middle ground between Bjork’s cacophony and Marianne Faithful’s raspy resolve. Still, the most unusual element in Crain’s musical mix is its set-up. Billing her disc as “a musical novella,” she takes a literary approach with the various tracks, referring to them as chapters rather than songs. This befits the material’s darker rumblings and further adds to the intrigue. The mood is mostly melancholic, reflective of titles like “Beloved, We Have Expired” and “In Smithereens, The Search For Affinity,” two numbers where ache and mourning seem to hold sway. (Ramseur Records)

Samantha Crain MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk

James Jackson Toth: Waiting in Vain

August 12, 2008 / Lee Zimmerman

Toth’s psychedelic combo Wooden Wand provided a promising template for this, his solo debut, but despite his persistent croon and a decidedly dark ambiance, it’s far less cryptic than that previous project. Toth enlists a back-up band with considerable credentials – among them, members of Wilco, Deerhoof, Vetiver and Geraldine Fibers, as well as his wife and foil, Jexie Lynn. – giving him plenty of room to maneuver within their fluid arrangements. “Nothing Hides,” “Do What You Can” and “Midnight Watchman” seem somewhat innocuous on first glance, but there’s a sinister subtext in Toth’s tales, with shady characters, worrisome encounters and a general air of pervading doom tainting the atmosphere. Indeed, lyrics like “Cocaine and bourbon, pinball and pool – look in on me/Don’t leave me to face the slow death of a fool” and an inside cover photo of Toth cradling a revolver confirm his shaded intents. Swagger turns to stagger on the woozy ballad “Poison Oak” and the aforementioned ode to decadence, “Look in on Me,” but overall, this is a most assured collection and a distinctive one at that. (Rykodisc)

Ryokdisc website

CD Reviews, Music Labels, Rock