Category: Folk (Page 23 of 23)

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

Timmy Curran: Word of Mouth

August 22, 2008 / Jeff Giles

Around the turn of the century, the Onion ran a classic article about dolphins growing opposable thumbs and wreaking havoc on the human race – and although no one could have known it at the time, but there really was a plague preparing to descend upon us from the oceans, in the form of surfers turned guitar-strumming pop stars. Okay, so if you want to get technical about it, the plague hasn’t really arrived yet – so far, we’ve really only had to deal with Jack Johnson (and Matt Costa, but he’s a skateboarder, so he doesn’t really count) – but mark our words, it’s on its way. As proof, here’s another one: Timmy Curran, whose strum-diddly-umptious debut, Word of Mouth, is out now. On the granola-pop spectrum, Curran lands closer to Xavier Rudd than Jack Johnson – with a dash of Paul Simon and maybe just a pinch of Astrid Williamson thrown in – which is a very good thing, because it keeps the album from sliding into dullsville. But don’t worry, hacky sack fans – Curran doesn’t get too crazy; these songs still carry enough of a bongo-playing Matthew McConaughey vibe to keep your mellow from harshing. The end result isn’t anything especially memorable, but Curran is a decent enough songwriter and vocalist to quit his day job one of these days. Getting people to accept a grown man named Timmy, on the other hand… (Citsuca 2008)

Timmy Curran MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Pop

David Ford: Songs for the Road

August 15, 2008 / Mike Farley

When David Ford released his 2006 album, I Sincerely Apologise for the Trouble I Have Caused, we gave him a pass. That’s because his brooding folk/pop was novel, and it was fun to hear a guy like so pissed off showing us just how anger could translate into humorous yet powerful songs. Kind of like, “Take that, bitch.” But this time around, Ford’s Songs for the Road, while more of the same fare, just comes across as, well, bitter. And you’ll be like, “Dude, shut the hell up already.” The British singer/songwriter knows how to craft a song, so we’ll give him that. But this time around, Ford is like an angry James Blunt—well, slightly cooler than Blunt but a little less fucked up than Amy Winehouse. Songs for the Road has two tracks that especially bring out Ford’s inner bitter—“Go to Hell” and the musically uplifting yet slap-in-your-face “Nobody Tells Me What to Do.” Anything beyond that, and you’re going to wish this dude would just go away. And the sad thing, really, is that you know that if David Ford fell in love and wrote some heartfelt songs that reflect that, he could be amazing. But for now, dude just needs to lighten up. (LABEL: RED/Independiente)

David Ford MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Pop, Rock

Sammy Walker: Misfit Scarecrow

July 25, 2008 / Jeff Giles

“Sammy Walker is not Bob Dylan or John Prine,” says one Amazon reviewer, and though in most cases that would seem to be as pointlessly obvious a statement as pointing out that a high school quarterback isn’t Brett Favre, Walker’s music actually bears a spookily strong resemblance to early ‘60s Zimmerman. Misfit Scarecrow could be, as Nigel Tufnel might say, none more Dylan. But Walker’s no imitator – he was discovered by none other than Phil Ochs in the mid ‘70s, cut some fine albums for Warners early in his career, and this 16-song set marks his first domestic release in nearly three decades. You may not know his name, but he’s been at this for a long time, and it shows in the material – though most of Scarecrow relies on nothing more intricate than Walker’s reedy voice and a few well-chosen instruments, it’s frequently riveting; the 16 tracks stride along with the sense of purpose and easy economy that a songwriter only earns after spending plenty of time in the trenches. It isn’t going to take the place of Bringing It All Back Home in your collection, and it almost certainly isn’t going to change Walker’s status as a pop culture footnote – but it’s still a damn fine record, and probably the most authentic piece of old-school folk music we’re going to hear all year. Here’s hoping Walker’s next album arrives far more quickly. (Ramseur 2008)

Sammy Walker MySpace page