Album Reviews

Jason Quever of Papercuts is the indie music version of Kevin Bacon – he’s separated from every other indie artist by less than 6 degrees. The San Franciscan has worked with Port O’Brien, Skygreen Leopards, Vetiver’s Andy Cabic, and Alex Scally of Beach House. After releasing 2007’s Can’t Go Back, Papercuts is back with You Can Have What You Want. Another blog humorously said that this album is like 100 blog years old – I’m HearYa’s resident laggard.

Enough foreplay. You Can Have What You Want is excellent. The word that immediately comes to mind upon the first listen is “dreamy.” It’s got the lo-fi sound that I like so well and each song moves along patiently, yet beautifully. Quever’s tender voice drifts over organ and reverb-tinged guitars. It’s perfect for a Sunday morning cup o’ Joe or unwinding over dinner after a long day at work. Standout tracks are “Dictator’s Lament,” “Future Primitive,” “Once We Walked in Sunlight” and “The Machine Will Tell Us So.”

So, the biggest difference between Jason Quever and Kevin Bacon? Quever wasn’t in Footloose. You thought I was going to say “Quever has talent” didn’t you? Well that’s true too.

Papercuts – Future Primitive

Over the past several years, Boston outfit Wheat has been hopping labels, keeping a fairly low profile and seemingly trying to find themselves. After lead-singer Scott Levesque lost his father in 2008, it provided some of the inspiration needed for a new album. On July 21, Wheat is set to release their latest, White Ink, Black Ink, on The Rebel Group label (Jukebox the Ghost; Lonely, Dear). It’s a good one.

“White Ink, Black Ink” is the type of quirky, melodic album I’d hoped for from the Wheat guys, but it also has a much-welcomed organic, heavy-handed feel that reminds me of some of their early work. The songwriting and lyrics are vintage Wheat – textured, ethereal, and pure. Drummer Brendan Harney makes the album for me, delivering a heap of raw, hip hop-esque beats that provide a nice dichotomy on standout tracks like “Changes Is” and “Living to Die”. Other standout tracks for me include “El Sincero”, which is a dreamy roller, and “I Want Less,” a track with heartfelt vocals backed by a machine-gun drumbeat from Harney.

The album will be available on July 21st, but you can buy and get an immediate mp3 download here. Wheat is also playing a few dates in and around the northeast, with a record release party August 1st at Great Scott in Allston, MA.

Website | MySpace | The Rebel Group

Wheat – Changes Is

Wheat – H.O.T.T.

It looks like the boys from San Francisco went and got themselves a little bit of a polish and shine. It may seem out of character for a band that has been labeled as “cowpunk,” but it’s not like Trainwreck Riders have gone all American Idol on us.

The formula remains the same. Lead Singer, Pete Frauenfelder delivers his folksy, Americana vocals while the rhythm section of Steve Kerwin keeps the band moving forward with a furious energy that is the driving force of the band. Add to that a host of flourishes such as accordion, saw and  fiddle that give the band a more texture without losing their trademark sound.

I’ve been waiting on this release since I saw Trainwreck Riders perform in Austin over two years ago. The stage is their natural element and allows Frauenfelder and Kerwin to feed off the crowd and fire around the stage with reckless abandon. The production team of Patrick Brown (The Black Lips, Gomez), and mixed with Jon Kaplan (Ash, Granddaddy) has done a great job of capturing that energy on the album, while not losing sight of their evolution as songwriters.

“Chug Along” sounds exactly like what you would expect a tune named “Chug Along” to sound like. It ambles along in no particular hurry, keeping you interested at every meandering turn. Fellow HearYa writer, Starkey, thought it sounded like a Modest Mouse tune, but I always come back to Uncle Tupelo when describing their sound.

A couple of the other standouts are “Three To The Clouds” with some nice female harmonies, “Trainwreck Heart” that has a twisting, twangy guitar lick and “Upon The Losing End.” Trainwreck Riders’ follow up exceeds two years of expectations and is one my favorite releases so far this year. Next up on their list of things to keep to me happy is a tour through Chicago.

MySpace | Alive Records

Trainwreck Riders – Chug Along

Trainwreck Riders – Safety Of A Back

What’s up with all the bands out there with “crystal” in their names? The Crystal Antlers are another in the long line of emerging California alternative bands to recently take hold and they are varied in a way that’s difficult to slot them nicely into a neat genre. Frankly, that’s refreshing.

Tentacles is a wonderfully diverse album that seems to shift, not only from song to song, but sometimes even abruptly within the same song.   That’s not altogether unique, but what is common throughout the entire album are searing vocals, swirling guitar and tremendous keyboard work.  Oh, and a healthy dose of garage fuzz. So much so that I often found myself straining to make out any of the lyrics.  At times, the music sounds like a sped-up, somewhat punkier version of the Walkmen.  My favorite tracks were “Dust,” “Andrew,” “Tentacles” and “Memorized.” Yes all one word titles in true Peal Jam Ten style.  The band is generating significant buzz surrounding this release getting love from the blogs and good air time on satellite radio.

The band hails from Long Beach and Tentacles represents their first LP release.  The album is under the Touch and Go label which is probably most commonly associated with bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV on the Radio. When the band formed in 2006, they recorded two 7-inch singles before settling down to record their first EP with the Mars Volta’s keyboardist Ikey Owens last year.

Crystal Antlers just returned from a two month tour of Europe and they will continue to tour all over the US and Europe over the next two months with the Cold War Kids, Vivian Girls, and others.  They are reputed to generate a ton of excitement and intensity as a live act, so prepare yourself Chicago because they’re coming to the Empty Bottle in May.  I gotta believe their music mixes well with PBR.

MySpace | Touch and Go Records

Crystal Antlers – Andrew

Video: Crystal Antlers – Andrew

Crystal Antlers – “Andrew” from Touch and Go/Quarterstick on Vimeo.

“Epic” is a well-worn adjective in the world of the music critic.  Thankfully, I’m not a critic and have every right to use their semantics.  So for the very first time, I’m using the term “epic” to describe a new release titled, Why There Are Mountains by the band Cymbals Eat Guitars – a wonderful four-person group out of New York.  Although the release garnered only modest fanfare which, frankly, is part of the appeal, the album is fantastic and sure to turn a number of heads.

The use of various sonic tricks has been utilized by numerous bands over the years in an attempt to emphasize melody.  Whether it is was the heavily reverbed shoe-gaze movement of My Bloody Valentine or the distortion-laden guitar riffs of Sonic Youth or the tempo shifts of the Pixies loud/quiet/loud formula, they all had the effect of utilizing contrasting, and sometimes sharp edges, to enhance the melodic content.

Enter Cymbals Eat Guitars, whose music succeeds by adapting a little of all of the aforementioned to produced sublimely layered, textured sound.  The tempo shifts can come so suddenly that you find yourself yanked from a false sense of complacency, only to careen upwards with dramatic screams (a la Cobain) and driving guitar riffs to create an almost vertiginous effect.  There are traces of distortion throughout the tracks, but in the proper doses and not so much that you lose yourself or the melodies in the dissonance.  One of the better comparisons for this band is The Wrens, likely for the strong focus on the melody/reverb/synth/guitar playbook.  But rest assured, this band’s sound and arrangements are very fresh.

The highlights are many, but let me identify a few absolute keepers for those only interested in their iPod Shuffles.  The third track, “Indiana” is completely mind-blowing.  You drift out of the preceding track and into “Indiana” with heavy distortion pedal only to break apart into light piano and acoustic guitar strums.  Moderate use of synthesizer and brass are also put to good effect creating one of the great songs of 2009.  The very next song, “Cold Spring,” has a Cure/Disintegration-styled introduction accented by strings. And finally there’s the outstanding “Wind Phoenix” that is likely to make it on many a ’09 hipster mix tape.

All in all, this is a tremendous release and indie to the core.  The music is wonderfully dense and a little anthemic at points.  I love a good surprise – that one album that takes you by the collar and shakes you clear of your senses.

Cymbals Eat Guitars – Wind Phoenix

When I first read that Phosphorescent (aka Matthew Houck) was releasing a Willie Nelson tribute album, I thought to myself, “Oh shit. No you didn’t.” You see, I’m tight with Willie and his music is hallowed ground.

The earliest music memories in my life were listening to Willie Nelson. My parents had almost every album in all formats – vinyl, 8-track, cassette tape and later, the shiny compact disc. My mom still tells me how, as a four year old, I begged her not to sing “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” because she was ruining the song. I also remember closing my eyes and creating the characters and mental motion picture to Willie’s version of Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho and Lefty,” one of my favorite songs of all time.

I know it’s a long prelude, but that’s the reason it’s taken so long to write about this album. I needed to sit with To Willie for a few weeks and absorb it’s subtle beauty in isolation. I think that’s how Willie intended these particular songs to be heard and I think Matthew Houck deeply identifies with each. Themes of loneliness, regret, lost love and painful hangovers. And Houck didn’t just pull one of the many greatest hits compilations to find the tracks. He had to lift up some rocks and search the nooks and crannies to find an amazing batch, many of which had faded from my memory.

And that’s when my “Oh shit” became an “Oh wow.” Phosphorescent delivers each song with sincerity and care and his vocal imperfections make these antiquities even more fragile.  Highlights for me are “Walkin,” “It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way” and “Permanently Lonely.”

I’ll admit that I’m late to the Phosphorescent party, but have finally started appreciating the echoing, experimental folk sound he delivers on his ‘07 release, Pride.  In revisiting that album after hearing To Willie, I now actually hear a little of Willie Nelson’s outlaw country gospel influence on songs like “Cocaine Blues.” Maybe Willie will return the favor and record a few Phosphorescent tracks.

Phosphorescent – Reasons To Quit

Video: Phosephorescent – Too Sick To Pray

Video: Phosphorescent – It’s Not Supposed To Be That Way

I adore Elvis Perkins. Ever since Oz, Woody, and I caught him play a set at SXSW in 2007 that was sandwiched between sets from Pete Townsend and the Cold War Kids (Elvis’ set was the best of the night), I’ve been hooked. And his latest effort with his backing band Dearland is absolutely incredible.

Elvis Perkins’ back story is pretty well-known, but I think knowing it adds flavor to his music. In case you missed it…he lost his father, actor Anthony Perkins, to AIDS in 1992 and his mother, photographer Berry Berenson, when she was tragically killed on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 aboard American Airlines Flight 11.

These events seem to shape much of Elvis’ songwriting, which moves from despondence, to defiance, to hope and back again. Perkins’ debut album, Ash Wednesday, dealt with themes of life and death, and the self-titled Elvis Perkins in Dearland continues with many of those same themes. It’s filled with bright acoustic guitars, big bass drums, full-bodied upright bass, an occasional organ or trombone, and earnest, unfeigned vocals. My favorite track off the new album, Doomsday, is a bellwether for the entire album:

Now in all of my wildest dreams, it never once was seen
That doomsday would fall anywhere near a Tuesday
But a flight across the sky, see it fade before my eyes
There isn’t any sense to a goodbye and by (??)
Oh I don’t plan to die, nor should you plan to die!

Other standout tracks include Shampoo, Send My Fond Regards to Lonelyville, and I Heard Your Voice in Dresden. Producer Chris Shaw did a great job of capturing the fire and spirit of Elvis’ live show. I love this album. You can pick it up March 10.

He’ll also be playing the Auditorium Shores Stage in Austin during SXSW on March 19.

Here’s some stuff to keep you warm.

Elvis Perkins In Dearland – Shampoo

Elvis Perkins – While You Were Sleeping (Live on Letterman)

Daniel Toccalino looks a bit out of place in San Francisco’s music scene. The city has its share of alt-country rockers, jam bandish rock, experimental pop, singer-songwriter and straight-forward pop rock. Leopold and His Fiction are a threesome set apart with a brash, bluesy garage rock sound that draws influence from a plethora of artists.

Turns out that Daniel is originally from Detroit, which explains the workingman’s sound and blue collar work ethic. Ain’t No Surprise kicks off with a slow rolling throwback-country blues track called “One For Me To Find.” From there, you’ll hear a bit of the Black Keys (Broke), Bob Dylan’s “Tombstone Blues” (Ain’t No Surprise), M. Ward (Tiger Lily) and then the album winds down with some more country-infused tracks (Pretty Neat and Katie Mae).

We shared a few cold ones with Daniel at SXSW 2007 and he’s one helluva guy. They’ve been playing shows mostly in the Bay area so if you find yourself in San Fran, check them out.

Website | MySpace

Leopold and His Fiction – Ain’t No Surprise

Leopold and His Fiction – Come Back (Now That I’m Here)

Justin Townes Earle will be a star. Writing anything about Midnight At The Movies is intimidating because I know I can’t do this album justice.  I guess Justin would say carving a name for himself in the music industry is a little intimidating, being the namesake of Townes Van Zandt and the son of Steve Earle.

I’ve been a huge fan of Steve Earle, but my interest has waned over the past several years as his songs have been overshadowed by his political agenda. Justin has decidedly taken a a different path. In his interview with Dodge at LaundroMatinee he said:

It doesn’t happen as much these days, but when I was just starting out, people would show up expecting me to have this gruff voice, writing political songs and grandstanding in front of audiences about politics, which is the exact opposite of what I do. I, for the most part, leave my politics completely out of my music, because I view music as a place to have a good time and forget about what’s going on out there. It’s time to relax and have a good fucking time. I want to make you think, but I don’t want to make you think about how shitty your life is.

Thank you, Justin (although my life isn’t all that bad, actually).

Since he’s not singing about Guantanamo, Obama or the recession, he can spend his time writing songs about chasing the girl, quitting the booze, becoming a man, and staying true to himself. The album features some ragtime music that makes you feel like you’re in a speakeasy during prohibition (Walk Out), finger-picking jams (Dirty Rag) and even a Replacements cover (Can’t Hardly Wait). And what kind of country album would this be without a train song?  The rhythm of “Halfway to Jackson” chugs its way across Americana with the harmonica blowing steam off the tracks.

But when Justin is at his best is in the tender moments. “Someday You’ll Be Forgiven For This” and “Midnight At The Movies” are fragile songs that warm you like a tattered sweater and “Mama’s Eyes” can bring a tear to any grown man’s eye. I know I got a little dust in mine.

With Midnight At The Movies, Justin Townes Earle tips the brim of his hat to his country, blues and roots predecessors and proves that American storytelling and the purity of song are still alive. This album makes country music inspired and relevant again. Hopefully Towns Van Zandt, Lightin’ Hopkins, Jimmy Reed and Woody Guthrie are restin’ easy knowing that Justin Townes Earle is safely carrying the torch they lit.

MySpace | Bloodshot Records

Justin Townes Earle – Mama’s Eyes

Bootlegs from a December 14th, 2008 show at the Cactus Cafe:

Justin Townes Earle – Mama’s Eyes (Live)

Justin Townes Earle – Halfway To Jackson (Live)

Justin Townes Earle – Can’t Hardly Wait (Live Replacements Cover)

Hear the HearYa Live Session with Justin Townes Earle.