A Great Time in the Big City, Part One

Now that I'm ensconced on the back porch of the summer house (mom's) in the Adirondacks, the hustle bustle - and tornado! - of our time in New York City seems far, far away.

But it was a lovely time, full of music and high-energy fun, Beard Papa cream puffs, street theatre and such pleasures that only my dear Big Apple has to offer.

Tuesday night, thanks to Chris@girlie, I was able to see Joan as Police Woman at the Bowery Ballroom.
I arrived toward the end of opening act Chris Garneau's set, which was just as well since his quiet-to-the-point-of-ponderous songs were easy on the ears but not exactly riveting. The instrumentation included two women who played cellos and did nifty finger-snaps on one tune.



While I was snapping pics, there was a huge crash right in front of me - one of the folding chairs (the Ballroom had actually arranged floor seating for the night) had collapsed, sending its male occupant smashing to the floor. He was okay, but the venue asked everyone to vacate the chairs during intermission and went back to standing room for Joan as Police Woman's set.

That was fine with me, offering a better chance to get stageside for JaPW's set. And it was a fine show, adding more muscle and power to the songs that sometimes float by on CD. Joan Wasser is an engaging woman full of sweet, easy smiles and a gracious demeanor, quivering with emotion during the bittersweet ballads that make up much of her catalog, feisty when it counts in the more driving numbers. I especially loved her anti-Bush comments and the great version of "Are You Not Furious?"



Her support band - a drummer who also provided the male vocal parts and a way cool, quietly sexy female bassist - was ace.


One final note - Joan has bitchin' shoes...



And back to our regularly scheduled O/CD tally...
I am way behind, so some of these are very old, and I need to lock myself in a room and do some serious catch-up listening.

PEP (Puffy Envelope Promo) Squad
1. The MISSION U.K. – God is a Bullet (Cooking Vinyl)
2. The BONGOS – Drums Along the Hudson (Cooking Vinyl)
Timely reissue of a favorite band from Back in the Day, Jersey boys who ruled the Hoboken scene for a while. "Numbers with Wings" is now on my Summer '07 mix.
3. DIGITALISM – Idealism (Astralwerks)
4. VARIOUS ARTISTS – We All Love Ella (Verve)
5. MR. SMOLIN - The Crumbling Empire of White People (Nomenclature Records)
6. PORCUPINE TREE – Fear of a Blank Planet (Roadrunner)
Coming to the State Theatre in October, I believe.
7. CHRIS LETCHER – Frieze (2Feet/Sheer)
South African songwriter/filmmaker
8. SCOTT MILLER and the COMMONWEALTH – Reconstruction (Sugar Hill)
9. PRIESTBIRD – In Your Time (Kemado Records)
10. CAROLE KING – Love Makes the World deluxe edition (Rockingale)
As much as I love the songs she wrote during the classic Brill Building period, and the music she made during the great singer/somgwriter era, the stuff she's doing now makes me feel old. A little too heavy on the nostalgia tip, with a side of hippy-dippy.
11. SHAKES – Sister Self Doubt EP (IAmSound)
A second copy of the disc.
12. TRUCKEE BROTHERS – Double Happiness (Populuxe)
13. TWO DOLLAR PISTOLS – Here Tomorrow Gone Today (???)
14. HAYSEED DIXIE – Weapons of Grass Destruction (Cooking Vinyl)

YTD Total: 651

Sinking Death's Battleship

I heard about Ingmar Bergman's death via the radio in the ladies room of Uncle Bill's Pancake House in Cape May, New Jersey. Later that day, having lunch on the way home at Snappy's Bar and Grille in Denton, MD, we told High School Girl and her pal a bit about Bergman's work, and they knew about the Death Playing Chess scene - from its parody in the Bill and Ted movie. Grace drew a picture of Death playing chess against Snappy the Turtle, the scary bar mascot, on her placement, titled: "Upon the Passing of Ingmar Bergman."
I think he would have liked it.

And now on to the music...

Seen with my Own Eyes (Thursday, July 26th):
1. GREAT NORTHERN – Trading Twilight for Daylight (Eenie Meenie Records)
I’d never been to the Backstage the Black Cat before, but it’s a great little space for about 100 fans or so to enjoy an intimate show. This CD has been in heavy rotation since I got it some weeks ago, and I missed an earlier opportunity to see the band play live, so I jumped at the chance – even though it was the night before the early AM departure for Cape May – and I was glad I did.
As in my previous experience with Fields, the band surprised me live, with much more volume and energy than the mellow vibe of the CD, but it was quite good. The guitarist had power, the dual female presence (keyboard/vocals and bass) was inspiring, and the addition of a few of the members of Comas at the set’s end made for a party vibe.

(BTW, since I mistakenly counted a different CD twice in the YTD total, I will only count one copy of the Great Northern CD, for which I received a duplicate).

At the club, I scored a freebie:
2. The BEANSTALK LIBRARY – selections from America at Night (self-released?)
At the freebie table, stocked mostly with postcards and flyers of upcoming shows, I found this 3-track homemade disc, with a postcard touting the band’s upcoming show at IOTA, on August 7th.
The band will be celebrating the release of its full-length debut that night.

My Own Cash Money:
3. Tribute to JONI MITCHELL – Various Artists (Nonesuch)
I’d been hoping to get this one as a promo, but took matters into my own hands when Best Buy sent me a 10% off coupon (so it was $13.50). I had to have Prince’s version of “A Case of You,” done in his very best soul-seducer falsetto. The rest of the album is also effective, tho’ a few of the choices are from the later, more obscure JM catalog, and I wish Elvis Costello had chosen to do so something more upbeat than his intense bo-ho reading of “Edith and the Kingpin.”
4. The WHITE STRIPES – Icky Thump (Third Man/Warner)
Another Best Buy discount ($12.70). Wish I could have been there when Meg and Jack rocked the Patriot Center, though I comfort myself with having seen them years ago at the 930 Club, when the buzz was just beginning. Did you see the great etched red vinyl single the pair gave away with issues of NME last month? Gatefold cover, too. JW knows how to appeal to the fetishists among us.
5. PRINCE – Planet Earth (NPG/Columbia)
Didn’t expect to buy this one, but when I saw the lenticular cover winking at me in Target, for a sale price no less ($10), I had no choice. Good first impression, but I can’t cite any songs by name because the purple prankster doesn’t give titles anywhere on the package! Actually, when I load it into iTunes, the songs claim their identity.
6. LIVE FROM GLASTONBURY – Q Magazine
Nice collection of concert tracks from Killers (“Mr. Brightside”), Franz Ferdinand (“Matinee”), Doves, Keane, Zero 7 and more. As such, a chance to find out who can reach the notes outside the studio and who can’t. I love the disc design – graphics of fresh, high, ready to be stomped on grass.
7. VARIOUS ARTISTS – When I Fall in Love: Women of Jazz (Universal)
Another Target cheapie ($2.25!) pulled from the clearance end-caps, where I do much of my best bargain hunting. Bought it in upstate NY while on vacation and it made an excellent companion on the drive from Ossining to Virginia on a Sunday morning with tracks like “A Sunday Kind of Love” (Etta James) and “That Sunday That Summer” (Betty Carter) and choice swinging tracks from the likes of Ella, Billie (spelled Billy on the cover!) and other fine ladies. The only song I had to skip over – “Love Dance” by Diane Schuur, - which had inspid lyrics no proud vocalist could save.
8. SPOON – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new contender for the Next Big Band, a stalwart indie favorite about to smash into the upper tier. Gimme Fiction was a winner, and “I Turn My Camera On” is a track that never ceases to call me back, and now “Underdog” which I trust has nothing to do with the upcoming movie, is coming up as this album’s perpetual favorite. Another sign of the breakthrough – hubby has become smitten, leaving the CD on random repeat with a special fondness for “Cherry Bomb.” Oh, how I wish I had braved the rain for the free show in lower Manhattan during my early July visit to NYC. The Target edition also came with a bonus disc.
9. INTERPOL – Our Love to Admire (Capitol)
Yeah, those bonuses work – this CD came with 3 free iTunes downloads (I passed them on to my brother as part of his birthday gift) and was also a Target sale ($10). While I don’t doubt Interpol’s inherent cool, there’s a chill to the attitude and a sameness to the sound that comes when I listen to the whole CD in one sitting.
10. MEW – And the Glass Handed Kites (Columbia)
This month’s top-of-the-queue selection from yourmusic.com, the automatic monthly $7 online service. I had forgotten it was there, but it came as a pleasant surprise, despite the hideous album design. (Slightly unnerving and just badly done). The music is a bit grand, but the reach rarely exceeds the grasp.

COMING TO TOWN:
This week’s Post preview, to appear Thursday, is a fine triple bill with three up-and-comers:
11. ROCCO DeLUCA and the BURDEN – I Trust You to Kill Me (Ironworks)
12. The MIDWAY STATE – Met a Man On Top of the Hill (Interscope)
13. The LAST GOODNIGHT – Poison Kiss (Capitol)
Out August 28th
All three will appear August 8th at the State Theatre.
14. SAW DOCTORS – The Cure (Shamtown Records)
Coming to the Birchmere on Thursday, August 9th.
15. BIFFY CLYRO – Puzzle (Roadrunner)
New buzz band from Glasgow, Scotland, the geographical location that rivals Austin, Texas for spawning cool new music. The CD comes out on September 18th but the band is opening for Editors at the 930 Club on Tuesday, September 4th.
16. MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE – You’ll Rebel to Anything (Metropolis Records)
Headlining the second stage at the upcoming Projekt Revolution tour, coming to Nissan Pavilion on Sunday, August 19th.
17. MADINA LAKE – From Them, Through Us, To You (Roadrunner)
Also on the Projekt Revolution tour.
18. SUZANNE VEGA – Beauty & Crime (Blue Note)
Playing the Birchmere Tuesday, September 18th.

New Music Advances:
August 4th (usually new albums drop on Tuesdays, but this is what the PR says):
19.COLIN LINDEN – Easin’ Back to Tennessee (True North/Red Eye)
20. STEPHEN FEARING Yellowjacket (True North/Red Eye)
Solo albums from two founding members of BLACKIE & The RODEO KINGS.

August 7th:
21. The WARRIORS – Genuine Sense of Outrage (Victory)
One of the creepiest CD covers in recent memory – a guy with a wolf’s head bursting out of his stomach, Alien-style, and some red goblin-types scurrying about. I gave it the 3-song trial and it was pretty much what a expected – music you might hear as the Death Eaters march on Hogwarts. (I finished the book at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, so I need not fear the spoilers!)
BTW, features a vocal by Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister (I never knew his last name until I just read it in the PR sheet).
22. TESTA ROSA –S/T (Latest Flame)
23. The HOTTEST STATE – soundtrack (Hickory Records/Sony)
New songs by Norah Jones compadre Jesse Harris performed by Willie Nelson, Ms. Jones, Cat Power, Bright Eyes and Feist, among others.

August 14th
24. TURBONEGRO – Retox (Cooking Vinyl)
Norwegian Rockers known for “faux-mo-erotic” lyrics and a sense of gay Spinal Tapian humor.
25. IAN MOORE – To Be Loved (Justice/Yep Roc)
Got two copies of this one, from yet another Austin-based musician. What’s in the water down there?
26. TWO LOONS FOR TEA – Nine Lucid Dreams (Sarathan)

September 25th
27. MIDTOWN DICKENS – Oh Yell! (307 Knox)
28. WAYNE WONDER – Foreva (VP Records)

29. PRENUP – Hell to Pay (Yep Roc)
This trio features Cait O’Riordan, a.k.a the former Pogue and onetime Mrs. Elvis Costello, which is a double dose of meritorious service in my book. The other two players are members of Hothouse Flowers, so you know the whole thing’s gonna kick with a Celtic vibe. Release date still TBA, but due sometime this fall.

Good First Impressions:
30. MARK RONSON – Version (Sony/BMG)
I was chatting with High School Girl and a friend on the day they sat, laptop by laptop, exchanging favorite tunes. We got into a discussion of Amy Winehouse and I mentioned how I wanted to track down the remix CD by her producer. Friend had it! I don’t use peer-to-peer services online but if fate puts me in the direct path of such a gift…call it a Burnt Offering.
31. SUPHALA – Blueprint (Suphala Productions)
This is the Indian/American tabla artist’s third recording, a pleasing blend of traditional and modern sounds, featuring a range if guests like Edie Brickell, Vernon Reid and King Brit. The song titles set the gentle tone: “Music Like a Memory,” “ Seventeen Birds Outside My Window” “I Feel Awake Even Though This is a Dream.” She wrote and produced most of the CD in her Brooklyn basement studio.
32. ANDRE PREVIN – Alone: Ballads for Solo Piano (Decca/Universal)
I put this on during a family dinner on the lake porch and it made a perfect fit – melodic and gentle without slumping into cloying MOR as the old school master plays standards like “It Might as Well Be Spring,” “Night and Day” and “Second Time Around.”

33. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (Artists’ Addiction)
Soundtrack to the critically acclaimed but audience-challenged football series, featuring an exclusive (they say) remix of the Killers’ “Read My Mind” alongside songs from Iron & Wine, Whiskeytown, OutKast, a previously unreleased Jose Gonzalez track and the ever-appealing Spoon’s “I Turn My Camera On”! Here’s a trivia bit – the score for the film that inspired the TV show, and much of the music for the series, comes courtesy of Autin’s latest band-to-watch, Explosions in the Sky.

O/CD YTD Total: 637

Feeding the Band and other Adventures

You know times have changed when NPR Morning Edition mentions the birthday of one of the Arctic Monkeys…(it happened last week).

If you can't play, cook!
1. EILEN JEWELL – Letters from Sinners & Strangers (Signature Sounds)
Jewell’s publicist, an old friend from Back in the Day, sent me this new album, which came out on July 17th, to pitch the singer/songwriter’s upcoming show at the IOTA on August 10th. Turns out that’s the week I’m off duty from the Post, but I was delighted to learn from the initerary that Jewell was playing a free show in the park at Lake George, NY, where I just happened to be this week, visiting family.
I asked my publicist pal to pass on an offer of local hospitality to Eilen (rhymes with hard-wheelin’, as he told it) and her traveling band, so the five of them (singer, three collaborative musicians and a good friend from the area) came for a burger, chops and veggie dog grill last night. The assembled musicians seemed to enjoy having a home-cooked meal on the lake view porch, and I loved supporting the arts in my own small way.
Since it had rained most of the day, the outdoor show was moved into a lakeside bar, where the neon bar signs made a perfect compliment to Jewell’s gentle western swing/folk. My pricey (but bartered) digital camera has been positively wonky lately, but I got a few shots I’m not ashamed of…




I wanted to purchase Eilen's first CD, but she wouldn't let me pay for it...
2. EILEN JEWELL - Boundary County (self-released)

But there are other places I spent My Own Cash Money:
3. FACES – Good Boys…When They’re Asleep (Warner Archives/Rhino)
Sad to say that, as I was preparing for an interview with Ian McLagan for a Post preview, the local Best Boy had nothing at all to offer in the way of Faces or Small Faces music, let alone McLagan’s indie solo output. Sure, they had some Rod Stewart collections, with the Faces listed in small type as an afterthought (how fitting to the tales told of his rising star hurting the band), but only Barnes and Noble had this single CD to bring more balance to the band’s contribution. McLagan played at Jammin’ Java July 9th and did a fine show that covered all aspects of his career from Small Faces ("Itchykoo Park") to his upcoming solo CD. Here are a few shots from the gig:





After talking to the charming guy on the phone, I had to say hello, and my friend Sally took our photo together:


While searching for Faces albums in the rock classics discount section, I found these two collections for less than $4 each.
4. The SHANGRI-LAS – Golden Legends
5. JUDY COLLINS – Golden Legends
And there were some online purchases, too:
6. PAUL McCARTNEY – Memory Almost Full (Hearmusic)
June 18 was Paul’s 65th birthday. May I be so full of spirit, grace and energy when I hit that landmark. I was surprised to see the album offered on emusic, but that seems to be in keeping with his alternative marketing strategy.
7. VARIOUS ARTISTS – Instant Karma (Amnesty International)
High School Girl bought the iTunes version of the album (more extra tracks) as a Father's Day gift for her dad. Some great stuff here from surprising sources (who knew Christina Aguilera could handle "Mother"?!)
8. LULLABY BAXTER – Garden Cities of To-Morrow (Boompa)
College Girl bought this for her dad as a Father's Day present.

Recent Promo Acquisitions:
9. INGRID MICHAELSON – Girls and Boys (Cabin 24 Records)
If you can’t wait for the next Regina Spektor album, this should tide you over nicely. Not quite as out-there quirky as RS, but sweet strong female stuff.
She played at Jammin’ Java on July 17th.
10. ANANDA PROJECT – Fire Flower (Nite Grooves)
11. VARIOUS ARTISTS – NZ CMJ sampler
A second copy of the CMJ-related sampler, sent all the way from New Zealand. Which reminds me...
"FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS" RULE! It's biz-niz, it's biz-niz time, baby!
12. The JUNIOR VARSITY – Cinematographic (Victory)
13. JUNE – Make It Blur (Victory)
14. ERIK FRIEDLANDER – Block Ice and Propane (Skipstone)
15. EMERSON HART - (Manhattan)
16. SILVERSTEIN – Arrivals & Departures (Victory)
17. The CHEMICAL BROTHERS – We Are the Night (Astralwerks)

Advance Music:
18. The LOVE MAKERS – Misery Loves Company (Fuzz)
Out July 24th.
19. CARMEN RASMUSEN – Nothin’ Like the Summer (Lofton Creek)
Out August 14th.
20. VARIOUS ARTISTS – SXSW Live 2007 (Shout! Factory DVD)
Out August 21st.
21. PETER HIMMELMAN – The Pigeons Couldn’t Sleep (Himmasongs Recordings)
Out August 21st
22. MICHAEL McDERMOTT – Noise from Words (One Little Indian)
Out August 28th.
23. The DEADLY SYNDROME – The Ortolan (Dim Mak)
Out September 11th.
24. STEPHEN KELLOGG & The SIXERS – Glassjaw Boxer (Everfine)
I spoke with Kellogg last year (here's the preview) when he had a college gig in the area, and he was totally psyched about the new album (but not in the knee-jerk “this is my best album ever” way that most musicians have).

Coming to Town:
25. WE ARE THE FURY – Venus (East/West)
Opening for Silverchair at the 930 Club on July 24th.
26. SILVERCHAIR – Young Modern (Eleven/ILG)
Like I just said - July 24th.
27. The INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Fork in the Road (Sugar Hill)
Playing the Birchmere on Wednesday, July 25th.
28. The ALTERNATE ROUTES – Good and Reckless and True (Vanguard)
Duplicate copy, sent to pitch the band’s July 16th show at the Birchmere, when they opened for Jonny Lang, but they’ll be back headlining Jammin’ Java on August 4th (with a date opening for Squeeze in-between).
29. The SAW DOCTORS – In Concert Live in Galway (Slamtown??DVD)
Playing the Birchmere on August 9th.
30. MIRAH and SPECTRATONE INTERNATIONAL – Share This Place (K Records)
Out July 24th (says the disc) or August 7th (press release);
Playing the Black Cat on July 21st.
31. The PIETASTERS – All Day (Indication/Red Eye)
The Post previewran today; playing at the State Theatre on July 21st and the new CD comes out August 21st.
32. ACUTE – Arms Around a Stranger (Help Records)
Indie rock with horns, soaring falsetto, strings, and some smarts. For reasons I don’t quite understand, the band’s video for “Follow You Home” is getting airplay on MTV Latin America (I don’t feel that vibe.) Produced by Dave Trumfio, who’s worked with Wilco and My Morning Jacket.
Opening for Jesse Malin at Jammin Java on July 21st.
33. DEAD ROCK WEST – Honey and Salt (Populuxe)
July 31st at the IOTA, with John Doe.
34. MIA TYSON – Parking Lots (Black Door)
Opening for at the Birchmere on August 1st.
35. The LAST GOODNIGHT – Poison Kiss (Capitol)
Opening for Rocco Deluca at State Theatre on August 8th.
The CD drops on August 28th.

And more misc...
A promo...
36. ABRA MOORE – On the Way (Sarathan Records)
Fun trivia – the Seattle-based label was founded by Jonathan Kochmer, one of the first 10 employees of Amazon,com and half of the duo Two Loons for Tea. And more – her music has been used in more than 25 movies and TV shows, including Felicity, Dawson’s Creek and Happy Texas. And finally – her last album, recorded for Clive Davis’ J Records was shelved due to creative differences. (What could Kelly Clarkson teach her?) And I forgot – she used to be in Poi Dog Pondering, a greatly underrated band.
A purchase...
37. MAROON 5 – It Won’t Be Soon Before Long (A&M)
Actually Grace paid, but since I hear it whenever she remembers to bring it into the car, I count it. I think this is an able band, but Adam Levine grates on me and I sort of resent when I find myself humming along.
A few more digital additions:
38. BEIRUT – Lon Gisland
As an eMusic member, I can take a chance on lots of stuff I might not otherwise, ‘cause the tracks cost less than 50 cents each. You gotta love a title like “My Family's Role in the World Revolution,” and as a former Queens resident and Stony Brook University student, I can relate to “The Long Island Sound.”
39. AMY WINEHOUSE – Back to Black (Republic)
Posters for this woman are sniped all over London when we were there in January and now she’s starting to buzz in America. Terry thinks she’s got a gimmick, not a true sound, but I like it. “Rehab” still hasn't overstayed its welcome, and I drive my family crazy singing the "no no no" refrain.

Thanks for hanging in. Here's your Free Music Fix:
40. KURT HAGARDORN – Ten Singles (Bladen County Records)
“You Are My Girl”
The comparisons to Ray Davies, Harry Nilsson, Ben Kweller are pretty apt. He'e got a bright pop thing happening.
Out July 24th.
41. AMERICAN CATASTROPHE – S/T (Oxblood Records)
Described as “Nick Cave fronting Sixteen Horsepower,” and came in a classy package - letterpress cardboard with a genuine wax seal with the AC initials on it. You can download “The Well.”
42. SCHOONER – Hold On Too Tight (54 40 or Fight!)
A double dose:
"There's Enough To Do"
"They Always Do!"
43. The TRIALS of DARRYL HUNT soundtrack (Young American)
A mix of cool alt rock (Andrew Bird, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Portastatic, M. Ward), hip-hop diatribes against the justice system (deserved) and music from the score by Paul Brill.
Here you hear Paul Brill’s “Powerlines."

O/CD YTD Total: 604

07/07/07 - Live Earth Day; Welcome Planeteers!

While I bounce between the Sundance and Bravo channels, monitoring the Live Earth coverage (who let the Pussycat Dolls in?!), I will attempt a few updates.

First, here’s the most recent Washington Post preview coverage, from this past week:
Ian McLagan
Old Time Banjo Festival

And from the previous biweekly cycle:
Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra
Devon Sproule, Drew Gibson and Paul Curreri

Minneapolis Rocks, you betcha!

Just got back yesterday from a visit to Minneapolis, where hubby had business and I had fun. And, while I didn’t actually get out to see a live show, I found a cool new (to me) local band that was getting press thanks to a new release and a gig.

Went to the Mall of America, which is certainly big, but not overwhelming so (surprisingly). I was saddened to see that there was only one place to buy music – a rather cluttered Sam Goody, which is as much about electronics gear as it is about CDs. I was looking for a local music section (hah!) and barring that, I had a list of names that had appeared in a newspaper about the city’s best acts. There was a divider card for one of my searches – Cloud Cult – but no CDs.
And then the helpful sales girl took me to a bank of monitors and looked the band up. Two albums appeared, one of which I could have custom burned for me on the spot. Cool idea! She told me that the system is primarily used to make custom mixes – the company itself, based in St. Paul, is called “Mix & Burn” – but that the store could also make copies of CDs that were out of stock and weren’t marked as prohibited (as the one Cloud Cult CD was). You also had the option of having the music downloaded directly into your mp3 device.
One of the wrinkles – some releases didn’t allow a full album purchase price, and my intended purchase being one of them. It would cost almost $25 for the full CD. So I opted for a five-song sampler, grabbing the two songs listed in the paper’s favorable review and a few titles chosen strictly for their appeal, like “The Girl Underground.”
My CD was ready in about five minutes, in generic cover with titles and artist(s) listed for every track, and I picked the name. Second wrinkle – when I loaded it into my iTunes collection, none of the info came through, so I had to type it all in.
1.CLOUD CULT – (sampler from) The Meaning of 8 (Earthology)
And it’s good stuff, too! Reminds me of Flaming Lips and Terry called out a Death Cab influence, too. Wish I could have seen the show they did at 7th Avenue Friday night, but will look for the full CD – online.
Freebies from Sam Goody:
2. THIS WORLD FAIR – 3-track sampler from the S/T release (Rethink)
Stickered with the info that the band was playing the Varsity Theatre – in April.
3. The PHOTO ATLAS – 2-track sampler from (Morning After)
tagged as “the result of unprotected sex between the Faint and At the Drive-In” and “a blazing cross between Fugazi and Gang of Four.”
The power of the press – in this case, an ad for a store with a neat anime graphic T-shirt – brought me to a hipster outlet called Metroland, which was a generally higher-priced fashion outlet, but they had a nice clerance section where I scored a shirt for High School Girl, a vinyl figurine and some very cheap samplers ($1.99):
4.VARIOUS ARTISTS – Destination Lounge: New York City (Revive the Soul)
2 CDs and a DVD. First track: a remix of the Peter Malick Group featuring Norah Jones, and a full array of acts I’ve never heard of.
5. VARIOUS ARTISTS – more pLUSH (Kriztal Entertainment)
Fifteen tracks: “distinctive downtempo works alongside upbeat and straight out party rockers but all the while maintaining the sexy and sophisticated groove you’ve come to expect.”
And finally, from a previous day’s trip to Borders to get a map of the city:
6. VARIOUS ARTISTS – MUSE: The Supermassive Collection (NME magazine)
The British press is losing its mind over this band and its triumphant Wembley Arena show, so the music paper had the band compile a set of tracks it claims it will be playing before the Big Show. Lord Buckley (bookending the 13-track set), Bjork, Flaming Lips, Cold War Kids and more.

O/CD YTD Total: 561

Anyway, while wondering around the city, it's hard not to fall over the city's star musical attraction. Here's the famous First Avenue Club, where Prince filmed much of "Purple Rain":


And here's the huge Target Center across the street where Prince will play on 7/07/07:


And here's the display for Prince's perfume, in the window of the downtown Macy's store, which pumps music out into the street far into the night:


TODAY'S FREE mp3:
"Eucalyptus" by the Deadly Syndrome.

(some of) The Week That Was…

On Wednesday, I was working all day on my upcoming Post previews. The Fairfax Extra will be getting a three-act CD release party featuring Virginia-based performers:
1. PAUL CURRERI – The Velvet Rut (City Savage)
2. DEVON SPROULE – Keep Your Silver Shined (City Salvage)
This one’s my favorite of the three – she has a lovely voice – kinda Rickie Lee Jones – and a folk/jazz style that’s sweet but not too.
3. DREW GIBSON – Letterbox (Cragmont)

Alexandria/Arlington, meantime, will hear about a free concert by a local favorite, Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra, an 8-piece ensemble that plays with a Celtic lilt. Cutting used to be in another favorite local group, Brit-style folk/rock revivalists, The New St. George. Among the members of her new band, some of whom were in the old band, they have over 60 “Wammies” (local area music awards).

And it was a good day lots of puffy envelopes, though I don’t know much about most the artists here, the obvious exception being:
4. BILLY BOB THORNTON – Beautiful Door (New Door Records/Ume)
Includes “Always Countin’” – a song about Obsessive-Compulsive disorder, which will, no doubt, go on my mix CD for sentimental reasons. And Graham Nash sings harmony of three tracks.
Out July 24th
5. ALINA SIMONE – Placelessness (54 40 or Fight)
Out August 21st
Ukranian girl moves to Boston suburb, then to Austin and records with spare guitar, minimum drums and cello. Her voice hearkens back to one of our “back in the day” favorites – Deborah Iyall of Romeo Void – with smatterings of modern Bjork-ittude, but you can’t dance to the songs and the whole affair gets kinda drony.
6. ART IN MANILA - Set the Woods on Fire (Saddle Creek)
CD sticker says it comes out August 28th; press sheet says August 7th. You’ll have to guess when you can pick up this new work by former Azure Ray member Orenda Fink, who formed a new band from the “cream of the crop of her touring crew.”
7. ARIZONA – Fameseeker and the Mono (self-released)
Compared to Deerhoof and Grizzly Bear, this originally NYC-based band is now hunkered down in North Carolina, working on the full-length follow-up to this pleasing 7-song introduction.
Out September 11th
8. ANGEL and the LOVE MONGERS – The Humanist Queen (Rocksnob)
“Have you ever wondered what it might sound like if Jeff Buckley had met John Lennon and they had formed a band with the members of the Cure?” Those are mighty lofty aspirations this PR sheet is tossing about and, though the album is pleasant, I don't hear them. Co-produced and mixed by the (once) legendary (where’s he been?) Mitch Easter.
Out September 4th
9. ANGELA LANSBURY – Legends of Broadway (Masterworks)
This one I ordered ($6.99) through the mymusic auto subscription service. It’s a compilation of all her big Broadway tunes, many of them Sondheim classics, and a reminder of how much of Broadway music has suffered in recent years due to Webber-ization.

Took some bags of unwanted household items to the local thrift store and scored two adorable “Where the Wild Things Are” mini-stuffed toys. In the CD section, some classical collector seems to have recently dumped dozens of well-kept albums, but I held back, having many of my own that I haven’t yet absorbed. (One day, when I am housebound by illness or a rash of bad weather, I am going to give myself an education on all that collected jazz and classical). So, I picked out just a few:
10.GORECKI – Symphony No. 3, et al. (NAXOS)
Still sealed, and marked as a $7.99 Borders purchase – a gift, perhaps, that its recipient didn’t want?
11. GRIEG – Piano Music Vol. 10 (NAXOS)
Terry loves solo piano pieces.
12 .CLAUDE BOLLING & JEAN-PIERRE RAMPAL - Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio
Two guys listed as the performers, two sidemen given credit on the back cover, but it’s an album of trios. No wonder I don’t understand classic music.
This is pop-lite classical, to be sure. The series was a mainstay of Sunday afternoon college dorm hangs, back when we were trying to prove that we had Taste by dipping into non-rock genres. If it wasn’t a discount pressing of Carmina Burana or Chuck Mangione, it was these brunchy classical jazz albums. Second time around, it’s all rather lightweight and yuppified (as I said to Terry, “this is jazz that doesn’t smoke”) but it’s kinda like a happy, friendly dog that you like despite its slurpy eagerness to please.
And for the family singalong:
13. POCAHANTAS – original soundtrack (Walt Disney)
Alan Menken writes catchy melodies, but Stephen Schwartz is not half the lyricist Howard Ashman (R.I.P.) was. “Just Around the River Bend” may be the only real keeper here.

More of my own cash money:
14 .VARIOUS ARTISTS – Sound Response (Warner)
In the clearance bin ($3.78) at Target. Live tracks collected to benefit New Orleans relief. Great cause but not much here to get excited about. I’ll burn off copies of tracks by Green Day, Cold Play, Radiohead, Ben Folds maybe Jason Mraz and Annie Stela but the other half includes stuff I never have to hear again from James Blunt, Staind and other haunters of modern radio.
15. FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE – Traffic and Weather (Virgin)
Actually, I’ve had this one in the house for a long time, since maybe only a week or so after its release. FOW is a band that I buy whenever they have a new album but this one slipped by without my knowing it was coming. At first listen, I worried that it was less clever than prior CDs but the more I listen, the more I’m sucked into their (seemingly) simple (but not!) genius with three-minute pop gems. The title track is a favorite, and “I-95” is, of course, the perfect soundtrack for those drives between DC and NYC.

Other recent promo deliveries:
16. DEBBIE HARRY – Necessary Evil (10th Street Entertainment)
Out August 7th
Most of the tracks here, on first listen, don’t do justice to Harry’s iconic stature and unique voice. But she’s earned the right to another go-round, so I’ll revisit, reconsider, retype (if necessary).
17. PIETASTERS – All Day (Indication Records)
DC underground ska legends, though I confess I don’t know the scene very well. Here’s the pitch- “skankin’ punk rhythms and raucous vocal rumblings slowed down and sticky thick with the sounds of early Motown and Jamaican soul.” Nicely put!
18. A BAND OF BEES – Octopus (Astralwerks)
Back home (Isle of Wight), they’re known just as the Bees, and have a buzz (couldn’t resist) for mixing funk, psychedelia and Northern soul among other styles. This one has harmony-heavy folk bits, too. Reminds me of the happy guys of Gomez.
19. BLACK BEFORE RED – Belgrave to Kings Circle (I Eat Records)
The kind of happy discovery that makes doing what I do such a nice paying hobby (no, it’s not a job). An Austin-based band that combines some fine influences. You might swear you were hearing the Shins, Paul McCartney, the Kinks – that kind of catchy, melodic pop. Terry says they sound too imitative. I say it’s a great start for a young band.

We Report, You Decide.
Listen for yourself and see if you like this:
20. ARKS – The International (Highwheel Records)
Arks is a band from Chicago. PR says the CD a “jumpy, jittery, frenetic post-punk whopper in the vein of Gang of Four,” and says they formed in 2002, in the back room of a Chicago Ukrainian Village apartment (another Ukranian!)
Whattaya think of "Stator/Asymptote"?
Out August 14th.

O/CD YTD Total: 255

A Bit O' Everything (photos, mp3s, blahblahblah)

The past weekend’s happy musical surprise – I stopped at the Tyson’s Corner Borders to browse the music racks (not quite Tower Records, but it’s got integrity) and to look for a copy of NME (the new issue has a free red vinyl White Stripes single!, but they’re still selling last week’s) while waiting for Grace to finish her Japanese lesson. Lo and behold, the store is preparing for an afternoon performance/signing by Judith Owen, a fine singer/songwriter (and wife of the brilliant Harry Shearer) who is in town for a show Sunday night at the IOTA. I’m bummed to realize that I can’t stay for the actual mini-set, but delighted to hear the sounds of an electric piano soundcheck. Lucky me, Owen arrived more than an hour early, so I got to say hello again, having met her briefly after a show last year at Jammin Java.

I didn’t expect her to remember me, but she recalled how much she enjoyed that performance and is warm and gracious and seemingly happy to have a genuine fan appear during the pre-show. We chat about her area appearances (she’s taping an NPR interview as well), her trading of musical favors with Richard Thompson (they appear on each other’s most recent CDs) and I am inspired anew to make an effort to revisit the IOTA. (I was there just a few days ago, which we’ll get to in a moment). I picked up the new CD and get it autographed, no jaded critic I. Which brings us to:

My Own Cash Money
1.JUDITH OWEN – Happy This Way (Courgette)
Besides Thompson, Owen’s guests include Julia Fordham, Ian Shaw and Cassandra Wilson, which should give the uninitiated a hint at the classy, jazzy, mature material she’s doing. Piano-based pop with a nod to the great American songbook of love and longing. My one reservation on this CD is that there are fewer up-tempo songs and there isn’t a clear indication of how wryly funny this woman can be.



2. SIGUR ROS and HILMAR ORN HILMARSSON ORCHESTRA - Angels of the Universe
Precisely why I still love browsing a real music outlet – I didn’t know anything about this release. It was in the 2 for $22 section, and I was sorely tempted to bundle it with an older Rilo Kiley selection, but I had the Owen purchase, too, so I used my handy emailed coupon that took 20% off list price. Listening in the car, I discover it’s grander and orchestral, less self-consciously bizarre than the usual Sigur Ros. Nice stuff.

Got home from meeting the lovely Ms. O and found the new
3. RICHARD THOMPSON – Sweet Warrior (Shout! Factory)
Owen is indeed, as she mentioned, “all over it,” providing harmony vocals on nine of the 14 tracks. She’s not on “Dad’s Gonna Kill Me,” the anti-war track that’s getting a lot of well-deserved attention, but she does get to sing “shame, shame on you, you Bad Monkey” from the song of the same naughty simian name.
Also from the promo peeps:
4. The WILDBIRDS – S/T (Universal Republic)
The press kit says the CD will be called “Golden Daze” when it comes out on August 14th, but the advance generic CD has the band name and title as one and the same. The lyricist/vocalist/rhythm guitarist frontman cites Cheap Trick, Humble Pie and Tom Petty (with the Heartbreakers) as influences, and the band will be touring with Jesse Malin this summer, so the claims of straight-ahead rock seem truthful.
5. SIPPY CUPS –Electric Storyland (Snacker Disc)
The packaging is so packed with colorful cartoons that it becomes its own trip-toy, but the music is aimed at the young and drug-free - I think. Titles like “Little House of Jello” and “Drinking from the Sky” could be hallucinogenic, and the group’s live repertoire includes cover tunes from the Beatles, Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd and the Ramones (not, we assume, “Beat on the Brat”). Coming to play at Jammin Java on July 13th.

Anyway, listening to the Owen CD reminds me how much I like her style, so I get my musical gal pal Sally to agree to a night out and we head for the IOTA on Sunday night. Alas, most of the region has stayed home to watch the “Sopranos” finale (sounds like they got screwed), a fact that Owen makes a running joke throughout her nonetheless impassioned set for the 30 or so patrons. She talks more than I remembered, but it’s funny, knowing and moving, as are the songs. (Funny applies to her covers of “Smoke on the Water” and “Eye of the Tiger.”)

At Borders, I mentioned that I’d like to bring my camera, to which she replies, “yes – and take all the pictures you want!” The (small) trouble is, her songs are so quiet and the mood so vulnerable that every “CLICK!” screams out, so I limit myself mostly to the patter moments.



Opening act is

6. EREN CANNATA – Blame It On the City (Brown Dog Records)
One of the first students enrolled in NYU's Clive Davis Department of recorded music, he’s also the son of Billy Joel’s saxophone player Richie Cannata and has a bit if a rep as a swoon-inducer of the young ladies. I think he’s got a cuddly, Jack Black look – and I’m charmed by the fact that he plays barefoot. Nothing in his set called out to me with a “gotta-hear-that-again” urgency, but when I chatted with him afterwards, and he gave me a free download card, his eager roadie-type asked urgently, “Would you like to buy an album? It would really help us out.” For $10, I did. Support your touring artists and all that.

It’s been a good week for welcome surprises in the mailbox. All sort of stuff that I was glad to get:
7. The POLYPHONICE SPREE – The Fragile Army (TVT)
I doubt if anything from this group will recapture the magic of that debut with its joyous, big ensemble optimism, and I’m a little sad to see the choir robes traded for military-style uniforms, but there’s still an upbeat bigness to the sound, and a touch of Devo-esque electronica, as if some helpful robots joined the gang.
Out June 19th
8. MIKE ERRICO – All In (Tallboy 7)
Brother to a Broadway star (Melissa), helper on Leslie Gore’s recent comeback CD, editor at Blender.com, Errico wears many hats, including being a singer/songwriter on his own material. You could play tracks from this one between the latest by Maroon 5 and John Mayer and not drop a beat.
Out June 11th
9. The ALIENS – Astronomy for Dogs (Astralwerks)
Former Beta Band-ians present more smiling, slightly twisted beats.
10. VARIOUS ARTISTS – CMJ Presents…Phase Five NZ Music (NZ On Air)
Not sure how I got on this mailing list (signed something at last year’s CMJ maybe?) but delighted to get a cute little puffy envelope covered in stickers, stamps and official stuff to show that it came from overseas. Inside, a cardboard sleeve with CD/video material from New Zealand, including Tin Finn, Die! Die! Die! and a “Flying Nun Box Set Bonus” (the label, silly, not the TV show).

Recent Post Previews:
Celebrate Fairfax festival, featuring Smash Mouth, Eddie from Ohio and a cast of dozens.
Great Lake Swimmers, Eleni Mandell at IOTA
Saw the show and greatly enjoyed both acts, though I’ll admit that GLS has even more power when you sit in a dark room and let the CD wash over you. In pushing the material forward, appropriately in a live situation, a bit of the gossamer magic is lost.
Here’s lead singer/songwriter Tony Dekker…


And Eleni Mandell…



Why I Prefer to Read about Metal Rather Than Listen to It.
From a PR mailing with the subject line: “Watain’s stench of death lingers in America” –
“...you might not smell the animal carcasses and foul bloodstench from the stage, but surely still a testament to the band's superior blackened war tactics…
Interviews via email are ongoing... the filth must be spread.

Sharing the Love – as in free MP3s!
Thanks for hanging in there. Here’s your cookies…

For fans of indie chamber pop, some selections from
LOST IN THE TREES , the name used by Ari Picker, of The b-Sides and The Never, for his solo project, with quiet melodicism, the occasional spurt of baroque goth, and elaborate orchestral arrangements.
The instrumental ”I’ve Always Loved the Fall”
comes from the EP “Time Taunts Me.”
From the same EP, here’s “Tall Trees” – with a touch of tango!
And finally, the previously unreleased
“Walk Around the Lake”, which Picker gave to a compilation for Esopus Magazine, dedicated to art, poetry, essays, pop culture and music.

LOVE AS LAUGHTER have been on tour supporting Modest Mouse and posted a free download of their song “Coconut Flakes”, recorded live in Toronto.

Louis Schefano, leader of late-90s bedroom pop-makers, Regia, has returned with an EP, Freak Show Revenge under the simple moniker, LOUIS. As recently as last year, tracks from Regia’s 1999 release, The Art of Navigation (spinART), have been re-recorded by Saddle Creek recording artist, Maria Taylor. Superphonic Records will release the five-song EP, but here’s one track, ”My Own Good”.

In The (Trivial) News:
The US Air Guitar Championships kicked off their 14-city tour last weekend in DC. According to the press release, these musical mime kings have an actual tour bus that pulls an empty equipment trailer. I’m still not sure whether that’s funny or stupid.

Visit Close Personal Friend on MySpace! And if you see me listed as a bisexual swinger who doesn’t want kids (not that there’s anything wrong with that, I suppose), please refresh your page! I was totally mis-profiled for about three minutes on the day I attempted to update my profile (some AOL-Mac-MySpace glitch) and am now happily back to being a straight, married, proud mother of two.

O/CD YTD: 235

Phantom CD Store Syndrome

Medical people speak of "phantom limb syndrome," in which people who have lost a limb still feel it or move to use it after it's gone. I mean no disrespect to those who have suffered such a horrific injury when I say that I have a vague inkling of it - in recent weeks, while driving around doing errands in various neighborhoods in and around northern Virginia/D.C., I've been near the sites of many now-gone Tower Records stores. Each time, I've made a quick mental note to stop in and browse the racks. Then the sad realization hits that they are no more.

I think of the old-skool pleasure of walking into a genuine music store - not a Best Buy or Target hits-heavy secion of a big box outlet - and I worry that those days are numbered. Thankfully, I still have the lovely little local CD trade-in store where I turn my unwanted discs into wanted ones (and sometimes get enough cash to buy lunch on the way home). But that's like visiting a funky deli, and sometimes you'd like the full inventory of a supermarket.

I know, I know - it's not a pain that's gonna kill me (or make me stronger, either); just life in the modern world.

Anyway, at the last visit to said small music emporium, I scored thusly:
1. PANIC! AT THE DISCO - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out deluxe edition (Fueled by Ramen)
I'm a sucker for creative packaging. Back in the fun days of writing promo and ad copy for Elektra Records, the then-pres of the label, Hale Milgrim, was a devotee of innovative ways to promote and box new albums for maximum impact. I do love when artists make the package something special, tho' I can't afford to buy them all. This still-sealed copy of the Panic! CD set came with a mini-poster, an eye-covering carnival mask, a set of B&W band boy photos, a set of colorized tarot-style lyric cards, a spinning wheel optical toy, a mini tour program, bonus DVD and blank diary book, all in a weathered looking cigar box with flocked interior. Grace (I pretend I bought it for her, but I couldn't resist at $20 to see all the goodies myself!) was smitten by it. Listening to the album again on the ride home, I give the band credit for trying. It's not their fault that success made the songs ubiquitously annoying for a while there. Heard again now, some are quite clever, in fact. Or maybe I'm just blinded by the toys?
2. R.E.M. – R.E.M. in the Attic: Alternative Recordings 1985-89 (I.R.S.)
A reminder of how much I loved this band Back In the Day. Maybe it was just a record label cash-in, collecting alternate tracks, live bits and B-sides, but it was a fine season for the Athens boys and fun to recollect now in a CD that must have slipped through the cracks when it first came out.
Cool $1.99 Clearance:
3. SIGUR ROS – Baba/TiKi/DiDo
Starts out quiet and gentle, almost childlike. And then gets noisy and a little weird. Why am I not surprised?
4. The REAL TUESDAY WELD – Lucifer (Six Degrees)
Just the day before , I heard a great song on "Morning Becomes Eclectic," a little ditty with a jaunty Noel Coward air, entitled "The Day Before You Came." I looked it up on emusic and was able to pick it up from a Six Degrees label compilation. I considerd it a sign that I should try a full CD.
5. VARIOUS ARTISTS – Music Is Love: 15 Tracks that Changed the World (Mojo Magazine)
Unusual cover tunes: Robyn Hitchcock doing "Like a Rolling Stone," the Dream Syndicate's version of "Cinnamon Girl," Big Star's take on "Femme Fatale" and a whole bunch of stuff I can't tell about yet.
6. HOLLY RAMOS – Racehorse (Ford to City: Drop Dead Records)
Sometimes you can score new release advances in the clearance bin, especially ones that come in cardboard or generic jewel boxes. This woman is coming to town to open for Jesse Malin, so I grabbed it as a way to preview.
7. CAROLINE RHEA – What Is It That You Can’t Face? (self-released?)
A funny female is a good friend to have.
8.MORCHEEBA - Big Calm (Sire)
Actually, I picked this one up at the thrift store for $1.50, but forgot to include it before.

Some of the new stuff sent recently:
9. ROCKNOCEROS – Dark Side of the Moon Bounce (self-released)
Clever kid rock from a lovely local trio.
10. ELDAR – Re-Imagination (Masterworks Jazz)
I put the CD on after a long morning of mom taxi-ing and promptly fell asleep. And that may not be a bad thing.
11. ARMY OF ME – Citizen (Doghouse)
More local boys making good. Back when these guys were known as Cactus Patch, they were barely out of their teens. Now they've grown into cool hipsters (but no attitude, thanks!) who take a modern swing at classic rock sounds. The CD's first song, called "Perfect," is just about that - a sweet slice of pop/rock heaven. l hope these nice guys can finish first.
12. VARIOUS ARTISTS - Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash (DualTone Records)
A duplicate, the full jewel-box edition of an advance I got earlier.

We Get Out:
Anyone who knows me well or has read more than a few of these bloggings will know that I adore Elvis Costello, so getting tix - and a photo pass! - to see his show last month at the intimate (for him) 930 Club was a thrill and then some. The heartbreak moment came and went quickly - my Big and Important Looking digital camera totally screwed with my head and didn't get a single usable shot. Hell, except for a few of the blank stage before Elvis came out, there weren't any shots that weren't near-solid black! For an oh-so-brief two songs, I was five feet away from my hero, torn between trying to get the %$#@ing camera to work and just basking in his presence as he raced through "Working Week" and "Shabby Doll." Having to leave the pit was hard, but I couldn't pretend anymore. My camera was kaput (at least until I read the damn manual and figured out what I had done wrong). Luckily, I couldn't dwell on this failure for long, since Elvis is celebrating his 30th year in the biz by revisiting his classic early output. Over the course of two hours, a good 85% of the material was from the sterling albums up to and including my favorite, "Imperial Bedroom," so I was in new wave/post-punk/whatever-we-called-it-then hog heaven.

On a trip late last month to NYC, I had the chance to see the British band Fields at Mercury Lounge, a sweet little rock spot that lets you get up close and personal. After a pair of drunk dudes played with my (smaller, cheaper) digital camera to get a shot of Shari and me, I turned the lens to the stage and took these...

The band has a jumpy (in a good way) guitarist/vocalist..


...and a foxy female keyboardist/vocalist...


and with the drummer, other guitarist and bassist, they make a much bigger noise than their studio work would suggest.


YTD: 225

Happy Birthday, Grace! ("she was just 17...")

New in the Post:
1. ELLIOTT YAMIN – S/T (Sony/ATV Hickory)
Post preview appearing at the Birchmere on May 17th.
I admit – I did this Post previewagainst my will. I had no desire to talk to an American Idol also-ran, and didn’t think any of his ilk needed my boost to get attention (I had my eye on the Todd Snider/Dan Bern show that week), but my editor is a fan and wanted a story. Yamin gave me a perfunctory interview and I wrote the story with a sense of obligation, not enthusiasm. And then the show sold out before the preview appeared anyway (I was afraid that would happen), and I got an email from a reader whining about it. So, a loss all around.
And then there was this problematic preview .
Good music, glad to be a part in promoting it, but I got the %$#&ing date wrong! Don’t ask how; it was just sheer distracted stupidity on my part, and I hung my head and begged forgiveness from the editor, who accepted my apology and didn’t rub it in. Curious note: before I realized what I’d done, I’d forwarded the link to one of the act’s publicist, who wrote back a gushing thank you. So she didn’t catch the problem either – or was too kind to mention it. I like to think that maybe people read the story and called for tickets, learned of the error and went anyway. But I still felt like a jerk. The acts who deserved better:
2. BRETT DENNEN – So Much More (DualTone)
When I got a copy of this awhile back, it was in a jewel case, but now it’s a digi-pack.
3. ALO – Roses & Clover (Brushfire Records)
In the world of Dead-inspired jam bands (are there any other kind?), this group stands out for having a gentle lilt and a total lack of self-indulgence (at least from what I hear on the CD).
4. LUCAS REYNOLDS – The Space Between the Lines (self-released)
Reynolds is in the band Blue Merle, and his solo EP is a pleasant affair, though he stumbles on“100 Different Directions.” It’s a sweet acoustic number, but he sings “100 different erections” repeatedly in the chorus and the joke is over the second time he does it.
5. MAGGIE SANSONE – Mystic Dance (Maggie’s Music)
Sent in connection with her appearance – and Post preview - at a free outdoor arts series.
And finally, the second annual Throwdown local music festival.

So far, far behind in the O/CD tally, so here’s a slew of recent acquisitions:
My Own Cash Money:
6. BJORK – Volta (Elektra)
Still crazy after all these years, god bless her.
7. RUFUS WAINWRIGHT – Release the Stars (Geffen)
Still gay and grandiose, god bless him.
8. WILCO – Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch)
When Terry gets stuck on an album, we hear it at least once a day. God help me, I hope I like this one, too, ‘cause it’s day one and it’s on its third go-round. Relieved to say that, so far, I do like it.
ELTON JOHN
9. Elton John (Island)
10. Tumbleweed Connection (Island)
11. Madman Across the Water (Island)
Three discs for $12.oo? How could I resist? Costco strikes again. “Tumbleweed” is one of my all-time EJ classics.
12. BRAZILIAN GIRLS – Talk to La Bomb (Verve Forecast)
This month’s your music $6.99 automatic shipment.
13. WONKAVISION Magazine Presents the T-4 Project
A beautifully designed and generally well=written magazine covering artists I know next-to-nothing about.

Fun finds at the thrift store for $1.50 each:
14. VARIOUS ARTISTS – From Gdansk to Krakow: Songs and Dances of Poland (EPM Musique)
I married a Pollock.
15. ELIZABETHTOWN – Music from the Motion Picture, Vol, 2 (RCA/Vinyl)
The movie was a mess, but the second volume of songs – with Tom Petty, Ryan Adams, Pinback, The Concretes and more – proves again how much care Cameron Crowe puts into his soundtracks.
16. NUSRAT FATAH ALI KAHN – The Day, The Night, The Dawn, The Dusk (Shanachie)
Ages ago, I interviewed the late Jeff Buckley and, when I asked him about musical influences, he mentioned Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn. I though he was being pompous, having never heard the name (and this was way before Eddie Vedder, “Dead Men Walking,” etc.). I owe them both an apology, and later (because of Eddie Vedder and “Dead Man Walking”) realized who and what Buckley was talking about. Terry and I even went to see the great (and big) man in concert and it was surreal and wonderful – Indian families dressed to the nines, men having near-possessed dance fits in the aisles, people throwing dollar bills at the stage. Yeah, we love Nusrat in our house.

Coming to Town:
17. GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS – Ongiara (Nettwerk)
Glad to make this band my pick for the next Post preview. A lovely, plaintive album that’s reminiscent of “After the Gold Rush”-era Neil Young and a touch of My Morning Jacket. Coming to the IOTA on June 7th at which show the opening act will be:
18. ELENI MANDELL – Miracle of Five (Zedtone Records)
Because I was too lazy to get up and find the CD for the correct label info, I did a quick Google search and discovered the she has nine (!) CDs to her credit. And here I thought she was a new artist.
19. The INNOCENCE MISSION – We Walked in Song (Badman)
They were supposed to play Jammin Java tonight, but had to reschedule. I hope all works out with whatever the problem is, but I’m selfishly glad ‘cause I couldn’t go tonight and I really want to see them, This is a lovely, restive CD, and reminds me of a band I miss a lot – remember the Sundays?
20. The NIGHTWATCHMAN – One Man Revolution (Epic)
Jammin Java on June 23rd
21. ARI HEST – The Break-In (Columbia)
The Birchmere on May 30th
22. PINK MARTINI – Hey Eugene! (Heinz Records)
These guys have been bubbling under like tasty bargain champagne for years now and this summer they’ll headline at Wolf Trap Filene Center on June 18th.
23. BEBEL GILBERTO – Momento (Ziriguiboom/Six Degrees)
This is perfect Sunday brunch music and you can hear it yourself at Merriweather Post on June 23rd with Thievery Corporation and Manu Chao.
24. ADRIENNE YOUNG – Room to Grow (Addiebelle Music)
Young was green before green sounded good, and she’ll be at IOTA Club and Café in mid-June.

Kids Korner:
25. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE – World of Friends (KOCH)

Good First Impressions:
26.LUKE BRINDLEY – S/T (self-released)
Local guy makes good (music). Co-owner of the lovely Jammin’ Java venue and frequent collaborator with his brother Daniel in the Brindley Brothers band, Luke creates salt-of-the-earth pop rock with a slight alt. country tinge.
27. OF GOD and SCIENCE – S/T (detach records)
The PR compares them to Elbow, Spoon and Doves, mighty high standards indeed. I haven’t put them in that echelon just yet, but I’ll be back to listen again.

Advances:
28.TIGER ARMY – Music from Regions Beyond (Hellcat)
June 5th
29. JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN – Real Life (Cheap Lullaby Records)
Glad to see this in the mail – the buzz from Britain has been strong - and it comes with a second disc of B-sides.
June 12th
30. BOTTOM OF THE HUDSON – Fantastic Hawk (Absolutely Kosher)
June 19th
31. TENDERHOOKS – Vidalia (Rock Snob Records)
PR compares them to Wilco, Gram Parsons, Big Star.
June 26th
32. VARIOUS ARTISTS – Oxblood Records First Blood (Oxblood Records)
June 26th
33.MUSTANGS and MADRAS – La Lechuza (Latest Flame)
Too much random noise for my taste. Out July 10th
34. RAUL MALO – After Hours (Universal)
At first, I thought this was a bit of a novelty number – cover versions of country chestnuts like “Welcome to My World,” Buck Owens’ “Crying Time,” Roger Miller’s “Husbands and Wives.” But about halfway through, my sniggering gave way to a feeling that hey, these are good songs!
Out July 17th
35. The MASONS – Let You Down Easy (75orless Records)
July 24th

Come and Gone (in concert)
36. BRIAN VANDER ARK – Angel, Put Your Face On (self-released)
37. JAKE ARMERDING – Walking on the World (self-released?)
38. COLIN HAY – Are You Lookin’ At Me? (Compass Records)
39. RICHARD SWIFT – Dressed Up for the Lowdown Secretly Canadian)
40. MATT MAYS & EL TORPEDO – S/T (00:02:59)
41. SONS of WILLIAM – S/T (self-released)
42. CHRIS TRAPPER – Hey, You (Starlit Records)
43. WILLY MASON – If the Ocean Gets Rough (Astralwerks)
Pleasant but Teflon singer/songwriter – as in nothing stuck for me.

And just a big ole list of recent mailings…
44. BETWEEN The TREES – The Story and the Song (Bonded Records)
45. ECCODEK – Voices Have Eyes (White Swan)
46. CORNELIUS – Sensuous (Everloving Records)
47. BRITTANY SHANE – S/T (self-released)
48. The PIERCES – Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge (Lizard King Records)
49. The CLIENTELE – God Save the Clientele (Merge)
50. 1997 – …A Better View of the Rising Moon (Victory Records)
51. RODDY HART – Bookmarks (Compass Records)
52. MARIA McKEE – Late December (Viewfinder/Cooking Vinyl)
I like the carnival notices on the inside packaging: “See what the belly dancer does on her day off”
53. SHAKES – Sister Self Doubt EP (IamSound Records)
54. ALL OUT WAR – Assassins in the House of God (Victory)
55. LEIANA – No Going Back (Page Records)
56. VULTURE WHALE – S/T (d’Elegante)
57. LOU RHODES – Beloved One (Cooking Vinyl)
58. PARIS BENNETT – Princess P (TVT)
Another American Idol also-ran!
59. MAVIS STAPLES – We’ll Never Turn Back (Anti-)

By Request:
60. (Yoko) ONO – Open Your Box (Astralwerks)
16 remixes of classic Ono – three of “Walking on Thin Ice” alone.
61. (Yoko) ONO – Yes, I’m a Witch (Astralwekrs)
17 tracks, all of them collaborations with a who’s who of the Current Cool Kid Scene – Cat Power, Peaches, Le Tigre, Polyphonic Spree, Flaming Lips and more.
The most telling thing about Yoko these days is how NOT strange she sounds. In a world of Bjorks and such, it is apparent how she broke down the barrier so that women with unconventional voices can take their rightful place in the CD bins. You Go, Yoko!

62. LISA GERRARD – Sanctuary DVD
Director/producer/stalker Clive Collier does a disservice to this revered artist by presenting her in a humorless, hagiographic documentary, full of ponderous statements and slow-motion worship. He as much as says so in one of the DVD extras, admitting that he didn’t want to use clips of her laughing or showing her great sense of humor since he though it would disrupt the flow. So instead, he are left with thinking that Gerrard is a sourpuss who takes herself entirely too seriously. Interviews with Brendan Perry (only a little though he’s there in concert and documentary footage) and Russsell Crowe and others are part of the coronation. Collier should have let the music do the talking, as the concert pieces and moments from “The Insider,” “Gladiator” and “Whale Rider” show that she is a talent worth heading.

Here’s one Gerrard quote that left me scratching my head:
“Brendan and I have had conflicts from the beginning because we’ve both had an equilibrium of passionate synchronicity whether it be in unison or in diversity or division of [thought?]”

For contrast, palette cleansing and going out on a happy note, I give you a quote from KT Tunstall, in Q Magazine after winning Best Track at the Q Awards for “Black Horse and Cherry Tree”:
“Getting an award for making music is like having a job eating cake and then getting an award for eating more cake than anyone else.”

Who would you rather hang out with?

YTD 213

Thanks for hanging in there. Here’s a reward, like staying until the very end of the credits at the movie (do it at the new “Pirates” movie and you get an extra scene!)

Download "High Times" from "New Moon"
by Elliott Smith
Kill Rock Stars

• Buy at Kill Rock Stars Pre-order

Third Time's a Charm

Between the back-and-forth with Best Buy, seeking an external hard drive that didn't have a broken firewire port (finally did it on the 4th try) and losing track of the Blog because of Blogger's new deal with Google, it was a time of computer anxiety, but I think I've finally got it going on again...

We (by which I mean I) Get Out
Saw Todd Rungren at the State Theatre. Been a fan since I met some of the members of Nazz in a Pittsburgh airport and became an early adapter of their music, earning me cool swag (autographed pics and such) in exchange for my fan letter and promise to tell 16 magazine they were fab. Todd is, as the album title goes, a Wizard, a True Star, and the audience was filled with boomers who still like to watch guitars being shredded. Me, I'm a sucker for the Runt/Ballad of Todd Rundgren stuff myself, and the only thing he sang that was anywhere near that period was "I Saw the Light." Still, it was fun to see him again. Alas, my camera is acting strange, so I was very disappointed in the shots I got. Here's one of the few OK ones...



As for the woefully behind O/CD tally, here are some of the latest...
Adavances:
1. VARIOUS ARTISTS - Anchored In Love: A Tribute To June Carter Cash (DualTone)
Produced by JCC's son, John Carter Cash
I was hoping Elvis Costello’s version of “Ring of Fire” would have an anxious, “Pump It Up” vibe, but he’s into his slower emotional thing here. Still, an impressive outing of performers - Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow & Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Patty Loveless & Kris Kristofferson, Rosanne Cash, Ralph Stanley, et al. If I can’t stop picturing scenes from “Walk the Line,” is that so wrong? It was a great crash course in how important Johnny and June were to us.
Out June 5th.
2. ROCKY VOTOLATO – The Brag & Cuss (Barsuk Records)
Out June 19th.
3. NICK LOWE – At My Age (Yep Roc)
Lowe is about to be 58 and has a 2-year-old son. I could be his slightly younger wife (I've always thought he was sexy) but I wouldn’t want to be chasing a toddler around. Nick is on his mellow side here, too, and he’s got a nicely burnished voice for crooning. Still, couldn’t he put in a few more rockers, just to prove that there’s feisty after fifty?
Out June 26th.

Spending My Own Cash Money:
4. MOJO - Sgt. Pepper…with a Little Help from his Friends
Another one of those "all-star" (not really) collections that revisits a classic album in its entirety, with varying results.
5. GRETCHEN WILSON – Here for the Party (Epic)
Picked it up at the CD trade-in store, cheap (I think it was $3.99) - long-box sized cardboard with DVD/EPK and CD.

Good First Impressions:
6. CARY BROTHERS – Who You Are (bluhammock music)
BTW, it’s a him, not a them.
7. PROTEST HILL – The City Echoes Our Hearts (Latest Flame)

Heavy Rotation:
8. The FORMAT – Dog Problems (
First discovered by a single song on a mix CD a friend made for Grace, and now a HR Favorite. Pop rock with smarts and wryly funny lyrics.
9. TRACY THORN – Out of the Woods (Astralwerks)
If she had never done anything but that Massive Attack song, “Protection,” she’s sill be a classic voice, Deceptively gripping in her quiet power.

Not My Bag, Baby:
10. The AUTUMN DEFENSE – S/T (Broadmore Records)
They’re being pushed as a Wilco-offshoot, but this band sounds like CS&N wannabes. The harmonies are beautiful, but the lyrics are lame and the arrangements have a hippy dippy vibe that seems to blow patchouli out of the speakers with the music. By the end of the album – if you can hang on that long – your teeth hurt.

I’m Getting Too Old for This…
11. SKULL TIME – S/T (Latest Flame)
Billed as “classic rock lovers whose music requires the throwing of devil horns,” it was just too noisy for me.

Burnt Offertings:
12. VARIOUS ARTISTS - Crush on You (Hear Music)
How many times do I have to say that Starbucks samplers are overpriced? I had no qualms in copying this disc that a friend brought over to share during dinner. Some great stuff here, but I either already have it, or will explore it at length on my own dime in full-lengths.
13. Dylan Hears a Who
Oh, no! This extremely well-done parody - Dr. Seuss rhymes as sung by a spot-on Dylan imitator - has been removed from the web, citing Seuss Enterprises as having made the request. The power of the Google, however, will take you to other places where you can hear this great effort. I feel lucky, indeed, that I was able to get it all when I did, including the make-it-yourself jewelbox art which mimics vintage Columbia releases down to a slightly cock-eyed logo.

Why I Pay Emusic $9.99 every month:
14. The KAMINSKY EXPERIENCE, INC. – The Power of Suggestion (ESL/18th Street Lounge)
Heard a track on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic” and loved the hokey spoken word-over-electronica beats - so I bounced right over to emusic.com to see if it was available. Yay. Same thing happened last week with...
15. BEN KWELLER – S/T (ATO Records)
He performed "Penny on the Train Track" on Letterman and his contagious energy and rousing pop vibe won me over right away. So, laptop on lap, tappity tap, I had the entire CD downloaded almost by the time he finished the song. That's entertainment!
16. JARVIS COCKER – Jarvis (Rough Trade/World's Fair)
While I was at the emusic site, I searched for this one, too, since his Letterman spot - "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time" - was good, too. The label has also released a free download of "(C--Ts are Still) Running the World" and, while I never liked that word (the English can only barely get away with it, but I hate hearing it in the US), I can't disagree with the sentiment, so I
share it with you.
17. The MYSTERY JETS – Diamonds in the Dark (Dim Mak Records)
Discovered this band was I was in England in January, and it seems like they may finally get an American release and tour later this year. Likeable rock with shades of pop and psychedelia.
18. OF MONTREAL – The Gay Parade
Burned this one off as research for the Post preview I did in March. And that's a good excuse to throw in another live photo, from a night when my camera and I were getting along...


And speaking of downloads, I have been accepted into a groovy service that lets bloggers share mp3s with readers. I'm going to do a but of musical browsing and bring back some cool stuff, but this one grabbed me right off the bat. A trip back in time to a great One-Hit-Wonder of the Punky/New Wave Life. I give you

"88 Lines About 44 Women" (mp3)
from "Corpus Christi"
by The Nails
Safe House

• Buy at iTunes Music Store
• Buy at DownloadPunk

YTD: 151

Let's Start a New Week and Let's Make It Better

It was a bad week for Virginia, and if we ever needed Kurt (by which I mean Vonnegut, not Cobain) it was in these recent days of mourning. “So it goes” can’t begin to cover it. In the wake of one of my absolute favorite author’s passing, I heard one tribute mention an epitaph Vonnegut said he would like:
“The only proof he needed of the existence of God was music.”

As usual, he said what I felt. So let’s resume our musical musings and hope that the future offers some reason to hope. Going, going, Gone-zales, perhaps?

Catching up with some recent Post previews, these are new in the Archives:
Austin rock hero Bob Schneider
NPR news quiz host Peter Segal
local roots masters Dead Men’s Hollow
uber indie guy Andy Zipf

And resuming the O/CD Project, here are (some of) the recent acquisitions…
My Own Cash Money:
1. BRIGHT EYES – CASSADAGA (Saddle Creek)
Hands down the coolest CD cover of the year, possibly the last decade, and a Top Ten for all time. After I pulled the clear logo/title sticker off the plastic wrap, I noticed the smudgy lines on the textured gray cover. Inside the fold-out digipack is a “Spectral Decoder” which, when you hold it over the smudgy spots reveals beautiful lenticular, nearly holographic images. So freakin’ cool!
And, so far at least, the music is leaving a solid first impression. Though I’ve never doubted Conor Oberst’s talent, I’ve thought him a bit overwrought in the past, but this time he seems to have found a sense of balance to match his ambitions. I’d probably be playing this CD a lot more if it wasn’t for…
2. PETER BJORN and JOHN – Writer’s Block (Almost Gold)
…which is in permanent rotation in my car. And it’s not just “Young Folks” (a.k.a. “The Whistling Song”) and no, I don’t care one bit that it was used on “Grey’s Anatomy” ‘cause I don’t watch the show (I tried, but my daughters kicked me out when I started calling Lizzie a psychopath). No, this song got me for its own wicked, gimmicky charm and then convinced me to stay ‘cause it’s just too much fun to ignore. And, happy surprise, the rest of the album is catching fire, too. The trio echoes other acts I love, like Eno/Bowie (“Amsterdam”) and uses unexpected instrumentation (are those steel drums on “Let’s Call It Off”?) and harken back to the better acts of the synth-pop era without the bad hair. Catchy, catchy stuff that’s growing with each listen.
3. BEYONCE – B-Day (Sony Urban Music/Columbia)
To the left, to the left…my husband can’t ask for directions anymore without Grace and I using every opportunity to sing his next turn. I put the album in the queue at my YourMusic account (one CD per month via automatic delivery for $6.99, shipping included) just to have “Irreplacable.” And so far, I’ve barely touched the other songs there.
4. The ACADEMY IS… - Sante – (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)
Purchased for High School Girl. Produced by Bruce Walker. No impression yet, though I’ve seen – and enjoyed – the band twice in concert with HSG.
5. MODEST MOUSE – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (Epic)
The combination of Brock and Marr is hereby declared a success. “Dashboard” is such a great song, so I’m surprised it’s not the first single, and the rest have unfolded slowly, surely and quite deliciously. It made the grade for our long car trip, satisfying me, the hubby and HSG all at once, and we listened from beginning to end, rare for us in our car-induced ADD.
6. KINGS OF LEON – Because of the Times (RCA)
I love this band so much that I’m surprised I haven’t listened more than once since getting it the week it was released. No smack to the Kings; I just haven’t had the time.
7. VARIOUS ARTISTS – Have You Heard the New Sound of Alternative Rock (EMI Music Special Markets)
$2.24 at Target, so I couldn’t resist.
8. CECIL B. DEMENTED – Music from the Motion Picture (RCA)
Six bucks at the Andy Warhol Museum gift shop (a great shop stop the next time you’re in Pittsburgh). I haven’t seen many John Waters movies (I’m a wimp, not a prude) but I love his writings, his general persona, and he always does right by the music in his films.
9. The GOOD, The BAD & The QUEEN – S/T (Virgin)
You could call it a “super group" with Damon Albarn (Gorillaz), Paul Simonon (The Clash), Tony Allen (Fela Kuti) and Simon Tong (The Verve) and Danger Mouse in the mix, but the results have proven to be not-so. Each time I put this CD on, I’m initially intrigued but lose interest as the songs roll on and nothing seems to develop. By the arrival of the Big Important Long Song at the End, I’ve stopped caring.


Thrift store steals ($1.50 each)
10. The CARDIGANS – First Band on the Moon (Mercury)
Worth it just for “Lovefool” and “Your New Cukoo” and I’m curious to heat the rest.
11. JACK’S MANNEQUIN – Everything in Transit (Maverick)
This is on Madonna’s label? I wouldn’t think she had enough taste to sign an act this good. Grace and I both know this music real well from a CD burned for us by the College Girl, but I like having the official release.
12. VARIOUS ARTISTS - That’s Squintertainment (Zondervan Interactive)
I bought it because it offered “The best digital clip art for your youth ministry publicity” so I figured it might have some Jesus fun, and then I discovered it had music as well, so it makes the list.

Missing from the last CD trade-in store visit:
13. WBCN Naked Too
Unreleased live performances, mostly by those I don’t care about (Creed, Scott Weiland, Eve 6, Jewel) and a few I do (David Bowie, Barenaked Ladies). Actually, most of them are drips, but I can resell on ebay.

Sent by the PR Peeps:
14. POKEMON X: 10 Years of Pokemon (KOCH)
15. The WIGGLES – Racing to the Rainbow (KOCH)
16.UMPHREY’S McGEE – The Bottom Half (SCI)
17.JOSS STONE – Introducing (Virgin)
18.FAVORITE SONS – Down Beside Your Beauty (Vice/Atlantic)
19.DANIEL LEE MARTIN – On My Way to You (ChinMusic)
20.ANTSY McCLAIN and the TRAILER PARK TROUBADOURS – Trailercana (DPR Records)
21.UTAH CAROL – Rodeo Queen (self-released)

Advances:
22.RAY’S VAST BASEMENT – Starvation Under Orange Trees (Howells Transmitter)
July 3rd release for this “folk of the retro-future.”
23.SUZANNE VEGA – Beauty & Crime (Blue Note/EMI)
Out July 17th

I know I’m keeping:
24. CORINNE BAILEY RAE – S/T (Capitol)
The newly issued double CD version of the fine young singer’s debut includes a second disc of new tunes and a few covers, including a wonderful take on one of 2006’s best songs, The Editors’ “Munich.”

Good First Impressions:
25. READYMADE BREAKUP – Isn’t That What It’s For? (self-released)
26. JE SUIS FRANCE – Afrikan Majik (Antenna Farm Records)
All around the block and then some, starting with an energizing instrumental (“Sufficiently Breakfast”) and sprawling on through a highly entertaining and invigorating mess o’ styles. The PR kit called it, “Here Come the Warm Jets as played by Pavement.” I’ll buy that.
27. SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN – Broom (Polyvinyl)
28. GRUFF RHYS – Candylion (Rough Trade)
29. The ALTERNATE ROUTES – Good and Reckless and True (Vanguard)
30.The SAPS – C’mon Already – Start a Fire (self-released)

Coming/Came to town:
31. BALKAN BEAT BOX – Nu Med (JDUB)
32. BOB SCHNEIDER – The Galaxy Kings (Shockorama/Vanguard)
33. BOB SCHNEIDER – I Have Seen the End of the World and It Looks Like This (Shockorama/Vanguard)
34. BOB SCHNEIDER – The Californian (Vanguard)
35. BOB SCHNEIDER & MITCH WATKINS – Underneath the Onion Trees (Shockorama/Vanguard)
36. The NIELDS – All Together Singing in the Kitchen (Peter Quince Productions)
37. DAGMAR and the SEDUCTONES – Come Back to Me (TYM Records)
38. CATIE CURTIS – Long Night Moon (Compass Records)
39. The WAYBACKS – From the Pasture to the Future (Compass)
40. 41.PAM TILLIS – Rhinestoned (Stellar Cat)
Actually, I got two copies of this; one, an advance some weeks ago, and a second in conjunction with the show, at Wolf Trap.
42. DAVID VANDERVELDE – The Moonstation Mouse Band (Secretly Canadian)
43. MATT WERTZ – Everything in Between (Nettwerk)
It was sent in a generic cardboard envelope that label info but no other identifying information, so I’m always forgetting what’s inside. A simple omission that always works against the artist. Where’s my sharpie?

YTD Total: 133