ALBUM: Build Me This by Joshua James

Sorry about the long silence. Sadly I don't have any good news to report, and school's actually been crazy enough to keep me from really trying to figure out how to get us back up and running. I can't say when we'll be back on a good schedule. Hopefully soon.

You might already know that Joshua James is one of our favorite artists around here, and his second album, Build Me This, is touching down in a matter of days. It's been a long time coming for us (who've been hearing these songs for more than 2 years), but it's close on the heels of his first record for any who've only heard it since it's national release last year. Either way, this record will probably impress any of Joshua's fans, and hopefully win him a few more.

I love James's first record, The Sun is Always Brighter, and if this blog had existed in 2007 it would have been high on our Best Albums list - but as beautiful as it is, I've always had an issue with it. You see, that record doesn't really sound like Joshua James. I mean, that's his voice and those are his songs, and that music is very very good, but live, there's an edginess and a soulfulness to James's music that somehow didn't make it onto that record. Essentially, Joshua James can rock, but the only evidence of it on Sun is the relative low-point "Our Brother's Blood" tucked back near the end of the record.

It isn't long into Build Me This that it becomes clear that this won't be an issue on this record. The first track, "Coal War", opens with foot stomps and hand claps as the only accompaniment to James singing "Ain't cuttin' my hair 'til the good Lord comes", building tension right up to the two minute mark, when the amps light up and a distorted guitar snarls through the gospel-rooted harmonies, pushing past all of the reservations James might have had on LP1. Needless to say, James shows a lot more muscle this time around.

The momentum stays high through the second track, "Magazine", then takes a breather on "Weeds" before barreling into more full-throttle rockers "Mother Mary" and "Black July". Throughout Joshua explores themes of hatred, faith, war and death; and even the record's lightest moments (i.e. "In The Middle" - a love song from a lover who's passed away) are anything but light-hearted. There isn't a bad song in the mix, though little matches the urgency of "Coal War" until a trifecta of near-perfect songs toward the end - "Daniel", a heart-wrenching tale of boys in wartime, "Pitchfork", a dreamlike ballad with a breathtakingly beautiful coda, and the live staple "Wilted Daisies", a frustrated plea from capitalism's defeated. These three songs alone would be reason enough to buy the album.

All in all, this is a fantastic sophomore achievement from an extremely talented songwriter. It's out digitally and on vinyl Tuesday, Sept. 8th, and on CD on Sept. 22nd (buy it all HERE). I don't have a song for you because, once again, we have no server - but here's a video of Joshua doing his thing, as well as a link to his myspace to take a listen. Enjoy!

Listen at Joshua James's myspace.

ALBUM: The Satanic Satanist

I love the anticipation of a new album.
Driving to the record store while listening to the single that floored you so many months before, refusing to download the leaked version (even though you really really want to), the excitement that you'll be listening to something new from a band you love, and then silently praying that they don't let you down.

They didn't.

Portugal. The Man's newest album The Satanic Satanist never let me down. From beginning to end it flows seamlessly, each song melding into its predecessor and successor. All this while each song still retains the power to stand under its own power. Portugal. The Man further cements their place as being the masters of crafting not just songs, but entire albums that ebb and flow with precision and without fault.

mp3: Portugal. The Man - People Say (NOTE: link goes to a free download.)
from the album The Satanic Satanist (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear

Basically, this record really is as good as everyone says it is. There you go. That's it.

I'm not a die-hard Grizzly Bear fan, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anticipating this album. Yellow House didn't floor me like it did others, though it did have some profoundly beautiful moments. No, Grizzly Bear didn't floor me until a year ago when they performed their then-new song, "While You Wait For The Others" on Morning Becomes Eclectic. That song grabbed me by the collar and refused to let go. I listened to it almost incessantly, and began waiting for a cleaner studio version. Then came "Two Weeks" earlier this year, and my interest was more than just piqued. Well, the rest of the album has arrived, and it's exactly what I'd hoped. Right from the first orchestral swells of "Southern Point" to end of the angelic "Foreground", it's just beautifully conceived and pristinely produced chamber pop. Like I said, it actually is as good as everyone says it is.

Here's the track that converted me, now in it's finalized glory.

mp3: Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
from the album Veckatimest (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: Manners by Passion Pit

After a couple weeks of listening to Manners, the debut album from Passion Pit, I've got to admit I'm really enjoying it. It's not earth-shattering, but that's not too surprising to me. While last year's much-hyped-about "Sleepyhead" was worthy of all the praise it received, I was never very impressed with the rest of the Chunk of Change EP it appeared on - and I never quite understood everyone's anticipation for their full-length. If they couldn't put together an EP's worth of great songs, why should they be able to put together an album's worth?

Well the album's here (not officially - it's out May 19th), and I've been enjoying it a whole lot more than Chunk of Change made me think I would. The bad news is that the middle third of the record drags a bit and "Sleepyhead" is still the best song on here - but the good news is that there are a whole slew of close seconds to "Sleepyhead"s greatness, including "Little Secrets", "Moth's Wings" and "Let Your Love Grow Tall". Even when they're not at their best, these guys still have a like-ableness that seems to stem from their sheer wide-eyed dorkiness, and that alone makes this album a winner for me. All in all, there are definitely enough high points to buy the album, especially if you were salivating over last year's offering. And even if you weren't.

mp3: Passion Pit - Little Secrets
from the album Manners (Amazon)


mp3: Passion Pit - Moth's Wings
from the album Manners (Amazon)

ALBUM: The Happiness Project by Charles Spearin

I've been sitting at my computer trying to figure out what I'm going to write about this record and I just can't think of anything that fits. Everything I've come up with so far has either been lame, or so lionizing that you'd probably dismiss it out-right. So I've just decided to describe, as simply as possible, what Charles Spearin has done here, and then let the music speak for itself.

So here's the facts: About a year ago Charles Spearin (Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think) started informally interviewing his Toronto neighbors about what made them happy. Then he took those recorded interviews, mined the sound of their voices for melodies and rhythm, and arranged them into songs that matched not just their audible cadences, but the spirit of what they'd shared. The Happiness Project is what resulted.

"All of the melodies on this album are the melodies of everyday life." - Charles Spearin

HERE is a video you should watch. It's a look at the record as a whole and an interview with Spearin on how it was made. This album is one of the most profoundly beautiful pieces of music I've heard in a really long time.

Tracklist (stream the whole thing HERE):
1. Mrs. Morris
2. Anna
3. Vittoria
4. Vanessa
5. Marisa
6. Ondine
7. Mr. Gowrie
8. Mrs. Morris (reprise)

mp3: Charles Spearin - Anna
from The Happiness Project (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: The Silver City by Jeremy Messersmith

I included a track from Jeremy Messersmith's album The Silver City on our Sing The States post for Virginia, but I've been enjoying the record so much I need to give it its own post altogether.

It's a loose concept album inspired by the real Silver City of Minneapolis, where Messersmith calls home. He explores the city through the stories of those who travel to and from it each day, making their daily commutes seem a little more mystical in his re-telling. While it's not a strict concept album, the songs are surprisingly cohesive and the record plays with an almost story-like arc as we follow his characters in and out of the city. There's also a strong vehicular theme, with songs called "The Commuter", "The Skyway", and "Light Rail", and lyrics like "The funny thing about planes, cars, trucks and bullet-trains is they'll take you places, yeah". He seems to be fascinated by what brings his characters to the city literally as well as figuratively.

Stylistically, Messersmith often wears his influences on his sleeve, and you could almost match each song with who inspired it. "Dead End Job" is The Shins a la Oh, Inverted World, "Franklin Avenue" is spot-on Elliott Smith, "The Commuter" is fellow mid-western balladier Sufjan Stevens, and "Light Rail" is late-era Beatles. Despite this, his songwriting is solid and the songs are well crafted and thoughtfully executed. While he still has some growing to do stylistically, he's already accomplished that most elusive thing in music, and that is to write honest and affecting songs. I'd be willing to bet this is one of the best albums you missed last year.

Jeremy Messersmith - Franklin Avenue
from the album The Silver City (Amazon/iTunes)


Jeremy Messersmith - Miracles
from the album The Silver City (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: Together Through Life by Bob Dylan

So the verdict is in. I love the new Bob Dylan record. The cover tried to dissuade me, shake my confidence - but in the end, as always, the music won out.

It's short and swingin', clocking in at just over 45 minutes. It's songs are straight-forward, almost jovial, and sound like the soundtrack to a dusty southwestern highway. And I love it. Where Time Out Of Mind was fresh and brilliant, and Modern Times was brooding and introspective, Together Through Life is just plain old romantic. While lighthearted is definitely not the right word, there is a liveliness to these songs that hasn't been as apparent in Dylan's latest work - and I can't help thinking that this is the perfect addendum to the weighty trilogy of albums that opened this phase of his career.

The songs are smart, striking, often funny, and still as relevant as ever. His band is solid, and not unlike Scarlet Rivera's violin that peppered Dylan's 1976 album Desire, David Hidalgo's accordian winds in and out of every song, filling the nooks and crannies between Dylan's husky singing voice. Add to that some blues guitar, barroom piano, and a chugging rhythm section, and you've got yourself a great record. Favorites include: "Beyond Here Lies Nothin", "If You Ever Go To Houston", "I Feel A Change Comin' On", and "It's All Good".

Bob Dylan - I Feel A Change Comin' On
from the album Together Through Life (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: Hold Time by M. Ward

So I've been waiting way too long to write something about this record. I fell in love with it way back in January when it was streaming on NPR, and it's been consistently playing on my computer ever since it was released. I don't know why I've waited so long to write about it - I don't even know if there's much I can say to do it justice. Let's just say this: if you haven't heard it yet, go listen to it right now. Deal? Deal.

M. Ward inhabits this strange world somewhere between the inception of rock & roll and the present day - weaving in and out of whole musical eras and styles from all over the last half-century. One minute he's taking us on a tour of 1950's doo-wop, the next, early Spanish classical guitar, and the next, a 60's art film score. All of this shows up on Hold Time, but not like it has before. While his earlier albums have covered similar territory, seldom has Ward tread so close to pop as he does on this record, and the whole experience is better for it. Where parts of Post War and Transistor Radio (his last two albums) seemed to get washed away in their retro-backwash, no song on Hold Time suffers for its production. The hooks and melodies shine clear through the radio fuzz, with memorable moments popping up about as frequently as guitar licks.

From the two-stepping first single "Never Had Nobody Like You", to the dreamy title track "Hold Time", from the doo-dooing chorus of "To Save Me" to the jaunty "Fisher of Men", Ward has never put together such a solid set of songs as he has here. A particular stand-out is his duet with Lucinda Williams on "Oh Lonesome Me", where their raspy voices linger together over swelling strings and aching slide guitar. But as good as it is, it's just one of many near-perfect moments.

So far 2009 has produced some pretty remarkable albums. Hold Time is one of the best.

M. Ward - To Save Me (featuring Jason Lytle)
from the album Hold Time (Amazon/iTunes)


And here's the latest video for the album, a cover of Buddy Holly's "Rave On". Enjoy.

ALBUM: Technicolor Health by Harlem Shakes

As bad as it sounds, sometimes I'll judge an album by its cover. When I've got a pile of new music to listen to, sometimes it's just the best way to narrow down what to tackle first. True, this is becoming less and less relevant in our digital age, and true it's not always a good way to judge music, but sometimes it's served me well. Like this time.

This time it's Harlem Shakes' debut album, Technicolor Health, that caught my eye first - and then my ear. This record's so good you should put down whatever you're doing and listen to it. Like now. Even with a ton of new music to listen to, I played this album 4 or 5 times on Monday while I was knee-deep in some thick calculus (gross, I know). Then I put it on again yesterday, and this morning it's still the sweetest thing to my ears. Yup. It's that good.

Drawing on the best from rock and indie pop, Harlem Shakes have put together 10 ridiculously catchy, intricately layered pop songs that have kept me tapping my toes and rocking my maths for 3 straight days now. Upbeat and refreshingly earnest, these tracks are full of smart humor, rousing choruses, a surprising array of musical influences, and beats that just won't quit. Most simply, I think this is the funnest record I've heard this year so far.

Every song's a stand-out, but here's a couple to cut your teeth on.

Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game
from the album Technicolor Health (Amazon/iTunes)


Harlem Shakes - Sunlight
from the album Technicolor Health (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: Get Guilty

So while the whole world it seems was partying at SXSW last week, I was sitting here at work trying to make the best of things by listening to a bunch of new music. Luckily, a good chunk of it was pretty amazing. Who needs Austin, right? I've got my itunes and some homemade PB&J. Sigh.

But seriously, I had some great listening experiences last week. For example, I finally got a chance to sit down and listen to A.C. Newman's new record, Get Guilty, all the way through. Better known for fronting the Canadian pop powerhouse The New Pornographers, Newman shows on his second solo album that he's still a powerhouse on his own. More guitar-driven than 2007's Challengers, there's still the perfectionist's touch behind the muscle - and many of these songs shine more after their initial sheen wears off. They're stuffed front to back with great hooks, toe-tapping beats, and layered pop arrangements - all with the little nuances that we've come to expect from Newman's work. Lyrically, I think it's some of the best stuff he's produced to date - take the opening lines from the opening track 'There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve':

"There are maybe ten or twelve things I could teach you; After that, well, I think you're on your own; And that wasn't the opening line, it was the tenth or twelfth; Make of that what you will."

With that, the record starts off with a solid one-two punch, as the next track, 'The Heartbreak Rides' is just as strong - in fact, with that kind of a kick-off I was worried that the rest of album may be a downward slope. Happily, my worries were quickly assuaged. Awash in strings, horns and assorted other goodies, including the vocal talents of Nicole Atkins and Mates of State's Kori Gardner (bonus points), superb tracks like 'Prophets', 'The Palace at 4AM' and 'The Changeling (Get Guilty)' are just a few examples of the solid set Newman's put together here. Then the album closes out with two more of my favorite tracks, 'The Collected Works' and 'All Of My Days And All Of My Days Off'. Put simply, Get Guilty is 42 minutes of evidence that A.C. Newman is one of the best pop songwriters out there, and that he is indeed at the top of his game.

A.C. Newman- There Are Maybe Ten Or Twelve
from the album Get Guilty (Amazon/iTunes)


A.C. Newman - The Heartbreak Rides
from the album Get Guilty (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: The Hazards of Love

A little over a year and a half ago Chris and I realized we had attended one too many monster truck rallys/rodeos/demolition derbys and were perilously close to devolving into the detritus of society. So in order to retain a shred of culture in our lives, we got ourselves dates and attended a local presentation of the opera, Marriage of Figaro. (Usually we just take in a foreign film. Subtitles are a great resource for culture.)
Although when we found out the thing was three hours long and totally in Italian we almost didn't make it. (It was subtitled thank heavens.)
And if I'm being totally honest, I kind of enjoyed it.

And if I'm being totally honest about The Decemberist's The Hazards of Love, I'm more than enjoying it. I'm loving it.

Why the story about the opera? Just a fun little segue into this fun fact: The Hazards of Love is actually a rock-opera!
Congrats Decemberists at joining the illustrious ranks of The Who's Tommy and Pink Floyd's The Wall.

But with previous albums having multiple songs surpassing the ten-minute mark, who didn't see this coming?

The Decemberists have abandoned their past formula of albums composed of short-vignettes for one epic story played out through the entirety of the album. There is a cast of characters (voiced by a group of all-stars), recurring musical themes ranging anywhere from folky to heavy metal, and quite a bit of drama. (I won't spoil the ending for you.)

This album is nothing less than spectacular.

And as a special treat, The Decemberists debuted The Hazards of Love in its entireity at SXSW and you can stream it at NPRs website here.

UPDATE: Once again, a post has been taken down...this is getting out of hand. Go to Hype Machine or Elbo.ws and search for an mp3.

The Decemberists - The Rake's Song
from the album The Hazards of Love (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: Grrr...

An open letter to Bishop Allen:

Dear Bishop Allen,

I didn't think you could do it.
After listening to 2007's Broken String over and over (and over) again and reveling in the pop-perfection you had created, it seemed like a pretty tall (if not impossible) order to top it with any subsequent album.
That being said Grrr... is pretty stinkin' great. You have crafted something equal to, if not greater at times, than Broken String.
Just as fun as you've always been with songs that are about the catchiest little numbers I've ever heard.
There are some pretty fun standout moments for me: The Andrew Bird-esque violin in 'Dimmer', the plunky xylophone in 'The Lion and the Teacup', and just the overall cheery feeling of the record.

I'm glad to see you're celebrating, because you've created something worth a party.

Bishop Allen - Dimmer
from the album Grrr... (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: Everyone All At Once

Every now and then we get something in our inbox that kind of takes us by surprise. We get a fair amount of music sent to us, and not all of it is up our alley - but every so often we get something special that makes us stop and say, "now that's cool." The Rest are one of those something specials (or is it, somethings special? I'm not really sure).

Everyone All At Once, the second album for this group from Hamilton, Ontario, plays like a film score. There are moments of rapturous grandeur right alongside others of hushed reflection. Put simply, this record moved me. There are stunningly beautiful moments weaved into each and every song, and as I sit here trying to write about them I'm finding myself at a loss. I'll do my best, but I think the best thing to do, as always, is to just go and listen for yourself.

Many of the songs, like the album opener 'Coughing Blood/Fresh Mountain Air', are sprawling works that call to mind Sigur Ros's majestic sinks and swells. Great big sweeping strings are utilized often, as well as all sorts of other instrumentation. But while almost all of these ten tracks have a sprawling quality to them, there are still moments of almost folky down-to-earth-ness, like the acoustic guitar underlying 'Sheep In Wolves' Clothing' and the bouncy opening of 'Blossom Babies Part Two'. With the vast array of instrumentation behind him, it might be easy for lead singer Adam Bentley's voice to get lost in the shuffle, but it doesn't. In fact he covers some impressive ground here on his own, at times conjuring Matt Berninger's dark baritone, at others Stuart Murdoch's clear tenor.

Several of these songs clock in right around the 5 minute mark, and there are lots of twists and turns throughout each one, like the abrupt shift halfway through 'Phonetically, Phonetically' from shimmering ambiance to sprightly piano chords and jovial finger-plucking. 'Apples and Allergies', the first single, also starts relatively slow only to build to a bombastic and majestic climax. My absolute favorite song is the album's final track, 'Everything All At Once' - it fuses swelling orchestration with varying vocal parts, all underneath a surprisingly poppy melody line. The tempo shift comes halfway through and the song starts into a slow burn underneath Bentley's airy falsetto, slowly marching forward to a fantastic and fitting finish to this beautiful record.

Everyone All At Once is out April 21st on Auteur Recordings.

(Also, side note - does the title font on their cover remind anyone else of those old Lord of the Rings animated films from like 1980? Just wondering.)

The Rest - Apples & Allergies
from the album Everyone All At Once (buy it here on April 21st)


The Rest - Everything All At Once
from the album Everyone All At Once (buy it here on April 21st)

ALBUM: Three Rounds and a Sound

Back in January Blind Pilot were softly rocking my world, but what with a wedding and stuff going on, I didn't get around to writing about them. That's a shame, because this duo from Portland, Oregon are making some darn purdy music. And not just that, these guys tour by bicycle! And what am I doing to save the world? Hm.

Anyway, my cousin in Portland tipped me off to these guys clear back in October of last year, and while I loved the first song I heard, 'One Red Thread', I didn't immediately check them out. At the time I had a lot of new music I was cycling through, and sometimes when that happens I just have to put some stuff on the back-burner until I can really give them the attention they're due. This happened to Bon Iver and Dr. Dog's fantastic albums last year, as well as countless other albums and artists over the years. I almost never regret putting off the listening though, because when I finally am able to sit down and really take it in, I'm always glad I didn't just plow through it. Everything in it's own due time, right?

Anyway, enough about my listening habits. Let's focus on yours. Yours should include listening to Blind Pilot's debut album, Three Rounds and a Sound. It's earthy and un-forced, taking equal cues from folk music and indie rock, turning in an album of beautiful slow-burners. Israel Nebeker's breathy vocals are right at home over the bare acoustic guitar and Ryan Dobrowski's spare drumming, but that's seldom all that's going on here. Small accents and flourishes are scattered throughout, from the horn-tinged outro on 'Oviedo' to the stand-out 'One Red Thread' to the string-laden 'Go On, Say It'. 'Two Towns from Me' flirts with alt-country, with it's shuffling drumbeat and dusty organ, and 'Things I Cannot Recall' (my personal favorite) has an almost 70's retro feel wrapped up in the chorus's trumpet parts. There's a lot going on on Three Rounds and a Sound, but it never detracts from what the record is at heart - a beautiful, understated piece of music, and one you should check out.

AND if you can, you should go see these guys play with Laura Gibson in Salt Lake on Monday, March 9th. It's gonna be hot.

Blind Pilot - One Read Thread
from the album Three Rounds and a Sound (Amazon/iTunes)


Blind Pilot - Things I Cannot Recall
from the album Three Rounds and a Sound (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: Hospice

The Antlers (AKA Peter Silberman) are set to release their second full-length album on March 3rd, called Hospice. From the band's website:

"When he moved to Manhattan in the winter of 2006, Peter Silberman, disappeared for a year and a half. He stayed cocooned in his apartment, hiding away from friends, family, and most of the city. When Silberman emerged in the spring of 2007, he was twenty-one, liberated, and broken. He set out to explain his absence through a record that would take another year and a half to complete."

The record is a concept album of sorts, exploring loneliness and hopelessness via the cold and austere atmosphere of a hospital/hospice ward. While much of the album lies in the ethereal and ambient realm, there are some moments of quiet beauty where Silberman's lonely falsetto shines through the haze, acting like a little beam of light in an otherwise grey vista. Below are two of those moments. The first is 'Sylvia', a clanging and crescendo-ing piece, and a good representation of the record as a whole. The second is 'Two', which made its way around the internet last year, and which succeeds at being both a memorably beautiful and a remarkably heart-breaking song. The melody-line is simple but profoundly moving, and the adamently strum guitar provides the perfect back-bone to Silberman's woeful narrative.

The Antlers - Sylvia
from the album Hospice (pre-order here)


The Antlers - Two
from the album Hospice (pre-order here)


Click here for more mp3s.

ALBUM: Noble Beast

To say that I've been enjoying Andrew Bird's latest album, Noble Beast, would be something of an understatement. My poor wife has had to put up with my exclamations every time we have it on in the house - things like "how did he do that?" or "how did he even think of that?!" I think the most accurate way to describe my response to this record is "awe".

It doesn't hurt that I've been anticipating this album for over a year now, fueled by Mr. Bird's insightful and entertaining looks into his own writing and recording process via The New York Times Opinion column Measure for Measure (read all of Andrew Bird's posts here). This window into the singer/songwriter's mind has been a fascinating ride for me, especially after now hearing the finished product. Take for example this excerpt from his post last April:

"The record I want to make here and now — the one I wish I could find in my local record store — is a gentle, lulling, polyrhythmic, minimalist yet warm tapestry of acoustic instruments. No solos, just interlocking parts. A little Steve Reich, but groovier. A little Ghanaian street music, but more arranged. Thick and creamy vocals like the Zombies’s Colin Blunstone. The bass warm and tubby like Studio One dub."

After spending a few weeks with this record, I'd say he did it. In another post he describes making a record that you want to listen to over and over in your bedroom or car as a "carefully carved piece of sound", something different than the "adrenaline-fueled and spontaneous" live show experience (if you've seen him perform live you know how true that really is).

The reason I share these two excerpts is because I don't think I can improve on Mr. Bird's own descriptions for this album; specifically, a "carefully carved piece of sound" and a "warm tapestry". The album is soft, especially when compared to 2007's Armchair Apocrypha, but it's never mushy or meandering. Nothing is out of place. Every whistle, every tap of the strings, every bit of atmospherics, they're all in perfect order. Right from the opening whistles of 'Oh No' to the swaying final minutes of 'Souverian', there is no stitch in the tapestry that's missing or feels forced. Sprawling compositions like the 6 1/2 minute 'Master Swarm' lie next to some of the most concise and poppy songs that Bird's ever composed (i.e. 'Fitz and Dizzyspells'). Still awash with obscure lyricism and otherworldly melodic moments (you know, the ones that make me blurt out things like "how do you write that?!"), this album continues to push forward into new sonic terrain for Bird. Songs like 'Nomenclature', 'Not A Robot, But A Ghost', and 'Natural Disaster' are all perfect examples of the stylistic shifts and forays that he so seamlessly explores and ties together on this album. To be frank, this is a near perfect record.

In conclusion, I want to post another excerpt from Measure for Measure. I think that it sums up exactly my feelings on my first several listens to Noble Beast.

"I listened to my record recently and I'm concerned about how much I like it.

"This has never happened to me at this stage of making a record. Right about now is usually when I want to scrap the whole thing and start over.

"...But if I like my record too much does it mean I'm getting complacent? Or am I just gettting better at making records sound the way I want them to? It worries me because what I love about songwriting is that there is no guaranteed formula for success. I'm hoping that getting better at making records means, for one thing, that I am learning how to leave room for serendipitous moments. I always want to hear how things didn't go according to plan."

Noble Beast is indeed full of those serendipitous moments - and when it's taken in context of his other work, I think it's apparent that Andrew Bird is anything but complacent. Buy the record and see for yourself, and it you're in the Salt Lake area next Wednesday, don't miss him live at the Murray Theater.

UPDATE: So Blogger has, for the second time in a week, deemed the mp3s I posted as inappropriate, and completely erased my post. Lame. I know. Good thing I keep a back-up. But I won't be re-posting the mp3s - you can get your own at the The Hype Machine and elbo.ws.

ALBUM: Censored colors

One bit of warning should you purchase Portugal. The Man's latest album Censored Colors, don't open it.
Don't get me wrong it's a fantastic album and the boys from Wasilla, AK (yup, the same 'Wasilla' of Sarah Palin fame. Who knew?) have outdone themselves. But the inside album photo of what appears to be a hand that has suffered severe chemical burns is pretty upsetting. (At least to someone who gets light headed when they draw his blood)
So buy this album, close your eyes, pull out the CD, and listen up cause it's pretty great.

It starts with the strongest tracks off the album. Lay Me Back Down, a unique blend of distorted rock guitar and chirpy piano ballad (I know right? Trust me though, it works) and the anthemic title track Colors. But it doesn't stop there, Censored Colors is simply amazing from start to finish. It just keeps drawing you in because, although the songs vary and are unique, there is a certain feeling of cohesivness throughout the entirity of the album that doesn't allow you to stop. Especially the last half, which feels like one epic (and psychadelic) song.

Portugal. The Man - Colors
from the album Censored Colors (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: The Stand Ins

I had virtually the same experience over the Christmas break with Okkervil River as Chris did with Dr. Dog.
I had been meaning to really devote some time to them (ever since May actually), but with everything else that was on my plate at the time I just couldn't find the little space needed to squeeze in Okkervil River and since finding their 2008 release, The Stand Ins, sitting in the used section of a favorite store, I regret that I waited so long.
It quickly became the soundtrack over the break and in between commuting between my apartment, my parent's home, and my girlfriend's home, The Stage Names and I spent a lot of time together. Not enough time really.

There is only one thing wrong with this album, and allow me to get that out of the way first: It really only has eight songs.

Everything else is near perfection.

Musically and lyrically I have never quite fallen so fast for a song as I did when I heard Lost Coastlines. Beautiful. Simply amazing.
And as I prepare to graduate this coming April and continue the job hunt (could I ask for a better time to be looking for a job in this country?) I only think this song will become more poignant

Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines
from the album The Stand Ins (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: Fate

Hey everyone! I'm back and ready for action! Thanks for all the kind thoughts and well-wishes and what-not. We have some of the greatest readers here at Whale in a Cubicle. No really, I mean that. You're the best.

So this is an album that was on my 'To Check Out' list for most of last year, but I just never quite got around to it. Then, after Christmas I was in a little surf shop in California to make an exchange and saw this sitting there at the check-out for $9.99 + a 20% discount. Well, I couldn't resist. And man am I glad I didn't. It served as my soundtrack for the next week or so of the Holiday Break - which is a real easy way to build a positive association with an album. Add to the equation that I was already listening to a ton of The Beatles and Beach Boys, and you'll see why I fell so hard for this one.

The band is Dr. Dog, and the record is Fate, the fifth album from these Philadelphia rockers. 'The Breeze' kicks off the album with simple acoustic finger-picking, piano and lilting vocals which might make you think you have these guys pegged, until all-of-a-sudden the melody gets wrapped up in background vocals and strutting bass and drums. Then enter some airy studio ornamentation to accompany the outro line "The breeze will blow us all away!" and you might just sit back and wonder where this album is headed. I did. And I'll be honest, I was thrilled with where it went.

60's pop is definitely a heavy influence here (think The Band and the more psychadelic side of The Beatles), but not without picking up some tips from some 70's groups (I heard a lot of Crosby, Stills and Nash on here), and some talented contemporaries (Wilco, Fleet Foxes and Conor Oberst come to mind). In fact the whole album plays like a gleeful name-that-influence, as if these talented pack-rats found everything they liked about pop music from the past 40 years and mixed it into their already colorful palette. It really is a blast.

The production is heavy on every track - making full use of any strings, horns and other atmospherics they could get their hands on (see 'The Rabbit, The Bat, & The Reindeer' below). It's the kind of heavy production that would sink lesser songs, but the melodies and arrangements here are tight enough that these songs not only stay afloat; they sail merrily into the sunset, with me humming along the whole way. So if you, like me, were late in checking this one out - don't wait any longer!


Dr. Dog - The Breeze
from the album Fate (Amazon/iTunes)


Dr. Dog - The Rabbit, the Bat, & The Reindeer
from the album Fate (Amazon/iTunes)

ALBUM: When you gonna give me some liquor

Ok, I agree with what Chris said about Zach Gill in his previous post, especially the part where he describes Zach Gill as 'unabashedly lovable.'

Hallmark card lyricism? Sure, but all that aside Zach Gill helps fill a need in my life. My need for simple, catchy, and fun music. Something to have in my car when all other CDs fail my passengers - Don't start a road trip off with The Dears or Beirut, you may have your DJ rights revoked and end up listening to Disney music for the next four hours. They just aren't ready for either of those bands, its best to start them out with someone like Zach. Trust me, experience speaking.

Simply put, I love Zach Gill.
He is perfect at what he does and I really couldn't ask for anything more.

Zach Gill - Handyman
from the album Stuff (Amazon/iTunes)


I actually chose this song because it has become something of an anthem for me (after it was pointed out, ever so lovingly, that I am not mechanical nor handy...except in one important area.)