Neverheardofthem

The Moves - Johnny America

Oh, SNAP! The Moves have dropped their debut record on a Rt. 9 of the mind and they'll drive you MAD laugh'n, from Amherst to HAD(ley). Boston born and Amherst raised, brothers Josh and Brian (a.k.a. The Moves) have made a must-have album for Valley dwellers and the world beyond.

I mean it would be one thing if the songs were just funny as hell, or if The Moves managed to address some serious social and environmental issues in their songs, like the destructive nature of SUV culture, as they do in "Let's Ride." Or if the songs just had killer hip hop and dance beats that make you shake your money-maker, that would be great background music for the campus kegger, wouldn't it? BUT TO DO IT ALL??! This album is firing on many levels.

Addressing the humorous level of the songs alone, the tunes on "Johnny America" are the Hip Hop and Power Pop cousins of Tenacious D's faux RAWK and metal. But there's an original and timely brand of humor happening here, and the pro production of the album will make it a regular in your car stereo. Check out their tune SESAME STREET DREAMS for a taste of the record.

Trust me, just get yourself to TheMoves.org to preview the songs on the album and to watch several hilarious videos. The ambitious duo promises "new music, videos, and lunacy every Thursday." You can also pick up "JOHNNY AMERICA" (CD and DVD combo) on their site, or at local record stores like Night Owl Records in Easthampton, MA.

My suggestion: hook up with this record fast...like Flash animation, cause The Moves are Josh and Brian and they kick it from Hadley to the Nation. [DISCLAIMER: THE MOVES are so much more clever with their rhymes and mad beats than my four-chord indie-rock ass can begin to suggest on this blog.] The songs are infectiously groove'n, 'wicked' intelligent, and just hilarious. Bonus: hooks and samples will reverberate in your brain case for days. I nominate "Johnny America" for best holiday or birthday gift of 2005.

Perhaps it could be argued that a song like "Straight Outta Hadley" has much more resonance for Pioneer Valley residents who've seen the transformation from Hadley's once fertile farm land to today's strip-mall concrete garden. But the bulk of the songs on "Johnny America" will crack up anyone with a brain and a booty to shake, in or out of the Valley.

Be the first kid on your block to listen to The Moves and join the "secret society of cool people."
Check it! The Moves are online at TheMoves.org and also onine at JoshUndBrian.com

Jeffrey Foucault

An acquaintance of mine in Madison, Wisconsin recalls when Jeffrey Foucault (pronounced FOE-cult) was cutting his teeth on the local acoustic guitar circuit. In his personal life, Foucault was a student at the University of Wisconsin, studying history and driving a university snow plow. In his musical life, he was just another guy with a guitar, not doing any one thing particularly well enough to get noticed or be remembered. His self-released debut album, 2001’s Miles from the Lightning, suggested that this initial diagnosis wasn't entirely accurate. The folk world began describing him as a “workmanlike” creator of “Americana blues” songs, which conjures visions of an unshaven guy in a red flannel shirt and work boots sweating over a guitar, with half a pint of warm, flat Budweiser not far out of reach.

2004’s Stripping Cane, though, comes with no such ready-made descriptors. David “Goody” Goodrich (of Groovasaurus fame, and producer of such singers as Peter Mulvey and Chris Smither) was recruited to produce the record, in which Foucault officially arrives with his own sound.

It’s worth remembering that while Foucault was making his early rounds in Southern Wisconsin, he had only just begun to play the guitar; he picked it up seriously when he was 17. While the resulting music on Miles certainly sounded good, and his intensely personal, regional, narrative lyrics unquestionably hinted at what was to come (particularly on the title track, available here), it remained very simple musically. Gentle but easy arpeggios, standard tunings, and three-chord songs abounded. One could direct the same criticism toward many blues musicians, admittedly. But Miles had its tenderness and charm; it was self-released, and its bare-bones production meant that Foucault wasn’t hidden behind studio trickery (no acid reflux here).

If you’re among the “glass half full” crowd, then the transition from Miles to Stripping Cane marks Foucault’s musical ability catching up to his vision, which was previously about six steps ahead of his body. If you’re in the “glass half empty” crowd that prefers to lay the improvement at the feet of producer Goodrich, there’s still no denying that on Stripping Cane Foucault shows much more range with the guitar (the glass is, by the way, half full). “Doubletree” stands out particularly, as Foucault picks up a guitar banjo (a six-string banjo guitarists use to help make the switch to the five-string banjo less jarring) to help tell a narrative about a man named Henry who was accidentally killed during a bet between friends. Peter Mulvey provides whisper-like backup vocals here behind Foucault’s lead narration, a kind of ghostly presence one could attribute to the now-deceased Henry himself.

The album itself opens with a similar whisper on “Cross of Flowers,” in which he sings “There’s a steeple on the skyline / Like a single iron nail / There’s a windmill doing nothing / And a low moan on the rails.” The optimistic and touching refrain of “I’m coming home” throughout stands in contrast to the bleak landscape being described around him. Yes, he’s coming home, but not to run into the arms of someone who may have missed him.

Even the musically simple songs on Stripping Cane are an absolute delight. Northbound 35 (click here to download) is a slow, deliberate piece with a simple basic architecture and several layers of harmony; Anita Suhanin’s backup vocals, coupled with a hypnotic slide guitar, help create the album’s standout track. Everything has been leading up to this track so far, and every song from here on out has "Northbound 35" in its rearview mirror. And when the last of the song’s verses concludes with “I never even kissed you on the mouth / When we said good-bye,” one can’t help but get a shiver.

The remaining tracks are no less worthy of an extended mention. “The Bluest Blade” has a similar sound to Peter Mulvey’s “Me & Albert” (off his own David Goodrich-produced album “Kitchen Radio)” in that a single string can be tuned differently to create a surprising, though simple, supporting riff. His cover of CCR’s “Lodi” is right out of the Uncle Tupelo playbook, with a mixture of Appalachian and alt-country fiddle backup. “Don’t Look for Me” nods toward the confident fingerpicking stylings of Chris Smither, as does “Pearl-Handled Pistol.” Stripping Cane, in the end, is as far from a sophomore slump as one can possibly get.

For Jeffrey Foucault news and music on the web, start with his homepage and his music page, which includes tracks from both his albums, plus miscellany (of note is the Redbird project). An absolute must-listen is an in-studio recording of Foucault, Chris Smither and Peter Mulvey trading songs for an hour on a Nashville radio program. Foucault performs earlier versions of some of Stripping Cane’s tracks.

The Wrens & The Information Rock Allston

My friend Matthew introduced me to the Wrens early last year. He didn't loan me their record per se, but he had loaned me his car for a few weeks and had unwittingly left The Wren's latest full-length "Meadowlands" in the CD player. So I listened to it, over and over, and a few commutes into the week I accidentally turned up the volume way too loud and that's when I really fell in love with the record. The songs, the production, all of it.

So when I learned that The Wrens were playing a show at Great Scott in Allston, MA, I very excitedly got tickets. Great Scott holds a few hundred people maybe, a small venue for The Wrens who have had deserved success with "Meadowlands." Wish you were there? Well, you missed a great show. The out of focus shot below (taken by John McCarthy of the band National Carpet) gives you a sense of the very intoxicating scene, and if you CLICK HERE you can hear a brief soundbite of the crowd and an extended outro, recorded on my iPod with the iTalk mic adapter (that is to say, low quality).

Just do yourself a favor and buy all their records, especially "Meadowlands," and read their BIO on wrens.com, as soon as you can HERE ON WWW.WRENS.COM

As a total bonus, local rockers The Information opened for the Wrens. The evening was organized to celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of THE PLAN, which best I can tell seems to be a roving rock show/happening in Boston about which I need to learn more. [If you know the skinny on The Plan in Boston, educate us and leave a comment below.]

The Information rocked (repeat, RAWKED), and the band wins my insignificant vote for Best Looking band I heard live in May 2005. Nice folks too. Check out their record "Mistakes we knew we were making" and catch their live show if you have the chance. Learn more about The Information at theinformation.net

Metric

This band gets me daydreaming about the eighties. When I play their record Old World Underground, I am happily smothered with a rush of new wave nostalgia. The pulsing, whirling keyboards, sultry vocals, punk-pop guitars and driving rhythms send me into that contented, buzzing place of tapping and bobbing; a land of electric magic. Something in their sound reminds me of Blondie. Maybe it's the fact that the listener falls instantly in love with the lead singer, Emily Haines, and her many personas. She is angry, playful, soothing and sensual. When I first heard this record, I fantasized that Haines was channeling a young Debbie Harry (note the talk/sing in "Wet Blanket"). I like the lyrics too. Politics, sarcasm, disillusionment, mistrust, tragedy, love, spirituality, and poetry - everything you'd want in a song, or in life. Plus the music can be so damn catchy. "I.O.U", which opens the album, gets stuck in my head for days, and not just the chorus, the whole thing. It's a very dynamic song that is frantic, then dreamy, then layered, then stark. Lyrics go from: "Ten year-old enemy soldier -- Our falling bombs are her shooting stars" to: "with all I don't say, with all I don't do, I'm sending you invitations to hesitate too". Check out some mp3 samples on their web site: http://www.ilovemetric.com/music.html You can read all about their adventures of location and relocation, forming, and morphing on this site as well.

Guitarist James Shaw, bassist Joshua Winstead, and drummer Joules Scott-Key are the rest of Metric. The rhythm section is exact and visceral, if those two things can go together, these two are doing it. Shaw ripping on the guitar lends a nice balance to that drive. Old World Underground is a full record. Its constantly building momentum, changing mood and atmosphere, playing with music, and most importantly, knowing when to let the music take over, which makes for a sound that is creative, masterful, genuine and passionate. I have not had the pleasure of seeing Metric live, but for all the reasons I've mentioned, I'm willing to bet they put on one hell of a show

Iron & Wine

Often, my wife and I will finish dinner, wash the dishes, clean off the table, move to the living room, and read. We’ll brew some tea, open the window just a crack to let a slight breeze in, and sit silently on opposite sides of the couch, her feet resting on my lap as we divide up the available space 75/25. We never have to raise our voices much louder than a whisper to share something with each other that we’ve just read. The candles flicker a bit, we’ll hear an occasional car drive by outside, and we’ll eventually look up to find we’ve stretched that moment into two hours. Typically, only a telemarketer’s call ruins the silence.

If we required a soundtrack for those two hours, Sam Beam would provide it. Beam, otherwise known as Iron & Wine, has just released a new EP of six songs titled Woman King. Though his recording career is rather brief, he’s already proven himself a master of sleepy, minimalist folk rock.

Actually, I’m already stretching the truth a bit to fit a version of reality that I prefer. It’s kind of disingenuous to present him as merely an atmospheric musician since, unlike with other atmospheric music, his songs don’t fall apart the second you pay attention to them. Beam is a former Miami film professor, and so labeling his music as soundtrack-y fits all too well. The truth is, as always, a bit more complicated. His songs certainly work as muffled background noise when silence simply will not do, but presenting him as a practitioner of indie-folk mood music ignores, well, the music.

The first Iron & Wine recording was 2002’s The Creek Drank the Cradle, and Beam was the sole performer, overdubbing guitar after guitar onto a four-track recorder in his bedroom, occasionally adding a banjo for good measure. He’s moved on since then, and has recruited, among others, his sister Sarah to provide some backup. Adding performers hasn’t changed his style (much), as he’s merely replaced his own overdubs with live backup musicians, and replaced his bedroom with a studio; his tracks still retain the no-frills simplicity that made his earlier albums so unique.

He’s retained some of his trademarks from past albums, like his straightforward, methodic chord progressions, and his gentle, hopeful, reassuring vocals. He comes very close to whispering on many tracks, a peaceful, relaxing murmur that long-time listeners will recognize from “Bird Stealing Bread” or “Passing Afternoon” off previous albums.

Woman King, though, is a bit of a departure from his earlier efforts. The album opens with the title track (available as a fully-downloadable song on Subpop’s website), which features some tribal-sounding drumming; percussion rarely exists in Beam’s world, and so its presence is an event. “Evening on the Ground (Lilith’s Song),” the final song on the EP, is energetic, with some electric guitar, more aggressive vocals, and some Middle Eastern-sounding fiddle overlays. And yes, I’m aware that fiddles are not Middle Eastern.

The middle tracks are a bit more familiar-sounding. “Jezebel” almost sounds like it could be from his first EP, as it has the feel of having been recorded on a single track, in one take, before the kettle came to a boil. In “Gray Stables,” Beam shows off his lyricism with such gems as “my lady / like a teacup on the counter / frail, pleasing everyone,” and “my lady with her watches by the / mattress / bathes lately all alone.” He’s always been a gifted lyricist, but seems to have matured a lot in just three years.

Some musicians pick up a guitar, learn four chords, and can’t even get those right. Beam routinely takes those four chords and creates something like “My Lady’s House,” a beautiful piano-and-guitar ballad which pays tribute to a woman with “a thousand names.” It is clearly the standout track on the album, one which touchingly celebrates a tender, reciprocated love, and one which makes me feel much better about only having one quarter of the couch.

Subpop has a few full songs available: “Naked as we Came,” “Woman King,” “Southern Anthem,” “Lions Mane,” and “Jesus the Mexican Boy.” You can also view a video for “Naked as we Came” here.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

I’ll admit to a small obsession with bands that do “loud & raucus” just as well as they do “melodic and somewhat tender” (Green Day’s “When I Come Around” and “Hope You Have the Time of Your Life” don’t cut it, by the way). Tyranny of Distance, from Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, has long been a favorite of mine for this sort of range. It was released in 2001, but is a pretty good ambassador for what this guy can do (and please don’t think that a 2001 release date means the expiration date is about three-years old – he’s timeless, I tell you). It’s also one of the few albums that has no filler material; every song belongs there.

Go on over to his web site, click on Audio, and listen to “Biomusicology,” “Squeaky Fingers,” and “The Gold Finch and the Red Oak Tree.” I’ll wait.

OK. So you’ve now heard a ballad that works best when played loudly, a flat-out loud rock tune, and a little acoustic gem. A little stage-setting is probably in order.

While you could probably envision “Biomusicology” playing as the musical outtro to an episode of Dawson’s Creek as the various characters cry into their pillows, the song’s inclusion would automatically make that episode the most watchable one ever, justifying your entire one-hour investment. Ted also gets style points for such deft use of the word “ne’er.” “Squeaky Fingers” is a great song to play in your car with the windows rolled down and, if I’m not mistaken, it’s Springtime, people. It’s loud, it’s catchy (go on, try to get it out of your head the first time you hear it), and you can actually understand the lyrics.  On “The Gold Finch…” he presents an acoustic cartoony-nursery-rhyme song that runs about two minutes; certainly Beatles-inspired, and how many punk singers can draw from the Beatles and Bad Religion on the same record? “Timorous Me,” with its bouncy guitar riffs and high-register vocals, shows what happens when punk musicians channel their energy into something more than barre chords. Not every punk- or post-punk musician grows up; Ted has, and has the stringed instruments and fingerpicking to prove it.

If I had to label Ted Leo with a single catchall word, it’d probably be “fusion,” and I’ll leave it to you to decide what he’s actually fusing. Some punk, yes. A little pop, sure. Above all else, he’s a former punk rocker who realized that all his songs didn’t have to wear the same two-shades-of-loud outfit.

Catch Ted Leo and the Pharmacists in Northampton May 14 at Pearl Street, and be sure to check out the web site for some more downloadable mp3s (full songs, at that) and some medi-cam closeup shots of Ted’s larynx (I’m not making that up). They’ll also be interviewed on 5/04/05 on WQRI here (note: the link is for the live audio feed – their interview begins at 10 PM, and it won’t, to my knowledge, be archived). To buy Ted Leo records--and yes, he does release on vinyl--go to his store here.

 

You Are Here - Adrian Crowley

When You are Here You Are Family by Galway, Ireland’s Adrian Crowley, has so many aquatic characteristics, it is absolutely mesmerizing. I grew up around the ocean. That could be the reason this record soothes, comforts, and enchants me. Listening to the way the instruments and vocals on this album blend, echo and move each other, I can’t shake that very particular feeling you have when you are lying on an inflatable raft: bobbing along with the dips and swells of the tide; utterly relaxed, introspective, willing to ride where the waves want you to go. With that said, let me emphasize that city and mountain dwellers alike need to hear this music. It haunts you. Crowley’s voice is deep, sad, and resonant. It echoes around in my head long after I have turned off the stereo. The musical arrangement is natural, organic; each song is a living breathing being with a will of its own. Plus, the contagious melodies really ring.

For those who have never heard Crowley, a comparison might be helpful, as much as I hesitate to make them. The similarities and tributes to British folk legend Nick Drake are unmistakable, from the rambling, layered guitar picking and sweet vocals, right down to the hypnotizing cello of Kate Ellis. So if masterfully sung ballads that are simultaneously melancholy and inspiring turn you on, you’re in luck. Thomas Haugh's drumming cannot go unmentioned. I love the sneak-up-on-you subtlety of the cymbals’ crescendo in “Girl from Estuary”; it reminds me of that rhythmic swell, rise and spill of ocean waves hitting the shore. And the bass drum’s pendulum thumping is eerie and ominous.

There are usually one or two songs on an album that stick with me after a few listens, highlights if you will. Occasionally I am treated to an album that has many. This record is one of them; those highlights keep changing. The opening track “Tall Ships” was my favorite for a while, with its undulating layers and erupting warmth. This song has to be played loud. Really loud. After the third or fourth time through the album, I grew attached to the melodic, intimate murmur of the vocals on “Sweet Sorrow/Only Daughter”. At this moment, I am stuck on “North Shore Song”. The steady whispering snare drum (yeah this guy can make a snare drum whisper) really drives this one. The songs really feed off each other on this record, which might be my favorite thing about it. As a collection of tracks, it is so balanced and reciprocative, with perfect symbiosis between each part, culminating into a rich, magnetic whole.

Some information:

Adrian Crowley’s web presence lives here: http://www.adriancrowley.com/ Steve Albini produced this record. For more about Steve (he’s worth paying attention to), check out his studio’s web site Electrical Audio and read his tirade on the music business, "The Problem With Music."

This record was recorded in 2001, and released in the US in 2002. Crowley has a new album, Northern Country, released in June 2004. His CDs are available online at http://www.midheaven.com/artists/crowley.adrian.html.

Invited All

Fans of Elliot Smith, Death Cab for Cutie, and Lou Barlow have a new record to procure immediately. Devour repeatedly with delight the tender ballads and pop-rock gems of "Two Years and Thirty Minutes," Mark Schwaber's new release (Pigeon Records).

Schwaber masters the 3 minute make-your-head-bob indie-pop song here with the tracks "On your way" and "Ghosting," and also gives us the minor-key melodies that both feed and heal melancholy with "Hell is here" and "Invited all." The record is wonderfully manic in this way, yet cohesive, like the one or two friends you still bi-annually keep in touch with from high school.

You can get "Two Years..." at Mark's record store Night Owl Records or online at CD Baby, where you can also listen to selected tracks. [Note: Turn the car stereo WAY up for track 3, "Let down," and drive around the block a few times making faces at your neighbors with the windows up. It's really fun.] You'll also hear backing vocals by Jose Ayerve, drums by J. J. O'Connell and Brian Marchese, pedal steel by Bruce Tull, and violins by Carolyn Walker.

Coming soon: NEVERHEARDOFTHEM EXCLUSIVE - Mark's Elliot Smith tribute song will be available on neverheardofthem.com in about a month...or so. Check back for updates.

***LIVE with LOU: Catch Mark Schwaber's live solo shows on the East Coast with Lou Barlow Wednesday, March 2, at the Iron Horse in Northampton, MA, or Thursday, March 3, at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA.*** Lou is touring behind his new record "EMOH" (which features Mark on guitar), available on MERGE Records

Also, see Mark's garageband.com page for all upcoming gigs here daddy-o and check his blog here

I'm Gonna Kiss My Spouse

The new record from SPOUSE, "Are You Gonna Kiss or Wave Goodbye," has not left my iTunes/iPod rotation in weeks. I was first introduced to Jose Ayerve's main band with their previous release, "Love Can't Save This Love," which I adore. The track "Sad Not Trashed" is a gem on "Love Can't..." I later heard the band's first release "Nozomi," which is an instant indie classic too. Home run after home run with this band. So you can see, it's hard for me to be objective when I love just about everything Spouse. Do yourself a favor and get their records immediately.

This is the band about which "valley" (western mass) musicians and fans ponder "How are they not huge? How is it possible that they are not globally known and ridiculously popular? They're so good." From great songwriting and recordings to electric performances, they're it. A band this good doesn't go unnoticed by the big labels for long so try to catch a SPOUSE show while they're still playing intimate rooms. See their tour schedule Yes, A&R folks out there looking for the real deal, and all music fans looking for the same, should visit the spouse site

I'm particulary fond of the mid-tempo groove of the title track, provided courtesy of the artists for your listening pleasure: Are You Gonna Kiss Or Wave Goodbye?

Now that you've had a taste, you'll probably want to buy the record at Night Owl Records (Easthampton, MA) or via InSound