Album Reviews: As Tall As Lions, The Cave Singers, MUTEMATH
»Album Reviews For Release Date: 08.18.09
by Joshua Krage
It’s a busy week in the indie rock world, so we’ll get right to it:
As Tall As Lions, You Can’t Take It With You – solid alt.rock band who has been nimbly treading the lines between arena rock, indie emo, and progressive experimentalism since its first release. This third LP is full of great songs which, if sung with just an acoustic guitar, would be mellow and meditative affairs, but luckily are hung atop restless breakbeats and shimmering guitar echos rocketing between the speakers. Dan Nigro’s soaring tenor falls squarely between Jeff Buckley and Queensryche’s Geoff Tate (i.e. he’s got one of the best voices in rock and roll), and this band just continues to impress down the stretch. Highly worth your attention.
Brendan Benson, My Old, Familiar Friend – this Nashville (by way of Detroit) Irishman might be committing some of his more visceral riffage to The Raconteurs lately, but his considerably muscular power-pop songwriting is as sharp as ever. For you uninitiated, his solo work is much sunnier and reminiscent of ’70s A/C singer-songwriter fare than the ripped leather of his work with Jack White. A smart slice of crisp, deliberate pop/rock with the crosshairs aimed at the catchiest hooks in the meadow.
Blind Man’s Colour
The Cave Singers, Welcome Joy – with the indie folk-tinged rock landscape blooming brightly with bands like Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes, it’s nice to hear a band that flows from its folk roots into a more classic rock direction. These organic Seattlites aim for the cool night moon shining down and land squarely in the classic AOR sounds of the ’70s, just without all the distortion.
Depedro
Division Day
GWAR
Colin Hay
Joe Henry, Blood From Stars – the veteran, earthy, go-to producer for artists like the Jayhawks, Mary Gauthier and Loudon Wainwright III makes his own music from time to time and brings his considerable roots-grounded city folk blues into the spotlight with warranted confidence.
The Hidden Cameras
Hot Club of Cowtown
Inward Eye
Ledisi
The Lovely Feathers
MUTEMATH, Armistice – oh boy I’ve been looking forward to this album for two years. I’ve been a fan since way back in their Earthsuit days, and their stage show is absolutely without peer. Mind boggling breakbeats, extra-terrestrial atmospherics, tape loop experiments on every table, boatloads of adrenaline, and Paul Meany’s deliberate, thought-provoking lyrics sung with air-raid-siren urgency. A bit less radio appeal on this album, but the complete work makes up for it. There might be better overall albums out this year, but not many will push the envelope as much as what these four explorers are discovering in their musical trailblazing, and even fewer will be as danceable while doing it.
Old Crow Medicine Show – live DVD
OST, Inglourious Basterds – whole lotta Morricone and some German music thrown in, but it’s a Tarantino soundtrack so expect the music to be a major player in the film. I’m not sure what music fits with killin’ dem Nazis, but I’m sure he’ll find something der suitable…
Otep
Sean Paul
Pissed Jeans
Ramona Falls, Intuit – it’s Brent Knopf from indie experimentalists Menomena, making a slightly more accessible and subtly gorgeous side project.
Jay Reatard, Watch Me Fall – a Detroit garage-punk firebrand who has taken many musical forms since crashing on the scene over a decade ago. Meeting somewhere in the middle of the Dwarves, Nirvana, and the Replacements, he makes noise that’s as catchy as it is corrosive, as poignant as it is pointy. He might rub you the wrong way one way or another, but you can’t count him out — the music is just too damn good.
Rolling Stones – Best of ’71-’93
Farmer Dave Scher
Sister Hazel
Third Eye Blind – I’m still laughing about the “Third Ear Deaf” joke
Richard Thompson – box set
VA – New Tales to Tell: A Tribute to Love and Rockets
VA – Woodstock 40th Anniversary box set
Loudon Wainwright III
…and for anyone who cares, this little kitten completes another year around the sun in a couple days. Have a drink on me, and see you next week!
P.S. enjoy a sampling from this week’s new songs on my MySpace page. It’s updated pretty much weekly now…
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