BAD LIVERS Industry & Thrift (Sugar Hill) cd 15.98
Twangy fingerpickin' bluegrass punk rockers, this Austin duo play their own brand of hillbilly boogie, like the Squirrel Nut Zippers if they were country, not swing. Banjoriffic!

BAIER, SIBYLLE Colour Green (Orange Twin) cd 16.98
Some of us here whose proclivities gravitate towards rare psych and folk have been bemoaning the recent flurry of "buried treasures" and "lost classics". It seems a day does not go by without a new release or re-issue of a forgotten or recently discovered artist rescued from obscurity passing before our attentive eyes and drooling mouths. Sometimes the "lost classic" status is not always deserved (not everything made in the sixties and seventies that didn't receive any attention is noteworthy, somethings are better off staying buried or lost), but it's sure keeping the reissue labels and revisionist musicologists busy as they map out an ever-growing expanse of the spheres of influence on music today. It's hard to keep up and also pay equal attention to all the great music that is being made right now. This makes us very happy on the one hand that amazing music continues to be discovered but it also drives us crazy us to see our paychecks quickly dwindling every week. Why just in the past month, we've seen re-issues from Bridget St. John, Kay Hoffman, John Jacob Niles, Kaleidoscope and Fairfield Parlour (all pretty amazing!) among others. And now on our plate are these previously unreleased home recordings of German underground folk singer, Sibylle Baier. We must admit when we first heard this, we suspected fraud. These recordings sound almost too contemporary to have been made in the early seventies. But after doing a little research, we found out this is no fraud. These intimate recordings fully deserve their "buried treasure" status, for whatever that's worth at this point. Baier, only previously known for a song on an early Wim Wenders film soundtrack, recorded these songs in her home from 1970-73 after a "spirit-renewing" trip through the Swiss Alps. She has the warm Sunday jam and tea voice reminiscent of Vashti Bunyan, but with the more spare guitar compositions and melancholy vocal delivery of someone like Chan Marshall. In fact, we sort of wish the new Cat Power or Beth Orton records were this good! Like Bunyan, Baier shunned what could have been a successful career in order to raise a family and it's because of her son, Robby, that these recordings are being heard at all. But unlike Bunyan, these songs don't derive from a back to nature hippie-folk aesthetic, but rather they come from a more delicate fragility where life's beauty and despair are interwoven with the tiny details of daily life. Beautiful! Totally recommended for seventies folk enthusiasts as well as fans of contemporary singer/song-writers.
MPEG Stream: "Tonight"
MPEG Stream: "I Lost Something in the Hills "

BAIER, SIBYLLE Colour Green (Isota) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!
Some of us here whose proclivities gravitate towards rare psych and folk have been bemoaning the recent flurry of "buried treasures" and "lost classics". It seems a day does not go by without a new release or re-issue of a forgotten or recently discovered artist rescued from obscurity passing before our attentive eyes and drooling mouths. Sometimes the "lost classic" status is not always deserved (not everything made in the sixties and seventies that didn't receive any attention is noteworthy, somethings are better off staying buried or lost), but it's sure keeping the reissue labels and revisionist musicologists busy as they map out an ever-growing expanse of the spheres of influence on music today. It's hard to keep up and also pay equal attention to all the great music that is being made right now. This makes us very happy on the one hand that amazing music continues to be discovered but it also drives us crazy us to see our paychecks quickly dwindling every week. Why just in the past month, we've seen re-issues from Bridget St. John, Kay Hoffman, John Jacob Niles, Kaleidoscope and Fairfield Parlour (all pretty amazing!) among others. And now on our plate are these previously unreleased home recordings of German underground folk singer, Sibylle Baier. We must admit when we first heard this, we suspected fraud. These recordings sound almost too contemporary to have been made in the early seventies. But after doing a little research, we found out this is no fraud. These intimate recordings fully deserve their "buried treasure" status, for whatever that's worth at this point. Baier, only previously known for a song on an early Wim Wenders film soundtrack, recorded these songs in her home from 1970-73 after a "spirit-renewing" trip through the Swiss Alps. She has the warm Sunday jam and tea voice reminiscent of Vashti Bunyan, but with the more spare guitar compositions and melancholy vocal delivery of someone like Chan Marshall. In fact, we sort of wish the new Cat Power or Beth Orton records were this good! Like Bunyan, Baier shunned what could have been a successful career in order to raise a family and it's because of her son, Robby, that these recordings are being heard at all. But unlike Bunyan, these songs don't derive from a back to nature hippie-folk aesthetic, but rather they come from a more delicate fragility where life's beauty and despair are interwoven with the tiny details of daily life. Beautiful! Totally recommended for seventies folk enthusiasts as well as fans of contemporary singer/song-writers.
MPEG Stream: "Tonight"
MPEG Stream: "I Lost Something in the Hills "

BAIM, MATTEAH Death Of The Sun (DiCristina) cd 13.98
We weren't all that familiar with Matteah Baim really, other than the fact that she was one half of the Metallic Falcons, with Cocorosie's Sierra Cassidy. Death Of The Sun is actually not that sonically distant from the Metallic Falcons, however where that group was a sort of prog metallic folk, a patchwork of moody free folk, druggy rock, and lush choral arrangements, Baim's solo record is self described 'new age grunge', and thus much more subdued, intimate and personal. Her voice husky and raspy, sexy and sort of torch-singery, drifting over sparse and dark soundscapes, muted and murky, swirling and gently throbbing, the main melodies pecked out on a reverbed piano, simple but quite stirring. It's hard not to hear Cat Power in the vocals, but the arrangements are not that polished at all, instead, they're hushed and lo-fi, lush in their own homespun way. Imagine a countrified Grouper with Chan Marshall on vocals and you might be getting close. Abstract and dark, minor key and so so lovely.
Plus have a gander at the guests: Devendra Banhart, Jana Hunter, Rob Lowe (Lichens) and a bunch more...
MPEG Stream: "River"
MPEG Stream: "Dark Ship"
MPEG Stream: "Wounded Whale"

BAIRD, MEG Dear Companion (Drag City) cd 14.98
If Josephine Foster is the modern day equivalent of Shirley Collins, then Meg Baird would be the contemporary Anne Briggs. Here on her long-awaited yet sweetly low-key Drag City solo debut, Baird, who also fronts Philadelphia's Espers, has been channeling the old ghosts of British Folk (we got a glimpse on the disc of traditional numbers she recorded with Helena Espvall and Sharon Krause, a few lists back) through new and traditional numbers that feel contemporary and timeless without being too folksy or quaint. Sure the influence of folk music's past is anything but new these days, but Baird has been at it for a real long time, and while she has had some killer tracks on compilations now and again, including the ground-breaking "Golden Apples Of the Sun", it's nice to finally see a proper full length from this fair-headed lass who can strum a wistfully folky tune with the best of them. Lovely.
MPEG Stream: "Sweet William And Fair Ellen"
MPEG Stream: "All I Ever Wanted"

BAIRD, MEG Dear Companion (Drag City) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If Josephine Foster is the modern day equivalent of Shirley Collins, then Meg Baird would be the contemporary Anne Briggs. Here on her long-awaited yet sweetly low-key Drag City solo debut, Baird, who also fronts Philadelphia's Espers, has been channeling the old ghosts of British Folk (we got a glimpse on the disc of traditional numbers she recorded with Helena Espvall and Sharon Krause, a few lists back) through new and traditional numbers that feel contemporary and timeless without being too folksy or quaint. Sure the influence of folk music's past is anything but new these days, but Baird has been at it for a real long time, and while she has had some killer tracks on compilations now and again, including the ground-breaking "Golden Apples Of the Sun", it's nice to finally see a proper full length from this fair-headed lass who can strum a wistfully folky tune with the best of them. Lovely.
MPEG Stream: "Sweet William And Fair Ellen"
MPEG Stream: "All I Ever Wanted"

BAIRD, MEG Waltze Of The Tennis Players (Tequilla Sunrise) 7" 8.98
The female vocalist from Espers gives us a sweet taste of her solo work in anticipation of her upcoming debut. Covering "Waltze of The Tennis Players" by sixties folk obscurities, Fraser and Debolt on one side, and on the other, an acapella version of "Dear Companion", an ancient hymn like tune which will be featured on the full length record. Alas, such a little taste leaves us begging for more. Beautiful.

BAIRD, MEG / HELENA ESPVALL / SHARRON KRAUS Leaves From Off The Tree (Bo'Weavil) cd 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Meg Baird and Helena Espvall, the string players and female vocalists of Espers, team up with British folkie, Sharron Kraus for a hazy afternoon's recording of traditional English and Appalachian folk songs. Sung simply and played sweetly on guitar, cello, and dulcimer by a trio well versed in the dulcet timelessness of the folk cannon, these nine songs recall the best work of Shirley Collins, Sandy Denny and Shelagh McDonald. Lovely!
MPEG Stream: "Now Westlin' Winds"
MPEG Stream: "False Sir John"

BAKER, AIDAN Scalpel (The Kora) cd 11.98
Usually, on Aidan Baker's solo records, the list of instruments almost doesn't matter in terms of the actual music. Voice, flute, whatever, Baker tends to smear and blur all of the various pieces into one fluid and gently flowing organic whole. Even in Nadja, his doom metal duo, the guitars are rendered fairly un-guitar like. Instead, the riffs are delivered as huge swaths of molten granulated sound. On Scalpel, his latest solo record, guitar is again the main instrument, but unlike most of the time with Baker, you can actually hear the guitar, and it sounds, well, like a guitar. In fact the first two tracks, the shortest of the five, sound almost like pure folk music, albeit a dark and minimal and lugubrious folk. The guitars wispy and ethereal, chords gently strummed, melodies softly fingerpicked, Baker's voice a gruff whisper. Quite lovely, but surprisingly straight ahead, reminding us of Loren Connors or Hisato Higuchi, a dark languorous folky shimmer, the only hint of Baker's penchant for sound processing, at least in the first two songs is the blur of shortwave interference separating the tracks, a woman's voice, hissy white noise, but it quickly subsides and the sound dials back down to a dreamlike crawl.
The last three tracks, all well over 10 minutes, seem to have the same root, that soft shimmery folk, but here's where Baker's deft hand and soundscaping and sound processing finally surfaces. "Our Needs Bear No Relation To Our Desires" is a slow gentle strum, the various overtones gradually building into moody swells, eventually joined by bits of textural grit, muted buzz, what almost sounds like field recordings, but it's all very subtle, the focal point still that lonely minor key melody, marching resolutely forward through a fuggy dreamlike haze. "Indifference" also begins with a lilting folksy strum, but is also soon nearly subsumed by dizzying whirls of sound, subtle backwards sonic swoops, fuzzy smears of effects, turning that heart of folk into something much more glimmering and glittering. And finally, "Drawn Like A Moth, Slip Like A Snail", returns, mostly, to the unadorned folk of the opening two tracks, another gorgeously drawled, barely audible vocal line, and a lovely main melody, but for its entire 11+ minutes, the guitar and vocal lines drift in an gauzy expanse of humid minimal whir and soft focus high end flutter, various bits of vocal flecked with FX and occasional bits of backwards blur.
Yet another beautiful Aidan Baker disc, and while this one will of course appeal to the Baker / Nadja faithful, it just might hit the spot for dark freek folk fans as wellŠ
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES!!! Each one hand numbered. Gorgeously packaged, fold over die cut sleeve, silver metallic ink on maroon textured paper, a black and white insert / cover image visible through the diecut.
MPEG Stream: "K"
MPEG Stream: "Our Needs Bear No Relation To Our Desires"

BAKER, MICKEY Wildest Guitar (Sepia Tone) cd 13.98
Mickey Baker is best known as half of the duo Mickey & Sylvia, but did you know that this formidable R&B / rock 'n roll guitarist enjoyed a varied and eclectic career playing sessions on such hits as "Money Honey", "Shake Rattle and Roll", "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean"? And then in 1959 he released his first solo album, an all instrumental gem featuring four Baker originals as well as his singular renditions of "Autumn Leaves", the Third Man Theme, "Night and Day", etc. The wildest guitar record ever made? Well, for 1959, yeah okay maybe. The guitar tone is clean yet gritty, the reverb sparkles. Really good!
RealAudio clip: "Third Man Theme"
RealAudio clip: "Autumn Leaves"

BALTHROP, ALABAMA Your Big Plans & Our Little Town (End Up) 2cd 12.98
Not a geographic location, Balthrop, Alabama is a singer/songwriter! Joining in the band naming tradition of the likes of Boston, Chicago, Kansas et al, former Bay Area now Brooklyn based solo singer/songwriter Pascal Balthrop's latest musical moniker is a place, but a fictional one, mind you! You might know him under his previous musical alias which was simply Pascal. With a new name and new hometown come new sounds, a broader scope, instrument palette and group of musicians to accompany him. On his brand new sprawling concept double (!) cd about big city encroachment on a small town, Balthrop's acoustic songcraft is definitely still very very indebted to Jeff Mangum, John Darnielle and the Elephant 6 Collective, but the telltale signs -- such as a very distinctly emotive singing delivery combined with unabashedly blatty horns -- are a little bit more subsumed into his own realm. His lyrical storytelling is less cryptic or surreal, and the downhome-y album unfolds like an indie pop country fair stage play. Some folks have likened his new songs such as "Love To Love You" to the Hidden Cameras in its peppy exuberance. Fans of all of the abovementioned, hop aboard!
MPEG Stream: "Angel"
MPEG Stream: "Tell The Stars"

BAND OF BLACKY RANCHETTE, THE Still Lookin' Good To Me (Thrill Jockey) cd 15.98
Howe Gelb's solo and collaborative projects produce some of the most unpredictable, erratic music around -- running the arid desert gamut from expansive, trippy soundtrack compositions to intimate rough-hewn voice'n'guitar only numbers.
This themed album seems to be one of his most casual and off the cuff gatherings of musical friends. Gelb prefaces it mysteriously with the note "It's been 20 years since the Band Of Blacky Ranchette released its first record. This is the fourth in a series." The stellar guestlist includes Neko Case, Cat Power's Chan Marshall, John Convertino and Joey Burns of Calexico, Richard Buckner, M. Ward, Grandaddy's Jason Lytle, Jon Rauhouse, Dallas Good of the Sadies and Lambchop's Kurt Wagner. Along with the regular ol' studio-recorded songs, some of these recordings were captured in more unconventional locales: Howe Gelb's home, outside the Nashville International Airport (interrupted by a state trooper!), in an unspecified location in Austin TX, as well as "somewhere in Germany". This may be seen as a "sum is less (not greater) than its parts" collaborative collection. Most appearances are so brief, you barely have a chance for them to register. If you're looking for songs more indicative of the individual guest artists, you might be disappointed. However if you're a big Howe Gelb and/or Giant Sand fan, this will probably tickle your fancy.
MPEG Stream: "Mope-A-Long Rides Again"
MPEG Stream: "My Hoo Ha"

BAND OF BLACKY RANCHETTE, THE Still Lookin' Good To Me (Thrill Jockey) lp 11.98
Howe Gelb's solo and collaborative projects produce some of the most unpredictable, erratic music around - running the arid desert gamut from expansive, trippy soundtrack compositions to intimate rough-hewn voice'n'guitar only numbers.
This themed album seems to be one of his most casual and off the cuff gatherings of musical friends. Gelb prefaces it mysteriously with the note "It's been 20 years since the Band Of Blacky Ranchette released its first record. This is the fourth in a series." The stellar guestlist includes Neko Case, Cat Power's Chan Marshall, John Convertino and Joey Burns of Calexico, Richard Buckner, M. Ward, Grandaddy's Jason Lytle, Jon Rauhouse, Dallas Good of the Sadies and Lambchop's Kurt Wagner. Along with the regular ol' studio-recorded songs, some of these recordings were captured in more unconventional locales: Howe Gelb's home, outside the Nashville International Airport (interrupted by a state trooper!), in an unspecified location in Austin TX, as well as "somewhere in Germany". This may be seen as a "sum is less (not greater) than its parts" collaborative collection. Most appearances are so brief, you barely have a chance for them to register. If you're looking for songs more indicative of the individual guest artists, you might be disappointed. However if you're a big Howe Gelb and/or Giant Sand, this will probably tickle your fancy.

BANHART, DEVENDRA Heard Somebody Say (XL) cd ep 3.98
Another lil' shortie from Mr. Banhart! Please note the vinyl and cd versions' track listings are not the same! The cd features the title song (taken from Devendra's most recent full length Cripple Crow) as well as two exclusive tracks not on the 7" ("Lickety Split" and "Chicken"). The 7" record features the title song plus one exclusive track not on the cdep ("La Pastorcita Perdida").
MPEG Stream: "Heard Somebody Say"
MPEG Stream: "Lickety Split"

BANHART, DEVENDRA Heard Somebody Say (XL) 7" 3.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another lil' shortie from Mr. Banhart! Please note the vinyl and cd versions' track listings are not the same! The cd features the title song (taken from Devendra's most recent full length Cripple Crow) as well as two exclusive tracks not on the 7" ("Lickety Split" and "Chicken"). The 7" record features the title song plus one exclusive track not on the cdep ("La Pastorcita Perdida").
MPEG Stream: "Heard Somebody Say"

BANHART, DEVENDRA / JANA HUNTER split (Troubleman Unlimited) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Only available on vinyl! This split LP with Jana Hunter features Devendra Banhart's first recordings without the spiritual guidance of Michael Gira since those very first home-recordings which comprised the Oh Me Oh My... album and the Black Babies UK ep, but Banhart's time with Gira certainly left an indelible mark on the former. Therefore it may or may not be surprising to find that unlike many of his earlier recordings on which Banhart struck a chord as a solitary untethered voice, his more recent material has embraced group choruses. In fact the final song on his side of this record seems to possess a unhinged giddiness along the lines of the Beach Boys' loopy sing-a-long rendition of the "Vegetables" tune on Smiley Smile. Banhart's no longer such a lone wolf, finding many kindred spirits in his travels -- such as Ms Jana Hunter with whom he shares this record. And perhaps it can be said that this sense of gathering is parallelled by the ever-increasing popularization of the avant-folk genre as a whole. Hunter and Banhart's music make for a great pairing of heart-baring, barebones compositions. At time her off-kilter voice is strikingly similar to his, creating an almost seamless transition from 'Side J.H." to "Side D.B.". Five songs apiece, and sure to please.

BANJO & SULLIVAN The Ultimate Collection (Universal) cd 11.98
This record is so great! We've been listening to this almost as much as the recent Devils' Rejects soundtrack. Which is sort of funny when you know the whole story. But more on that later in the review. This is a greatest hits of sorts from a mysterious honky tonk bluegrass band from the seventies called Banjo And Sullivan. Mysterious mostly because of their tragic story. According to the liner notes, Adam Banjo and Roy Sullivan were last seen at a dingey hotel called the Kahiki Palms, a brief stop over on their 1978 tour. The scene of a grisly murder, both Banjo and Sullivan's spouses and their roadie Jimmy Cracker were found brutally murdered there. Banjo And Sullivan were never heard from again and were presumed killed. The record itself however should not necessarily be sullied by those tragic events, as the music in this collection is totally fun and funny and kick ass. The lyrics are goofy for sure ("Dick Soup" is the honky tonk equivelent of a 'sausage party' apparently) but the music is so killer. Totally rambunctious, wild and wooly bluegrass, banjos and honky tonk piano, crazy lap steel, and there are hooks all over the place. This is like the perfect blend of classic old time bluegrass and more modern Bloodshoot stuff like The Old 97's -- tracks like "I'm At Home Getting Hammered, While She's Out Getting Nailed", "I'm Trying To Quit, But I Just Quit Trying", "Lord, Don't Let Me Die In A Cheap Motel" and even a killer cover of "Freebird".
The funny part is -- this band actually never even existed! Banjo And Sullivan, as well as their wives Wendy and Gloria and their roadie Jimmy are all characters in the recent Rob Zombie movie The Devil's Rejects! And all of them meet a seriously gruesome end. But how fucking cool is that? What ridiculous attention to detail! There's not even any Banjo And Sullivan music in the movie, but still, they went to all the trouble to record a whole record, and a great record at that! And then they released it through normal channels. In fact there's no mention anywhere on the package of the movie or Rob Zombie or anything. The only hint is in the liner notes, where it explains that they were the victims of a murderous gang called The Devil's Rejects! So by itself, this is a pretty cool, fun bluegrass record, but having seen the movie and knowing that this is just more elaborate back story for the film, makes this pretty darn amazing!
If you go to the Devil's Rejects website you can link to the Banjo And Sullivan website, check out the tour dates for that final tour in 1978, see photos and even see an old TV commercial for the record!!
MPEG Stream: "Dick Soup"
MPEG Stream: "I'm At Home Getting Hammered (While She's Out Getting Nailed)"
MPEG Stream: "Killer On The Lamb"

BANNISTER, BOB Dives & Lazarus (Twisted Village) cd 13.98
Here's an album of (sometimes radical) interpretations of traditional British and American folk songs, all done by Bob Bannister of Tono Bungay. Melancholy stuff beloved by fans of Shirley Collins and the like ("The Murder Of Maria Marten", "George Collins", "The Unquiet Grave", and others). His production and arrangements are both evocative and inventive, mixing the original words and melodies with violin drone, tape manipulation, electronics, and even distorted guitar feedback. The weak spot is Bannister's singing, he's just not a great singer -- but the feeling is there, and his music captures the mood perfectly. Amps For Christ meets John Fahey meets Slap Happy Humphrey meets the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music? Er, something like that, if that means anything to you... Or, if you've heard the P.G. Six album we raved about on list #112, you'll have an idea of where this is coming from (no, it's not as good as P.G. Six, but shares a similar sound-approach, and is well worth checking out if you liked that album).
RealAudio clip: "Murder Of Maria Marten"
RealAudio clip: "A Miniature Rainbow"
RealAudio clip: "Dark Hollow"

BARE JR, BOBBY The Longest Meow (Bloodshot) cd 14.98
Whoa! From the get-go, Bobby Bare Jr. is revvin' up his country rock motor full throttle. Is he drivin' a tractor? Heck no! It's more of a bulldozer or steamroller! The Longest Meow just might be his most spirited full length to date (yes, studio albums included)! A somewhat unconventional live album, apparently it was recorded over a marathon eleven hour session back in March. His backing band on it is nothing short of star-studded. The Young Criminals Starvation League includes folks from My Morning Jacket, And You Will Know Us From The Trail Of Dead, and Lambchop. Yee haw! As an added treat, amid his rowdy Americana original numbers you'll find an odd barebones cover of The Pixies' "Where Is My Mind". Always endearingly loose and irreverent.
MPEG Stream: "The Heart Bionic"
MPEG Stream: "Black To Blue"
MPEG Stream: "Where Is My Mind"

BARE, BOBBY A Bird Named Yesterday / Talk Me Some Sense (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98

BARE, BOBBY Moon Was Blue (Dualtone) cd 15.98
Like father like son! We've heard quite a bit from Mr. Bobby Bare Jr. over the last few years, but we haven't heard from his papa, Mr. Bobby Bare Sr., himself quite a venerable veteran country artist, in over two decades! He's resurfaced from his lengthy musical absence with this album which was co-produced by his son and fellow country artist Bobby Bare Jr. along with Lambchop's Mark Nevers. It's clear that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Moon Was Blue features a batch of old country classics such as "Everybody's Talkin'" (previously recorded by Harry Nilsson and included on the Midnight Cowboy movie soundtrack), "Love Letters In The Sand" and "The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan". Not at all surprisingly they definitely retain the old country heart 'n' soul of the originals. Although these are current recordings, they almost seems like long-lost treasures from a bygone era.
MPEG Stream: "Everybody's Talkin'"
MPEG Stream: "The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan"

BARE, BOBBY JR From The End Of Your Leash (Bloodshot) cd 11.98
Since Jeff Tweedy and his Wilco comrades have moved further into the more esoteric territory and Paul Westerberg has gotten his boot stuck in his cranky, slipshod bluesy Grandpaboy hole, it's nice to find that Bobby Bare Jr. has ably stepped up to fill their catchy country rock vacancy. On From The End Of Your Leash, he's offered up a nicely varied selection of tunes -- some are warm and golden with piano, some swagger, some have slink'n'pluck surf-inflections. Much better than his somewhat disappointing "OK - I'm Sorry..." ep and his "Young Criminals' Starvation League" debut which we liked quite a bit. Bare's voice has that endearingly withery, slightly inebbriated hoarseness (much like that of Drivin' N' Cryin's Kevn Kinney, Tweedy and Westerberg). To boot, his often twistedly funny without being juvenile lyrics will keep ya entertained. His Young Criminals' Starvation League backing band this time includes such luminaries as Will Oldham, Duane Denison (Jesus Lizard), Paul Niehaus (Calexico, Lambchop), and the excellent vocal accompaniment of Ms Deanna Varagona (Lambchop).
MPEG Stream: "Your Favorite City"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Follow Me (I'm Lost)"

BARE, BOBBY JR Young Criminals' Starvation League (Bloodshot) cd 14.98
Alternative country / Indie rock. Mr. Bobby Bare Jr. is the son of country musician Bobby Bare (singer of such classics as "Detroit City, "Miller's Cave," and "500 Miles Away From Home" and 56 other Top 40 country hits), Lil' Bobby was nominated for a Grammy for a duet with his father at the age of 5. He even sang on the Ryman stage on its closing night. Bare Jr.'s sound has been described as Nirvana meets Lynyrd Skynyrd and well, he does certainly possess a very Cobain-esque, hoarsely pleading, on the verge of cracking yelp of a voice. Combine it with the deeper, more low-key backing vocals and this is much more reminiscent of the beloved Uncle Tupelo. He does a cover of "What Difference Does it Make" by the Smiths, and his version brings all new meaning to the words.
RealAudio clip: "Mehane"
RealAudio clip: "Dig Down"

BARE, BOBBY JR'S YOUNG CRIMINALS' STARVATION LEAGUE "OK - I'm Sorry..." ep (Bloodshot) cd ep 10.98
A bunch of us here loved Bobby Bare Junior's last full-length on Bloodshot, Young Criminals' Starvation League (which now seems to be the name of his band). The son of a country veteran, Junior and his pals play jangly, morose yet sometimes humorous alt-country/indie rock that mixes Nashville with post-Nirvana angst, and could have an Uncle named Tupelo. We're not quite as taken with this new mini-lp -- maybe 'cause the first song is a twee, twangy version of "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" -- but you might be, so check it out, especially if you're already a fan. Indeed, this seems to be a fan-oriented release, with some new stuff, two covers, live versions of songs from his last album, and a demo of one of our faves off that record, "I'll Be Around". There's eight audio tracks here and two live video clips you can watch on your computer. A nice half-hour visit into Bobby Bare Jr. country as we await his next full-length.
MPEG Stream: "Pinky"
MPEG Stream: "Flat Chested Girl From Maynardville (live)"

BARFIELD, CECIL South Georgia Blues (Mississippi) lp 14.98
MISSISSIPPI ALERT!!!!MISSISSIPPI ALERT!!!!MISSISSIPPI ALERT!!!!MISSISSIPPI ALERT!!!!
Ok, we aren't sure if this is the best blues album ever or the most ridiculous, it just depends on who you ask. When we first played it, some of us thought it couldn't be real, it had to be a parody. Perhaps someone making fun of how anyone can play the blues, because the singing sounds like complete mushmouth gibberish! Seriously, you and your pals can have a fun drinking game trying to figure out what the hell he's saying! But it's really no joke, Cecil Barfield (aka William Robertson, more on that in a minute...), one of the last surviving Southern Georgian bluesmen (according to the liner notes) was discovered in 1976 by George Mitchell, who was touring the state for field research in hopes of finding unknown ol' traditional rural bluesmen for a planned festival. One of the scant few left was Barfield, who to Mitchell's delight was previously unrecorded, living outside a tiny farm town on a meager disability check (in fact, the original lp was released under the name William Robertson, because Barfield was scared that he would lose his disability benefits if he released the record under his own name).
Born in 1922, he first started playing when he was just five years old, making his own instruments by attaching a neck to a cooking oil can and tying a string to it. Learning music from what he could hear off records at parties, Barfield's style comes from what he calls "rag pieces", bits of popular tunes picked up from round dances and parties and often individually reworked according to the player. His moaning, wrenching vocal style lends a definite outsider quality to the performance, but supports the superstitious nature of some of the tunes, where he's singing about evil spells called "roots". He even refused to be photographed, because he feared anyone could turn the photo face down and kill him. But of course it's this oddball quality that we love in these records, and of course what makes them totally recommended in our book!

BARKER, KEVIN You And Me (Gnomonsong) cd 13.98
Former Currituck Co. frontman Kevin Barker's debut release under his own name marks a slightly different direction for the multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter. For the last few years, he's been a phenomenal touring musician for Joanna Newsom (who lends a hand on piano and organ here), Vashti Bunyan and Vetiver. His past releases had more of a raw back porch quality, his vocals more urgent and less refined, but here he takes on a more laidback and expansive approach. The production is more lush and warm and his vocals have more of a soft and sweet quality similar in vibe to Vetiver, MV & EE or Cass McCombs, channeling that seventies West Coast sound. While it's a nice little record, the price of admission comes form the three included bonus tracks, which have more of a deeper epic folk quality than the breeziness of the songs on the album proper.
MPEG Stream: "I Will Fly"
MPEG Stream: "Ten Toes To Sister Sky (Bonus Track)"

BARKER, KEVIN You And Me (Gnomonsong) lp 13.98
Former Currituck Co. frontman Kevin Barker's debut release under his own name marks a slightly different direction for the multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter. For the last few years, he's been a phenomenal touring musician for Joanna Newsom (who lends a hand on piano and organ here), Vashti Bunyan and Vetiver. His past releases had more of a raw back porch quality, his vocals more urgent and less refined, but here he takes on a more laidback and expansive approach. The production is more lush and warm and his vocals have more of a soft and sweet quality similar in vibe to Vetiver, MV & EE or Cass McCombs, channeling that seventies West Coast sound. While it's a nice little record, the price of admission comes form the three included bonus tracks, which have more of a deeper epic folk quality than the breeziness of the songs on the album proper.
MPEG Stream: "I Will Fly"
MPEG Stream: "Ten Toes To Sister Sky"

BASHO, ROBBIE Bashovia (Takoma) cd 17.98
"In fact, as usual, when Robbie spoke to me, I didn't understand what in the world he was talking about" -- from John Fahey's liner notes to this new 72-minute compilation of Robbie Basho recordings from three of his albums (The Falconer's Arm I, The Falconer's Arm II, and Song of the Stallion) originally released on Fahey's Takoma label circa '67-'68. Basho (or Daniel J. Robinson, Jr., as he was known before he was realized, via a peyote trip, that he was a reincarnation of the 17th century Japanese poet Basho) was a Fahey protege of sorts, and, in seems -- just look at the cover -- a complete weirdo. Fahey's notes (written before he passed away last year, with this collection in mind) go on to call Basho a "goof" but they also celebrate his undeniable talent, vision, and originality. The booklet also includes Basho's original notes for each track.
Bashovia is composed of "Orientalist" raga-folk-guitar improv with some of the man's unique vocalizations on a few of the tracks -- but most are instrumental, darkly gorgeous and inspired examples of six-string and 12-string manipulation. Moreso than Fahey and other contemporaries, though, there's a super intense, almost scary, impassioned element to Basho's playing.
RealAudio clip: "The Falconer's Arm"
RealAudio clip: "The Haji"

BASHO, ROBBIE Bonn Ist Supreme (Bo Weavil) cd 17.98
Bonn Ist Supreme is a rare glimpse into the live performative side of guitar soli legend Robbie Basho. Recorded in Bonn, Germany six years before his death, Basho was by then in his less interesting Windham Hill phase of his career, but you wouldn't know it by this recording. Containing many pieces from his Takoma-era heyday, Basho's fusion of Celtic, Middle Eastern and medieval influences on his guitar work made him the least blues-based of the Takoma triad of himself, John Fahey, and Leo Kotte. Melding an esoteric spirituality to his playing style, it's easy to get lost in Basho's raga like compositions. Some of the pieces do contain his unique singing which is often a dealbreaker for some (though we dig his vocal stylings), but it doesn't get in the way too much here, and shouldn't keep folks from enjoying his mesmerizingly sublime guitarwork. Nice!
MPEG Stream: "Cathedrals et Fleur De Lis"
MPEG Stream: "The Girl and The Lotus"
MPEG Stream: "Pavan India"
MPEG Stream: "California Raga"

BASHO, ROBBIE Guitar Soli (Takoma) cd 17.98
New Age guitar hero? Hmm. More freaky than that I think. Definitely into the mystical/exotic/"oriental" thing though. Here's a compilation of tracks from three LPs Basho released on John Fahey's Takoma label back in '65 and '66. Beautiful stuff from Seal of the Blue Lotus/Guitar Soli, The Grail and the Lotus, and even one track from Basho Sings (that's when it gets really weird). Brilliant steel string guitar action!

BASHO, ROBBIE The Voice of the Eagle (Comet / Vanguard) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Wow. This is one ridiculous record. Solo 6 & 12 steel string guitar and singing by '60s acoustic guitar hero Robbie Basho (plus a little South Indian Log Drum accompaniment by Ramnad V. Raghavan). This record (a reissue of Basho's 1972 Vanguard debut) might have been almost passable (for solo proto-nu-age guitar in the usual mode of Basho and his contemporaries Fahey and Kottke) had Robbie not opened his mouth to moan pseudo-Native American vocal stylings (with similarly themed lyrics that may have been quite sincere but come across as very silly). It's only a surprise that the Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God label (of "Celebrities At Their Worst" fame) didn't get around to re-issuing this themselves. Indeed, although the absurd, wavering vocals might ruin one's enjoyment of Basho's fine guitar playing, they also really do make this a hilarious listen. Connoisseurs of the weird/kitsch should check this out, it's like a cross between "Ein Wigwam" and a Fahey album. For fans of the Sun City Girls, Yahowah, Telly Savalas, and other absurdities. Allan finds this record to be quite enjoyable on those grounds, and once you're done laughing, you'll see that some of it is quite beautiful and Tim Buckley-esque as well. "I am the voice of thu-u-und-rrrrr" etc. Reissued in a nice mini-LP style sleeve.
RealAudio clip: "Voice of the Eagle"

BASHO, ROBBIE The Voice of the Eagle (Comet / Vanguard) lp 21.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Wow. This is one ridiculous record. Solo 6 & 12 steel string guitar and singing by '60s acoustic guitar hero Robbie Basho (plus a little South Indian Log Drum accompaniment by Ramnad V. Raghavan). This record (a reissue of Basho's 1972 Vanguard debut) might have been almost passable (for solo proto-nu-age guitar in the usual mode of Basho and his contemporaries Fahey and Kottke) had Robbie not opened his mouth to moan pseudo-Native American vocal stylings (with similarly themed lyrics that may have been quite sincere but come across as very silly). It's only a surprise that the Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God label (of "Celebrities At Their Worst" fame) didn't get around to re-issuing this themselves. Indeed, although the absurd, wavering vocals might ruin one's enjoyment of Basho's fine guitar playing, they also really do make this a hilarious listen. Connoisseurs of the weird/kitsch should check this out, it's like a cross between "Ein Wigwam" and a Fahey album. For fans of the Sun City Girls, Yahowah, Telly Savalas, and other absurdities. Allan finds this record to be quite enjoyable on those grounds, and once you're done laughing, you'll see that some of it is quite beautiful and Tim Buckley-esque as well. "I am the voice of thu-u-und-rrrrr" etc. Reissued in a nice mini-LP style sleeve.

BASHO, ROBBIE Venus In Cancer (Tompkins Square) cd 15.98
You know we must confess it is getting harder and harder to write about instrumental acoustic guitar records and not repeat ourselves. Sure we can talk about the various fingerpicking styles, the different tunings, the long-enduring influence and lasting legacy of John Fahey, but it starts to sound routine and in a wide field of players concentrating solely on one instrument, it's not easy to keep a fresh perspective. So thank the stars that the Tompkins Square label has reissued this amazing 1970 recording from Robbie Basho because it sounds so refreshing. Basho was the least known of the Takoma label trio, John Fahey and Leo Kottke being the brighter stars. But Basho's style heavily influenced by raga modalities and Celtic melodic structures was more akin to the classical and Eastern hybrid styles of Sandy Bull and Pete Walker. Venus in Cancer is a transitional recording originally released on ABC's Blue Thumb imprint just after he left the Takoma label and before his later New Age dabbling on Windham Hill. The songs are long and flowing, spiritually imbibed (but not overtly so) with melancholic melodic structures and raga-ish tempos that occasionally burst out in song. Yes, folks, Robbie Basho sings on this one (a point other reviews we read seem to ignore). But, before you all run away into the hills, let us tell you that his voice is a) pretty great in context with what he's playing and b) it's thankfully sparse throughout the record. On one song, he does some Henry Flynt-style field hollering, on another a bit of spoken verse, and yet on another his voice recalls a slowed down Antony or John Jacob Niles. This has got to be one of the best and unusual examples of primitive guitar we have heard in a while and as you well know we have heard a lot. Plus the cover art is pretty damn rad. Highly Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Venus In Cancer"
MPEG Stream: "Song for the Queen"

BASHO, ROBBIE Zarthus (Comet / Vangurd [sic]) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Robbie Basho: amazing, mystic guitarist. Robbie Basho: absurd, overwrought singer. Here you get a lot of his entrancing ethno-folk guitar, and also a bit of his sincere, but unintentionally silly vocals. Still, "Zarthus" is quite lovely, a blend of "Persian, Arabic, Western themes" played on 6 & 12 string guitars, accompanied by Ramand V. Raghavan's mrdangam. Originally a 1974 LP, now reissued on cd in a beautiful mini-LP sleeve.
RealAudio clip: "Khoda E Gul E Abe"
RealAudio clip: "Khalil Gibran"

BASHO-JUNGHANS, STEFFEN 7 Books (Strange Attractors Audio House) 2cd 16.98

BASHO-JUNGHANS, STEFFEN In The Morning Twilight (Kning Disk) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BASHO-JUNGHANS, STEFFEN Inside (Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 11.98
A great new record by Junghans, a soon-to-be much more well known guitarist from the former East Berlin. Solo acoustic steel string guitar is his thing. "Inside" is a folk-trance album of exquisite beauty that has been compared to his evident hero Robbie Basho as well as to Loren Mazzacane Connors. Obviously, John Fahey would be another reference point, and Junghan's sometimes quite repetitive minimalism also puts us in mind of Rod Poole. The disc is divided into three "movements", starting in a simple, rhythmic manner (sounding very avant-garde & "Eastern" & Rod Poole-like) before morphing into some equally radical intricacies. There's no overdubs, but lots of variation. It's all very beautiful and hypnotic, never too difficult (to listen to, that is -- to play this stuff I'm sure is difficult). With colorful liner notes by Byron Coley.
RealAudio clip: "First Movement"
RealAudio clip: "Second Movement, Part One"

BASHO-JUNGHANS, STEFFEN Landscapes In Exile (Blue Moment Arts) cd 18.98

BASHO-JUNGHANS, STEFFEN Late Summer Morning (Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 14.98

BASHO-JUNGHANS, STEFFEN Rivers And Bridges (Strange Attractors Audio House) cd 14.98
49 year-old German steel-string acoustic guitar talent Steffen Basho-Junghans returns with his third cd for Portland's Strange Attractors Audio House label. His other ones, which we liked a lot too, were of a more experimental bent, all minimalist and droney and weirdly tuned, but this one takes a more traditional path hewing closer to the music of his obvious hero, the great and eccentric Robbie Basho (and to many of Basho-Junghans' past import releases). Like his guru and adopted namesake, here Basho-Junghans deftly picks out some totally beautiful, meditative and damn impressive East-meets-West 6 & 12 string guitar. (But unlike his hero, he doesn't indulge in any singing!) If you're at all into the classic Takoma school of instrumental acoustic solo guitar -- Basho, Fahey, Kottke -- you'll dig this. Really nice.
MPEG Stream: "Hear The Winds Coming"

BASHO-JUNGHANS, STEFFEN Unknown Music 1 Alien Letter (Sillyboy) cd 18.98
We never got around to reviewing this prolific Germanic avant-steel-string guitarist's previous release (the 7 Books double cd released on Strange Attractors last year) although it was perfectly fine -- perhaps we were just scared off by the suggestion of Native American themed spoken word poetry associated with it. No such dangers seem evident here, though, so let's check out this brand new new disc of his on the Italian label Sillyboy, shall we? As with all the stuff of his we've heard, it's one for fans of improvised 12-string guitar in a sorta out-there repetitive, minimalist mode... more Fahey than Bailey thankfully. Maybe that's the reason we didn't manage to review 7 Books, 'cause once you've reviewed a few of this man's releases, it's hard to conjure up more to say, even though the listening remains enjoyable... I mean you gotta cite Fahey, the Takoma label influence, all that. The fact that the man named himself after Robbie Basho ferchrissakes! He makes it so obvious. There's even a couple of tracks here subtitled "Kottke On Mars".
But that's not to dismiss Steffen Basho-Junghan's own talent, and such is quite evident here with this disc, recorded live to DAT in his Berlin living room, all solo, with no overdubs and only "gentle" edits. The concept here (Basho-Junghans is really into concepts) is that of an outer-space alien musician (one of those cantina dudes from Star Wars maybe?) coming to Earth and trying to do his/her/its best on an unfamiliar Earth-instrument, in this case the guitar. Hmm, is this a stretch for Basho-Junghans or not? After all, the guitar IS his instrument. However, his clusters of notes, slides and bends allow one to imagine the alien appendages perhaps used to play such music. And, especially, this does a fine job of conjuring a sense of the night-space-darkness travelled by such an alien visitor. Stark and weird but really quite lovely, with hints of Eastern exoticism...
MPEG Stream: "IV"
MPEG Stream: "VIII"

BASHO-JUNGHANS, STEFFEN Waters In Azure (Strange Attractors Audio) cd 13.98
Here's the seventh cd (!) from Berlin's foremost acoustic 12-string manipulator. We liked last year's "Inside" disc from Junghans (his first domestic release), and this one follows suit with more of his explorations in "minimalist solo steelstring guitar". Repetitive, mesmerizing, rhythmic strum builds and builds while individually picked and slid notes spray like metallic drops of liquid, falling from his guitar strings in shimmering, chiming streams...or something like that. "Waters In Azure" has an obvious watery theme that Junghans renders quite well musically. It's all very beautiful, and sometimes almost manaical in its minimalist single-mindedness. Junghans likes to experiment with arbitrary structures on his playing, limitations (like, say, using but one finger or string) that force him into extreme new compositional solutions. But the results don't sound forced, they just sound like nothing you've really ever heard from a "normal" solo guitarist. He also always records totally live and direct with absolutely no overdubs or effects, which is rather incredible when you listen to some of this! Equally for fans of Robbie Basho and Rod Poole.
RealAudio clip: "ONE No 1, Part III"
RealAudio clip: "Waters, Part II"

BAUER, MATT Nandina (self-released) cd 9.98
San Francisco has quite the impressive (and ever-growing) grassroots folk / country / blues music community, both past and present. Jolie Holland, Sean Hayes, Dieselhed, Virgil Shaw, Crooked Jades, Waycross, Court & Spark... the list goes on and on. Of course, there's always room for one (or two or three) more, isn't there? Well, over the last few weeks, a few folks have been comin' in asking for a gent known as Matt Bauer (not to be confused with Skullflower / Total / Sunroof! / Youngsbower's Matthew Bower, mind you!). Apparently Mr. Bauer had a new self-released cd out, but after much sleuthing about we were unable to track the elusive fellow down... that is, until last week! Yes, we're pleased to report that he's surfaced, and kindly brought in some of his cds himself. And it was worth the wait. Nandina is a fine album of earthy, comforting, melancholic folk songs with warm and weathered male vocals.
MPEG Stream: "Window Hill"
MPEG Stream: "Cold Valley Rain"

BAUER, MATT The Island Moved In The Storm (La Societe Expeditionnaire) cd 13.98
As the temperature and leaves gradually fall into autumn, a fittingly dusky and haunting album from former Bay Area now New York based folk troubadour Mr. Matt Bauer has arrived! It's a devastating song cycle inspired by the story about the mysterious death of a girl (posthumously known as Tent Girl) which took place back in 1968 in Bauer's old stomping grounds in Kentucky. Absolutely heart-rending and beautifully realized, The Island Moved In The Storm is a wonderful progression from his 2006 Wasps And White Roses cdep. Unquestionably his best work to date! The artfully Spartan arrangements allow much room for his achingly withered voice and deeply affecting words to sink in. He was ably assisted by many musical luminaries: Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen of St. Vincent, Alela Diane, and Dirty Projectors' Angel Deradoorian to name a few. Fans of M. Ward, Jolie Holland, Sean Hayes and maybe even Calexico too, please take note immediately! This just may be your new favorite album and artist! Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "Sheltering Dark"
MPEG Stream: "Florida Rain"

BAUER, MATT Wasps And White Roses E.P. (Crossbill) cd ep 6.98
A familiar face around this neighborhood -- you might recall his debut cd Nandina a couple of years back -- Mr. Bauer caught us off guard recently when we received a package from him addressed from New York. He'd pulled up anchor and moved across the country! Fortunately his brother still lives around the corner from our shop and can supply us with Matt's latest cdep. It picks right up where he left off on the final somber strains of Nandina's closing track "Jordan In A Plastic Bag". Such achingly beautiful, weathered folk melancholia, this time with the added pleasure of female vocals accompanying Matt's on a pair of songs. Who might those ladies be? Why, noneother than Ms Jolie Holland ("Carve It Out") and Ms Mariee Sioux ("Wasps And White Roses"). Each voice compliments the other so well! Also making a couple of appearances are fiddle player Alisa Rose ("White Horse" and "Poor Robin"), and Nathan Wanta guest sings along on the last number "Poor Robin" too. Seven songs of which five are originals (three with vocals, two without), plus two traditional numbers. Wonderful!
MPEG Stream: "Carve It Out"
MPEG Stream: "Wasps And White Roses"

BE GOOD TANYAS Blue Horse (Nettwerk) cd 16.98
On the last list we raved about Jolie Holland's debut album Catalpa, but well before she recorded Catalpa, she did time as a sidekick/auxilliary member of Canadian bluegrass folk outfit the Be Good Tanyas, providing fiddle, guitar, vocals, arranging and songwriting (her song "The Littlest Birds" appeared on Blue Horse before it showed up on Catalpa!) Folks who dug Holland's solo record will find so much to love here. A lush blend of guitar, mandolin, banjo, electric violin and double bass. Traditional bluegrass infused with modern songsmithery and utterly enchanting vocals weaving strange harmonies, at once classic and traditional but at the same time ghostly and otherworldly, making these songs sound like they were pulled from the ether, from some abstract time in the past. Lilting and forlorn, melancholy and dreamily perfect.
MPEG Stream: "Rain And Snow"
MPEG Stream: "The Littlest Birds"
MPEG Stream: "Broken Telephone"

BE GOOD TANYAS Chinatown (Nettwerk) cd 16.98
Following their fine Blue Horse debut album, the Be Good Tanyas' second full length offers a well selected mix of traditional numbers, originals and covers. On Chinatown the group, perhaps most notable for the very early membership of Ms Jolie Holland (whose since pursued a solo path), prove they've got nothing to prove. While many folks seem hell-bent on comparing the two, each glows warmly luminous in its own right (or shall we say light?). That's not to say that fans of one won't find much to love in the other, but this ain't no competition, is it? Embrace 'em all as their music embraces you! Effortlessly conjures visions of old tyme potbelly stoves, porchswings, corncob pipes and pitchers of lemonade.
MPEG Stream: "Waiting Around To Die"
MPEG Stream: "It's Not Happening"

BE GOOD TANYAS Hello Love (Nettwerk) cd 15.98
Oh how we adore those Be Good Tanyas! Their first two albums Chinatown and Blue Horse hold solid places in our hearts. Both albums came out ages ago, leaving us craving more for years! Primarily known stateside for far too long as Jolie Holland's former band, with the aptly titled Hello Love the Canadian country folk trio gracefully glide out of Holland's shadow and into their own rustic autumnal spotlight. That said, Holland does make a brief vocal appearance on the eighth track, their cover of Mississippi John Hurt's "Nobody Cares For Me". They also do wonderful versions of "A Thousand Tiny Pieces", a song by SF's dear Sean Hayes and "For The Turnstiles" by Neil Young. They're definite album highlights. Not so sure about their cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" tho' which you'll find hidden at the end of the album. Oops, sorry to blow the surprise, but maybe they should've kept it hidden?!
An aside: Kinda burns our biscuits that an artist signed to Nettwerk Records (i.e, an international and pretty much 'major' label who could buy them the moon tenfold) is getting Canadian government funding grants while unsigned, empty pocketed independent candidates go empty handed. Geez, that just doesn't sit right.
But regardless, a super pretty twangy delight.
MPEG Stream: "Human Thing"
MPEG Stream: "For The Turnstiles"
MPEG Stream: "A Thousand Tiny Pieces"

BEACHWOOD SPARKS Once We Were Trees (Sup Pop) cd 14.98
Boy do Beachwood Sparks want to be the Byrds. From the psychedelic cover art to the super acid-drenched photo collage foldout poster, they're wearing their peace pendants and worn-in denim like they're conjuring the ghost of Gram Parsons. And hey, they do it really well. Recorded by Thom Monahan (Scud Mountain Boys), the music is syrupy sweet in a good way, without being fake or too pretentious -- it's genuine and rings true. There're chiming guitars that sound remarkably like Roger McGuinn's Rickenbacher 12-string, banjo workouts, male harmonies and a cheerful twang throughout. In a weird twist, Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis guests on two tracks, lending a subtly modern twist to the retro sound. Very Nice.
RealAudio clip: "Confusion is Nothing New"
RealAudio clip: "By Your Side"
RealAudio clip: "The Sun Surrounds Me"

BEACHWOOD SPARKS s/t (Sub Pop) cd 13.98
Beautiful! Two members of the lost great LA band Further here team up with a former Lilys guy to form Beachwood Sparks, the freshest breath of country/rock twang to reach these ears in many months. Supplementing the normal rock lineup with harmonica, organ, piano, and plenty ooh-sha-la-la backup croonings, the music combines the best of Gram Parsons, early Byrds, and the Elephant 6 bands such as the Olivia Temor Control and Apples in Stereo. Boy-girl harmonies, real honest to god songwriting chops, and excellent crystal clear production. Highly recommended!