The last time I wrote about Ray LaMontagne I wasn’t very generous, and begged for more from the budding blues-folk star. Known as a bit of a recluse, Ray lives someplace in the depths of Maine. It is probably someplace far from the “Real World” where people don’t know who he is, and everyone calls each other by their first names…if there is anyone else around at all. He began his journey into the music world after hearing a Stephen Stills song (“Tree Top Flyer”) on the radio as he was getting up to go to work. He heard the song and decided to stop working in a show factory and pursue a music career. Thank goodness. The music world owes him a huge thank you note. Ray LaMontagne is an artist that doesn’t come along very often. He’s talented, has a unique perspective, and his sound is distinctly his own. His voice is a raspier/huskier version of Van Morrison and Tim Buckley. His music most often is compared to his genre compatriot Iron & Wine for their folk/rock/blues similarities.

Gossip In The Grain (2008) (being released 10/14/08) is as different from Till the Sun Turns Black (2006), as it was from its predecessor Trouble (2004). Each album has seen a progression for Ray, which is quite a thing to say considering his debut album was quite good. At his heart LaMontagne is a storyteller. His way of telling stories through his lyrics is unquestionably one of the things listeners are drawn to during every listen. He usually sings about loneliness and romantic longing. These topics have been “done before” but rarely have they been sung with such drama and authenticity. He expresses his emotion with a depth and realness that would make grown men cry and women sigh. The bare-bones structures and initmacy of Till the Sun Turns Black isn’t totally gone, but it has been replaced with more varied tunes that show a wide range of styles. The opener “You Are The Best Thing” is a rousing Memphis soul tune, followed by “Let It Be” with its folksier lilting soul groove (a song John Mayer will probably wish he wrote), then comes the intimate tune “Sarah” with a melody played on mandolin. Within the first three songs you can already tell that this is going to be a diverse and rich album. The use of strings, acoustic and electric guitars, horns, backing vocals, harmonica, and banjo are just more examples of the diversity employed by Ray and his exceptional producer Ethan Johns. There is even a song that could have been written by the Rolling Stones with its free-form blues riffs called “Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s a Shame).” This is really the record I had wanted to hear from LaMontagne. While I did end up enjoying Till the Sun Turns Black the more and more I listened to it, I think this album is going to have a higher place on the mantle, per se. It’s a really great collection of songs that will satisfy all commers.

“You Are The Best Thing”

The members of Broken Social Scene are numerous. Many of their names are now known outside of the band collective: Kevin Drew, Jason Collett, Leslie Feist, and Emily Haines. The founding members were Drew and Brendan Canning. After recording a few albums and touring with whoever was available (tour line ups) Kevin Drew wanted to record a solo album but still keep things close to BSS material. Thus began the Broken Social Scene Presents series. First in line was Kevin Drew (reviewed by me last year), and now it is Brendan Canning’s turn. Being the lead vocalist for BSS, his crooning will sound familiar (if you know the band). He’s usually very hushed, laid back, and can’t always decipher his lyrics but he creates an extra layer to an already textured sound.

Something For All of Us… was released back at the end of July without a whole lof of fanfare, but it’s a pretty solid album. I’m not sure what each of these members are trying to achieve by releasing “solo” albums. Maybe they feel more passionate about these songs that they could write without the help of the band setting. Maybe they just wanted different packaging. Maybe it’s none of these things. A full-fledged BSS album has a distinctive sound, whereas these two “Presents” album do feel the same but different. On BSS studio releases there is a usually a large feeling of the collective. Whereas on these two individualized releases it feels only collaborative when they’re playing together, and the songwriting came from the solo artists’ vault. Brendan Canning does a sufficient job utilizing the various skills of his bandmates but doesn’t really explore anything new or discover new uncharted territory. To be blunt, it’s a pretty safe album. But, when you’re good a safe album is better than many many things. I would have been a little interested to hear some new thoughts or experimentation, but that doesn’t happen on this record. I still think seeing BSS live is the best way to go. I haven’t had that luxury, but I imagine it would be quite a show. You never know who’s going to show up, but it would probably be a great experience. The first single is “Hit the Wall” and is the best song on the album. Enjoy.

“Hit the Wall”

The Pretenders have been around since before I was born. Now that that’s out of the way, I can tell you that if you haven’t at least heard of them or their mainstay lead singer Chrissie Hynde you’ve probably been living under a rock. For a quick low-down on their history you can read the bio at AllMusic. What you need to know is that this new album is the first studio album since 2002. It continues a trend that has seen the personnel change through the years but it’s said to be only for the studio recording. The current roster for the studio is comprised of Hynde, guitarist James Walbourne, pedal steel player Eric Heywood, bassist Nick Wilkinson and session drummer Jim Keltner. The usual drummer Martin Chambers will retake his position behind the drum kit for the upcoming tour.

Break Up the Concrete is out today (10/7) via Shangri-La Music and clocks in at 36.5 minutes with 11 songs ranging from 2:14 to 4:48 in length. Top to bottom it’s a solid album. It’s groovy with crunchy guitars, some great percussion rhythms, and of course Hynde’s signature voice. She’s truly a rock ‘n roll woman whose music can stand up against the men, and crush many of them. There are straight out rockers, slower ballads, and a few songs in between. This release is special not only because Hynde doesn’t go into the studio all that often, but this is only the 2nd album to bear The Pretenders name in the past 10 years. Clearly, Hynde is standing firmly behind this music and wanted to put the ultimate stamp of approval on the album. For having been singing for 20+ years it’s amazing that Hynde’s voice still sounds fresh, dynamic, and full of verve. Musically speaking, this album is a return to form for Hynde and The Pretenders name. Not that they were gone and forgotten, but this is a rebirth. It’s not as rough and hard-rock tinged as early efforts. The hard rock swagger has been substituted with a rockabilly bounce and country-rock sensibility (on the ballads). Overall, this Pretenders album feels like that old sweatshirt I have in the back of my closet that hasn’t been worn in a while (because I live in SoCal): it’s familiar, comfortable, and makes me wonder how I could have gone so long without it.

“Break Up the Concrete”

UPDATE:
Love’s A Mystery (LIVE on The Today Show)

You’ve probably never heard of Daniel Martin Moore. That’s okay. Neither had I up until a couple weeks ago. I stumbled upon him while perusing Sub Pop Records website just to see what might be new and exciting. If you’re somehow not familiar with Sub Pop, firstly: FOR SHAME. Secondly, it is the definition of an indie label and became famous by signing bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney in the late 1980’s. Their current stable of artists is like a who’s who of bands that I enjoy tremendously: Band of Horses, The Go! Team, Postal Service, The Shins, Iron & Wine, Fleet Foxes, and Wolf Parade. Basically, they have great taste that generally matches my own. Anywho, back to Daniel Martin Moore. Originally from Cold Spring, Kentucky he sent an unsolicited demo to Sub Pop back in beginning of 2007 knowing that there was only the slimmest of chances it would ever be heard. Lucky for him, Sub Pop took down their “no solicitation” sign for a scant moment and liked what they heard enough to track him down. Although, tracking him down sounds like it was a chore, as he was working at a friend’s B&B in Costa Rica. The idea that he received a record deal from an unsolicited submission is ridiculous, as that happens pretty much never ever. And for your information his debut Stray Age was recorded in L.A. during three different spells, the first two of which in October and December of 2007, and finally a third in February of 2008. Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, U2, The White Stripes) took on co-production, recording and mixing duties. Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Tori Amos) played upright bass. Jesca Hoop lent her voice on a couple tracks. And Petra Haden (Bill Frisell, Beck) adds violin for a couple cuts too.

Stray Age is being released by Sub Pop tomorrow October 7th. By now you’re probably wondering what it sounds like. Good question. I like your curiosity. Personally, I think he’s a mixture of various characteristics from Jack Johnson, M. Ward, Mason Jennings and Nick Drake. He is oh so very laid back and calm that he makes Jack Johnson look uptight. What he shares is a talent for infusing emotion into his lyrics. He’s genuinely telling you a story or conveying an emotion. The music really comes through his voice. But at the same time he’s not forcing you to feel one way or another. He’s putting the music out there for you to have a unique response to it. His voice has a soft and lilting swing to it that sounds natural and unforced, as if the words were meant to be sung that way without any thought. Thankfully, his music isn’t melancholy and downtrodden, DMM is looking forward and has a refreshing air of optimism. It’s hard to see him becoming a huge sensation, but once people find out about him he’ll probably have a solid fanbase. I could see his songs being licensed for TV and film easily, and leaving people scratching their heads as to what that song was playing in the background. It’s a nice collection of songs for a debut, and a great story that just goes to show anything is possible when you’ve gotten nothing to lose except the price of postage.

“It’s You”

The Break and Repair Method isn’t a totally new band, it’s actually a side project of Matchbox Twenty’s guitarist Paul Doucette. While on a break from his usual band, Paul Doucette rounded up a few musicians including Tracy Bonham, Moon Zappa (Doucette’s wife) and Matchbox Twenty’s Matt Beck to record material he’d been working on personally. After a couple record deals fell through, he ended up with a fully developed album that is much better than anything someone would produce just looking for a way to pass time between tours.

Milk the Bee actually kind of sounds like the follow-up to The Fray’s debut How to Save A Life. While this may be a stigma or a knock in some circles, I mean that they sound similar. Both have great pounding pianos and a knack for melody. It’s playful, and different than anything Matchbox Twenty has ever put out. Doucette doesn’t have an amazing voice, but he works with what he has and makes up for what he doesn’t with catchy melodies that ask to be sung along to. In fact, many of the songs are really really catchy. He manages to do pay homage to the Beatles, Randy Newman, and Jeff Tweedy. If you’re wondering about the title of the album, it’s in reference to the difficulty of making the album as well as working without a record deal at the outset. I wasn’t expecting the album to be stunning or life-changing, but it has been a delightful surprise to hear that creativity doesn’t die when you’re playing rhythm guitar for years and years in a successful pop band.

“You Won’t Be Able To Be Sad”

Pretty much the only good thing that I took out of SNL last weekend (9/20) was a couple performances by the band Kings of Leon. I had kinda heard of them but never really made any effort to check them out for one reason or another. This was probably the case because I never had any friends that said, “Ethan you HAVE to listen to the new Kings of Leon album.” Maybe they didn’t have reason to promote them. Or maybe you think I have bad friends. I dunno. Either way, the two songs they performed in between some awful sketches (with the surprisingly disappointing James Franco) got me interested in them. Kudos to their booking agent! The quick bio/background on the band is they’re 3 brothers and a first cousin from Tennessee, and they’ve released four albums since 2003. Their road to success was somewhat backwards since they became more popular in Europe and the UK when they toured in support of U2 and The Strokes. Their 2007 release Because of the Times reached #1 on the UK charts upon its debut and made them stars in the process. Having not heard much of their back catalog it’s hard to know how much their sound has evolved over the course of the last number of years. However, I’ve basically inferred that they’ve gone from the “garage to the arena,” meaning their last album had a bit of U2-style epic rock songs and melodies. The newest release certainly hammers home that style and feeling.

Only by the Night is actually a pretty good album on the whole. I say this because many rock albums have such a low percentage of interesting (GOOD) songs. Having ditched some experimentation and garage techniques to broaden their audience may have alienated their base, but it will most likely bring in more fans than they’ll lose. The tracks on the album are actually set up much like a lineup in baseball: the first track is pretty solid and starts off well, the second is a bit better and gets you more into the album, and then the Kings of Leon give their rendition of Murder’s Row. The 3, 4, 5 tracks are really the meat of the album. It’s hit after hit after hit. In fact, on SNL they played “Sex on Fire” (track 3) then “Use Somebody” (track 4). After those three hits the album has normal ups and downs with a couple hits sprinkled in, but nothing like the first half of the album. Usually, if the song/melody is lacking Caleb Followill’s voice keeps your interest. He definitely has one of those great lead singing voices that is even better when performing live as evidenced by the gig on SNL. It’s so emotionally evocative that he could be singing nonsense and give it meaning. Not to take anything away from his brothers and cousin, on the contrary their playing is solid. The lead guitar is echo-y and ringing, the bass is very active and solid, and the drumming holds everything down the way it should. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised when I checked out this newest effort from Kings of Leon. They will be more present on my radar for shows and new releases here on out. Enjoy the lead single below.

Jenny Lewis is probably one of my favorite lead female singers. But, her prodigious talent goes far beyond just her dynamic voice. She has shown a propensity for writing excellent songs with infectious melodies. I would group her in the upper tiers of her group/brand with the likes of Feist, Emily Haines, Eleni Mandell, and Cat Power. Lewis’ background is actually pretty interesting. She’s a former child actress having appeared in commercials, tv shows, and a dozen or so movies after being born in Las Vegas and raised in Southern California. After she finished acting in 2001 she started a band named Rilo Kiley with Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Jason Boesel. The sound of the band has really taken cues from Lewis’ interests in country acts like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Kline, and Lucinda Williams. Starting out with a country twang, the group is now more associated with more of an “downbeat indie rock” sound. Rilo Kiley put out three albums between 2001 and 2004, but it wasn’t until 2006 that Lewis ventured out with solo material on Rabbit Fur Coat which was aided by the Watson Twins. Rabbit Fur Coat was a departure from Rilo Kiley and was a coming out party of sorts for Lewis. It demonstrated a musical range and that really put her on musical radars (as if Rilo Kiley opening for Coldplay during their 2005 U.S. tour wasn’t enough). Personally, I really enjoyed Rabbit Fur Coat even if some of the songs were knockouts and others seemed a bit rushed.

Going into Acid Tongue I was a bit skeptical since she would be without her stellar backing vocalists the Watson twins. I didn’t know how she would do having to support an entire album (ostensibly) by herself. Well, after numerous listens I was horribly mistaken. This album is excellent from front to back. There are collaborations and assistance from the likes of Elvis Costello, M. Ward, Zooey Deschanel, and Chris Robinson. They chip in with backing vocals, a duet (Costello on “Carpetbaggers”), and accompaniment. The resulting album is full of energy, excitement, verve, and genuine emotion. There are ballads. There are country rockers. There is even an epic three song interlude described by Lewis as an “ode to Barbara Streisand and the devil.” What more could you ask for in a 9 minute song? Another factor in making this album such a success is that much of it was recorded live. Not live in front of an audience, but live in studio with everyone playing at the same time versus having each part tracked and pieced together digitally. There’s a lot of pressure to play well when you’re doing that type of recording, but it adds to the excitement and emotion that can’t be faked. Believe it or not, the whole album was recorded over a 3 week period and spans 11 tracks clocking in around 47.5 minutes. This album will surely be talked of on Best of 2008 lists in a matter of months. Not only is it a departure from Rilo Kiley, but it’s leeps and bounds more mature than her previous solo effort. Jenny Lewis may eventually decide to ditch Rilo Kiley and focus on solo material because she has clearly proved that she can stand out on her own.

“Cartpetbaggers (w/Elvis Costello)”

I’ve been writing about the Cold War Kids for 2+ years now. I’m not obsessed, but I definitely like their swagger and brand of music. Their debut Robbers and Cowards was an exceptional debut that was highly regarded among the blogosphere (what a stupid word) and print media. The influences and similarities between them and Spoon, The White Stripes and the Walkmen are readily apparent. The low-fi sound is one that suits them quite nicely. It gives their sound a grittiness that is all too often faked to cover up other inadequacies. On the contrary, I enjoy Cold War Kids for having a sound that is unique while sounding familiar. Aside: I have to address this blogging tendency that has annoyed me for a while. I’ve mentioned how there is so much pressure on a band for a stellar sophomore release and much of the pressure comes the imediacy of the blogs. This point was made perfectly by Paste Magazine: “Music blogs are like bad boyfriends. They take a heretofore unknown band, make them feel special with much frothing keyboard clickity-clack, turn them into rock stars, then suddenly lose their number when the next well-coiffed strumpet in skinny jeans strolls by. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Tapes ’n Tapes are probably still, right now, sitting in their living rooms decked out in mascara-smeared prom dresses waiting for Pitchfork to pick them up, wondering why their respective follow-up albums were greeted with such a resounding chorus of crickets.” With all this said, Cold War Kids are back (as if they ever left) with their follow-up album.

Loyalty to Loyalty is a respectable follow-up that is more nuanced and interesting than its predecessor except it lacks the high percentage of potent 180-proof shots/songs such as “Hang Me Up To Dry.” In other words, Loyalty to Loyalty may be better as a whole, but Robbers and Cowards proved to have more singles. This usually means there are more high and low points, but on the newest album it’s just more even throughout. The high points are still really great, but the misses don’t fall as flat. With this being said, I still need a few more listens to see how the album really holds together. The debut was full of so much energy and raw energy that was infectious. Now that I know what to expect, and what they’re capable of are my standards too high? Would it have been possible for my expectations to have been exceeded? I don’t know. It’s just great to have more new tunes from the Cold War Kids.

“Welcome To The Occupation”

One of the difficulties with reviewing an album of an artist that is considered “underground” is the lack of background information available. So, when I tell you that I know very little about Horton the Irrelevant and August the Creep it means I spent a good chunk of time trying to find details about their biography only to come up with scraps. I was tipped off to the duo by my Midwest Hip Hop Guru…yes, I have a hip hop guru. As their label describes them, “They are a decidedly underground group, yet refuse to ignore the influence of a wide-range of Hip Hop perspectives and musical genres.” Andy Kaufman a.k.a. August The Creep (the producer) is originally from Connecticut, but met his MC counterpart while in college in Arizona. Horton (G.M. Karter) is from the hip hop wasteland of Madison, Wisconsin and moved to Arizona from college (maybe) where he met Kaufman. Again from their label: “August’s travels led him to his native Connecticut, Boston and finally New Orleans. While continuing to make music, mostly focusing on the production aspect, August was displaced from his adopted home by Hurricane Katrina. Disenchanted and disheartened, August was among the minority that returned to New Orleans after the disaster. Known for his dark and layered production, a return to the ravaged city added to his perspective as an individual and musician.” Now you know just about as much as I do, on to the music.

Strange Passengers has been out for a number of months (I think since January 2008) and probably will continue to fly under the radar just because that is the nature of this type of release and artist. Overall, the album has it’s ups and downs with Horton coursing through 19 tracks in 49ish minutes with various degrees of wit and lyrical dexterity. The production of August is pretty solid overall, considering this was most likely produced in a bedroom or makeshift studio. The tracks I enjoyed most are the ones that are more soul and funk inspired with samples and interesting beats. This is not your commercial hip hop which tends to be kind of cookie cutter with recycled beats and predictable rhythms. This is quite the opposite. The album has both “concept” songs as well as more commercially viable material (read: could be danced to/played on the radio). I would only recommend this album to folks really looking to explore underground hip hop in a form that isn’t so far “out there” such as myself. Many times, there is underground hip hop that tries to have too much of a message, or the production is just so spotty that it’s hard to appreciate the ideas. Under-funded and under-produced hip hop takes a lot of patience. It takes a disciplined set of ears to hear what could be a great track from an artist or producer that really has no money for studio bells and whistles. In this same vein, I would go into this album with a very open mind. It probably won’t blow you away, but if you take the time you’ll definitely find at least a few tracks that your head will bob to back and forth.

“The Why”

Murs has been a minor blip on my Hip-Hop-dar for a little while. I should probably know him better considering he’s from L.A. and I live in L.A. His given name is Nick Carter, from Mid-City and in case you were wondering what Murs stands for it’s Making Underground Raw Shit. He’s been putting out records for almost ten years now and until recently was signed to the great indie hip-hop label Definitive Jux (Aesop Rock, El-P, RJD2). His major label (Warner Bros.) debut will be dropping September 30th titled Murs fo President. To get fans excited for that release he wanted to give something to his fans to thank them for their support. That gift was the third collaboration between Murs and producer 9th Wonder. Available for free download with payment optional the album came without much fanfare or preperation.

Sweet Lord is nothing if it’s not an opportunity for Murs to demonstrate his biting wit, sarcasm, and braggadocio. These 10 tracks clock in under 40 minutes which is less designed as an actual release as it is a prelude for what’s to come. It’s supposed to get people excited, and show them Murs is worth plunking down $15 for the “actual” album coming the end of this month. One of the things that I enjoy most about this album is the way it seems like MC and producer work seemlessly together. It never seems like one is carrying the other. In other words, the lyrical skill matches and meshes with the production. I point this out because many many hip-hop albums are produced by a number of different people and they lack any sort of theme or cohesion. I know this is partly a product of paying the good producers more to create hits and paying less for some filler tracks but it’s like a band switching instrumentalists every few tracks on a rock album. Each player has a different style and sound to their guitar or bass or whatever. It just wouldn’t make sense. The bottom line is that 9th Wonder works very well with Murs. It will certainly be interesting to see who he teamed up with for his major label debut (read: a lot more cash to throw at A-list producers). Either way, the fact that this album was free and unexpected add to its stock in my account. It does sound rushed in parts, but considering it came out of nowhere that isn’t terribly surprising either. Murs’ lyrical content focuses on what he knows and his everyman mentality keeps his self-confidence grounded in reality. The cocky proclamations are all hyperbole but thankfully they don’t sound forced. I urge you to download Sweet Lord and listen for yourself, and at least consider picking up the new album when it drops in a couple weeks. A little taste:

“Pushhhhh”