Catchy as Hell Pop from Virginia Coalition

A lucky library pick-up was a live album by  Virginia Coalition called “Live at the 9:30 Club”. I was going to write that album up a while ago. I had even begun to write the review:

I don’t usually like recorded live music. I generally like my music either actually live, performed right there in front of me, or polished from the studio. There are exceptions, of course. I do enjoy the occasional LivePhish CD, “Frampton Comes Alive!” was a great recording, Jazz performances often record well. For the most part, though, it’s difficult to capture the energy of a live show, and the sound isn’t as good. Usually.

I stumbled upon a great live recording of a band I had never heard of, though I have since ordered some of their studio work. The Virginia Coalition is a rock band out of Alexandria Virginia. Since 1998, they have released 7 studio albums. Somehow every one of them had escaped my notice, but this live album got my attention.

Hey, VACO. If you read this, book some dates in Cleveland. KTHX.

In the course of writing this review, I discovered no one has samples of the songs on this double disc anywhere. Nothing on YouTube, Amazon sells the disc but has no audio samples, etc. I tabled the idea. Since then I have gotten a couple of the Virginia Coalition studio albums I requested. They’re not wall-to-wall winners, but there is great music on both, so I’m going to write about those instead.

I guess I should explain the overall sound a bit. I would say they remind me of a cross between Blues Traveler and Barenaked Ladies with occasional flashes of Dave Matthews. Sounds pretty good, right? It is. The instrumentation rarely blows you away; there is very little breakout, virtuoso soloing or crazy, complicated fills. You get a sense that they could do that if they wanted to, but like Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, the band seems intent on serving the groove of the song rather than playing to impress. Lead singer Andrew Poliakoff has an uncanny ability to toss out pleasing Pop melodies that most vocalists would give up a finger for.

First, their 2004 release, “OK to Go.” I kept 5 songs off this release:

• Last Goodbye – There is a lot of piano in their work, but this one is entirely guitar driven and they rock it out a little more than their usual gentle Pop.
• Walk to Work – “I walk to work ‘cos my car broke down.” He’s poor in the city but making the best of it. This one makes me think of Bob Schneider (Ugly Americans) a little bit. Funky verses give way to a fat chorus. I like this track a lot.
• Voyager 2 – It sounds like this is going to be another up-tempo number when it starts but they subside into a sweet introspective tune.
• Abbey Are You Endless – This one rocks about has hard as I’ve heard them play. They also do some interesting work putting echoes and other effects on the vocals. Perhaps not coincidentally, it is one of my favorite studio songs I’ve heard by VACO.
• Meteor – ‘Meteor’ is typical of these guys. It doesn’t rock too hard, but it isn’t a sleepy song either. The verses lull you and the chorus jumps out and grabs you.

The other studio album I’ve gotten thus far is 2008’s, “Home This Year.”

• Home This Year – A sunny but melancholy song about being away from home on the road. “Gotta get home this year. ‘Is that you, baby?’ The first words I wanna hear.”
• Santa Fe – This is a small, appealing song with easily plucked guitars and a simple Pop hook chorus. Poliakoff is great at rolling out simple melodies like this.
• Stars Align – This one is a lot like ‘Santa Fe’ except the chorus is maybe a little fatter. It trips along in the studio but I bet it’ll get your feet moving when they break it out live.
• Same Page – I am reminded of late Blues Traveler when I listen to this one. The message of peace and in particular Poliakoff’s vocal delivery reminds me a lot of John Popper. Thin John Popper, not old school.

In my opinion, neither of these studio albums is as good as “Live at the 9:30 Club.” The joy and energy they are famous for putting into their performances is miraculously captured and the songs always bring a smile to my face when they get shuffled to the top of my deck. Get the live album if you can and certainly see them live if you get the chance.

One of my all-time favorites: an absolute classic from Stevie Wonder

Every now and then I like to recommend an old album. This one was never obscure, but my wife and I both commented on how much we both love one of these songs and it made me want to write it up. If even one person who never heard this album before goes out and gets a copy, it will be totally worth dedicating a post to this classic.

Stevie Wonder is a national treasure.

The album I’m referring to is Stevie Wonder’s 1976 masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life.” The album went to #1 in the U.S. (between “Frampton Comes Alive!” and “Hotel California”), charted in 5 other countries, and spawned a handful of hits. No fewer than 130 musicians and engineers worked on the album, including George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Deniece Williams, Minnie Ripperton, Michael Sembello, and many more.

This double album has 21 songs on it. He probably could have squeezed these songs onto a single album – or at least most of them – but a bunch of the songs have an extra minute or three of soloing. He really takes his time with all of the songs. The music is joyous and/or moving and almost every song is a winner. 16 of the 21 have a permanent home on my iPod. I won’t say much more about it except go buy it. Or at least listen to some of these.

• Love’s in Need of Love Today – This song aged well and the message never gets old. Joan Osborne does a pretty good cover of this song, but the original is still much better and I’m sure Miss Osborne would agree with me.
• Have a Talk with God – This is one of my enduring favorites on this album. I love the positive message, though I’m not much of a religious man myself. I didn’t learn until today that Stevie plays every single instrument on this song. It’s all Stevie.
• Contusion – A crazy, instrumental Jazz piece. Are you freaking kidding me? It’s hot, too, with the full compliment of musicians on this one.
• I Wish – Good Lord this song is funky. The guitar and bass work are irresistible and the horns will knock you back on your heels. I defy you to not get up and dance when this comes on. It can’t be done. I still dance in my living room when this comes on, swear to God.
• Knocks Me Off My Feet – This may not have aged particularly well, but it is still a laid back, beautiful love song.
• Pastime Paradise – Coolio famously sampled this song, but he made it neither deeper nor cooler than Stevie’s brilliant original version.
• Summer Soft – The warm piano riff is a great background for Stevie’s honeyed alto voice. The verses are sweet but the chorus gets really big.
• Ordinary Pain – It’s 1976 again whenever this song comes on. Very much a product of the musical times. It’s a pretty and timeless Pop melody, though.
• Isn’t She Lovely – This was the one I remember hearing on the radio when I was a kid. Stevie’s done singing 3 minutes into this song, but apparently loved the groove so much he added 3 ½ minutes of harmonica solo at the end. The crying baby is his daughter Aisha Wonder (counted among the 130 who contributed to the album).
• Joy Inside My Tears – The lyrics are so heavy and the melody is gorgeous. He presents the whole musical idea within the first 3 minutes, but then hits it over and over, making bigger and funkier for 3 more minutes.
• Black Man – OK, the 2 minutes of shouting at the end gets tiresome, but the groove on which this song is built is so busy and funky I had to have it on my iPod.
• Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing – I wish I could sing along to this song, but between the Swahili, Spanish, and incredibly high parts, I just can’t. What a joyful song. Listen to the overwhelming buoyancy of the third chorus 2 minutes in. You just want to raise your hands to the sky.
• As – This was the song that inspired me to post on this album today. It is my wife’s favorite Stevie Wonder song and it is a powerhouse that comes in at over 7 minutes. The vocal performance Stevie puts in on this is positively awe inspiring. He growls, he croons, he wails, and it’s all perfect.
• Another Star – Again the full complement of musicians joins him on this 8 ½ minute epic. Horns, flute, broad backing vocals, lots of percussion and they have to fade it out at the end. It sounds like they may have just continued for another half hour but they cut it off.
• All Day Sucker – This groove is just nasty. The dirty keyboards and dripping guitar wallow around in this oozy love song. Fantastic.
• Easy Goin’ Evening (My Mama’s Call) – I think of lazing around in a grassy field on a sunny day when I hear this. Stevie was apparently thinking of evening, but it sounds sunny to me.

‘If It’s Magic’ is another great song, with just Stevie’s voice and a harp. I removed it from my iPod, but now I’m not sure why. ‘Sir Duke’  is on this album too, but I’ve heard it so many times and it was never my favorite track anyway.

“Songs in the Key of Life” is a masterpiece by a brilliant artist at the height of his powers. If you’ve never heard it, do yourself a favor and pick it up. It will live in your CD player for weeks. If you haven’t listened to it in a while, dig it out again. You’ll find a lot of the music still sounds fresh (I believe ‘I Wish’ would climb the charts if it were released today for the first time) and even the dated songs are great.

Hot new Chillout music from Trip Hop pioneers Massive Attack

They could have called it "Creepy Gemini"

So a couple weeks ago I posted a mix of Massive Attack. They have shown amazing versatility for years working with a variety of vocalists, producing many different sounds all in the genre they helped found, Trip Hop. They’ve got a new 4-song EP out. The songs are slow in tempo, but pretty compelling. Read my review at AltSounds: http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/112384-massive-attack-splitting-the-atom-ep.html.

Well produced, but occasionally spotty Hip Hop from Awol One & Factor

I did keep a few of these on my iPod.

“Owl Hours” is the new CD from Awol One & Factor. I can’t recommend the entire release, but there are a few real winners on it. I reviewed it for AltSounds. Read all about it: http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/112362-awol-one-and-factor-owl-hours-album.html

Smooth, complex, and melodic Jazz from the Bruce Hornsby Trio

I have written before about Bruce Hornsby. I have tremendous respect for his virtuosity, his songwriting, and his versatility. Today, I want to focus on his versatility. After a recent day when my iPod spun a few Hornsby tracks in a row, I decided to go back and see what my library had. I found a disc called ‘Camp Meeting.” Didn’t know anything about it, since it was a library search listing. I just ordered it and figured I would give it a listen.

Honestly, this is the best new Jazz disc I've heard in years.

Holy cow. What serendipity. Turns out it’s a Jazz collaboration between Bruce Hornsby, Christian McBride, and Jack Dejohnette put out in 2007. I’ve seen them listed in a couple places as The Bruce Hornsby Trio and the fact that their ensemble has given itself a name gives me hope they’ll do this again.

Jack DeJohnette is a Jazz drummer, pianist, and composer from Chicago who has played with Keith Jarret, Bill Evans, and Miles Davis, among others. Christian McBride is a stand-up bass player from Philadelphia who has played with Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Diana Krall, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, The Roots, Sting, James Brown, and others. Hornsby, obviously, has been a solo artist for decades and toured with the Grateful Dead before Jerry’s death.

The disc is full of my favorite kind of Jazz. It’s a simple 3-piece, their work is melodic, and all thee musicians play their asses off. The pleasing melodies remind me at times of Vince Guaraldi. If you put it on as background music while you enjoy a few drinks with friends, it will keep a vibe going nicely. If you put on headphones you will be full engaged as they move between head-bobbing and jaw-dropping. Of the 11 tracks on the disc, I want to recommend at least these 7.

• Questions and Answers – The disc kicks off with this old Ornette Coleman tune. It is one of the more frantic and least melodic tracks on the album, but the complexity of their arrangement and the ease with which they attack it are impressive. Pay particular attention to the percussion. Amazing.
• Charlie, Woody and You/Study #22 – This original composition starts out disjointed, but after a while, they get this lurching beast to dance and they really swing it.
• Camp Meeting – Hornsby wrote this one too. This chord progression is one that makes me think of Guaraldi. I swear Hornsby must have 3 hands to make this much music at one time.
• Celia – Where ‘Questions and Answers’ was a frantic run and ‘Charlie, Woody and You/Study #22’ was a disjointed dance, this is an easy stroll. They take almost 8 minutes with this one but it never gets dull.
• Stacked Mary Possum – I don’t know why Jazz guys are unable to resist giving their compositions names like this one. It must make them smile. The song doesn’t sound vaguely possum-ish to me. It’s a busy, melodic toe-tapper. Maybe my favorite on the disc.
• Straight, No Chaser – Their take on this Thelonius Monk song is great. The bass walks all over, DeJohnette plays on every surface on his kit, and Hornsby likewise plays nearly every note his piano can make. The whole thing stays disciplined, however, in service to the song the whole way.

As I listened to this marvelous disc I got to thinking that Bruce Hornsby reminds me of Bela Fleck in that both men have succeeded at whatever I’ve heard them try musically. I wondered if the two ever worked together and it turns out they played a concert in 1996. I’m going to have to see if I can find a recording of that.

The Friday mix: Spooky and cool music for Halloween

Halloween has been my favorite holiday since I was about 9. Maybe it’s because October is such a great month in NE Ohio. Maybe it’s the brazenly pagan nature of the holiday. Maybe I was just a macabre little kid. Anyway, this year I put together a mix of songs some of which are creepy, some of which just have Halloween themed titles, but all of which are cool. I hope you like them.

1. This Is Halloween – Marilyn Manson
   Manson’s version of this song is fantastic. They never made a video that I know of, but here it is synchronized with the original footage from Nightmare Before Christmas.
2. Black Feather Wings – Bourbon Princess
   I first heard this song on the Respond benefit compilation CD. It’s a bass-heavy, oozy song with a cool lyrics and a great feel.
3. Scarecrow – Beck
   “Guero” was a great album, but then, Beck hasn’t put out a bad album that I’ve heard. Typical funky Beck groove, lots of effects, great vocal melody, and engaging lyrics.
4. New Killer Star – David Bowie
   Bowie continues to put out cutting edge music year after year. He has never lost his ability to write catchy melodies and has reinvented himself more times and more successfully than Madonna. I like this song and it is nearly impossible to look away from this video.
5. Vampires and Failures – Grandpaboy
   The solid Pop guitar riff, dark lyrics, and vocal delivery give this track kind of a vintage Rolling Stones feel. I found this on “Not the Same Old Blues Crap: Vol 3,” and indeed it is not.
6. Pretty Girls Make Graves – Dada
   Not The Smiths’ version. This one is an entirely different song and it’s much cooler. The Amazon sample only has the quiet intro, but about 10 seconds after this clip ends, the guitars kick in and it turns into a rocker.
7. See You Dead – Helmet
   True Halloween fare here. “I’d like to see you in two pieces. You won’t be walking. Barely breathing.” It’s actually a love song, believe it or not. A stalker love song. Ah, Halloween, when a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of decapitation.
8. Necromancer – Gnarls Barkey
   If you thought “See You Dead” was creepy, wait ‘til you get a load of this one. What could be better than a little “naughty necrophilia?” The lyrics to this are truly disturbing.
9. Little Death – +44
   

   I sent this mix to my brother on CD with this cover art and the title "The Horror."

   I’m not actually a big fan of a lot of +44, but this song reached me. I like the quiet acoustic groove at the beginning with the verses sung in two octaves and then the slamming chorus. This track is well produced too. In particular pay attention to what they do with the percussion. It even has good lyrics.

10. Invisible Man – Joe Jackson
    Joe Jackson has put out over 20 albums since “Look Sharp” came out in 1979. I came upon this one and was stunned to find several really good tracks on it, including this one. I say stunned not because I thought he would suck, but just because he hasn’t had a Billboard hit in the U.S. since 1984. I hear this and I’m not sure why not.
11. Grey Ghost – Mike Doughty
    When Doughty was with Soul Coughing, they were the coolest band in the land, in my opinion. Since then he has largely left that sound behind and does the singer/songwriter thing these days. That said, he’s still a talented songwriter and this is a cool acoustic song.
12. Devil’s Pie – D’Angelo
    A little D’Angelo goes a long way for me, but this is one of my favorite songs of his (Spanish Joint is better). A funky groove, almost eerie keyboards, and deep lyrics. Good stuff.
13. War Pigs – Cake
    They screw up some of the lyrics, but I still love this version. Every time this song comes on my iPod, people are intrigued and want to know who it is.
14. House of 1000 Corpses – Rob Zombie
    More good Halloween fare. The movie was a bit ham fisted, but I suppose it was exactly what it set out to be. This song, on the other hand, is great. The guitar hook is inescapable and Rob Zombie’s gravelly vocal delivery works really well. Shrieking background vocals and some movie sound bytes add some nice texture.
15. She Said – Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
    This song is about becoming a werewolf. I love the song, but I’m not sure what the hell is going on in this video.
16. (Antichrist Television Blues) – The Arcade Fire
    These guys have listened to a lot of Bruce Springsteen. I’m just saying. Nothing new here, but I still like the song. Plus it has “antichrist” in the title, so into my Halloween mix it goes.
17. Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives – Mel Torme
    I can’t believe this entire song isn’t on YouTube (except for a dreadful version of some woman dressed as a witch singing it karaoke style [shudder]). This is from Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters and is one more reason Mel Torme is one of the coolest singers ever.

Enjoy with a Bloody Mary and have a great Halloween, everyone!

Middle East meets West Coast in an emotional blend from Ariana Delawari

To add another layer of effed up, it was released on David Lynch's label.

Interesting stuff. She recorded portions of this album with armed guards outside her family home in Afghanistan. The politically charged tension led to some tense and heartfelt music. Read the full review at Altsounds: http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/112289-ariana-delawari-the-lion-of-panjshir-album.html

Surprising Rock / R & B from Me’Shell Ndegeocello

This is her 10th release and she's still breaking new ground.

I love Me’Shell Ndegeocello. Of course, she probably wouldn’t have much use for me, what with her being a strident black lesbian. She may like me more now, though, because I’ve been buying her records these last 10 years and I just wrote her a love letter on Altsounds. Check out my review of her impressive new album: http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/112219-meshell-ndegeocello-devils-halo-album.html

Complex, musical Metal from Mastodon

I have a lot of friends who are into Metal and have been for years and years. I was a little late to that game. I really only started to appreciate Metal a few years ago. Now my Metal mix is perhaps the fastest growing category in my collection. I have a good friend who is always talking up Mastodon. Mastodon formed in Atlanta, GA in 1999 and have been on a steadily upward trajectory since then. In 2007, they were nominated for a Grammy (Best Metal Performance) and their last release entered the Billboard 200 at #11.

"Dude, what's heavier than an elephant?"

I think I caught a few minutes of their show at Bonnaroo 2008, but I didn’t get to hear much. The first half of their show was up against Ozomatli and there were other competing bands as always. I enjoyed the bit that I saw then and I’ve always kind of liked what I hear in my friends’ cars when I catch any Mastodon.

I stumbled upon Mastodon’s last release, “Crack the Skye,” a few days ago and I’m pleasantly surprised. This stuff is more complex and melodic than I was expecting from what I’ve heard in the past. Maybe I wasn’t playing close enough attention. The musicianship is accomplished and the songwriting is good. Vocals are throaty and heavy most of the time, but they can throw out smooth harmony vocals at need. The release is only 7 songs long but I liked 4 of them.

• Oblivion – Mastodon sounds like a cross between Alice in Chains and Tool on this track. It’s almost 6 minutes long with sections of moaned vocals, crunching power chords, and Prog Rock solos.
• Quintessence – Most of this track is built around a twisted minor chord riff, but there are moments of melodic harmony vocals and a hard-driving chorus. It all builds to a powerful finish. This is my favorite track on this release.
• Ghost Of Karelia – They give us a bit of Math Rock on this one with the hard to count verses and then the pounding 4/4 chorus. It’s a head banger.
• Crack the Skye – When this song started, I thought it was going to be a throw away track.  Then after about a minute it got going and I changed my mind about it. The main riff during the verses is a minor key arpeggio, but the bridge features growling vocals and heavy guitars before the chorus just crushes the sun.

There are a couple tracks on this album that are positively epic. One is ‘The Czar: I. Usurper II. Escape III. Martyr IV. Spiral.’ It earns that name, coming in at nearly 11 minutes. Parts of it are brilliant, but enough of it misses me that I didn’t want to have this saga pop up on my iPod. The other is ‘The Last Baron,’ which clocks in at fully 13 minutes long (this YouTube clip is just 6 minutes worth). I guess I feel the same way about this one. The song has several movements and parts of it are compelling, but if this thing comes up on your iPod, boy you are along for a long ride. Fans of the band — or of long, heavy tracks you won’t hear on the radio — will like them.

I have not been able to decipher all the lyrics, but apparently this is a concept album about a quadriplegic who learns astral projection, is burned by the sun, meets Rasputin… I guess I need to bust out my headphones.

http://www.mastodonrocks.com/

The Friday mix: more Heavy Metal and Hard Rock

It rained all day today without a break so I was inside doing home improvement. I had the hard rock mix on to keep me motivated. It’s cold enough outside that the windows are shut, so I can turn it up to 11 without the neighbors banging on my door or calling the cops. It’s been a while since I’ve posted a Hard Rock/Metal mix, so I figured I’d share these.

"Hey, that's a lot of metal."

1. Chevelle – Humaoid
   I thought this was a good way to kick off the mix. A little guitars-only lead in before the drums smack you down. This video was mixed by a fan from other footage of the band. I think he did a pretty good job.
2. Audioslave – Out of Exile
   I know I’m not introducing anyone to Audioslave, but this song is insane. It sucks that they broke up. They really had it going on.
3. Bigdumbface – Burgalveist
   I usually find Cookie Monster vocals silly, but for some reason this one really works for me. I think they applied some effects to slow his voice down and make it even more guttural. Another good one from these guys is ‘Fightin’ Stance.’
4. Black Mountain – Stormy High
   The punching guitar and wailing harmonies in this song are cool. I was tickled to find this song on YouTube with this unbelievable footage of a handful of maniacs boarding down a snowy mountain.
5. Brand New Sin – Wyoming
   These guys are Southern Rock meets Metal. This is the only song I have on my iPod by Brand New Sin. I seem to remember the rest of this disc didn’t do a lot for me, but this song kills. I don’t know who the drunks are in this homemade video.
6. Brother Cane – Machete
   These guys sound an awful lot like Soundgarden. Of course, since Soundgarden isn’t around anymore, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sadly, this song isn’t on YouTube, but you can listen to the sample on Amazon. Track 4.
7. The Buzzhorn – To Live Again
   These guys have broken up and gone on to other projects. That’s kind of too bad, because they got a lot of great press when they hit the scene but never quite punched through. Singer Damon Johnson has an ear for cool harmonies and a great hard rock voice, which is why I find it so utterly perplexing that he is now with the Country band, Whiskey Falls.
8. Clutch – Power Player
   I said before you can’t make a metal mix without Clutch. That’s the law. Just keeping out of trouble.
9. Coinmonster – Low Profile Car
   Surprisingly, Amazon did a nice job with this sample. They catch the dirty, bass-heavy verse and the transition to the growling chorus. Love these guys.
10. Deftones – Bloody Cape
    These guys have been at it since the mid-90s. This one is from their eponymous 2003 release. I don’t know how the strings don’t break, he’s playing them so hard.
11. Distrubed – Sutpify
    Again, I know I’m probably not turning anyone onto this song, but it get my head banging every time so I’m adding it. I like the Hellgate video they put together for this song as well.
12. Every Time I Die – Rendez-Voodoo
    Singer Keith Buckley can sing slick harmonies when he wants to, but usually he wants to sound like this throat is bleeding. The band is tight. The lyrics are clever. I think guys like this are the future of Metal.
13. Far – What I’ve Wanted to Say
    This chord progression is so heavy you don’t expect the vocals to come in gently like some college radio band. He gets his wail on before it’s over, though.
14. Baroness – Grad
    I wrote up Baroness a few months ago. This song, like much of their music, is beautiful as outer space and heavy as Hell. This is a towering, patient instrumental piece and it felt like a good way to close a mix.

Enjoy with some really cheap tequila, or something else that will piss you off. Have a great weekend.