Round Two

With the proliferation of digital media and the expansion of music distributed around the world, the work of a DJ to create a unique piece of work that goes beyond what has been previously recorded has to be challenging, if not downright daunting.  I’m certain there will be naysayers, but DJs are musicians.  While in general they are not physically creating the music through musical instruments, they are taking songs, sound clips, and other things they can find in order to create songs and albums that will reach a broader audience, much like a guitarist, pianist, or whomever would attempt to write a riff or song or album that is different from what anyone else has released.  Sure, there are “formulas” for writing, but a true innovator will rework the formula to improve it.

Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden is a DJ that has embraced technology in order to obtain the samples he uses for his songs.  Unlike the traditional DJs who use two or more turntables and a large collection of vinyl records, Hebden has a tremendous collection of digital samples that he borrows from in order to create his music.  From a purely storage and organizational point of view, this is probably the easiest way to go now; with a 1-TB external hard drive you can store 2,000 hours of uncompressed audio files or 17,000 hours of compressed audio (at 128 kB/s).  A traditionalist could have crate after crate after crate of vinyl records but would probably not come close to the amount of available audio a digital storage device would have.  A tradeoff between digital and analog vinyl is that vinyl has a warmer sound to it; digital music, despite what efforts the user takes to rip the music, really cannot achieve this warmth.

All of this said (having expanded this tangent for long enough), Four Tet’s Rounds expands on the sounds Hebden delivered on Pause to create a record that has been critically-acclaimed and led Hebden to more gigs and recording opportunities with other artists.

# 30 - Four Tet, Rounds (Metascore = 89)

I heard Four Tet’s record Rounds prior to hearing Pause, so perhaps my impressions of Pause were affected by that.  Pause was a good record, particularly for it being the first big label release.  Rounds takes the sounds from Pause to a whole new level.  Unlike Pause, Rounds sounds and feels more cohesive.  There is something more organic about the way that Hebden has pieced the music and sound clips together that the record doesn’t totally feel like CGI, or rather CGS (since CGI would be images, CGS seems more appropriate, which probably doesn’t exist in this fashion, but whatever).

Gone in my opinion is the “folktronica” or whatever hokey descriptions were given for Pause.  Still here is the Asian influence (Hebden’s parents are from India, though he grew up in London) and a broader palette of beats to improve on the overall ambience he created in Pause.  One critic even hinted that Hebden had integrated cinematic ideas into this record, which, upon a further listen to the record, I can hear what that critic is hearing.  How Hebden has set up the track order could play easily into a Ocean’s Eleven crime caper.

For me this is easily one of the more enjoyable electronic records of any style I have heard.  Tracks like “As Serious As Your Life”, “Unspoken” and “She Moves She” are so perfectly put together that the flow of the record just feels right.  There are not really any throwaways in my opinion; each track integrates with other to create this amazing soundscape.  I would go so far as to say this is one of the better records I have heard to.  It sounds like the work of someone who has taken the time to carefully craft and document a record that would have a long-lasting impact on future recordings from other artists.

Screaming Tree

For those few that read my little blog, sorry for the month-long delay between entries.  Having concentrated my efforts on the birth of my first child, I haven’t had the opportunity to really give a good listen to any of my remaining albums.  I still would love to knock this project sooner rather than later, and hopefully I will be able to do so.  All in the same, I love listening to the music, and any chance to extend it for the sake of hearing new music I will gladly try to extend.

When I hear the name “Mark Lanegan”, I think of the lead singer for former Seattle grunge band the Screaming Trees.  I heard their song “Nearly Lost You” off the singles soundtrack, an old Cameron Crowe film that featured many music acts from the Seattle scene in the early 1990’s, and immediately liked it.  My initial attraction to that soundtrack was for the Pearl Jam songs “Breath” and “State of Love and Trust”, but I had also heard “Would?” by Alice in Chains, “Nearly Lost You”, and “May This Be Love” by the Jimi Hendrix Experience.  “Nearly Lost You” for me combined the Seattle hard rock edge that was beginning to take over the airwaves with a smart pop sound that didn’t sound anything like the boy bands that were popular at the time but was catchy.  Lanegan’s voice in particular was different, being gravelly and deep, not the high-pitched voice you typically think of in a rock lead singer.  Screaming Trees had released Sweet Oblivion somewhere around the same time, and that record took off.  I had the privilege of seeing them live when they toured with the Spin Doctors and Soul Asylum; I remember Barrett Martin was killing it on the drums.

Anyway, the Trees broke up, and Lanegan has had various side projects going on.  He’s done some great stuff with Queens of the Stone Age (though he’s left them since Lullabies to Paralyze was released), Greg Dulli (formerly of the Afghan Whigs), Isobel Campbell (formerly of Belle and Sebastian), and solo.  His solo recordings have been sporadic, but in general they have been received well and modestly successful.  His last solo effort, Bubblegum, received his strongest critical praise and is the topic of this entry.

# 184 – Mark Lanegan, Bubblegum (Metascore = 85)

“Bubblegum” is really a misnomer for this album; the word itself would make you think this is a happy, poppy record, but this is far from the case.  The opening riff on “When Your Number Isn’t Up” does not ring of happiness or joy; instead, Lanegan’s character seems to languish in that point between life and death, not knowing which side he’s going to come out on.  Speaking of the opening riff, musically this is different from what I’m accustomed to hearing.  It does not boom with the hard rocking guitar/drums overload of the Screaming Trees or the chaotic noise of the Queens.  The sounds are more subdued and experimental than in those more popular collaborations.

Lanegan has numerous collaborators on this record.  In some cases, the listener knows who is on the track:  “Hit the City”, for instance, includes PJ Harvey, who also appears on several other tracks.  “Wedding Dress” features vocals from Lanegan’s ex-wife Wendy Rae Fowler.  There are many others on here, too, most of whom perform in the background:  Josh Homme and Joey Castillo of Queens of the Stone Age, Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin of the original Guns N’ Roses lineup, and Greg Dulli.  Their styles also help bring a certain air to how the record sounds.  There is something sinister in some songs, something desperate in others.  The dynamics help strengthen this record.

None of this record is over the top, which gives it a much better ambience.  In some ways I liken it to the Dead Weather’s first record, Horehound, which also felt minimal yet had this great ambience to the record, particularly on a song like “60 Feet Tall”.  Lanegan’s vocals and lyrics are treated excellently here; the darkness of drug addiction and dying love are evoked effortlessly here.  I particularly liked “When Your Number Isn’t Up”, “Methamphetamine Blues”, “One Hundred Days”, and “Come to Me”.  I also enjoyed the different musical styles throughout, how Lanegan put them together in a way that keeps them cohesive.  Not all of the songs are home runs, but they at least fit the overall package.

Natural Mystic

Devendra Banhart is sort of a mystic musician, a gypsy of sorts.  For whatever reason when I see him in pictures I think he looks like the Billy Walsh character on Entourage.  Anyway, I knew very little about him musically until recently when I just picked up his record Rejoicing in the Hands (which was on my list to review and is the topic of this post) at a local Borders store that was closing.  His music is fairly interesting, but I’ll talk about that in a bit.

Banhart was born in Texas to a Venezuelan mother and American father.  His full name, Devendra Obi Banhart, has was derived from interesting sources; his given name is a synonym for Indra, the Hindu god of rain and thunder, and his middle name is derived from the Star Wars character Obi-Wan Kenobi.  His parents divorced when he was two, and his mother and he moved back to Venezuela where he lived until he was 14.  At 18 he earned a scholarship to attend the San Francisco Art Institute, but he dropped out to perform and later moved to Paris when the economy in San Francisco worsened after the dot-com bust.  When he returned later in 2000, he was discovered by a local record producer, who would eventually sign him and release Rejoicing in the Hands.

#56 – Devendra Banhart, Rejoicing in the Hands (Metascore = 88)

The one thing that really captures my interest in this album right away is its simplicity.  In “simplicity” I mean we aren’t burdened with an orchestra of instruments, let alone a group of musicians that have come together.  This is, for the most part, just Banhart and his guitar recording new folk music that, I believe, gives the genre a fresh breath of air.  Unlike what I have heard recently from Gillian Welch on Time (The Revelator), which leaned more to her country and bluegrass roots, Banhart’s folk is traditional in the way Bob Dylan used to be in the early 1960s or Nick Drake in the early 1970s.  There is even a hint of 1960s psychedelia in the sounds (consider “When the Sun Shone on Vetiver”).

Banhart’s playing here far overshadows his lyrical output.  Not to disrespect his lyrics, but his fingerpicking is so precise and pleasant sounding that it lulls you into this world that recalls classical folk but brings it to the present day.  I often found myself entranced by the guitar sound, which feels like a middle ground between lo-fi and professional.  His vocal style also adds to the strength of the album; he melodically moves with his playing, much like Joanna Newsom does on her records.  He plays and sings so effortlessly it is as if he has become one with the music.  In keeping with the music, the lyrics tend to be descriptive and whimsical.

I’m glad I bought this record on a whim.  Not all records on my list are ones I would consider owning, so buying this without hearing it was risky from a money standpoint.  However, I was drawn by his playing and vocals, and I found the record to be very accessible.  I love the first four tracks, “Tit Smoking in the Temple of Artesan Mimicry”, and “Todos los Delores.”

The Button with the Two Vertical Bars

There have been a series of blog posts on NPR’s music website lately dedicated to the musical culture surrounding electronic music.  Posts have ranged from how electronic music has been promoted by major labels in the United States to pioneers of sounds that led to electronic music.  Anyone that follows music knows there are many different styles around electronic music.  My own brother spins records as a side gig (in addition to being able to play multiple instruments proficiently), and he has introduced me to a number of styles, though his primary realm is in jungle and drum ‘n bass.  For me, I have been more into the ambient style of electronica—the type that embraces not only the original house beats established in the late 1980s and expanded in the 1990s but also introduces elements of jazz, fusion, and other musical idioms.

This leads me to the topic of this particular entry.  Four Tet is the stage moniker for multi-instrumentalist Kieran Hebden.  He has established himself in electronic music for taking different musical genres and integrating them into electronic music, delving into a niche style that can be challenging to sell to the public.  Hebden has worked with a wide range of artists in remixing their music into something similar to his own releases under Four Tet.  The results have been critically praised, and his stature in music has grown through each release.  His first release with Domino Records, Pause, is the focus of this post.

#164 – Four Tet, Pause (Metascore = 85)

With electronica records I have a difficult time knowing how to articulate my review.  I listened to the James Blake record recently, and I realized I usually need a couple of listens to sort of grasp what the artist is trying to articulate.  Listening to Pause was no different for me.  The obvious difference between the Blake record and Pause is that Blake actually sings on his record, whereas Hebden does not sing at all on his and has few vocal samples on his records.  So right away I have to look for other elements to understand the artist’s inspirations.

The immediate recurring musical theme I heard was what I thought was an Eastern Asia-inspired multi-note motif (think the sound of a Japanese koto played on an acoustic guitar), which plays in several variations throughout the record.  Another frequent sound throughout the record is the sound of an office in the morning (with computer typing, coughing, and other office-like sounds).  I personally didn’t think the office sounds really unify the record.  I was more attracted to the repeating Asian motif, which begins in “Glue of the World” and reappears at different times.

What I do know is that, in terms of atmospherics, Hebden does a great job of creating this chilled-out atmosphere where the music kind of weaves in and out of consciousness while progressing through.  His blending of folk music with jazz on top of electronica beats is rather interesting…in the years I have listened to electronic music, I don’t recall having heard acoustic elements in other music I have heard.  I also found the pacing throughout the record to be very good; Hebden has a good mix of slow and fast and medium throughout the record.

Calling out particular tracks for an album can be challenging for me, particularly when I prefer to look (or listen) at the product as a whole.  A few highlights for me, though, were “Twenty Three”, “Untangle”, “Everything is Alright”, and “No More Mosquitoes”.  I enjoyed how the layers of music come together to create these sound collages while retaining the overall sound of the album.  That’s not to discount the other tracks here…these just affected me more.

As I’ve mentioned before, I needed several listens in order to appreciate this album.  There are a lot of things going on here, and being able to follow them took an extra pair of ears.  The interesting thing about this record is I can hear how in later years other artists adopted this sound to incorporate into their own.  This is a good record that foretells of future successes Hebden would have.

This Ain’t No Ludacris Joint

Like most artists from the South, the Drive-By Truckers take pride in where they come from yet do not shy away from the problems and prejudices that have plagued the region for centuries.  They have most definitely never been afraid of writing concept albums around the South; Southern Rock Opera to me was an amazing record that focused primarily on the history of ever popular Southern rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, through a fictional lens.  That album wasn’t just about them, though; Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and Rob Malone wrote songs that dug into the dark history of certain individuals and groups in the South during the band’s history and didn’t try to sugar coat it.  Hood in some ways tried to exonerate famed Alabama governor George Wallace for work he did later in his career, but he didn’t hesitate to bring up the awful incident at the doors of the University of Alabama in 1963 or other pro-segregation incidences that have forever clouded his career.

The Dirty South (2004) marks the second album the Truckers did with Jason Isbell in the lineup.  Unlike Malone, Isbell was more forthright in wanting to contribute to the songwriting process that has forever been dominated by Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley.  Unlike on Decoration Day, The Dirty South introduced Shonna Tucker, the band’s current bassist and Isbell’s wife at the time, as part of the lineup, replacing long-time bassist Earl Hicks.  The Dirty South was, like Decoration Day, highly praised for its concepts and music.

#81 – Drive-By Truckers, The Dirty South (Metascore = 87)

The Dirty South opens with the hard rocking, twangy track “Where the Devil Don’t Stay”.  Mike Cooley, signature vocals and all, wrote this dark tale about a son witnessing his father’s downfall to moonshine and gambling in the challenging Great Depression.  My online sources tell me the band performed this in one take and that Cooley received inspiration from his uncle, who wrote this as a poem.  The imagery his uncle created here is absolutely fascinating and sets the stage for a powerful record.

Individually as songwriters, Cooley, Hood and Isbell are all very different yet very similar.  They are different in that Cooley leans heavily on his country roots, writing lyrics that could just as easily be by Waylon Jennings or Willie Nelson (e.g., “Carl Perkins’ Cadillac”).  Isbell’s songs have a more roots rock feel, along the veins of The Band or The Byrds; his songs tell stories of folk heroes or venture into lighter subjects like love and life (“The Day John Henry Died”).  Hood tells long, drawn out narratives that frequently have an underlying meaning to them (check out “Puttin’ People on the Moon”).  But together, their stories and styles coalesce into this incredible album, unifying the messages and themes that run through the record.

Musically the group sounds even more assured than it did in Decoration Day, and I thought they sounded damn good on that record.  I listen to a song like “The Sands of Iwo Jima” and hear the intricacies of each instrument locked together; you hear the unique playing of each member here (speaking of which, Mike Cooley is just a fantastic musician, playing banjo and harmonica on that track in addition to the amazing guitar runs and riffs he plays on the rest of the record).  The rhythm section holds down the beat well here, letting the three-pronged guitar attack run loose in front of the lyrics.  The music is more diverse with Isbell—less Southern rock, perhaps, but it still has that strong foundation to make the country or pop more edgy. 

As with all Drive-By Truckers albums, I’m initially drawn strictly by the music, but over time I really appreciate the lyrics to the songs.  Decoration Day and The Dirty South, of all of their albums, are the two most consistently strong records from beginning to end.  Southern Rock Opera was great overall, but there were moments where I felt lost on several tracks or that the tracks lost the soul of the better tracks on the album.  The Dirty South is another great record from this band that deserves a better grading than it received.

Time (The Revelator)

After taking a few weeks off to deal with my music ADD, I am trying to reboot and start fresh.  I have ninety albums left to here, so I need to renew my focus.  Today’s entry focuses on a great record from folk/Americana music, Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch.  Gillian Welch herself has been a prominent figure in the genre for years for her own recordings as well as guest appearances on other artists’ recordings.

Welch was adopted by musical parents at a young age in New York City and later moved with them to Los Angeles (where they wrote music for The Carol Burnett Show).  From them she was exposed to all types of music, including the works of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and country music greats the Carter Family.  She excelled in many things she did, including learning musical instruments and singing.  She graduated from UC-Santa Cruz with a degree in photography but wanted to further pursue a career in music, so she attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music, majoring in songwriting.  It was there that she met her longtime collaborator and friend, David Rawlings.

Together, Welch and Rawlings have released five well-received albums.  They have been produced by acclaimed producer T-Bone Burnett (if you recall, Burnett also produced another record that I have reviewed, Raising Sand, with Robert Plant and Welch’s friend Alison Krauss), and have recorded most of their material in Nashville.  Their third album, Time (The Revelator), was released in 2001 and is the subject of this entry.

# 107 – Gillian Welch, Time (The Revelator) (Metascore = 86)

The beauty of this record for me is the mix of classic folk and Americana music with modern lyrics and touches.  Opening track “The Revelator” is a perfect example of the former.  The song rolls along like a Hank Williams, Sr. ballad, with its dark Western lyrics and somber sound.  The drifter goes from town to town, cast out each time by its inhabitants.  Only time could possibly save this person’s soul.  In fact, this theme of time being the revelator resonates throughout the record, a characteristic that gives this album strength.  The subjects change, and modern touches such as those on “Elvis Presley Blues” or “I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll” show that folk music does not always have to be rehashes of Woody Guthrie’s music.  Bob Dylan has shown this time and again, and Welch and Rawlings further prove this.

Two other characteristics that really strengthen the album are the vocal and musical interplay between Welch and Rawlings.  They are the only two players on the record, but their sound is so powerful that one can’t help but be attracted to the music’s pull.  Having worked together for nearly a decade at this point, the pair is very aware of how the other sings or plays; they sound perfectly in sync, and the richness of their harmonies gives this record a shine that most other records cannot even begin to duplicate.

Welch’s plaintive vocals and storytelling give this record the plaudits it has received.  Critics praised these characteristics for embracing the sounds she began with in Revival (1996) and Hell Among the Yearlings (1998) to create a record that is both rustic and modern at the same time.  Every listen I find myself more attracted to its sounds and depth.  I also appreciate why numerous artists have utilized her vocal talents to enhance their records.