Joshua James | From the Top of Willamette Mountain Review

Joshua James is a folk singer based out of Nebraska and he has released a new album called From the Top of Willamette Mountain. His music is often paced at a gradual speed and exudes an intense emotional tone.  The first track off of his latest album is called Mystic and is carried by a very strong lyric which is a kind of preamble to the song’s chorus; ‘But I sold you for a cigarette’.  The engaging impact of this line really comes from Mystic’s first few lines which describe, very vividly, an ideal and of a woman with qualities and characteristics that would set any Nebraska boys heart aflame. This ideal description though, is met with a rather callus eventuality which was in essence, the same as selling that ideal person, for something as plane and common as a simple cigarette. The chorus then opens up to a very visual lyrical arena, where death is a dark cave you have confined yourself in and requires that you feast upon your own soul while maniacs scream hallelujah.  And with that unexaggerated piece of introduction to Joshua James’s new album you get the sense that this guy just might be a romantic. But that is now the only reason why you might like or dislike this singer. The track Surrender has a bit of a James Blunt vibe to it, set to a clanging piano progression with a handy portion of synth filling out the songs backdrop in a delicate manner that reminds you of a 60s pop number.

Joshua James might be a bit of a dramatic lyricist but a great man once said that there is no cynicism or sarcasm in the lyrics of a musician; it’s just hard to remember if he was joking or not when he wrote that.  The fact of the matter is that, what James has made with From the Top of Willamette Mountain has something very likable about it.    

Clinic | Free Reign A Review

Clinic is a band from Liverpool England that has a new album that came out November 13^th. The question every well versed music listener asks themselves before they are offered a new album is why? Why would I want to dedicate any amount of my time to a band I have not heard of, care about or have any vestige of interest?  If you have any interest in bands such as the formative Tommy James and the Shondells, the band that gave us Crimson and Clover, you might feel a draw to Clinic’s new album.  Their latest album Free Reign is laced with psychedelic rhythms that drone on like a well-timed whiskey high.  Some of the tracks even bring to mind The Doors. This is most likely by design, however the effort put forth by the band is a reward in itself, demonstrating an underlining appreciation for the classics while not falling prey to the unwanted title of copycat or mere imitator. There are a few tracks that lack any real memorable moments on Free Reign but the good definitely outweighs any bad on this compelling new album from Clinic.  

But let’s all be honest, this past fall has not been a hotbed of musical invocation or even anything relatively listenable.  Maybe independent artists are just pushing off releasing their albums until the New Year so they can put some finishing touches on them during the Christmas break. Here’s to hoping.

Band of Horses | A Review of Mirage Rock

Band of Horses have released their fourth studio album called Mirage Rock and the content makes a listener wonder: what has this band become? Initially, Band of Horses had a musical style that leaned more towards driven pop rock that exuded an almost ethereal presence in the lyrical content and it’s execution by lead singer Ben Bridwell. It was distinctly dreary in tone and song lyrics often would linger upon dark topics such as a funeral or the secret connection between cigarettes and wedding bands. These lyrics though, were given a certain gravity in the airy and often high pitched way in which they were sung.  The songs in the previous albums of Band of Horses were good but carried with them the mark of an angry youth still struggling with the realities of adulthood.  This is not the case with Mirage Rock.

Band of Horses seems to be taking more cues from Neil Young as opposed to Death Cab For Cutie with Mirage Rock. Some of tracks that populate this new album have an almost country vibe to them, but not in the bad, “I wear a ten gallon hat!” kind of way, which you can really hear on the track Everything's Gonna Be Undone.  This track summons the spirit of Neil Young in the best way possible, with its breezy guitar portions to the simple cautionary idea put forward in the lyrics that eventually everything ends, so relax.  No, this album has a more lighthearted feel in its sense of misery and wonder. Like a well-timed joke during a friend’s hardship, Mirage Rock has all the heart of a sombre intimate exchange while leaving all those touched with a smile on their face. 

Team Genius Release Show At Union Hall

The always fun Team Genius are having a release show at Union Hall in Brooklyn, Saturday September 29th. This band, if you have not heard their music, specializes in catchy pop songs played with the gusto of a thousand burning suns. The show is in honour of all three of their EPs, Whiskey Songs, Loud Songs and Pop Songs, being released on October 2nd. If you are in Brooklyn tonight then you should take in Team Genius' show, if not here is a preview of some of their work from one of their EPs Pop Songs or get all of their music here. 

Dum Dum Girls | End of Daze EP Review

The California based band Dum Dum Girls have been putting out music since 2008 and have managed to release two full length LPs to some critical acclaim. The style and character of Dum Dum Girls is really a combination of rattling atmospheric rock and pop drone, think of The Jesus and Mary Chain with a dash Simple Minds, all sung by a female lead.  Recently, the band has released an EP called End of Daze which carries the distinct character of a band that’s hitting its stride. At only five tracks the EP rattles off with a steady pacing, the lyrics are filled with dreary imagery suitable for the impending October rains.

The End of Daze EP does not miss a beat with any of its tracks, as if what they have produced is some kind of Dum Dum Girls concentrate. This is an EP not to be missed by music fans anywhere.