Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Arctic Monkeys: Humbug


The Arctic Monkeys: Humbug (Domino)

Third album of AM, not as explosive as the previous ones but equally good. They explore new paths with these complex songs where they show fine craftsmanship and solid interpretation. Josh Homme (Queens of Stone Age) is the co producer.

Song "Dance Little Liar":
The Culture Show Interview:

bah Interview:

Sunday, October 18, 2009

The Bourgeois Gypsies: Faulty Fairytales


The Bourgeois Gypsies: Faulty Fairytales (Kaiam Records)

Folk rock, alt country; The Duhks

This is the second album by this 5-piece based in California. The band is fronted by composer, vocalist and guitar player Kaisa MacDonald, who can sing with a sweet or sour voice. Vocals by also guitar player Arnold Mitchem add variety to the songs. There’s nice guitar and violin play in these sometimes bluesy ("Bright", #11), sometimes rocky tunes ("Dry Land", #8) that also include fine ballads, like track 3 "Bluebirds." Track 7, "Train Song," is a cleverly funny one.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

John Doe & The Sadies: Country Club


John Doe & The Sadies: Country Club (YepRoc Records)

Country

John Doe (X, The Knitters) and Canadians The Sadies pair in this album of mostly classic country covers: Songs by Jonny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, and others plus four own (excellent) compositions: Tracks 4, 7, 8, and 15. The covers are straightforward and do not add much to the original versions.

Reviews:

YepRoc

The9513

NPR (audio)