I haven't posted about new music since forever. Here's a bunch of stuff from the last few months. As usual, a lot of it came through emusic.com
"Where Are All the Nice Girls" - Any Trouble - UK 1980's Evlis Costello proteges featuring Clive Gregson - see below.
"Happy Hour" and "I Love This Town, Take One" - Clive Gregson - prolific UK songrwiter, now living in Texas. Everything from Costello pop-rock to acoustic balladeer. He plays a fine guitar too.
"Shadow Weaver" - The Choir - I've been a fan of this band for a couple of decades. they helped make Christian rock respectable... On Noisetrade
"They Might Be Giants - Live" - They Might Be Giants - those crazy musical genuises... on Noisetrade
“The Ambassador” - Gabriel Kahane - complex second album. Think Paul Simon with a graduate degree in composition...
“All Our Own Work” - Sandy Denny & The Strawbs - the most famous voice in English folk music with a short-lived band. Think "The Seekers" - really, that's where they got their sound...
“Celtschmerz: Live UK ’98” - Richard Thompson - stellar acoustic set by supremo songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire. Stunning version of "Persuasion" with Teddy.
“The Internet’s Own Boy” - John Dragonetti - great soundtrack album - a bit synthy, laid back. On Noisetrade.
“Mutineers” and “Draw the Line” - David Gray - new album and an older one from the man who could sing the telephone book and make it sound prefectly melancholy...
“Heal” - Strand of Oaks -stunning second album of rocky and acoustic songs
“Enjoy Your Rabbit” - Sufjan Stevens - a range of randomness from Mr. Inventive... quirky, synth stuff.
“Behold the Spirit” - William Tyler - acoustic/electric guitar instrumental stuff. that's it.
“Digital Frame”, “Fragments of a Cold, Broken Day” and “Gray Light” - Arvo Part - insanely talented Estonian composer makes brilliant instrumental music - electronic/ambient and then not...
“Queen of Denmark” and “Pale Green Ghosts” - John Grant - just catching up with this guy. A real mixture of interesting songs, some quite gentle and folky, others more electronic and funky. Well worth a listen.
“Eagle Rock Fire” - Joe Purdy - croony, raspy, laid-back cowboy music
“Nickel Creek” - Nickel Creek - newbie from Chris Thile and his harmonious bluegrass companions
“Piano and Ambience” - All India Radio - rounding out my ambient collection while they were giving their albums away for free last month. always wonderful, inventive, spacey...
“The Take Off and Landing of Everything” - Elbow - disappointing new album from Mr Garvey and co. I dunno, the songs just aren't there...
“A Decade of Hits 1969-1979” - The Allman Brothers Band - rouding out my musical education...
“How I Live Now” (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Jon Hopkins - nice. Saturday morning music...
“Eight Songs” - Andrew Dutney - previously unreleasee recording from 1987. A bunch of interesting lyrics and fine acoustic-based songs.
“Until Now” - My Brightest Diamond - lush, melodic soprano, sometimes quirky. Sampler from Noisetrade.
“There’s a Light” - Liz Vice - fantastic gopsel/RnB. From Noisetrade.
“Tomorrow’s Hits” - The Men - so the punk rock edge has been replaced by garage-country. still a good band with stadard songwrtinig chops.
“Gentle Spirit” - Jonathan Wilson - first album by that canyon guy that everyone in LA loves now. gentle, trippy California...
“Haw” - Hiss Golden Messenger - North Carolina - says it all...
“Perils from the Sea” and “Mark Kozelek & Desertshore” - Mark Kozelek - making depression sound beautiful for a couple of decades now...
Oh yeah, and a Bob Dylan box set - some 80's stuff that I only had on vinyl..."Infidels", "Oh Mercy", "Shot of Love", Dylan & the Dead, etc... some great songs and some dross...
