Thursday, December 21st, 2006
1. Shearwater, Palo Santo
A friend just played this record for me last week and I was completely shocked by it. Maybe everyone knows about this band, but me. I don’t really have perspective on it yet, but in any case, I think they are great. I don’t think it is really indie rock. I don’t know what it is, but maybe "rock in the modern style". Like a post "Talk Talk", the voice is arresting. The songs spacial and grandiose, but maintaining personal connection to the listener. I love that in the context of our current musical environment, this band has dared make this record.
[Listen: MP3 of "Seventy-four, Seventy-five"]
[Listen: MP3 of "White Waves"]
2. Clogs, Lantern
Having studied arranging with Clogs’ Padma Newsome and believing he might have actually been present for the hanging of the moon, I realize I might be biased, but this album is divine. Clogs is primarily orchestrated by bassoon, guitar, viola and percussion, with each player reaching out into other timbres like marimba, steel drum, toy piano, recorder or piano to expand the color world. The result is quietly incredible. Clogs are very sneaky. Not obvious with their more complex time signatures or harmonic depth, you have to pay close attention to catch them being smart. I was riding across the west of America, through the desert and over mountains and plateaus, passing yellowed grasses and burnt trees, listening to Clogs’ Lantern and it sounded like the landscape, soothing and deep, like it was coming out of the earth itself.
[Listen: MP3 of Kapsburger and 5/4 from Lantern]
3. Clark, Body Riddle
Electronic yumminess. A beautiful blend of organic sounds, electric ingenuity and musicality. Where others are testing the limits of the mind, how many beats the brain may perceive in one second, Clark manages to nod to his label mates ambition without overwhelming the listener. The future lies somewhere amidst Clark and Scott Walker.
4. Land of Talk "Applause, Cheer, Boo, Hiss"
Hailing from Montreal, this indie trio is as refreshing as a cold lemondade on a hot day with amazing energy, cool chords and interesting arrangements. In a season where indie rock tends to be heavily based on blues riffs, Land of Talk disrupts the flow without folding in on itself and offering a unique voice to this genre.
5. Pedestrian, "Ghostly Life"
I had the delight of touring with LA based band, Pedestrian, this last fall and they also played as the MBD backing band. It was a blissful experience. A real high for me. Those boys are some of best musicians I have ever encountered. Joel Shearer, the guitarist and lead singer of the band, engineered most of "Bring Me The Workhorse" and Zac Rae, the keyboard everything guy, also played on the MBD record. It is really difficult to say what Pedestrian sounds like. Ambient rock might be part of a description. Beautiful guitar work, fervent songwriting, lyrical singing and wrench your guts out drumming. What I can tell you is that every night on the tour, while Pedestrian played their set before MBD, it was a meditative experience and a visceral catharsis that forced me to move, to work something out of my guts, to react, to purge.
6. Inlets, Vestible EP
Headed by Sebastian Krueger, this lovely bedroom EP was only recently made available for free on the internet! Sebastian plays with MBD as often as possible, playing guitar and clarinet, so he is considered part of the Diamond family. Sebastian, who at times can be a turd, is mostly amazing, well no, he’s always amazing and he writes really lovely songs and arranges thoughtfully, with delicate and deliberate intention to clarinet, viola, rhodes or toy piano lines, while his voice comforts. If you are one of those people who doesn’t do mornings, and likes to be gently coaxed into being awake, then download this album tonight before you go to bed.
[Inlets' MySpace page]
[Download: Vestible EP]
7. Dayna Kurtz, Another Black Feather
New Yorker Dayna Kurtz is one of those singers who can make your heart drop into your belly, make you feel like hitting something or find tears in your eyes that you didn’t think you had left to cry. When I first moved to New York, Dayna was one of those downtown musicians that jolted my reality by doing things I didn’t know were possible. Her voice is both like rich caramel and a sledge hammer. "Another Black Feather" is a testament to her versatility as a singer, dipping deep into American styles, a sprinkling of jazz, a cup of the blues, a tinge of country, a dollop of folk and a healthy dose of soul.
[Listen: Dayana Kurtz's webpage]
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