Addressing the ever-shrinking credibility of rock journalism since 2007. With a sasquatch.
Showing posts with label folk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label folk. Show all posts

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Deep Cuts: Folk

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes - Up From BelowAlex Ebert and Jade Castrinos lead a group of ensemble musicians with roots in new American literature, social consciousness, 1960's communal culture and believe it or not the late 90's electronic rock scene in LA as Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes.

After taking a leave of absence as front man for from the highly successful Ima Robot (1998-2008), a dance/electronic rock act in 2008 due many factors including drugs and an increasing personal distance from the clubs and crowds involved with the band, Alex Ebert began writing a novel about a modern saint. In Ebert's words Sharpe was: "sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind, but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love."

Ebert, with singer Jade Castrinos, recruited a group of highly trained musicians in Southern California some coming from an art and music collective called The Masses. The group's first full length album "Up From Below" was released in July 2009 and is Edward Sharpe's debut in a musical sense.

The band's current line-up is a 10 piece consisting of:

Alex Ebert – vocals, guitar, percussion, piano
Jade Castrinos – vocals, guitar
Stewart Cole – trumpet, percussion, keyboards, tenor ukulele, vocals
Josh Collazo – drums, percussion, saxophone, vocals
Orpheo McCord – drums, percussion, marimba, vocals
Nora Kirkpatrick – accordion, vocals
Christian Letts – guitar, vocals
Seth Ford-Young – bass, vocals
Mark Noseworthy – guitar, vocals
Christopher "Crash" Richard– vocals, percussion

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros released their second full-length album, "Here", in May of 2012. Their third album, the self-titled "Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros", was released on July 23rd 2013 a week after their performance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.

Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeroes - Janglin
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Saturday, March 23, 2013

Deep Cuts: Alt-Rock

The Growlers Hung At HeartThere many descriptions of southern California's The Growlers. They enjoy a large audience on national college radio which, God bless it, calls the group everything from folk to psyche rock. The truth seems to be that they incorporate everything in between these two musical polar opposites and make these influences into their own sound.

The Growlers formed in 2006 and are based Orange County, California. The band consists of Brooks Nielsen (vocals), Matt Taylor (lead guitar), Scott Montoya (drums, formerly bass) Anthony Braun Perry (bass) and Kyle Straka (keyboards, guitar). Since playing SXSW in 2010 the group has steadily been growing in popularity.

The band's third album, Hung at Heart, was released on January 22nd 2013.

The Growlers - One Million Lovers
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Deep Cuts: Americana

Jamie N. Commons - Rumble And SwayThe unusually gifted and soulful work of Jamie N. Commons has been prominently featured in TV's runaway smash hit show The Walking Dead on the AMC network. His track "Lead Me Home" seems like the work of a much older blues troubadour, singing to a dusty, mostly empty Mississippi roadhouse, opening up for a grumbling Nick Cave. But, this work is in fact from a 20-something musician from England.

Commons' debut album Rumble And Sway was released March 5th 2013 and performed live at SXSW in Austin, Texas on March 14th. It features even more brilliant song-writing from the dry, harsh places in America. There are tales of greedy priests and a failing search for a connection to God in the middle of stinking corruption. It's all told in Commons' unmistakable vocal style and frantically intricate guitar picking.

Jamie N. Commons - Lead Me Home
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Friday, June 1, 2012

Deep Cuts: Psychedelic

Donovan Sunshine Superman2012 Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame inductee Donovan has a dubious reputation as The Pop Star Who Lost An Argument With Bob Dylan - famously documented by cameras backstage in a portion of D.A. Pennebaker's classic 1967 documentary Don't Look Back when Bob Dylan and Donovan surrounded by a hoard of reporters and hangers-on (all in quasi Beat regalia - shades and sandals). After Donovan played a trademarked wistful, chart-topping love song ("To Sing For You") Dylan followed up by playing a wry-faced version "It's All Over Now Baby Blue".

The difference between the two men was immediately obvious. Donovan was a talented pop star. Dylan was a musical genius. Donovan deservedly wowed crowds. Dylan rocked the world at it's emotional core with his own undeniable tales of hardship, struggle and endurance. Dylan's music was, and is, something people associated very much with the American spirit. A tale of an unending war being fought against poverty, greed, hypocrisy and maliciousness.

Donovan's music seemed like a dull narcotic in comparison. Nonetheless, Donovan recorded hit songs that are still in circulation on the radio today including Season Of The Witch and Mellow Yellow.

Donovan - Season Of The Witch
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Friday, February 3, 2012

Deep Cuts: International

Hanggai - He Who Travels Far2008's "Introducing Hanggai", also reviewed on LoBF, seemed to be a once in a generation album of inspired ethnic Chinese ballads and traditional war songs from Mongolia in the north and far west of mainland China.

The Bejing group's follow up album takes everything that Hanggai did well on Introducing and improves upon it in many undeniable ways: the unmistakably powerful combination of master musicians, lyrical reflections of the ancient horse culture of Mongolia, and the sheer urgency of their performance continue to make Hanngai an internationally sought after group.




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