Category: Acoustic

The Devil Makes Three - Stomp and Smash

6/7/2012

Spotify Listen Link: The Devil Makes Three – Stomp And Smash

Well this is fun. The opening line of the Spotify bio: "The Devil Makes Three is kind of a strange band." Seriously, that's how you're going to open this up? Well, okay then.

This is an acoustic trio with two guitarists and a string bassist - no drummer. They're described as a blues and country band, with elements of bluegrass, ragtime, and jug band traditions, completely open about their punk rock influences and desire to always keep the dancers in the audience in mind. What kind of strange, wonderful rabbit hole have I fallen into here?

Read the cover by the way - the full title: "Stomp and Smash and Slash and Crash and Bash and Bust and Burn: Live at the Mystic Theatre."

Indeed, this is a live album, and you'd think Elvis was starting things up by the opening strums of "For Good Again." The punk/country sound? It rocks! The voice is southern, hitting these oddly punk notes that most definitely provide a dancing rhythm on the floor. I can see, right off the bat, how this concert would be a ton of fun for just about anything. The lyrics are far more edgy than bluegrass tends to get, and hot damn, are these guys good. This is a video from a HearYa Live Session back in 2009. Just... just check it out, ok?

"Statesboro Blues" comes on with a single voice... on the mic that is. The entire crowd is singing loud and proud. By all accounts, hearing a crowd singing your song back to you is one of the best feelings in the world. The guitars pick up and the bass more than makes up for there not being a drum involved. This sounds like a great line-dancing song, but I have a feeling, given the earlier description, that there's some odd cross between that and a pit happening.

Beats can get really old in this genre, so let's hope for the best here. "This Life" does have a melody all of its own. Love this lyrical work: "this life, it ain't right for everybody, but it sure's been good to me." What a ridiculously positive sentiment. The verses are all about the tough times he's been through, but if he can take the chorus' sentiment at the end of it all, well, damn, things really are okay. This one's great for the rough times, for sure.

"Tow" seriously songs like a road song - we're traveling down some crazy dusty path with a bluegrass band in tow. I know, I need to stop making up my own stories to music. This song's a little darker in tone of voice, and the bass is playing much stronger than anything else. This one seems to be a crowd favorite, as people hoot and holler throughout, getting into the lyrics more than the music. God, a crowd for this band must be so much fun.

Some kind of great, gritty violin comes in for "Odd Number Seven." I would have expected this to be an instrumental track if this were just a bluegrass band but this is clearly something different. ...This is about Jack No. 7. Amen brothers, amen. There's some lines about the firey deeps in there too, but who cares? We're drinkin'. The song is more solemn than the rest so far, but the audience is enjoying is just as much, and they know every single word. Here's a nicely done live music video of the song:

"Graveyard" has an interesting Tim Burton-esq strum line at the start, unless I'm making that up based off of the title. Ooh it's so much darker and sadder than the others, and I love every second. There's this awesome sense of honesty throughout this music instrumentally, vocally, and lyrically. These hauntingly beautiful songs are just the best out there. You want so badly to make sense out of them, but can't help getting lost in them in the meantime. They're emotionally draining, but aurally thrilling.

I'd venture to say that "Never Learn" is a pop-punk song, yet of course the choice of instruments makes it so much more. Gah, I love cross-over acts. The complexity of trying to identify their style is the best kind of frustrating. It's honestly hard for me to think of what to say here. I don't love this in its entirety for some reason, but then, at least, this downward harmony comes in during the chorus that's so cool and pleasing to the ears. The rest of the song is fine, just fine, and keeps up the odd little down but intriguing mood we've had going this whole time.

"They Call That Religion" is really interesting. It's actually sort of fun - a minor comment on the church and living by its standards, and the hypocrites that live by it. Where, oh where, was this song when I was in high school and dealing with a "christian" at my church? *sigh* I discover things too late in life sometimes. Nonetheless, the song's pretty funny, and pretty pointedly so. It doesn't just take one sect, by the way. Go on, try listening and tell me you're not nodding along at some point during the progression. It's downright impossible to do so. Ahhh life.

The next one starts out so beautifully, just slightly slower than the rest, then builds into a fast, furious rhythm and words on life and the craziness we persue throughout it. The idea of the song, "if you're gonna do wrong, buddy, Do Wrong Right" is so funny, and so true. I mean, hell, if you're going to get in trouble, do it to the fullest you can and get the most out of it! Man, if you're not throwing your hands up and having fun with this one, you are so not my friend. It's a great let-go number in every respect. The description on this video I found is awesome. Check out an in-studio performance from WNYC.

"Black Irish" is about.... Guinness? Or partying? Or a hangover? I'm not 100% sure, but the lyrics have some great storyline to them. Whatever the actual final subject may be (I'm thinking drinking), the descriptions of it are awesome and definite. When's the last time you heard a band make such a thing sound so poetic? I haven't mentioned enough the fantastic string work done throughout this as well. The layers are so well incorporated together, providing the main movement for the pieces. The seconds they shine alone are breathtaking in parts, far beyond most electric guitar solos I've certainly ever heard.

The final song for this recorded show is "Help Yourself." This last number has lots of religious allusion throughout, with the final say that you have to help yourself through life, and the people that do are the ones that God "helps." Kind of a mind-twisting concept if you try to wrap your head around it. There's some fantastic string solos by everyone in this as well, probably giving one last chance to jam out and show off before things get wrapped up.

Added to My Playlist:

"For Good Again"
"This Life"
"Old Number Seven"
"Graveyard"
"Do Wrong Right"
"Black Irish"

I've been incredibly pleased lately with these reviews of bands and artists I've never heard of. We're really discovering some incredible new music, and The Devil Makes Three is certainly a part of that. This band was just an amazing ride from beginning to end, and one I would totally pay money to see (I don't say that often enough). The fact that they can adapt to so many different genres and types of people is fascinating, and their talent is the reason. More, please.

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City and Colour - Little Hell

5/18/2012

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Spotify Listen Link: City and Colour – Little Hell

This band is the solo acoustic project by Dallas Green (he was also the singer/guitarist of Alexisonfire). His original band developed a pretty good following, and my guess is that they followed him over. He toured for some of his original solo work and wound up selling out a string of UK dates, so yeah, I think it's safe to say he had some fans follow over.

So the origin of the name is pretty inventive: it's all from his own name. "Dallas" = 'City' and "Green" = 'Colour." Cool right? I mean, I probably would have never thought of that. Some sites credit three other members of the band, some list them as backing musicians just for this album. Dallas Green is the only solid consistency I can find so far.

"We Found Each Other In The Dark" wakes us up right away as it comes in loudly with a surrounding presence. The title alone is a lovely sentiment if you think about it in a certain light. Excuse me ahead of time folks - it's been a long day, and I'm probably going to get a little too sentimental. Music, right, right. So it's a slow, sway-y kind of number, definitely the stuff 8th grade dance songs were made of. It's romantic, but could also be just as sweet friend-to-friend. Let me ask y'all something - ever had someone who came along at just the right time, every time? ... Ever felt like you're letting them down? Shit, now I'm tearing up. Stupid wonderfully sweet song.

The next one picks things up, showing that the pacing can be a little more lively. "Natural Disasters" has an echo to it, which I noticed before, but something about that sound being in a faster-moving song is a little throwing off. Let's face it - extreme reverb on a guitar really sends a sound back to the 90's - not that I'm complaining. I <3 the 90's fo sho. Just giving y'all a reference point is all. I seriously sat through this one comfortably, not under- or overwhelmed at all, just comfortable.

"Grand Optimist" is sort of interesting. On one hand we have a simple guitar strumming alone, keeping the beat moving. On the other, we have harmonies in the vocals that create a light echo that becomes haunting as the intensity picks up. Lyrically, the song talks of his father and the traits the man possesses that he obviously does not. "But this is not a cry for pity of for sympathy" leads into the intense realization chorus of the fact he takes after his mother instead. It may not be as deep as I'm making it out to be, but it strikes me as that way. Woo for looking into things just a little too much. And here's the performance I missed at Bonnaroo:

Title track time: "Little Hell." This album's got me so much more immersed in lyrics than I have been in far too long. For example: "What if I can't be all that you need me to be? We've got a good thing going. We have some promises to keep." I don't know, there's just something very there, breaking my heart but lifting me up all at once. It's a situation where you find out someone else gets it. This song is such a classic soft-rock feel, but those can rip you apart worse than anything else in the world, somehow melting into your spirit more than any others because you can hear the lyrics amongst the music you've heard similarities to your entire life. Does any of this make sense to anyone else out there? Excuse me, I'm a kid from South Jersey, and we tend to torture ourselves with these things...

"Fragile Bird" picks it up ever so slightly, with more beat in every instrument. Love how this hits, even if it's so simple, just because it's a little different. There's more grit than pop to it, in just about every aspect, as it move into things more and more. The lyrics aren't really hitting in any special way, but it's a decent mix for around mid-album.

That one went by pretty quick for a 4+ minute song. "Northern Wind" delivers, again, a slower strummed number. I'd like to note, for detail's sake, I'm listening with one earbud in, but I checked - I'm not missing anything without the other side mixed in. The song's steady and easy to hear. And let me also note that when the guy walks in and talks to you, this is an incredibly appropriate sound to play sweetly into your ear as he smiles at you. Dear God, please don't read this one - that was a little too specific. Anyway... listen to the song.

"O' Sister" is sort of bluegrass, sort of folk, and all around full of haunting echos and a darker message. It's one I sort of let play off in the background without much thought, sort of getting lost in it. This is a stand-out track on the album for its different sound and attitude.

Maybe I spoke too soon and the album actually decided to take a darker twist, because "Weightless" has the same type of tone instrumentally. More minor chords are hit, and the sound is organized but disjointed as needed. The sound is so grinding on your mind as your listening - this is one where the lights are most certainly dimmed, setting a much more intense mood for the room as a whole. It's only the smokey guitar solo that does something different for it, aka, spotlight time. Did I mention I used to do lighting design a few years back?

"Sorrowing Man" can't be anything entirely happy, can it? Unless it's him coming out of sorrow. Of course, this is me writing before the song even comes on - thank you Spotify commercials. It does finally come on though, and the dragging beat is not promising me anything remotely uplifting here at all. The song gives much of what's expected, and while I'm not deeming that a bad thing, it's just something lost on my ears right now. As a live number, I would bet it's moving and amazing. Some things just don't translate as well recorded.

I would also bet that the opening chord struck for "Silver and Gold" is the same exact one as the opening chord for "Who Needs the World?" by Nick Carter. That is possibly the oddest observation I have ever made on this blog. I have no apologies for that. I half expected this to be the old song about friendship. Instead, it's another slow strum-y song with little to grab me at this point. There's a bit of an odd sound that comes through about halfway through, giving a echo-y, scary sound. I wrote a lot of -y words in this entry. Here's the song as performed at Guitar Center.

Final song! Not that I'm happy it's almost over, but I did this one straight through so it's exciting to see how soon this came. Anywhos! "Hope For Now" is sort of... huh. I don't know how to describe this one. Literally, it's an electric piano playing out simple chords as voices sing over it in a solemn ending number. It's heavy, for being such a light sound. I mean, with a lyric like "what if I could sing just one song and it could save somebody's life?" what do you expect? The song, at about 2:30 or so, launches into a much more musically intense message, repeating and expanding upon that line. Suddenly, this really has become the perfect ending song to such an inner-thought-bound album.

Added to My Playlist:

"We Found Each Other In The Dark"
"Little Hell"
"Northern Wind"
"Hope For New"

I'm slightly blown away by the amount of new, amazing music I've gotten to hear recently. A lot of that has come out of artists on the 2012 Bonnaroo line-up (and I'm writing this in July (ignore the date) and thus kicking myself for not sucking up the money and going) and this festival has once again blown me away. These kind of musicians just don't exist in the regular public spotlight, and the ones that do have a very hard time staying there. I hope to hear more and more from musicians like Dallas Green because, even through the tears, they remind me how beautiful music really makes life.

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Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again

5/11/2012

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Spotify Listen Link: Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again

Michael Kiwanuka is a part of the 2012 Bonnaroo lineup. He's got an "acoustic blues-folk sound and timeless soulful voice." And he's only a year older than me - lucky hardworking musician so-and-so. Anywhos, some cool notes I've come across include his love of rock music - particularly Radiohead and Nirvana. Not to shabby taste there sir.

Life's taken him around, performing as a session musician and finally getting discovered and signed. He is on Mumford & Sons' Communion label, and has had two EPs out before this. Let's note that he was Adele's support on her UK tour (WHAT?) and has been on many short lists for critics awards. The BBC named him the Sound of 2012, and here we have his debut album.

"Tell Me A Tale" is the first track, and the opening sound is so... odd, but cool. He's got a voice like Charles Bradley, with the right sort of band to back that, but also a flute element that makes it just different enough. There's funk and soul strewn throughout, and you'd almost thing you're listening to something from at least 40-50 years ago, but this is recent stuff. Lyrically, it's pretty great, staying just shy of too much meaning or story, providing a great opening song to really get people in the mood for the album.

If you're like me and were wondering where the folk aspect of this album was, we didn't have to wait long. "I'm Getting Ready" has the folk aspect, with a light guitar and voice to go along with it. Everything's on the air with this, as in any good folk tune, with just enough echo and beat to still qualify this soul man in his own area as well. The track's. easy on the heart and mind, though may have been more appropriately placed just a smidgen later in the album.

"I'll Get Along" is a good sweet sound to, creating the middle ground between the sounds of the first two tracks we heard. There's just enough woodwinds to keep it interesting, a steady beat for the folk crowd, and rhythm for funk and soul. You could probably hear this one in the backyard amongst the grass in a good frisbee game. By the way, little known fact, I suck at frisbee. Just about any other sport I can sort of hold my own, but not that one. See how easy it is to get lost in this track?

A guitar leads in the band for "Rest," which sounds just as its name implies. I'm honestly persuaded to take a nap during this one. It's not boring, by any means, but it is quite relaxing, and that's not something you can say about a lot of songs. The safety felt by this song is something else that sort of astounds me. That's quite a combination: relaxing and safety. It's sort of the feeling you desire to have with any man, I think. Or, at least sometimes you want that feeling... okay, back on track here. Just a really nice song, take a listen.

"Home Again" comes in with a classical guitar picking, and isn't so much about getting back home (as I expected), but is more about finding a feeling of home. Those are two very, very different things, let me tell you. There is a slight beat that comes in around a minute in, along with harmonies that are just plain interesting. This is an unexpected sound from this man on first glance, but winds up being really clean and impressive.

Now we head back a few more decades with "Bones." The drums are being brushed instead of beat, the vocals are off a much older style mic (or are at least effected that way), and the "oohs" in the background are reminiscent of acts of yester-year. This is such a good throwback style that is hard to achieve in a great way, even with our technology. I have to say, Michael has come closer than anyone I've heard in recent years. The work is really great and one of those things you hope will make the younger generation appreciate their musical roots as much as it seems that he has.

"Always Waiting" takes just a slightly country turn for the album, though it still remains in that folk vein that I talked about earlier. There's something unique to it, of course, I mean this is Michael Kiwanuka we're talking about, and he sound is obviously unique. I think its the vocal style, infused with soul, that makes it just slightly off the beaten path of folk. It's a sadder song, lyrically, as the title might imply, but as most country/folk songs do, this one maintains a pretty upbeat attitude musically somehow. It's like there's a bit of hope tucked away in those guitar strings.

In the next one, I would have bet money he was going for a spiritual. "I Won't Lie" never seems to utter the words of the title within the song (I may have missed that though), but takes on a slower feel, complete with really sweet sounds I only ever remember hearing in churches before. The music is simply - a strumming to keep it going. Again, a relaxing number.

"Any Day Will Do Fine" is a smokey bar song (I think this is how I describe any song that's similar to this sound). I guess what I mean by that is that it's quiet, but with an intensity in the accompanying instruments. The horns are there, but mixed to the back and almost muted from time to time. The bass takes up the fantastic line that you barely realize, but it does maintain the whole song. Finally, there's a guitar over it all with no true sense of direction, but it adds to the song in its own phrases that hit just every so often.

As we go more and more... damn it, I can't think of the artist I want to compare this guy to, but it's someone. "Worry Walks Beside Me" has a trailing sound to it. This is not one of my favorites of the album. It drags just a little too much and makes my head feel heavy. I'm okay with this one just sort of being there, and not giving it much thought, if any at all. Here's one that I'll just wait for the ending of.

"Lasan" is the final song, and I'm beginning to suspect the Michael is winding down and/or getting tired as well. This one drags just as much as the last one (in fact, I'm seeing very little difference between the two). The vibe is completely one of completion. The stronger material was clearly in the beginning of the album, but this is a helpful reminder that all good things must come to an end (god I hate that phrase..).

Added to My Playlist:

"Tell Me A Tale"
"I'll Get Along"
"Rest"
"Home Again"
"Any Day Will Do Fine"

This was one of those days/albums that was a pleasant surprise and awesome discovery. Michael Kiwanuka is really very talented, and has an ear for mixing music in genres and styles that you rarely hear in albums released past 1975. This was wonderful confused in its genre specification, and really contained some incredible musical moments.

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The Devil Makes Three - Stomp and Smash

City and Colour - Little Hell

Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again

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