It's 6AM Sunday morning. Joni Mitchell's Help Me is playing on the radio. It's still dark out. Is it too late or too early for a glass of wine? That's a judgement call. It may be time to play iPod Shuffle. Let's do this version with Jivewired bands only. Maybe next week I will do the regular version, which will be iPod Shuffle IV, but today, yeah, let's keep it local and real.
Besides, I am stuck on 666 - that is the number of posted blogs here in this forum so far, and I'd really like to move off of that number. As things have been getting busier and busier I am finding less and less time to write. I like to write. Maybe 6AM Sunday morning is the perfect time then.
Maybe.
"I used to do speed — and sometimes a little cough syrup. Stay up all night, writing and writing, like 25 pages of dribble about the Faces or Coltrane, just to fucking write…." -- Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs in the movie Almost Famous
Okay, then.
Here's the game:
(1) Turn on your MP3 player or music player on your computer.
(2) Go to SHUFFLE songs mode. For this particular exercise I am going to select music from my Jivewired Folder on iTunes
(3) List the first 15 songs that come up (song title and artist) NO editing/cheating, please. Even if you might skip the song when it comes up or be embarrassed for people to know that it's in your collection, you still must list it.
(4) I further the challenge by writing a quick synopsis before each song ends, which really adds some intensity to the exercise.
01. Crying Tree by Fiawna Forté from the album "Fassler Hall Presents: The New Tulsa Sound 2 - The Church Studio Sessions" (4:40) -- When you meet Fiawna, you don't expect such an incredibly big sound, and after hearing Crying Tree you're still not sure if hearing is believing. Easily one of the best songs on this wonderful Horton Records compilation, Forté slashes and burns through nearly five minutes of shredding rock and devastating blues (and if you listen close enough there is a touch of rockabilly in this song). The passionate vocals are reminiscent of Janis Joplin or Melissa Etheridge but really the comparisons end there. Listen to Fiawna wail on the closing of this song. My God. Pure definition? Crying Tree is sensitive bravado that ties emotional complexity and the pain of unrequited love with the fierce intensity of obsessive romance.
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02. California by Hyrda Melody from their Self-Titled LP [2012] (4:00) -- A bold, anthemic stadium-friendly stomp with no quit, California is epic in it's layering and built on a foundation of ringing guitars and radio-friendly melodies. Nearly cathedral in sound and arrangement, think U2 or Kings of Leon, this is a big sounding song with polarizing vocal expressions and frenetic pop/rock instrumentation. The booming cannon-like percussion blasts into some extremely addictive guitar hooks and soaring vocals. The tempo changes and vocal inflections are truly sublime.
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03. Palisade by Parker Millsap from the album "Palisade" (3:24) -- Parker gets a lot of comparisons to Tom Waits due to his raspy, gravelly voice and his ability to tell deep, descriptive stories through his lyrics. Certainly Millsap's stylings are archetypical of some of Waits' better stuff vocally but on Palisade he covers slightly more emotional depth by creating a song that is incredibly hard-edged for an acoustic arrangement. The haunting harmonica on the close is bone-chilling, and in telltale fashion, Millsap squeezes the most out of his music through instrumental nuances like repetitive, rigidly styled finger-picking guitar on the verses, placing the tempo changes squarely on his vocals. In doing so, Millsap thematically accentuates the sorrow and solemnity of the lyrics.
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04. Bulls#!t by Well Hung Heart from the album "Young Enough To Know It All" (3:50) -- There are moments when Robin Davey's expansive guitar licks are very reminiscent of Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix on this track and I'm okay with that. While an integral part of the hook, it is merely the bluesy foundation of this firebrand rock song. Davey provides so much more, however, and is somehow able to get incredible bottom end out of his guitar without sacrificing speed while Greta Valenti's vocals and frenzied shrieks keep pace. Not a case of musical oneupmanship between guitarist and vocalist but it could be. There is a cohesiveness to their face-melting frenzy that is nearly sexual in nature. If you've ever seen Mr. & Mrs. Smith, there is a scene where the two protagonists are destroying their home while trying to kill each other before submitting to more carnal desires of passion and willful sexuality.
This song would have been perfect for that scene.
Here's the music video:
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05. Sunday by Jet West from the album "Dropping In" (3:55) -- Upbeat reggae riffs and a 311-like arrangement gives this song a late afternoon, oceanside beach party jam that is infectious listening. It's a potent combination that leans to the funkier side of the genre, a smooth hip-hop, radio-friendly rock and reggae hybrid that finds strength in it's flawless reliability. The polished combination of heavy chords and sunny harmonies works perfectly in creating and setting the mood. It is the ambiance that sells this single as much as the music.
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06. Tennessee Jed by Cary Morin from the album "Streamline" (3:45) -- Tennessee Jed is a cover of a Grateful Dead song but with a new arrangement by Cary Morin that is slightly more uptempo and one that features Morin's amazing finger-picking guitar playing. By finding a fresh approach to old forms, Morin cleverly distills the essence of pure finger-picking Americana, placing himself at the forefront of the modern spirit of the genre by incorporating a (slightly) more contemporary feel through his unique style and arrangements. This version falls just short of matching the full-bodied breadth of the original, which may be by design sans GD vocal harmonies, but intricacies abound within that make this version a great listen as well.
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07. Sweet Natasha by Dr. Pants from the album "The Cusack-Loggins EP" (5:29) -- Dr. Pants, one of my favorite hook-heavy indie bands, has garnered a following for their cool brand of Nerd Power Groove Rock, music that is based on lyrical witticism, trippy, introspective observation and clever irony. But this overlooked instrumental nugget from the Cusack-Loggins EP demonstrates that there is more to the band than just that lovable geekiness. Most of the songs in the band's catalog feature a wickedly good, soul-destroying bassline and Sweet Natasha is no exception. But what I dig about this song is the Pixies-like angelic and angular guitar work. This is more Phish than Weezer. Call it Dr. Pants' Jam Sandwich.
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08. Entertain Me by Bear Ceuse from the album "Don Domestique" (2:30) -- Short but sweet, Entertain Me features fuzzy guitar licks and a defiantly lo-fi sound reminiscent of some of my favorite college bands like Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur Jr. and Pavement. iTunes, which I am certain has artificial intelligence, really created a perfect segue coming off of the previous song. The bridge on Entertain Me may be the best of 2013 and the song as a whole is easily a top twenty true indie gem. It's strength lies in it's complexity and layering, relying on it's wonderful hiss and static, especially on that bridge, that combines perfectly with tasty fractured riffs and a catchy hook.
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09. Miranda by The Imperial from their self-titled album [2010] (3:11) -- Miranda is a gritty, swamp romp jam that leans on some of the full tilt southern boogie of bands like The Black Crowes and The Allman Brothers. The band captures the loose and easy feel of the genre perfectly, using a killer pre-verse riff and dual leads at times to enhance the blues-driven, stinging boogie at the center of the mix, with conviction in the sentiment that oozes confidence and musical self-awareness. Nothing majestic here, no scenic visuals, no hammer of the gods driving solos or expansive subliminal messages, just much more than decent shot and a beer southern-sounding rock and blues that will leave many asses shaking.
Stream at Jivewired
10. Back To You by Dimitri's Rail from the album "Back To You" (3:18) -- A deliberately-paced anthemic rocker with post-grunge sensibilities, Back To You offers a tight arrangement against a grinding, alt-metal sound that is highly polished and remarkably melodic in structure. If Linkin Park and Three Days Grace made a single it would probably sound similar to Back To You. It's a promising single that portends to big things for Dimitri's Rail, a band not short on accolades if you have a chance to check out their website. The song is not as angry as it sounds, a precursor for success in a post-grunge, hard rocking world. Back To You is an incredibly tight, made-for-radio single.
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11. Tear It Down by Black Actress from the album "Black Actress" (4:13) -- Tear It Down is uncompromisingly intense from start to finish, defiantly loud and a bacchanalian antithesis to most of the music in this exercise thus far. Powerfully energetic with soul-shredding firepower, Tear It Down features face-melting, ballsy guitars and a rhythm section that is equally tenacious. With this song, Black Actress celebrates it's amalgam of rock and punk in all it's rebellious glory, a slight nod to MC5 notwithstanding. The result is a cut that reaffirms the power of damn good rock and roll and one that establishes Chicago as the power rock capital of the Midwest.
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12. Long Dead and Gone by Snowball 37 from the album "Declasse" (4:52) -- The initial blast of horns on this track immediately evokes images of early Springsteen and Southside Johnny, but the vocals of lead singer David Fagan offer more of a Rockpile feel (Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds). The combination is infectious and familiar -- this is Jersey rock and indie pop afterall -- heavy on hooks, rhythm and melodic structure. There's a slight nostalgiac feel as post-punk and post-new wave sensibilities abound, and it is that collision that defines a sort of hybrid here despite it's uber-retro leanings. Long Dead And Gone is ironic and unpretentious. And it's good.
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13. The Paper Trench by Admiral Fallow from the album "Tree Bursts In Snow" (3:31) -- The indie folk scene is still alive and kicking, worldwide, no less, as this Glasnow quintet proves. Anthemic and communal choruses are the order here, and the band evidently draws influences from Bruce Springsteen and The Gaslight Anthem but the overall vibe is more like Frightened Rabbit. Still Admiral Fallow stands admirably alone and equidistant from all of the comparisons, a solid foothold into what they are trying to accomplish, which is to build a worldwide following. The Paper Trench is a great indie pop song that gives us a merciful respite from a lot of the indie folk commanding most radio airplay today. They're not trying to sell the idea of folk just to capitalize on current trends and the staying popularity of bands like Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers. That's a good thing.
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14. We've Created A Monster by The Outer Vibe from the album "The Monster EP" (3:37) -- Older Vibe but still good Vibe. As usual, Sean Zee's vocals stand out, but the scream by Lisa Kacos right before the guitar solo on the bridge steals the scene. Zee is incredible, always pitch perfect with elongated holds that never waver or trail and Nick Hosford trades guitar lick for vocal hook with Sean in no holds barred fashion. The Outer Vibe has always been a case where the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. When you have a band that holds 14 college degrees amongst it's five members, that's saying a helluva lot. Fans of everything from Led Zeppelin to Queen to The Darkness to The Scissor Sisters will love this song.
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15. Ponchartrain by Stephen Monroe from the album "Driving The Sky Highway" (4:15) -- Stephen Monroe specializes in that down-home type of Blues and Americana and though I know for a fact he doesn't live in New Orleans, I always think that he does. Ponchartrain doesn't help with my misdirected confusion. It's a wonderful song, and Stephen is at his best when he skews toward the uptempo range of his output as he does here. Ponchartrain offers a lean-but-burning musical simile that's soulfully satisfying, a comparison of an ex-love to a devastating hurricane that's archly witty. Phrasemaking aside, I can't get enough of Stephen Monroe's acoustic blues guitar either. Fans of Leon Redbone and J.J. Cale will find enough in Stephen's works to dig on this.
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