Record Dept. Music Reviews

Jason Felton — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:30:22 +0000

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KIM JANSSEN | ANCIENT CRIME

Dutch musician Kim Janssen is young and ambitious, as his second solo endeavor, Ancient Crime, attests. Best known in The Netherlands as part of the current line-up in the acoustic pop band The Black Atlantic (backing vocals, guitar, ukulele, piano and percussion), Janssen three years creating this concept album inspired by his childhood years spent boarding schools in Asia. The story is set in an old idyllic school, in a remote village in England during the winter and weaves history, myth, and memories into the fabric of the ten tracks which include traditional lyric filled songs and instrumentals. Recorded in a church with a 100-person choir as well as Marla Hansen’s (The National; Sufjan Stevens) Oriel Quartet, the soaring music fills with organ, clarinet, trumpets, acoustic and ambient soundscapes. Standouts include “Tors”, “Holmes’ Bonfire, 1966”, and “Drift.” – Written by SMarx

Jason Felton — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:30:18 +0000

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DENISON WITMER | THE ONES WHO WAIT

ASTHMATIC KITTY

Pennsylvania based indie singer/songwriter Denison Witmer has released his ninth studio album The Ones Who Wait, on Asthmatic Kitty. What originally began as an EP with Devin Greenwood (Amos Lee) changed direction after Witmer returned home for the passing of his father from cancer. A new father himself, Witmer grappled with grief and remembrance, relationships and identity, with lyrics evolving into intimate and intensely personal reflections on life. While retaining his characteristically warm neo-folk sound, Witmer created eleven powerful guitar and vocal tracks marked by their braveness and maturity. “The Ones Who Wait” is a heavy and lovely album; check out standout singles “Hold On”, “Life Before Aesthetics”, and “Two and a Glass Rose.” – Written by SMarx

Jason Felton — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:30:32 +0000

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MARIEE SIOUX | GIFT FOR THE END

WHALE WATCH RECORDS

Folk singer/songwriter Mariee Sioux recently released her fourth album Gift for the End in Europe and the U.S.– a set of eight sparse psych-folk songs steeped in imagery of nature, animals, and dark beauty. A self-taught guitarist whose father was a professional mandolin player, Sioux was heavily influenced by the natural world surrounding her hometown of Nevada City, CA, a small town in the Sierra Nevada mountain range (which is also home to solo songstresses Alela Diane and Joanna Newsome, both of whom Sioux is often compared). With simple arrangements, captivating melodies, and instrumentation that is primarily comprised of fingerpicked guitar and Sioux’s haunting and clear vocals (which at times are multi-tracked to otherworldly effect), Gift for the End proves that she is more than just another folk singer with a pretty voice. – Written by SMarx

Jason Felton — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:30:21 +0000

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K PHILLIPS | AMERICAN GIRLS

RANCHO AZUL RECORDS

Austin, TX’s latest rising country-rock star is K. Phillips, and his debut solo album American Girls is a must-listen this summer. Although he has been on the scene since the 90’s as backing multi-instrumentalist for tons of gigs, this independent venture showcases Phillips’ versatile songwriting and vocal talents as well. The 10 tracks range across the spectrum of country, from Americana folk to honky tonk, from blues rock to Southern soul, all structured with driving electric guitar, strumming banjo, and expressive organ. And as the warning “explicit lyrics” indicates, these are not your average love songs; rather they and love and hate songs, with razor sharp edges and violent endings. Standout tracks include opener “To Dance with You”, ‘Does it Hold Water”, and “Not My Baby Anymore.” – Written by JFelton

Jason Felton — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:26:51 +0000

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M. WARD | A WASTELAND COMPANION

MERGE

Record Dept. is a longtime fan of M. Ward in his many incarnations: solo artist, supergroup member (Monster of Folk), and boy/girl duo (She & Him). The incredibly multifacted and talented artist (singer, songwriter, producer, musician) continues to raise the bar with his seventh solo studio effort, A Wasteland Companion. While an M. Ward solo production, there is nothing small about this, from the massive scale of collaborators (18 artists including the usual suspects as well as members of Sonic Youth, Dr. Dog, Devotchka, and The Cardinals) to the multitude of recording studios (8 including his launching pad of Portland, OR and Bristol, UK). Working with different musicians throughout the globe lends Ward’s vintage sound more openness while remaining richly crafted and highly polished. Ward consistently creates high-quality releases, and his latest (whose title references T.S. Eliot’s modernist poem) is his best yet. – Written by JFelton

Jason Felton — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:21:36 +0000

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JOHN FULLBRIGHT | FROM THE GROUND UP

12TH STREET RECORDS

Oklahoma singer-songwriter John Fullbright follows-up his debut album Live at the Blue Door with his first studio release From the Ground Up. The young Americana musician comes from the same hometown as the legendary troubadour Woody Guthrie, and similarly Fullbright brings a political slant to his poignant lyrics. A piano prodigy and accomplished guitarist, Fullbright is joined on electric guitar by Andrew Hardin, Ryan Engleman, and Terry “Buffalo” Ware for a set of blues and country-rock ballads. Standout tracks include “I Only Pray at Night” and “Song for a Child.” – Written by JFelton

Jason Felton — Wed, 09 May 2012 23:30:59 +0000

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JBM | STRAY ASHES

WESTERN VINYL

Singer-songwriter and classically trained guitarist JBM (Jesse Brian Marchant) is somewhat of a geographic nomad, raised in the Adirondacks and Montreal with more recent stints in L.A. and Brooklyn. Coming off a year of touring, Marchant retreated to a remote cabin in the Catskills, where he recorded a series of instrumentals based upon experiments with drums and electric guitar. Like his 2010 debut Not Even in July, Stray Ashes shows that when JBM takes time to reflect on music and get away from the din urban life, wonderful songs emerge. However part of Stray Ashes’ sound is a result of Marchant’s re-entry back into the fray of NY and Texas – lyrics and recording take shape. With the help of John Congleton, Stray Ashes is another stellar addition to JBM’s growing discography. – Written by SMarx

Jason Felton — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:30:14 +0000

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THE SPINTO BAND | SHY PURSUIT

SPINTONIC RECORDINGS

The name The Spinto Band may not be familiar to many, but this hard working indie pop band has been around since the mid-nineties, when they formed as a recording project in high school. Since then the Delaware based group comprised of Jon Eaton (guitar), Jeff Hobson (drums), Joe Hobson (guitar, vocals), Thomas Hughes (bass, vocals), Sam Hughes (keyboards, vocals), and Nick Krill (vocals, guitar) has released a number of records, including their recent self-recorded and produced full length, Shy Pursuit. The band has largely, and somewhat unfairly, been portrayed as trying to break the label as a one-hit wonder, chasing after the success of their 2005 single “Oh, Mandy”. Chasing or not, they have hit notes of pop perfection with Shy Pursuit, with ten tunes of catchy keyboards, pedal steel guitar, and percussion. Standout tracks include “Keep Them Alive”, “Cookie Falls”, and “Jackhammer.” – Written by JFelton

Jason Felton — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:30:10 +0000

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SHANNON STEPHENS | PULL IT TOGETHER

ASTHMATIC KITTY

Following the success of Shannon Stephens’ second solo effort, The Breadwinner, Asthmatic Kitty is issuing the singer-songwriter’s latest, Pull it Together. Like her last solo effort, this one features backing by a host of musicians such as Jeff Fielder (guitar; Mark Lanegan, Isobel Campbell) on guitars, James McAlister (drums; Sufjan Stevens, Pedro the Lion), Steve Moore (keyboards; Sufjan Stevens, Laura Veirs), and Will Oldham (vocals), and finds Stephens more confident and unapologetic about her choice to raise a family instead of becoming an indie superstar like some of her former Marzuki bandmates. Stephens’ voice is clear and mesmerizing, her lyrics introspective, and folk country guitar work effortless and beguiling. Notable tracks include “Cold November” and “Down the Drain and it’s Gone.” – Written by JFelton

Jason Felton — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:00:14 +0000

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ADAM COHEN | LIKE A MAN

DECCA

It is not surprising that some of the most legendary singer/songwriters of the 60’s and 70’s produced some of this generation’s most talented musicians: Roseanne Cash, the late Jeff Buckley, Jakob Dylan, Norah Jones, Justin Townes Earle, Rufus Wainwright. Though a long-time artist – having served as frontman for the California pop rock bank Low Millions – Adam Cohen is finally taking up the mantle and embracing the sounds and style of his father, Leonard Cohen. Although Like a Man his is fourth solo recording, it is here that Cohen finds his own voice in the cadence of his own poetic lyrics and well-crafted arrangements that involve acoustic guitar, upright bass, piano, strings and harmonic vocals courtesy of Jennifer Warnes. The ten songs of love are sharp and incisive, beautifully expressed in Cohen’s baritone. Like a Man is a gorgeous gem of an album and the coming of age for the gifted Cohen the younger. – Written by SMarx