OXFORD AMERICAN - 13th Annual Southern Music Issue

Whether the holiday season takes you out of town or lets you do your running around at home this year, Oxford American's music issue is a trustworthy travel companion, stuffed with approachably academic takes on the artists and cultures of the Southern states by a star-studded cast of critics (focusing this year on the Magnolia state, Mississippi). A must-read and a fantastic gift idea, complete with an equally informative and entertaining 27-track companion CD compilation.

DILLARD & CLARK - The Fantastic Expeditions Of Dillard & Clark / GENE CLARK - White Light / GENE CLARK - Roadmaster

Sundazed just reissued three albums Gene Clark released between 1968-1972, including his acclaimed collaboration with Doug Dillard. You can't go wrong with any of them!

"Gene Clark was front and center as tambourine player, singer and principal songwriter for the Byrds, but in early 1966 he flew the coop. A gifted songwriter, expectations ran high for a stellar solo career, but those hopes were dashed when his debut solo album and single both failed to chart. Dropped by Columbia Records the following year, Gene's career remained in limbo until teaming up with banjo player extraordinaire Doug Dillard for The Fantastic Expeditions Of Dillard & Clark."

"Tiring of the Hollywood fast lane by 1969, Gene and new wife Carlie moved up to Mendocino on the Northern California coast. It inspired a body of songs unlike anything Gene had composed before. Their stark simplicity and stripped down arrangements—acoustic guitar, harmonica and voice—evidence a deeper insight into life and an overall optimism rarely found in his previous body of work. The resulting album, White Light, produced by renowned guitarist Jesse Ed Davis, remains one of Gene's most accessible and much-loved recordings among fans and critics."

"By 1972, Clark had settled into a new life far from the adulation that still surrounded someone of his stature as a former member of the Byrds. However, he still owed A&M Records one more album. Gathering together the cream of the L.A. country-rock fraternity—innovative guitarist Clarence White, Chris Ethridge on bass, ex-Byrd and Burrito Brother Michael Clarke on drums, pedal steel guitarist extraordinaire Sneaky Pete, Byron Berline on fiddle and pianist Spooner Oldham—Gene set about recording an album of pure country rock unfettered by any commercial dictates." - Sundazed

VAN DYKE PARKS - Arrangements, Vol. 1

A man who started his parallel careers as arranger, producer, lyricist, songwriter and A/V/A&R rep at an astonishingly early age, Van Dyke Parks is a musician's musician thoroughly deserving of canonization by way of this long-awaited, self-released anthology (with more volumes hopefully to come).

"Van Dyke Parks helped Brian Wilson write the songs for SMiLE and recorded a handful of fine and critically acclaimed albums in the 1960s and '70s, but he earned his bread and butter as a producer and arranger, creating striking musical backdrops for other artists. Arrangements, Vol. 1 is a collection compiled by Parks himself that features 15 tracks he arranged; five were released under Parks' moniker, but the rest found him working for the likes of Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Arlo Guthrie, and Sal Valentino during his tenure as a staff producer at Warner Bros. Records." - Allmusic

"His solo records, starting with 1968's confounding Harry Nilsson-meets-Charles Ives opus Song Cycle, are subjects of fervent cult adoration but known to few. His arranging work, meanwhile, has put an inimitable stamp on American pop, though the vast majority of music fans have no idea when they are listening to his work. He is the quintessential liner-notes hero, in other words, which makes the overview of Arrangements, Vol. 1, on his own label Bananastan, that much more gratifying." - Pitchfork (Best New Reissue)

WILCO - The Whole Love

There's a lot to be said for first impressions. Except when they're wrong. 

Take Wilco's last album, 2009's Wilco (The Album). Opening with the pleasing yet slight and self-referential silliness of "Wilco (The Song)", one tends to remember the entire album as a bit of a lark. In truth, the material within contained nothing else that approached that track's looseness—rather, it was a sweeping and detailed cataloguing of the band's many and varied strengths, from gorgeous balladry ("You and I") to tense paranoia (the terrific "Bull Black Nova") and all points in between.

Given that The Whole Love comes to life with the seven-minute skittering beat study meets full-on guitar freakout of "Art of Almost" (as well as the fact that it's the band's first album on their own dBpm label), it's easy for it to feel like a return to their art rock heyday of the first half of the 2000s. At that time, riding high (or low) on a wave of fractious interband relationships and agitated creative sparks, the group produced a double whammy of peerless and thorny music.

But despite our first handshake with The Whole Love, this is not a return to the days of 2004's intriguing if distanced A Ghost Is Born. After the wild ride of "Art Of Almost", the record hits a more casual, relaxed stride. Much like Wilco (The Album), it is a somewhat varied yet content collection of all of the things Wilco does well. And it's hard not to be of two minds on this. 

It would be terrific to see Wilco spread their experimental wings wide and make an album that challenged and surprised their audiences as much as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot did. Perhaps that's just too obvious (or difficult) a move to make. And yet it's next to impossible to resist the charms of Wilco being Wilco. I don't want to say that Tweedy the songwriter and Wilco the band are good enough to get away with doing just enough...but they kind of are. The ten songs that form the meat of The Whole Love are all three- to four-minute slices of prime Tweedy, with the occasional guitar burst ("Born Alone"), tender moment ("Open Mind") or heartwarming horn shuffle ("Capitol City") to define the landscape. If it isn't revolutionary, it is great.

If only just a little, Wilco may forever live in the shadow their most daring times. It was an exciting moment to see someone willing to allow his songs to be beat up in the name of art not as a crutch for his lack of ability, but simply because it made terrific songs extraordinary. But if the last impression made by The Whole Love is anything to go on, they still have a wandering muse to follow. At twelve minutes long, "One Sunday Morning" is neither wild nor drawn out. It is a gorgeous wander through an autumnal soundscape, guiding the listener by the hand with a gentle acoustic refrain and Tweedy's sure, steady tenor. It's ambitious in its own right, and a fitting reminder of the band's endless capability to sneak up on you. No one really saw Yankee Hotel Foxtrot coming. If the winds in Wilco's camp ever blow that way again, I doubt we'll see it on the horizon either.

VA - Delta Swamp Rock – Sounds From The South: At The Crossroads Of Rock, Country And Soul

Swamp rock is a distinctively southern white U.S. phenomenon, an overlap of many musical Venn Diagram circles. And though the title of this comp suggests that a Mississippi birth certificate is a prerequisite, that is also not necessary. One of its key exponents, John Fogerty, for all of his southern-isms, was born in Berkeley, California, far from Bayou Country to be sure. Geographical authenticity, however, was less important with swamp rock than sounding southern. After all, when you’re drawing from country, blues, gospel, soul, rock, and Cajun music, chances are you probably absorbed at least some of these sounds while doing a degree in university. No matter, the music produced during the thick of the swamp rock period (roughly 1968 to 1973) is some of the best soul music of the time, eschewing uptown slick and going for the dirt and grit associated with swamps, wetlands and such. 

One of the definitive swamp rock songs, "Polk Salad Annie" by Tony Joe White, was recorded in 1968 and celebrates the southern way of life which may have included eating polk salad (polk being a weed that grows in the swamps of the south). Elvis picked up on the song and spent most of the rest of his career wading through similar musical terrain.

One of the swampiest records ever recorded, Dr. John’s Gris-Gris, is a pure masterwork, and while The Night Tripper does not preside here, his "I Walk On Guilded Splinters" makes an appearance respectfully tackled by Cher. Dan Penn, one of the greatest white songwriters to blur the racial lines of southern music, is here with his mighty "If Love Was Money". Linda Ronstadt pulls one of the best numbers in the set with the outstanding country gospel waltz of "I Won’t Be Hangin’ Round". This wouldn’t be southern rock without the Allmans, Skynyrd, Bobbie Gentry, Leon Russell, and Boz Scaggs. Then, there are surprise turns from Big Star (definitely the most southern-sounding power pop band of the era), Cowboy (never heard of them before, but "Please Be With Me" is beautiful slice of country rock), Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Link Wray (whose early '70s output fits the genre quite nicely).

It’s a wonderful document of an underappreciated sub-genre of rock, and once again Soul Jazz delivers. Everyone needs a summer soundtrack, and this one would be perfect for your next road trip, fishing trip, or cottage weekend. 

CAITLIN ROSE - Own Side Now

Few debut albums garner the kind of advanced accolades as the debut full-length from Nashville’s Caitlin Rose. Lauded by the folks at Rough Trade as their #4 record of last year when it was released in the UK, Own Side Now also bagged alternative weekly Nashville Scene’s top album of 2010 award, even though it hadn’t yet been released. Praise of this sort is most often reserved for indie bands selling the latest sounds, haircuts, and beards, yet Rose surprises by not being trendy at all. Rose takes Americana, a mostly tired genre, and breathes life into it with honesty and a set of stellar songs. This is the kind of disc that slowly reels you in through the warmth of Rose’s winsome voice and production from Mark Nevers (Lambchop, Will Oldham) and Skylar Wilson (Justin Townes Earle).

There’s a familiarity to her voice and songs—nothing revolutionary, but this is comfort food. Don’t mistake it for complacency, though. It’s not original in the radical sense, just in the way that it takes a unique talent to take tradition and make it relevant again. She’s a masterful interpreter, covering (and besting) Fleetwood Mac on "That’s Alright". (On her first EP, she bravely took on The Rolling Stones’ "Dead Flowers" with an understatement that justified the cliché bar-band cover.) Her voice is achingly pretty, but never precious ("Learnin' to Ride" and "Own Side"), which makes listening to this record such a rewarding experience. Check for yourself the fine line (or should I say huge distinction?) between hype and well-deserved praise.

DANIEL ROMANO - Sleep Beneath the Willow

Daniel Romano is back with Sleep Beneath the Willow, his second album in less than a year. It's been out for well over a month, but just because it’s taken us a little while to get around to writing about it doesn’t mean we’re any less enamoured with it. Quite the opposite in fact—Sleep Beneath the Willow is front-to-back one of this year’s most arresting records.

It was only last June that the Welland, ON native put out his debut Working for the Music Man (through his own label, You’ve Changed Records, which has quickly earned a reputation for quality). It's actually quite alarming how far Daniel has come in such a short amount of time between releases. As great as ...Music Man was, at times it relied too heavily on traditional material. This time around, Romano has really stepped up his songwriting, hitting every single song out of the park. His voice has also matured—take a listen to something off 2009's Daniel, Fred & Julie and compare it to the new album's leadoff track "Time (Forgot to Change My Heart)". He's Dallas Good, Leonard Cohen and Aaron Riches wraped into one, and with backing vocals provided by three very talented singers in their own right (Lisa Bozikovic, Tamara Lindeman of The Weather Station, and Misha Bower of Bruce Peninsula, making her second appearance), some songs could easily pass for Gram Parsons.

Yes, the music shares a lot with the country greats of the past, but it’s something that should be celebrated, not disregarded. Sure, the sound he helped develop in his old band Attack in Black was far more original, but the songs he is writing today feel timeless.

JIM SULLIVAN - U.F.O.

There is a lot of confusion over Jim Sullivan, the most banal being that he is not Big Jim Sullivan, the British session guitarist extraordinaire who played on around 1,000 hit singles (and also dabbled in some go-go sitar albums in the late '60s).  No, this is the American Jim Sullivan, who moved to L.A. with his wife in 1968, recorded his private-press debut LP U.F.O., and then, with his marriage on the verge of collapse in 1975, headed out to Nashville and simply disappeared. His abandoned VW was found on a desert road; his guitar, wallet, and other belongings were left behind in a hotel.

Like Connie Converse, another enigmatic songwriter who also disappeared without a trace after driving off in a Volkswagen (just a year before he did!), Sullivan remains one of those musicians who really deserved greater renown but simply got lost in the shuffle in the deluge of incredible music made during that goldmine time for rock. Stylistically, he shares similarities with Tim Hardin, especially vocally, and would typically accompany himself with only guitar whenever he played live. The difference, though (and this may be the power of suggestion at play here, considering his probable demise), is that there is an understatedly ominous vibe that colours this record with the sort of unease that accompanies ghost stories told in the dark.

On the U.F.O. sessions, his distinctively deep voice and guitar playing were augmented by Wrecking Crew players Jimmy Bond (bass), Earl Palmer (who drummed on Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” and The Righteous Brothers' “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’”), and Don Randi (who played keys for Phil Spector and on The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations”). It’s this combo of killer playing and Bond’s orchestrations that place this album in similar territory as such genre-defying works of psych-folk orch-funk as David Axelrod's Song Of Innocence and Songs Of Experience (on both of which Earl Palmer also drummed!), as well as Jean Claude Vannier’s arrangements for Serge Gainsbourg; folkies and beat-diggers alike therefore have much to sink their teeth into with this one.

Every year lost albums are unearthed, though few of them merit much airplay. This past year, impossibly obscure albums by Ted Lucas, Robert Lester Folsom, and Pastor T.L. Barrett were all saved from oblivion by intrepid reissue labels.  Sullivan's only effort is pretty near tops in that category, and deserves the scant but fervent attention it has received since resurfacing. In the meantime, the mystery of its author’s fate remains unsolved.

VA - The World Is A Monster: Lonesome, Blue And Jump Jivin' Hillbillies From The Columbia Vault 1948-1958

The last time a comp of country nuggets knocked me off my feet like this one was when RPM put out the stunning Double Up & Catch Up: Hillbilly Bop’n’Boogie 1950-1958, back in 2004. That disc showcased insanely catchy tunes from the powerhouse country wing of Capitol Records, and made a convincing claim that rockabilly was more a punked-up form of hillbilly music with an rhythm and blues influence than a fusion of the two.

Omni’s similar turn scopes the Colombia catalogue for the hidden gems they have unearthed in their ongoing quest to dig up the best of vintage country music.  There are few tinkling pianos, and absolutely no lush strings and smooth crooning backing vocals here in this pre-Nashville Sound set. This is the time when fiddles, pedal steel and stand-up bass still formed that backbone of any hillbilly or honkytonk band, and this expertly selected collection generously puts forth one jaw-dropper after another.

Rockin’ dance numbers abound from The Country Boy’s instrumental “Bud’s Bounce” to The Maddox Brothers’ reliably belligerent party chug-a-lug “Ugly and Slouchy”. Baby sister Rose Maddox delivers a weepy waltz with “When the Sun Goes Down”, as does Freddie Hart on the gorgeous “Blue”. Elsewhere, we find deep twang and dissonance on the great Johnny Bond’s “All I Can Do Is Cry” and the cautionary anti-rambling ditty by Rocky Porter that provides this set with its name.

The esteemed Bear Family’s single-artist series Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight mines similar territory, while their ongoing Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Hillbilly Music, a by-the-year history of country music from 1945 on (their just-released last 5 volumes bring us to 1960), is an invaluable resource for newcomers and collectors alike. But at 32 tracks—all remastered from the orginal tapes, many of which are making their digital debut—The World Is a Monster is a perfect one-stop shit-kicking country bonanza!

DOLLY PARTON - The Fairest Of Them All/My Favorite Songwriter, Porter Wagoner / PORTER WAGONER - What Ain't To Be, Just Might Happen

Three key reissues of 2010 are to be found in this pair of discs from the Omni Recording Corporation, featuring 1972 releases from Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. At this point in their inextricably linked careers, they had already recorded a half-dozen duet albums together. His highly prolific career was still strong in its third prolific decade when he recorded What Ain’t To Be, Just Might Happen; hers was still in its ascendency when she paid full-length tribute to him with My Favourite Songwriter, Porter Wagoner.

Five years earlier, Porter gave Dolly her big break, inviting her on his TV and road show following the departure of erstwhile partner Norma Jean after a failed romance. (Adding insult to injury, Norma Jean is sometimes thought of as a Dolly copycat, though the former’s career and style was established first.) Wagoner even put his royalties on the line as a guarantee in order to convince RCA to sign his ingénue. His risk was a safe one, though, and by the time these recordings were released, her sales had surpassed his and were about to go through the roof.

Both artists complement each other perfectly, and comparing their versions of “What Ain’t to Be, Just Might Happen”, “Comes and Goes”, and the classic “Lonely Comin’ Down” reveals a pair of singers that are quite distinct, yet cut from the same proverbial cloth. The push and pull between light and dark shows up with both artists’ treatment of unusual subject matter, as does the development of complex and vivid characters for their song narratives. Dolly’s 1970 album The Fairest of Them All is paired up with My Favorite Songwriter for this reissue, and puts her own songwriting style on display, dealing with controversial themes of incest (“Chas” and “Robert”) and teenage pregnancy on “Down from Dover”.  For his part, Porter is no stranger to strange themes, and the inimitably surreal “The Rubber Room” is one of the most bizarre records of the '70s country canon.

Following these albums, Dolly struck gold with 1974's Jolene, which spawned the title track plus “I Will Always Love You”, a love letter to Porter which also bade their relationship farewell. She quit his road show to form her own Travellin’ Family Band that same year. Wagoner sued her for breach of contract and settled before recording one more duets album, albeit tracked separately.

Together, these releases contain 53 songs (there is a wealth of bonus material on the Porter disc), nearly two and a half hours of music, and loads of detailed liner notes from the Omni gang. Essential material from both Dolly and Porter.

VA - Califia: The Songs Of Lee Hazlewood

The late great Lee Hazlewood was one hell of an ornery contrarian. And, bless his soul, he also happened to be one multi-talented musical tour-de-force: eccentric singer, songwriter, record label owner, and producer. We’ve seen several sterling Hazlewood reissues crop up over the years, but Califia is a compilation with a twist, amassing twenty-five tantalizing tracks he wrote and produced for himself and others between 1956 and ’70.

And those “others” in question? Irrefutable talents like Duane Eddy (whose twangy instrumental hits initially made Hazelwood a record producer to be reckoned with), legendary session guitarist Al Casey, drummer extraordinaire Hal Blaine, blue-eyed soul belter Dusty Springfield, cinematic sex symbol Ann-Margret, and, of course, Nancy Sinatra, who hit the big-time when Hazlewood recommended that she ‘sing like a gal who goes out with 45-year old truckers’ on her immortal 1966 smash, “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’”.

Califia, the latest volume in Ace Records’ unbeatable songwriters and producers series, provides a fascinating sonic portrait of the early years of Hazlewood’s career. Bouncing back and forth chronologically, the disc’s many treasures include Sanford Clark’s bluesy 1956 rockabilly hit, “The Fool”, rhythm ‘n’ blues vocal group The Sharps’ raucous number, “Have Love, Will Travel”, Suzi Jane Hokom’s irresistibly infectious go-go groover, “Need All the Help I Can Get”, Dusty Springfield’s swingin’ “Sweet Ride”, and Lee’s own vocal turn on the creepy oddity, “The Girl on Death Row”, originally written for an obscure film.

In fact, by the late Sixties, Hazlewood had acquired quite a knack for giving his songs a dramatic and panoramic Technicolor big-screen feel. Listen to Ann-Margret’s “You Turned My Head Around” and its ferocious fuzz pedal-powered wall of sound (the teen-aged Phil Spector picked up many a production tip from Hazlewood, by the way), Duane and Miriam Eddy’s twang-a-delic “Guitar on My Mind”, and the album’s smokin’ title track, an undeservedly obscure 1969 duet between Lee and his then-girlfriend, Suzi Jane Hokum, that has all the epic qualities of the hits on which he and Nancy Sinatra shared vocal duties. 

Rockabilly, r‘n’b, country, novelty tunes, garage, stripped-down instrumentals, and orchestrated pop productions: Hazlewood wrote, recorded, and sang (with his inimitable baritone) ‘em all. Nearly everything he touched was imbued with his dry self-deprecating wit, and even if you already have one or more of his solo albums, Califia’s worth getting for the way it sums up his genius. Yes, genius, a word I generally don’t toss around very lightly, but one that pretty much describes up good ol’ ornery Lee to a “t”.

PETE MOLINARI - A Train Bound For Glory

Now, I'm not exactly sure if Pete Molinari is indeed bound for glory à la Woody Guthrie, but hopefully he'll get as close to it as possible. Yes, this British troubadour's that talented, as his new album abundantly proves. From the moment my ears caught the strains of his 2008 release A Virtual Landslide, it was apparent that Molinari was successfully putting his own twist on the '60s singer-songwriters (Dylan, Phil Ochs, Tim Hardin, for starters) who had deeply inspired him, all the while sticking close to his chosen template.

But if Molinari's a traditionalist, he's a damned good one, as A Train Bound For Glory makes for an excellent follow-up to his previous recordings. Recorded in Nashville instead of the U.K. this time out, he and his bassist and drummer are accompanied by a large assortment of country and folk-rock musicians, including Elvis' backup singers, The Jordanaires. The end result is an irresistable batch of ballads and up-tempo tunes which evoke the restless life of a lonesome drifter, without resorting to timeworn clichés. Quite the opposite; Molinari's melodies, soul-searching lyrics, and somewhat androgynous tenor voice all add up to a pretty timeless disc.

My personal fave cut here is "New York City", and fittingly enough, this album's as close to capturing and updating that vintage Greenwich Village countryfied-folkie vibe as anything you're likely to hear these days.

SAM AMIDON - I See The Sign

We somehow forgot to feature this album on our website when it was released way back in April, which is strange since Sam Amidon's last album All Is Well made our year end list back in 2008, and I See The Sign is more than a worthy follow-up. Perhaps it was for the best, though, because on first listen, I See The Sign sounded a lot like All Is Well—not a problem, but also not exactly revelatory. After all, both albums follow similar paths, with Amidon taking the words and melodies from old public-domain folk songs, dusting them off and making them sound new again.

It's only after spending a few months with it that its unique characteristics have emerged. Where the beauty of his last album was its sense of privacy and sparse arrangements, this time around there is a lot more going on in each of the album's 11 tracks. Chalk this up to appearances from percussionist Shahzad Ismaily, avant-garde composer Nico Muhly, and songstress Beth Orton, whose backing vocals on "Relief" (actually a cover of an obscure R. Kelly song) help make it an album highlight. Both subtle and majestic, I See The Sign will satisfy his fans, while also providing a perfect point-of-entry for those just discovering this talented young musician. I see the sign, and it says "Buy this album!"

DANIEL ROMANO - Workin' For The Music Man

The Constantines once sang, "Work and love will make a man out of you." It seems like young Daniel Romano has taken this lesson to heart. In the past year, the native of Welland, Ontario has been incredibly busy, releasing a full-length and a split 12" with his rock group Attack In Black, playing with and appearing on records by artists as diverse as Shotgun Jimmie and Julie Fader, and forming the folk trio Daniel, Fred & Julie alongside Fred Squire and Julie Doiron (and according to the liner notes to this album, he's fallen in love, too). To top this all off, he founded his own record label, You've Changed Records, as an output for his work. The freedom of calling all the shots seems to have informed his music, as Romano has been trying something new (at least within his body of work) with each release.

Similarly to Daniel, Fred & Julie, Daniel tackles a few traditional songs on Workin' for the Music Man, including the old English ballad 'Lady Mary'—perhaps the most immediately likeable song he's ever recorded, here titled "She Was the World to Me." However, it's his originals that make this album truly worth your time. Tracks such as "Missing Wind" and "A Losing Song" (which both appeared in alternate versions on a 7" released earlier this year—also available here at our shop!) show that Romano is an excellent songwriter in his own right. Bruce Peninsula singer Misha Bower appears thoughout the album, adding some gravity to the songs.

The overarching themes of the album, work and love, are universal, and the music follows suit. This is an album you can put on and immediately understand, which in this day and age seems to be happening less and less.

KAREN ELSON - The Ghost Who Walks

The only reason I paid any attention to this record was because shop owner Greg threw this one on shuffle, and it stood out. No doubt, Karen Elson will be catching the ears of people who want to know if the model wife of Jack White can carry it off. Just as many people will not listen to this record for the exact same reasons, which would be a shame considering the talent Elson shows in both singing and songwriting departments. No vain dilettante, Elson was involved in various musical projects before meeting Jack, notably adding BGs to Robert Plant’s “Last Time I Saw Her” on his 2003 album Dreamland.  She’s also duetted with Cat Power on a cover of Gainsbourg’s “Je T’aime…Moi Non Plus.” You can’t suck in such company.

Produced by her hubby and launching from his Third Man imprint, The Ghost walks through the sorts of southern gothic trails blazed by Kurt Weill and Tom Waits, showing a penchant for minor-key folk and the kind of cavernous Americana that the Giant Sand guys could have easily revived their OP8 collaboration alter-ego for. Her musical foils include Jack Lawrence (Raconteurs, Dead Weather), Carl Broemel (My Morning Jacket) and her hubby. She nods to different traditions via “Stolen Roses” (a variation of “Scarborough Fair”) and “Cruel Summer” (a Cajun-spiced waltz with a melody reminiscent of “Itsy-Bitsy Teenie-Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”), but the kickers here are the haunting cabaret “100 Years from Now” and superbly-arranged “The Truth Is in the Dirt,” two numbers that nicely showcase her versatility and approach to performance. Recommended. 

THE SADIES - Darker Circles

Like those old Holiday Inn commercials used to say, "the best surprise is no surprise", which pretty much applies to The Sadies' latest release. That shouldn't be read as a putdown, because it's always a pleasure to listen to the band deliver their patented and potent blend of country, garage, folk-rock and psych. Even if Darker Circles picks up where 2007's New Seasons leaves off, it's nevertheless a refinement on their previous album. In other words, The Sadies keep getting better, not to mention increasingly sombre.

The songs on Darker Circles are suffused with sadness, regret and loss, from the heartbreaking lyrics of "Tell Me What I Said" to the haunting tale of "Violet and Jeffrey Lee". There are many delightful moments to choose from here: the way the opening cut, "Another Year Again", culminates in a Bo Diddley beat-driven rave-up; the Byrds-y twang of "Postcards"; and the spaghetti western soundtrack feel of "10 More Songs", to name a few. Paradoxical as it may seem, immersing yourself in the gorgeous melancholia of Darker Circles is most certainly an uplifting experience.

SHE & HIM - Volume Two

After hearing Zooey Deschanel’s end-titles duet with Leon Redbone in the Christmas comedy Elf, I hoped to hear more from her. More fool me, then, for missing the boat when she debuted She & Him, her project co-piloted by M. Ward. The attention (or lack thereof) that she receives thanks to her celebrity sadly obscures the fact that Deschanel is a charming stylist who mines the past much in the way Pete Molinari does with his slavish but unquestionably sincere devotion to the '50s and '60s. Not that She & Him eschew modern digital production, but the simplicity and directness of the songwriting and arrangements keeps things decidedly Brill Building and, at times, aims for the countrypolitan sound of '60s Nashville (just check the faithful cover of Skeeter Davis’ “Gonna Get Along Without You Now” for proof of this). Sweet stuff!

BILL FOX - Shelter From The Smoke

Add another name to the should’ve-been-someone file. Bill Fox has a spiritual forefather in Emitt Rhodes: both were blessed with extraordinary talents as tunesmiths,  yet cursed with cruel indifference from the record-buying public and relegated to cult status. But while Rhodes did enjoy some level of fame in his early days and is experiencing renewed interest thanks to patronage from the likes of Jeff Tweedy and Wes Anderson and the reissue collecting his 4 solo albums released last year, Fox never even had that one regional hit and reportedly is so disgusted by the business that he no longer owns a guitar.

On first listen his voice (both vocally and artistically) jumps out at you, so steeped is his craft in its influences. Some would say Dylan and the Byrds, and yes, “I’m Not Over Loving You” is largely derivative of “Mr. Spaceman” or “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”, but for me he’s a power-pop version of acoustic-period Rod Stewart, and a model for Andy Cabic’s more recent work in Vetiver. Of course, there’s also a strong pull towards the aforementioned Rhodes, along with early Wilco and even the work of late-'60s songwriter Elyse [Weinberg].

Fox's often harmony-laden pop masterpieces are kept down to earth due to a strong Americana influence. Amazingly, for all of the depth of his recordings, you’ll barely notice that most of the 23 songs here are recorded with only one or two acoustic guitars accompanying his lead vocal and occasional harmony. The few full-band recordings are rough-hewn, quite literally “garagey” and so damned exhilarating in their intent that you forgive the shortcomings in fidelity.

Amazingly, what sounds like a overview of a lost songwriter from the '70s or early '80s comes from a Cleveland artist in 1998. Maybe if he can be coaxed into resuming his career (if you could call it one), history can make amends, but for now enjoy this reissue, my clear favourite of this new year. 

CALIFONE - All My Friends Are Funeral Singers

Tim Rutili may just be one of the most unsung forces in American indie. Diminutive and bespectacled in person, his music has always taken on a similar quality. It sounds shy, intelligent, questioning, and worthy of a good conversation—if you can figure out how to begin one. And that's always been the dividing wall between him and a potentially larger audience. Whether leading Califone, or his old '90s band—the far more rock n' roll Red Red Meat—Rutili makes very few attempts to reach out to his audience. And thank God for that. Placing the onus on listeners to come to him may not have made Rutili a rich man, but the wealth visited upon those people who do make the effort is immeasurable. Having listened to his music for nearly twenty years, the man's output has never wavered in quality or curiosity. Funeral Singers is the latest in a long line of stellar albums which explore the links between archival folk, blues, rock n' roll, avant-garde, gospel, and makeshift electronics. This record is supposedly the soundtrack to a film Rutili directed that will arrive in 2010. What shape that film will take is anyone's guess, but given the cinematic, patient and inquisitive nature of his mind, you can bet it will be worth your attention. Until then, please get this gorgeous record—this band is a real treasure.

THE WOODEN SKY - If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone

I've been listening to The Wooden Sky's new album If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone pretty obsessively since I got my hands on it last Thursday. It was perfect timing too, since I was about to embark on a 7-hour bus ride to Montreal and I was in desperate need of some new music for my trip. So there I was, early Friday morning, departing Toronto in a cramped bus with loud chatter all around me and a storm brewing outside, when I put on my headphones and pressed play on the first track, "Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me)". I closed my eyes and readied myself for sleep when I heard the first line of the song: "Wake up you're getting old." That one line perturbed me enough that I knew I wasn't going to be getting any rest on this trip. It was okay though, because the album kept me engaged enough that time just flew right by. It strikes a perfect balance between quiet, contemplative songs and rollicking sing-alongs, with just the right amount of twang as to not scare anyone away. It's got a sparkling and polished sound courtesy of Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire) and Chris Stringer (Timber Timbre), but it never comes off as cheesy or dishonest. Instead, if you're anything like me after listening to this album, your impression of The Wooden Sky will be that they're a very talented group of young men with fantastic voices, excellent musicianship, and a knack for coming up with memorable melodies. Don't sleep on this one.