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Posts Tagged ‘Calexico’


12.12.2008

Myers’ Top Ten

posted by Will

in Year End Lists
9 Comments

Myers Truluck – Charleston, SC

1. Blind Pilot – 3 Rounds And A Sound
2. Throw Me The Statue – Moonbeams
3. MGMT – Oracular Spectacula (technically 2007 and sort of gay, but fuck off it’s catchy goodness.)
4. Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs (yeah me and every 13 year old girl like it, but it wasn’t a good year for music… for me at least)
5. Drag The River- You Can’t Live This Way
6. O’death – Broken Hymns, Limbs & Skin – ( I used to play in a band with this kid, so I am biased and I’m running out of anything I liked this year.)
7. Conor Oberst- Conor Oberst (not that great of an album but I listened to it more than once and again…2008, was not that Great…..Like that? “2008, was not that great” I think I’m going to have koozies made.)
8. Calexico – Carried To Dust
9. Colin Meloy – Colin Meloy Sings Live (not amazing as a live album or anything, just a way to get some good songs into my top 10 list with a “new album” technicality)
10.                                <—I’m leaving position 10 in protest of the lack of amazing music this year. I’m sure there were some other gems that flew under the radar…but that is irrelevant to MY list.. so yeah. Do I get a cool Picture list like Dave?

The top 4 are in order of favorite to least…after that, I stopped caring.

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02.10.2008

13ghosts: The Strangest Colored Lights

posted by Will

in Music Reviews
No Comments

13ghosts are an eclectic band from Birmingham, Alabama that touch on numerous different styles. With two diverse singers and the band’s penchant to genre jump, The Strangest Colored Lights is tough to grasp without numerous listens. Touching on southern rock, country, americana, pop and everything in between, the band carves out a unique niche for themselves. The Strangest Colored Lights is a dark journey through themes as old as the deep south itself. Death constantly soaks into the album’s soul and adds a somber depth to the band’s ambitious songwriting. As it slowly twists and turns, the subtle beauty of the album recalls Mark Linkous and his work in Sparklehorse.

The band is nothing, if not diverse. “Beyond The Door” is more upbeat and has an almost power pop feel to it akin to The Posies. “Riverside” follows with a parade of horns the likes only seen on Calexico records. “Whip Poor Will” sounds like a jaunty Tom Waits-inspired number. No matter what spirits 13ghosts call upon on The Strangest Colored Lights, the band shows a remarkable range and a masterful finishing touch.

Genre: Indie/Americana

RIYL: Sparklehorse, Calexico, Tom Waits

Label: Skybucket

Riverside

04%20Riverside.mp3

Whip Poor Will

11%20Whip%20Poor%20Will.mp3

www.myspace.com/13ghostsband

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04.09.2008

The Hold Steady: Stay Positive

posted by Courtney

in Music Reviews
4 Comments

There are certain things that make you feel American. For example, complaining about slow service in French restaurants is one. Another may be thinking Europeans really love Stella Artois. How about swearing soccer isn’t football but really soccer? A less embarrassing and offensive way is to rock out to the new Hold Steady.

The Hold Steady released their forth studio album, Stay Positive, on July 15th of this year. Like previous albums, it is a collection of songs about American kids and the booze, drugs and partying that their lives revolve around.

Stay Positive starts out strong with “Constructive Summer”, a song that exalts the summer drinking. Fans will be quickly reminded of Craig Finn’s wonderfully simple lyrical mastery. Thankfully that doesn’t diminish and is even fortified with the next track “Sequestered in Memphis”. It is easy to see why the band chose this song as the first single. It is the kind of Rock and Roll song that you’d be happy to be caught singing, almost like “Born to Run” in the 80’s. Unfortunately, the album never returns to the pop brilliance of those songs or Boys and Girls in America for that matter. Not to worry, the rest of the album is still worth weeks of consecutive play. “Slapped Actresses” pounds out rock style with fading choruses that conjures up visions of Archers of Loaf’s “After the Last Laugh”. The Hold Steady explore new musically directions with songs like “Both Crosses”. It has an empty, western feel, like something from Calexico or Nick Cave. The more moody songs like “Lord I’m Discouraged” are a good asset to the album but they just don’t quite hit you like “First Night” or “Don’t Let Me Explode”. It might be that the subject matter just isn’t as obvious.

The Hold Steady gets lot praise from critics and fans but who can complain (except for Will who still thinks Lftr Pllr is better, jerk!). Like previous releases, Stay Positive will remind people why they love American Rock and Roll. It might not be as strong as Boys and Girls in America but most listeners really won’t care. Oh, the band gets mad props for referencing “Double Whiskey Coke No Ice“ by the D4 (Dillinger Four! – Will.). Seriously, that is fucking awesome.

Genre: Rock and Roll

RIYL: Lifter Puller, Bruce Springsteen, The Replacements

Label: Vagrant

Constructive Summer

01%20Constructive%20Summer.mp3

Stay Positive

08%20Stay%20Positive.mp3

www.myspace.com/theholdsteady

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14.04.2008

All Strings & Joints: The Long EP

posted by Will

in Music Reviews
2 Comments

allstrings.jpg

This is one of the more interesting discs I have received here at SAL over the last couple of years. Just for the fact that the All Strings And Joints NEVER elect to stand still. Adding to the diversity of this disc is the fact that The Long EP spans different eras of the band…between June of 2003 and September of 2007 to be exact. That speaks to the diversity but it also speaks to the lack of cohesion at points as well. The catchy term of folktronica certainly comes to mind when listening to All Strings & Joints. With the addition of spoken word and vocal samples, opening track “A Walk On A Sunny Trail In Rural Pennsylvania” sounds like The Books. “We’re In The Distance” echoes the the wandering spirit of Modest Mouse. The Long EP loses a bit of focus after that though. Several tracks are seemingly just various noises and bleeps thrown together. It is experimental but to what end? The band is able to recover with the last three tracks which show some semblance of cohesion. On the somber seven-minute “Quite The Memory,” the guitar rambles on with soft vocals overhead before slowly building into a Calexico Mexican style jam. It might just be the band’s finest work here. “Glass Eyes” blazes a similar path but the results are less memorable. The nine minute “The Hard Luck Carpenter” continues the Ennio Morricone worship and closes out The Long EP on a positive note despite its verboseness. All Strings & Joints are throwing a bunch of stuff against the wall and no doubt a great deal sticks. The band is inventive in their compositions and if they can put more focus on their songwriting they have the potential for greatness. I am eager to see which way the band goes from here. If The Long EP is any indication, All Strings & Joints are open to just about anything.

Genre: Indie/Folk/Electronica

RIYL: The Books, Modest Mouse, Calexico

Label: Self-Released

We’re In The Distance

02WereInTheDistance.mp3

www.myspace.com/allstrings

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