I love Steve Earle and Allison Moorer. I think Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis are great. Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler of Over the Rhine make me giddy. You know how I feel about Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson. For my money, though, Buddy & Julie Miller are the first couple of Americana music. Buddy is the multi-instrumentalist/producer /singer/songwriter [...]
Most of the time I post links to individual MP3s that bands or labels have made available to download. But here are a few links to EPs and full lengths that will cost you a grand total of $0. Former Warner Bros. band The Sun are offering their swan song, Don't Let Your Baby Have All the Fun , over on RockProper.com (direct link to download here ) Live EP from Pixies to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Doolittle . You have to plug [...]
[Hey, it's Sam Sparro's birthday on Saturday; shouldn't there be a dance party somewhere? Here's how the weekend shapes up ...] Today: Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas starts his monthlong Friday night residency at downtown's Palace Theatre to showcase the music from his solo debut "Phrazes for the Young." The synth-heavy material, with its big pop choruses, is a departure from the Strokes' garage-rock, but it sounded good at his warm-up show Monday night . Rainbow Arabia opens. ... It's the final night [...]
Here we are, bestowed with another "Best of.." list. This time Paste takes on the duty of compiling the "50 Best Albums of the Decade (2000-2009)". If you head over to their site , you can sample each of the albums listed. I always enjoy reading these lists even though I often disagree with them. You'd think by now I should know what I'm getting myself into when I read a "Best of.." list on an indie music site. But hey, kudos to them. I couldn't even compile a list of [...]
Here we are, bestowed with another "Best of.." list. This time Paste takes on the duty of compiling the "50 Best Albums of the Decade (2000-2009)". If you head over to their site , you can sample each of the albums listed. I always enjoy reading these lists even though I often disagree with them. You'd think by now I should know what I'm getting myself into when I read a "Best of.." list on an indie music site. But hey, kudos to them. I couldn't even compile a list of [...]
Here we are, bestowed with another "Best of.." list. This time Paste takes on the duty of compiling the fifty best albums of the decade. If you head over to their site , you can sample each of the albums listed. I always enjoy reading these lists even though I often disagree with them. You'd think by now I should know what I'm getting myself into when I read a best of list on an indie music site. But hey, kudos to them. I couldn't even compile a list of my [...]
There list is very, very, lilly white, and hence easily debatable. But it's a much more interesting list of records than say, Pitchfork's or Uncut's lists for the best albums of the decade. I'm glad I can count on Paste Magazine to thow in some underrated favorites from The Jayhawk's, Loretta Lynn, Gentleman Jesse, Drive By Truckers, Over the Rhine, The Avett Brothers, and Gillian Welch. Also: Paste's Top 50 Movies of the Decade is worth a gander just so you can argue with yourself over the [...]
Yesterday, Paste released its list of the 50 Best Albums Of The 2000s, and the list was topped by none other than Sufjan Stevens' Illinoise , which honestly seems like it was released way longer ago, so established has he become in the indie-rock firmament. Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot , the Arcade Fire's Funeral , Radiohead's Kid A , and Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning rounded out the top five. Full rundown after the jump, but first, a few reactions. THE GOOD: Hey, [...]
HANK ALTOGETHER: So this whole decade list thing is getting pretty outrageous. But Paste's list is pretty remarkable if for nothing else than the (deservedly) high ranking of O Brother Where Art Thou? (which might be the last cd your parents bought). But it's Paste's adulation of The Avett Brothers' latest I and Love and You that makes even the most die hard Avett Bros fan (ie me) blush. They rank the album at #9. Sayeth Paste Magazine: For their artistic breakthrough, [...]
Paste's 50 Best Albums of the Decade list, out today, is a mixture of A-list indie rock standards and token hip hop and mainstream picks. These selections are mostly successful releases that cater to a white audience of semi-alternative persuasion. Even if this roster is more a reflection of who's reading than the music itself, though, at least they climbed the mountain -- and hey, the album streams are cool. Here is the list. 50 Björk - Vespertine (Elektra, 2001) 49 [...]
The Happy Hollows Monday Residency at Spaceland Starts This Week Sorry for the lack of posts, thanks for sticking with me. I caught Kris Kristofferson at the Walt Disney Concert Hall last night. You've got to be a fan of his poetry, because he's not a dynamic performer. That said, he's a legend and I was happy to see him for a second time. I've missed all the recent "secret" shows, but there are a few more this week... Monday 11/2/09 [...]
1. Sufjan Stevens: Illinois 2. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 3. Arcade Fire: Funeral 4. Radiohead: Kid A 5. Bright Eyes: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning 6. The White Stripes: Elephant 7. Gillian Welch: Time (the Revelator) 8. OutKast: Stankonia 9. The Avett Brothers: I and Love and You 10. M.I.A.: Arular 11. The Hold Steady: Boys and Girls in America 12. Spoon: Kill the Moonlight 13. Josh Ritter: The Animal Years 14. The Strokes: Is This It 15. Patty Griffin: 1000 Kisses 16. Rufus Wainwright: [...]
[Dirty Projectors...] [w/ the vivacious Tune-Yards opening] Monday November 2 Over the Rhine w/ Katie Herzig @ Soiled Dove The Epilogues w/ Alan Baird Project @ Marquis Theater Andy Davis w/ Jason Vigil @ Walnut Room Awesome New Republic @ Hi-Dive The Ohioan w/ Ah Holly Fam'ly @ Rhinoceropolis Tuesday November 3 El Ten Eleven w/ Little Brazil @ Hi-Dive Bouncing Souls w/ Bayside @ Gothic [...]
It's been almost two years since we first featured the songs of Gillian Welch here on Cover Lay Down, though we've certainly had reason to revisit her works now and again as the coverage continues . As we noted way back when, Welch's talent is a revelation, both in performance and as a lyrical interpreter of the rural backporch mindset of the American South, and the dustbowl longing and religious overtones so often found in the works of this modern American Primitive are here in spades. There are several well-known [...]
This Saturday, Six Feet Deep is using an empty pool for something other than a half pipe. Matthew Shelton , Wonky Tonk , Envelope , and The Sundresses will perform in the basin of the Ziegler Park swimming pool in Over-the-Rhine. Please remember to wait 30 minutes after you eat before entering the pool, no diving, and no rough housing! Zeigler Park corner of 13 and Sycamore Sts., Over-the-Rhine 8-11 PM Gate opens at 7:30 $5
In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Once Was Lost focuses on Samantha, whose crisis of faith is enhanced by her alcoholic mother, aloof pastor father and the disappearance of another local teenage girl. Sara Zarr has a gift for building tension through her narrative, and this talent shines though in Once Was Lost . Publishers Weekly wrote of the book: "Beyond delivering a gripping story, [...]
Fans of The Seedy Seeds, rejoice! The cutest banjo-wielding synth-pop band in all the Midwest are unveiling a BRAND NEW song tonight at Midpoint Music Festival! The trio join Loyal Divide and Chemic at the Contemporary Arts Center right before Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (who are neither from Scotland, nor a gospel choir). Check out Thursday's MPMF schedule in its entirety after the jump. DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI Fountain Square Kickoff Happy Hour 5th and Vine Streets FREE [...]
"Almost and Always" is David Mead's fifth full-length release. His most intimate work to date, the album examines life after marriage and the promise of things to come. Mead collaborated with producer Brad Jones (Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle, Jill Sobule, Butterfly Boucher, Over The Rhine, Josh Rouse, White Light Motorcade) and new songwriting partner Bill DeMain (Swan Dive) to create a quiet, soulful collection that sets 21st century pop songs in classic arrangements that recall Harry Nilsson, Paul Anka and Harry Belafonte. As always, Mead's honeyed voice is front and [...]
"Almost and Always" is David Mead's fifth full-length release. His most intimate work to date, the album examines life after marriage and the promise of things to come. Mead collaborated with producer Brad Jones (Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle, Jill Sobule, Butterfly Boucher, Over The Rhine, Josh Rouse, White Light Motorcade) and new songwriting partner Bill DeMain (Swan Dive) to create a quiet, soulful collection that sets 21st century pop songs in classic arrangements that recall Harry Nilsson, Paul Anka and Harry Belafonte. As always, Mead's honeyed voice is front and [...]
Twang EPK at YouTube If you've heard one George Strait album, the mantra goes, then you've heard 'em all. Then why am I the proud owner of over a dozen of Strait's 38 albums? I bought his first album, Strait Country , as a new release, in 1981. The first song on that first album, "Unwound" , is still one of my favorites. And Strait sings "El Rey" , the final song of his predictably fine new release Twang [...]
new music from vampire weekend – cousins + music video
Friday Five: Surf Songs
Beach House: Norway
No Curve Allowed (Grading This Week's New Tracks)
