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Toronto folk rock/alt country Great Lake Swimmers are readying the release of New Wild Everywhere (pre-order here) and finally offered up a new single. “Easy Come Easy Go” immediately charms with swaying guitar/strings mixed with lead vocals by Tony Decker and a little help from Miranda Mullholland. Look for their 5th album New Wild Everywhere coming April 3rd.
Great Lake Swimmers – Easy Come Easy Go (radio edit) by nettwerkmusicgroup
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I don’t take a ton of stock in Billboard sales these days, since I assume no one besides me (and a few others) actually buy albums. However, its still pretty great to see some of your favorite bands score #1 in sales for the week. The Decemberists were the latest indie heroes to hit the top with their stab at country rock, The King Is Dead. While Vampire Weekend and Arcade Fire each reach the same feat last year, The Decemberists certainly had less help from TV ad placements, blog buzz, magazine reviews, etc. Some could argue that all three albums were on sale on Amazon for $3.99 on their 1st weeks so sales are skewed, but thats just how the music biz is in 2011. Best Buy was having major sales on albums when Britney, N’Sync, etc all had huge sales back in the late ’90s/early ’00s.
So bravo to The Decemberists on a much deserved victory. Hopefully, they don’t see the gigantic dip in week 2, but unless your Eminem, good luck. Be sure to pick up The Decemberists – The King Is Dead, it is well worth the purchase. Colin Meloy’s story telling and charming voice is highly effective even with the country rock tip. The album stands up surprisingly well against more twang-centric acts like Drive By Truckers and Neko Case (which I both adore).

So did you by The Decemberists latest? If so, was it due to the cheap price on Amazon, the band’s free NPR concert or pure fandom? Talk about it below.

I haven’t mentioned San Francisco-based alt country rock outfit Or, the Whale nearly as much as I should on this site. Their hit “Call and Response” was #7 on my Favorite Tracks of 2009 list and their second album, Or, the Whale received solid reviews on sites like allmusic and Pop Shifter.

Their most recent claim to fame is a slowed down, countrified cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic”. The steel guitar and eerie background vocals cascade lead vocalist Alex Robbins in dramatic fashion. This reworking emits just enough emotion to make this pop hit feel poignant. For some reason, it kinda reminds me of Stone Temple Pilots’ “Big Empty” (that was a great MTV Unplugged btw).
Or, the Whale – Toxic (Britney Spears cover)

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out “Datura” and “Rusty Gold” from Or, the Whale. Both are great tunes that I’m not sure why didn’t they make it on to a mixtape.
Or, the Whale – Datura
Or, the Whale – Rusty Gold

Keep up with Or, the Whale happenings:
The Whale’s Tale blog
http://twitter.com/orthewhale
http://www.orthewhale.com
http://www.facebook.com/orthewhale

Pick up Or, the Whale’s self-titled second album here.

Their most recent studio album, Brighter Than Dark’s Creation, was my favorite album of 2008, so its only right to give an update on Drive-by Truckers. Patterson Hood & crew will be releasing their eighth (!) effort, The Big To Do on March 16th. It will be their first album on ATO Records and is being touted by the band as “Very melodic and more rocking than anything we’ve done since disc 2 of Southern Rock Opera.” Sounds good to me. The first single and tour dates are below.

Drive-by Truckers – This Fucking Job

I’ll be out of town for the two March shows at Variety Playhouse, but I would highly suggest getting tickets early for these shows. These Athens, GA natives sell out venues fast. UPDATE: Tix are on sale now for the Variety Playhouse shows.

All of that plus a Drive-By Truckers documentary? Thats right, the band’s site says The Secret to a Happy Ending “encompasses three critical years of touring and recording as the band struggles to overcome trauma and survives a near breakup, in a persistent search for a happy ending.” It was playing at the Tara Cinemas in Atlanta last weekend, hopefully it will be around in the near future.

2010 Drive-by Truckers Tour
01-28 Huntsville, AL – Crossroads Music Hall
01-29 Mobile, AL – Soul Kitchen
01-30 Tuscaloosa, AL – Jupiter Bar & Grill
02-11 Greenville, SC – Handlebar
02-12 Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
02-13 Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
02-14 Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
02-25 Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre
02-26 Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theatre
02-27 Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theatre
03-04 Wilmington, NC – Rox Nightclub
03-06 Augusta, GA – Sky City
03-12 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
03-13 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
03-18 Austin, TX – SXSW
03-19 New Orleans, LA – Tipitinas
03-20 New Orleans, LA – Tipitinas
04-01 New York, NY – Webster Hall
04-02 Boston, MA – House of Blues
04-03 Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
04-06 Toronto, Ontario – Lee’s Palace
04-07 Toronto, Ontario – Lee’s Palace
04-08 Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall
04-09 Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
04-10 Lexington, KY – Buster’s Billiards and Backroom
04-11 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom and Tavern
04-14 Towson, MD – Recher Theatre
04-15 Norfolk, VA – The Norva
04-16 Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
04-17 Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
04-30 Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom
05-07 Los Angeles, CA – Avalon
05-08 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore Auditorium

Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (2006)
Not too many ladies were on my playlists around Spring 2006, but that would change upon hearing Neko Case. Laura’s recent mixtapes had me looking for new kinds of music in many places and one that I had neglected was Impact 89FM, MSU’s college radio station. Another great college student job I had was at MSU’s Roofing Department, where I often was the driver of one of the dept.’s vehicles. This would often entail chauffeur duties, materials pick up and deliveries from the local convenience store, Quality Dairy (aka QD). Pondering responsibility, debt, job searching and confusion all became part of my recent graduation on these solo laps around campus. Eventually, I had to listen to something other than the ’60s/’70s rock that brought back memories to our motley crew of criminals, has beens, characters that were the full-time roofers (that being said they were hilarious and great to work with).

Being that it was summertime, the student DJ’s at Impact pretty much played whatever they wanted, without a rhyme or a reason. One of the DJ’s apparently liked Neko Case’s 5th studio album, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood because it came out of the pitch and dust-filled truck speakers often on my journeys. I eventually picked up the album for my own stereo and was amazed that the story-telling, let alone Case’s enchanting voice. “Margaret vs Pauline” was a tale of fate’s troublesome path, “Hold On, Hold On” had reflective heartbreak and “John Saw That Number” mocks blind faith in foot-stomping fashion. This album was one of the many I discovered that summer that helped me maintain sanity, while eventually finding my first job, moving from East Lansing and seeing my girlfriend return from Italy.

Pick up Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings The Flood here.

I’m not sure I’m even qualified to report on what I witnessed last night in Little Five Points, but I’ll give it a try.  Songstress/songwriter Neko Case performed a fantastic set in front of a sold out crowd at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA (tons of great pics here!). She and her five piece band did everything I expected and more, while putting on 1 of the best shows I’ve seen to date.

Since I had not been to a Neko Case concert before (or Variety Playhouse for that matter), I wasn’t sure what to expect.  The venue is a theater from yesteryear, complete with a concession stand at entry, auditorium seats and a shadowy balcony.  The audience demo ranged from 20-55, pretty evenly split male to female, which happens when an artists has been around as long as Neko Case has.  This also made it easy to shuffle to the second row in a general admission show.

Denver, CO based Crooked Fingers opened promptly at 8 with a short set of indie rock .  I had always heard about finger picks before, but watching lead singer Eric Bachmann play fingerstyle was an experience.

Just after 9:15, Ms. Case took the stage to a resounding applause.  ATL was the second stop on her latest tour and she often mentioned being “terrified” playing songs from her latest, Middle Cyclone, for the second time ever.  This resulted in more hilarious commentary (topics included encounters with The Hold Steady, politely refusing requests, etc) than miscues.  I only noticed an issue with the music box on the title track, but I’m sure it will be fixed on the next stop.

Despite her fear, Case ran through many tracks from Middle Cyclone and a number of self-described “deep cuts” that had most of the venue singing along.  I knew her music had an alt country feel to it, but it was even more apparent live.  Aside from a drummer and guitarist, she incorporated a bassist who also played upright bass, a musician who dabbled in slide guitar among others, and ATL’s own Kelly Hogan, who held down music box, tamborine and acoustic guitar.  It must be a pre-requisite to play at least 2 instruments to tour with her.  Case herself wielded at least 3 guitars.

Neko Case’s sultry voice was the main attraction this evening though.  She opened with the mid-tempo cut, “Maybe Sparrow”, which was just a warm-up for the catchy single, “People Got A Lotta Nerve”.  Topics ranged from animals (“The Tigers Have Spoken”), to troubles for a tomboy (“The Next Time You Say Forever”) to dual personalities (“Margaret vs Pauline”).  Other standouts included the spooky “Prison Girls” and spirited “That Teenage Feeling”, but there wasn’t a bad song in the set.  I could have used “John Saw That Number”, but I was 99% satisfied.  Common throughout the show was how Case’s chanteuse persona captured the audience’s attention with the help of her veteran band.  Before the encore, she closed with “This Tornado Loves You” and it was clear how the Variety Playhouse felt about her.

If you didn’t spend November through March in Michigan, you didn’t miss much. Unless of course, you consider a ridiculous amount of cold, white snow something worth being around for. This winter brought brought 85 inches of snow to the “Mitten”, the most since the ’04-’05 season. I’m not really a “winter sports” person, so when I wasn’t traveling, I mostly listened to music that reminded me that summer is ahead.

For some reason, alt country was what got me through the tundra-like winter. Not the beer guzzling, American flag waving, pick-up truck love filled country music that I love at tailgates and boat rides in Pinckney. I’m talking about the story-filled, folk flavored country rock, where banjos and fiddles are required and their usually aren’t happy endings. And this is where I lose most of you….but its honestly worth a listen.

I blame Neko Case for her turning me onto the genre with the masterpiece, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. Her haunting voice, amid the twang and blues inspired narratives, is hard to ignore. When I looked for more of her music, I ran across her frequent collaborators, The Sadies. The Sadies are also natives of Canada (Toronto, ON) recorded with Case on a few tracks (“Make Your Bed”, “My ’63) and co-wrote some of Case’s aforementioned album.

Their newest album, New Seasons, was released in fall 2007 and is the perfect soundtrack for a backwoods summer. According to their website, the band wanted to focus more on lyrics on this 13 song compilation. Considering that many of the songs deal with leaving or moving on from something, its fitting that many of the tracks (“Anna Leigh”, “The Land Between”) sound tailored for a long drive, with the windows down.

Most of the songs have elements of country, bluegrass, and ’60s folk rock resulting in the feel of a backyard bonfire (“Never Again”, “Sunset to Dawn”). Standout “Whats Left Behind” profiles a relationship that can’t get away from the past. The song’s pace seems to echo the subject matter in that things are moving too fast, but going nowhere at the same time. The Sadies even manage to sound epic on the instrumental track, “The Last Inquisition Pt 4″. The eerie strings at the start lead to a finish full of sweeping guitars and drums that sound like an old western standoff.

The Sadies’ New Seasons could be the most overlooked alt country album of 2007, but shouldn’t be missed. The dark and thoughtful narratives embedded in the layered, instrumentation throughout the album make for easy, but engaged listening.

The Sadies – Never Again

The Sadies – Anna Leigh

Idgy Vaughn is a refreshing addition to the country/folk rock scene by way of Austin, Texas. Pop Candy blogger, Whitney Matheson, expressed her appreciation for Vaughn’s “groovy…wailing” on the outstanding “Red Bone Hound” and after a listen I was immediately hooked. Vaughn’s affinity for poetic story-telling and breathy vocals make for easy listening no matter the topic. She could even be mistaken for Neko Case with matching fire-red hair and an appreciation for folk rock with country influence.

If ladies are looking for tips as to how to off a cheating boyfriend, they could learn a thing or to from Idgy Vaughn (she puts the Dixie Chicks to shame). On the mid-tempo cut “Dragging the River”, her voice emits a deceivingly melancholy, innocent tone over the dark premise. She speaks softly and sweetly enough throughout, that you may not notice the haunting subject matter, the vengeful murder of a former lover. Mockingly, Vaughn croons, “Look into my eyes/do I look like the dangerous type?/you’d never tell by these small hands”.

Vaughn is effortlessly bewitching over the backyard sound of the banjo and harmonica. Her narrative skills effectively make the listener feel like an accomplice to the crime. After watching the victim plunge into the Mississippi without remorese, she concludes, “No one ever thinks that little hands are capable of much/but in the end these little hands were just capable enough”. Though Idgy Vaughn may claim to have “small” features, her talent is tremendous. Her album Origin Story is in stores now.

Idgy Vaughn – Dragging the River

What can I say, an insane week in Acapulco followed by a birthday bonanza/St. Patty’s Day extravaganza doesn’t leave a lot of brain cells left for blog material. Here’s the recovery post…

For the most part, there are some artists that you love or hate. There isn’t an in-between. You either check for everything they put out or avoid it. Bright Eyes had previously fell into the “hate” category for me. Although I applaud almost anyone who tries a variety of different of sounds and is constantly evolving, I found his music a little too quirky for me. While I haven’t been as impressed with Bright Eyes as most of the past reviews I have read, six news songs might have changed my mind.

Bright Eyes aka Conor Oberst just released an EP, entitled “Four Winds”, March 6th. The 6-song set is a collection of b-sides, rarities and the first single of the band’s next album (title track “Four Winds”). The songs have a folky sound interwined with a country tinge (I’m always down for harmonica) that should be welcomed by past fans and maybe bluegrass listeners. The disc is intended to (and should) tide over fans until the full length album, “Cassadaga”, is released on April 9th.

Here is the first single “Four Winds”. Its hard to imagine hes talking about the Apocalypse with the breezy-feel of the song.

Bright Eyes – Four Winds