SOSUS

Joanna Newsom, a classically trained harpist, blends Appalachian folk with a more contemporary, as some would say "freak folk", sound. Milk-Eyed Mender (2004, Drag City) is a multi-layered album, featuring powerfully articulate lyrics surrounded by simple, elegant arrangements. What really strikes me is the power of her voice. Originally Joanna planned on being a composer, and turned to singing relatively recently. Because of this, her voice has a rich timbre, which can be off-putting at first, but is something even the most sensitive listener can easily warm up to.

The third track on the album, The Book of Right-On, is a great example of Joanna's ability to synchronize her lyrics with her instrumentation. The song opens up with a simple, yet rhythmically fascinating, bass-line. Once established, lyrics come into the song accompanied by a staccato, repetitive pedal chord. As the song continues, Joanna's lyrics take on a somewhat playful, but still complex, attitude, with the lines "I killed my dinner / with karate / kick 'em in the face / taste the body." As soon as this happens, Joanna moves back towards a more serious tone, with the following line "Shallow work / is the work that I do." The song's meaning is powerfully delivered towards the middle of the song, in a powerful example of rhyme, which really shows off Joanna's lyrical ability, "And even when you run through my mind / something else is in front, oh, you're behind / and I don't have to remind you to stay with your kind." The song is haunting, and gives the listener a lot to think about.

"En Gallop", the seventh track on the album, exemplifies Joanna's compositional skills. Although the song has lyrics, the focus is clearly on the melody and harmony, rather than the words themselves. It's not until the last section of lyrics that the listener understands the full weight and meaning of the song. "Never get so attached to a poem, you / Forget truth that lacks lyricism, and / Never get so close to the heat, that / You forget that you must eat, oh." After these lyrics ring out (the last "oh" sounds really reminiscent of Feist's Mushaboom, to the point Fiest's song starts playing in my head every time I listen to this song), the song ends with a minute or so of solo harp playing, allowing the listener time to reflect on Joanna's words. The whole song has a crystalline texture, giving a sense of fragility and grace.

The whole album is wonderful, and includes some really powerful choruses, featuring a bunch of children, especially on the song Peach, Plum, Pear. On a few songs, Joanna puts down her harp of a piano or, as on Peach, Plum, Pear, a harpsichord. These songs bring a different sound to the album, which is still entirely Joanna. For anyone interested in lyrical poetry, classical music, or Appalachian folk, Joanna Newsom is a great discovery.

I first heard about Regina Spektor from a friend, and from her description assumed Regina would be a fairly traditional, non-descript folkish singer-songwriter. While my friend's description was fairly accurate, it didn't prepare me for Regina's innovative compositions. Her songs are characterized by a simple, often rubato texture. It's hard to pick songs to highlight from the album, since they are all so interesting and unique, walking the line between traditional singer/pianist compositions and avant-garde expressionism.

Regina Spektor moved to America with her family from Russia when she was nine years old. Before coming to the states, her only exposure to western music was through her father's bootleg copies of rock and pop music. Once arriving in America, she was fully immersed in American culture, eventually attending the SUNY Purchase Music Conservatory. Her music blends the sounds of jazz singers, such as Billie Holiday, and powerful blues singers, such as Etta James, into a texture that is completely her own.

The first song to really catch my ear was Poor Little Rich Boy, which has Regina pitted against the rimshot of a snare drum, singing in time with the ever-changing rhythm of the percussionist. The lyrics themselves are simple, but for that reason interesting and inviting. The end of the song has Regina repetitively singing "You're so young / You're so goddamn young," changing the emphasis and rhythm of the lyrics. It's a wonderful song, and is a lot of fun to listen to.

Another song that really exemplifies Regina's careful balance of blues, jazz and originality is the song Sailor Song. The song switches between a heavy chorus (Regina singing "Mary Anne's a bitch / Mary Anne's a bitch"), with a bass line doubled on bass guitar and piano, which gives it a really percussive sound, and lighter, almost calypso verses, which highlight Regina's singing ability. Her confidence comes out in the way she sings her lyrics, truly reminiscent of Etta James' soulful voice.

One of the most interesting songs on the album is the song Your Honor, which leaves Regina's piano playing for a distorted guitar, screaming, and heavy drums. The song shows Regina's versatility, proving she isn't limited to any particular kind of genre. The song is introduced by the previous track, titled Whispers, which calms the reader, making the opening line of Your Honor, "I kissed your lips and I tasted blood", utterly unexpected. The song itself takes a feminist perspective towards traditional male chivalry, adding complexity to the other songs, especially Sailor Song, which chronicles sailors frustrations with the 'prudishness' of a particular girl.

The entire album is great, each song offering something unique to the listener. Its a great example of how modern singer-songwriters are still breaking ground, while holding onto traditional acoustic instrumentation. So often it seems the adjective 'innovative' is saved only for electronic music, that niche of music which embraces modern technology. It's sad to see other musicians overlooked, especially talents like Regina, who are absolutely worth noting.

When I first picked up the advance copy of Return to Cookie Mountain, I wasn't sure what to expect. The sound is incredibly unique, and represents the beginning of a departure from TV On the Radio's first albums Young Liars (2003), New Health Rock (2004), and Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004). The album begins with the song "I Was a Lover", a song comprised of tightly mixed hip-hop beats and TV On the Radio's traditional texture of distorted, fuzzy guitars. The audio samples is what really drives the song for me, functioning as a bridge between TV On the Radio's guitars and the hip-hop beats.

Probably the most interesting song on the album is "Let the Devil In". The song is comprised of different sections, with a motif which runs through out. The song really highlights the band's song writing ability, including a really impressive and innovative use of drums. The drums serve to echo the song's motif, helping to add some punch.

Another great track, which really highlights the lead singers ability, is the song "Blues From Down There." Through out the song, especially towards the end, the singer plays a lot with the articulation of certain words, using intonation and inflection to really bring out the meaning behind the words (especially with the lines "stomp my feet / and shout about it"). The rest of the song is just a strong, I can't understate how good of a job the band has done with this album.

With the retail copy, TV On the Radio added a bonus CD, featuring two tracks not found in the advance copy. The songs represent a departure from TV's normal fabric of guitar and drums. The guitar loses its distortion, and the singer takes on a more traditional role. These songs highlight TV's use of a saxophones, which really help to articulate the band's unique sound.

I feel bad about highlighting any of the songs on Return to Cookie Mountains, as they are all worth speaking about. I am continually impressed by the fact that when I listen to this album, there is not one song I skip over. This is a great album for both people new to TV On the Radio and the already initiated. It's definitely worth purchasing.




http://www.tvontheradio.com/

I've just acquired Sleater-Kinney's album Call the Doctor, released in 1996 on the label Chainsaw. My first exposure to the ban was through their album One Beat (2002, Kill Rock Stars) and The Woods (2005, Sub Pop). It's always nice to hear the progression of a particular band, which I think is really evident in Sleater-Kinney's albums. This album is somewhat rough, featuring Sleater-Kinney's distinctive two guitar and drum configuration.

So far my favorite song on the album is Good Things, a somewhat stereotypical song about a failed relationship. While the songs lyrics may not particularly interesting (although honest, with lines like: it's a dumb song / but I write it anyway), the melody line and the timbre of Corin Tucker or Carrie Brownstein (I am not sure who is singing) is very inviting. Usually people's first reaction to Sleater-Kinney's somewhat brash vocalists, similar to other Riot Grrl bands such as Bikini Kill or Le Tigre, is one of dismissal. The band is usually an acquired taste, but definitely worth it.

Another song worth noting is the title track, Call the Doctor. Besides Carrie Brownsteins vocals, which are as always somewhat staccato and fun to listen to, the song really highlights Janet Weiss' wonderful drumming. I especially like her use of the bells on her cymbals, punctuating Carrie's staccato melody line.

Corin and Carrie's double guitar playing is always surprisingly complex. Instead of limiting the band's sound it helps to define and expand it. This is best seen in contrasting Call the Doctor with The Woods, Sleater-Kinney's newest (and potentially final) album. While there is obvious similarity, in regards to the distorted guitars and shrill vocals (Corin Tucker's yelling), but there is still a great difference between the two. Call the Doctor has somewhat more of an unfinished sound, maybe reflecting more an inexperience with recording studios than a significant difference in playing. Either way, the album feels more rough around the edges, but is enjoyable for that reason, it doesn't feel removed, so polished that in some way it is separate from the listener.

Recently, Sleater-Kinney announced they would be breaking up, with no plans for another tour or album. Their official last concert was held in New York City a few weeks ago. It's a shame, because they are a great band, and really worth checking out.

http://www.sleater-kinney.com/