RECOMMENDED LISTENING..........................25 MAY 2009
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Artist: RONNIE FAUSS |
Texan troubador Ronnie Fauss returns with a six-song EP produced by Brent Best (Slobberbone / The Drams). Lyrically, this one's got a little too much love for our taste, but in these loveless times we've been known to ignore the lyrics when sh*t sounds good. And this one sounds good. The EP is streaming in its entirety here. Be sure to check out the heart-rending pedal steel on "The Saddest Love Song That's Ever Been Made." And if you like what you hear, toss Ronnie a few bucks. Everything helps. |
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Artist: NEKO CASE |
Yeah, we know--this album's already gotten way too much press. But five months in, it's still our favorite release of 2009. That isn't to say there aren't a few warts here. "Marais La Nuit" is nearly thirty-two minutes of nothing but chirping frogs. That's just a touch indulgent. (And no, Neko, the frogs/French thing wasn't funny.) The real faux pas, however, is the cover of "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth." Thematically appropriate, perhaps, but a stone cold clunker. Regardless, the album hangs together better than anything we've heard in months. "This Tornado Loves You" If you see no media player, get the Flash Player here.
"People Got a Lotta Nerve" If you see no media player, get the Flash Player here. |
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Artist: THE FELICE BROTHERS |
Check out album number four from The Felice Brothers, an upstate New York outfit featuring actual brothers. (No, we're not exactly sure why that matters.) In any event, the boys have hit their stride with Yonder Is the Clock. Highlights include a pair of chicken-themed tunes: "Chicken Wire" and "Run, Chicken, Run." (Their 2006 debut, incidentally, was reportedly recorded in a chicken coop.) Sic 'em, Chanticleer. "Run, Chicken, Run" If you see no media player, get the Flash Player here. |
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Artist: CONOR OBERST & MYSTIC VALLEY BAND |
There's some filler on here, to be sure, and a few songs miss the mark entirely, but halve the damn thing, and you've got a killer disc. For a limited time, Merge is streaming the album here. (Click "PREVIEW THIS RELEASE" after the jump.) Be sure to check out "To All the Lights in the Windows," "Big Black Nothing," and our favorite track, "Roosevelt Room." |
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Artist: SCOTT H. BIRAM Album: SOMETHING'S WRONG / LOST FOREVER Label: BLOODSHOT Release Date: 19 MAY 2009 Website: www.scottbiram.com Myspace: www.myspace.com/scotthbiram |
The dirty old self-destructive one man band is back, and he sounds no worse for the wear. Which is to say, of course, that he sounds as though he's just lost a whiskey-soaked pissing match with Satan himself. For the uninitiated, Something's Wrong / Lost Forever is an excellent introduction to Biram's ragtag rasp. And for the faithful, this scraggy collection of canticles is reason to celebrate. "Judgment Day" If you see no media player, get the Flash Player here. If you see no media player, get the Flash Player here. |