Review: Lee Alexander & Co. - Mayhaw Vaudeville

Lee Alexander & Co. - Mayhaw Vaudeville
2009, Lee Alexander & Co.

Houston, Texas’ Lee Alexander writes from the heart of Texas in his heart. Using the same wit, intelligence and rustic flavor as folks such as Steve Earle and Lyle Lovett, Alexander has a reputation for crafting masterful musical stories. With a 2007 Independent Music Award for his debut album, Out Of Place, Alexander follows up with his sophomore effort, Mayhaw Vaudeville.

After the brief prologue of Ballnese Room (Overture), Alexander gets things rolling with Miles Between; a Folk/Pop gem with a big, pretty chorus. Reminiscent of later Great Big Sea and Pat McGee Band, Miles Between deals with the dissatisfaction of being in a relationship with someone who just doesn't not live up to expectations. Mayhaw Wine mixes early Rock N Roll and R&B elements in an acoustic Folk setting. The song has a definite sway and plays like an instant classic. These Days has one of the best melody lines on the disc, sounding a bit like Blue Rodeo meets The Cash Brothers in a highly enjoyable turn. My favorite song on the disc is Wheel; a paean to the pursuit of dreams and ambitions that recognizes that life is a gamble. The roulette wheel is used to illustrate the point here in poetic, intelligent and melodic bit of acoustic Blues and Folk.

Okemah Moon sounds about as classic country as you can get. It's a story about forbidden love and the almost certain conclusion it will come to. Somewhere, the spirit of George Jones smiles down on this song. Alexander lets us eavesdrop on one side of a conversation about escaping small town life in Carol Ann, a poignant tune full of ugly truths. The song needs a companion piece, however, as this is a sliver of a very good story that could stand telling. Alexander proceeds to cover the traditional Liverpool, England anthem Maggie Mae (not the Rod Stewart song). A favorite of sailors for better than a century, Maggie Mae tells the story of a prostitute and was long the unofficial theme song of Liverpool. Alexander's version is compelling and reserved; very well done. Union Street heads right for the Mix-Tape Magic pile in a touching performance where Alexander is in his absolute best and most velvety voice. Alexander sounds a bit like the Beatles on Mr. Walker's Epilogue, creating a near-perfect Pop tune with great vocal harmonies and a sound that could only be inspired by The Fab 4. Green Room Mirror (Curtain Call) is a great example of melodic and melancholy Pop. The story-line is benign compared to the beauty of the melody. Alexander closes out with an untitled track of a Tin Pan Alley jazz tune that might be called Paradise For Me. It's a brief epilogue but done perfectly to era and very entertaining.

Lee Alexander & Company display serious musical chops on Mayhaw Vaudeville. There's intense love for the sounds of bygone eras evident here, but also a fresh energy that enervates both the songs and the listener. Alexander has one of those voices you simply don't want to stop, and the arrangements are both pleasurable and challenging. Make sure you spend some time with Lee Alexander & Co. and Mayhaw Vaudeville. It's a bit off the beaten track but worth every step.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lee Alexander & Co. http://www.alexandersongs.com/ or www.myspace.com/alexanderlee. Mayhaw Vaudeville is available through Noisetrade on a pay-what-you-wish arrangement for download, or you can get the download for free by providing the email address of five friends! CD copies are available at shows, but if you contact the band through their MySpace page I'm sure they'll be happy to help you out.

Review: Truckers Tracks Vol. 2: Hard Times

Truckers Tracks Vol. 2: Hard Times
2009, Straight Up Sound

Straight Up Sound returns with their second compilation dedicated to the Kings and Queens of the road. Truckers Tracks Vol. 2: Hard Times picks up where Vol. 1 left off, moving more heavily into Blues/Rock territory. Johnny Neel returns for the second collection, along with artists Russell Gulley, Joe Tackett, Adam Jones, Chris Anderson and The Levees, among others.

Hard Times opens with The Levees on Hard Times, a grinding Southern Rock number with roots in The Blues. Its ZZ Top meets Stevie Ray Vaughan in three-and-a-half minutes of danceable rock you're sure to enjoy. Johnny Neel brings his backwoods bombast on Long Haul, a gritty truck-driving anthem that sounds like Joe Walsh is sitting in on guitar. Russell Gulley kicks in an inspired performance on Greenwood Mississippi, stripping things down to himself, an acoustic guitar and harmonica. There's real poetry in this song, and the rustic arrangement is a perfect fit. Joe Tackett goes Honky-Tonk on Lucky In Kentucky, a gentle warning about the dangers of canoodling in the Bluegrass State.

Johnny Neel returns on the soulful Love To Burn, sounding a bit like RL Burnside with a gospel choir and a Blues flavored jam you won't forget. Doodle is pure Rhythm N Blues and my personal favorite on the disc. Adam Jones has himself a winner in this track certain to be a concert favorite. Chris Anderson shows off some wonderful blues guitar chops on Driving Out Of The Blues, although the song itself wasn't particularly memorable. Russell Gulley re-appears with Peace Of Good Earth, another acoustic and sparsely arranged song that is pure old South. Hard Times closes with Darius Radd on the bland Angels Coming Home. It's a decent enough song but not really a fitting coda for what's come before.

Truckers Tracks Vol. 2: Hard Times stays well with the intent of the Truckers Tracks compilations without sounding derivative. In fact, there's heavier blues-flavored material here than on Volume 1. Highlights are Russell Gulley (in general) and Joe Tackett's Lucky In Kentucky. Johnny Neel delivers strong performances as expected and Adam Jones shines bright. The sudden switch in flavor for the last track doesn't kill the album, but certainly isn't a great way to close off what is, up until then, a highly dynamic and energetic album. Overall it's a positive experience.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

To learn more about the Truckers Tracks compilations and the artists involved, visit http://www.truckerstracks.com/. You can also check out our review of Trucker Tracks (Vol. 1) here. You can order Truckers Tracks Vol. 2: Hard Times as either a CD or download through CDBaby.com.

Review: Lights - The Listening

Lights - The Listening
2009, Warner Brothers Records

If you lived in a culture that had yet to discover electricity, happening upon an electric light bulb would be a revelatory experience. The discovery of something that transcends darkness is monumental to those who know nothing but. Don't be surprised if the first time you hear Canadian singer/songwriter Lights your reaction is very similar. The 22-year old who has lived all over the world struggled with a lack of consistency until she found it in music. The creative space she built for herself led her to songwriting by her early teens and production not long after. Over time her tastes and interest evolved to a brand of keytar driving electro-pop that's both reminiscent of the 1980's as well as new and fresh. Lights won a 2008 Juno Award (The Canadian Grammy) as Best New Artist after garnering two Top-3 singles on the MuchMusic charts from her self-titled debut EP. Building on that success is The Listening, her follow-up album released this month by Warner Brothers Records.

Lights is not your typical pop princess. She retains creative control of her songs and continues to do her own promotions. Lights built up word of mouth via her on-line presence, from MySpace to her website to her love for World Of Warcraft. Lights appeals equally well to the plastics and the nerds, and pretty much everyone in-between. The Listening opens with Saviour, a trademark where Lights takes an emotionally painful situation and transcends it with divine Pop inspiration. Monotone verses open up into a big pop chorus, although the vocal effects are very much overdone (as they are on much of the album). Drive My Soul is a bit of light electropop soul searching not so much about spirituality but love. River is a great listen, but once again the vocal effects are so involved it's difficult to tell whether it’s Lights singing or a computer simulation of her. Ice is a brilliant bit of radio-ready pop. Don't be surprised if this finds significant presence on popular radio at some point.

The Last On Your Mind sounds as if it were written for a teen comedy or CW prime-time soap opera. Second Go is all about second chances and sounds like something you might hear from the Radio Disney crowd. Lions! is mild, uplifting Pop worth checking out. Pretend, February Air and Face Up are all also worth a listen or two. My favorite moment on the album, however, is when Lights goes acoustic. Her solo piano version of Pretend is the true revelation. Lights doesn't have a powerful voice; it's plaintive and pretty, but there's true vulnerability and heart that come across once all of the electronic effects are stripped away. There's no doubt at any point on the album that Lights is a talented keyboardist, and she can write, but it's at this most quiet moment that Lights shines brightest.

The Listening elevates the game of Pop music with well-constructed, intelligent and heartfelt songs that will play very well to Pop radio without sacrificing quality or content. Lights hearkens back to a time when Pop artists strove to create great music rather than just tossing off the next mass-produced song form to be consumed by the masses. The Listening is a very promising sophomore effort, built from the cornerstone of her self-titled EP. Expect Lights to shine bright.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lights at http://www.iamlights.com/, where you can order a copy of The Listening in her shop. You can download The Listening from iTunes in either a standard version or a version with bonus tracks!

Review: Hawke - +++ (Gavin Hardkiss)

Hawke - +++
2009,

Johannes, South Africa native Gavin Hardkiss is a world-renowned DJ and creator of music. Residing in San Francisco these days, Hardkiss was one of the progenitors of the dance music of San Francisco in the 1990's. He has released numerous albums in various countries around the world and influenced an entire generation of musicians and DJs. As his alter-ego Hawke, Hardkiss has released three albums that mix organic and electronic music in vein of late-1980's electro pop styles. Hawke's fourth album, +++, is due for release on October 20, 2009 on Eighth Dimension Records.

+++ opens with Monday Comes And Goes, a shoegaze-Electronica paean to the drudgery of 9-5 attachments. Hawke creates an electronic soundscape that mimics traditional song structure but ends up being fairly self-derivative. On My Own shows more promise, putting together a beat and faux-melody that insinuates itself into the mind. Hawke' talk-sing style gets his message across but has a neutral effect on the overall listenability of song and album alike. Inside Job doesn't offer much in the form of song construction or styling, but will be quite a treat for headphone junkies. Hawke gets into his usual territory with Hold On To What You Got, sounding like something he might spin at a party. The originality and complexity here are forgotten in favor of solid beats and the whims of improvisation.

In The Clouds finds Hawke on a relatively bland but listenable pop song that may spark briefly for pop radio but is more likely a soundtrack placement. Hawke gets instrumental on My Mom Is Your Dad, mixing organic elements with light Electronica for a pleasant listen akin to waiting room music. A similar make-up exists in The Silver Sun Is Setting, albeit with a sparse vocal line that consists of pillared moments of repetition. Sonically interesting at first, the song proceeds to go nowhere musically or creativity. Lyrics are added via Vocoder but don't add any sort of narrative or purpose to the tune. With Everything Is Happening At The Same Time, Hawke guarantees at least one track with real club potential. The lyrics and progression don't really make a significant impression, but the beat is palpable and the sort of dynamic that flies in Club culture. Secret Lullabye finds Hawke reaching for the ethereal realm of electronic with much less passion or conviction than bands like Delirium possess. Hawke closes out with an eight minute epic, These Combinations Have Not Been Before. Opening with a bare hint of instrumentation and running water, Hawke uses undulating synth and rhythms to build a watery composition that is the class of the album. Hawke finally digs down and finds some passion and creative fire (or at least conveys it) just in time.

+++ just doesn't have the chutzpah to stand on its own two feet. Electronic music can be a highly unforgiving medium for the artist. There are times when you can poor your heart and soul into creating something that sounds bland and lifeless. I am guessing at the former, but the latter is certainly true here. Hawke certainly is trying to convey something on +++, but the spirit simply doesn't come through with a couple of exceptions.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Hawke at www.myspace.com/hawke or http://www.lovewonanother.com/, where you can obtain downloads from +++.

Review: Michael Buble - Crazy Love

Michael Bublé - Crazy Love
2009, 143/Reprise Records

Michael Bublé is back with his latest, an album entitled Crazy Love. The multiple Grammy-winning Bublé turns introspective and autobiographical on Crazy Love, which features 11 standards/covers and two original tracks. Bublé has sold over 22 million albums around the world, and his 2005 release, It's Time, holds the records for the longest run on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Charts at two years (with 80 weeks at #1). Guests on Crazy Love include the acapella group Naturally 7, and Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings. Production responsibilities were shared between David Foster, Bob Rock and Humberto Gatica.

Bublé opens with a darkly modern take of Cry Me A River. With a martial air, Bublé illuminates the song in bright new fashion while holding on to it's classic nature. All Of Me is done in more classic style with a touch of Vegas flair. Bublé does a good job with Georgia On My Mind, but I have been forever spoiled by the late, great Ray Charles on this song. Bublé's version is good but just doesn't stand up to the original. Bublé does much better with his cover of Van Morrison's Crazy Love. This is a classic song that mixes elements of Folk, Rock and Soul, and Bublé and his ensemble work magic here. Bublé opens up to a Broadway meets The Partridge Family style tune with the ebullient Haven't Met You Yet. This is a hopeless romantic's tune with a bouncy chorus you won't be able to get out of your head. Bublé is inspired here, and the arrangement as a whole plays to all of his strengths in a golden Pop moment.

Bublé visits the 1950's for his rendition of All I Do Is Dream Of You. The collective spirit of Louis Prima and Bobby Darin shines down on this particular number in one of the brightest moments on Crazy Love. Bublé creates a moment of musical déjà vu with Hold On, a song so instantly familiar I was certain it was a cover. This is an incredible tune that could be a pop classic, sounding like something that might have been written by Elton John or Billy Joel. Bublé goes Honky-Tonk with a live jazz/rock cover of The Eagles' Heartache Tonight. This is a fun version that's a bit livelier even than the original and certain to inspire some dancing. You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You is done in classic Sinatra style and paves the way for Baby (You've Got What It Takes), featuring Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings. This is the highlight of the album, as singing with Sharon Jones seems to bring out a more soulful side of Bublé.

Bublé's cover of Billy Vera & The Beaters' At This Moment is another bit of magic. Bublé sticks pretty close to the original here, and while his voice may be prettier he doesn't hope to match the sound and heart of Billy Vera. Nevertheless, Bublé's performance is dynamic in it's own fashion and serves the song very well. Accapela group Naturally 7 lends their vocal talents on Hoagie Carmichael's Stardust. The result is a rendition that sounds like a young Bobby Darin singing with The Mills Brothers. The vocal arrangement here, in particular of Naturally 7, helps to build a classic sound for one of the greatest compositions of the twentieth century. Bublé closes out with the Latin-styled Whatever It Takes, a song of love and devotion that's a bit cliché but sweet.

Michael Bublé does it again. Crazy Love is the sort of transitional album that will allow Bublé to keep his traditional fans while beginning to build more present among folks with slightly more modern tastes in music. Crazy Love is certain to continue Bublé's string of Gold and Platinum albums while earning him serious Grammy consideration. Crazy Love is the work of a consummate professional at the top of his game.

Rating: 4 Stats (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Michael Bublé at http://www.michaelbuble.com/ or www.myspace.com/michaelbuble. You can purchase Crazy Love as either a CD or download via Amazon.com.

Review: Kirsten DeHaan - Thorns On A Crown

Kirsten DeHaan - Thorns On A Crown
2009, SirLady Records

Kirsten DeHaan is one of the most fiercely independent artists on the Indie music scene. With a firm belief in artists owning their own music, DeHaan started the New York Indie Rock Launch in 2006; a show intended to bring the best of New York City's Indie Rock scene together under one roof. The shows have continued since then with entirely grass-roots promotion and sell out every time. DeHaan also regularly performs for US troops abroad via webcast and continues to support Indie music however she can. Recently re-locating from Brooklyn to Woodstock, NY, DeHaan has released her latest CD, an EP entitled Thorns On A Crown. Thorns On A Crown features a raw, personal approach that is a fresh turn for DeHaan.

DeHaan opens with 1984, a low-key rocker with an understated, Cowboy Junkies feel. DeHaan has an interesting voice that ranges from a throaty alto to an electric, rocker-girl sound in her upper register. Double Or Nothing is a funky rocker with seriously strong guitar work. I didn't enjoy the song itself a great deal but the individual components are strong. I'm Coming Home is the most personable and edgy track on the disc. This is the sort of music I'd want to hear in a coffee shop or small, intimate venue. DeHaan displays real personality in her music, but may be a bit too far off the beaten track for some. DeHaan closes out with Ms. Daisy, a decent track that didn't really ring any bells but wasn't bad either.

Kirsten DeHaan puts in a solid effort on Thorns On A Crown. Her style and sound are personal and personable, but there's something funny going on in the energy here. The songwriting itself is fairly average, although DeHaan ups her game by throwing herself into each song. Thorns On A Crown is likable, but it doesn't really grab you.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kirsten DeHaan at http://www.kdlocal.com/ or www.myspace.com/kirstendehaan. You can download Thorns On A Crown from Amazon.com.

Review: Kate Miller-Heidke - EP

Kate Miller-Heidke - EP
2009, Sony Music

Kate Miller-Heidke is nothing less than a superstar in Australia. The Brisbane native's album Curiouser has lit up the ARIA and iTunes charts in Australia, going Gold and spawning at least two top-40 singles. Heidke and her guitarist/songwriter/partner Keir Nuttall also won the International Songwriting Competition grand prize, impressing a judging panel that included Tom Waits, Robert Smith (The Cure), Neil Finn and Ray Davies (The Kinks). Categorizing Miller-Heidke is in itself a process. If you took the in your-face musicality and quirkiness of Nellie McKay, the range of Kristin Chenoweth, the charm of Betty Boop and the beauty-to-bombast capability of Kate Bush you'd have someone who maybe sounded a bit like Kate Miller-Heidke. After the initial comparison all bets are off, however. Miller-Heidke strives to make music that makes the listener feel something; Catchy is great but empty doesn't fly. Sony Music will release Kate Miller-Heidke's Curiouser to North American audiences in 2010, but for now they've released the digital only EP through iTunes. It's time to get your feet and get to know Kate Miller-Heidke.

Kate Miller-Heidke is part post-modern Punk/Folk poet and part Flapper showgirl on EP. Her distinctive voice reaches notes not often found in pop music (and she actually hits them head on rather than glazing by them in histrionic runs as with coloratura divas such as Mariah Carey). Her fast, tight vibrato is also a bit unusual in pop, recalling, at times, Glinda The Good Witch from The Wizard Of Oz. These things aside, Miller-Heidke can flat out sing like an angel when she wants to, but she can also get in your face and growl, rap, yelp or roar. The first song on EP is Caught In The Crowd, the song that won the International Songwriting Contest Grand Prize. It's a charming song about what we miss out on by following the crowd in high school. Miller-Heidke gives pictures of some of the folks who were marginalized in high school; and tells her own tale of betrayal in name of being in the in crowd. The song is an apology and a coming-of-age, and is extremely well written with a distinctive melody and strong vocal harmonies.

Miller-Heidke takes on the narcissistic tendencies of the Baby Boom generation on Politics In Space. Her voice is inspiring here, and the message is firmly delivered with flashes of wit as sharp as any stiletto. On The Last Day On Earth, Miller-Heidke offers up a fantastical day dream that illuminates the power and fragility of love against the backdrop of the destruction of the world. The song itself is very pretty and moving in spite of the fantastical setting. Words is a tough affirmation of self. Miller-Heidke goes large here with a touch of glam in a wonderfully entertaining turn. The song is different enough to catch on in the popular realm and inspire a host of copy-cats without giving itself away to popular mores. EP closes out with Are You F#cking Kidding Me, one of the funniest post-modern relationship songs of the digital age. Miller-Heidke is enchanting and rip-roaringly funny in a song that essentially everyone under 30 (and most over-30) can identify with.

Kate Miller-Heidke has a magical touch that can't be ignored. She writes close enough to the popular realm to be accepted by it, but is too much her own to ever be a Pop artist. Miller-Heidke's songs show intelligence, wit and a fiercely imaginative and creative nature that isn't going to go away. EP should inspire a lot of interest in the forthcoming North American release of Curiouser. In the mean time, it is an inspired introduction to an artist who might just turn out to be one of those once-in-a-generation talents. EP a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Download. Don't miss it.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kate Miller-Heidke at http://www.katemiller-heidke.com/ or www.myspace.com/katemillerheidke. You can download EP from iTunes.