Justin Gordon

NMM has been on hiatus the last few weeks-- our apologies to all of our millions of devoted readers. I am going to make it up to you with today's musical offering-- Justin Gordon. I am not sure I have ever read so many reviews of an artist that included the word 'underrated' as I have for this guy, but I am sure once his work is posted here, he will start to receive his just desserts... Check out his latest album (the one I have heard, called Love and Mystery; you can stream it for free here). If you care to, peruse back through his earlier catalog and you will probably see why he caught my eye-- lots of trailer imagery. Album covers, song titles, recording venues, etc. Justin Gordon appears to be a good candidate for spokesperson for my own personal ad campaign to bring trailer living to the forefront of modern american housing choices.... Enjoy!

April Smith and The Great Picture Show

I ran across April Smith and The Great Picture Show while listening to podcasts of shows from the Newport Folk Festival on NPR (I was feeling particularly pretentious that day) and found her incredibly charming with a unique, old-timey sound. She has that ability to mix sarcasm, wit, and charm while avoiding preciousness. It is fun music to listen to if you get the chance. Kind of like Gillian Welch if instead of getting her heart broken and saving the world, she just settled for crashing sorority parties for the jokes. And while there is more depth that that to April Smith's music, the vibe of what I have heard from her so far hits pretty close.

June Panic

God. Where have you guys been? I have totally been up on my NMMs but none of you have been around.

Today is June Panic and his strangely, slightly experimental and fractured pop. June Panic is the work of one guy, probably in a bedroom or basement (hipster requirement for authenticity- it's all about the music), and seems deeply personal. The best part about June Panic (and all good music that is deemed experimental) is the fact that there are easily accessible melodies through the different sounds. The songs are fun to follow through twists and turns. There is a payoff to this music as opposed to others that are trying different things (Sonic Youth and The Mars Volta, for instance). I am sure there is a very small subset of society that believes June Panic is genius. That seems to be a little strong but it is a very good listen.

Some morsels of the MFNW last week....

I arrived in POrtland about one week before an awesome music festival packed full of performances by bands I know and love, and by bands I don't know and might love, and bands I know and don't love. I still wanted to see them all. I couldn't though. Festivals in general stress me out. My desire to optimize is too strong. I can effectively triangulate the shortest distances between 8 million venues in a new city, and there are inevitably bands I LOVE playing at the same time. It isn't fun for me. So I bought individual tickets (you know, like in the old days) and went on Friday and Saturday night to one venue (each night) and saw 7 bands. I will talk about 2 of them for NMM....

Dan Mangan, from Vancouver, playing with a fantastic band and really delighting me beyond expectations. The finale was a song called Robots (it's on his myspace page) that was a giant singalong with Dan in the crowd. I am a total sucker for a singalong. The recorded version isn't quite as awesome, but it gives you a good entree.

and

The Portland Cello Project, an experimental, dizzying, audacious, fusion of classical instrumentation and (often) hip hop. On their Myspace page, there some okay stuff, but when they played behind Crooked Fingers, it was pure beauty (not on their site).

I suggest you check them both out, preferably live.

listenlisten

Am I the only person who posts to this blog anymore? Granted it's New Music Wednesday this week (my bad!), but I have been suffering some pret-ty significant technical difficulties the last few weeks. Throw in a Labor Day holiday and I am useless! But today's band is excellent. Perhaps not new to you, but excellent nonetheless. They are called Listenlisten. No, I didn't stutter. That's their name, which Rolling Stone LOVES (see below). They are from Texas and are helping me get over my emotional departure from the state with which, it turns out, I have a fairly complex relationship. The love, the loathing-- it's all very complicated. Anyway, listen to it. I can't really describe it any better than they did, but I can add that I dig it. You should just give it a listenlisten. I crack myself up.

“Finally, a band name we can believe in! Mysterious and borderline un-Googleable Houston collective proves expert at putting the ghosts back into Goth-folk. Their upcoming full-length, Hymns from Rhodesia, is a spellbinding collection of country-gospel songs haunted by loneliness and loss.” --Rolling Stone

Whiskey Folk Ramblers

This band is 1 part mariachi, 1 part klezmer, 1 part punk, 1 part jug band. I saw them last Saturday night in Ft. Worth as the headliners in a trio of great bands at a club in Ft. Worth (where they hail from) and was so delighted. The first band was called Oil Boom (check them out here-- Death of You is the best song they've got posted I think...). The second band was Spooky Folk, which I love and have blogged about previously (but you can now buy their album if you would like here). And the third band was the Whiskey Folk Ramblers, who I had heard of but never heard. You should listen, or better yet go see them live. Here are some of the things I like about them:
-the guy's voice is like butter
-they have a trumpet player, which I love
-they have an accordian, which I also love
-they sing a lot of story songs
-they are the kind of band that makes you want to dance
-they've been described as folk-noire (and I love new musical genre names)

The Fox Hunt

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. NMM. It feels good to have the virtual pen in my hand again and I am proud to report that I have a good one for you all. The Fox Hunt are a surprise band to me that I have known about now for a grand total of four days after seeing them play a free show in Charleston, WV on the beautiful Kanawha River. They are a band that plays traditional music with bluegrass and country influences and hail from the hills in West Virginia. They feature acoustic guitar, banjo, madolin, fiddle, and stand-up bass. The easiest (and probably most apt) comparison is to Old Crow Medicine Show, which is hard because comparing bands to OCMS means you are going to say something like they are not quite as good to one of the best bands going. However, The Fox Hunt does admirably with their own songs and their adaptations of others. They have two singers- a sweet voices clean cut guy and a long haired dirty with a rougher edge. Their songs are good; murder ballads, drinking songs, songs about bad women and good women, songs about being on the road, and of course, songs about coming home. But the real fun is seeing the band live. Their energy plays better in person than on record (also something they have in common with OCMS) and their range of cover songs is great. In the two shows I saw this past weekend, the played songs by Hank Williams, The Rolling Stones, The Bottle Rockets, The Band, The Replacements, two John Prines, and at least one Irish waltz. However, the best part about the band is their are trying to be their own band and that includes seperating themselves from their big brothers. When some drunk asked to hear "Wagon Wheel," one of the guys stepped to the mic and said, "We don't know that one."

RTB2

Not to be confused with the Star Wars character, RTB2 is a duo from Denton, TX that I have recently opened my ears to (which can make liking a band that much more sweet, I have noticed). Within the continuum of my musical taste, they definitely represent something near one end (the hard rock end, to be specific), but it is melodic and emotive and I enjoy their sound immensely and think you might too. It is in the neighborhood of The Black Keys, but more garage-y and raw. You can listen to some songs of theirs on their myspace page here or download their whole first album for free from their record label here (a label, by the way, with lots of other good bands, most of which let you pay-what-you-want or download their music for free). RTB2's most recent album was recorded live. What they sacrifice in so-called perfect sound quality I think they hoped to recoup in raw energy, and I can vouch for the fact that they put on a great show. Listen to The Spilling Blood Child (which will be on my 2010 Lake CD in a few short weeks) for an example of why I have come around....

Rocky Votolato

Rocky Votolato is an artist based in Seattle via small town Texas that plays music firmly planted in country folk and indie rock. I have been listening to his album "Suicide Medicine" for the past short while and the best way to describe it is Son Volt with a completely different voice out front. There are a few political songs on the album that are EMBARRASSINGLY bad but that is probably easy to imagine when you read the list of influences on his myspace page. It reads like a who's who of influences for self-important, over emoting 25 year olds. Luckily, Votolato is not any of that. When he wants to be more introspective (read: folky), he knocks it out of the park. If nothing else, Votolato is playing with his heart on his sleeve throughout the album and there is nothing wrong with that.

Slaid Cleaves

This week's NMM is Slaid Cleaves. He is kind of like an upbeat, male version of Mary Gauthier, who is a favorite singer of mine. He grew up in Maine, but now makes a home in Texas, bless his soul. His most recent album came out in 2009 and you can hear several tracks off of it on his website or on his admittedly unmaintained myspace page. The best song in my opinion is Cry-- check it out and tell me what you think, ok? Regardless, you have to admit this is a gorgeous album cover.

Airport Girl

Here are the instruments played in Airport Girl: guitar, steel guitar, banjo, harmonica, bass, keyboards, electric piano (how is this different than keyboards?), violin, and trumpet. Nothing wrong with any of this, right? The six, and sometimes eight, members of Airport Girl use these sounds to create a kind of slower tempo folk-rock music with a lot of alternately country and indie rock influences. Admittedly, it is something that could easily become background music if it were not so interesting and well done.

The sound is familiar but there is enough experimentation and wandering with the array of instruments that the familiarity you feel never gets stale. Lead singer Rob Price's voice is unremarkable and with his easy delivery, you're left to simply focus on the sounds of the band. Listen to the notes, man. They do a great job creating a mood. Lyrically, Airport Girl enters the fray (the vaunted NMM fray) as another great contemplative melancholy band that knows how to toe the line between contemplation and whining. However, the lyrics are not the king here. It is the sound that sweeps grandly one second and then seamlessly switches to spare the next.

It's Lefty approved.

The Cave Singers

I have been remiss. Too much travelin' gets in the way of music lovin' for some reason. So when I was out west becoming a music blog delinquent I decided to ask people about what THEY listened to so I would have something to post for NMM. Two people mentioned a band called The Cave Singers. They said I would like it, but I am not sure what made them think that. But you might like it. It sounds like something people I like would like. The song Summer Light is the best one they've got posted--I think the guy's voice sounds like a cross between Conor Oberst and Ryan Adams and some gravel (listen to Beach House and you'll see what I mean). Don't listen to the song Helen.

Mount Eerie

As it turns out, Mount Eerie was a super buzzy, NPR favorite band about a year ago when Bon Iver and Blitzen Trapper were super cool despite their obvious failings as good bands. Mount Eerie on the other hand, although certainly in the same vein as other beard-y rockers, feels intimate in a way Blitzen Trapper feels weird and Bon Iver feels pouty. Phil Elverum is Mount Eerie (usually by himself and odd) and is joined by Julie Doiron (singer of Broken Girl and wonderful) and Fred Squire (guitar) on the album Lost Wisdom and the results are great. This is Iron and Wine with a girl. It has been described as simplistic and beautiful but I have to say, the best description I can give includes the fact that you can easily imagine this album being played live for you right in your living room. Highly recommended.

Broken Bells

Everyone's getting a two-fer this week for NMM. I am submitting Broken Bells, the recent hybrid, spin-off, "it" band, side-project of Danger Mouse (no his middle name is not danger, his first name is danger, so hah!) and one of the dudes from the Shins. I like it, Lefty doesn't. I don't want to put in too strong a plug for these guys because I admit, at best, this is the kind of music I would put on while hosting a party that had no hopes of turning into a sing along or a dance party in hopes that someone would believe I haven't been completely trapped in the 60's (with reference to my Dylan obsession), or worse the 80's (with reference to what I usually think of as "party music").

Chris Walla

If you are a fan, you know that Chris Walla is an invaluable member of the band Death Cab For Cutie and is a huge reason for their success over the last couple of years. He is a multi-instrumentalist and producer for the band (also for many other indie-rock bands) but his solo work really shows that he is far more than that in his day job. He is the engine that drives the machine.

Field Manual, Walla's solo debut, sounds like a Death Cab record. I understand this sound may not be breaking any new ground and may be counter-intuitive to discovering new music, but I think this is so interesting because you can hear the mastermind at work and finally getting the accolades he deserves. As I understand it, Walla is mainstay in the Northwest music scene and a sought after producer, but stepping out into the spotlight with this album shows the true talent of an otherwise afterthought when reading the credits in the liner notes.

Lyrically, he is not as gifted or precious as Ben Gibbard. Who is? Not that he doesn't try pulling at heartstrings from time to time but Walla seems to want to branch out, commenting on social issues and lashing out at the government on some songs. For me, these attempts produce eye rolls but you have to give the guy credit for trying.

Interesting album from a guy who has been around. It is a debut album, but it's not his first rodeo. And you can tell.

The Devil Makes Three

I cannot get enough of this band right now: The Devil Makes Three is this past week's somewhat tardy NMM selection brought to you by Pancho the delinquent traveling blogger. But this is so good, you'll forgive me. They have some tracks posted on myspace as well, which is what I got hooked on (the first track, called All Hail, definitely sounds like they are saying Aw Hell, and I don't think it is an accident). In the great tradition of Johnny Cash and Old Crow Medicine Show, most of their songs are about drinking heavily, however singing about alcoholism with a delightful trotting melody really takes the edge off. There's some stand-up bass, some harmonizing, some toe-tapping, and some wordplay. Who doesn't love that combination? Who I ask you?

Devastations

It is about that time of year and I know you know what I am talking about. It's the time of year that Lake CDs are due and that can only mean one thing ...

My 2011 Lake CD is half done

And there is a Devastations song on the playlist. They are a band from Australia that are deeply influenced by Nick Cave in both sound and content and while I am not a huge fan of Nick Cave, this band really does it for me. Lead singer Conrad Standish possesses a delightfully brooding style that reminds me of a sober Mark Lanegan singing songs as a lounge act (that was supposed to be a compliment but I am not sure it ever got there.)

It is an interesting band in that it is trying to do different things as they continue their career. Their current album has a more electronic feel (cool kids call it ambient) while the album that hooked me has been described (accurately, I suppose) as outback-gothic. Whatever the style or genre, it is the vocal stylings of Standish that makes these songs stand up. His is truly one of the unique and underrated voices in alternative rock.

The Beaten Sea, The White Buffalo, and Megafaun

Hurray! It's Monday! I have a triple shot for all you banjo and non-banjo enthusiasts out there!

First of all, I recommended the Dallas Family Band a while ago, but Lefty complained because "they" (meaning the collective) don't have an album. For his sake, and the rest of you who might not spend an inordinate amount of time tethered to your computer where you can stream whatever you please, I am happy to announce at least two of the 7ish bands in the collective have now released an album. Spooky Folk put theirs out a while ago, and I have been delinquent about picking one up, but will. The Beaten Sea just had their CD release party last friday, and I will also be getting theirs sometime soon too no doubt. I still recommend streaming from the 'sounds' tab on the DFB webstie, but if you absolutely must possess it, it is now possible....

Second of all, last week I stumbled upon The White Buffalo (Jake Smith's moniker) and have been listening to it all morning. It is great-- in a nutshell, it is what you would hope Eddie Vedder solo acoustic stuff would sound like, but doesn't, but even better. I love it, especially three songs so far-- Damned, Love Song No. 1, and Sweet Hereafter, but the more I listen, the more I like them all. Take a gander and enjoy. Immensely.

THIRD (yes, 3!) is a group I just learned about from the indie music blog hear ya (which I will add to the sidebar because it seems great) called Megafaun. Lots of potential here-- I have only listened a bit, but I like what I hear and wanted to share the band, and the site.

Save as Draft

Ramsay Midwood

I got the heads up on Ramsay Midwood a few years back from my good friend Drew Thomas and it has taken me at least three years to "get it." He sounds like a mush-mouthed bluesman that writes songs that fit somewhere in-between Bob Dylan and The Bottle Rockets. Dylan in that there is more depth than most songwriters. Bottle Rockets in the way that he doesn't seem to take himself all too seriously. Or maybe more accurately, he can see the levity in dreary living. His vocal stylings take some time to get used to but there is a reward for putting in time with this artist. The songs start to open up with familiarity and seeing Midwood for the artist he strives to be is reward enough for the work.

Luther Wright and the Wrongs

This band was mentioned to me last week by a Canadian friend (yes, I was in Canadia at the time, but the friend is here). The name of the band is so great, I had to listen. The first couple songs didn't make a big impression, but a recently posted ditty called The Land of Milk and Honey wormed it's way right into the center of my heart, with all my other favorite music. I highly recommend you listen to it (Lefty), and then listen to it again and let it worm its way into yours. "Things Twice" ain't bad either-- a little ghost of Tom Pettyish, which is good because, although I don't love Tom Petty, I seem to love singers who do.

http://www.myspace.com/lutherwright

Here's the album cover from their bluegrass recapitulation of Pink Floyd's The Wall, for all you banjo enthusiasts.

(Isn't it funny that we are posting things as if anyone but you and I are reading this? As if, for example, a whole bunch of banjo enthusiasts might be reading this?)

Bonus Wednesday- Hayes Carll

I have been familiar with Hayes Carll since picking up a Todd Snider concert bootleg in which he was the opener. He is in the same vein as Todd, country-ish singer-songwriter that is sensitive and smart enough to appeal to all of us. Not as good as Todd but as knock-offs go, pretty solid. I can listen to him easily.

But since I don't with regularity, it was a nice surprise to hear him referenced on a random radio show. Actually, he wasn't referenced. His song, "She Left Me For Jesus," was. I didn't know it was Carll until I Googled the title and now you are all caught up.

Truth be told, I am not sure how good this song is. This is not his best work be a log shot. If this were the only song you listened to, you would dismiss Carll as a comedian rather than musical artist. He is definitely not that. However, it is impossible to dismiss the line, "If I ever find Jesus, I'm kickin' his ass."

Richmond Fontaine

Hard to say where my partner in crime is right now (it is a very Carmen Sandiego situation) but suffice it to say, she is unavailable for NMM. I know this disappointes a great number of you. However, I am here to save the day. Actually Richmond Fontaine is here to save the day.

I know this is not a new band to Pancho and Lefty but it is probably a new band to a lot of readers and is most certainly underrated by the people who love music by bands that sound like a reincarnation of post-No Depression Uncle Tupelo and pre-experimental Wilco. Or pre-crappy Wilco if you heard the last two albums. This band produces great country sounding rock that should have made them more popular.

Well Richmond Fontaine, you are a part of the NMM family now. Let the money roll in!

Wes McDonald

I didn't know much about Wes McDonald before I listened to the excellent 1:50 In The Furnace and after a few listens (and some hurried research before this post), I am afraid I still do not known all that much. It is really hard to find anything on him or his band. My first impression was McDonald was a cross between roots rocking Jason Isbell and late power popster Alex Chilton. Subsequent reading has found favorable comparisons to Paul Westerburg and I have a hard time disagreeing. The album is sufficiently subversive (read: smarter than you think) while rocking in that joyous way that only Southerners seem to be able to do with any consistency.

The Dallas Family Band

Better late than never....

The Dallas Family Band is really like 7 bands. Where everyone is in each of their friend's bands. Kinda of like a collective. But I think collective has a bad connotation. And this is anything but bad....

Check out 7 songs from the assemblage (no negative connotation there!) at their new website where you can stream sample songs. They are beautiful, forlorn, hopeful, fearless.

An original

Nighttime Daylight and Thievery
by Sarah Schaack (Pancho)

I have a mockingbird that lives in my tree
Who thinks because the emergency
Light doesn’t darken, doesn’t dim
It’s always day, at least to him
So he sings, constantly
Making such a mockery
Of all the birds
And of me.

Why does he see the light so easily?
When only darkness do I see.
Some might say, just let him be,
But can’t he do the same for me?

Oh that mockingbird, mockingbird nesting in my tree,
Stole my peace, and the remnants, of my dignity,
Took sparrow’s chirp, and bluejay’s call,
No one’s safe, he steals from all.
All the while, oh so sweetly,
He sings “where are you? And who is he?”
But mostly what he wants is,
To rob you of what’s yours,
And what is mine.

Much confused, nocturnal now,
His infernal chant eternal now
To be diurnal I avow,
But this my bird does not allow.

Worn out by morning, first light hits
Buried beak, he does not flit,
The others wake and start their calls
My bird yawns first, then has the gall
To sing his song
To sing out loud
The same damn song
Just as proud
As the night before
When we could sleep
I did not sing, I did not peep,
But the emergency light
With its everglow,
Stole from him, darkness, peace
And so from me, peace and sleep.

When thieves are robbed, no one cares
No one helps, no one dares.
They just let the robbery
Unfold no matter how costly,
A poor bird thief, so sleepy,
Just like me, just like me.

Perhapst

I am officially ready to release my first volley in this NMM forum. While agonizing day and night and night and day (to the point that it is now Wednesday as opposed to the promised Monday) over how to best announce my presence with authority, I have decided to debut with a band by the name of (drum roll please).....

Perhapst.

Perhapst is led by a guy named John Moen who has been in bands around the Northwest for some time now and currently finds himself as the drummer for The Decemberists. This album sounds nothing like anything produced by his money band. It is pleasant indie pop that features Moen's sweet-ish vocals but has just enough bite and rock (it ain't noise pollution) to keep it from being a dreamy kind of generic indie folk album. The twist being the subtle use of pedal steel to give some songs a little bit of a twang that is sadly missing from much of the music emanating from Portland these days.

It is good, if not entirely great. It hasn't changed my life.

Yet.

I just realized. I don't have to post a comment. I'm an author! I can post a post. Pancho here...
I like this much more than I thought I would based on your description over the phone. "Cloud-like nebulous" or something similar came up in the conversation, and that is, for me, always a red flag. I don't love the singing, but I like the groove. I agree with you though, it is a burn it record (to rip off even more real radio shows about music...)

Anais Mitchell

Check out her recent folk opera....

Taken by Trees

Okay, so it is not Monday.... but Taken By Trees is today's post (care of Lefty).

Check out their cover of Sweet Child o' Mine if, for some reason, you want to hear someone sing that song WITHOUT trying to sounds like Axl Rose. Is it just me or is there an unbelievable number of bands from Sweden, proportionally?

To catch everybody up....

We have been doing this for about 6 months or so, so we need to remember a bunch of old new music mondays, just for the record....

Eef Barzelay
The OverMountain Men
Imaad Wasif
The Soulsavers
Sarah Jaffe
Rural Alberta Advantage (pictured)
Liam Finn
Jessica Lea Mayfield
The Naptime Shake

There are lots more, but we can't remember them right now. Which is why we started the blog. We'll post as they come to mind. And perhaps write a short description or review so it really isn't just a list.