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?