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.