Many thanks to Heather Browne at the very excellent blog, I Am Fuel, You Are Friends for first posting this. As you know, I love The Gaslight Anthem. Check it out.
Monthly Archive for June, 2009
I have an aversion to the buzz surrounding new bands. It can actually really turn me off and prevent me from checking out new music. A couple of prime examples of this for me were The National and The Arcade Fire. These are bands I now love. And now you can include Ray LaMontagne to the list. This gifted singer songwriter exists in the sphere of Van Morrison in the sense that he plays incredibly soulful folk music. His singing is so beautiful and emotional it’s hard to get it out of your head. I’ve literally woken up in the morning with the sound of his voice in my head. His back story is pretty interested Ray LaMontagne was working in a show factory in Maine when he heard Stephen Stills’ song “Treetop Flyer” on his clock radio as it woke him up him for his shift. As the story goes, this song inspired him to quit his job and pursue a career as a musician. In 2004, he released “Trouble,” his first record. Recorded live in two weeks this album was produced by Ethan Johns who has worked with artist such as Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, and Emmylou Harris. He has also gone on to produce Ray LaMontagne’s other two albums, “Till the Sun Turns Black” (2006) and “Gossip in the Grain” (2008). These albums are all great. Since I have been listening to his music over the last two weeks, I have constantly been in wonder at how amazing he is. And totally shocked that it took me so long to explore the music of this vital artist.
Here’s 4 of my favorites.
I hope you enjoy these. Have a great weekend!
Elvis Perkins, “While You Were Sleeping”
The Veils, “The Letter”
The Gaslight Anthem, “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts”
Or watch a whole set by The Gaslight Anthem.
The Bad Plus was formed in Minneapolis in 2000 by pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer Dave King. Generally, and largely accurately, they are classified as a jazz trio. However, it’s in some sense limiting to try and fit them into any one genre. From the beginning, all of their recordings have featured dramatic reworkings of contemporary tunes such as Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” And when I say reworking, I mean talking a tune all the way apart and putting it back together in a dramatic and compelling way.
During the bands initial nine years and six albums, The Bad Plus has remained an instrumental group. This year’s release, For All I Care, is a departure from the instrumental tradition. For this recording the band added Wendy Lewis. Or in the bands lingo, “The Bad Plus Joined by Wendy Lewis.” Wendy Lewis is a well-known fixture on the Minneapolis music scene and, by design, not a jazz vocalist.
The result is stunning. The addition of vocals to this band, has taken its music to another level. The combination of the way The Bad Plus interprets tunes added, now, with the singer’s beautiful vocals creates a sound that reminds me some contemporary classical composers. Notably, the record does include a few instrumental classical pieces in the mix. In fact, there is one by Stravinsky. And there are, of course the kind of tunes that fans have come to expect from the band, such as Nirvana’s “Lithium,” “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd, and “Radio Cure” by Wilco.
Check The Bad Plus joined by Wendy Lewis playing “Lithium” below.
