New Wax
Set for a February 23rd release date via Barsuk, True Devotion, the sixth full-length studio album from Texas-born, ex-Waxwing singer Rocky Votolato extends his pension for the country-tinged, soul-baring fare established on his last two albums, Makers and The Brag & Cuss. After years of touring, Votolato's private bout with depression and anxiety became overwhelming and he, for all intensive purposes, became a recluse. After spending a year holed up in his apartment studying existential philosophy, history, theology, and physics, Votolato's songwriting muse finally returned and True Devotion materialized. While tapped into the same sonic vein as his last few albums, the songs on True Devotion are more pared down and mostly acoustic. Thematically, Votolato tackles self-doubt, mortality, and life on the road. Votolato, a married man with two children, sounds road-weary and homesick on "Instrument" as he belts out: "Just wanna come back home to you again/ 'Cause I just wanna be free." Votolato's words are often understated yet loaded and he delivers them with the authenticity of a man privy to both the darkness and light. He muses on the finite nature of life on "Sparklers" when he sings" Sparklers only burn for so long," but elsewhere he sounds enlightened, hopeful, and very much in love with the woman he's chosen to build a life with. True Devotion, like life, is a mixed bag of emotions, and Votolato tackles that subject matter with a measure of honesty often unparalleled by other songwriters. -- Capt. Obvious
2.07.2010
Rocky Votolato: True Devotion (2010)
2.05.2010
Covers Mixtape XXIII
SIDE A
1. Peter Gabriel - Flume (Bon Iver Cover)
2. Fruit Bats - Never Tear Us Apart (INXS Cover)
3. Eef Barzelay - Two Tickets To Paradise (Eddie Money Cover)
4. Phoenix - Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands (Bob Dylan Cover)
5. M. Ward - Sadie (Joanna Newsom Cover)
6. Denison Witmer - Comfort You (Van Morrison Cover)
7. Florence + The Machine - Addicted To Love (Robert Palmer Cover)
SIDE B
1. Manchester Orchestra - I Could Be With Anyone (Kevin Devine Cover)
2. Wilco - One Hundred Years From Now (Gram Parsons Cover)
3. Calexico - I Send My Love To You (Palace Brothers Cover)
4. Dinosaur Jr. - Just Like Heaven (The Cure Cover)
5. Vic Chesnutt - Buckets Of Rain (Bob Dylan Cover)
6. Rosie Thomas - River (Joni Mitchell Cover)
7. Basia Bulat - True Love Will Find You In The End (Daniel Johnston Cover)
2.04.2010
Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring (2010)
New Wax
".. Just calm the fuck down!" screams Gareth Campesinos! in unison with his bandmates on "This Is A Flag. There Is No Wind." It's an ironic sentiment coming from the hyperactive Cardiff, Wales band Los Campesinos!, whose newest album Romance Is Boring was recently released via Toronto label Arts and Crafts. While the band still exhibits a wealth of energy on the new release, they seem more keen on letting the songs breathe rather than packing instruments into the arrangements. Don't worry, the band still flexes it's punk-rock infused pop on the breakneck "Plan A," but elsewhere they seem more measured and concise. Romance veers away from the brightness of their debut Hold On Now Youngster and focuses more on the hard-edged sound of 2008's We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed. Gareth's pen is as scathing as ever and he shifts from serious subject matter to sarcastic witticisms at the drop of a dime. On the particularly venom-tongued "Straight In At 101," Gareth half sings/half yells: "I think we need more post-coital and less post-rock/ Feels like the build up takes forever but you never get me off." When Gareth's not poking fun at music genres, he's musing on a close friend's eating disorder. This unpredictability makes him an interesting lyricist. With Romance Is Boring, Los Campesinos! turns in their most mature effort, but this growth doesn't mark a letdown in brute energy. After all, a band so in tune with the ennui of folks in their early 20's should sound a little bit pissed off. -- Capt. Obvious
The Radio Dept.: Clinging To A Scheme (2010)
New Wax
After years of rescheduling and delays, Swedish dream-pop heavyweights The Radio Dept. are finally set to release their third full-length album entitled Clinging To A Scheme in March via Labrador. It's been four years since Pet Grief, which peaked at #11 on the Swedish charts and garnered the band a devout worldwide following, and it seems the time and effort the band poured into Clinging To A Scheme has paid off in spades. Brief but intoxicating opener "Domestic Scene" tangles hypnotic guitar and echoed vocals over a repetitive drum beat to stunning result. Next is the surefire hit "Heaven's On Fire" with its hazy vocals, highly danceable rhythm, and unexpected saxophone. Clinging To A Scheme perfectly marries the band's earlier pension for noise with the more dreamy aesthetic of Pet Grief and takes that marriage even further. Pulsing synthesizers mix with fuzz, ingeniously placed electronic beats, and lush, ethereal vocals. From the reggae-infused "Never Follow Suit" to the soaringly ambient "A Token Of Gratitude" to the driving early 90's indie-rock reminiscent guitars on "The Video Dept.," Clinging To A Scheme not only delivers in variety and quality but it justifies the album's long road to release. There's not a misstep to be found on this release, which easily ranks as one of the more notable of this young year. -- Capt. Obvious
The Bears Of Blue River
You Should Know
Hailing from Chicago, The Bears Of Blue River have just dropped a new EP entitled The Killer Bee Scare. Engineered and produced with friends Margot and the Nuclear So & So's, The Killer Bee Scare combines breezy indie-pop with folk sensibilities. EP opener "Crayola" builds slowly over a jangly guitar riff and simple drum beat only to crescendo into a chorus of voices. "Betty Homemaker" is a sunny little folk tune that features playful tag-team his and hers vocals. Infectious harmonies abound, and the mood in both instrumentation and lyrical themes remains light and fun. Even when Gavin Wilkinson and company implore "Don't waste your time on me!," the backing music seems all honeybees and flowers. This melodically addictive little EP seems unfit for a January release date. The Killer Bee Scare seems better suited for spring. It's the musical equivalent of a light-breeze bicycle ride on a clear, sunny day. -- Capt. Obvious
