The first thing that you notice about the new John Vanderslice album, Romanian Names (Dead Oceans), is the sound. The album has a definite sonic quality that is akin to some of the greatest albums of the 1970’s, album’s like Rumours, or David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy. There’s no doubt that this achievement is the result of the completely analog technology in Tiny Telephone, the San Francisco studio that Vanderslice founded with producer Scott Solter.
The recording process was a little different this time, though. These songs started life as piano or guitar/vocal demos recorded in a little basement studio that Vanderslice built for himself. There they got time to breathe, change, grow, and even be thrown out. Only after that process did the recording move on to Tiny Telephone, and the resulting album is a leap forward for Vanderslice. If all the planets are in alignment, this should be the album that gives him the recognition that he deserves. This time out he has blended appealing melodies with lyrical content that is less dense and narrative driven than on previous efforts, and provided the songs with interesting and atmospheric arrangements.
Romanian Names opens with “Tremble and Tear,” which will immediately put you in mind of Bon Iver. There’s something about that harmonized falsetto that gives the song a comparable sense of loneliness, despite the fact that the lyrics here look forward to the arrival of “the one that’s gonna do it to me.” The thudding, bass driven “Forest Knolls,” and the dark tones of “Summer Stock” provide the album’s most interesting arrangements. (more…)
It’s no secret that tribute albums and charity compilations can be hit-or-miss affairs at best. In the case of the latter, all you can really do is be happy that you’re supporting a good cause, and hope that the music is more hit than miss. Two important charity albums have recently appeared, and when I say important, I don’t just mean for the causes they’re helping, but also for the virtual who’s who of contemporary indie artists that has contributed tracks to them. If you could somehow assemble all of the buzz that these artists have collected, you could light the universe. In other words, to the naked eye, it’s a music blogger’s dream.
The Red Hot Organization has been using pop culture to fight the good fight against AIDS since 1989. They have released 14 albums together with related television shows and media events, and have raised $7 million to date. Their most recent project is called Dark Was the Night (4AD Records). It’s an enormous 30-song effort that has been curated by brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner of the National. In addition to a track from the National, contributors include Bon Iver, The Decemberists, Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear, Andrew Bird, Feist, and a host of others.
Let me say right up front that apparently Bon Iver can do no wrong. From Justin Vernon’s nearly perfect debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago, to his recently released Blood Bank EP, and now, this album’s best track “Brackett, WI,” there have been few, if any, missteps. Vernon is also involved here in an intriguing collaboration with Aaron Dessner called “Big Red Machine.”
Sufjan Stevens’ contribution, “You Are the Blood,” reminds me that it’s been too long since we’ve had new music from him. Antony and Bryce Dessner duet on a beautiful version of the traditional “I Was Young When I Left Home.” Yes, Feist is here, combining with Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie on “Train Song,” and with Grizzly Bear on “Service Bell.” (more…)
Presidential campaigns, like marketing campaigns, have to have a sellable theme. Something that sounds snappy and connects with voters/consumers so they will act (i.e., vote for a candidate or buy a certain product). Whether it was Ronald Reagan’s “Morning in America,” or Bill Clinton’s “Hope” campaign, or even George W. Bush’s “Trust” campaign (in which he proclaims his trust for people over the government), they are all selling something.
This year the theme is “Change.” Hillary wants change, Obama wants change, Huckabee wants change, McCain wants change. They all say they want to govern differently than the current administration – something that the Bush administration seems okay with, as long as Republican candidates don’t criticize him too pointedly.
Campaign themes appeal to our emotional desires. They sell the sizzle, and it’s our job to fill in the blanks for which kind of steak we want. But what if the “change” we crave has consequences that are more nightmarish than the status quo? (more…)
The first thing that you notice about the new John Vanderslice album, Romanian Names (Dead Oceans), is the sound. The album has a definite sonic quality that is akin to some of the greatest albums of the 1970’s, album’s like Rumours, or David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy. There’s no doubt that this achievement is the result of the completely analog technology in Tiny Telephone, the San Francisco studio that Vanderslice founded with producer Scott Solter.
Presidential campaigns, like marketing campaigns, have to have a sellable theme. Something that sounds snappy and connects with voters/consumers so they will act (i.e., vote for a candidate or buy a certain product). Whether it was Ronald Reagan’s 