Archive | April, 2011

New Band Palace: October’s Road by Balto

4 Apr

Boy do I have a Monday treat for you readers. Today’s musical delicacy comes from the journey of Daniel Sheron and his experiences in Siberia. Inspiration can come from anywhere. Sheron’s came from the backdrop of snow-covered railways and benighted cities. His music tells the stories of those he encountered in Siberia and the changing scenery that composes the country. It is, as he describes, Trans-Siberian Americana, an original genre that combines traditional harmonies withpassionate lyric. With Fleet Foxes-esque harmonies and the folk prowess of a troubadour, Sheron and his band, Balto, put an American spin on the Siberian experience.

As the band’s page on Bandcamp.com states, “On December 15, 2010, six people entered a basement in Brooklyn, New York and emerged that night with an album that no one had expected. October’s Road.” And, like the Siberian Husky sled dog that the band is named after, Sheron and his band lead listeners through a triumphant first album, woven with melodic instrumentation, apt lyrics and smooth vocals.

I will profile the first song on the album which is available for free on (http://balto.bandcamp.com/album/octobers-road). The entire album is only $4 and is totally worth the money if you are a fan of Americana/Folk (with a Siberian twist). The opening track is a wonderful example of the concoction that Balto effortlessly creates.

The beginning harmony is inviting and cozy. The vocal seeps into strings and then Sheron’s vocal which is sweet and genuine. It is a perfect folk voice. “The Railyard” moves strongly with the backing guitar and other strings. At around 1:40, the harmony is rich and beautiful. The song is five minutes long, but it feels much shorter than that (which is a great thing).

Check out the rest of Balto’s debut album by following the link to their Bandcamp above. You can also visit them on Facebook at facebook.com/baltoamerica or an twitter at @BaltoOnTheRails.

The band is New York based and their next shows will be on April 5th at Arlene’s Grocery and April 10th at Rockwood.

1967 Best Album March Madness – The Final Four

2 Apr

We have made it to our own final four. I wish I could say that we have a VCU and Butler in our distinguished four, but, the tournament has not seen many upsets. While many great albums were released in 1967, only a few were extraordinary, and of those we have our final four. Voting ends on April 8 and then we will have our two. Will the #1 seed and #2 seed remain or will we see a disturbance in the chalk.

#1 seed: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles vs. #5 seed: Disraeli Gears by The Cream

The #1 seed Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band continues to move on in our voting. In the elite eight it beat Dylan‘s John Wesley Harding by nine votes. But, will it be able to get past the #5 seed (highest left in the tournament) which is coming off the heels of upsetting Magical Mystery Tour. Do I smell a little revenge from the Beatles for the last match? Voting time.

 

 

 

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#2 seed: The Doors by the Doors vs. #3 seed: Are You Experienced by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

The battle of the #2 and #3 seed. A classic match of awesome albums. We have the Doors eponymous first album first. The album wrecked Surrealistic Pillow, ending Jefferson Airplane’s chances of a Cinderella run. Are You Experienced did the same with Strange Days, also by the Doors. Another potential revenge battle.

Here we go…Vote for your favorites

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The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck – Track Reviews

1 Apr

An album featuring multi-faceted music that explores the elaborate construction of lyric and sound and makes the complex sound simple, melancholic, and eerily sweet. That is my one sentence review of the new Mountain Goats‘ release All Eternals Deck, which dropped two days ago. When I went to pick up the album at Barnes and Nobles, the salesman asked me how are the Mountain Goats. I have wrote so many gushing reviews of the band on this blog, that I attempted to prevent myself from overwhelming him. I told him, if you like great lyric, passion and folk, then you will enjoy John Darnielle and the Mountain Goats. All Eternals Deck is a classic recent Mountain Goats album mixed with some more complex instrumentation, vocalization and skill. Darnielle’s studio work has morphed to match his elaborate lexicon and syntax. I cannot keep my review to one sentence. So, instead, I am going to profile the music and lyric of some of my favorite songs on the album. Enjoy and go listen to the new album, NOW!

Music: The album opens with “Damn These Vampires,” a track that moves like a typical Mountain Goats release. The song is led by Darnielle’s voice. It features short chords from both the keyboard and acoustic, as well as a defined bass guitar that adds a deep element to the song. The best display of musicality in this song comes during the chorus, where the guitar and keyboard follow Darnielle’s progression with supporting notes. You can feel the band’s presence in this moment.

Lyrics: Darnielle often has small gems in his songs, lines that blend in and taste good. In “Damn These Vampires,” Darnielle sings, “Saphire trans-am, highbeams in vain. Drive wild broncos, down the plain.” His lyric paints pictures, and this advanced imagery proves his literary prowess.

Music: “High Hawk Season” is unconventional for the Mountain Goats. Darnielle adds this gloomy barbershop quartet sound that carries the song beautifully. The call-back with the line “rise if your sleeping stay awake” is spine-tingling. The song is carried by Darnielle’s acoustic and the backing vocals

Lyric: “Spray our dreams on any surface where the paint will stick, Try to time the rhythm, listen for the click.” The lyric is as saturnine as the dark backing vocals. This is where Darnielle seems most comfortable.

Music: “For Charles Bronson” is being quickly touted as the song’s best album. I can understand the praise. While it may not be my favorite – which is reserved for the two above – this song has the classic Mountain Goats charm. It is led by Darnielle’s great voice, a solid chord progression and a solid drum beat. The haunting keyboard is a great addition.

Lyric: I just want to leave you with the last verse/chorus of the song profiling Charles Bronson.

“Let the frame find you when the cameraman’s ready
Work until I drop drift from place to place
Ehrenfeld, Pennsylvania, scratched into my face
Set your sights on good fortune, concentrate
Pull back the hammer, try to hold the gun straight
Try to hold the gun straight”

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