I really wish there were more lights to illuminate Sales a little better.
If I were ever to become famous, I think I’d be like Sales. They played to a riled crowd at the Echo in LA last Tuesday, and couldn’t disguise how grateful they were for all the support.
As much as I love looking for the newest, craziest fad in music, I have an appreciation for tradition. The tradition to which I am referring is Americana, as it was basically invented in the Appalachian Mountains. (I learned that from a Belgian movie, I’m a terrible American.) There is something irresistible in the familiar chords, rhythms, and above all, simplicity. Jay Brown is a self-proclaimed one man band, though he’s not a street performer; instead he belongs in coffeeshops and intimate theaters, creating his ageless folk melodies.
Jay Brown is a humble musician. His latest album, Beginner Mind, is a look into his personal life and beliefs. Clearly a family man, the first sound you hear upon putting the record on is a baby’s laugh, an ode to his new daughter no doubt. The song that follows, “New Lovin’ Mother,” is actually my favorite, with its Simon-and-Garfunkel-like feel to it, sung directly to his newborn. Brown’s single, “Get Your Fill of Feelin’ Hungry,” was written about his time as a youth living alone with his (singular) cup and bowl. Though this track is clearly retrospective, he is giving advice, to himself sure, but also to his daughter. Creating new life makes one reflect on his or her own experiences, and I’m sure we all can think of things we would have done differently. The thing is, I’m not sure Brown necessarily agrees; “Get Your Fill of Feelin’ Hungry” serves more as a note of carpe diem- take things as they come, live simply, and appreciate life.
Jay Brown plays in many other bands, but his self-duplication has its advantages. Many artists these days are adept at personally creating all the sounds that went into their record, like Beck did for his recent Grammy triumph, Morning Phase. This is essentially what Brown means when he says he is a one man band, but when he performs live he really does have a harmonica around his neck and a tambourine under his toes. Impressive sounds can come from the most unlikely setups.
If you dig folk or roots music, there is very little chance that you won’t enjoy Beginner Mind. Unless of course you’re a sensitive conservative. I appreciate songs that have hidden political digs, or in Jay Brown’s case, not hidden at all. (Thom Yorke simply dedicated “Atoms for Peace” to Sarah Palin, he didn’t name the song after her.) As you can probably tell from the title, “Fox News (Help Me Jesus),” does not sing praises of the infamous program, Fox and Friends. How serendipitous that I should find this track now, after the nonsense Fox spouted off about Muslims in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo tragedy. At least we can laugh along with this song.
Traditional folk music is a fundamental piece of America’s cultural tapestry. It has a history that is rich yet incomplete. Thanks to folks like Jay Brown, there is no danger of this genre ever disappearing. “I’m carrying on this ancient tradition of putting life into music and music into life,” Brown says. Unapologetically so.
Beginner Mind is out now. Find more information on Jay Brown and his one man band on his website.
I can’t say I’ve ever worshipped the highway, nor at one, but these are the types of hymns I can support. Introducing the Massachusetts-based garage rockers, New Highway Hymnal and their debut LP, The Reverb Room.
If the title of this album is a double entendre, I don’t know what the second meaning could be; the denotation, though, is vivid. The reverb feels turned up to the max on every instrument, including most notably the vocals. At some point, the album simply becomes a cacophony of sound, but it is organized chaos, creating many hues of harmonies and dissonance. This is unabashed and fearless garage rock, so if you’re into that, The Reverb Room deserves your attention.
The Reverb Room is out now. For more information on The New Highway Hymnal, visit their Facebook, Twitter, tumblr, and Bandcamp.
Mermaid in China is four guys from Portland layering dreampop melodies with a diverse range of influences. Their self-titled debut demonstrates the breadth of their talent, from cheery pop ballads to melodramatic underwater sequences.
As a whole, the EP is extremely fun, but it does not exhaust. The opening track, the first song we hear from Mermaid in China, is “The Vast Divide,” catches you with that initial hook, and demands you dance for the following entrancing five minutes. The next song though is duller, in the sense that it is not bound by falsetto dance rhythms. Aptly, it’s titled “Gentle,” as it feels like a deep breath after having a sugar high. I cannot stress enough how catchy each song can be though; Mermaid in China can go from mellow indie rock to bubblegum pop. Then “The Average Man” once again resets any expectations you have been calculating in the back of your head. Lo-fi shoegaze electro wave… though so many words can describe this music, none do it justice. Give it a listen, form your own opinion, use your own words.
Mermaid in China’s debut self-titled EP is out now. Visit them on their website, Facebook, and Twitter.
Last week I heard the first new music from Florence + the Machine in what feels like decades. I really loved their debut, Lungs, and I think this upcoming release will echo the raw energy from tracks such as “Kiss with a Fist” and “I’m Not Calling You a Liar.” Coincidentally, or perhaps serendipitously, this week I also heard Beecher’s Fault with a track called “Matchstick Kings.” It reminds me very much of the energy and emotion that F+tM exudes, but with a nostalgic and bright twist.
“Matchstick Kings” reminds me immensely of “Dog Days are Over.” In both, the intros are slow and purposeful, building up to something but coming to a pause before launching into the full song. Beecher’s Fault offer Boyhood-like false memories of your childhood with cute xylophones and admission that “we are the kids that never get old.” Of course, this isn’t true; we do get old, and we become adults. We build our lives like they built little matchstick “things” but inevitably, this means that they must fall apart. But once they do, we just start over again.
Visit Beecher’s Fault on their website, Facebook, and Twitter.
The Music Court 