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Sights & Sounds for the Holidays A Guide to Musical Gift Giving
By Scott Baker It is always a challenge to sum up the year’s best, hard to find music releases, whether it exists on DVD/Blu Ray or CD/Downloads. 2009 will go down as a banner year for bonus material, extended versions, and exceptional fresh material from many familiar groups. This Sights and Sounds will cover many ‘under the radar’ and vaguely touched upon national releases that etched its way into print, air waves, or catching the ears and eyes making a lasting imprint—music that is both worth hunting down and sharing. More importantly, when it comes to the holiday season and gift giving, this list will also serve as an ideal guide for those seeking out musical treats. While much of the mainstream will be skipped for this article, some of these hard-to-find artists poured their heart and soul into their art, as most have found independent avenues for expression. It is always important to help continue purchasing music and further advance the careers of those that entertain us. Rock music in its many forms showcased versatility in 2009, garnishing new sounds whether it was blues, folk, jam, art or straight rock, there was an emphasis on quality writing and new productions.
Starting under the radar with two women that brought fresh color to the Fall season were both Rosanne Cash and Norah Jones, each taking unique approaches and turning down a new avenue. Cash granted listeners The List (Manhattan Records), comprised of twelve songs from her father’s (Johnny Cash) big list of 100 essential country tunes that he felt were staples in the formation of her upbringing. The List is Roseanne’s first all-covers release and sparkles with a wisdom beyond her years. Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Tweedy, and Elvis Costello are also joining her on the musical bandwagon, fleshing out a brilliant production. Johnny Cash would be beyond proud. Meanwhile, Jones’ The Fall (Blue Note) is a 180° turn for her, as she blends her sultry jazz and country-ish tones into more of an epic blockbuster of music and vision. Her use of studio cats like Joey Waronker, Marc Ribot, legendary drummer James Gadson, and lyrical co-writes with Ryan Adams and Jesse Harris usher Jones onto another level in her career. The production work by Jacquire King helps lace the music with a space and a sense of urgency that she has never touched upon.
Speaking of Costello, his 2009 release Secret, Profane, & Sugarcane (Hear Music) is steeped in acoustic and earthy tones. Sharply backing away from his raw rock output of 2008’s Momofuku or his previous journey with pianist/producer Allan Toussaint, the disc is produced by T Bone Burnett (think O’Brother Where Art Thou as well as Robert Plant/Alison Kraus’ recent recording). Costello firmly keeps his place along the likes of Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan by going wherever he feels the music is. The disc is a great listen. Ben Harper and his new group the Relentless 7 showcased a new hard rocking side for the artist. While he has surely rocked out in the past, the tight performances and brilliant arrangements on White Lies For Dark Times (EMI) focused on quality songs and memorable grooves. Dinosaur Jr.—an ‘80s Indy favorite hasn’t sounded better with the late summer release of Farm (Jagjaguwar). Gritty, fun, spatially produced by lead vocalist/guitarist J Mascis with help from John Agnello, Farm trumps anything they have done in the past and is the fifth release from the original lineup. Bassist Lou Barlow contributes a pair of great tunes along side Mascis’ output. Farm comes close to CD of the year from this writer. Bob Mould also returned this year with Life And Times (Anti-) and a kick in the pants for those that appreciated his first two solo releases post-Husker Du. Mould went to work purposely to create stories that were crafted into the moment. He has again produced another classic and his tasty guitar playing also remains unique and insisting. Son Volt fans rejoice once again with American Central Dust (Rounder). Backing away from the horns of their previous release (2007’s The Search), American Central is brimming with classic acoustic/electric Americana, harkening back to their days of Trace and Wide Swing Tremolo. Lead vocalist Jay Farrar and company kicked off their tour in Michigan at Rothbury and it was apparent immediately that the new material was in tune with his classics. The band debuted much of it that day before the late July release and many of the songs will remain staples with fans for years to come. Another Americana standout would be Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone (Anti-), brimming with a new cache of tunes that bring her into a new light. Less reverb on her powerful vocals is the first ear-turner, as Case stakes a claim in crafty songwriting with catchy grooves. Not the same sound, but still a strong focus on great writing. Gravitating towards a higher power nowadays, Mike Farris released Shout Live! Featuring the McCrary Sisters (ino Records) in April. The former vocalist for the Screaming Cheetah Wheelies has continued to find a grasp on rocking the gospel and vocally, it doesn’t get much better. His live shows still rival those of rock legend and his voice has only gotten better over the years…Shout Live! is a great rocking album for everyone. Robin Trower’s What Lies Beneath (V-12 Records) is a substantial mark for a guitarist whose career already has labeled him as a legend. Every bit as strong as anything he has done in the ‘70s, the eleven-song opus is brimming with quality music and workmanship, inspiring his music like never before. His performance back in June at The Prime in Bay City lightly touched upon his new songs. The disc is a must for guitar fans and newcomers alike. Phish’s new Joy (Rubber Jungle Records) could get an album of the year mark from this writer. An early fall release, Joy has to be a highlight for a newly energized group, offering a sense of urgency and immediacy like none other of their studio output. The first release since reuniting in early 2009, there is a new momentum for this legendary live band. You can hear it in the music—family, friends, and reminiscent epic storytelling doesn’t get much better than how they have summed it up here. Having kicked off their fall tour in Detroit at Cobo on Nov. 11, Joy infiltrates the band’s sets. Ratdog guitarist Mark Karan slipped in a solo CD this year, Walk Through The Fire (Dig Music), casting out stories of his bout with cancer and overtures that strongly appeal to the story-telling nature of his music. Fans of his time with Grateful Dead guitarist Bobby Weir can take notice that Karan’s use of Jerry Garcia-esque tone will be able to take pride with this CD. The strength of the release can be heard occasionally on Sirius XM’s Grateful Dead channel and profits from his song ‘Walk Through The Fire’ will be donated to the Oral Cancer Foundation. This CD is hard to take out of the player! Two veterans have released very-uncharacteristically heavy sounding albums this fall. The first is English blues giant John Mayall. Tough (Eagle Rock) is the title of the heavy weight CD and it features an all-new band for the blues legend. The sounds are pumping and penetrating, unlike anything Mayall has produced before in his 56 previous studio releases. While it remains blues rock, Mayall has taken the opposite approach of going back to the roots and bolstered a meat and potatoes sound that make for a great party record. Guitarist Ricky Athas and especially bassist Greg Rzab pump the groove like a Larry McCray record--a nice turn of events overall for the 76 year old musician. Lynyrd Skynyrd also has dropped their classic sounding approach in favor of a new rocking sound. God & Guns crunches like a modern hard rock album (Kid Rock?) and should have broad appeal for new fans of the group. Concise songwriting and hints of their classic tones haunt the album, allowing it to breath in a familiar vein. Lost are the long jams and spacious rootsy sounds (which is a bit of a shame!). It’s an interesting turn of the production for the legendary band. Jazz fans rejoice. A few standout releases this year slipped out while everyone was waiting for more re-issued of classic material. Guitarist John Scofield unleashed Piety Street (Emarcy), taking his vision and tone down to New Orleans for a run with bassist George Porter, Jr., drummer Ricky Fataar, keyboardist/vocalist Jon Cleary, and vocalist John Boutte. The origins of the material Sco headed for has a southern gospel tinge to it. Produced by Sco and Mark Bingham, the disc is a joyful, relentless ride to another side of the Scofield psyche. The Branford Marsalis Quartet returns with Metamorphosen (Marsalis Music). The release clearly continues a path that sax man Marsalis has taken as of late, winding down a more John Coltrane-ish compositional road. A stab at Rhythm-a-Ning (by Thelonius Monk)makes for nice adhesive come mid-album, brandishing solos from another land. Drummer Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts drives this disc along beautifully. Medeski Martin Wood (MMW) has gone all-out Indy once again, finding themselves on their own record label, much like Marsalis. This time they have taken huge steps in releasing their first box set, Radiolarians—The Evolutionary Set (Indirecto Records). The three CD series (Radiolarians I, II, III) comes combined with bonus tracks, a ten-track CD of remixed music, a previously unreleased 70 minute live album, a double vinyl LP set, and a DVD entitled ‘Fly In A Bottle,’ directed by drummer Billy Martin. Ready for release for the holiday season, this is a pure treat for fans of MMW and the group’s history. A sneak listen to the release showcases the brilliance of the acoustic, electric and space of MMW’s history as well as supply a bold asterisk in the history of music. Jazz fans, jam fans, and music lovers can’t go wrong with this release. In the video realm, Blu Ray/DVD releases from Rick Wakeman, Deep Purple, ZZ Top, and Van Morrison take some spots in the player this fall. Former Yes keyboardist Wakeman’s The Sixth Wives of Henry VIII (Eagle Rock) brought his epic concept album from the ‘70s alive this past May. Live at Hampton Court Palace is a visual and spatial mix on Blu Ray, brining to life a much forgotten release from over 30 years ago. Deep Purple unveiled History, Hits,& Highlights—1968-76 (Eagle Rock), a two-DVD set. From the early club days through Ian Gillan’s initial imprint in the group, following through the Tommy Bolin/David Coverdale era of Purple, this retrospective is a great glimpse into the beginnings of one of the finest rock bands to ever record. In Rock, Fireball, Machine Head are all covered well and the journey into Stormbringer/Come Taste The Band era-Purple, make for enticing entertainment. Not to mention some brilliant music. ZZ Top’s Double Down Live (Eagle Rock) two-DVD set includes a smokin’ gig filmed in 1980 as the ‘then’ portion and a show from 2008 subtitled ‘almost now,’ which updates fans with the most recent tour footage. An undeniable force in music, the trio has never changed members and is equally intense now as they were then. A great gift for the ZZ Top fanatics! Van Morrison fans can rejoice at Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl (Listen To The Lion Films)—a terrific visual capturing Morrison vamping on his debut CD. The band sounds mixed incredibly well and Morrison is entertaining to watch as he leads the group through what some consider his finest moment of impromptu—Astral Weeks. And now for something completely different--Monty Python have surfaced once again. The English comedy genius that has set the pace for comedians over the last 40 year’s, celebrates their anniversary in style with Almost The Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut) (Eagle Rock). The six-part documentary over three DVD’s or two Blu Ray’s, comes complete with new interviews, bonus footage, and outtakes from pre-Python, the ‘Flying Circus,’ all the movies, and Hollywood Bowl as well. Produced in conjunction with the Independent Film Channel, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, with archival footage from the late Graham Chapman, go deep into their history to discuss their unique legend. Commentary is included from the likes of Dan Aykroyd, Tim Roth, Eddie Izzard and many others. This is a must for Python completists and fans of sketch comedy. |
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