ON ROTATOIN

FINNEAS, Blood Harmony

   Song: I Don't Miss You At All

The Dead South, Sugar & Joy

   Song: Diamond Ring

ON ROTATION

Andrew Bird, Break It Yourself
I have been an admirer and fan of Andrew Bird for years. With each new release, Bird, a mult-instrumentalist who is classically trained, mesmerizes with his intricately built songs and music. Layering violins, guitars, whistles, and vocals, Bird creates wonderful and whimsical symphonic landscapes that cross musical boundaries to create his own unique space. Sometimes, I admire Bird from afar, appreciating what he is creating, but not quite able to get 100% behind what he is doing. Other times, like with his latest release, Break It Yourself, Bird captivates me, and I can only sit back and  give him my undivided attention. I just love this release and think that it is one of his best albums to date.  
                                                        Danse Caribe  

Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leaving Eden

How does a band top a Grammy award winning album (Genuine Negro Jig) that was a darling of critics and listeners alike? For the Carolina Chocolate Drops, they continue to do what they have been doing so well since 2005, which is paying and playing their respects to old time string music. On their latest release, Leaving Eden, the band once again shines with a new collection of original and cover songs. While there is quite a bit that I can say about the new album, I  thought that I would let the band's Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons do the talking. Here is a great interview they did with NPR's Scott Simon last week.
Country Girl   

Bowerbirds, The Clearing
I know that Bowerbirds are technically categorized as a folk band. But on their latest release, The Clearing, the duo of Philip Moore and Beth Tacular have moved their music beyond a plain where it can be easily categorized.....and this is a great thing. Always wonderful storytellers, Moore and Tacular embrace bigger and more adventurous arrangements on The Clearing which not only enhances their songs, but helps bring a new level of narration to their stories. I had read that The Clearing reflects the best and most important moments of Moore and Tacular's lives after some significant challenges. Listening to it, you can feel and sense their journey to reach these moments and it makes for an absorbing listening experience.
                                                        Tuck The Darkness In  

White Rabbits, Milk Famous
White Rabbit's last album, It's Frightening, was one of the more memorable releases of 2009. Produced by Spoon's Britt Daniel, it was a heavy percussion ladened effort that paid dividends for the development of the band's sound. Back with Milk Famous, White Rabbits does not so much dial back on the percussions, as they take what the learned on their last effort, and use it to color and texture this new collection of songs. It makes for a more subtle usage of percussions, resulting in music that feels more relaxed and sophisticated. I think that Milk Famous is a great follow up album and I am glad that the band did not try to repeat what they did on It's Frightening.
                                                       Heavy Metal 

ON ROTATION

Fink, Perfect Darkness
Perfect Darkness, a mostly acoustic endeavor, is filled with perfectly dark, moody, sparse, and tension filled songs. This may not sound like a recipe for a satisfying listen, but it is and then some. As a singer, songwriter, DJ, producer, and guitarist, Fin Greenall, the driving force behind Fink, is a serious minded guy who uses a less is more approach to allow this collection of songs to breath. This approach, coupled with crisp production, allows you to hear every little sound created on each song. This add some great texture to these songs which plays nicely against Fink's subtle vocals and dark lyrics. Fink has a winning recipe with Perfect Darkness.
Warm Shadow   

Gillian Welch, The Harrow & The Harvest
I have been a big fan of Gillian Welch since she first arrived on the folk music scene back in 1996 with her debut album Revival. Now, after an Eight year hiatus, since the release of her last album, Welch and her long time musical collaborator, David Rawlings are back with The Harrow & The Harvest. What I have always loved about Welch is her ability to reach back in time, grab onto the wonderful folk, bluegrass, and country music that is such an important part of our country's musical heritage, and bring it back to us in her own voice. This collection of original songs is exceptional and I would ask Welch to take another eight years off if it is going to produce another magnificent album like The Harrow & The Harvest (but really I want more now!).
                                                        The Way It Goes  

Sounding Out: Dinner Belles

A few years back, a group of musicians were brought together by a mutual friend to play music and hopefully form a new band. As they began playing together, they quickly discovered a special dynamic developing within the group. Over time, informal jam sessions became regular Wednesday night practices, and eventually, the Dinner Belles were born.

I first discovered the Dinner Belles when I saw them on Blogotheque. There was something immediately familiar to me about the band and I was captivated by their performances. As someone who has a lot of family and friends that sing and play instruments, impromptu music jams inevitably break out when folks get together. Watching the Belles, I just felt at home in some way.

Given that the band has not released any albums or singles, exploring their music became particularly problematic. So, I tracked down two of the Belle’s members in Hamilton, Ontario, where the band is based.

Terra Lightfoot and Brad Germain are two of the seven members of the Dinner Belles. Talking to them both was a real treat for me, and not surprisingly, their openness and attitude seemed exactly like what I would have expected, based on seeing their video performances.

I told Terra and Brad that my sense from watching the videos was that the band is a very collaborative group and their interaction was almost family-like. I asked them if this was true. Terra and Brad said that this was absolutely the case.

“It seems really funny, but we are an extended family now......We all have great vibes and great love for each other,” Terra said. “I think the reason for this is because we sing together. And that might sound crazy, but it always makes everyone of us feel amazing whenever we get together. Whenever one of us is having a bad day, we send text messages to one another and say let’s get together and play some music tonight. It is really nice to be in a band like that.“

I asked if this ‘togetherness’ has to do with the personalities of the people in the band or is there just a different sense of community within this group? “Singing together brings us to a different place,” Terra said. Brad added that music and family are both important to all of them and that is how they approach their time together. “In this band everyone has the same voice, which is really nice. I think that it has helped us all as players and musicians in learning how to listen to what other people are doing and not try to cover things with noise all the time.”

I asked them, if everyone has the same voice, was their any anyone person who acts as a kind of ringleader for the band?

Both said that there was no head of the band who controls or dictates the pace or what is to come out of it. “It is a very democratic process,” Terra said. Brad agreed. “Everyone has a say in this band. We meet each challenge as a group…and the same thing goes with the song writing.”

I told them that I found it amazing that songwriting and managing a band could be so democratic considering that there were seven of them. Could the Dinner Belles be that successful working together like this when there are so many personalities and ideas?

“It has been surprisingly easy,” Brad said. “I think that part of it has to do with the personalities of everyone in the band. There’s not that alpha male or person who wants to run the whole thing. That is what makes it so easy for all of us.”

Terra added that the band never really had a songwriting formula that required someone to take a lead role. “There is no form to the band….and it works in different ways for us ever time we write a song. No two ways are the same.”  They said that sometimes people break into small groups to write and create, sometimes individuals bring ideas or songs to the group, and sometimes songs develop from just casual jamming together.

“Everybody feels comfortable bringing something to the group,” Brad Said.  “No one feels that their ideas are going to be brushed aside or be made to feel that their ideas are less important than someone else. It is a tough thing to find in a band…it is a rarity and we all recognize that. I think that it is a really healthy way to run a band. And I think that it is a really great way to BE a band.”

They also agreed that there is no pressure that they put on themselves, which is important to them all. “When you don’t put a whole bunch of pressure on yourselves,” Brad said, “it just comes as it comes and it makes for a far more enjoyable experience.” But, he said it helps that they are slow workers. “If we had to come to every practice or get-together and learn seven new songs, that might be taxing and frustrating, but we work at such a slow pace, it makes it easier to be democratic,” he said laughing.

Given their seemingly casual approach, I asked them if there have been changes in terms of aspirations and goals that they have for the band over time?

“I don’t know if it has changed,” Terra said. “I think that we are a ‘go with the flow’ group as much as possible, whenever we can.”  Brad then said that they are all musicians who have other projects and take their craft very seriously, but he said that this band occupies a different space for everyone musically. Terra added, “We are not trying to do anything huge with this project, but if it happens, that would be great. Let it be what it is going to be.”

Mississippi River Gambler   

I told them that something was happening in terms of visibility and interest as a result of the Blogotheque videos. I asked them if the attention that the Dinner Belles are receiving is perhaps having them evaluate things differently now?

Terra started off by saying that they have been surprised by the attention. “We really didn’t expect the kind of response that we got.” They said that a lot of people who have reached out have done so wanting to know more about the band and their music. This has been very exciting and humbling. As a result, they have realized that having more music available for people is something that they want to do. Now the band is set to release their first album in June.

Terra and Brad said that The Dinner Belles are looking forward to releasing their album, but they don’t really think that there will be a big change to the way the band approaches things going forward. Brad said, “everyone wants to have music be their career and their way to make their bread, but when you start to get into music for money it seems like you sometimes have to compromise the things that you want to do and you have to make decisions that are business based and not music based, and that is one thing that we have been conscious of. We just want to do things the way that we want to do things and that is really it. If we can make some money along the way, great.” Terra added, “I think the kind of success that we are interested in is a different kind. It is not mainstream success. I think we want to be as self sufficient as possible and still be able to reach the market that might want to hear us.” I appreciated their perspective. 

I asked them, if they would be hitting the road and touring in support of the album and trying to grow their base of listeners. They said that the band is not necessarily going to be touring around the country. Besides coordinating seven members and their families, traveling with everyone and their equipment across long distances is really more than they feel they can take on right now. Terra added, "this may just be a band that plays live locally and enjoys the time playing together...and in terms of being accessible to other people, it may just be a band that lives online."

I told them that I understood the reasons for not touring, but that it was really too bad that this would not be the case. The Dinner Belles' live playing is what has drawn people to them and it is what I think makes their music so special.  Brad said that he appreciated what I was saying. He thought that maybe the reason why the band has been able to make connections with people is because they can see themselves sitting down with the band to play music.

Playing In The Barn

Terra said that their live performances are meant to be a family affair. This is even the case when they are practicing. “The barn, where we practice during the summer, is on a farm that is owned by the Harleys…..We love going there to play. We will go there on Sundays and play all day long. And it really has become a big family affair where friends and family come over and and hang out and barbecue while we practice. It creates a really neat sense of community.” She then said that the Dinner Belles strive to have this same sense of community when they play their shows live. “We all love playing live and when we perform, our shows are meant to just be a big party and everyone’s invited!”

Terra and Brad said that in the end, they all just want to create and play music with their friends. And in doing so Terra said, "we hope to make our little community a little bit bigger." I think that the Dinner Belles are on to something here.

Sounding Out: Jonathan Byrd

I loved reading Jonathan Byrd’s bio. Open, honest, and descriptive, Byrd left no personal rock unturned. Upon finishing my read, I wondered whether Byrd was really such an open book about his life and music. Turns out after talking with Byrd, that he would not know how to close his book if he tried…and that is a good thing. It is what makes his music so good.

“I was nineteen when I went into the Navy. I took almost a year off after high school, and just worked at a grocery store and messed around town. And then went in. At that point I hated school. I realized that I was not a school guy. I knew I wanted to do something…and I sure didn’t want to go to college.“

I asked Byrd why the Navy. He told me that he had live in Europe with his family for a time when he was younger. His dad had been a preacher at a church in West Germany at the time. He said, “I wanted to go back overseas somewhere as an adult under my own auspices and explore the world a little bit. And the services allowed me to do all of that. It wasn’t really my place. The military is not really into creative people that much. But it was a cool extreme testing experience for me.” Ultimately he said, “I needed to see the world and live a life so that I could write the songs that I write.”

The Ballad of Larry   

Later in our conversation, Byrd talked openly about his childhood, his dad’s alcoholism and the empty relationship that he and his father shared. “We lived in the same house, but I did not really have a relationship with him. But he didn’t have a good relationship with his own dad, and he never learned how to have a good relationship with his son. He was 57 when he died. So we ran out of time.” Byrd said that his dad never got old enough to need him. “I think that I would have learned a lot more about him if I ever had to take care of him,” Byrd said. “We got to know each other a little bit and have some better times together towards the end of his life. That was what inspired my song Father’s Day. That day was the last time that I saw him. It was a blessing to me to have that final memory of him be so positive.”

Father's Day   

Byrd did not write the songs that he now writes when he got out of the Navy. Those songs would not come for many years. “Everyday I played my guitar regardless of what I was doing, but I didn’t even know how to do it for a living…I really did not know what my focus would be if I DID do it and I did not have a direction for it….it just wasn’t something that I thought about until I was 28 or 29.”

The turning point for Byrd came when he went back home to North Carolina. He said, “I discovered, very slowly, this really great scene of acoustic music. There is a lot of bluegrass here. And around where I live, there is a lot of old time, which is pre-bluegrass string band music.”  The scene that he discovered he went on to say, “was a bunch of folks that were really into old time, had all the old records, and learned the old tunes…and they got together on the weekends and at festivals and just had a good time playing this music.”

This Byrd said, was the turning point. “There are people who have really good tone and technique. And they can make records that are interesting to listen to. But really, the thing is to be there with everybody playing. That’s the deal. I find the same is true with Irish music. I listen to Irish music on recordings. Most of the music is really polished and perfected, but the thing to do is to go over there and sit in a pub with 12 people playing these tunes….i think that it is amazing and so magical that way….it is so much more than what a record can be.”

So Byrd sat in the circles and played. And quietly he began writing his own songs. And every once in a while he would throw one of his own into the circle. Byrd explained, “Jack Hardy once said, in the early 60’s before Bob Dylan came along and really changed everything for song writers, the thing to do was to play a bunch of old folk songs, slip one of your own songs in there once in a while and hope that nobody noticed. And that was kind of what I was doing….I was trying to write these songs that were so much in the genre that I would play them for people and they would say wow, where did you get that song. This got me really fired up to write more songs.” From that point on, Byrd had his musical focus and direction.

While Byrd’s first four albums mixed folk, bluegrass, and country music, Cackalack, Byrd’s latest album, takes him back to those music sessions that first inspired him. I told Byrd that in listening to his new album, there is a different kind of energy to it from his prior recordings. He said that he wanted to make an album about North Carolina and its music. “I wanted to get everyone in a room, around some mikes, and play this music, and get that feeling of everybody having a good time in playing music together.”

Chicken Wire   


Byrd is a wonderful songwriter. And I find the songs that hit closest to his heart are among his best. I asked Byrd about his approach to his song writing. He said that he processes things on a subconscious level.

“I am not a conceptual writer. What I mean by that is…..the guy in Nashville will say I have a title for a song…something with a clever twist in it….then they create a story to fit around the title, then they create some music that feels right for the song and they work their way from a conceptual place into a place that has some kind of feeling.  I really go the other way. I am a musician first, a guitar play first really. So when I am writing, I’m usually practicing my guitar and I stumble upon something that sounds good to me…..it starts with a feeling, which is what music is, its just a pure emotion, its all heart.” Byrd continued, “But eventually in the process some words will jump out of me, maybe remind me of someone that I use to know or a story that I heard or whatever has been in the back of my mind processing.”

At the age of 40, Byrd is the musician that he wants to be, writing the songs that he wants to write. Byrd says that he is glad for these past ten years. He said that it took a long time to figure out who he was. “I think that my dad did not know who he was…and I think that he passed that on to me a little bit. It took me until I was almost 30 before I started playing music for a living even though I was playing music every single day of my life since I was 14. It is just good to now know who I am and have spent ten years doing something that I enjoy doing and just figure my own head out.” Byrd has definitely figured out his own head and it comes across in every song that he writes and plays.

Jonathan hits the road in support of his new album in February. If you can, try to catch his show if he is in your neck of he woods. 

ON ROTATION

Abigail Washburn, City Of Refuge
Abigail Washburn's fascination with the banjo and old time music and love of China and Chinese culture has produced some wonderfully rich and unique music over the past ten years. On her new album, Washburn's clawhammer banjo playing is still present in all of its glory, but the songs are more pop and less folk oriented than what she has produced in the past. When one hears an album like this, we should be thankful that Washburn picked up the banjo instead of going to law school.
City of Refuge   

Tape 'n Tapes, Outside

I will admit that I did not know much about Tape 'n Tapes before listening to their sophomore album. I do know that this band from Minneapolis has crafted an album with one fun filled song after another. With influences that range from the Pixies to the Talking Heads, Tape 'n Tapes has produced one heck of an album that I have been thoroughly enjoying.
One In The World   

Duran Duran, All You Need Is Now
The 13th studio album by Duran Duran is a welcomed return to the sound and style of their early years....and a fun listen. The songs on this albums are catchy, pop morsels, and all the elements that made Rio and The Reflex such great albums are here; John Taylor's cool, funky, and loose base lines, Simon Le Bon's powerful voice, Nick Rhode's synthisizing (I do realize that this is not a real word), and choruses that are as over the top and indulgent as ever. The band has not sounded this good in years.

Safe (In The Heat Of The Moment)