ON ROTATION

Brett Dennen,  Lover Boy
My whole family and I are big Brett Dennen Fans. My kids still talk about seeing him performance at a Tully's coffee shop a few years back for a KMTT Mountain Music Loung segment here in Seattle. Barefoot, full of charm, energy, enthusiasm, and optimism, Dennen and his music are infectious. Dennen's sound has continued to grow with each new album as his backing band has grown in numbers, but musically he never strays too far from what he has done so well for so long and this is just fine by me. I do like the cool '70's vibe that he has brought to many of the songs on this collection and I just love the album overall....and so will you!
Sydney (I'll Come Running)   

The Kills,  Blood Pressures
I don't get to as many live shows as I would like, but nothing was going to stop me from seeing The Kills when they arrive in Seattle next month. Alison Mosshard and Jamie Hince are touring in support of their new album Blood Pressures. This album is another winner from the duo that blew me away with their last album Midnight Boom. While it is not really fair to compare The Kills to the White Stripes I will. Like Jack and Meg White, Mosshard and Hince find a way to do more with less in fantastic ways...and that is not a bad thing. 
Satelite   

I'm From Barcelona, Forever Today

I'm From Barcelona is the biggest band in Sweden. Literally. And at 29 members, this band from Jönköping, Sweden, is also making some of the poppiest and happiest songs at home and abroad. One might think that musically, a band with so many members would be all over the place. This is not he case. The ten songs on Forever Today are so well conceived and they go together like a basket and a blanket on a summer's day picnic.

Get In Line   

Sounding Out: Diego Garcia

“There was this old beat up classical guitar that was in the pantry, next to the front door of the house where I grew up. Getting my shoes or my jacket, or whatever it was in that closet that I needed, I would always see this old, beaten up, dusty guitar and I felt attracted to it…I had a connection to it.“

Diego Garcia is a musician and artist who lives and thrives on connections. Connections to childhood memories, emotions, relationships, family heritage, and music seem to always be present with him. This past week I had a chance to talk with Diego about his beautiful new album Laura, which has just been released. What struck me about him was just how influential all of these connections have been for him, not only as an artist, but as a person.

“My mom was a guitarist until she had kids. When I was growing up, I would see these pictures of her as a teenager….This cool, hippy, beautiful Argentine girl playing the guitar back in the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s.“ Diego said that she filled the house with music.

I asked Diego how old he was when he felt inspired enough to start playing the guitar himself.

“Around thirteen, my best friend started taking guitar lessons to learn every Led Zeppelin song. I went to my mom and said that I wanted to do that too!” Because his friend was so good at soloing, Diego needed to start off playing in the complete opposite way. “I started writing real songs on the spot…I kind of by-passed all the scales.” I Laughed and told him that my 10 year old son is trying to pull a ‘Diego’ right now with not wanting to learn his scales and chords…..he just wants to get in there and play. Diego Laughed.

“Well, it’s funny. I was so frustrated. Those first lessons…..your fingers hurt! I lasted maybe two or three lessons. I remember then asking my mom ‘when do you know to change chords?’ She looked at me….and I have never seen her get mad…and she just said ‘listen.’ And so I went on and taught myself music by listening to other people, learning their songs, and digesting them. Eventually I started writing my own stuff.“

Diego, the son of Argentinian parents, was born in Detroit and grew up in Tampa, Florida. When it came time for college he headed north to Brown University where he majored in Economics. After graduation he found his way to New York City to pursue music. In New York, he helped found the band Elefant, an indie rock band that was together until 2010.

On Laura, Diego makes a complete departure from the kind of music that he wrote and played with Elefant. Hearkening back to the years when his mom played guitar in Argentina, Diego’s songs are heavily influenced by the South American Romance albums of the time. I was curious to know if this significant musical directional shift was intentional on his part or whether this was something that had been unfolding in a more organic way over time. He said that it was both. “There are two different phases to me. The inspirational part, the writing of the album, and then there is the actual arranging and recording.”

“When I started writing these songs, they were just reflections of where I was in my life at the time. It is a romance record to the fullest degree, written to get my girl back. So I had these moments of light when I was alone and heartbroken and in a dark place….and that is where the songs were born.” In this respect, Diego said that there was a very organic, let’s see where this goes approach.

But there was also a real goal to make music that sounded like him and told his story in the most unique, original way possible. “I wanted to address the love story; the girl I lost, the color of her hair. I wanted it to sound timeless. And I wanted it to address my roots. My parents are from Argentina. I was born in Detroit. I grew up in Florida. I wanted all of that to come out of these recordings.”

Separate Lives   

Separate from his writing, Diego had been talking with his friend, artist and producer Jorge Elbicht, for a number of years about doing a project together. When they met in 2005 there was an immediate connection between them. “It was clear that I wanted to make my album with him. What wasn’t clear was what the hell this album was going to sound like.“

Unlike band projects that Diego had done for many years, tackling a solo project was an entirely different process. “A band is defined by its own limitations in a way. The bass has its own personality, the guitar has its own personality…..It’s all personality based and it can be great and powerful. When it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But when it works, you get the Ramones, and it is the most amazing thing ever.”

“When you go solo and it is a studio project, it becomes more of a conceptual approach. It is even trickier in that you get 40 years of music and you are wondering, what is this record? What is the sound going to be? What is the arrangement going to be like? All of these questions were still up in the air when we started working.”

While working to figure out a direction for the album, Diego kept connecting back to the South American romance records from the 60’s and early 70’s that he had heard as a child. He decided to spend time studying as many of these records as he could find. “I think they are some of the most brilliant records ever made. They are these gems.”

Because it was so important for Diego to get this record right, he did not rush or force a time line for figuring out how make this album. He just kept playing with different versions of his songs and waited for his next connection. That connection came when he met a cellist by the name of Daniel Bensi.

”When we put the cello on my songs, suddenly it just made a lot of sense. Here was this instrument that is super emotional, it’s romantic, it’s classic, it's old, and it's European…..and my melodies were kind of saying the same things.”

With Daniel and his cello, Diego finally felt that he had a nucleus to work off of in the studio. ”We had a cello, an acoustic (guitar) and vocals, and we built off of that. And then the nylon guitar came into play and finally the bass and rhythm section came in which was inspired by those romance records.“

You Were Never There   

I asked Diego if he had considered not singing in English for any of the songs. “I want to do it so badly and I will, but it hasn’t felt natural yet. I did not want it to be a forced thing. I think in English, I write in English, I sing in English. Writing and singing in Spanish would be a whole new ballgame and I would be starting at square one."

With the album now released and receiving a lot of critical attention, I asked Diego how he is feeling about the album being embraced by so many and what comes next for him?

“I am trying to put my feelings into words. I worked on this album for so long and to let it go…it’s a beautiful thing." But, Diego said that he is trying not to get caught up in what people think because it is not in his control anymore. The next chapter for Diego and Laura is the live show. 

“There was a lot of work and focus to make this album. Hopefully we made something that is rooted in the past, but original and modern. I hope to do live what I did in the studio and that is going to take a lot of work…and that is very motivating. There is nothing more exciting to me now than the live show.” I'm sure that with his live performances he will make new connections with his music and his audience.

Diego is also looking beyond Laura. He says that as an artist and musician he is dead if he is not living in the present and working on new material. "As an artist, as a songwriter, writing songs is my oxygen....and it gives me the ultimate satisfaction." In this respect, he added that he is only as good as his next song and record. "I have to be thinking about the next record or else I am going to be unhappy." I really appreciated his last comment. Frankly, I'm going to be unhappy if there is not more beautiful music to explore beyond Laura by this great artist.

tUnE-yArDs, w h o k i l l

There are some albums that I find to be really approachable and easy to understand and get into. Then there are those albums that need time to digest in order to be understood. And honestly I wish that some of these albums came with directions or a road map. On rare occasions there are albums that come along and somehow manage to straddle these two very different musical experiences and create a body of work that can boggle and satisfy the mind and heart at the same time. tUnE-yArDs' new album, w h o k i l l is one of these rare albums for me.

w h o k i l l, which is the second album by Merrill Garbus, who records under the name of tUnE-yArDs with the support of various musicians, is an absolutely fearless endeavor. Garbus has a strong affinity for African and Jamaican beats and rhythms. On w h o k i l l Garbus explores ideas of sound, rhythm, and even song structure using these influences as a foundation for her songs.

Garbus is cool multi-instrumentalist, musician, and singer who is very innovative with how she creates and builds her songs. Starting off as a 'bedroom recorder,' Garbus developed her musical style around the use of a drum, a ukulele, and her voice, which she put through a processor in order to loop, layer, and manipulate their sounds. 

On w h o k i l l, Garbus continues to uses these recording technics, but she has expanded and refined them. Layering and looping her voice for example, she creates rhythms, melody lines, and musical accents that are so spot on, you forget that you are listening to a voice. The Ukulele is also present along with lots of drums, and an array of new instruments that all bring new textures and nuances to her music. 

Bizness   

What really struck me when listening to w h o k i l l is how Garbus has grown and evolved as a songwriter. Musically, her songs are so well conceived and developed. They can be at once catchy, inviting and challenging, playing with musical styles and influences. Lyrically, Garbus takes on notions about social justice at home, in our own communities, and in war-torn areas like the middle east, and uses her voice to accentuate her story telling in many different ways. As a singer, Garbus has an amazing range and packs an emotional punch. She can take her voice from a soft, beautiful, and ethereal place to a loud, aggressive, and nasty-growly place without any warning to drive home a thought or idea. And it is this unexpected element that makes her music that much more interesting. 

While Garbus' song Bizness is one of my favorite songs of the year so far, every one of the ten song on w h o k i l l is something special and deserves and demands attention. Put all ten together, and you have one of the best albums of the year so far...by a large margin.

tUnE-yArDs, w h o k i l l will be released on April 19th.

NOAH & THE WHALE, LAST NIGHT ON EARTH

 

Noah & The Whale, who hail from out side London, are back with their third studio album. Last Night On Earth is a loose concept album about....the Last Night On Earth, or not. But as far as concept albums go, this one succeeds by not trying to do too much with the concept. Listening to this album I feel a bit like i'm back in 1985 listening to Tom Petty....and that is a good thing. There is a great rock-anthem feel to these songs and I enjoyed listened to this album from beginning to end. And I think that you will too.
L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.   

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.

Drive-By Truckers, Go-Go Boots

Sometimes I don't want a high concept album or songs with overly cryptic lyrics. Sometimes I just want to hear great straight-forward songs with great songwriting. There are 14 of them on Drive-By Truckers' Go-Go Boots. This alt-country band has been putting out albums (nine in all) for many years, and Go-Go Boots is their most successful. Some songs here are straight forward country and others cross over to more of a folk-rock sound. I loved every minute of everyone of these songs and this is by far one of my favorite albums of the year so far.
Everybody Needs Love