@@@ Jade Bird: Jade Bird (Glass Note, 2019) I got to this mainstream indie folk record via last week’s All Music notable release email. Ms. Jade Bird has a voice that goes from quiet Dylan-y to big female roar. This is no Leonard Cohen music, it’s upbeat coffee bar/gas station ready stuff. The second tune gets even perkier, yikes. She’s rocking the classic Nirvana twitch-release move. Quiet and intimate in the verse and roaring in the chorus. It’s a fine and classic move but I find the lyrics and the sounds to be a tad light for my taste. The third tune, the last of my listen, trespasses on classic FM rock radio with the power chords in the chorus. Oh, there’s the tambourine, I’m out before the cowbell hits! Behold the firing of the cheese cannon here, people.
@@@ The National: Hairpin Turns (4AD, 2019) Nobody milks the titty of artistic pretension and pure ambition better than the National. A great band pumping out sweet sonic sprays best used in the bathroom whilst you ease your bowels to their woeful anthems. It is minimal in its arrangement but the hook asking the question ‘what are we going through? you and me.’ Days of brutalsim and hairpin turns, yadda yadda yadda. I find it difficult that fans would cheer for such a low energy outfit as I don’t see the genius here. I simply don’t see why anyone would rally around this flag. The sounds here are okay — some pretty simple drumming (I’ve never cottoned to this drummer) some mellow keyboard and some basic guitar. Sort of a peanutbutter and jelly wonderbread sandwich of sounds. Sweet and okay.
@@@ Tall Black Guy and Alyssha Joy: Sip of You (Low Key Source, 2019) I think I’ve peeped Tall Black Guy before and thought it was a couple notches above meh. This track opens up with a strong r&b drum machine, some electronic swirl action and nice breathy vocals about ‘reaching for a sip of you’. If you’re gonna go for the beats and vocals with stripped down sounds I think the vocals should be more action packed. They are a bit hypnotic but they seem cut down and overwhelmed by the beat.
YTD recordings listened to: 223
Good music, not list worthy: 133
Not good music: 81
Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0
Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail
Deep In the Music 