Listening Log – #2

The turntable’s been doing doubletime round here. Here’s my current playlist and some general impressions, in random order:

Bruce Cockburn, Life Short, Call Now — I purchased this album at the famed Amoeba Records during our summer vacation in San Fran. The prolific Canadian musician combines strains of jazz, folk and rock, this being his 29th album (did I say prolific?). Cockburn’s Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws remains one of my all-time favorites. Life Short is a thoughtful, contemplative album. Songs like Mystery and Beautiful Creatures are haunting in their interior scope. Cockburn’s political passion hasn’t dimmed, teetering often toward the liberal perspective. Nevertheless, he’s got some great instrumental jams and an undying passion for Life. If you’ve never heard him, you really, really should.

The Decemberists, Castaways and Cutouts — This was another Amoeba selection. I was actually prepared to be let down by the album because I liked The Crane Wife — my first encounter with this unique Portland-based band — so much. But I wasn’t. The Decemberists don’t write songs, they sing stories. While this album is not as musically varied as The Crane Wife, their detailed lyrical imagery and eclectic instrumentalities set them apart from most bands, giving them a winsome folk-rock feel. At present, these minstrel rogues occupy a top spot on my playlist. Favorite songs on C&C: California One, Grace Cathedral Hill and July, July.

Sara Groves, Add to the Beauty — Thanks to Linda Gilmore for this wonderful recommendation! It’s Groves’ sixth album, but my first encounter. Often compared to Sarah McLachlan, SG’s sweet, folksy, piano-driven sound immediately won my heart. Her lyrics are several steps above the traditional CCM fare. Like, “Tonight I forgot a line in the play that you and I / Have been rehearsing since the day we met / It made me put down my script, made me look around a bit / And wonder how we came to play these roles / I’m here to re-write this tragedy / One line at a time. . .” Grove’s tunes are heart-breaking, gracious invocations to beauty and surrender. Her new album, Tell Me What You Know, is definitely on my Christmas list.

Project 86, Drawing Black Lines — This album single-handedly won me over to hardcore music fandom. P86’s Truthless Heroes is another of my all-time favorites, but DBL isn’t far behind. Since I’ve seen the album on several Best Christian Albums lists, I decided to download it to my iPod and give it another whirl. This is angry, passionate, in-your-face music, guaranteed to make your eardrums bleed. The band has reluctantly accepted its inclusion into the Christian music ghetto (they’re back on the Tooth and Nail label), but their music and their following has allowed them to transcend the stereotype and cross over into the secular market. If you think Christian Hardcore music is an oxymoron, you gotta hear these guys.

Eisley, Room Noises — The first full-length album from a remarkable young band made up of three sisters, their brother (all home schooled) and a best friend. It’s guitar / piano pop-rock without the teen fluff. A quick look at the lyrics to the first song proves as much: “He was throwing grain into the ground below, ground below / With dreary circles of his arm, going slow, very slow / His cap pulled down roun’ his ears to / Hide the smile and watery tears.” When was the last time you heard an album begin with someone “throwing grain. . . with dreary circles of his arms”? The multi-layered female vocals give this a crisp, whimsical feel, reminding me a bit of Sixpence‘s Leigh Nash. Their new album released this summer and the band is currently touring with Mute Math, a bill I’d love to see.

David Crowder, Remedy — With 2005’s A Collision, Crowder vaulted into the contemporary Christian worship music hierarchy (if there is such a thing). That album’s unique mix of worship, alternative pop/rock, and bluegrass really captivated me, renewing hope that modern worship hadn’t yet fossilized. Remedy builds on that tradition. The band’s energetic, quirky (I’m talking DJ turntables), yet often contemplative songs, are easily accessible — one could even say tame in comparison with Collision. (For instance, there’s far fewer tracks — 10 as opposed to 21, and shorter songs on the new album.) Nevertheless, you gotta believe Crowder is returning a spirit of innovation and modernity to an industry in dire need of it. And I love this cat’s beard. D’ya think Lisa would mind if I grew mine out?

TV on the Radio, Return to Cookie Mountain — Props to matty for recommending this unusual, unconventional, downright weird, album. The first day I had it in the rack, Melody happened to be over and immediately demanded I TURN THAT MUSIC OFF! Uh, thanks matty. So what kind of sound is this? It’s hard to say — part dance, part jazz, part white noise, TVotR combines horns, sitars, chimes, flutes and a bowed upright bass into a cocktail of tribal postmodern abstraction. When I splattered my office, this was playing, perfect inspiration for my Pollock moment. Anyway, I’m still unsure if I actually like this album. It’s definitely not mood music. Or rock. Or jazz. But if I’m ever splattering a room, TV on the Radio will be my first choice.

Arcade Fire, Neon Bible — This Canadian art rock band has burst from indie obscurity and been getting rave reviews for their new project. If the title is any indication, the album is oddly “religious.” Not only was it recorded in an old church (whose ominous organ is included in the soundtrack), the artwork resembles Scriptures (chapter-and-verse and all). Throughout, there are references to biblical verse and imagery. One of my favorites, “Intervention,” is an indictment of churchaholics: “Working for the church while your life falls apart / Singin’ hallelujah with the fear in your heart / Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home / Hear the soldier groan: ‘We’ll go at it alone.'” The exact spiritual sentiments of the band are unclear, but not always critical. In an interview with Paste magazine, lead singer Win Butler said Neon Bible is ultimately about “addressing religion in a way that only someone who actually cares about it can. It’s really harsh at times, but from the perspective of someone who thinks it has value.” While it took me a couple listens to appreciate the big, sometimes choral sound of the band, this is an album with musical and spiritual depth, and worth checking out.

Also of musical note: I’d mentioned before about two bands on my must-see-in-concert list: Switchfoot and Relient K. Well, it just so happens that the bands are touring together in what they’re calling the Appetite for Construction Tour to raise money for Habitat for Humanity, and Chris and I got tickets for next week’s show in Irvine. Holla! What about you? Got any recommendations to add to my musical notes?