Today I have something that I
wish I would take the time to do more of, which coincidently is exactly how
I managed to end last week. This time around though it's not an
interview. It's a label profile on Grass Roots Record Co. The
Nevada City-based project was started in 2006 by Marc Snegg and is home to a
plethora of artists such as: Mariee Sioux, El Capitan, Aaron Ross, and Alela
Diane. It may seem like your normal label, but that view point will
quickly change once you take a quick look at their about page, which states
that they are "built on fundamental ideas of the beauty and power of music,
art for it's own sake, and the potential for real and individual change."
I'd say that's a little more in-depth than a group of people just looking to
release records. Enjoy.
:Alela
Diane - Dry Grass And Shadows:
You can't imagine how excited I was when I saw that Alela
will be in Austin at the end of November. I absolutely
adore this song, so I can't wait to hear it live. The
arrangement is perfectly crafted with a simplistic and moody
combination of piano, acoustic guitar and drums, and Alela's
voice is one of the most refreshing that I've heard all of
2007; she's a real pleasure on the ears. If you jump
on iTunes then you can find her album, The Pirates'
Gospel.
:Mariee
Sioux - Two Tongues At One Time:
If you can picture a more accessible Joanna Newsom then you
already know what Mariee Sioux sounds like. She
doesn't have a voice that takes a couple of listens to love,
it's immediately captivating, as is the story that she tells
here. Also, there isn't a harp. No, instead
there is some incredible acoustic guitar work that moves
swiftly and with enough passion and tension that you'll be
waiting to hit repeat by the time the six minute-plus
runtime expires. Mariee's album, Faces In The Rocks,
is out now.
:Lee
Bob Watson - Let The Hate In (I Won't):
I'm going to say that at some point in my life that I will
have the pleasure of seeing Lee, and when that moment comes
I sincerely hope that it's in some tiny, smoke filled bar
somewhere with about 50 other people crammed around me.
That's right, hot and sweaty in some dive while having a
good time. That's were the raucous blues-enthused gem
belongs and I wouldn't want to hear it any other way.
You'll be seeing more about this guy soon, so go ahead on
jump on his bandwagon now by seeking out his new album,
Aficionado.
BTW, these songs can all be found on the label's compilation
disc titled Family Album. Trust me when I say
that it's worth picking up for more than just the three
songs above.
On a show
related side note, I saw the Liars and Interpol on Wednesday
night down at Stubb's. It was a last minute thing that
I even got to go, so I didn't have my camera on me or
anything. But, I wanted to share a thought or two.
First of all, I'm not an active listener of the Liars, and
to be honest last night reminded me why; they're weird.
Not to mention that so many of their songs feel awkwardly
disjointed and are slightly exhausting to experience.
As for Interpol, I thought they put on a pretty solid show.
They didn't do anything that was necessarily worth
remembering and treasuring forever, but it was what should
be expected from a band that clearly wants to play huge
crowds. I mean, intimacy and passion are an easy thing
to lose when the number that are in attendance is really
high. At any rate, the show did do one thing for me.
It reminded me how brilliant Turn On The Bright Lights is,
and how Antics and Our Love To Admire are barely worthy
follow ups. Too bad those two are what the band's set
mostly consisted of.
BTW, I attend a lot of shows that I don't actually review
here because they are spontaneous decisions or something.
Expect to see more of this little side notes so that I can
share other experiences.
-
John Laird -
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