Sunday, October 12, 2008

Well hello again Side One readers, it’s been quite some time hasn’t it?   In the month or so that we’ve been apart, I’ve been plowing through a lot of novels by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami, which have more than a fair share of Jazz references in them (Murakami, if I’m not mistaken, used to own a jazz club).  As such, I’ve lately been listening to unhealthy amounts of Jazz, a genre I love but never seem to devote the time I should to.  If anyone is interested, here is one of my recent favorites, and an old Basie standard.  The first is an aptly titled song called Cherokee by Clifford Brown and the Max Roach Quintet, and the second is rambunctious live cover of Ray Charles’ I Can’t Stop Loving You off the Count Basie album Live At The Sands, which is the audio from the Basie set before Frank Sinatra came on to record his famous live album Frank at the Sands.  I should probably mention: the trombone solo in this song is ridiculous, if you’re into that kind of thing.

:Clifford Brown (And The Max Roach Quintet) - Cherokee:

:Count Basie - I Can't Stop Loving You:

Anyway, as John mentioned last week, there are going to be a few changes to the way we post these columns here, and I’ll be focusing more on local Austin-based bands.  So this week I thought I’d start by mentioning two local acts who have some excellent new material out recently.

The Calm Blue Sea – S/T

The Calm Blue Sea played their release show for this album last night, and I’m sorry to say I missed it, but what can you do.  Now I’ll caution you, they’re an instrumental band, but don’t judge too hastily, these guys know what they’re doing.  First and foremost, the album was recorded here in Austin by Erik Wofford (Explosions In The Sky, Okkervil River, Voxtrot, I could go on), so it sounds fantastic.  Every guitar tone is spot on, either growling with the energy of Perfect from Now On-era Built to Spill, or blissfully melting into Wofford’s warm reverb.  The pianos that crop their way into the album are the perfect melancholy foil for the otherwise gritty howls of distortion.  The arrangements, though lengthy, are well conceived and vie for your attention even into the eighth minute of songs. Of course, a healthy appreciation for guitars is recommended. With the caveat that instrumental music (as with all music of its type) may not generate wide audience appeal, this self-titled release solidly affirms The Calm Blue Sea as a band apart from the often cut-and-dry indie scene - true, intelligent originality that’s far too uncommon these days.

:The Calm Blue Sea - We Happy Few:

Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir – S/T

I first heard this album a while ago in a car trip alone, where I knocked out a bunch of new albums I had to listen to.  Well, at least the was the plan.  I think once I put this new album from Drew Smith in, I listened to it 3 or 4 times and haven’t really put it down since.  Written by Smith and arranged by Matt Russell, the album is at the core a series of pop songs owing to their crafty arrangements (composed with every instrument under the sun) and rhythmic drive, but it’s anything but "light."  Lyrically, Jones has a series of small masterpieces, with an uncanny ability to embody even the most elusive emotions of the situations he describes, and then still brilliantly capture the fleetingness of it all. In NYC Song (which we have below) he relates the experience of seeing musicians in New York: "Felt the worth and inspiration from the troubles and the anguish/Of the artists all relying on spare change/We watched as the jazz men played the dog park by the Village/And sat in the tree shade for three hours."  Maybe I’m biased - my family is from New York, and I confess I love the city - but my feeling is that Smith could make you feel at home inside his memories regardless of the location.

:Drew Smith - NYC Song:

Keep an eye out for more of these local quips in the near future.

On a more worldly note, there’s a non-local album that’s have been dominating my earbuds lately too.  Her name is...

Frida Hyvönen

I do love a girl with an umlaut.  Actually, umlauts aside, I love a girl with a voice that less than a century ago would have been featured in only the finest theatres crowded with affluent metropolitan elite who might describer her voice using words like exquisite and dainty (both of which Hyvönen’s music is).  Her piano compositions are supplemented with casual drum and percussion accompaniment and a host of string arrangements (and sometimes a faint organ) that weave perfectly into the pseudo-Broadway sound that the record so perfectly channels.  Despite the sweet melodies, the lyrics are densely compacted with tumultuous themes of sexuality and self-consciousness, which are felt full-force in these lines from Enemy Within: "The enemy within says a body of work is just as strong as its weakest point."  That’s okay Frida, the weakest point on this album is still far and away better than most I’ve heard this year.

The album’s called Silence is Wild, and it’s out this time next month on Secretly Canadian.  When you pick it up, I suggest listening to London!. Don’t fight the urge to form a chorus line with those around immediately surrounding you.  Until then, here’s Enemy Within.

:Frida Hyvonen - Enemy Within:

- John Michael Cassetta -



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