Any music really get up and grab you this last week? Haven't been listening to much myself, but wound up in a store with a good indie selection a few days ago and picked up three of the wannabes that were sitting near the top of my wishlist....and I'm here to report they are all some of the best music I've heard this year.

The first one is by a band named Old Canes and the CD is Early Morning Hymns. It's actually a side-project of the lead guy from the Appleseed Cast, Chris Crisci. But instead of the indie-prog soundscapes that band excels at, this is acoustic folk-rock. And very good folk-rock that comes out sounding a bit more like something from Neutral Milk Hotel's classic In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, except with the warmer and less abrasive voice of Crisci telling the stories. I've only listened a couple times but I'm almost positive this one will occupy a place in my year-end top 10, and probably pretty high too since it's been making me happy so far.

The new one from the Court & Spark is finally out and it also sounds very good. Titled Witch Season and sporting one of my favorite album covers of the year to go with the cool, twangy and moody music. Nice warm analog sound recorded on fat 2" tape in a bunch of real studios.



I found the new one from Richmond Fontaine filed under 'F' after almost giving up. Easy mistake unless you know the band. It's called Post To Wire and is incredibly good. I think Uncut magazine gave it 5 stars and so did the http://www.americana-uk.com/html/april_2004.html site in their April review section (I'll post the review below). Classic alt-country of the highest caliber. Been enjoying it a lot. If you like this kind of stuff, don't miss it.

Richmond Fontaine “Post to Wire” (El Cortez Records 2004) Available: Now  

Dear Fact Fans......... Post to Wire is a Gamblers term used to describe a horse that leads a race from start finish. Secondly, 'Richmond Fontaine' is the name of a band, not a person ( file under R not F... didn't you learn from Pink Floyd, Lou Ford and Ben Folds!!). The real Fontaine was a down & out that bass player Dave Harding met while hitch- hiking through Mexico. So, those are the facts you can live without. But can you live without this record….. It is a kind of Americana concept album (hold it, don't log off just yet). The concept is loose, held together by small spoken word vignettes called Postcards, but it is there just the same. Walt is travelling round the vast American mid west having ripped off his best friend Pete of his money & his parents wedding rings. Post to Wire chronicles the characters Walt meets on his travels.. most of them no good, or up to no good, but all interesting none the less. The small interludes tracking Walt's own less than impressive progress in repaying his fiscal & emotional debts back home. I am not the first, nor will I be the last reviewer to draw the literary comparisons with song writer Willy Vlautin's work. If Ed Hammill is roots music's answer to Paul Auster, then Vlautin is our Denis Johnson, Richard Yates or Dan Fante. The depth of character within each song & his sense of place really is quite astounding…. And these are three minute pop songs remember, a much more limiting format than a whole novel. Having created the salubrious cast to this piece, 'Richmond Fontaine' then score their own movie with all the touchstones we hold dear to Americana; It can be full on Cow- punk, as in Montgomery Park, 'Two Broken Hearts' sounds like it was left off Strangers Almanac & 'Barely Losing' could be Silver Jews. The whole production has that organic, demo feel that really puts you in the room with them. If this is a novel, it was written on a type- writer, not one of them new fangled word processors. Post to Wire truly benefits from listening to in one sitting, with minimum distractions. If it has taken them ten years to deliver this record then it was worth the wait. They are booked to open up for Caitlin Cary at the Borderline on 5th May... See you there if you know what is good for you. The best piece of music I have heard this year, so far. -- Peter Gow



P.S. - Just found out the new Twilight Singers covers album is out today and it should be a great one. More info at their site http://www.thetwilightsingers.com/heavenly/ but it's now near the top of my list. Damn -- seems no matter how much I buy there's always something new to take its place. I bet none of you guys have that problem, eh