Tuesday's Here in January '06

[Davey]

Califone - Heron King Blues
I've been soaking in this one the last few days. As big a fan as I am of these guys, it surprises even me that only got this one recently since it's about 2 years old, but really digging it right now. Only got in a few listens so far, and it is definitely more experimental than their other normal releases, but works well enough for me. Still lots of those Califone magic beans scattered amongst all the quiet noise and loops and Rutili fragmented ramblings and the skronky sounds. Some of it does harken back to Roomsound, and some of it is closer to their experimental Deceleration releases, but when these guys get going in one of their deep grooves, there just isn't anything I like much better these days. My favorite is "2 Sisters Drunk On Each Other", which was the only song from the album I knew since I downloaded it before release. "Red foot cold floor, you're the root, you're the hanging tree, you're Easter in the Philippines." Where does Rutili come up with this stuff? No idea half the time what he's talking about, but it still seems to make sense in the song context, and I love it just the same. Here's what Rutili says about that song ...

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/arch...4_califone.htm

CI: There was a lyric that I kept reading over and over from "2 Sisters Drunk on Each Other" from Heron King Blues. "Red foot cold floor, you're the root, you're the hanging tree, you're Easter in the Philippines." Can you explain that thought process?

Tim: Well, what do you get from it?

CI: I don't know, I feel like you're addressing a certain person, or something...

Tim: Maybe you have a person in your life that you feel is someone that criminals hang from. Maybe, I mean, I start writing and it makes sense what I mean: I see my mother as a tree and in a dream, it will make total sense that she is. And that's where this music is coming from. And I can go 'well this is what I mean and this is who I'm talking about', but it's not going to make sense to anyone else…I mean, it's either going to be 'what the fuck?' or 'I really understand the intangible quality of this and it makes total sense'. I mean, it's just poetry.

My Morning Jacket - Z
Love the "Dondante" closer from My Morning Jacket's latest Z. Something like 8 minutes long, starts out reminiscent of that great David Bowie song "The Man Who Sold the World", but slowed down and quieter. With Jim James reverb laden high pitched Neil Young meets Jeff Buckley vocals. Then at about 3 1/2 minutes in it erupts into something closer to Jimmy Page, with some nice bluesy guitar soloing for awhile, before calming back down for the last couple minutes to close it out gently like it began. Very cool. Usually have to repeat this one a few times cause it goes by way too fast. Just checked and see that there's a mp3 available at the salon site ... http://anon.salon.speedera.net/anon....t-dondante.mp3

Whole album is pretty cool. Only had it for the last couple weeks so still getting to know it. I have the two previous ones, and like them a lot too, but this one does more for me overall. Some pretty tight songs to go along with the jam happy stuff. Think maybe the third song "Gideon" is my favorite right now, nice anthemic rocker, but the first half of the CD is one of the strongest I've had the fortune of hearing this past year. Lots of nods to Mercury Rev and The Band and Neil Young and the Who and other classic rockers, but with a slightly twisted view, somewhat akin to the White Stripes at times.

Sure got a lot of critical acclaim, and I was half expecting a big letdown to be honest, so held off getting it for a long time. And there was also the big issue about the invasive copy protection under Windows, but I just copied it with EAC and no problem. You just have to hold down the shift key when you put the CD in the computer to make sure the software on the disc doesn't load. Apparently the band was pretty mad at Sony for putting this stuff on their disc so have offered to send anyone who has bought the CD a CD-R copy with no protection. Of course, one good way to avoid that SunnComm MediaMax content protection software crap is to get the nice looking gatefold 2-LP package that comes with an extra song too. Kind of limited from what they say but who knows. Seems like they could always just press more if enough demand ... http://www.badmanrecordingco.com/bands/default.aspx#9

Anyway, really fun to watch a band like this progress over the course of their young career, exploring their roots and influences, changing direction as the band members and other circumstances change, and making the move to the majors without losing sight of their music.

And a few others like ...

Black Mountain got some of that good ol Zep boogie mixed with the Stones' blues and the Sabbath's drugs. Got some pretty good critical and fan acclaim too. Kind of a modern stoner rock sound, but older. Just talking to a guy over at Head-Fi that saw you can download the extended 8+ minute mix of "Druganaut" (that's the one that almost breaks into Mountain's "Mississippi Queen") from itunes for only 99 cents. It's from the 4-song EP. Good deal. Got a heavy Zep riff, but over too soon on the LP since it's only about half that long.

Voyager One - Dissolver has a very nice Eno/Pink Floyd/Bowie sound, but mixed with some more modern shoegazer elements. Hard for me to resist. Currently #1 on my best of 2005 and in near constant rotation.

John Doe - Forever Hasn't Happened Yet is pretty darn good. Got some of that classic X sound and one of Doe's better releases since those days. Surprisingly bluesy. Has a lot of collaborations including a very nice one with Neko Case sounding a lot like Exene. Nice album that didn't seem to get much notice last year but wound up on our CRSV10 that MonkeyBoy put together.

Spoon - Gimme Fiction got a spin or three. Love that mix of John Lennon and Elvis Costello, along with some soul and maybe some early Who and Jam, and even a bit of McCartney's wacky "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" creeps into the anthemic "Sister Jack". Pretty cool. Still probably like the earlier ones more, but this is a damn good record with some of their best songs and production.