The Monsters of Folk - Music Worth Buying 10/21/09

Artist: The Monsters of Folk

Album: The Monsters of Folk
Worth Buying? Yes indeed.
You might be interesting this album if you are a fan of: Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, She and Him, and........Mike Mogis?

Tell Me More: It's funny you know, I am not a fan of Bright Eyes. I listened to the latest album by My Morning Jacket and didn't get that into it. I listened to a bit of She and Him and wasn't all that intrigued by it (even though everyone was telling me to check it out).....and prior to hearing this album, I had no idea who Mike Mogis is.....so it's funny that I should start finding myself being enamored to an album that features members from all three of these groups (along with Mr Mogis) as a "Supergroup" with the humorous moniker of "The Monsters of Folk".

The Monster's line up is Connor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Yim Yames (Morning Jacket) M. Ward (best known for collaborating with Zooey Deschanel on She and Him). Rounding off the line up is Mike Mogis (an engineer and multi instrumentalist who has worked in the past with both Oberst and Ward).

A quick look at the album credits show that this is not a couple of Oberst songs here, a couple James songs there, etc, etc.

The 4 Monster's have written all the songs together as a four way collaboration. They have also played all the instruments themselves (taking turns on various instruments) with no outside players.

Stylistically this album is all over the map, so what's really impressive is just how cohesive it sounds. In the opening track entitled: Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.) matters of the spirit are discussed over a white boys playing old school R&B style vibe.

Dear God ...I'm trying hard to reach you.
Dear God....I see your face in all I do
Sometimes ...it's hard to believe in
But God....I know you have your reasons

Track two entitled, Say Please jumps right into classic rock (as in Rockin') territory and track 3 entitled Whole Lotta Losin (I can't help but feel that that title is a pun on Whole Lotta Love) moves into a fun early rock/americana vibe......Like I said, all over the map but it sounds like the same group with each song.

This is another one of those albums where I previewed the 30 seconds tracks on Amazon and was sold on just the 30 second previews.

When Crosby, Still's and Nash, first got together and released that first CSN album it was like lightning in a bottle. And while this album sounds nothing like it I feel a similar kind of excitement when I listen to it. These four individual artists got together and did something that they couldn't have done apart and in the process, they caught lighting in bottle. I don't if there will be a follow MOF album. Sometimes you can only capture lightning once. But if there is, I will certainly be curious to find out.

What about the packaging? The CD is packaged in a beautiful mini LP gatefold sleeve that includes very nice artwork, and lyrics booklet with art and photos.

TJR 10/21/09

Currently 8.99 for the mp3 version

Currently the CD is only 7.99 so get it on CD instead

Unless you would rather have it on vinyl (comes with fee mp3 version)

Adventures in Vinyl

The other week I bought a USB turntable, and I have been re-discovering the joys of vinyl as I digitize a lot of old vinyl records that I haven't been able to hear (or look at) for ages.

There has been a recent cult resurgence for vinyl lately with many artists releasing limited edition vinyl versions of their current CD releases (sure wish I could afford to do this). I think what's been most interesting about this is comparing some of these records to their digital counterparts in back to back comparisons. I even indulged in buying a few NEW vinyl releases for just this reason.

Here is what I have discovered.

It is of course.....unfair to compare dirty scratchy vinyl record to a CD.

...But a clean Vinyl record is a different story. While the CD may lack those little vinyl clicks that even very clean records sometimes can't avoid.....I have discovered that there are sometimes certain aural pleasures to vinyl that the CD just hasn't quite got down.

Here are few observations that I made while listening.

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New Vinyl Vs New CD

U2 No Line On The Horizon

I listened to this album numerous times on CD and while I didn't think it was bad, I also didn't think it was great either. I listened to it on vinyl and it was like hearing it for the first time. I think I am starting to like it better.

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Kid Rock - Rock'n'Roll Jesus

I liked the CD better. It was beefier and crisper sounding.

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The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love

I Looooved this album on CD. It is one of my favorites of the year......I loved it so much that I bought a brand new vinyl pressing of it. As good as it was on CD, the vinyl pressing was a step above. Even my song writing partner Kathy noticed the difference immediately when I gave her a blind taste test

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Old Vinyl vs Old CD

The Beatles - Please Please Me

My 87 CD release of this album is cleaner and beefier.....but there is something warmer about the guitars on the vinyl record that is appealing.

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Old Vinyl

Wings  - Wings Over America

I have had this 3 record set of Paul McCartney's Wings over America for years now. This record is from the 70's. I have never gotten the overpriced (and hard to get) CD version, so I can't compare it....but the I was amazed at how full and warm and dimensional the recording of the band sounds on this record.

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CSNY - De Ja Vu

I want to get the CD of this record, so that I can compare it. The vinyl was an absolute journey of sheer aural delight.  Besides the songs being fantastic, the record itself is amazing to just listen to.

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Part of it, is just the analog warmth of vinyl. Everything was analog to analog back in those days.....I think that is why, even with digital guitar amps doing amazing things, most guitarists (myself included) still prefer to use old style vacuum tube technology.

Another thing (and this has been a development only in the last 6 years or so) is that so many of todays CD releases are so over compressed (this has been done to make them louder) that all the dynamic range has bled out of them.......Older CD releases have more dynamic range because they haven't been as compressed.

In the end beauty is in the ear of the beholder. Metallica took a huge amount of flack for how over compressed their last album was, so much so that later pressings were remixed with a lot of the compression removed. A backlash has already started against the massive amounts of compression used on todays CDs so think we will start to hear more dynamic range in CDs again.

Episode 2 Cheap Trick & The Decemberists

Episode 2 TJR & Robert Kinsler review CDs by Cheap Trick and The Decemberists

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jO4ntUQPw

The Decemeberists - The Hazards of Love - Music Worth Buying 10/12/09

Artist: The Decemberists
Album: The Hazards of Love
Worth Buying: It should be a classic.

You will be interested in this album if you are a fan of: Classic concepts albums like Dark Side of the Moon, and Thick as a Brick.

Tell me more: This is my first album by The Decemberists. I have not listened to any of their previous albums. I bring this up, because I understand that some of their longs time fans are bit put off by this album. Apparently because the band moved beyond from what many describe as a kind've Celtic Folk rock sound in order to record this epic concept album of star crossed love.

Some artists stay within their genre album after album and do a great job of it. Some feel the need to musically morph. When an artist with an established fanbase, and an established sound does this, it can turn off some fans and delight others. But I have no preconceived notions about what a Decemberists album should sound like, so I listened to their latest "The Hazards of Love" with no preconceived notions.

I think that it was somewhere in the middle of  my 2nd listen through, that I
realized that this album can stand head and shoulders with classic rock concept albums like Dark Side of The Moon and Thick as a Brick........Yes, it's that good.

The albums story tells the tale of a mortal woman (Margaret), who falls in love with William, a magical shape shifter from an enchanted forest. But their love is threatened by William's jealous mother, the Queen of the forest.

Amazon.com described this as an album that demands repeated listening, with more to be gained from each said listening. And I couldn't agree more. If HOL had been released back in the heyday of FM rock radio, I think it would have gotten a lot of airplay and that by now it would be considered a classic. But it wasn't. It was released now. In an era where there is no airplay for this kind of an album. There is only the word of mouth. So that is what I will give this album. If you enjoy epic rock albums GET THIS ALBUM! ...........And don't illegally download it!!!! BUY IT and support these fine musicians so they can afford to live and make more music.

The Decemberists are now officially on my radar and I am now very interested too hear their previous releases. Are there any Decemberists fans that want to give me their recommendations?

TJR 10/12/09

What About the Packaging? Standard Jewel case format but with a nice lyrics booklet .

Mp3 version currently for 8.99

CD Format currently 10.99

On Vinyl

Episode 1

Episode 1 of the Music Worth Buying internet series: Hosted by yours truly and music writer Robert Kinsler



Band of Skulls CD currently 9.49

Mp3 format currently 5.99

Bright Blue Gorilla CD various prices

Bright Blue Gorilla mp3 currently 8.99