CD Review Patterson Hood "Killers and Stars" - One you might have missed

Artist: Patterson Hood
Album: Killers and Stars
Worth Buying: Yes, if you can take the darkness
You might be interested in this album is you are a fan of: Indie Folk, Americana, and Intensely dark songs that are sparsely recorded.

Tell Me More: Patterson Hood is one dark dude. At least that’s what I would think if my only information about him came from his songs. One of the principle songwriters of the Drive By Truckers (A band who’s music also deals in lot’s of dark themes, but are often tempered with irony and dark humor).

On the CD liner notes he states that he recorded the album by himself in his living room. He had just been divorced, was fighting with his band (the Truckers) and recorded it in two days, describing the album as therapy.

While he sold limited pressings at his solo shows it didn’t become more widely available till a few years ago. I have only just gotten a hold of it till now and I am blown away by the stunning and desolate starkness of the songs. This is not happy listening, but it is powerful listening.

Right out the gate with the opening track, Uncle Disney, you know what kind of a ride you are in for.

When they thaw out - Uncle Disney
Gonna be some changes made
Pointing fingers, asking questions
Forty years of decisions made.

Other songs follow suit telling dark stories of neighbors all gossiping about how a local man hasn’t been the same person since his transplant (Phil’s Transplant) and a lonely man transfixed over a picture of a golden age starlet (Frances Farmer)

An album like Killers and Stars is a rare occurrence. One when an artist needs to put aside production and just let the immediacy of the emotion coming from the first recording take precedence. And this is what
Patterson Hood has done.

What about the packaging? Standard Jewel case with an 8 panel fold out that includes all the lyrics.

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Episode 22 She & Him and Beach House

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TJR Reviews - Band of Skulls - Baby Doll Face Honey - Music Worth Buying 08/31/09

Artist: Band of Skulls
Album: Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
Worth Buying: Every song
You might be interested in this album if you are a fan of: Led Zeppelin, Cream, 70's Blues Hard rock, Classic Rock, Nirvana, Alt Rock.

Tell Me More: In today's internet age, you often times only have 30 seconds or less to grab the attention of listeners. I have often said that it takes more than 30 seconds to know if you like a song and to know if it is good. And I still believe this to be true....but lately, it seems that I am discovering great artists through 30 second clips. Maybe I am just developing better ears, but some artists seem to be able to stand out even when all you get is 30 seconds. This is how I discovered Ryan Bingham and Gizzly Bear....and now this is how I discovered Band of Skulls latest.

I was looking at the Sunday ads for Best Buy's new release sales week, going down the line and just clicking on their corresponding samples on Amazon when I was struck by this album. It was only 7.99 at Best Buy so I went and picked it up.

The first song that hit my speakers was a Heavey Blues Rock infusion entitled "Light of the Morning". Right from the gate this song sounded like an updated version of Zeppelin and Cream.

Opening songs can really set the stage for an album and this song did just that. Band of Skulls draws a lot from 70's heavy blues rock bands but they keep a modern sensibility to them.

And Like a lot of heavy blues rock from the 70's they are also able to paint with more than just one color.....In other words, their songs don't all sound the same.

A good example is the album's 5th track. An acoustic folk ballad entitled "Honest". Listening to it you might think, "This is a different band". Now part of this is the fact that there is more than one lead singer in the band and one of them is a female (Bassist Emma Richardson). Both her and Guitarist Russell Marsden share the lead vocal duties.

This immediately got me thinking of Led Zeppelin's first album opening with the very heavy "Good Times Bad Times", then on the very second song  following up with the Spanish classical acoustic song "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You". It was their way of saying, "Yes we are a very heavy band, Yes it's our first album....but we are free to go in any direction we want and you won't pin us down".

I got the same impression listening to the Band of Skulls. And I think we need more bands like this. Bands that say "Yes, we do have a sound, but we are also more than that too".

Band of Skulls is a power trio in the truest sense of he word (they are rounded out by Matthew Hayward on Drums). The CD version that I obtained from Best Buy came with two bonus live tracks. From these two track I can tell that this is a trio that can make a big sound and that they  can deliver their studio album live.....This first album bodes well for them.

What about the Packaging? The Packaging is Beautiful! Comes in a mini  album gate fold sleeve, but the CD is inserted in the outside of the interior of the sleeve so it looks like part of the interior album art. It comes with a nice lyric booklet that is easy to read. Top score on the packaging,

Sample and buy in MP3 Format for only 5.99 (Prices subject to change)

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On Vinyl

Music Worth Buying 11/11/08 - One you might have missed - Jen Bye

Artist: Jen Bye  

Album: Jen Bye 

Worth Buying: Yes the whole album

You will be interested in this album if you like: Alanis Morrisette, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Liz Phair

Tell me more: Jen Bye is an LA based independent artist and this is her self titled debut from 2002. It's only 6 tracks, but it is 6 GREAT tracks. And to be honest, I would rather hear a short album with outstanding tracks then a longer album with a lot of medicore filler that I would just  delete from my player anyways. The album opens with an excerpt of an angry and impassioned preacher warning his listeners about the evils or Rock'n'Roll. This clip is clearly taken from the 1950's, as no modern preacher would say anything like this today. It might seem out of context with a modern album, but it seemed to lead perfectly into the album's opening number Bloody Fingers with it's defiant lyrics of youthfull rebellion and chorus of "Maybe your Jesus will come for you".

Stylisticly Jen's music has the ethereal and surreal quality you would associate with Fiona Apple, but with the aggression of a woman who wants to Rock. Even a slower tempo song like Take Me As I Am feels like it's on the verge of exploding into the heavy guitar arena (The song never does though, which adds to it's power). In fact, only the song Drinks With Jezabel actually has that delicate, lilting, softer sound that one would associate with some of the female artists that I have already mentioned . 

What about the packaging? This album is no longer available on CD but Listen to samples and purchase in mp3 format here

What if I am not ready to buy the whole album? Hey El Cheapo, It's only $5.94 on Amazon. But If I could pick only one song it would be the opening track Bloody Fingers

Music Worth Buying 09/08/08 The Bird And The Bee

Artist: The Bird and the Bee

Album: The Bird and the Bee

Worth buying: Yes, the whole album.

You will be interested in this album if you are a fan of: The Carpenters, Electronic pop, ambient pop. quirky pop, & indie pop.

Tell me more: Imagine if the Carpenters where more ambient sounding, and weren't opposed to using the "F" word  from time to time.  This is an album with lush and beautiful musical landscapes which came off at first listen as being electronic. But on closer listening I found that the instrumentation was actually more acoustic than I realized. But most importanly are the beautiful silk like female vocals that give this band it's unique sound (thus the Carpenters comparison) . There is a fun and quirky subversive quality to this album that extends beyond just the occasional use of the aforementioned "F" word.  This is one of the most enjoyable pop albums I have heard in some time.

click here to listen to samples and buy in the mp3 format

click here to buy in CD format

What if I am not ready to buy the whole album?   Try the song: F-cking Boyfriend