The Lumineers

First, they reminded me of The Tallest Man on Earth, then the Avett Brothers, the Felice Brothers, and Mumford & Sons. The Lumineers have elements of all those bands, but after about fifty listens in a week to their self-titled debut album, they are their own band. I realized this more around the tenth listen, but the point is - I couldn't stop listening.

Comparisons are great.  They are a reference when trying to describe music, which is difficult to do without creating your own Spinal Tap-like moment. Describing sound isn't easy, and I'm not going to begin trying to figure out why a genre is called anti-folk. Furthermore, comparisons are a place to start, so start with those bands in mind, and turn up The Lumineers' album to eleven - because it's louder than ten.

In the first song, Flowers in Your Hair, lead singer Wesley Schultz reminded me of The Tallest Man on Earth (aka musician Kristian Matsson), yet with a raspier voice. After the first three songs, the above comparisons stuck, and I was disappointed because I already have those bands' albums.

On track four, Dead Sea, is where the separation begins, and the album really takes off - becomes addicting. I am not a walking, or typing, advertisement for NPR music. I just find a lot of new music on there, and that is where I first heard The Lumineers. They sang the fifth track and their single, Ho Hey. In an interview on NPR's Sessions, the band joked they named the single in that order because they didn't want to say hey to a ho. Comedy may not attract you to listen to a band, but this single will. After first listen, Ho Hey may not stick with you, but...but it'll call you back when you wake up singing its refrain - "I belong with you / you belong with me / you're my sweetheart." Check out the video here: Ho Hey video

A band's formation and backstory of tragedy may not make you listen either. But, I'm going to tell you anyways. Jeremiah Fraites lost his nineteen year-old brother to a drug overdose. His brother's best friend was lead singer Wesley Schultz. Soon after, the two wrote songs and performed in New York as a duo. A move to Denver led them to the third Lumineers' member, Neyla Pekarek who is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist (allmusic.com).

If you were wondering, classically trained musicians search Craigslist too! And, that’s how the three met. Pekarek responded to the boys’ ad of them looking for a cellist. Her influence on the band is definitely heard, and creates a sound that makes me want to compare, equaling a much cleaner and structured sounding Felice Brothers.

The sixth track, Slow It Down, does just what the song infers. It feels like a blues song and adds more depth to the album. I pictured this fitting in well with the songs on Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's album Howl. This is followed by Stubborn Love, one of the album's best songs. It keeps building throughout, and ends with the band harmonizing a controlled scream. This captures much of what the Lumineers have to offer, and makes one believe they will be a great live act.

All these songs are emotional, but not to the point of nausea like so many songs out there (a la almost every song performed on American Idol). It is not rocknroll; more along the lines of the Americana genre. Yet, with all its emotion, the Lumineers still kept it a fun album to listen to, resulting in a beautifully executed first album.

Check their touring schedule to see when they play near you: tour dates. I will be catching them live this summer at Central Park SummerStage.

Norah Jones - Live at The Bell House (Park Slope, Brooklyn, Friday, May 12, 2012)

I swear Norah Jones has been around longer than a decade.  Maybe that’s because her voice sounds like it comes from another era.  She's thirty-three, but is an old soul, many say.  There's no doubt about it, she's got the voice, and she's got the looks.  I actually recall declaring her once as my future ex-wife.  Not her most glaring accomplishment, but impressive nonetheless.  It's taken some time, but she also has a presence on stage that's very comfortable, charming, and down to earth - all of which were exhibited last Friday night when I saw her perform live for the first time - "Is that really Norah Jones up there...twenty-five feet away?"

“I don’t know why I didn’t come,” Norah Jones sang, understandably causing a fan to belt out a, “Hey-oooo!” - at the thought of... Jones stopped the song to say, “I know what you think it means.”  That was Jones showcasing her sense of humor that she used throughout Friday night’s show at The Bell House in Park Slope, Brooklyn - "I live here too," she said.  This was one of her interactions with the crowd that was not seen in her earlier and much more bashful days.

Norah Jones is now on tour upon the release of her fifth solo studio album, Little Broken Hearts, produced by Danger Mouse (who?).  A star since the early 2000s, it is a rarity to see her live for only thirty-five bucks a ticket, and in a modest sized venue such as The Bell House.  If you were quick enough to jump on your computer last Tuesday at noon to purchase tickets during your lunch break, or simply chose to ignore job duties for a moment, then you could have been a part of the sold out crowd.

Jones performed mostly songs from the new album, but also mixed in some older and more familiar songs like Don’t Know Why, which includes the lyric above, and was the single from her debut album Come Away With Me (2002) that garnered her five Grammy Awards.  She now has a total of nine Grammy Awards, and is one of the best-selling artists of all time.  Little Broken Hearts was released May 1, and now is positioned at #2 on Billboard’s 200 Chart (Billboard.com).

Many critics say this album is a departure from Jones’ previous albums.  Sonically, she has shifted, much to do with her not pinned behind her piano like earlier in her career.  She’s playing some guitar these days, which you could tell at the show she isn’t 100% comfortable with yet, as she kept looking at her fingerers.  It’s still nice to see her try something new though.  Then comes the Danger Mouse effect.  His influence is definitely heard.  He has a producer’s touch that makes songs catchy, yet they are not pop songs.  Another example of this is his work on The Black Keys' latest, El Camino. 

Jones’ lyrics have also become more personal, and Little Broken Hearts has been declared her break up album.  On track 11, Miriam, Jones sings, “You know you done me wrong/ I’m gonna smile when you say goodbye/ Now I’m not the jealous type/ Never been the killing kind/ But you know what you did/ So don’t put up a fight.”  And, on track 2, Say Goodbye, she sings, “Well, it ain’t easy to stay in love/ If you can’t tell lies/ So I’ll just have to take a bow/ And say goodbye.”  You can sense a wise-ass, sarcastic tone in these lyrics, and others throughout the album.  Yet, there is some venom in the words.  Love hurts, right?  But, can make for good music too, and Jones has made another good album. 

When fans heard Norah Jones was teaming up with Danger Mouse, they rightfully became excited.  It’s possible they were hoping for that departure.  This leads us back to Jones' voice, and the fact that this wasn’t much a departure at all.  On all her albums, including Little Broken Hearts, her voice never wavers.  Her voice is great, and I heard my real future wife say, "She sounds even better in person."  This may be true, but wouldn’t many of you like to hear her belt a few notes out?  Maybe even yell once?  Nobody is saying Jones should be making music for her fans.  A better way to see it might be that her fans feel like her best work has yet to come. 


Jones was hardly a disappointment though.  It’s apparent she’s a professional, and gives performing her all.  There were a few humanizing moments too, and they made you like her even more.  She began a few songs, and stopped, “Why do I keep messing up the words.”  Then jumped right back into performing. 

We established Jones’ voice comes from another time; and possibly a simpler time when cell phones didn’t block the view of the stage.  That was the disappointment of the night.  There’s a hesitation in calling much of the crowd fans because too many paid more attention to the Internet (everything not happening in their lives) than to the artist on stage.  A concert, or a night out in New York City, is supposed to be an experience; however, it must be difficult to remember something when you aren’t fully engaged.  Snapping a few pictures is fine, and video too, but there has to be something wrong with checking your Facebook during a concert.  That’s my future ex-wife up there; give her some respect!

Respect is the word.  At a Norah Jones’ concert you will see generations.  There were people in their seventies (maybe older; I didn’t check IDs; well, I did, but was asked to stop), to some underage teenagers, and every other decade in-between.  You don’t accumulate that wide range of a fan base without being respected.  That is why everyone should experience seeing her live, whether or not the tickets are just thirty-five bucks.  

Seeing her at The Bell House is something to remember.  The encore came, and Jones’ band joined her upfront around the microphone to sing two last songs.  The band consisted of: Josh Lattanzi (bass), Pete Remm (keyboards), Jason Roberts (guitar) and Greg Wieczorek (drums).  You can catch them with Norah next time in New York City on Tuesday, July 3 at Central Park Summerstage.

Alabama Shakes - Boys and Girls (ATO Records, 2012)

About two months ago, I emailed my father to tell him to check out the Alabama Shakes.  "Our new favorite band," I predicted.  On April 10, 2012, the Alabama Shakes released their debut album Boys & Girls.  Most bands don't make it.  For other bands, it takes a couple albums, or more, to gain notoriety.  Just take a look at The Black Keys' journey.  But, The Alabama Shakes were booked to open for Jack White before this album was even released.  If you're opening for Jack, does that mean you must be good?  Yes.  And, the Athens, Alabama band proceeded to debut at number three on the UK Album Charts (NME).

I first came across the Alabama Shakes by stumbling upon them online at NPR Music.  My most common phrase, I need new music, was answered.  I pressed play to a video of the band playing their single Hold On and was transported back in time.  Vocalist Brittany Howard's voice has been compared to Janis Joplin's, Robert Plant's, Otis Redding's and Aretha Franklin's.  When I first heard her sing, I also saw her sing, and thought Macy Gray got a soul/blues band to play with.  Nevertheless, quite a catalog of compliments.  Howard has heard the comparisons and is flatter, but thought to herself, "Bon Scott from AC/DC" as far as how it feels to sing (NPR Music).

After listening for the past month to Boys and Girls on NPR's First Listen, I finally swiped my debit to make an actual CD purchase - at a CD store!  I love previewing albums online, but the actual CD has a much fuller sound.  Online you hear a radio sound and the instrumentation can be drowned out.  That might be the reason I was skeptical of the rest of the band at first. 

At first sound, from the first track Hold On, Howard sang, "Bless my heart, bless my soul, didn't think I'd make it to 22 years old", and I was hooked.  It was immediately apparent that Brittany Howard was a star.  But, after the first few listens to the whole album, the instrumentation didn't seem to be anything special.  Then, I bought the album and Brittany's opinion about songwriting was realized, and I'll apply it to the band's sound.  In a recent interview with NME, she said, "A lot of people want to be different...want to be original, instead of just writing songs together as people and being sincere about it." 

I have often said that it really isn't all that difficult to tell whether a band or musician cares about the music they're creating.  The Alabama Shakes' instrumentation is simple, yet effective, and yes, sincere.  Boys and Girls is a very strong debut album.  Its tempo is balanced and makes for a great listen for whatever mood you're in.  It will be interesting to see where the Alabama Shakes take their sound.  Comparisons have also been made to Amy Winehouse, yet with more of a rocknroll sound and attitude.  I know I will be checking them out this summer at Central Park SummerStage - for free on June 24th!  Check them out soon because they won't be needing to open for Jack White much longer.          

The Alabama Shakes are made up of: Brittany Howard (vocals/guitar/piano/percussion), Zac Cockrell (bass/backing vocals/guitar), Heath Fogg (guitar/backing vocals/percussion) and Steve Johnson (drums/percussion/backing vocals). 

Check out their website for upcoming shows: http://www.alabamashakes.com/tour/

My first impression of Jack White was created from hearing Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, and then Hotel Yorba.  It was during a time in my life when listening to rap music was getting old.  It just didn't do it for me anymore.  And so, my brother, more of a punk rock fan, said I should try The White Stripes.  This was also back in the day when Napster was working wonders, and you could download music that wasn't even created yet.  I downloaded White Blood Cells to later purchase at an actual store.  This was the Stripes' third album and had come out that year (2001).  I guess I was late to the party, but Jack and Meg were a big deal.  Jack White recently had an interview with NPR's Bob Boilen.  They discussed White's newest endeavor, his first solo album, Blunderbuss.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around this project.  I inevitably compare it to the White Stripes.  Jack knows this is going to happen.  He said he had to wait until The White Stripes were completely over before putting out something under his own name - "I don't really feel like going through the dumb perception battle of people who couldn't be broad minded enough to understand the difference between Jack White and The White Stripes (NME.com)."  The problem might be because first impressions of White were so strong.  He set the bar really high and everything he's done since is compared.  He touches on this in lyrics on Blunderbuss.

The people around me

Won't let me become what I need to

They want me the same

I look at myself and want to

Just cover my eyes and

Give myself a new name

(lyrics from On and On and On, track 12 on Blunderbuss).

This is understandable, but no matter how highly I respect the man's music, it's impossible to escape that first impression.  Is it similar to people's first impression of Bob Dylan?  My father said the first time he heard Dylan was when Subterranean Homesick Blues came on the radio.  People's attraction to Dylan's music is too often simplified to his lyrics.  But, I completely understand the infatuation.  His lyrics seem to unravel right in front of you, often expressing the feeling you have at that moment.  And, in Dylan's song Ballad of a Thin Man, he conveys what my father was feeling when he first heard a Dylan song - "Something is happening here, but you don't know what it is."  That is how I felt the first time I heard Dead Leaves and Hotel Yorba.  There is something about these songs.  I joke that you could download songs from Napster that weren't created yet, but with these songs, along with so many of Dylan's, they feel like they were already here, or always here.  Boilen and White discussed this too, except about his new songs.  Check out the interview on NPR.org.

First impressions are complicated.  Personally we don't like it when others judge us, especially at first glance or first conversation.  Yet, we can't escape it.  It's human nature.  It might be even trickier with music, especially today with so much demand for instant gratification.  And so, that leads to my first impression of Blunderbuss instinctively being compared to the first White Stripes' songs I heard.  For those songs, I had no expectations.  I downloaded Dead Leaves and was hooked ever since.  Next came Hotel Yorba, and that became one of those moments that a music-obsessed person doesn't forget where they were when they first heard certain music.  It's tattooed to my memory, and I hadn't even heard all of White Blood Cells yet .  Two more classic albums sat there waiting to be heard (The White Stripes, 1999, and De Stijl, 2000).  I haven't looked away since.

It may be an inclination to call Blunderbuss more of a songwriter's album, but hearing White talk about his music for years, and listening to it for myself, I'm going to assume he considers all his albums to have an emphasis on lyrics.  Listen for yourself.  You can read them too, you know.  His word play is addicting.  The best example of this on Blunderbuss is the track Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy.  This belongs in White's cannon of songs that should be sung in elementary schools across the nation (that's why our education system is failing; a call for singing more Jack White!).  Other songs in this category are: Hotel Yorba, My Doorbell, Effect & Cause, We're Going to Be Friends, and Little Room.  In fact, I had to create a skit with a group of fifteen eight year-olds for a summer camp.  It was either me or the eight year-olds that chose to have the kids walk out clapping to Son House's Grinnin' in Your Face (Jack's favorite song), switch to a sing-a-long to The White Stripes' Little Room, and end with keeping the beat to Queens' We Will Rock You.  These are also the songs I like to categorize as - you're not human if you don't like them.  Yes, when acoustic guitars and pianos are used, lyrics are more at the forefront, like in these songs.  Yet, it is evident White cares about the songwriting craft in all his songs.  He has said in the past that he considers himself a part of the songwriters family, and is proud that some saw The White Stripes' music coming from the folk tradition.

Now, nostalgia can creep in and you may start to miss White's signature guitar, a la Ball in a Biscuit, Hello Operator, Top Yourself.  There is a taste of it in Weep Themselves to Sleep, where at the end of the song, White's guitar stutters, creating something cool and new sounding, yet familiar, and maybe even reminding you he's still got it.  Like he says at the beginning of this song:

No one can blow the shows

Or throw the bones

That break your nose

Like I can

  

And, if you happen to catch the livestream of his performance at Webster Hall (4/27), well, statement confirmed.  Watch for yourself, and then answer my question - Who else alive can do that?  

The comparisons to Dylan's career again apply here.  Everyone wanted the folk/protest singer still.  Dylan wanted to do something new, maybe even plug-in and wear a leather jacket.  White is interested in more than just wowing you with his guitar, and might want to wear something other than red, black and white.  I guess that should have been apparent when hearing those first two songs of his I heard - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground and Hotel Yorba.  And, well, with whatever attracted you to the Stripes', White might respond: 

Well ok, so you fell asleep today

What's funny to me though

Is that you did that yesterday

(lyrics from Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy, track 10 on Blunderbuss).

All White's songs, from The Raconteurs to The Dead Weather (ones sung by him), and his new solo songs, could fit on White Stripes' albums, really.  There is a shift in the music though, and it comes during the most interesting part of the Blunderbuss that stretches across five songs, starting with Weep Themselves to Sleep.  Here is when I really sense that full-band feel.  This song, if I had to place it, might fit best on Get Behind Me Satan.  Someone else could make a case for the other five albums, though.  Yet, in the past three years, since the establishment of White's Third Man Records in Nashville, he has taken on more of producer/orchestrator role.  I can almost see him in front of his new backing bands waving wands; something new is happening here, even when White performs Stripes' songs with the full band (made up of all males, or all females, depending on which night you catch him perform). 

The next shift is with the only cover song on the album, Rudolph Toombs' I'm Shakin'.  I only recall one taste of rockabilly from the Stripes' with Baby Brother.  Yet, White's influences, ability and interests lie in all genres - so we should have expected this at some point.  The next song, Trash Tongue Talker, continues in the rockabilly direction, adding a classic piano, a la Jerry Lee Lewis.  White often likes to talk about spontaneous creation, and not over thinking.  These songs, along with the next two, Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy and I Guess I Should Go To Sleep, have this feel to them like friends, or like-minded musicians, just happen to show up in Nashville, and they decided to bang out a few songs with Jack.  Pokey Large provides backing vocals on I Guess I Should Go to Sleep.  It's hard to believe he lives in the 21st century, and Jack likes to pretend he doesn't either; the constant adman for vinyl.  It's a shame I listened to this through a sole Ipod speaker.           

          

Blunderbuss came out this Tuesday (4/24).  If I listened to the actual CD, instead of with my Ipod, it may have worn away by now.  Each day I have averaged three listens through the entire album.  It nauseates me to give straight forward reviews.  At first impression, I wasn't in love with The White Stripes' debut; now it's one of my favorites.  I've made the mistake before by judging too soon.  So, I will leave you with this.  Jack White, first impression, and beyond, has made an impression on the music I listen to more than anyone.  He was that musician that made me want to dig deeper into music history.  And, after Blunderbuss, I want to continue to dig (you dig?).  Blunderbuss isn't my favorite Jack White album, but that's beside the point.  It confirms that he has moved on from The White Stripes, and like with everything he has done, I can't look away. Like Dylan, White is going to do whatever he wants.  All I really wanna do is continue to listen.  And, fans have to move on too -  maybe in order to truly appreciate The White Stripes - and to not miss what he's creating in the present.  

Sleep No More

For a recovering insomniac, living in the city that never sleeps takes on a different connotation. Maybe it's not the healthiest place to live for someone that used to be addicted to lack of sleep. I'm sure it has its similarities to alcohol and other addictions.  It's fun at times, especially at the beginning.  You get the sillies like when you were a kid, but it's not natural like back then.  Eventually and inevitably it takes its toll and you end up walking down the street talking to yourself.  People whisper, drunk.  But, you say, no, insomniac.  They say, denial stage.  And, I say, I can't debate right now.  I'm 12 steps away from Sleep No More, a play every recovering insomniac should go see.  The New York Times said Sleep No More will "mess with your head as thoroughly as any artificial stimulant."  You can catch me whispering, naturally, out on the street after the show. 

Sleep No More is an off-Broadway play, but bring your walking shoes; it is not your standard sit and watch.  It is based on Macbeth, and it takes place at what was the site of the McKittrick Hotel in Chelsea.  Check out the play's website for the hotel's interesting history.  

Sleep No More is an experience and one of the few nightlife activities that actually allows you to escape the speed of New York City.  In fact, you may possibly feel like you've escaped the 21st century and awoken in a speakeasy, a la Midnight in Paris.  When you're called to line to enter the hotel, you and the rest of the guests will be handed a white plastic mask, a la Scream.  Rules are given - when in the hotel, keep masks on at all times and no talking.  Oh, and stay out of the actors' way.  Otherwise, get off this elevator and come back to the bar area whenever want.  Good luck, and the more curious you are, the better the experience.

To go into a lot of detail would ruin the experience for you. I just know, I wasn't the only one whispering when exiting the hotel - - and experience is the word.

The Blind Side

I just finished Michael Lewis’ The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. It kind of leaves the reader feeling helpless because most readers don’t have the time, money, or compassion that the Tuohy family of Memphis has. A white Evangelical Christian family made up of: former Ole Miss basketball star Sean Tuohy; wife Leigh Anne Tuohy, parents of a son and daughter. For some reason they decided to bring Michael Oher, presently Ole Miss’ and the nation’s best D-I left tackle, into their family. However, when Sean found Michael, he had never learned Math, never heard of a right angle, or the American Civil War. Michael is obviously black – because you don’t hear stories like this with white kids involved, but hear the story too often with black kids involved.

The story goes – Michael never knew his father; later found out he was in/out of jail and eventually shot/killed; mother was drug addict that borne around 10 kids from all different fathers that were all absent; Michael ran away from foster homes many times until they gave up looking for him; and although his mother didn’t care for him, Michael always missed her and loved her; lived much of life in Hurt Village, one of the worst sections of Memphis where most people didn’t work and were involved with using and/or selling drugs. However, Michael did his best to stay away from that and possibly the only thing that kept him away was Michael Jordan. He saw Jordan once and then wanted to be him – like many black kids grow up dreaming of being the next Jordan. Sports are the only reason Sean Tuohy realized Michael existed. He saw this 6’6 350lbs black guy that was emulating guard-like moves on the basketball court. He decided to find out who this kid was to find out the backstory written above. Michael’s dream was to be a pro basketball player, but his body-type screamed NFL. Sean needed to get him on the football field.

Although Michael hadn’t played football before, he quickly became a star, doing things on the field nobody every saw before, eventually attracting the top college football schools in the nation. As stated before, he presently plays left tackle at Ole Miss, is a sophomore, and will one day play on Sunday. That is not why I’m writing this – and it isn’t the reason author Michael Lewis wrote the book. The reason he wrote it is because if the above wasn’t true, that he wasn’t an NFL prospect, nobody would care about Michael Oher, and he would still be just another statistic, chilling in Hurt Village Memphis.

I don’t like summarizing or reviewing books. If I didn’t get anything out of it, or didn’t like it, I wouldn’t be writing this. I’d rather just talk about a gained perspective. The reason Michael Oher never heard of a right angle or the Civil War was because he never went to school. He didn’t go to school because nobody told him to. The author explained Michael’s ignorance well, and it is something us white kids take for granted. We grew up learning through osmosis, effortlessly absorbing things – which later becomes knowledge. Even by showing up for school everyday and not listening, we were bound to brush by a right angle or civil war. Michael didn’t have school or anybody at home to provide osmosis - - that is why you hear many poor people talking, well, different(ly). Mix this lack of learning with nobody at home to love him. Nobody was home because he had no official home. Once Michael officially became a part of the Tuohy family, Lee Anne bought him something. He responded, “This is my bed? I’ve never had a bed”. With my BA in History on the wall, who cares about the civil war, even if you are black, if you’ve never had a bed in your life.

…To be continued…

Jonathan Richman Live @ The Knitting Factory

Last Saturday I went to see Jonathan Richman at the Knitting Factory in NYC. It has taken a week to write this and that’s the kind of affect the performance had on me. I was entertainted, but saw more of a comedian than a musician…don’t jump to conclusions on me yet though…I enjoyed myself…The Knitting Factory was a small venue (approx. 200 peeps there), a pretty cool place to see live music, most of crowd was mid-30s-40s…all that thought JR was hilarious…however, as funny as we think he is, we showed up to hear his music…recognizable songs for me were “Dancing at the Lesbian Bar” and “Pablo Picasso” (‘never called an asshole’)…both two very funny songs, but JR isn’t Adam Sandler and we listen to these songs for the music and then additional chuckles…JR was joined only by a drummer…we’ll call him “boy” and he didn’t add much…and unfortunately JR’s instrumentation didn’t either……playing off the crowds enthusiasm for comedy, JR spun his g-tar around often, doing some comical dances…I don’t give out thumbs or anything, but I’ll just say I don’t know the last song JR played or whether he got an encore…I left before that could happen…after I finished my 6 buck Boddingtons…I will certainly check out future bands playing at the Knitting Factory again…and would like to eventually see Jonathan Richman with a band…