Or, the Whale is an alt-country band from San Francisco with a fairly big fan base on the west coast. Their song "Call and Response", was the debut single on their first album, Light Poles and Pines (2007). It has helped earn them a 2008 Hollywood Music Award for Best Americana/Roots Artist, as well as, a spot on Radio & Records Top 100 Americana Artists of 2008.
They have great male/female melodies, but the lead vocalist's - Alex Robins - does have a tendency to get lost among the voices and instruments. Despite this one flaw, he does have a lot of shining moments on the slower, softer songs. Or, the Whale can either rock with their heavy guitar playin', foot stompin' country, sometimes they can bring it down to an acoustic restraint, or they can just give a relaxed, laid back vibe with the flow of their music and voices. And, even though they are not authentically country in upbringing, they do bring a somewhat authentic sound with a honky tonk piano or a twang of the the steel guitar.
The Low Anthem is a folk rock band from Providence, Rhode Island. They came into the public eye with their recent album, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin (2009), which was also named Album of the Month by Uncut.
This group has been compared with Fleet Foxes, who happen to be on the same label, but that is as far as the similarities go. Whereas Fleet Foxes have more of an AM country, Appalachian folk, and 60s tone to their music, The Low Anthem's sound has more of an experimental, bluesy, roots with a splash folk. This can clearly be heard on Oh My God, Charlie Darwin.
I felt that the album lacked cohesion. Sometimes the album would give the listener something philosophical, poignant, and sincere -- "Ticket Taker," "Charlie Darwin", and "To Ohio" -- then give us loud, obnoxious, and somewhat irritating songs like "The Horizon Is A Beltway" and Tom Wait's, "Home I'll Never Be." Although this album has a split personality, I believe that it did not stray from the theme. The Low Anthem may not have given me or others an incredible album, but that isn't to say there weren't moments of brilliance.
Great Lake Swimmers has to be one of my favorite groups. I discovered this group by accident last fall, and I haven't stopped listening to them since. They are one of the most overlooked groups in the music industry. But for those who have heard, they can be compared with the likes of The Red House Painters, Nick Drake, and Iron & Wine.
Tony Dekker, singer and songwriter, has a mesmerizing and haunting quality to his voice. It is quiet yet confident. His skillfully simple songs show that he has the gift of singing and writing. His songs have a way of turning the mundane into something splendid, and the lyrics are almost organic. The other members of the group are equally skilled with their instruments. They add a pastoral purity and soul soothing essence that mirrors Dekker's vocals.
Great Lake Swimmers definitely remind me of the folk of yesteryear. Their music is anchored in the land and their surroundings. They have a wise character to their lyrics and music. Great Lake Swimmers are certainly a group of old souls making old music new again.
"Moving Pictures, Silent Films", Great Lake Swimmers (2003)
Moving Pictures Silent Films – Great Lake Swimmers
Neko Case was born in Alexandria, Virginia and grew up in Tacoma, Washington. She is best known for her solo career, Neko Case and Her Boyfriends, and her contribution as a member of the Canadian indie rock group, The New Pornographers. She primarily performs her own material, but does perform cover versions of songs by Tom Waits, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Queen just to name a few. Her alt-country/folk music and stylings have led critics to compare her to the likes of Loretta Lynn and Wanda Jackson. She has a powerful and clear voice that can drive the emotions of the song and her audience.
In her most recent solo album, Middle Cyclone, which was released in March 2009, is filled with the imagery of tornadoes and nature. However, this album doesn't just focus on the fauna and flora, it also gives attention to the nature of human relationships - the neglect, the forgetting and the self-reconciling fact that she as well as everyone needs love. Her voice on the album can be both strong and gentle like its subject. The musical arrangements are also perfectly reflective of nature. "The Tornado Loves You" has the strong urgent vocals and the fast and hetic guitar. Then, "Middle Cyclone" has the soft and lamenting voice, the earthy acoustic guitar, and the gentle solo of a music box. This song actually moved me the first time I heard it. With lyrics like, "I lie across the path waiting, just for a chance to be a spiderweb trapped in your lashes. For that, I would trade you my empire for ashes. But I choke it back, how much I need love."
William Fitzsimmons was raised on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the youngest child of blind parents, so growing up was quite unconventional. His childhood home was filled with sounds from various instruments, sing-a-longs, and a pipe organ, which his father built into the house with his own hands. He also grew up listening to folk music like James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan. Fitzsimmons's first two albums -- Until When We Are Ghosts (2005) and Goodnight (2006) -- were completely self recorded and produced. However, his third album (and my personal favorite), The Sparrow And The Crow (2008), is his first studio recorded album.
The Sparrow And The Crow was named iTunes No.1 singer/songwriter album of 2008. It is an album that deals lyrically with his own divorce. It is most definitely an intimate and emotional album. Also on this album, Prisalla Ahn and Caitlin Crosby sing duets with Fitzsimmons to add a feminine touch and side to the album and its story. His voice is to be noted as well. His breathy, whispery vocals add a beautiful touch because it is delicate, yet it isn't fragile. His voice definitely conveys his lyrical subject matter in an effective way. This album to me is a well crafted musical diary of his emotional journey through divorce. It represents all of the feelings one has during a breakup, but does it with such grace and dignity that most singer/songwriters could not.
Now, Fitzsimmons has recently released his fourth, Derivatives, on May 19, 2010. It is intriguing. An album completely of remixes of his previous songs. The remixes give the somewhat melancholic songs an upbeat feel. This is extremely risky and some of his fans may not be as receptive to the concept. Personally, I found a remix of Katy Perry's, "I Kissed A Girl" disappointing. I normally do not like remixes and I definitely do not like covers and remixes of songs that I find to be a waste of airtime in the first place. Despite this minor faux pas, I believe that this album is worth the listen.
The videos may seem like overkill, but I wanted everyone to hear a song or two from each of his albums.
"Funeral Dress", Until When We Are Ghosts (2005)
"It's Not True", Goodnight (2006)
"If You Would Come Back Home", The Sparrow and the Crow (2008)
"Further From You", The Sparrow and the Crow (2008)
Liz Durrett, an American singer/songwriter from Athens, Georgia has been on the indie/folk scene since 2005 with her debut album Husk. This album title clearly states the obvious. Her bare bones music and lush, somewhat husky, vocals are clearly demonstrated in this album as well as the two albums that follow. Durrett's musical talents have been encouraged by her uncle, the well known bohemian folk artist, Vic Chestnutt. The lonely sound of her music lends itself to her childhood living in the country where she sometimes felt isolated. Her most recent album, Outside Our Gates, was released in September 2008 and is less minimal and more refined with the addition of more strings. It still has the same somber feel and breathy vocals that give texture to the arrangements.
The Treetop Flyers have a very soulful and nostalgic sound to their music. Clash says they're Ones To Watch in 2010, and has stated that this band has "a sound so deserving of its own genre." The Treetop Flyers have beautiful melodies and a natural sound. Their EP "To Bury The Past" was recorded in an analogue studio with no digital effects, thus making the album seem and sound like a live performance. Who would have known that these boys are from London? Instead, the Treetop Flyers feel like they have just stepped out of the American south. They sound like a Saturday night on the front porch with friends pickin',singin', and drinkin'.
