Wilderness of Manitoba - "November"

I know it's the middle of summer, but that's when I'm most likely to trapse around in the woods and, if my friends were more talented, we would all sing and strum around a campfire like the Wilderness of Manitoba, whose backsides are apparently more impervious to the winter chill than mine. Unfortunately, I don't think any of my friends are capable of the beautiful and hushed harmonies on "November," so I'll just have to settle for seeing the band play at the Mission Theater on Friday, August 26th when they open for the Cloud Cult.

William Elliott Whitmore - Field Songs (2011)

Field Songs unfolds like the musical score to a film on agricultural life. I can't help but think of digging my hands in the dirt, hammering cracked barn siding and tilling long stretches of soil on a rusted-out tractor. With this album as my soundtrack, such a life almost sounds appealing. The vivid imagery speaks to Whitmore's ability to channel so much soul, old-timey grit and emotion with just his unique voice, banjo or acoustic guitar and crickets, birds and frogs as backup singers. Field Songs is even more simplistic than Animals In The Dark, Whitmore's fantastic 2009 release, which is fine from my perspective. It also helps that Whitmore seems like a genuinely likable and humble guy—someone I'd really enjoy sharing a Black Star sixer with on a front porch somewhere where the stars glow like floodlights. The title track (below) is probably my favorite, but in truth, I could listen to the whole album over and over without interruption. For additional individual highlights, check out: "Everything Gets Gone" and "Not Feeling Any Pain."

The man will be playing Slim's in San Francisco on September 23rd with James Vincent McMorrow. Should be an amazing show.

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing (2011)

I was sitting around a large table of folks at the Connecticut Yankee awhile back, greasing the pipes for The Builders and The Butchers and Murder By Death concert at BOTH, when a friend said, "You know a band I think you should check out? The Rural Alberta Advantage." So I did, and here I am writing this review. I have to admit, I was on the fence at first... And the fence was pretty tall and thick. Nils Edenloff's vocals are not exactly welcoming, beautiful or mainstream, but they had me at "Drain the Blood." Again, initially I was riding that proverbial fence regarding Departing, but in the same manner a few listens turned me into an avid fan of Hometowns, I was drawn into the folky, slightly quirky rhythms, nasally vocals and sing-along choruses. As for Departing, "Two Lovers" is great, "Under the Knife" is remarkably catchy, "Tornado '87" is this album's pull-you-in jam much like "Drain the Blood" was on the last album and "Barnes' Yard" makes my foot-drums go crazy. I'm not going to promise that you'll think this album is a winner at first listen, but give it a few spins, and if those high-notes hit a chord, I'm sure you'll become a fan just like me.

AgesandAges - Alright You Restless (2011)

Like neo-hippies, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, AgesandAges sound like an idealized front porch family sing-along. Just about every song off Alright You Restless exudes a friendly communal feeling, to the point where the band must regularly discuss whether they are or are not a cult. I first discovered AgesandAges, along with Boy Eats Drum Machine and Light For Fire, on last summer’s PDX Pop! Now compilation. “No Nostalgia” stood out with its wonderful rolling rhythm, buoyed by spirited group harmonies, and a catchy call and response. The rest of album roughly follows that basic formula, with a guitarist and percussionist anchoring the songs, while the rest of the seven member band fills out the sound and shares the lead and backing vocal duties. The rustic nature and appearing simplicity of the songs belie the many tempo changes, vocal arrangements, and intricate musicianship. For example, when male vocals lash through the choral pop towards the end of "When I Was Idle." I love the entire album, but the galloping “So So Freely” (mp3) and ringing “Souvenir” are two of the other standouts.


AgesandAges "Navy Parade (escape from the Black River bluffs)" HD from Alicia J. Rose on Vimeo.

Boy & Bear - With Emperor Antarctica (2010)

In 2008, Mumford & Sons released a few low-profile EPs and then shook-up the indie folk rock world in 2010 with the release of their LP, Sigh No More and a handful of viral, artistic HD music videos. Could Boy & Bear be destined for a similarly rapid rise to prominence? Everything seems to be in place for that to become a reality. Multi-instrumentational indie folk rock jams are accompanied by soaring choral harmonies that, if you have been listing to anything indie these days, should sound like many other bands. Fleet Foxes, Local Natives, in addition to Mumford & Sons come to mind, and that is totally copacetic. The tracks can be both enthusiastically uptempo in addition to thoughtfully poetic. Boy & Bear seem to be doing all the right things: HD music videos? Check. Addicting EP? Check. Two word name separated by an "&" sign? Check. Now all we need is a feature length release and they are good to go. I look forward to the full length effort although I anticipate, like with M&S, some of the best tracks, such as "Mexican Mavis" and "Blood to Gold," will make repeat appearances.

McDougall - Our New Histories (2010)

McDougall is folk-singing hurricane of a one-man band, pounding out the bottom end on a kick drum and high hat as he powerfully strums his guitar. Our New Histories is full of tales of traveling, colorful characters and their lives. This is music for and about people. McDougall's lyrics have a confident stride and almost sound like a preacher's parables. When the songs build they gain a sense of foreboding urgency, as if fire and brimstone might rain down at any minute. Like the Builders and the Butchers, the impending doom on "Around This Fire" and "18 Days Of Rain" (mp3) sounds like a celebration. More upbeat songs, like "Line By Line" and "Time To Move" seem ready to hop off the boxcar and lead the crowd to the dance hall. He commanded the stage when I saw him open for Hillstomp a couple weeks ago, and the album captures that same excitement and devilish glee that made me a fan.

Mumford And Sons - "The Cave" (Acoustic Bookshop Sessions)

Sigh no more! My much-anticipated Mumford and Sons show is this week and I am beyond excited to finally see these Brits get their banjo on, even if it's at the less-than-intimate NYC monstrosity otherwise known as Terminal 5 (a venue that seriously needs to accidentally burn down already, as I've requested many moons ago). QuickCrit is no stranger to loving Mumford hard this year, so where's the harm in gushing a little more? I serendipitously stumbled upon some baller acoustic versions of M&S playing their tracks at Treadwell's Bookshop in London. Oh please, please, please play similarly stripped-down versions at T5 and maybe I'll refrain from jig dancing. They even called this performance the "Bookshop Sessions." Flawless acoustic Mumford... in a bookshop? Blimey! I think I just had a tiny musical orgasm.



"Little Lion Man" sounds great too, no surprise there.

McDougall - "48 Reasons" Video

If you dig Hillstomp, there's a good chance you'll like McDougall's back porch tales. "48 Reasons" off Ramble should convince you to show up for an early beer when he opens for Hillstomp at Dante's on Saturday night. "18 Days of Rain" (mp3) from his upcoming album is also worth checking out. Plus, he comes highly recommended by Hillstomp's Henry Krammer:

"He is unbelievable. We actually travel with him whenever we can. He is one of the best songwriters I’ve ever met in my life. He’s a singer-songwriter but he uses a kick drum and a high hat and plays banjo and guitar and he screams his head off and he makes you a believer after about 30 seconds. I would recommend showing up early."

J. Tillman @ Doug Fir

J. Tillman shuffled on stage, grabbed his guitar, said a few pleasantries and began. The place went immediately dead silent once he started singing "Three Sisters". The parable's story and imagery delivered in alternating resonating strength and delicate whisper. His captivating performance even held the bar in the back silent for 3 or 4 songs.

The Doug Fir was the perfect venue for Tillman, with the acoustics capturing the clarity and sharpness of his vocal. His songs, although quiet and beautiful, they never lulled the audience, but held them rapt and attentive as he played songs from his upcoming album, Singing Ax, due out sometime in September. He wasn't sure or seemed to care about those details, but if that night was any indication, it will be worth seeking out.

Nick Jaina - "Days In My Room" Video

Portland troubadour Nick Jaina is holding his record release show tomorrow at the Doug Fir, a perfect setting for the lush and quiet folk on A Bird In The Opera House. The soft focus on the video for "Days In My Room" captures the songs reflective tone as he rides across the Steel Bridge around the city, the nostalgic imagery appearing as if the footage was decades old. As I previously noted, "Sleep Child" (mp3) is also worth checking out.

Friday Night Beer Pairing: Upright Brewing & Nick Jaina

Tonight I'm pairing two regional adaptations of traditionally rustic genres.

Any beer lover visiting Portland will notice the abundance of pale ales; every brewery seems to have at least three kinds. So the founding of Upright Brewing and its experimental, loosely Belgian-style beers was great news for Brasilliant and me, who were forced to fly to Germany and Belgium to satisfy our thirst for doppelbocks and tripels. Upright uses a Belgian-based brewing process, but are not beholden to any one recipe, which makes a visit to Upright's tasting room so much fun. They are still playing around with their beers, so while you may not love every sip, the flavors are bold and unique. My favorite is the Upright 7, their version of a farmhouse Saison. It's dry, aromatic, and just slightly spicy. Even at 8% it goes down easy.

I'm not sure which Portland loves more, beer or folk music. Probably beer, but judging from the abundance of good singer-songwriters, indie folk isn't far behind. Nick Jaina is one of my favorites and is set to release his new album, A Bird In The Opera House, next month. "Sleep Child" (mp3) captures the album's warm vocals and rhythmic strumming that gently pushes the songs forward. The album incorporates bits of Portland into the lyrics along with subtle layers of strings. It's comfortable, catchy, and perfect for kicking back at home.

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More (UK 2009 / US 2010)

With Midlake, Local Natives, and Mumford & Sons all releasing albums in a span of a few months (weeks, depending on when you evaluate the international release dates), folk rooted rock is really making a surge. I suppose this is really nothing new in particular, I just feel like the market for stringed, minstrel-like  instruments (other than guitar and bass of course) and layered harmonies have really hit a high.  Fleet Foxes appears to be the preeminent power in this broad genre at this point in time; however, with the Sigh No More LP I think Mumford & Sons can give ‘em a run for their money. This London-based quartet, whose name sounds more like a general store or cobbler shop than a band, takes their vocal harmonies and instrumentation real seriously, with nearly every track making a slow-building skyward arch until your heart is lifted and your speakers are overflowing with sound. The absence of drums on most tracks does not prevent them from inducing foot-stomping and body rocking. There is plenty of strummy acoustic guitar, joined by vigorous banjo, key pounding and memorable lines - creating tracks that ooze with upbeat, confident vibes. This album accomplishes what I think a lot of bands aim for but fall short of... an LP that doesn’t feel deflated by already released EPs. “Little Lion Man,” “Awake My Soul” and “Winter Winds” are my favorites, but truthfully, I don’t think that there is a bad piece on the entire release.

Birds Fled From Me & John Houx @ The Crepe Place

As John Houx sat on the floor of The Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, CA, playing his song "Born in 1984", a painting of a grinning Bob Dylan circa 1969 looked down on him. The uncanny resemblance between the two went further than looks, and to Houx's credit, he doesn't shy away from a songwriting style that owes a lot to the august folk singer. That is good because his songwriting is strong enough to carry past comparisons, and his easygoing presence kept any hokeyness at bay. He ran through a strong set of songs that were witty and sharp, personal but not overtly political. Houx was opening for Birds Fled From Me, solo project of local artist Rachel Williams, who performed admirably with an impromptu band and a case of jet lag. But it was the first songs in her set, performed solo using a tape delay, that were most captivating. Her lilting, alluring voice accompanying itself on songs about love lost or found. She has a endearing skittishness onstage, seemingly unable to stop herself from telling her audience how nervous she is in between songs, or declaring "I'm a really self-conscious person. Seriously." In front of an enthusiastic crowd in her hometown, she seemed at ease in her awkwardness.

Steve Earle - Townes (2009)

When you hear people like Steve Earle talk about Townes Van Zandt, the story comes across as more of one belonging to a cowboy legend or folk hero rather than a flesh and blood, songwriting man. His documentary, Be Here to Love Me: A Film about Townes Van Zandt, is both an amazing portrait of a poetic songwriter and a haunting look inside the life of an awkwardly talented man who seems determined to destroy himself. Although people may be familiar with Van Zandt's songs covered by some of the biggest names in country and folk, less people recognize Townes playing his own songs. On Townes, Earle offers up his own renditions of van Zandt's gems mixed in with near-impersonations, and, for the most part, does a really good job. With a consolidation nod to Bob Dylan, Earle has been quoted as deeming Van Zandt the world's greatest songwriter, in addition to being his mentor and good friend. The respect and admiration shines through on the album, and people who are fans of Earle and Van Zandt should find the familiarity of Earle's sound and Van Zandt's songs a good blend. I guess the questions is: Did Earle bring anything new to the table, as far as Van Zandt's songs go? I would say that he brings enough to make this album worth checking out, especially if you are interested in hearing some cleaner version of Van Zandt's later songs.

Hayden - The Place Where We Lived (2009)

Jeremy's review: Hayden's new album, The Place Where We Lived, is very good but still feels to me sort of like a b-side to his previous album, In Field and Town. It checks in at only 30 minutes and lacks enough of the moments with a sharper edge (jangly guitar solos or bursts of distortion) which his previous albums have often deftly used to counter the more dominant dour and quiet strain. The laid back groove on a few tracks is reminiscent of a country-folk Bob Dylan in his Nashville years, and these toe-tappers do balance out the slower acoustic turns. Typical of Hayden's wistful lyrics, though, the most upbeat sounding song is titled "Let's Break Up." But it's the familiar warmth and depth of his voice, both playful and sad, that brings me back every time. Check out the title track as well as "Message from London," “Dilapidated Heart,” and “Never Lonely.”

Paula Sinclair - Steady Girl (2009)

It is no secret that I have a soft spot in my heart for female country singers. Nothing makes me happier than when I hear a woman with a mature voice belting out a tune from her gut. I was recently introduced to Paula Sinclair's new album, Steady Girl, and instantly fell in love with almost every single song. Her from-the-heart lyrics reveals a lady in search of love, but also hardened by the sadness romance often brings.

Sinclair commands attention from her very first track "Something Sweeter", and honestly, heartache has never sounded better. The fact that she has relocated from Kentucky to Portland only makes me love her more. Steady Girl also includes a cover of Steve Earle's "Fearless Heart", which I think is even better than the original (granted Earle wrote that song in 1986). Sinclair's rendition is warmer, more soulful, and is actually one of my favorites on the album.

Having been disappointed by Lucinda Williams' recent recordings, Paula Sinclair easily takes a firm position in my top favorites among the likes of Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, and Caitlin Cary.

Other favorites on the album include: "Medicine Burn", "Blue-Eyed Kentucky Boy," and "Looking for Love".

Michael Dean Damron - Father's Day (2009)

I'd be surprised if fans of the Drive-By Truckers' Patterson Hood and Lucero's Ben Nichols aren't immediately drawn to Portland's similarly scratchy-voiced Michael Dean Damron and his barroom folk songs of heartbreak and regret. I also hear a lot of Steve Earle's simultaneously world-weary and rebellious attitude. He seems to aspire (and fit) Earle's definition of a "Hard Core Troubadour", a song referenced on "I'm A Bastard". Damron's soulful vocals on "Dead Days" mix acceptance and reflection and allow the electric guitar to provide a touch of optimism. Like early Bottle Rocket's albums, black humor runs throughout Father's Day, evident in songs like "Boy With A Car" and "SOS", which could be country punk if he picked up the pace. As usual, I tend to favor the electric guitar and harmonica driven tracks like "Tornado Song", but he does justice to the slower acoustic numbers as well, like a couple of covers of Townes Van Zandt and King Harvest.

Son Volt - American Central Dust (2009)

My friend Jeremy and I both love Son Volt, however, aside from the obvious hits, we almost always disagree on our favorite songs. He prefers the slow and moody ruminations while I prefer the less-depressed rockers. After loving The Search and its upbeat horns, the quieter American Central Dust feels like a bit of a letdown. Overall, it's a still solid album, and for all I know, Jeremy might love it. It certainly is his prettiest album. Aside from the grind on "When The Wheels Don't Move", Jay Farrar mostly ditches the distortion in favor of layering guitar and organ to create a rich and full sound that highlights his voice and lyrics. As much as I like "Jukebox Of Steel", "Dynamite" and "Down To The Wire", I still miss the amps.

Elvis Perkins In Dearland - Elvis Perkins In Dearland (2009)

Perkins deserves all the praise and lofty comparisons that he receives. For his sophomore release, Perkins assembled a talented backing band to fill-out his folky, singer-songwriter approach, and the rounded-out sound could not be better crafted. From start to finish, Elvis Perkins In Dearland's diverse, acoustic rock and folk influences meld into catchy—sometimes touching, sometimes uplifting—musical story pieces. Perkins' voice is both melodically endearing, like on the slow and sentimental "Hours Last Stand," and enthusiastically jumpy, like on the upbeat "I Heard Your Voice In Dresden." The assorted instrumentation stays in step with the tone of the vocals, and the poetic lyrics exemplify why Perkins is one of the more well regarded song writers over the past few years. Elvis Perkins In Dearland is worth both a purchase and a listen. He is currently on tour now, so plan accordingly.

For a taste of my favorite song off the album, watch this studio video for "Shampoo."

Ben Nichols - The Last Pale Light In The West (2009)

Lucero fans will most likely already be aware of this recent EP from the band's front man, Ben Nichols, but for those who are not tapped into the Lucero circle, this is definitely worth getting your hands on. The Last Pale Light In The West is a stripped-down, "Blood Meridian" themed, folk-country album that features Nichols' rasp and acoustic guitar, with subtle backing. The 7 track album moves quickly with minimalistic quality throughout, leaving me wanting more length to the existing tracks, and more tracks to the album; however, I'm happy with the likes of the title track, as well as "Chambers," "Tobin," & "The Kid."