Posted by Hugh on Jul 2 2006 to Country
Over the course of the past few months, I’ve been on what you might call a “roots rock” kick. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, roots rock is essentially… well… the return to the roots of rock, usually with a dash of country and folk mixed in for good measure. Magnolia Electric Co. is a band that uses all three to create some rocking country tunes that utilize the lyrical genius of folk music to allow for some truly eloquent tales of heartbreak. Their previous incarnation, Songs: Ohia (o-he-uh? o-hi-uh?), played more or less the same style of songs, so be sure to check them out if MEC happens to touch you in the right way. If you’ve ever had your heart broken, it will.
Downloads
From What Comes After The Blues
Leave The City – (MP3, 5.1 MB)
From Trials & Errors
The Dark Don’t Hide It – (MP3, 6.7 MB)
Posted by Hugh on Jun 9 2006 to Country
With a name like Elliott Brood, I hastily assumed that they were more of a solo artist thing. Due to the usage of “they” in the last sentence, you can assume that my assumption was wrong, and you’d be right, unlike me. Their self-described “death country” sounds like, well, country, with a dash of rock… and a banjo that you will not be able to get enough of. I never thought I’d ever say “Can’t get enough of that banjo!” but in this instance, it’s entirely true. I got a fever, and the only prescription is more banjo!
Downloads
From Ambassador
Second Son (MP3, 3.8MB)
Posted by Hugh on Jun 1 2006 to Country
Having a mild obsession as of late with the songstyles of Hawksley Workman, it’s only natural that I perused the songstyles of his similar artists, as defined by last.fm. But with all those artists to choose from, where do you go, how do you start? If you’re anything like me, you pick the one with the most interesting band name, and for me, that meant Matt Mays & El Torpedo.
Despite the fact that I obviously was going against the adage of “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” my choice did not disappoint whatsoever. These Canadian fellows play a fine blend of country-rock, easy on the country. This is another case of little innovation remedied by rampant awesomeness, especially Mays’ vocals, and everything blends together so perfectly that it’s hard to remember that this is their debut album. Although the only things they have in common with Hawksley Workman are the rocking tunes and their Canadian nationality (and the fact that I love them), I couldn’t be more pleased with how last.fm comes up with similar artists.
Downloads
From Matt Mays & El Torpedo
Cocaine Cowgirl (Music video)
On The Hood (Music video)
Posted by Hugh on May 30 2006 to Country
Country’s one of those genres where most comments about it are one of two themes: “this song’s really sad” or “this song’s really boring.” Of course, not all country is like that, but you try to tell people that they should disregard musical stereotypes and see where you get. Not very far, I’d imagine.
The fact that I used that as a prelude to this post on Kate Maki isn’t meant to imply that her songs are boring (they’re not) or sad (OK… they’re sad); it’s meant to imply that some people see the word “country” and immediately get the notion that they’re not going to like it.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to the topic at hand. Kate Maki is a country musician who writes sad songs that don’t bore one to tears, nor do they disappoint musically or lyrically. It’s nothing especially original, but country’s one of those genres where experimentation isn’t exactly encouraged, nor one where it’s particularly necessary; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, as they say. Enjoy the stereotypical country twang without the stereotypical country boredom, as I say.
Downloads
From Confusion Unlimited
To Be Good (MP3, 1.9MB)
Over (MP3, 3.2MB)
Mid March Blues (MP3, 2.6MB)
