The Sandman’s Orchestra: “Crying For The Moon” (2014) CD Review

The new CD from The Sandman’s Orchestra, Crying For The Moon, the band’s third full-length release, is an unusual album with a sound that is at times haunting, sometimes gorgeous, sometimes even with spiritual flavor (like the uplifting vocal section at the end of the title track). The best way to first appreciate this album is to lie down in the dark and let it play without distraction. Let it take you where it will, or where your mind chooses. “I just love the way we float,” they sing in “Crying For The Moon.”

The Sandman’s Orchestra is composed of an uncle and niece team, Pierre Laplace and Léonie Gabriel. They are based in Lille, France, but the songs are presented in English. All of the tracks are originals, written by Pierre Laplace. Pierre also plays nearly all the instruments on this release, with the exceptions of drums (JB Hoste takes drum duties) and cello (that’s Nicolas Fahy).

The album starts off with “If This Is Our Swan Song.” I love its delicate, pretty opening, even before Léonie Gabriel’s gorgeous vocals come in. (Of course, there is something amusing about the first line of an album mentioning it being the swan song.) There is something in the song’s sound that gives it a great timeless feel, giving the impression that this could have been composed a few hundred years ago. And so if you let it, this track will take you out of your day’s concerns, transport you from your current surroundings.

In the following track, “No Other Way,” the male and female vocals work together in an interesting way, particularly when Pierre hits the lower notes while Léonie’s vocals take on an airy quality, making the song both grounded and ethereal, part earth, part sky. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “There’s evil on the road/There’s beauty and grace/She walks past places darkened by fear/Haunted by dreams of falling/And she knows there is no other way.”  The instrumental section has a beautiful, dark feel, helped greatly by the presence of cello. And then partway through, the addition of banjo gives the song a lighter, brighter feel, which carries it to the end. And it’s this last section that is actually my favorite part of the song.

One of my favorite tracks on this release is “The Rememberer.” This one has an oddly haunting vibe. One thing that’s interesting is how in certain sections of this song, different instruments add little touches, accents, rather than acting as constant voices. There is even a kalimba. In those moments, I have images of a tribe, each member contributing some small but important part to a ritual. That being said, it’s the vocals that really pull me into this track.

Pierre’s vocal approach to “Sands Of Time” makes me think of Donovan (particularly his work in the late 1960s) and also a bit of Belle And Sebastian. “A blanket of grass and branches underneath the moon/We lie there waiting for a ghost to come round/Promises and pledges, secrets that we share/While the stars light up the deep summer sky.”

My favorite track, “1949,” comes on as a sweet folk song, akin to something Joni Mitchell might have done years ago. Léonie sings, “I rode a train through the winter landscape/Sleepy towns, churches and frozen lakes/When I got to your place I saw the changes.” Then the banjo comes in, automatically causing me to smile. Those strange breaks between sections, with Pierre’s vocals, are interesting. They’re darker, so they make the switch back to the main sections even more effective, due to that contrast. Then there is a pretty instrumental section with guitar and piano to end this song. This is one of my favorite songs of the year.

“Black River Moan” then goes is a very different direction, with more of an angry pulse, a disturbed sound, which is intriguing. “The night dragged you along/We got to the black river and I watched you drown/You sank without a sound.”

Crying For The Moon concludes with “Now The Circle's Broken,” which ends with a really sweet, pretty instrumental section.

CD Track List

1. If This Is Our Swan Song
2. No Other Way
3. The Rememberer
4. Crying For The Moon
5. Sounds Of Time
6. 1949
7. Black River Moan
8. The Silent Kind
9. Man In The Shade
10. Now The Circle’s Broken

Crying For The Moon was released on November 14, 2014. You can check out the music on The Sandman's Orchestra's Bandcamp page. By the way, the album's artwork was done Félix Laplace, Pierre's sixteen-year-old son. Pretty cool.

Ronnie Fauss: “Built To Break” (2014) CD Review

Ronnie Fauss’ new CD, Built To Break, his second release on Normaltown Records, features a good mix of country rock tunes and quieter acoustic songs. Sure, there’s plenty of great guitar work and energy, but for me, it’s this album’s lyrics that really drive the tunes. I love these lines from “A Place Out In The Country”: “I’ve got a lot of love inside me/And that’s where it’s gonna stay.” And check out these lines from “I Can’t Make You Happy”: “Ask anyone you know and they will tell you/That everyone you know will somehow fail you.” All but one of this CD’s tracks are originals, written by Ronnie Fauss.

The opening track, “Another Town,” comes on strong, with a loud burst of energy, then settles into a really good country rock tune, with lots of guitar. I would love to see him perform this one in concert. “So don’t ask me when I’ll be coming back through that door/’Cause, honey, you don’t ask the questions around these parts anymore.” That’s followed by “A Natural End,” which is just a bit more mellow, but then rocks on the chorus: “Let’s have a natural end before we begin/And maybe then we’ll have a chance to win/Let’s have a natural end before we begin/And maybe then you and I will have a chance to win.”

“The Big Catch” is more in folk and country realm. It has a quieter, sweeter sound, but the lyrics are certainly not sweet. Check out these lines: “And there’s something your parents never told you/That the place in between where they slept/Was filled up with lies and resentment/The only things your parents ever kept.” This is a song about how sometimes the mistakes that parents make are then internalized and carried on by the children when they too become parents. It’s a really strong track, one of this CD’s many highlights.

Another highlight, “Eighteen Wheels,” is one of my favorites, a seriously excellent country rock tune. This track features Rhett Miller (from Old 97’s) on vocals, plus some very cool work on piano by Chris Tuttle. I love the energy of this song. This would be a good one for a road trip mix CD. Its lyrics contain references to country artists like Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris, and also Bob Dylan. “I Can’t Make You Happy” also refers to Bob Dylan, specifically “Tangled Up In Blue.” (By the way, one thing I find interesting in that song is the repetition of “Even if I tried” at the end, for it indicates that he actually hasn’t tried to make her happy.)

“Never Gonna Last” is more in the acoustic country realm, and is another of my favorites. This one is a duet, with Jenna Paulette providing the second set of lead vocals, and is about a problematic relationship. Jenna sings, “I’ve been planning for the future/You’ve been living in the past.” And Ronnie responds, “All we know about tomorrow/Is that it’s never gonna last.” In addition to excellent vocals, this track has a really nice instrumental section.

After that one, Ronnie gets back to rock with “I’m Sorry Baby (That’s Just The Way It Goes),” yet another excellent tune. It’s strange, because the lyrics totally depress me, but the music makes me want to grab a beer and dance. It feels a bit odd to dance to lines like “That emptiness it fills you from your head down to your toes.” But perhaps dancing is exactly what we should be doing, as the music of this song sort of tells us to make the best of it, even as the lyrics have a fatalistic quality. “And the days go by so slowly where they used to go so fast/And whiskey does not taste as good when you only pour one glass.”

“Song For Zula” is the album’s only cover. It was written by Matthew Houck, and originally recorded by Phosphorescent. I really like these lines: “See, the cage, it called. I said, ‘Come on in’/I will not open myself up this way again.” This one refers to Johnny Cash, specifically to “Ring Of Fire,” in its opening lines.

CD Track List

1. Another Town
2. A Natural End
3. The Big Catch
4. Eighteen Wheels
5. A Place Out In The Country
6. Never Gonna Last
7. I’m Sorry Baby (That’s Just The Way It Goes)
8. Song For Zula
9. I Can’t Make You Happy
10. Old Life
11. Come On Down 

Built To Break was released on November 4, 2014 through Normaltown Records.

Dreaming Bull at The Silverlake Lounge, 11-17-14: Photos

"Let's All Jump In"

Dreaming Bull played a phenomenal set of music at The Silverlake Lounge last night, the third night of the band’s November residency. Each time this group plays, they just get better and better. And this night everything was working was just right. There was a high level of joy in both the band and the audience.

Dreaming Bull introduced a new song, “Hearts State Penn,” a very cool rock number. My favorites of the night, however, were “Pulling The Plug,” a song the band introduced the first night of its residency, and “Feed Us.” They ended the set with their version of “Low Rider,” which they call “Bull Rida.”

Set List

1. Lover Street
2. Hippie Hobo
3. Let’s All Jump In
4. Hearts State Penn
5. Pulling The Plug
6. Smile On Your Face
7. Feed Us
8. No Use
9. Bull Rida 

Here are a few photos from their set:

soundcheck

"Lover Street"

between songs

"Hearts State Penn"

"Hearts State Penn"

"Pulling The Plug"

"Pulling The Plug"

"Pulling The Plug"

"No Use"

"Bull Rida"

"Bull Rida"

Dreaming Bull finishes up its Silverlake Lounge residency next Monday, November 24th.

Magnolia Memoir at The Silverlake Lounge, 11-17-14: Photos

This was one of those great nights of music, where the bands are just doing everything right, and everyone in the place knows it. At one point during Magnolia Memoir’s set, vocalist Mela Lee said: “I can’t believe this is our life. This rocks.” Indeed. There was another moment toward the end of a song where she sang a cappella, and she had the bar audience completely quiet – quite an achievement in Los Angeles. And of course on these nights there has to be something a bit nutty, so at one point there was a sudden loud buzzing in the speakers, and Mela Lee announced, “We just blew two amps.” After a quick switch of equipment, they were right back into it.

Here are a few photos from Magnolia Memoir’s set:

soundcheck

 

Anne McCue at The Hotel Café, 11-15-14 Concert Review

Anne McCue performing "Dig Two Graves"

I finally got the chance to see Anne McCue perform last night at The Hotel Café in Los Angeles, and it was one of the best sets of music I’ve seen this year. It got me even more excited about her upcoming release, as the new music she played last night is among the best I’ve heard from her.

Of course, it didn't hurt that she had an awesome band backing her – Carl Byron on keyboard and piano, Dusty Wakeman on stand-up bass and electric bass, and David Raven on drums. They kicked off the set with “Driving Down Alvarado,” which featured a good jam with some impressive work on guitar by Anne and the intriguing line “Take me down, down to the place where the monsters play.” Anne followed it with “Motorcycle Dream” from Broken Promise Land, with Carl Byron switching from keyboard to piano. As usual, the Los Angeles crowd was a bit loud, and half the audience was shushing the other half. Good thing it was all behind me, as I got there early and got a seat up front.

Dusty Wakeman then switched to the stand-up bass for the next song, “Uncanny Moon,” which had a kind of sexy, jazzy vibe which I completely enjoyed. A good portion of the set focused on Anne's upcoming release. About her new album, Anne joked, “It’s been forty-five years in the making, and I’m only forty-four.” She then played “Dig Two Graves,” a fantastic song about revenge. It was the first tune of the night on which she played acoustic guitar, and was probably my favorite song of the show. It featured some really nice stuff by David Raven on drums.

Anne followed that with another new song, “Things You Left Out In The Rain,” the first single from the new album, and then “Spring Cleaning In The Wintertime,” which featured some nice play between guitar and piano during a brief instrumental section. She introduced “Little White Cat” by saying it’s the “first song I ever wrote with audience participation.” For this song, she switched back to electric guitar. And yes, the Los Angeles audience did participate.

Anne ended her set with a great bluesy rock number, “As The Crow Flies,” written by Tony Joe White. And holy shit, can this woman play guitar! She closed out her set with some seriously impressive playing which left me wishing this band could do another set.

Set List

1. Driving Down Alvarado
2. Motorcycle Dream
3. Uncanny Moon
4. Dig Two Graves
5. Things You Left Out In The Rain
6. Spring Cleaning In The Wintertime
7. Little White Cat
8. As The Crow Flies

There was no encore, as the sets are pretty rigidly timed at this venue.

Here are a few photos from the show:

"Driving Down Alvarado"

"Driving Down Alvarado"

"Motorcycle Dream"

"Things You Left Out In The Rain"

"Little White Cat"

"As The Crow Flies"

Tomato/Tomato: “So It Goes” (2014) CD Review

Tomato/Tomato is a bluegrass band based in New Brunswick and composed of the husband and wife team of John and Lisa McLaggan. Their debut full-length CD, So It Goes, put a smile on my face the moment it began. There is something about their joy on these tracks that is infectious. There is love in this music, and a sweetness you can’t help but like and appreciate. But there is also a sense of humor, which keeps it all from getting sappy. These are all original songs, written by John and Lisa. It’s a bluegrass album, but with folk and country elements (and even a touch of blues). And they have some excellent musicians joining them on these tracks, including Ray Legere on mandolin and violin, and both Kyle Tuttle and Russell Sawler on banjo.

So It Goes opens with a bright, happy-sounding bluegrass tune titled “Toss It All Away.” This song touches upon the subject of consumerism and our addiction to keeping up with the latest gadgets. And soon they sing, “But I’m afraid that I might disappear into my phone/Toss it all away, I’m going home.” That’s an attractive message, more so these days than ever before. I particularly appreciate the line, “Throw away my phone.” Hell, I’d be happy if we could just get people to stop talking about their phones. I hereby call an end to phones as a conversation topic. (By the way, “I Can’t Lose You” also mentions cell phones. It still seems odd to hear those devices mentioned in bluegrass tunes – it’s like two opposing worlds colliding. But I love the lines “I don’t need my cell phone/Nobody ever calls it” at the end of the tune.)

“Gone Too Far” has a slower country vibe that is just perfect, especially for a song about a troublesome relationship – you know, the kind we just can’t let go. “Well, I love that you act crazy/Blessed with a knack for the bizarre/You tried to push me right to the edge/Now you’ve gone too far/I knew I couldn’t trust you/There was mischief in your charm.” Russell Sawler plays banjo on this track.

There is a delightful swing to “Stylish Fella.” Lisa’s lead vocals have a great old-time sound that is delicious. This one has a sweet, fun vibe, with lyrics like, “He liked to talk, I liked to listen/He helped me clean up in the kitchen/The days were warm and bright with my stylish fella.” Plus, there’s a really nice instrumental section that breaks up the story, working to show time passing, as in a film. Afterwards, she sings, “When the leaves were falling to the ground/My baby took a trip to the city/He found himself a lady, real high-class/She had money, but she wasn’t pretty.”

“So It Goes,” the CD’s title track, is a pretty, soft folk tune with Lisa on lead vocals. And I love the harmonies that begin nearly halfway through the song, coming as a sweet surprise. This is one of my favorite tracks. “And when our story’s written/May we gain more than we lose/No one really knows/So it goes.” My absolute favorite track, however, is “Breakin’ Down.” I just love the groove and whole feel of this one. John takes lead vocal duties on this track. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Whiskey burning in my mouth/Twisting my head all around/Staring through the bottom of my glass/Bottle’s disappearing fast/Whoa, I’m breakin’ down.” There is some really nice work on violin and on banjo.

“Gotta Get Out Of This Town” is a fun, fast-paced bluegrass tune that is at first about leaving the city and heading for the country – a good bluegrass topic, of course. And it’s delivered with a bit of humor that I appreciate, for as soon as they reach the small town, they want to leave there too. I love the mandolin on this track.

CD Track List

1. Toss It All Away
2. Gone Too Far
3. I Can’t Lose You
4. Stylish Fella
5. So It Goes
6. Out Through The Window
7. Breakin’ Down
8. Gotta Get Out Of This Town
9. No Regrets
10. Nothing Ever Works Out My Way

Musicians

Musicians on this album include John McLaggan on vocals and guitar; Lisa McLaggan on vocals, washboard and tambourine; Ray Legere on mandolin and violin; Russell Sawler on banjo; Kyle Tuttle on banjo; Jon Estes on bass; and Mathieu Benoit on drums and percussion.

So It Goes was released on July 22, 2014.

Link Of Chain: A Songwriter’s Tribute To Chris Smither (2014) CD Review

In July of this year Chris Smither released Still On The Levee, a look back at some of the great music of his career, in which he presented new versions of some of his best material. It reminds you of what an excellent songwriter he is. And now several other talented songwriters have pooled their passion and skill for the creation of a tribute to Chris Smither, Link Of Chain. There are some amazing musicians and singers on this CD, including Dave Alvin, Loudon Wainwright III, Jorma Kaukonen, Bonnie Raitt, Peter Mulvey and Peter Case.

This compilation kicks off with its title track, a fantastic rendition of “Link Of Chain” by Dave Alvin. His voice has a surprisingly soothing and intimate quality. This version has that dose of blues, of course, but also a kind of beauty. It’s a seriously good rendition.

It’s followed by Loudon Wainwright’s take on “Place In Line.” Loudon Wainwright appeared on Still On The Levee, on that album’s version of “What They Say,” and interestingly, Chris Smither plays electric guitar on this track. That’s right: he appears on his own tribute album. And why not? As you might expect, Loudon does a fun version of this tune. I also dig Dave Goodrich’s touches on piano. “And now tomorrow’s just your grand plan for yesterday.” The original version of this song is on Chris Smither’s Hundred Dollar Valentine.

Mary Gauthier

I absolutely love Mary Gauthier’s mean, low-down bluesy rendition of “I Feel The Same.” Her voice has this great quality that gives you the impression she’s capable at any moment of sticking a knife in you. It’s a voice of someone who can take care of herself. “You won’t forget me or the sound of my name.” This is a song that Bonnie Raitt has covered too, and it’s one that Chris Smither has included on a few albums.

Josh Ritter does a sweet, kind of bright folk version of “Rosalie.”  His voice reminds me of Brooks Williams at times. I particularly like the backing vocals on the chorus in this version. This is another tune that Chris Smither has recorded several times.

Jorma Kaukonen

I’m a big fan of Jorma Kaukonen’s work. I was fortunate enough to catch a show on that Jefferson Airplane reunion tour more than two decades ago, where he also did a short Hot Tuna set. His choice from Chris Smither’s catalogue, “Leave The Light On,” seems perfect. The age in his voice works beautifully, and there is something sweet there as well as a bit of humor, which fits so well with lines like “That drummer in my head needs inspiration/There’s a lack of syncopation/That holds me to a line.” This track is one of the disc’s highlights for me. Besides, it’s such a damn good song.

Tim O’Brien provides an absolutely delightful version of “Origin Of Species,” playing banjo and doing a bit of yodeling and scat. But it’s Jim Hoke’s clarinet that really makes this track something special. These guys are clearly having a good time, and that joy transfers so easily to the listener.

Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Raitt provides the only live track of this collection, “Love Me Like A Man,” recorded in October of 2012. And she introduces the tune by mentioning Chris Smither: “This is a Chris Smither song. One of my favorite artists who’s still touring, and you’ll love him if you haven’t seen him.” She’s joined by James “Hutch” Hutchinson on bass, and they sound so sexy together. Bonnie Raitt is just fucking fantastic, and she owns this song. She included versions of it on her 1972 release, Give It Up, and on her 1995 live album, Road Tested.

The only track from this CD that was previously released is Peter Mulvey’s version of “Time To Spend,” which he included on his 2012 release The Good Stuff.  Peter does a groovy, jazzy rendition that is excellent. This is also the second track on this compilation to feature David Goodrich.

This collection concludes with Patty Larkin doing a moving, bluesy, somewhat haunting rendition of “Train Home.” She performs the vocals and all the instruments on this track.

CD Track List

1. Link Of Chain – Dave Alvin
2. Place In Line – Loudon Wainwright III
3. I Feel The Same – Mary Gauthier
4. Rosalie – Josh Ritter
5. No Love Today – Paul Cebar
6. Can’t Shake These Blues – Eilen Jewell
7. Leave The Light On – Jorma Kaukonen
8. Small Revelations – Aoife O’Donovan & Stephanie Coleman
9. Origin Of Species – Tim O’Brien
10. Love Me Like A Man – Bonnie Raitt
11. Time To Spend – Peter Mulvey
12. Song For Susan – Mark Erelli & Jeffrey Foucault
13. Call Yourself – Heather Maloney
14. Caveman – Peter Case
15. Train Home – Patty Larkin 

Link Of Chain: A Songwriter’s Tribute To Chris Smither was released on September 30, 2014 through Signature Sounds.