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| Music Archive July '08 |
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Oh me, oh my, it's almost the Fourth of July! Summer is in full
swing in Crested Butte, and we are enjoying some of the most beautiful
weather in the world! Summertime is traditionally the slowest time of
the year for new releases in the music industry as many artists are
currently on tour. This is the time of year that smaller, independent
labels have the chance to shine, as is the case with this week's two
new reviews.
First up, is the duo of Kimberly Morrison and Jesse Lortz, known collectively as The Dutchess & The Duke.
Hardly Art--"a fine little record label if we do say so ourselves"--is
a small subsidiary label of Seattle-based Sub Pop Records, who has
released records from the likes of Arthur & Yu and Le Loup thus
far. Now comes She's The Dutchess, He's The Duke, a
medicine-show-esque experiment that blurs the lines between classic
American folk and pop music of yesteryear. Add in a punky, American
Gothic aesthetic birthed from Morrison and Lotz's time in various West
Coast bands (Flying Dutchmen, The Intelligence, Sultanas), and we are
introduced to a new set of adult summer camp sing-along songs. At
times seeming like a folk recording from a time capsule a la 1963, we
are blessed to present this record crafted of music at its purest form;
no gimmicks, no tricks.
Today, we also look at Fate, the sixth and latest release from big-hearted, Philadelphia-based quintet Dr. Dog.
With the thousands of bands playing out today, to stand out one must
often stretch a genre of music to a point of invention, and it feels as
though Dr. Dog has created a unique brand of indie-soul.
Diving deep into the mysteries of life, love, and the various natures
of the human condition. Dr. Dog creates its music from a
long-standing, well-developed palette of intricate harmonies, shifting
melodies, and soulful lyrical crescendo and diminuendo forms. Band
members Thanks, Triumph, Taxi, Tables, and Text are known for the
emotionally-charged live performances, and we can begin to feel the
open-arms of Dr. Dog embrace us here on Fate.
Other Notables:
- Alabama 3:
A righteous live act from the U.K. that has been around since 1997.
We've received a retrospective containing some of this legendary band's
greatest hits including "Woke Up This Morning" (Sopranos Theme), "Too
Sick To Pray," and "Ska'd For Life." This is one of the most
infectious, groove laden records we have heard yet this year.
- Sound Tribe Sector 9:
Folks travel far and near to catch a STS9 show. This spacy,
electro-beat record is for fans of Boards of Canada and Mouse on Mars.
- Willie Nelson: Not a new release, per se, but we do get a reissue of his 1978 classic Stardust.
Not only do we get the original album--as produced by Booker T.
Jones--but we are also afforded a second disc, featuring more songs
from the Great American Songbook.
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