Absentee’s calling card is the world-weary, whiskey-soaked voice of Dan Michaelson, who may remind you of Kurt Wagner of Lambchop or, as the band’s MySpace page puts it, “Leonard Cohen singing from the trouser backed up with a mix of incompetence and occasional suprise.” Whatever the case, “Something to Bang” is a brilliant blast of horns and wit but somewhat of a “radio single” compared to my favorite: the simple and resigned “Hey Tramp.” Both are available on their new album Schmotime which you can find on eMusic to avoid paying import prices.
Bill Patton
Available in its entirety for free download from Bipolar Productions, Bill Patton’s cleverly fragile debut album Gets It On is looking for a good home. Part Neil Young from the “Sugar Mountain” days, part Dashiell Hammet meets Nick Drake (the title “A Crimefighter Who Pities Fools” should say enough), Patton’s sparse arrangements, with mumbled vocals and piercing pedal steel guitar, are about as emotive as you can get. Try two originals (especially “Dirty Woman”) and two covers — yes, from the Beatles and Prince — to get a handle on his unique sound and, of course, to enjoy. PS Thanks for the tip, Justin.
The Minor Leagues
Only thing minor about this Cincy outfit is the occasional chord… Their vibrant, orchestral, and decidedly grounded pop sounds like it could be the fruit of the now-defunct Elephant 6 label but instead comes from datawaslost, the same collective that brought you Coltrane Motion.
Beirut
Zach Condon is an A-student from Albuquerque who bummed around Europe for a few months and came back with a head full of Balkan harmonies just begging for a pop reawakening. With the help of Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeremy Barnes, who lends lovely layers of percussion, they’ve gotten just that. Condon’s melancholic, lazy-tongued crooning owes more than a little to the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt, as does his ability to turn the oddest mix of melodies into an aural box of chocolates. From a hodgepodge of musical traditions, and without a single traditional pop rhythm, Beirut creates little gems that will stick in your mind as much more than just quaint novelties from faraway locales.
Elliott Brood
Neal’s been suggesting the self-described “death country” of Elliott Brood for awhile now (TT seconded the idea — thanks folks), and finally the Toronto trio has a free & legal MP3 available. “Second Son,” off the recently released LP Ambassador, pretty much encapsulates the band’s roots in an old fashioned, sepia-toned, violent world; it was recorded in an abandoned slaughterhouse, after all. Also worth a look and a listen is Elliott Brood’s debut EP Tin Type, with brown paper bag packaging and a replica handmade photo album. Kinda makes you wonder if they’ll use a Victrola for the remixes…
Chad Van Gaalen
So this Chad fellow, the story goes, has been creating music in his bedroom for years, playing all the instruments, yet never releasing it to the public. Until nineteen of his countless songs were put together on the album Infiniheart, a wonderous collection of ballads, confessions, indie rock, driving drones, and genuine songwriting. That must be some bedroom…
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New EP + MP3 from Thee More Shallows
Amiina
Currently on tour with Sigur Ros, this quartet of Icelandic, multi-instrumental women have their own kind of big. They play on Takk (Sigur Ros’ latest, like you didn’t know) but they drop some serious experimental in their own set. Polyrhythmic, soft and still textured, it’s like the quiet on a sunny Saturday afternoon in autumn, about 4 pm, before the party starts.
The track linked to here is off their 2005 EP AnimaminA.
The Slow Break
Some wonderfully ragged and raw honky tonk from L’ville, Kentucky, for your Monday morning… It’s hard to put a finger on their secret blend of 11 herbs and spices, but Katie O’Brien’s slurred, gravelly vocals and Alison Lee-Whitney’s emotive sax work are at least two key ingredients. Finger lickin’ good, y’all!