| TOC o It's A Cracker!! o New Releases o Recent Releases o Back In Stock o New Lps o New DVD's o What's Happening Around The MoM Offices |
New
Releases -01.09.07 Site Updated on 01.04.07 Send A Site Link Pages to Browse: [ Home 2 |Crackers|DVD||Coming Soon| This Week's releases] Visit: The MoM Blog |
|
|
The long-running father and son duo comprising the Spanic Boys consistently do
their thing. That is to say, even when they are ripping through Telecaster runs,
it is substance over style. They mix roots-rock elements with a hint of vintage
British Invasion and tight harmonies. A bit like Rockpile (Nick Lowe and Dave
Edmunds) when they did the four song Everly Brothers EP. The duo shines on "What
Will You Do" and "Honey" (both sampled below) but every track is
a winner. The rhythm is propelled by T-Bone Wolk (Costello, Hall & Oates)
and Brad Elvis (Elvis Brothers) which gives the Boys room for their guitar runs
and harmonies. There is a reason they've been at this for 20 years. -- Jeff Weiss,
Miles of Music (Cinaps)
American
Songwriter said of The Biscuit Burners style, "The result is a brand of bluegrass
as clean and smooth as a mountain stream." The Biscuit Burners showcase their
outstanding acoustic picking -- this band clicks as a unit, feeding off of each
other's talents weaving intricate but not flashy passages. They really shine,
though, when vocalist Shannon Whitworth's let's loose with her smoky, sultry and
passionate vocals. The band refers to its music as Fiery Mountain Music. While
at times they rage like a wildfire, most often it is the slow burn of Whitworth's
presence that moves this music along. -- Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music (self-released)
There
is a primal sorrow in this release that flows like a molten lava, occasionally
erupting through the surface of this country-R&B gem. Based in Portland, OR
Drunken Prayer join the baritone-molasses vocals of Morgan Geer with a horn-filled,
honky-tonk honey-dripping that sounds emotionally raw, fresh and timeless. This
is saint and sinner stuff full of passion and pain. Geer, Miss Audra, Keith Richard
McCarthy, and Kevin James Still are looking to exorcise demons. The truly exciting
part of Drunken Prayer's eponymous debut is wondering how they top this flawed,
but powerful album. -- Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music (self-released) 
This
is genius at work and the impression is Kaplin -- multi-instrumentalist and go-to
guy -- is barely showing his hand. This limited edition 12 track collection of
mostly-instrumentals showcases why Kaplin is mentioned as this generations' Ry
Cooder. The packaging is a hand-pressed cover by Hatch Show Print. Kaplin is accompanied
by George Bradfute with guest spots by Kieran Kane, Paul Burch and Mickey Grimm.
-- Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music (self-released) 
For
The Wicked was largely recorded in a one-room, stove-heated cabin in rural Vermont.
The confines give the music a warmth and richness that is balanced by Robin MacArthur's
Aimee Mann/Margo Timmins-like vocals and husband Tyler Gibbons's mellow Beck-like
sounds. Add in a touch... just a touch.. of Casio to bring the temperature down
a bit and you have an intimate folk-indie rock album is a subtle, beautiful pleasure.
-- Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music (Poorly Bird) 
Tulsa-based
South 40's debut album Home catches its own reflection with a collection of songs
that are both nostalgic and forward-looking. The album's title is taken from the
metaphoric place we all come from. For South 40, that place varies from song to
song, but ultimately brings the listener into the common experience. We all have
stories and memories from our past, some we'd like to forget, some we relive over
and over. Built on the foundation of Oklahoma country, this band proudly flies
it influences by name-checking Waylon, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Chris Ledoux in the
album's closing track. The band has wisely stuck to a no-frills and honest brand
of country letting the songs and the playing carry the load. -- Jeff Weiss, Miles
of Music (self-released) 
Whether
it is a belief that life was simpler, better, or just musically more interesting
in the first half of the 20th century, the Curio Cowboys are determined to take
the listener back to the country-jazz that blasted out of AM radios across the
open expanse of a more innocent America. Johnny `Speedbump` Feldman leads his
fellow travelers through a dozen tracks that touch on waltz, polka, country, and
jazz. Fans of Bob Wills, Milton Brown and their musical contemporaries will find
terrific enjoyment in this Western Swing time warp. -- Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music
(Ruido Records) 
Recorded live in 2003 when Neko was touring behind her Blacklisted album.This
striped down setting features a steller band including multi-instrumental Jon
Rauhouse (Banjo and guitars), Tom Ray (stand-up base), and Kelly Hogan (harmony
vocals). A must for any Neko fans, and if you aren't a fan what the heck is wrong
with you <g>. Track Listings: Outro/Outro with Bees/Behind the House/Ghost
Wiring/Deep Red Bells/Knock Loud/Hex/Maybe Sparrow/Wayfaring Stranger/Furnace
Room Lullaby/In California/Buckets of Rain/Look for Me (I'll Be Around)/Alone
and Forsaken.
This
classic Johnny Cash performance was taped for the Austin City Limits TV show in
January 1987. It features many of Johnny's classic songs and includes a duet with
June Carter Cash as well. The CD includes many songs not heard in the original
broadcast.Ring Of Fire/Folsom Prison Blues/Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down/I Walk The
Line/The Wall/Long Back Veil/Big River/I'll Go Somewhere And Sing My Songs Again/Let
Him Roll/Ballad Of Barbara/ Sam Stone/( Ghost ) Riders In The Sky/Where Did We
Go Right w/June Carter Cash/I Walk The Line outro. (New West)
"Time
Being happily reunites the revered songsmith with Mitchell Froom (who produced
Sexsmith's best albums), the really exciting news is that our man actually takes
some vocal risks – and sounds like he's having fun doing it! On the stark,
folksy Cold Hearted Wind, Sexsmith channels the ghost of Johnny Cash, quavering
vibrato and all, while I Think We're Lost finds him doing his best Joe Pernice.
And though he doesn't quite muster the Tom Waits rattle he aspires to on The Grim
Trucker, album-closer And Now The Day Is Done features a beautiful, open balladeer
croon. Froom's production is surprisingly restrained, favouring Byrdsian jangle
and soulful folk arrangements over elaborate loops, and having Elvis Costello
sidemen (drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Davey Faragher) as a rhythm section means
that, even at their most melancholy, Sexsmith's tunes have a driving pulse."
-- Sarah Liss, nowtoronto.com (Ironworks Music)
Bobby
Bare is, in some ways, a deceptive artist. His smooth, beguiling baritone and
accomplished Countrypolitan productions sometimes tend to overshadow the fact
that he is an artist of immense substance. Two of his most impressive country-concept
albums are presented here, restored and remastered from the original RCA Victor
master tapes, with a number of rare extra tracks. "A Bird Named Yesterday"
was originally issued in 1967 and is, quite simply, stunning. "Somebody Bought
My Old Hometown" is probably the closest Nashville has ever come to an anti-corporate
diatribe and "They Covered Up the Old Swimming Hole" is a rant against
the urban sprawl disguised as charming hick nostalgia. Most tracks make their
first appearance on CD including a number of very rare "45" only cuts!
A mighty and compelling collection. First time on CD! Deluxe collectors 16 page
full colour package featuring original LP artwork and exclusive liner notes. All
tracks are remastered 2006 from the original master tapes! Compiled and curated
by noted musician (Snog, Soma, Black Lung) and film composer (The Hard Word etc.)
David Thrussell. (Omni)
Best known for their hit `Tennesse Bird Walk`, this is the second deluxe package
making its debut for David Thrussell`s Omni label, remastered this year and featuring
29 songs of wah wah guitar, moog solos and odes to birds, camels, fire hydrants
and much, much more. Jack & Misty veer from novelty songs to heart-wrenching
ballads, they come across as Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra on acid, top stuff!
(Omni) 
Here are the almost forgotten masterpieces of Henson Cargill, sourced directly
from the Monument Records vault and presented for the first time on CD. Hear Henson's
smooth baritone on None of My Business, Skip a Rope, Four Shades of Love, Going
Backwards, Wildflower, Reprints and name-check Adolph Eichmann and Cecil B. DeMille
in one song What's my Name?. Features the 1968 #1 hit Skip a Rope, six country
chart hits and 21 other pieces of lysergic, zen country pop! First time on CD!
Deluxe collectors package featuring rare photos and exclusive liner notes. All
tracks are in stereo and remastered 2005 from the original master tapes! Compiled
and curated by noted musician (Snog, Soma, Black Lung) and film composer (The
Hard Word etc.) David Thrussell. (Omni)
One
of the most successful Canadian bands of the last fifteen years, Sloan has now
finished its eighth studio album, Never Hear the End of It -- the first on new
US label Yep Roc Records. Yet another Sloan serving of august and finely crafted
rock, Never Hear the End of It is also thirty tracks long. From pop masterpieces
like "Who Taught You to Live Like That", to the unforgettable "Listen
to the Radio." Throughout their critically lauded career (including a recent
tour with The Rolling Stones), Sloan has managed to share songwriting duties between
all members and never have a single change in line-up. (Yep Roc)
"First released in 2004 as a private CD-R run then later re-released formally
in 2006, the softly spooked-out acid folk of The Pirate's Gospel is a captivating
debut from Alela Diane, whose enthusiasm and ability for a then-extremely-fresh
learner on guitar is quite something. Recorded by her father, who also helps perform
on many tracks along with other friends and family members, the disc showcases
Alela Diane's knack for gentle, immediate melodies and her fine voice, possessed
of a hint of twang that suggests a combination of Dusty Springfield and Kristin
Hersh, with a rich maturity beyond her years." -- Ned Raggett, All Music
Guide
Richie
Unterberger from All Music Guide raves "On Pilgrimage, singer-songwriter
Amy Duncan will likely recall early Joni Mitchell to many listeners with her stirring,
wide-ranging vocals that favor the pristine upper register; stark guitar-and-piano-dominated
arrangements; and melodic, haunting compositions. If anything, the tone might
be even more somber than the most somber of the songs on Mitchell's debut album
Song to a Seagull (the Mitchell record this most strongly resembles), which is
saying something. Acknowledging that this isn't the newest of territories to explore,
it's a pretty well-done and pleasing effort in this particular singer-songwriting
style..." (Palin Recordings)
Daughter
of the town kindergarten teacher and a forest ranger, Laura Gibson`s root runs
deep in the small coastal town of Coquille, Oregon. An outsider to the burgeoning
Portland music scene, Gibson`s early choice of venues (an AIDS hospice here, a
kindergarten class there) and her complete lack of music scene knowledge may have
confused erstwhile veterans, but her homespun sincerity, enchanting voice, and
mature songwriting won `em all over in a heartbeat. Listening to If You Come to
Greet Me, it`s immediately apparent something magical happened at Portland`s Typefoundry
Studios in Summer 2006 with the capable assistance of Adam Selzer (Norfolk &
Western). The release is haunting, perfectly bolstered by gorgeous, orchestral
arrangements that never detract from the melodic backbone of Gibson`s songwriting.
By the end of the sessions, almost all the members of Norfolk & Western had
enthusiastically contributed performances. Wayne Miller filled out the troupe
with tasteful, loping upright bass lines and Alex James (Delorean) stopped in
to sing a few bars. If You Come to Greet Me demonstrates a rich tapestry of emotion
over nine songs--hope, ennui, reflection, inspiration, loneliness, happiness,
yearning--all stitched together with a steady songwriting hand, where imagery
dovetails with melody in an irresistible way. (Hush Records)
"The
music of Horse Feathers hints at a folk songwriting genius on par with the likes
of Elliott Smith's Either/Or, or the honesty of Nick Drake's Pink Moon, all neatly
arranged into a whole new puzzle." - DCM Magazine. (Lucky Madison)
"Long-time favourites in Toronto’s alt-folk community, Rock Plaza Central
have quietly written a masterpiece with Are We Not Horses. The mantra, "I
am an Excellent Steel Horse" contains definite Mountain Goat-isms in Chris
Eaton’s deft wordplay and the song is simple yet captivating. John Darnielle’s
presence is again apparent on Fifteen Hands, whose stirring, bohemian soundtrack
is captured zealously by engineer Dale Morningstar. With their exuberant defiance,
How Shall I to Heaven Aspire? and Our Hearts Will Not Rust sound like the kind
of new-world western songs Will Oldham has perfected, and his tale-telling tics
have been absorbed by Eaton...Rollicking and unhinged, Are We Not Horses contains
a real physicality, as if lives hang in the balance with every utterance. It’s
a stunning and unexpected gem from Rock Plaza Central." -- Vish Khanna, exclaim.ca
(Independent)
White Light is the latest release from Virginia singer/songwriter Sarah White.
Like her previous Jagjaguwar release Bluebird, cleverly slated as "not quite
country, not quite folk, not quite rock," White's sound remains difficult
to pigeonhole. The genre is rock, but with a strong dose of country throughout.
Some songs veer towards punk, while others are melodic waltzes. This recording
with her stripped-down band The Pearls (Steve Ingham and Jeffrey Grosfeld) has
a simple, natural sound. Bare boned snare, bass notes, and a background of vocals
provide ample space for White’s distinctive voice. (Antenna Farm)
"The
band`s self-titled debut of easy-on-the-ears Americana simultaneously uplifts
and laments, filled with homespun tales of long-distance love, long train rides
and barstool confessionals. The lonesome AM-radio vibe of traditional country
rubs elbows with the galloping rhythms and Telecaster twang of Old 97`s and, at
times, the tattered vitriol of Uncle Tupelo." - Jay Moye, Sunday Paper (Old
Wheat Records) 
With
vast cinematic scope, Norfolk & WesternsThe Unsung Colony leaps out of the
speakers with an epic song cycle that winds up unprecedented peaks and cascades
down fertile valleys, testing the limits of the bands collective arrangements,
creativity, and musicianship. From musical embers to sonic wildfires, these songs
place a band already known for their dynamic range on a whole new level reserved
for the likes of Pink Floyd and Camper Van Beethoven. Norfolk & Western have
come into their own. Adam Selzer and Rachel Blumberg are joined by bassist Dave
Depper, multi-instrumentalists Peter Broderick and Cory Gray (Desert City Soundtrack),
and violinist Amanda Lawrence to deliver their strongest performances to date.
The Unsung Colony was recorded in the storied halls of Selzers Type Foundry studio,
with a field trip to a Portland high school for symphonic embellishments. (Hush
Records) 
New Magnetic Wonder was produced by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Sebadoh, Sean Lennon)
and is surely the most elaborate Apples production to date. Clocking in at 53
minutes, the limited edition double gatefold LP pressed on 180 gram vinyl will
include a 12x24 inch poster, an exclusive bonus track, 25 songs (including 12
"link tracks") and an Apples first -- their newly invented "Non-Pythagorian
Music Scale." New Magnetic Wonder includes such fist pumping anthems as "Can
You Feel It," the 70's AM radio-esque "Same Old Drag," and the
Mellotron majesty of "Energy." It's The Apples in stereo doing what
they do best -- it's a New Magnetic Wonder.(Yep Roc)
Chet Baker's performance here is both fragile and passionate. Baker is joined
by Van Morrison and reunited with Elvis Costello, with whom he recorded Shipbuilding
at Ronnie Scott's intimate English club. In interviews with Costello, the pain
and happiness hidden between his wrinkled, tired face pour out like so many notes.
Chet recalls winning a spot with Charlie Parker's band at the tender age of 22,
but humbles himself by confessing to a lifelong addiction to drugs. But through
it all, it seems one constant remained in his life, which always brought him back
from the abyss and made his triumphs ever so much sweeter--the cool, sweaty, dark,
and ethereal sounds of that West Coast cool school of jazz. 58 minutes. Track
Listing: Ellen David/Just Friends/Shifting Down/Send in the Clowns (with Van Morrison)/If
I Should Lose You/My Ideal/Love for Sale/The Very Thought of You (with Elvis Costello)/You
Don't Know What Love Is (with Elvis Costello)/I'm a Fool to Want You.(Image Entertainment)
Black
Oak Arkansas: Live at Royal Albert Hall is a high-energy close-up from the rearview
mirror of classic rock featuring a remastered and remixed live performance at
London's Royal Albert Hall, with a narrated introduction from front man Jim Dandy
giving a southern-style sermon about the truth of good & evil or God &
the devil, however you want it! Take a trip back in time with the memorabilia
gallery of photos and marked events in a digitally mastered DVD that includes
5.1 audio surround sound. (S'more Entertainment) | Alt Country | Americana Music | Bluegrass Music | Country Bluegrass | Folk Music Folk Rock | Roots Rock | Singer Songwriter | Sitemap |