old songs for the new town
June is proving to be an exceptional month for my alt.country collection. Below are songs from two very promising artists that manage to breathe some life into a genre that I find can often get a bit stale.
Jon-Rae and the River - Goodbye
It's been only a few weeks since I've posted about Jon-Rae Fletcher, but I just got my hands on his new album Old Songs for the New Town and I feel the need to inform the world of its awesomeness. On the surface, it might seem that Jon-Rae plays some pretty straight up folk/country songs (albeit with much more passion and intensity than the average alt.country singer). But the cover-songs on the new album, which range from Shellac to Townes Van Zandt to Joy Division, suggest that Jon-Rae's tastes are quite a bit more diverse than just country or folk. As the numerous transitions in this particular song attest, hints of Townes Van Zandt, Joy Division and Shellac can often show up within a single song. As a whole, the album's fantastic and should give Jon-Rae and the river some well needed exposure. Think Palace Music's Viva Last Blues as a good point of reference. If you live in any of the major centres in Western Canada or Ontario, check here for tour dates throughout July. If you're in Toronto, check out his solo show Friday night at Rancho Relaxo.
[Buy the album from Permafrost Records. Do it!]
Phosphorescent - Joe Tex, These Taming Blues
As with Jon-Rae and the River, Phosphorescent manage to breathe some life into the country formula by bringing some disparate influences into the mix. This song somehow manages to succeed in channelling Motown via Nashville through the medium of a tunefully grizzled chain-smoker poet. The horns and pedal-steel are excellent throughout the song, but it's the voice that really does it for me. I think that singers who need to struggle a bit more to hit those notes manage add some sincerity to their songs that conventionally "good" singers can't usually acheive. As David Berman wisely said, "All my favorite singers couldn't sing."
[Buy the album Aw Come Aw Wry from Misra Records. Seriously, do it!]
Jon-Rae and the River - Goodbye
It's been only a few weeks since I've posted about Jon-Rae Fletcher, but I just got my hands on his new album Old Songs for the New Town and I feel the need to inform the world of its awesomeness. On the surface, it might seem that Jon-Rae plays some pretty straight up folk/country songs (albeit with much more passion and intensity than the average alt.country singer). But the cover-songs on the new album, which range from Shellac to Townes Van Zandt to Joy Division, suggest that Jon-Rae's tastes are quite a bit more diverse than just country or folk. As the numerous transitions in this particular song attest, hints of Townes Van Zandt, Joy Division and Shellac can often show up within a single song. As a whole, the album's fantastic and should give Jon-Rae and the river some well needed exposure. Think Palace Music's Viva Last Blues as a good point of reference. If you live in any of the major centres in Western Canada or Ontario, check here for tour dates throughout July. If you're in Toronto, check out his solo show Friday night at Rancho Relaxo.
[Buy the album from Permafrost Records. Do it!]
Phosphorescent - Joe Tex, These Taming Blues
As with Jon-Rae and the River, Phosphorescent manage to breathe some life into the country formula by bringing some disparate influences into the mix. This song somehow manages to succeed in channelling Motown via Nashville through the medium of a tunefully grizzled chain-smoker poet. The horns and pedal-steel are excellent throughout the song, but it's the voice that really does it for me. I think that singers who need to struggle a bit more to hit those notes manage add some sincerity to their songs that conventionally "good" singers can't usually acheive. As David Berman wisely said, "All my favorite singers couldn't sing."
[Buy the album Aw Come Aw Wry from Misra Records. Seriously, do it!]
posted by ian at 6:13 PM
4 Comments:
popsheep has officially sold one copy of the Jon Rae album/
I love jon-rae and I'm not afraid to admit it!
Someone from London ordered the new album because of popsheep!
I love jon-rae!
I just got the new CD.
It's amazing!
Post a Comment
<< Home