meandthestereo

Artist: Murder By Death
Album: Red of Tooth and Claw
Label: Vagrant
Release Date: March 4th, 2008
Decision: 4/5 A Worthy Purchase Indeed
Favorite Tunes: “Comin’ Home”, “Theme”, “Spring Break 1899”

1. The Background

This is the fourth full release from Murder By Death, and my goodness, is it a good one. I really enjoyed Who Will Survive, and What Will be Left of Them? but thought In Bocca al Lupo was dissapointing, so I was hoping their latest release would get me excited again. For a broad idea of this band’s sound, think Westerny Folk Rock. Yeh. Modern music for that showdown you have at noon in front of the saloon.

2. The Substance

Acoustic guitars, electric guitars, keyboards, cellos and amazing vocals fill this album. Adam Turla’s vocals are really spot on here, and (did anyone notice?) his voice is so much deeper and more powerful than on previous releases. It’s like he aged 30 years in 3, but it’s really not a problem for the album; it adds to the overall feel. The lyrics are descriptive and very story-like (another of Mr. Turla’s talents), but the only thing lacking in them are the simple choruses. It doesn’t necessarily harm any of the songs; they just seem to be almost too simple for what I’d expect from this band. However, that was just a minor thing I noticed; the metaphors and imagery used in this album are excellent. Every instrument is recorded well, though I felt the keys could have been emphasized a bit more. They seem to get lost in the background a little more than I’d like in some of the busier songs. The arrangements are well done, though, and I especially enjoyed “Theme”, the only instrumental track on the album. This band seems to understand where lyrics aren’t essential to a song and the track serves as a good break from the action.

3. The Decision

4/5 A Worthy Purchase Indeed. Purchase this album! It may be something you’ve never really heard before (because it is different), but it’s definitely a good buy. Give it some time and you’ll most likely come around. It’s enjoyable beginning to end. Start this album anywhere between and it runs just as well. The last song is an especially interesting end to the story. These guys are also on tour right now, so look out for them around your area. I’m sure they’re great live.

Artist: She & Him
Album: Volume 1
Label: Merge
Release Date: March 18, 2008
Decision: 3/5 A Mediocre Minute
Favorite Tunes: “Sentimental Heart”, “Change is Hard”, “Untitled”

1. The Background

Zooey Deschanel, the popular actress from such movies as Elf, Eulogy and Winter Passing, has already proved that she has a voice. Mr. M. Ward, popular musician and supporter of shortening first names to single letters, has already proven his ability to make popular tunes. These two artists get together and decide to make an album. The world waits…and listens…

2. The Substance

First of all, this album has great sound quality, which is of no surprise since these two artists have essentially unlimited resources when it comes to recording. There are a couple of songs where Mr. Ward and Ms. Deschanel even went lo-fi and that’s a welcome sound that adds a little warmth to such high quality songs. Ms. Deschanel’s vocals are crisp and clear and are certainly the center of every track. This album has 13 songs, with one untitled tune at the end (a cover of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”) and is the perfect length for an album. There are two covers that I know of on this album, one being the above reference and a cover of Smoky Robinson’s “You Really Got a Hold on Me”. The songs deal with love and romance and are mostly energetic, minimalistic and well organized.

3. The Decision

3/5 A Mediocre Minute. I wanted to LOVE this album. I wanted it to rock me so hard I’d have to listen to other albums constantly to keep these songs out of my head. I was looking forward to Zooey Deschanel’s strong and soulful voice singing me songs of broken heartedness and pain. I wanted to be dragged back to a time where soul and rhythm & blues were powerful. Perhaps that was my mistake, though. I expected something and didn’t get it. I realized that the first time I listened to the whole album. I wanted something Ms. Deschanel and Mr. Ward didn’t want to give. Ms. Deschanel wanted to sing love songs with simple lyrics and melodies and I realized that was fine. It’s still not that great, though. I adore the first song. It’s Zooey’s cute voice with a cute melody and a nice ending. The rest of the songs are just a bit mediocre, though, and other than the almost acapella Untitled, her voice doesn’t hit that soul power that she has in her. Mr. Ward’s music arrangements are simple and far from being fascinating or ground breaking. And his added whispery, shaky vocals DO NOT jive with the strong, smooth flow of Ms. Deschanel’s voice. The songs where he does add backup would have done well without him. This album is worth a listen, but you won’t be missing anything spectacular if you happen to let it pass by. Hopefully all the good songs have been reserved for “Volume 2″.

Venue: the Red & the Black
Location: 1212 H Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Age Range: 21 & Up Only
Website: http://www.redandblackbar.com
Score: 3/5 Enjoyable

This is what the Red & the Black has to say about itself:

“The Red & The Black is a cozy tavern and live music venue located in the H Street “Atlas” shopping district of North East, Washington, DC. Decorated inside with “New Orleans” style tin ceilings, walls covered in doors, and red velvet drapes. The Red & The Black  is a comfortable place to have a drink and some Jambalaya with friends or see some local live entertainment. ”

So, I’d like to provide my experience with the venue:

1. The Arrival

     Getting there is a pain in the @$$. It was only six miles away from my start location (Takoma Park), yet it still took about 40 minutes to get to the general NorthEast DC area. Parking is, of course, no fun (as it usually is in DC); however, there is a nice parking lot across the street (the Auto Zone lot) which did not result in the towing of the car (no promises on towage). All the Red & the Black seems to have for location indicators is a nicely decorated window and a doorman looking more likely to play you a crappy punk song than have the nerve to throw you out (no promises on the throwout-age). I didn’t pay cover this time, but it usually runs around 8 – 10 US Dollars (a little pricey in my opinion). Upon checking your ID, they stamp you with a nice black stamp that washes off easily (so be careful restroom frequenters!).

2. The Atmosphere

     Very nice! It’s very similar to most small bar situations. In fact, it made me feel like it was plucked from the heart of Adams Morgan and moved over here. It has a very large bar, though, which I find very necessary when entertaining many patrons. It’s a loud place, with plenty of echoes, so expect to do some yelling to communicate with friends or significant others. Drinks are average priced, maybe even a little cheaper than some places. The downstairs area is mainly seating and bar. A jukebox is around the corner for your perusal. Upstairs boasts a winding, wooden, creaky staircase to a set of bathrooms. Past them and through the heavy curtains await another smaller bar and a small stage. The room is a bit smaller, but for small bands that want to play here, it’s a wonderful intimate environment for your show. Note: Being a sound guy myself, I was NOT pleased with the job the sound guy did. Granted, he was both the bartender and sound guy, but I believe a live music venue should have an official sound guy on duty.

3. The Decision

     3/5 Enjoyable. Unless you know the DC area really well, this place is a pain to get to. The neighborhood is not too bad, but it’s not that nice either. For bands, the sound guy could be more skilled, but live music is meant to be enjoyed loudly, not precisely. It’s a nice place for a show, even a nice place to grab some drinks, but it’s just not in the best location. Seriously, if you have the money to spend on bands you maybe haven’t heard of yet and don’t live too far from the venue, you should be checking out this place every night they have live music. I’ll definitely be going there again, but hopefully I won’t be driving next time.

As some of you may have heard by now, everyone’s favorite punk cartoonist has decided to start a record label. Mitch has named the project “Face Palm Records” and has said the following about it:

“I have big plans for tons of fun records and CDs to come. My first official release will be a split 7″ between Brickfight and Shang-A-Lang, which is sure to be awesome breaded awesome deep fried in awesome and served with a side of awesome. Seriously, I love both of these bands to death, this record will kill.”

Face Palm will be working with Silver Sprocket which is affiliated with Springman Records who have released great albums from the likes of:

Big D and the Kids Table
the Phenomonauts
River City Rebels
and one of my favorites, the Groovie Ghoulies (RIP)

So, go find more info over at http://rainofbastards.livejournal.com/ and check out the tunes!

Hola! Welcome to the Mog. I am meandthestereo, and this is my music blog.

Here you will find the rantings of someone completely uncertified to rant on music topics. I’ll be reviewing albums (requested and randomly picked), providing breaking news, and linking to upcoming projects.

Join me in another, but hopefully slightly more interesting, music blog.

Welcome to the Mog!