Next month Ray Lamontagne will release his 4th studio album. This time he seems armed with more than just his guitar and that raspy yet endearing voice of his. On August 17th, Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs will release God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise. Ray seems to have taken a new approach with this record. It appears that he wanted his backing band to have more of their fingerprints on the album. Not only is this his first record without his long-time collaborator/producer Ethan Johns, but he didn’t let his backing band (the Pariah Dogs who are listed on the album cover for the first time) hear the new songs until they day that they cut them.
I have to admit I was slightly disappointed with LaMontagne’s last effort, Gossip in the Grain, but I believe that we have yet to hear the best that this timeless troubadour has to offer. Ray recently told Rolling Stone that “I want to write music that will out live me. And I haven’t done it yet.” While I would disagree with that statement, I love to hear that he isn’t satisfied with what he’s given so far and it makes me all the more excited to hear not just this new record but the many that will assuredly follow.
The Avett Brothers have a recently released a video for their latest single off of their highly lauded and critically acclaimed album, I and Love and You, which came out last year and made my Top Ten of 2009 list, as well as Paste Magazine’s Top 50 Albums of the Decade (As much as I love this album, I don’t know how it beat out Emotionalism to make this list). The new video is for “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise” one of my favorite tracks off of the new record. The animated video uses the illustrations of Jason Ryan Mitcham to depict the inevitable rise and fall of urban development, which Scott Avett says is right on par with the song’s message (Paste). It’s an excellent video for a great song off of a fantastic album. If you still aren’t on The Avett Brothers’ bandwagon, you really should hop on.
It seems the internet is booming with excitement over the release of a new single by Melbourne based electronic outfit Cut Copy. Well, I think it’s worth mentioning that IHYEB shares in that excitement. I, Cody, have been posting my favorite Cut Copy remixes for what is now years here on the blog, so now when a new release comes my way I can’t help but be a little over excited.
Other blogs have mentioned this track having a Beach Boys vibe in it. As for myself, while I see where they derive that, I’m not feeling that description so much. Instead, I get a bit of an Avalanches vibe from it. The sampling and reusing/mixing of sound has their style written all over it.
But as Elvis Costello said, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” Listen to the track and tell us what you think. Is Cut Copy back for a thumping third major release, or is this the sign of their aging sound?
An all-star collection of artists have collaborated to pay tribute to the great folk troubadour John Prine. The project titled, Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, was released earlier this week (June 22) on Prine’s very own Oh Boy Records. The album includes many of the current “monsters of folk,” with Conor Oberst and Jim James’ My Morning Jacket, along with several other indie-folk staples, like Justin Vernon, The Avett Brothers, Josh Ritter and many more. I have yet to hear the record but it is already receiving much love from the blogosphere and the greater indie community. Looks like a fun little adventure for Prine and folk enthusiasts. Be on the look out for Prine himself as he will be on tour this summer in support of his own recent release, In Person and On State.
Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows Tracklist
1. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver – Bruised Orange (Chain Of Sorrow)
2. Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band – Wedding Day In Funeralville
Next month Ray Lamontagne will release his 4th studio album. This time he seems armed with more than just his guitar and that raspy yet endearing voice of his. On August 17th, Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs will release God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise. Ray seems to have taken a new approach with this record. It appears that he wanted his backing band to have more of their fingerprints on the album. Not only is this his first record without his long-time collaborator/producer Ethan Johns, but he didn’t let his backing band (the Pariah Dogs who are listed on the album cover for the first time) hear the new songs until they day that they cut them.
