Album of the Week: The Wallflowers - S/T

I'm not going to bore you all with too much of a rant on how undeservedly overlooked the Wallflowers are. I know it's hard to ignore all of those repetitive 90s bands the Wallflowers are always lumped together with, but c'mon, they really sound nothing like the Goo Goo Dolls (and other "beacons" of 90s "alt-rock"). Anyways, before "One Headlight" thrust the band into the spotlight, the band released its self-titled disc that was pretty much ignored by the media back in 1992, save for a few praising reviews that all inevitably featured the whole "Bob Dylan's son" sort of remark. Jakob Dylan's voice DID sound rawer and less polished, a little more like his father's, and there was a little bit more of a country-fied, Americana bend to the band's sound as well. The melancholy lyrics are a bit of a mixed bag, ranging from beautiful to sounding just a little bit awkward -- apparently Dylan hadn't written too many songs when he and the band's original line-up (who broke up soon after this album, after being dropped from Virgin) went to the studio. In any case, though, the stripped-down sound and youthful energy is a refreshing thing to hear from a band that's been suffering from overproduction for a long time now.

LISTEN:
"Shy Of The Moon" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
The Wallflowers' website

Album Of The Week: Kath Bloom's "Finally"

Perhaps your only introduction so far to Kath Bloom's folk music has been through the inclusion of her beautiful song, "Come Here," in the soundtrack to Before Sunrise (probably one of the best soundtrack moments in cinematic history). Though the Connecticut-based artist really is one of the best folk singers we've got these days, and has been for the past 25 years or so (back when she was recording albums in limited release with Loren Mazzacane Connors), she's never recieved the attention she deserves. She'd been on hiatus for a number of years, overwhelmed with life as a mother-of-three facing financial problems, when she returned to the studio in the 1990s to record again. Last year, thankfully, a number of her songs from the 90s were turned into a compilation, Finally, which was finally (ha) released by Australian label Chapter Music in 2005. From the opener, "Come Here" to the closer, "Finally," Bloom has crafted 13 of the most heartbreakingly beautiful songs I've ever heard. So glad I tracked this down.

LISTEN:
"Come Here" [MP3]
"Finally" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Kath Bloom's website
Kath Bloom's MySpace
Chapter Music's website

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Album of the Week: Phantom Planet - S/T

This past week is probably the first time I gave Phantom Planet's 2004 self-titled album a thorough listen (plus the tons that followed), despite owning it since the day it was released. That's a shame. The album marks a fairly drastic sound in the band's sound, which up to that point had been fairly confectionary and harmless pop-rock, well-crafted though it was, which probably explains why I skipped over a ton of tracks when I first purchased it. From the album's opening track, "The Happy Ending," which sounds anything but happy, a raw and blistering tone and pace are set, and for once, it seems the guys in the band are worried about something other than that cute girl who doesn't notice them on the other side of their English class (as awesome as those songs were/still are). It's a pretty dark album. You'd never guess Alex Greenwald had all that angry gruffness in his voice, but he pulls it off well, definitely convincingly. One of the album's other stand-outs for me is "By The Bed," one of the best break-up songs I can think of (besides my #1 choice, Cat Power's "Good Woman"), which starts with bare vocals and a slow guitar rhythm and works into a frenzy of a chorus. Definitely a better progression than one would expect from the band, one they'll hopefully continue in their long-awaited, long-delayed follow-up.

LISTEN:
"The Happy Ending" [MP3]
"By The Bed" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Phantom Planet's website
Phantom Planet's MySpace (+ new blog)

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Album Of The Week: Caitlin Cary's I'm Staying Out

If you're not familiar with Caitlin Cary's work outside of her tenure in Whiskeytown (her 1990s band with Ryan Adams, among others), get thee to a record store (and if you're not familiar with Whiskeytown, I don't know what to say to you but LISTEN). Her albums have been consistently strong, proving that Whiskeytown's success wasn't all about Adams, though they've unfortunately slipped pretty much completely beneath the radar. I'm Staying Out (2003) is more of a traditional country album (which normally woudn't be my thing), and the beautifully written "Sleepin' in on Sunday" sets its tone -- a bittersweet ode to the quiet and fleeting moments of relaxation and solace found in modern fast-paced life. This is the musical equivalent of a security blanket. And I mean this in the best way possible. I'd take this baby anywhere.

LISTEN:
"Sleepin' in on Sunday [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Caitlin Cary's website
Caitlin Cary's MySpace

Album Of The Week: Paul Westerberg's Folker (2004)

As a preface to this first Album of the Week, let it be known that my favorite kind of album is the kind that a reviewer might give a B instead of an A. There's something about these misunderstood underdogs that merit multiple listens for me, and these usually end up being my most cherished albums. Paul Westerberg's Folker (2004), is no exception to this rule. While critics gave this album fairly high reviews (most were just shocked he's still putting out decent albums), it pretty much seemed to slip right past most people. And hey -- I'm certainly no different than most people, in this regard: I'd probably never even heard of the Replacements back in 2004, much less Paul Westerberg. However, after falling hard for the Replacements' loud and brash and strangely melodic brand of rock and roll years after the band broke up (I guess I was about 2 or 3 years old at that point in time), Westerberg's music was the next best thing (and that's not to put the album down as second-rate, it's just that not many people top the Replacements in my book). The man's pop sensibilities have been evident (though obviously more subverted) all the way back to some of the band's earliest records, and on Folker, he's managed to craft the kind of classic-sounding rock album people just don't seem interested (or capable, maybe) of making anymore. There really isn't a bad song on the entire album (even those which have been written off as "filler" are insanely sing-a-long-able), which he recorded by himself in his basement in Minneapolis. There's something about the way Westerberg writes these folk-rock songs - he's a master at writing memorable choruses, remembering things with a wistful sadness that's still begrudgingly fond (see "My Dad"). I'd love more people to have the chance to listen to this album -- I'm so glad I found it.

LISTEN:
"Looking Up In Heaven" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Paul Westerberg's website