So, summer winds down and I have heard a lot of great music this summer which is worth sharing.
On the live music front, I only got to hear REM live (see last post) which was spectacular to say the least. There has been a great feed from REM's website which shows some great clips of the show. It will be a terrific live DVD when it comes out. Later that month, we caught the Thievery Corporation in the driving rain at Merriweather. Another great show by TC and I think that live they are even better than on CD. Look for a new TC album this fall.
What's come out that you can buy or download? My album picks for the summer were two that caught me off guard, have that great very alt-country feel and hadn't been on my radar as well.
My Morning Jacket's "Evil Urges" is such a deftly produced, well crafted album that talks about obsession, love, lack of control all neatly packaged with a mix of Beck-meets -the Allmans. It's quite a listen. I am particularly taken by the first single "I'm Amazed" and the title opening track has an unbelievable guitar solo.
But MMJ has been on everyone's radar - even more of a surprise to me has been Band of Horses "Cease to Begin" which is truly an eye opening experience. Harboring some of the same southern roots that MMJ perfected and modernized on Evil Urges, Cease to Begin is full of lovely sentiments and if frankly quite haunting - the CD could have been recorded in a haunted house. Earnest (supertramp like) vocals, some great musicianship, and some smart lyrics come together for 34 power packed minutes. Yes, it is a 2007 release, but I think the band has been rapidly picking up steam since the close of last year's 'best of' polls and is a great humid summer night, windows open disc. Both Evil Urges and Cease to Begin are terriffic late night driving albums. Their cohension, their perspective, and their raw emotion make them both must owns for any collection.
