Jack Johnson: Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies for the Film Curious George

What makes an album a success? Does it need to wow you? Does it just need not to suck? That's the question I'm wrasslin' with as I try and decide how I feel about this soundtrack album from Mr. Johnson.

On the plus side, it's up to Jack's usual standards, which is enjoyable and quality. On the minus side, I don't get anything new or exciting from him. It feels like he's doing the same content for the 4th, 5th album. I think I'm getting exhausted by Jack Johnson the artist.

All that being said, this is a good collection of foot tappers, quiet guitar tunes, and some childrens' songs. If I had seen the movie, I think I would have said this compliments the content well.

The first single off the album, Upside Down, is the nearly prototypical Jack Johnson, with just a jungle beat in the back to tie into Curious George. We Are Going to Be Friends is a White Stripes cover, and I think Johnson did a good job. The Three R's feels like a forced environmentalist song, but you can't deny the solid beat.

Guest Stars G. Love, Matt Costa, and Ben Harper all share a similar sound to Johnson's, so they fit in well on the album, with the G.Love tune Jungle Gym being the best of the three duets.

In the end: It is a good soundtrack album, and it is a good Jack Johnson album. If you're not tired of the sound Johnson has been pumping out for the last few years, this is a must have, doubly so if you've got youngin's.

Beth Orton: Comfort of Strangers

My first expedition into the world of Beth Orton has been a very positive one.

"Comfort of Strangers" was suggested to me by Sean, and on that alone, I dropped the 12 bucks for the disc. I can't say I've been disappointed with it.

Orton keeps a nice pace throughout her songs, usually using a 3-piece set of bass, drums, and acoustic guitar. The simplicity of song construction and the wonderful sound of her voice (at points, channeling some Fiona Apple and Abra Moore, or, perhaps, it's actually vice versa) have created a set of 14 tracks that truly are pleasing. The sound is mostly soft-rock, with influences of country and folk.

Worms, the kick-off track, has a nice beat, clear lyrics, and makes for wonderful foot tapping, even if it is called worms. Rectify, reminds me of a number of Marc Cohn songs, and, as such, places it high on my list of favourites. Conceived brings a sound that is draws from a number of those soft, female-lead singer/songwriter tunes of the 70s; it's beautiful.

In the end: Anyone with half an ear for music should enjoy this album. Orton keeps the singer/songwriter sound alive with simplicity rather than doing what most musicians rely upon these days, the grand studio equipment and synthesizer.

The Magic Numbers: The Magic Numbers

The Magic Numbers seem to be an anomaly to me:
I find their sound unoriginal and the instrumentation is nothing to write home about, yet... I can't help but enjoy the album. I think the group put together a cohesive piece of music that gets you tapping your foot at points and the lead singer has a voice that you can't help but think he's feeling happy, or at least smiling hard while he's singing.

And maybe, at this point, that's where music is at: It's no longer original. It can't be. How you present your derivative and unoriginal content is what can make you seem as original as possible while not actually being it.

Mornings Eleven does a nice breakdown in the middle, shifting the pace way down and bringing it back up; Love Me Like You harkens back to a sound I can't place and yet I feel certain it came out many times in the 70s from softer rock bands; and Wheels on Fire is so painfully slow, yet quite beautiful and the harmony on the chorus sticks in your ear.

In the end: The whole album maintains a sound that I strongly feel is reminiscent of early 70s soft rock. The flow within the album is great, but don't take any track other than "Mornings Eleven" out of context or it may not work properly.

Technorati Tagged: The Magic Numbers | Indie Music

Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat

Jenny Lewis is the frontwoman of those indie rockers, Rilo Kiley. The Watson Twins are, as you may have guessed, twin, formerly of Slydell. Together, this trio manage to craft some amazing lyrics and sonics.

The direction of this album from Lewis's previous works in Rilo Kiley is both stunning and amazing. The sound blends a bluegrassy sound from what I imagine would be the Appalachian region and a classic country sound (think Patsy Cline). Some tunes venture closer to the soft-rock realm, but not too much.

Most tunes are Lewis originals, but the cover of the Traveling Wilburys' tune "Handle With Care," featuring Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie, is handled well, and honours the original.

The Big Guns, Rise Up With Fists, Rabbit Fur Coat, and Handle With Care all tickle the senses just right and show the range and strength of this solo release.

In the End: I have a feeling Rilo Kiley fans may not ALL jump on this, which is a shame, but the album has strong appeal. The sound is different and the Watson Twins harmonize well, adding great depth. The mainstream appeal is not really there, but that's ok. This disc should end up on everyone's "Must Listen" lists of 2006.

Michelle Lewis: This Time Around

Maybe I'm a sucker for a beautiful face; maybe I'm a sucker for a woman and an acoustic guitar; or maybe I just like music. Any which way, I really dig on this album.

Growing up, my mother (and by extension, me) listened to many guitar samplers from Windham Hills and Narada, so I truly appreciate the simplicity and complexity present when an artist uses only two instruments: their voice and their guitar.

Lewis and her sometimes-present band craft some beautiful tunes, most notable, in my mind, is Never Cried For You, where she's joined by a simple drum kit, stand up bass, and a horn, most likely a muted trumpet. It's got such an infectious beat, and voice just finish the grab for your ears.

She "pops out" ever so slightly on "Searching for Something," the tune that would come closest to a radio hit, but also is the least impressive on the disc. Interesting how that manages to be the way with good musicians.

Great tracks include Caroline, San Francisco Bay, and Had You Once.

In the end: For the folk/acoustic rock people, this is a no-brainer, and you should follow links off of http://www.myspace.com/michellelewis immediately. If you can enjoy music that is simple and complex at the same time, give this a go. If you have no musical taste at all, why are you reading this?

Teddy Geiger: Underage Thinking

Who's Teddy Geiger?

He's a bright eyed 17 year old musician who got himself a role on the "dramedy" Love Monkey, which was then cancelled by CBS. The show was amazing, and so was Teddy, who played "Wayne," a young musician just making it big. Funny how life imitates art, yes?

Well, Master Geiger is now set to debut his first label release, "Underage Thinking," tomorrow. And here's what you need to know:

Take 2 parts John Mayer, 1 part Gavin Degraw, and 1 part "flavour of the week" and you've just about got Teddy Geiger. Solid lyrics, for a seventeen year old, good musical sense and talent, infectiously catching pop tunes. Geiger sticks to two instruments to drive his music: the guitar and the piano.

Any one with half a Top 40 radar will immediately recognize the tunes with IMMENSE radio play attractivity:
For You I Will (Confidence), Love is a Marathon, Air Dry, and These Walls, in that order. For the more acoustic set, Try Too Hard is the perfect match.

In the End: Between Geiger's painfully deep blue eyes, sometimes-saccharine sweet lyrics, and relatively young age, teenage girls will be begging parents for this album. If you can get past the obvious teenie bopper appeal, you can see a talent on the rise, one who may have a more mature, more intelligent album 2nd or 3rd release out. Those are the discs I look forward to. But this is a good start.

The Subways: Young For Eternity

This British trio does two things right:
1) They make solid, guitar-driven rock
2) They don't try to hide their Britishness at all.

There's some punk(old and new) rock, the typical "indie" sound, and even a hint of what I feel is Smashing Pumpkins.

I think I need to get past using the term "rock" to describe music, as it's the default description, just like "uhm" is the default pause word. Let's see if I can finish this without using "rock."

Billy Lunn's got the voice that would almost have fit in during the Punk revolution, except it's almost too melodic, to honed. The backing vocalist, Charlotte Cooper, reminds me of a british Yeah Yeah Yeah's singer.

I Want To Hear What You've Got To Say starts out almost Death Cab For Cutie-ish, with simplistic vocals and an acoustic guitar, then kicks it into higher gear.

Rock and Roll Queen (I can use rock if it's the song title) kicks it right from the gate, with the drummer doing the best week keeping a clean, simple beat behind the guitar's antics.

No Goodbyes cools things off a bit, later in the album, but not in a bad way. Even if you're album is only 40 minutes and 13 tracks, singing hard as Lunn does can take it's toll. And this song allows him to rest, to harmonize nicely with Cooper, and show a bit more range of the band.

In the End: Fans of fast, short, dirty rock, a la punk, will enjoy this immensely. The album paces nicely, taking you on a musical ebb and flow. The near-screaming at points may turn off a few, but if you can stomache Bristish sing-screaming, you'll love this. And, really, who doesn't love to hear some singer belt out "holiday" in that way only a Brit can?

Casey Desmond: Casey Desmond

Casey, a 19 year old singer/songerwriter out of Boston, has a some solid pop/rock chops.

Soulful lyrics, spiritied instrumentation, and a beautiful voice. The self-titled disc is a collection of 13 tracks that showcase hher wide range of skills. Sadly, that showcasing also seems to sacrifice a small amount of cohesion as she bounces genre to genre: there's rock, pop-rock, folk, and country. This is a case of the parts being better than the whole.

Not to say it's bad, because it's not, but one oof the things I look for in an album is a sense of cohesion, a reason these X tracks fit together. It's my one complaint with The Police's "Synchronicity" - Mother does not fit in with the rest of the album, and it's always ruined my listening experience.

Looking at the pieces of this album, I come close to saying "all of them," but let's single out the following:
Did We Make It, a Top40 pop ditty that taps foot and has solid hook; Two Girls, another solid tune with a very country beat; The Child, while being a bit electric, has the kinds of lyrics that make this song lean towards a folk sound; and Sorry Ain't Enough, has two things going for it: 1) A truly top40 pop tune that will get all the 16 year old girls happy with glee over the lyrics, and 2) it has a heavier rock beat.

In the end: While as a whole, I find the album jumpy, the content of the album is pretty damn good. Once she decides which direction to take an album, I have a strong feeling she'll be a force to reckon with.

On the Web: You can buy the album off of cdbaby.com or her myspace page (http://myspace.com/casedesmond). There are also a few songs for streaming there, in case you want to try it out.

Technorati Tagged: Boston Music | Casey Desmond

Nellie McKay: Pretty Little Head

Nellie McKay's sophmore effort has yet to actually be released.

Well, then, how am I even reviewing it? The power of the interwebs.

After reading up on the album in Wired, I was able to get my hands on a copy of the disc. And, feeling guilty, I'll probably buy two copies if/when it actually gets released.

"Pretty Little Head" balances with her previous effort, "Get Away From Me," nicely. I feel, lyrically, the first album was stronger, but the musical ranges on this disc show growth and a better understanding of how to deliver her music, including a guest appearance by Ms. She-Bop herself, Cyndi Lauper. The assist by Lauper doesn't feel forced, but almost like a natural pairing with the piano songstress.

The lounge-y feel that McKay brings remains strong, but she also embraces some more pop, rock, and jazz sounds to make a most enjoyable collection of 23 tracks. Yes, 23.

Which was the problem she had with the label. They wanted to cut it to 16 tracks, she said no, was vocal about it, and they dropped her, just two weeks prior to the record's planned release. Review copies had been distributed, so the McKay fan base has been able to check it out.

In the end: If you liked her first, you'll adore this. If you haven't heard McKay's work before, this may almost be a better entry point. When the album DOES release, please support her and pick this up. Her music and talent should not go to waste.

Scamper: Leave Your Glasses On

Scamper, a Boston-based band, is good stuff. Always a good way to start.

Their live show is well thought out, with fun, synchronized jumps, witty banter, and good stage presence.

The album, "Leave Your Glasses On," has a sound to it, that when you're done, you can't help but wonder "Why didn't these guys get signed?"

Picking up on that 90s sound somewhere between new surf rock and the Weezer sound, but better, these guys put together a thoroughly rocking and enjoyable, listenable, foot-tapable set of 10 tunes. Just know, the guys aren't breaking any musical barriers or changing the face of the world, only making good, guitar driven music.

Sophie, Wait Wait, What a Shame, and Needless to Say are all highlights of the album.

In the end: These guys are further proof that small, local bands need our help. They have a great sound that would fit all over the radio dial excellently, and can even appeal to my mother, who has a hard time listening to anything new. It's good, clean fun. Check these guys out.

On the Web: Scamper.net is their interwebs home, with pictures, reviews, and their own podcast. And this isn't just some dumb marketing tool. The Scamper Podcast runs about 30 minutes and features some of the best band promotion while you don't even realize.