TOP PICKS
Sean Rowe The Salesman and the Shark New York, NY (ANTI-)
“An introspective, timeless showcase of a deep-voiced singer/songwriter’s gift” It is difficult to characterize the hefty-voiced singer/songwriter that is Sean Rowe, but his story does largely parallel that of American author and transcendentalist, Henry David Thoreau. Just as Thoreau’s masterpiece, Walden, resulted from living solitarily in the woods, Rowe continues to craft his own after a similar experience. His latest effort, The Salesman and the Shark, opens with “Bring Back the Night,” a powerful waltz with tinges of country amid lyrics projected through exquisite vocals that, over the progression of the track, build in both power and in scale. A song about redemption and maturity, the singer/songwriter is accompanied by an angelic feminine voice and an intricate arrangement of instruments. Such elements result in a deeply moving single. Later, the album switches gears with the percussive “Joe’s Cult,” dripping with tribal influences and Tom Waits flavor, in which Rowe growls: “There’s a few of us that feel we’ve been led to an empty house. There are some of us who know the roof is leaking.” Further indicative of Rowe’s versatility is “Signs,” a melancholic lament for those who have passed on. Destined to become a timeless classic, The Salesman and the Shark brilliantly showcases the talents of a gifted individual.
futuristic vocoders. But where once the band seemed rambunctious, disjointed and frenetic, their latest release sees them heading in a more measured and composed direction. The surprisingly uplifting and melodic “Now That I’ve Given Up Hope, I Feel Much Better” sets the tone for the rest of the record. “How Do I Maintain, Part 3” comes close to techno territory, with its bubbling beats and smooth production. “This Isn’t Helping” is a pleasantly laid-back track that seems to loaf along, followed by the danceable, disco-flavored grooviness of “Wayward Satellite,” one of the album’s standout tracks. The funky, conga-driven “Spanish Moss” combines with the catchy, low-key “Total Loss” to make up the album’s title. “Never The Same Way Twice,” with its gritty saxophone melodies, builds up nicely to a total electronic breakdown threefourths of the way into the track, proving to be one of the more energetic numbers on the album. The hard-hitting beats of “Lessons In Disappearing” carry this raunchy aesthetic into the latter part of the album, while “Knowing” provides a cathartic, albeit slightly unsettling, end to the record. While at times the highly processed, artificial vocoder can be overwhelming, when Shout Out Out Out Out strips away the antics and focuses on what they do best (the beats), they can’t go wrong. If Spanish Moss and Total Loss is any indicator, the band is heading in the right direction. Produced and Mixed by Nik Kozub at The Audio Mastered by Joao Carvalho www.shoutoutoutoutout.com -Margaret Price
Soul Asylum Delayed Reaction
Produced by Woody Jackson
Minneapolis, MN
www.seanrowe.net
(429)
-Julia R. DeStefano
Spanish Moss and Total Loss Edmonton, AB (Normals Welcome Records)
“Dark, melodic ‘vocoder pop’ from the Great White North” Edmonton, AB-based dance punk/electro poppers Shout Out Out Out Out have returned to the ring with their third full-length album, Spanish Moss and Total Loss. Stylistically, the album doesn’t deviate too far from the rest of their catalogue, their electro-pop jams composed of analogue synthesizers, heady bass lines, steady drum machine rhythms and 42 AUGUST 2012 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Produced by Soul Asylum and John Fields Mixed by Paul David Hager and John Fields Mastered by Howie Weinberg Recorded at Flowers www.soulasylum.com -Gail Fountain
Sun Kil Moon Among the Leaves San Francisco, CA (Caldo Verde Records)
“Boldly stark, yet surprisingly upbeat sad bastard musings”
Department, Edmonton
Recorded live at Vox Recording Studios
Shout Out Out Out Out
shines through at times, with music and vocals showing tenderness on the slow, jazzy, anti-love songs “Cruel Intentions” and “I Should’ve Stayed in Bed,” which features dissonant strings framing sleepy-sounding vocals. Pirner’s flexible vocal abilities also reach the alt-country side on “Into the Light” and “By the Way.” Additionally, Pirner’s usual witty lyricisms about life range from playful, poetic and powerful to cynical, searing and seething, sometimes in the same song, as in “Take Manhattan.” Overall, more songs feature keyboards than the Minneapolis band’s last release, The Silver Lining, but guitars remain the dominant force.
Releasing albums since ’89, San Francisco transplant Mark Kozelek has one of the most influential careers in independent music. He’s produced most of this own albums, acted in movies and continues to write and tour. Among the Leaves is considered a Red House Painters tour diary, filled with recalled moments and past laurels. Stripped of outer flourish, Among the Leaves is mostly bare (with exceptions), nakedly drawn by a classical guitar and Kozelek’s rich and characteristically bold tone.
“Wittiness, familiarity and change keep runaway train Dave Pirner on track” Soul Asylum’s original members Dave Pirner and Dan Murphy have retained Tommy Stinson as their “Replacement” bassist and Michael Bland is definitely their punchiest, best drummer ever. The supergroup has now played together long enough to develop camaraderie and create a new, tight sound that adds Stinson on harmonies along with Murphy, allowing them to finally deliver another album of Soul Asylum’s usual mixed bag of genres (rock, alt-country, pop, jazz,etc…). Delayed Reaction tries to duplicate the band’s famous live energy through several fast, catchy rock and pop tunes such as “Gravity,” “The Streets” and the cheeky, anti-war “Let’s All Kill Each Other.” Inversely, Pirner’s softer side
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