Harper Blynn is scheduled to play with Wakey!Wakey! at Mercury Lounge later this month. This song is from their debut album Loneliest Generation, which is already available on Amazon digitally and will have a physical release in April.

Buy @ Amazon

*mp3 provided by & posted w/ permission of band’s PR rep

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Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – I Learned The Hard Way (click for download page)

Retro brassed up soul wonders Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings will release their new album I Learned The Hard Way on April 6th. In the meantime, Daptone Records is offering a free download of the album’s title track just for joining their mailing list.

Pre-order @ Amazon (not yet available)

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Tom McRae – Out of the Walls (click for download page)

Singer-songwriter Tom McRae is also offering a free download for joining his mailing list. This song is from his upcoming album The Alphabet of Hurricanes, which will be released on March 16th. I shared “Boy with the Bubblegun” and other songs from his beautiful self-titled debut back in 2001 (alas, those archives are lost), and I’m eager to hear his new release.

Buy @ Amazon

the enemy is poverty and the wall keeps out the enemy
that’s why we build the wall, we build the wall to keep us free

I should preface this review by saying that Hadestown should not be avoided if you dislike musicals or concept albums. I know many people were turned off by The Decemberist’s Hazards of Love since the tracks were difficult to listen to individually. But the songs of Hadestown stand strong on their own and together make a magnificent album. It is what I would imagine Les Misérables might have sounded like if it had been written by Woody Guthrie.

The underworld in Hadestown is a corrupt company town with a gold mine. Surrounded by a country sunk deep into financial crisis, the inhabitants of Hadestown have been tricked into viewing their walled city as a safe haven. The common people mindlessly follow their oppressive ruler Hades out of fear and greed, trading their freedom for a false sense of security.

Anaïs uses this as the setting for a retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, in which a devoted musician travels to the underworld to retrieve his dead bride.

Anaïs Mitchell originally wrote the stage musical in collaboration with director Ben Matchstick and orchestrator Michael Chorney, and the folk opera was performed in Vermont in 2006 before going on tour throughout New England. When it came time to record the album, Anaïs reworked many of the songs and put together a new cast of indie stars Ani Difranco, Bon Iver, Petra Haden, and The Low Anthem’s Ben Knox Milller, as well as folk favorite Greg Brown.

I was initially disappointed that Anaïs didn’t choose to sing every song herself. I adored her simple, heartfelt solo interpretation of “Hades and Persephone” on The Brightness and the haunting rendition of “Why We Build The Wall” she performed when I saw her live at Mountain Stage two years ago.

The thought of Greg Brown’s presence in particular made me cringe. Enduring two painful Mountain Stage performances by Brown had put him on my “things I intensely dislike” list somewhere between Taylor Swift and Dane Cook.

I also thought Bon Iver had been horribly miscast as Orpheus. The mythical Orpheus was supposed to be such a supernaturally gifted musician that even nature and inanimate objects fell under the spell of his voice and lyre. I felt that kind of character really called for stronger pipes than Bon Iver’s mellow voice.

However, listening to the album erased all of the disappointments and pre-conceptions I had. I still would have liked a bonus disc of Anaïs performing the songs alone. But in the context of the Hadestown story, every casting choice makes perfect sense and Anaïs has made me love Greg Brown and Bon Iver with the substantial material she gave them to sing.

Bon Iver (credited as Justin Vernon) plays an optimistic, boyish Orpheus. The album opens with “Wedding Song”, a duet between Orpheus and his new bride Eurydice – portrayed here beautifully in the sweet tones of Anaïs Mitchell.

The barking of stray dogs and a lone harmonica herald in the dazzling “Way Down in Hadestown.” The Low Anthem’s Ben Knox Milller (as messenger Hermes) leads Bon Iver, Ani Difranco, Anaïs Mitchell, and a chorus of former Hadestown cast members in a sing-a-long propelled by Tin Pan Alley instrumentation. It only took one listen and I was singing along. This song belongs on Broadway.

“Hey, Little Songbird” finds the dulcet tones of Eurydice tangling with the sinister, seductive growl of Hades. Greg Brown’s Hades is all jaded, bitter, gristled blues, and his voice has never sounded better. The deep gravel of his throat is especially effective in the xenophobic anthem “Why We Build The Wall,” in which Hades and his brainwashed “children” engage in a call-and-response recitation of the wall’s chilling purpose.

Vernon’s Orpheus has taken on a melancholy tone as he follows Hermes’ whispered directions to the underworld in “Wait For Me,” and seems to consider abandoning his quest before regaining his courage in “If It’s True.”

There are no innocent victims in Hadestown. Eurydice and Persephone are traditionally viewed as chaste maidens who are held hostage by evil Hades, but these musical counterparts seem to have brought themselves to the underworld with their own moral weaknesses.

Eurydice pines for her lost love and former life in “Gone, I’m Gone” and “Flowers (Eurydice’s Song),” while The Fates (Petra Haden and her sisters – billled as The Haden Triplets) slide in to taunt her with menacing Andrews Sisters croons on “When The Chips Are Down” and “Nothing Changes.”

Ani Difranco’s rich inflections add a new dimension to the character of Persephone. “Our Lady of the Underground” has a Mae West swagger and runs a subversive speakeasy in her infamous husband’s murky world.

In the original myth, not even the cold heart of Hades can resist the beauty of Orpheus’ music, and so he is granted permission to bring Eurydice back to the world of the living. In Hadestown, however, it’s the persuasion of Persephone that convinces the dark king to release the two young lovers.

Ani Difranco and Greg Brown give the most emotional vocal performances of their respective careers in their duet of “How Long?” – a revamped version of “Hades and Persephone.” As much as I loved Anaïs’ original recording, Difranco and Brown truly bring the characters of Hades and Persephone to life as they argue over the fate of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Hades contemplates the effect his compromise might have on the power he holds over his kingdom in “His Kiss The Riot,” but in the end allows the young couple to escape on the sole condition that Orpheus not look back at Eurydice on the way out.

“Doubt Comes In” as Hades predicts when Orpheus is unable to keep his eyes off his beloved for the entire journey for fear she has fallen behind. As a result of his doubt, she is pulled back into the underworld and he loses her forever.

The tragic tale ends with the lament “I Raise My Cup To Him,” a lovely duet between Anaïs Mitchell and Ani Difranco as Eurydice and Persephone.

There are several videos on YouTube from the original Hadestown productions, and you can hear Anaïs Mitchell’s performance at Mountain Stage of “Why We Build The Wall” at NPR.

Anaïs Mitchell – Flowers (mp3) *

Anaïs Mitchell – Wait for Me (mp3) *

Buy @ Amazon

Anaïs Mitchell Official Site
Hadestown MySpace

*mp3s posted w/ permission of Toolshed Media on behalf of Righteous Babe Records

Recorded on her brother’s eight-track digital recorder, Juliana delves into the most intimate and sparse of acoustics for most of Peace & Love. Sometimes this approach works very well, other times it results in disappointment.

The weaker tracks are “The End of War,” “Why Can’t We Love Each Other,” and especially “Butterflies.” Not that any of these songs are bad when taken individually, but the bare bones arrangements and sugary vocals get a little monotonous when listening to the album straight through.

Somehow, though, even the album’s flaws make it more endearing, more human. And each song contains at least one lyric that resonates…

Initially I thought I would also include the album’s title track in the weak list, but it turned out to be a grower. I suspect that’s true of the entire recording.

Perhaps it’s just that I love the overall concept of stripping everything away. I’m so sick of over-produced, Auto-Tune-abusing, pseudo artists. Even in it’s most uneventful moments, Peace & Love is refreshing in its simplicity.

Things start picking up with a short electric guitar riff in “What Is Wrong,” which helps to anchor Juliana’s delicate, skyscraper soprano.

The highlight of the album is without a doubt the love song “Evan” – an ode to Juliana’s ex, Evan Dando of the Lemonheads. Never has a post-breakup ballad sounded so sweet, humble, and heartfelt. It’s possibly the most perfect, girlie love song ever written.

The romantically resigned refrain “Evan, I just love you, I guess” isn’t exactly Shakespeare, but Juliana sings it with such sincere emotion that it feels like it is. The song also has the prettiest, most interesting instrumentation on the album.

The unrequited love pop ditty “Let’s Go Home” and the my-man-done-me-wrong-but-I-got-friends anthem “Faith in Our Friends” are as upbeat as it gets here. Another highlight is “I’m Disappearing,” which balances somber lyrics with a heavier arrangement.

The finale “Dear Anonymous” will connect with anyone who has ever received a nasty comment from some nameless internet troll, but the song takes a somewhat compassionate, turn the other cheek stance on the subject.

I’m very excited that Juliana will perform at Mountain Stage this Sunday, February 7th. And not just because she was in My So-Called Life.

Juliana Hatfield – Evan (mp3) *

*mp3 posted w/ permission of artist’s PR rep

Buy @ Amazon

Juliana Hatfield Official Site
Juliana Hatfield My Space

The Prize:

1 U.S. Winner will receive:
A copy of Spells on CD
A Happy Hollows 7″
Sticker and band t-shirt

The Rules:

Comment to this entry with “Happy Hollows” and your email address. All new comments are moderated to avoid spam (which is why you must include the name of the artist in your comment), so it may take a day for your comment to appear if you haven’t commented on Muruch before.

Note: This contest is only open to U.S. residents, and all contestants must enter with a valid email address and the name of the artist in order to qualify. The winner of the contest will also be required to provide me with their full name, phone number, and postal address, which I will forward to Filter Magazine for shipping purposes.

The Deadline:

The contest will end on Friday, February 19th. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email.

Go now go! And tell others.

The Happy Hollows – Faces (mp3) *
The Happy Hollows – Silver (mp3) *

Buy @ Amazon

*mp3s hosted by & posted w/ permission of band’s PR rep

Catchy new single by Wakey!Wakey! – better known as the new bartender on One Tree Hill. His sophomore album Almost Everything I Wish I’d Said the Last Time I will be released on February 2nd.

Buy @ Amazon

*mp3 hosted by & posted w/ permission of artist’s PR rep

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Patrick & Eugene – Don’t Stop (mp3) *

Fun, brassy electro ditty by UK duo Patrick & Eugene. Their new album All Together Now was just released this week in the U.S.

Buy @ Amazon

*mp3 hosted by & posted w/ permission of artist’s PR rep

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Tracy Shedd – City At Night (mp3) *

Beautiful piano ballad from Tracy Shedd’s new EP EP88.

Buy @ Amazon

*mp3 hosted by & posted w/ permission of label

Conjoined twin sisters Evelyn Evelyn originally recorded this song two years ago with Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley for the Elephant, Elephant EP. This newly recorded version is from Evelyn Evelyn’s upcoming debut album.

Pre-order @ Amazon (not yet available)

Evelyn Evelyn MySpace

*mp3 hosted by & posted w/ permission of band’s PR rep

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Barton Carroll – Shadowman (mp3) *

Another new song from Barton Carroll’s Together You And I album. I posted another mp3 from the album in December. Barton has made the entire digital album available as a “Pay What You Want” download.

Barton Carroll – Together You and I Album (100% legal full album download) **

Buy @ Amazon

Barton Carroll Official Site

*mp3 hosted by & posted w/ permission of artist’s PR rep
**public link to album mp3s hosted on artist’s site

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Sanders Bohlke – Rockets (mp3) *
Sanders Bohlke – The Weight of Us (mp3) *
Sanders Bohlke – Somewhere (mp3) *
Sanders Bohlke – Search & Destroy (mp3) *

Singer-songwriter Sanders Bohlke recently debuted a new song on Grey’s Anatomy, and is now making some of his old songs available as free legal downloads. I gave his self-titled debut album a rave review four years ago, and I hope these developments mean he’ll have a new album soon.

Buy Sanders Bohlke Music @ Amazon

Sanders Bohlke Official Site

*mp3s hosted by & posted w/ permission of artist’s PR rep

The Sea was one of my most anticipated releases of the new year, but has turned out to be my first big disappointment of 2010. I really wanted and have tried to like this album, but it just seems to annoy and bore me more with each listen.

Many of the songs on The Sea were inspired by the death of Corinne’s husband. But the potential poignancy is often sadly lost in lackluster arrangements, beginning with the opener “Are You Here?.” The lovely ballad “I Would Like to Call It Beauty” does a better job of capturing its emotional inspiration, but I always lose patience with the album before then.

“I’d Do It All Again” initially resurrects the gentle acoustic style of Corinne’s debut, but gradually churns up into a desperate, surging keen. This could’ve been interesting, but (like many of the tracks) the repetitive nature of the chorus gets in the way. And while Corinne’s delicate voice is beautifully suited to softer melodies, this is one of many examples of what seems to be a failed attempt to imitate Alicia Keys.

The glossy production is most glaringly apparent in the grating hyper-pop choruses of “Paris Nights/New York Mornings” and “Paper Dolls.” However, the rocked up retro pop-soul ditty “The Blackest Lily” achieves a catchy, radio friendly sound, and the album does end on an upward swing…

“Diving For Hearts” finally succeeds in combining Corinne’s graceful past with her ambitious present, embellishing a pretty melody with a funky psychedelic rock chorus. And the album’s title track is the whisper soft finale.

I was not granted permission to share an mp3, but you can hear samples at the links below.

Buy @ Amazon

Corinne Bailey Rae

The album opens with two instrumentals – “Query” and “Ruminate” – before melting into the title track.

“Go Easy Little Doves, I’ll Be Fine” gracefully glides through gentle verses and a haunting string-accented chorus with echoing vocals. The song falls somewhere between Kate Bush and Fleetwood Mac, and I love it.

The title of the delicate “Meek, Wild” aptly describes the entire album. Brooke’s voice is often a quiet hush, yet there’s a fierceness to it.

“Femmes” is a great example of this juxtaposition of softness and ferocity, combining Bat For Lashes tribal beats with Medieaval Baebes chants.

Other songs, such as “Find Her Floods” and “Wish for Bridges,” layer Brooke’s ethereal voice over serene string arrangements. The sprawling piano and Julee Cruise crooning of “Body” would’ve fit perfectly in an episode of Twin Peaks.

Brooke will perform live at Mountain Stage on February 7th, along with Juliana Hatfield, The Watson Twins, Dashboard Confessional, and Clare & The Reasons. I think it’ll be a great show.

I was not granted permission to share an mp3, but you can hear samples at the links below.

Buy @ Amazon

Brooke Waggoner Official Site

Maestro Grant Cooper led his orchestra through performances of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis,” Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No. 5, K. 219,” and Antonín Dvořák’s “Symphony No. 8 in G, Op. 88.”

The “Classical Majesty” theme centered on musical architecture, focusing on pieces structured around classical principles. Each of the compositions also had some kind of connection to the past, whether it be the influence of a particular composer or a certain style.

I was disappointed that the pre-performance “Preludes” discussion by Conductor Grant Cooper didn’t include its usual insights into the composers and compositions. Instead, it consisted entirely of a mostly biographical interview with guest violinist Corey Cerovsek. The conversation regarding Cerovsek’s background was a little dry for my taste, but I did enjoy the demonstration of his vintage Stradivarius.

“Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis” (a.k.a. “The Tallis Fantasia”) by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams was written in 1910 and revised in 1919. The piece has been featured in several movies, including Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, and inspired the score to Field of Dreams.

The Tallis Fantasia is a variation on a melody originally written by sixteenth century English composer Thomas Tallis. I realize the majority of my readers are not well-versed in classical music, so a modern comparison to this would be when a pop or rap star samples a classic tune – not a true cover, but an incorporation of an older song into a new, original work.

Vaughn Williams was first drawn to Tallis’ theme while researching liturgical material – Thomas Tallis was one of the earliest composers to write for the non-Roman Anglican liturgical service. Tallis also enjoyed a long association with the English royal family during the reign of Elizabeth I.

The work was composed for a double string orchestra, so the WV Symphony was reduced to just the string players for the duration of the piece. After a brief introduction by long-time trumpet player David Porter, Maestro Cooper dedicated the evening’s performance to recently departed symphony supporter Mary Price and gave a moment of silence in her honor.

The piece’s focus on strings – as well as its Elizabethan influence – creates a serene, almost hymnal quality. The Fantasia ebbs and flows with sweeping cinematic flourishes that gracefully pull back into quieter moments of beauty.

I had never heard of Mary Price until last night, but I can think of no better tribute to anyone than the flawless performance the WV Symphony gave of Vaughn Williams’ gorgeous work.

Violin soloist Corey Cerovsek joined the orchestra for the performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No. 5, K. 219.” The orchestra remained reduced to the string section, with the addition of two oboe players and two horn players.

The concerto begins with the entire ensemble playing the main theme before the solo violinist takes the lead. The final movement includes references to Turkish music, alluding to the failed 1683 Turkish assault on Vienna.

I’ll skip the biographical comments on the composer this time since most people are familiar with Mozart whether they like classical music or not. I’ve personally never understood why Mozart is so widely considered to be the equal, or in some cases the superior, of Beethoven. I guess it’s like what they say about people either being fans of The Beatles or Elvis – I like The Beatles and Mozart, but I love Elvis and Beethoven. At any rate, the work itself is not one of my favorites, but I would enjoy hearing the WVSO perform just about anything.

And it must be said that guest violinist Corey Cerovsek did a splendid job of staying in harmony with the rest of the orchestra while still standing out enough to make the piece interesting. As much as I love Joshua Bell, I think his recording of the same concerto falls flat because his violin blends in too much with the other musicians.

Cerovsek’s performance earned him a standing ovation, which prompted an encore, which prompted another standing ovation, which prompted another encore, which prompted another standing ovation. I’m not kidding. The elderly members of the audience looked exhausted by the time he finally left the stage.

The orchestra returned to its full size for Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 8 in G, Op. 88.” The four-movement Symphony was one of the more exhilarating pieces I’ve heard the symphony play, with its heady mix of bouncing jubilance (particularly the cheery “bird call” theme in the first movement) and bombastic bursts of drama in the finale. The performance was beautiful, uplifting, and absolutely sublime.

I was six years old when I first attended the symphony in the mid-1980s. I remember having an intense feeling of wonder and awe at what seemed to be such an immense, powerful force…the same thing I felt when I visited the ocean for the first time the year before. Two decades later, I still feel the same way.

Cameras and recording devices were prohibited, so I have no audio or photographs from this performance to share. But I did find videos elsewhere…

Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Tallis Fantasia (YouTube video)
Mozart – Violin Concerto No. 5 (YouTube video)
Antonín Dvořák – Symphony No. 8 (YouTube video)

Buy Vaughan Williams @ Amazon
Buy Mozart @ Amazon
Buy Dvořák @ Amazon

WV Symphony Official Site

It amazes me that the most talented bands send the most polite, humble little emails asking that I listen to their music. This atmospheric, somber ballad is from Her Name Is Calla’s upcoming full-length album The Quiet Lamb, set for release sometime this Spring. The delicate folk instrumentation is particularly haunting.

Pre-order @ Amazon (not yet available)

Her Name Is Calla MySpace

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The Happy Hollows – Faces (mp3) *
The Happy Hollows – Silver (mp3) *

Two new songs from The Happy Hollows’ debut album Spells, which will be released January 26. The trio plays a mix of girlie pop and art-rock.

Buy @ Amazon

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The Mynabirds – Numbers Don’t Lie (mp3) *

The Mynabirds is the new solo project by former Georgie James singer Laura Burhenn. Their debut album What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood will be released on April 27.

Pre-order @ Amazon (not yet available)