River Whyless – A Stone, A Leaf, An Unfound Door

As Appalachians our music is usually instrumentally sparse, rustic and centered around nature, natural disasters, death, religion and love. I mean we’re not exactly the most upbeat of people, but we do make do with what we have and find beauty in our surroundings. So, when I heard River Whyless singing about nature and religion whether they’re questioning, looking, or shunning in such a glorified manner I was awe-struck.

This quartet from Boone, North Carolina has put forward a brilliant, more sophisticated brand of Appalachian folk music on their new album, A Stone, A Leaf,  An Unfound Door. It’s like the “City Mouse” version of its simple, more backward cousin. And, although the group has a sound like Fleet Foxes and The Head and the Heart, they also have a sound that is uniquely theirs and authentic to the region in which it was born. They also have a graduate from the Appalachian State School of Music  and a classically trained violinist in Halli Anderson who is also a great songwriter, co-writing with Ryan O’Keefe enhancing this extremely talented ensemble.

So, let me try to breakdown A Stone, A Leaf, An Unfound Door with a few standout songs. First, let me start with the opener, “Leaf”.  Encompassing and touching upon most of the common themes found in Appalachian folk, this song is an incredible introduction and spectacular start. Opening with footsteps along a wooded path and the sound of a flowing creek (or crick depending on where you’re from), which leads into a soft guitar, strong vocals and lush yet delicate strings creating a song that will stop you dead in your tracks…that is, until you hear “Stone”. It’s a Fleet Foxes type of arrangement with choral harmonizing of “ooh”s and “aah”s, switching tempo right smack dab in the middle of the song with a slow, sparse, Southern dirge featuring only a guitar, banjo, and Anderson’s voice, only to change tempo again at the end with a heavenly almost ecstatic finish. Clocking in at just under eight minutes, “Stone” is the most interesting track on the album as well as the most interesting I’ve heard in recent memory. It’s lyrically impressive as well with the memorable and thought-provoking line: “Is God just another word for company/That I don’t need?” While lastly, “Pigeon Feathers” is reminiscent of The Head and the Heart with the male-female vocals, hand claps and an overall sense of joy. 

In a time when a lot of indie-folk artists are shaping their sound into that of the Appalachians, River Whyless are making their mark with a polished, modern authenticity that others are missing.  A Stone, A Leaf, An Unfound Door is in a sense a musical embodiment of a people who have always been classified as the poorest , but has always been richest in culture. However, this culture which often times has been perceived as backward and rough and the music as ancient can no longer be stereotyped in the same vein. River Whyless has taken old-time Appalachian folk and transformed it into something recent and refined.

Stream & Buy A Stone, A Leaf, An Unfound Door
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The Parlor Soldiers – When The Dust Settles

The Parlor Soldiers are an indie-folk trio from Fredericksburg, Virginia consisting of songwriters Alex Culbreth and Karen Jonas who are accompanied by Dan Dutton on the upright bass. They released their first full-length album, When the Dust Settles, in November 2011, which is a collection of songs ranging from sensitive folk ballads to rough, rootsy songs about sheriffs, outlaws, murder, whores and whiskey.

Talented songwriters and musicians Alex and Karen take turns on the guitar and behind the drums while trading, harmonizing and intertwining their vocals to capture our imagination with every story sung. Case in point, “Shallow Grave”, it’s a down-and-dirty, make-no-bones-about-it, foot-stomping murderous tale about a man who murders a wife-beating husband whose cousin is the sheriff. It’s a song brimming with righteous indignation and imagery so vivid it places the listener at the scene of the crime. “Sinner” is another well-crafted murder ballad featuring Karen’s sweet yet strong voice narrating the confession of a woman who sealed the fate of her two-timing husband. Then, there’s the slow, melodic ballad, “Body in the Quarry”, which tells the dark story of a boy who drowned and the two lovers who go to the quarry to either find the boy’s body or join him. But, not all of The Parlor Soldiers’ songs are murderous tales or stories of death: “When the Dust Settles”  is a gritty, bluesy song about the tumultuous aftermath of infidelity, while “Crazy” is a humorous and relatable song about love and how our significant others drive us crazy. And, there are also songs about heartbreak and loneliness like “Mess” and sweet desperation and encouragement such as “Don’t Let Your Dreams Get You Down” on the album.

With this amount of great storytelling and songwriting, When the Dust Settles, is an excellent debut effort, and one that captures the meaning and technique of folk music. And, I’m also excited to see this trio preform live when they head my direction this summer.

Listen & Buy When the Dust Settles
The Parlor Soldiers: Facebook; ReverbNation

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Matt Bauer – The Jessamine County Book of the Living

I like surprises. They remind me that there’s still a world of wonder despite the late onset of adulthood. I’m not so cynical to think that I’ve seen and done it all. Rather, I take responsibility for causing the mundane in my life: I get stuck looking at the same things from the same perspectives. Autopilot may suffice for lawn mowing and driving but it’s definitely not the ticket to a full human experience.

Which brings me to Matt Bauer’s The Jessamine County Book of the Living, an album full of wonder and magic. It’s surreal lyrics, dark tone, and ten-piece orchestra all work together to make dark and creepy forest music.  Think of Peter and The Wolf rewritten by Gabriel García Márquez.

There are plenty of artists and musicians who use the surreal in their work to surprise or even shock their audience. But the surreal shouldn’t just leave you thinking that the piece is weird. When used effectively, the surreal constructs a new reality around a scene that would otherwise make no sense.  Bauer’s “White Lake” is a perfect example of this:

When I was the white worms
In the rabbit’s side
The only way that I could move
Was eating toward the light
And when I saw what I had done
And saw just what I was
I thought “My word! My word!”

Despite the implausibility of a worm ever considering the spiritual implications of its actions, there is still an emotional impact as we’re drawn into the worm’s perspective. Being able to connect on an emotional level with something as repulsive as a maggot is surrealism executed to its best effect.

Magical realism, surrealism’s first cousin, is a tool often used by anime master Hayao Miyazaki. And the album’s closing track, “Flowering Deer,” is about a character from Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke. The song, with its dark-sounding strings and its magical lyrics, is creepy enough to scare the bejesus out of you, just as the Great Forest Spirit did in the movie.

The Jessamine County Book of the Living is also one of the most ambitious albums I’ve heard lately. Bauer rounded up a host of guest singers, including Jolie Holland, Angel Deradoorian from Dirty Projectors, Mariee Sioux, and Jay and Alex Foote from Welcome Wagon. Further, his orchestra of strings, woodwinds, brass, and vibraphone doesn’t just accompany him but often takes center stage. To pull off a project of this size — on what was likely a shoe string budget — is pretty remarkable. Also, musically, there’s just a lot of depth here.  And imagine the time it took to arrange all of those different parts.

Another intriguing element of the album is that it retains a folk music feel despite the heavy reliance on the orchestra. Perhaps it’s Bauer’s voice, which can sound as deep and full as Richard Buckner’s while also sounding as emotionally raw as Sufjan Stevens. I would like to say that this is my favorite album so far this year but alas, I’m way behind the curve in reviewing it and it was actually released last June. Regardless, this is a very fine album worthy of a heck of a lot more attention then it’s received so far.

Visit Matt Bauer’s website

Purchase The Jessamine County Book of the Living

Video for “Flowering Deer”

“Morning Stars” by Matt Bauer

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The Manly Deeds – Hard Times For The Animal Kingdom

When I was nine, I got my first minibike, a used Yamaha GT 80. Tellingly, the purchase involved a cardboard box of inessential parts removed by a combination of gravity and vice grips. The remainder of the bike was dented and twisted, with the worst of its bruises covered up by a swell coat of magenta house paint. When you got it running (never a sure thing), the gas tank would rattle between your legs, chattering and shaking. And there was no quiet mode: the damn thing was loud. When you finally let the clutch out, however, you forgot what it sounded liked, what it looked like and just enjoyed the sheer pleasure of the ride.

The Manly Deeds remind me of that minibike. They start themselves up, revving their mandolin far past the red line, the junk percussion starts clanking, the bass drops in, the tension builds and you’re pretty sure they’re going to come apart at the seams. Then the screaming starts and off they go… a streak of joy and danger heading to the nearest watering hole.

Sure, the title cut to their album Hard Times For The Animal Kingdom is an environmental anthem of sorts, but it’s an irreverent one, reminding us that we’re as beastly as the next species:

Well I get high like a bird
and I get busy like a bee
and you can’t buy much
when times are tough
but we can f___ for free

What makes Hard Times stand out from other punky bluegrass albums is that The Manly Deeds know how to mix it up, throwing in a couple of minor key dirges like “Tomorrowland” and “Minnie The Moocher.” They also never let the cacophony obscure the lyrics, which bring interesting twists to old themes. In “St. Paul Girls,” brothers Adam and Jason Aud sing:

Those St. Paul girls are always smiling
always smiling when I come around
those St. Paul girls are always smiling
always smiling when I come around
but those St. Paul girls keep on smiling
when I’m gone

Formerly known as “The Middle East,” The Manly Deeds, hail from Maryland and reference the midwest whenever possible. I’m not sure of their geographical past but let’s just assume they get around some.  And I’m hoping that they get around me soon because I bet they put on a hell of a live show.

Visit The Manly Deeds Website

Stream and Purchase Hard Times For The Animal Kingdom

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The Peach Kings

Here’s some audio-visual goodness to get your weekend rolling. The Peach Kings play a down-and-dirty kind of noir rock that seems like equal parts PJ Harvey and Raymond Chandler.  The video for their song “Thieves and Kings” is artsy, sexy and entertaining. Said differently, it’s all of the Lana Del Rey at a fraction of the hype.  Now I like the two songs I’ve heard from Lana Del Rey and I don’t think it’s fair to hold the attention she’s received against her. I also like it when new musicians who make good music get discovered. What I find puzzling, however, is how our music culture turned into such a winner-take-all kind of playing field. In a fairer world — a world where John Peel came back from the dead and was appointed CEO of Clear Channel — The Peach Kings would be receiving a decent portion of that hype as well.

Bonus:  be sure to check out their website where you can download their three-song EP Trip Wop for free.

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The Local Strangers – Devils & Ghosts EP

I’m supposed to be writing a review for another album, but when The Local Strangers’ new two-song EP lands in your inbox, you just can’t deny the power that is Matt Hart and Aubrey Zoli…And, powerful it is.

Devils & Ghosts is their first studio release to feature their entire live band and brilliantly showcases Aubrey’s amazing vocal chops. They give you two great songs worthy of the “repeat” button. The first track, “Devil and a Stiff Drink,” is an awesome assault on the ears. Aubrey attacks the vocals. Ah, hell, she doesn’t attack the vocals, she kicks their ass! And, with the addition of the slide guitar and percussion this song will rock your world. Then, the second song, “Give Up the Ghost”, starts with the more familiar Aubrey with her tender and expressive voice, but when the girl let’s go, she really let’s go with no abandon. My God, I’ve never had my mind blown by just two songs until now.

Devils & Ghosts is dramatic, explosive, graceful and a lot more, so make sure you download it. No excuses. It’s free.  Also, if you can, y’all need to catch them live as they will be touring regionally and working on a full-length record due out later in the year.

The Local Strangers: Website; Facebook; Twitter
Stream & Download Devils & Ghosts

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