Tuning In

There many ways I find out about artists I haven’t heard before (or heard but never really listened to). There’s the radio, for one. My daily commute runs about an hour each way. A couple of friends have suggested that I listen to books on tape, but I prefer to tune into my favorite radio stations (WFUV and WBGO); one plays a wide variety of freewheeling folk, world, alt.country, and mostly indie rock/pop while the other is dedicated to jazz. Both play a mix of old, current, and new artists – and I get to hear plenty of new – to me – sounds. Another way is through friends’ recommendations (I’ve even gotten some through comments on this blog). Then there’s the New York Public Library (NYPL), about which I’ll post a separate entry, and there’s the “people who ordered this also ordered that” and other recommendation systems on sites like Amazon or the “other music like this” type categorization on AMG. And of course, pure serendipity, like what’s playing over the speakers at a music store, which is how I first discovered Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Here’s a couple of recent new musical encounters. I’m a fan of the small but great output of the late Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, particularly the Tanglewood Tree and Drum Hat Buddha sets (highly recommended to fans of acoustic folk-style duos – Carter was a terrific songwriter). On Amazon, I noticed that people who liked them also liked another duo, The Handsome Family. I checked the NYPL’s online catalog, and reserved a copy of In The Air. Result? This time, the recommendation worked. The Handsome Family is a fascinating couple (Brett and Rennie Sparks), whom some have niched as “alt.country gothic”. She writes the lyrics, he writes the music and they both perform the songs (although he does the lion’s share of the actual singing/playing) in arrangements ranging from spare acoustic to full-blown backings. Their primary inspiration is Appalachian murder ballads, and the songs include numbers about murder and suicide – but the lyrics are both evocative of the past and psychologically astute, tightly written with compelling imagery. I’ll certainly be picking up some of their other recordings.

A week or two ago, a friend of mine at work who’s the drummer in an indy band that calls itself Mr. Neutron (think Dick Dale meets They Might Be Giants at the Fountains of Wayne for a blues jam) loaned me a two CD set of favorite tracks of 2004 put together by another band member. Several of the tracks were by bands/musicians I’m familiar with, but there was new material for my ears as well. Among other things, the set confirmed my opinion that Eric Clapton does not do Robert Johnson particularly well. No edge. It also reinforced my enjoyment of “Wheels” by Cake. How could you not love a hooky poppy song that has lyrics like:

In a seedy karaoke bar
By the banks of the mighty Bosphorus
Is a Japanese man in a business suit
Singing 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes'
And the muscular cyborg German dudes
Dance with sexy French Canadians
While the overweight Americans
Wear their patriotic jumpsuits

But the really pleasant surprise for me was a two man band that calls themselves “The Black Keys” whom I hadn’t heard before. The name sounds like “The White Stripes”, right? Well, there are analogies for sure. Here’s a guitar/drum combo from Akron that plays raw, punchy, short pieces hacked out of blues/garage/punk roots. Differences? For one, the drummer is very solid. Now, I like The White Stripes, particularly Elephant, and certainly don’t mean to put them down. Jack White is a great performer and a better songwriter than the Keys. But – to put it in perspective – if anyone were to do a contemporary Robert Johnson set, I’d urge the Black Keys to take a shot at it. This is a band I’ll definitely be listening to in the future – so thank you, Damien Fanelli!

Finally, an instance of pure serendipity. Last night Mrs. DJStan and I watched a Katrina benefit on the tube ("Shelter From The Storm") that included people like Sheryl Crowe and Dr. John (who played a beautiful elegaic version of Fats Domino's "Walkin' To New Orleans"). One of the artists was Kanye West, who did a choir-backed rendition of his own "Jesus Walks". We were both knocked out by both the song and the powerful performance. I've read about West, who hit it big as a solo act in the last two years, but hadn't really listened to him. Now I will.