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From the opening moments of The Head and The Heart, it’s apparent that the band, lead by co-vocalists Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell, won’t be all that obscure for long. The album opens with “Cats and Dogs”, a one-minute-and-fifty-some-seconds long track that acts as an introduction to what you’re in store for, setting you up for all of The Head and The Heart‘s best moments. The lyrics, sung with the whiskey soaked melodicism of a man that probably smokes a pack a day, have a tinge of melancholy (“My roots have grown but I don’t know where they are.”) and are a strict counterpoint to the Appalachian stomp of the band’s many musicians. When “Cats and Dogs” transitions seamlessly into “Coeur D’Alene”, you don’t notice that the song’s changed until it’s almost over. In fact, as the album progresses, you notice that it plays out less like a track-by-track release and more like a single cohesive work of art, with violinist Charity Thielen’s vocals adding an unexpected layer of gentle allure to Johnson and Russell’s harmonies, while Chris Zasche proves himself to be one of the most remarkable bassists in indie music today this side of Okkervil River’s Patrick Pestorious.

The Head and The Heart have a rootsy charm about them that would make them the perfect tourmates for modern folk superstar Josh Ritter but they maintain all the pop appeal of The Hush Sound, particularly on “Ghosts”,  which is pianist Kenny Hensley shining moment on the record. “Ghosts” is  a track which evokes Frontier Ruckus covering “The Boys Are Too Refined”, one of the most appealing moments from The Hush Sound’s swan song album, Goodbye Blues. It sounds odd in theory but I dare you to curb the desire to listen to it at least twice in a row. I dare you!-Mezzic

OTHER RX CD RECOMMENDATIONS:

Gorrilaz, The Fall
Eliza Doolittle, Eliza Doolittle
Del The Funky Homosapien, Golden Era Triple Pack
Steve Miller Band, Let Your Hair Down
Brian Setxer Orchestra, Setzer Goes Instrumental!
Belle Brigade, Belle Brigade
Winds Of Plague, Against The World
Mike Birbiglia, Sleepwalk With Me Live
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, Unida Cantina
Glee Cast, Glee: The Music Presents The Warlers
I’m From Barcelona, Forever Today
AND MORE!

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The first thing anyone will probably tell you about Nine Types of Light is that it’s an album of love songs. Indeed, the word “love” appears in the lyrics of almost every song on the album. It’s fitting that a band whose sound lends itself to such wide-ranging appeal should pick an equally universal subject of focus. The next thing they’ll probably tell you is that these songs are slightly slower and more subdued, and there is a little less buzzing noise. None of these changes can obscure the fact that it’s still the same old TV on the Radio, which is a very good thing. The vocal team of Tunde Adepimbe and Kyp Malone once again delivers in a big way, conveying their rare brand of soul with that elusive combination of force and subtlety. At their core, the songs are all shiny pop tunes with huge hooks, but as we’ve come to expect from the band’s music, there’s no shortage of rewards for the careful listener, in the form of catchy but intricate rhythms, layers of synths, earworm-y guitar lines, and the occasional flirtation with skronky horn orchestrations. While the ballads—especially the heart-stopping “Keep Your Heart”—are unequivocally successful, the inclusion of some muscle in the form of the frenzied, danceable “No Future Shock” and the jazzy, half-rapped “Caffeinated Consciousness” smartly keep the mood light and prevent the album from being bogged down with sentimentality.

Ultimately, Nine Types of Light is a grown-up album. More than ever, Adepimbe and the gang seem concerned with permanence. “I’ll defend my love forever,” he sings on “Second Song”. On “Keep Your Heart”, it’s “How am I gonna keep your heart if the whole world falls apart?” “You” finds him imploring, “You’re the only one I ever loved.” These aren’t half-hearted lies told to score a quick fuck. There’s genuine warmth and intimacy here, something you don’t hear too much of in rock music, much less “indie rock”—and for good reason, as these things often come off as schmaltzy and cloying. That TV on the Radio pull it off so triumphantly is a true testament to their talents. The list of bands who have risen from underground upstarts to major-label A-listers without sacrificing an ounce of credibility is mighty exclusive. For me, the well pretty much runs dry after the first name, Modest Mouse. With Nine Types of Light, TV on the Radio strengthen the case for their name being added to the conversation. –AP

OTHER NEW CD RECOMMENDATIONS:

Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
Atmosphere, Family Sign
Allison Krauss & The Union Station, Paper Airplane
Brett Dennen, Loverboy
Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan In Concert: Brandeis University 1963
K.D. Lang & Siss Boom Boom, Sing It Loud
Paul Simon, So Beautiful Or So What
Panda Bear, Tomboy
Elbow, Build A Rocket Boys!
Feelies, Here Before
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Here We Rest
Low, C’mon

Tags: cdnew releases

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Named one of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, Robbie Robertson sets to release, How To Become Clairvoyant, his fifth solo album and his first record in more than 10 years. Guitar virtuosos Eric Clapton (who co-wrote three tracks with Robertson), Tom Morello and Robert Randolph guest on the album, which Robertson co-produced with Marius de Vries. How To Become Clairvoyant also features Steve Winwood and Trent Reznor as well as vocalists Angela McCluskey, Rocco Deluca, Dana Glover and Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes. Bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Ian Thomas lay down the groove throughout.

On his last two albums Robertson explored his ancestry. Now, with How To Become Clairvoyant, he takes on his rock heritage, delivering his first-ever song about leaving The Band, the evocative This Is Where I Get Off. What is lost? What is missing? Robertson asks on When The Night Was Young, a poignant reflection on youthful idealism. We could change the world/stop the war…but that was back when the night was young.

The smoldering Straight Down The Line is a sly nod to rock n roll s early reputation as the Devil s music, while the blistering He Don t Live Here No More is a song about excess. The latter features Clapton on harmony vocal and electric and slide guitars alongside Robertson s soulful gut string guitar solo.

Robertson was a founding member of The Band, penning such classic songs as The Weight, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and Up On Cripple Creek. The Band s 1976 farewell concert was documented by director Martin Scorsese in the film The Last Waltz and the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. In addition to his acclaimed solo albums, Robertson also has a long list of film credits. As Executive Soundtrack Producer for 1996 s Phenomenon, he recruited Clapton to perform Change the World, which subsequently won GRAMMY® awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. He has collaborated with Scorsese on numerous films, including Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Casino, Gangs of New York and Shutter Island. –AMAZON

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The Kills

For their fourth album, Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart have side-stepped the sparseness of ‘Midnight Boom’ and once again filled their sound with crushing drums, searing guitars and thrilling layers of textures and sounds. Dirty, loud and intimidatingly sexy, ‘Blood Pressures’ is the result of a year spent apart – Hince’s adventures in sound provide the album’s thick production, while Mosshart’s stint as Dead Weather frontwoman instils further confidence and swagger in her provocative lyrics. From the reggae dread of ‘Satellite’, through the psych lullaby of ‘Wild Charms’, to the sharp and cutting ‘You Don’t Own The Road’, it’s a bruisingly brilliant experience. –CM

OTHER NEW CD RECOMMENDATIONS:

Robbie Robertson, How To Become Clairvoyant
Kills, Blood Pressures
Blueprint, Adventures on Counter-Cultre
Hollywood Undead, American Tragedy
Brotha Lynch, Hung Coathanga Strangla
Easy Star All-Stars, First Light
Hot Tuna, Steady As She Goes
Rush, Moving Picture
Songs For Japan, Songs For Japan
Tron: Legacy Reconfigured, Tron: Legacy Reconfigured
Adela Diane, Adela Diane & Wild Divine
Asking Alexandria,  Reckless & Relentless

Tags: cdnew releases