ANDREW BIRD
ARMCHAIR APOCRYPHA
2007 – FAT POSSUM
Produced By ANDREW BIRD
1. Fiery Crash
2. Imitosis
3. Plasticities
4. Heretics
5. Armchairs
6. Darkmatter
7. Simple X
8. The Supine
9. Cataracts
10. Scythian Empires
11. Spare-Ohs
12. Yawny At The Apocalypse
He’s a well trained violinist who sings, whistles, and plays indie folk guitar. Sound interesting? Well, he is. Andrew Bird has been making albums his own way since 1996, with varying degrees of minimal success. He doesn’t make hit records, but that does not mean he doesn’t make great music. Armchair Apocrypha is his fourth studio album, the follow up to what is probably his best work, Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production Of Eggs from 2005. This album moves Bird into more electric territory, which expands his sound and gives his fine lyrics a wider canvas. Yes, he does utilize whistling as an instrument, but he never overuses it. His violin is used sparingly as well. This plays more as a rock album than any of his previous work, but the songwriting and vision of Bird makes this a unique and fresh sounding album with plenty of goodies hidden within.
Armchair Apocrypha is a strong starter. “Imitosis” is worth having the album for alone, with its free use of glockenspiel, violin and other appealing sounds in the format of a kind of rocker. “Heretics”, “Plasticities” and “Fiery Crash” are all excellent, and before the album is half over, Bird will have won you over. There are no singles here. No hits. No worries. This is a beautifully done and smart album of fine songs and wonderful sounds. It does slow down a bit in the second half, but that can be forgiven. Bird’s next pair of albums, Noble Beast (2009) and Break It Yourself (2012) are excellent as well, as is his 2019 release My Finest Work Yet. He’s a routinely fine and always interesting artist who makes adventurous and entertaining albums. Armchair Apocrypha is a fine place to start with this talented artist.
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THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER
SWING
1997 – ATLANTIC
Produced By TIM HAUSER
1. Stomp Of King Porter
2. Sing A Study In Brown
3. Sing Moten’s Swing
4. A-Tisket, A-Tasket
5. I Know Why (And So Do You)
6. Sing You Sinners
7. Java Jive
8. Down South Camp Meetin’
9. Topsy
10. Clouds (Nuages)
11. Skyliner
12. It’s Good Enough To Keep (Air Mail Special)
13. Choo Choo Ch’Boogie (Live)
The Manhattan Transfer was a vocal group that existed for 54 years, changing lineups and genres with lightning speed. They recorded 26 albums, and scored a major pop hit in 1981 with “The Boy From New York City”. They recorded mainly cover songs, and were best known for their harmonies. Swing, from 1997, is their seventeenth album. It consists of swing hits from the 1930’s and 40’s, and became the group’s only number one album (US Jazz charts). Notable about this release is that they are backed by Asleep At The Wheel on three tracks, and guitarist Ricky Skaggs on two. Also, the great Stephane Grappelli, who played with Django Reinhardt, appears on “Clouds (Nuages)” at age 89, just a few months before his death. The album is different from the burst of swing revival albums of the time, as they chose older material, and their vocals sound more like from the 30’s than the 90’s.
Of course, it’s the vocals that are in the spotlight…the four members of the group sing in blinding bursts, as spot on, perfect and lightning fast as you could imagine. But don’t sleep on the musicianship of the many players here. Instrumentally, this is a very well played jazz album. And finally, the song selection is impeccable. Selections from Basie (“Sing A Study In Brown”), Ella Fitzgerald (“A-Tisket, A-Tasket”), and Reinhardt (“Clouds (Nuages)”), and many other unfortunately forgotten hits from the era make this a fine document of this older music. Their vocal abilities are well honed and unique, giving these songs a feel that’s hard to come by in this day and age. A surprisingly fine collection. The Manhattan Transfer called it a day in 2023, never modern, never hip, and always exceptional.
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PALLBEARER
SORROW AND EXTINCTION
2012 – PROFOUND LORE
No Production Credit
1. Foreigner
2. Devoid Of Redemption
3. The Legend
4. An Offering Of Grief
5. Given To The Grave
Pallbearer is a critically acclaimed and commercially average metal band from Little Rock, Arkansas. Over the years, their sound has grown to incorporate elements of progressive and classic rock. But on their debut album, 2012’s Sorrow And Extinction, Pallbearer was rooted deeply in doom metal. The roots of doom can be easily traced to the early work of Black Sabbath and Pentagram. The songs tend to be slower, with instruments tuned down to give a low and creepy sound. This isn’t music designed to sell a lot of units, but Pallbearer has managed to make it work for the last decade plus. The songs here are long. Of the five tracks, there is nothing under eight minutes in length, and two of them are over ten minutes. So what you get here is deliberate, heavy, and highly dramatic powerful metal.
The slow acoustic strums that open “Foreigner” act as a nearly two minute intro, and things just get heavier from there. It’s soon loud and almost symphonic. Brett Campbell’s strong but not outfront vocals start to fade in at the four minute mark, at which point everything is where it should be. The nods to Sabbath are undeniable, and the pure weight of this music is inescapable. It’s sad, and it’s also at times a bit terrifying. You won’t find any hits here (or anywhere else in the Pallbearer discography…and that’s intentional), but what you will get is musicianship and a set of highly emotional songs best listened to on a rainy day. Pallbearer continued to grow over its next pair of albums before expanding their sound, with their debut the perfect starting point. A very good metal band that should probably be better known. Make room for the doom!
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THE WHITE STRIPES
DE STIJL
2000 – SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY
Produced By JACK WHITE
1. You’re Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl)
2. Hello Operator
3. Little Bird
4. Apple Blossom
5. I’m Bound To Pack It Up
6. Death Letter
7. Sister, Do You Know My Name?
8. Truth Doesn’t Make A Noise
9. A Boy’s Best Friend
10. Let’s Build A Home
11. Jumble, Jumble
12. Why Can’t You Be Nicer To Me?
13. Your Southern Can Is Mine
For a band that made it so big, The White Stripes have always felt underrated to me. Maybe because I’ve always felt that they are famous for all the wrong reasons.
Sure. Jack White is a beast, a guitar playing, blues belting songwriting genius, but it’s important to listen to his own words when considering what really made this 2 piece band work. According to Jack White, it was Meg who was the heart and soul of the band. And I believe that, seven days a week. De Stijl is their second album, and maybe their most overlooked record. They were not yet famous. They were newly divorced, and recorded the album in Jack’s living room. Their love of and dedication to the blues is most evident here, as is their obvious musical connection with each other. They were on the verge of hitting the big time, but they weren’t there just yet…for me, that’s where I want a blues act to be.
De Stijl has no hits, but it could have had. “Hello Operator” is the best of the lot, released as a non-charting single with a cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” as the B side. “You’re Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl)” and “Truth Doesn’t Make A Noise” are terrific as well, and there are also a pair of blues covers (Son House’s “Death Letter” and the Blind Willie McTell song “Your Southern Can Is Mine”). The spotlight is, as always, on Jack, but also, as always, it’s Meg’s drumming that holds it all in place. They would soon be megastars, with their red, black and white color scheme and relationship mystery and “Seven Nation Army” and everything else…but don’t sleep on where they came from and what they were at the start. De Stijl is a better album than people remember…hence, we come back to the word underrated. It doesn’t seem to fit this band…and yet, it does.
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THE STATLER BROTHERS
THE BEST OF THE STATLER BROS.
1975 – MERCURY
Produced By JERRY KENNEDY
1. Bed Of Roses
2. Whatever Happened To Randolph Scott
3. Do You Remember These
4. Carry Me Back
5. Flowers On The Wall
6. The Class Of ‘57
7. I’ll Go To My Grave Loving You
8. Pictures
9. Thank You World
10. New York City
11. Susan When She Tried
The Statler Brothers were one of the most decorated acts in country music. They first came to prominence as the opening act and backup singers for Johnny Cash from 1964 through 1972, and had a consistent and fine career until they called it a day in 2002. No one in the group was named Statler, and only two of them were brothers (Don and Harold Reid). They were known for their excellent vocal harmonies, as well as their nostalgic song themes and their humor. The Best Of The Statler Bros. is their best-selling album. Covering the period between their first (and most enduring) hit, “Flowers On The Wall” from 1966, through “I’ll Go To My Grave Loving You”, which was recorded for this album in 1975, this set is actually a testament to how popular they were in the first half of the seventies. Only “Flowers On The Wall” is from the sixties.
Between 1970 and this one in 1975, they released eleven albums. They also won a Grammy (for “The Class Of ‘57”), and began a string of being named the Country Music Association’s Vocal Group Of The Year eight out of nine years starting in 1972. Unfortunately, except for “Flowers On The Wall”, you might not recognize any of these songs. Which is why The Best Of is such an important time capsule of seventies country. The Statler Brothers were, during this period, a dominant force with what seemed at the time to be an endless stream of hits. And they wrote their own. It’s great to let songs like “Bed Of Rose’s”, “The Class Of ‘57”, and “Do You Remember These” out of the vault and into the light of day once more. This is definitely the place to start with the Statlers, an important part of the history of country music that deserves not to be forgotten.
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THE DEVIL MAKES THREE
REDEMPTION & RUIN
2016 – NEW WEST
Produced By THE DEVIL MAKES THREE & DAVID FERGUSON
1. Drunken Hearted Man
2. Champagne And Reefer
3. I Gotta Get Drunk
4. Chase The Feeling
5. I’m Gonna Get High
6. Waiting Around To Die
7. There’ll Be A Jubilee
8. I Am The Man Thomas
9. Come On Up To The House
10. What Would You Give (In Exchange For Your Soul)
11. Down In The Valley
12. The Angel Of Death
The Devil Makes Three is an Americana and bluegrass trio that got their start in the country music hotbed of Vermont. They released their debut album in 2002, but it wasn’t until it was re-released five years later that the band started taking off. Taking off in the limited way that band who play this kind of music do. The Devil Makes Three had a string of seven consecutive top ten albums on the US Grass charts, which will mean something to you if bluegrass is your thing. Redemption & Ruin is their seventh overall album, and is loaded with country blues tunes. All of the songs here are covers, written by everyone from Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters to Kris Kristofferson and Townes Van Zandt. There are a lot of impressive guests as well: Jerry Douglas, Emmylou Harris, Duane Eddy and a slew of fiddle players.
This group is popular in bluegrass circles, but not really anywhere else. The best that can be said about Redemption & Ruin is that their choice of material is pretty great. There always seems to be something lacking in the performances. For a band of this type, there’s not a mandolin to be heard anywhere. The vocal harmonies seem to be much more sparse than you would think, especially considering that all three members of the band sing. And with the quality of the guest players, you would think there would be more prominent soloing. In the end, The Devil Makes Three falls short on this album. You’ll find yourself wishing there was more bluegrass energy, more of just about everything. You’ll be better off with bands like Old Crow Medicine Show and The Avett Brothers. This is a nice try that simply doesn’t hit the mark.
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ERNEST TUBB
THE ERNEST TUBB COLLECTION
1987 – STEP ONE
No Production Credit
1. Thanks A Lot
2. It’s Been So Long Darling
3. Blue Eyed Elaine
4. Our Baby’s Book
5. Soldier’s Last Letter
6. There’s A Little Bit Of Everything In Texas
7. Tomorrow Never Comes
8. Sweet Thang
9. I’ll Step Aside
10. (When You Feel Like You’re In Love) Don’t Just Stand There
11. Driftwood On The River
12. Have You Ever Been Lonely
13. Yesterday’s Winner Is A Loser Today
14. I’m With A Crowd But So Alone
15. Drivin’ Nails In My Coffin
1. Waltz Across Texas
2. When The World Has Turned You Down
3. Let’s Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello
4. Answer The Phone
5. Journey’s End
6. Walkin’ The Floor Over You
7. Half A Mind
8. Jealous Loving Heart
9. Rainbow At Midnight
10. Det Up Two Glasses, Joe
11. You Nearly Lose Your Mind
12. You’re The Only Good Thing
13. Filipino Baby
14. Jimmie Rodgers Last Blue Yodel (Women Make A Fool Out Of Me)
15. Seaman’s Blues
These days, Ernest Tubb (The Texas Troubadour) is moving towards being a forgotten man. But he was a country superstar from the mid 1940’s through the 1970’s. He released 37 studio albums, had six number one hits, and was a mainstay of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 until his death in 1984. Tubb always had one of the best bands in Nashville, and he recorded with some of the best artists in country music. The Ernest Tubb Collection, a small label compilation from 1987, is actually a star-studded album of duets. It’s an impressive who’s who of country royalty from the seventies. Waylon, Willie, Cash, Paycheck. His frequent duet partner Loretta Lynn. George Jones, Conway Twitty…you name ‘em, they’re probably somewhere on this two disc that serves as a fine and deserving tribute to Tubb.
Thirty tracks is a lot of Ernest…but this doesn’t get boring at all. He always sang a bit flat, but that never deterred his fans. Also, the musicianship is top notch. And Tubb proves to be a great duet partner. Many of his greatest songs are here, including “Waltz Across Texas” (with Willie Nelson), “It’s Been So Long Darling” (with Conway Twitty), and “Rainbow At Midnight” (with Marty Robbins), along with his biggest hit. “Walkin’ The Floor Over You” (with Merle Haggard and Charlie Daniels). What you end up with is not just a fine tribute album, but also a massive slice of country music history. The songs here are from four different decades, and the star power is undeniable. This is one of those rarities: a minor label release that turns out to be an absolute classic. Seek this one out: it’s well worth hunting for.
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CHEAP TRICK
LAP OF LUXURY
1988 – EPIC
Produced By RICHIE ZITO
1. Let Go
2. No Mercy
3. The Flame
4. Space
5. Never Had A Lot To Lose
6. Don’t Be Cruel
7. Wrong Side Of Love
8. All We Need Is A Dream
9. Ghost Town
10. All Wound Up
Imagine being in a band that had enjoyed immense commercial success and showing up to record your tenth album, only to have your record label insist that you work with outside songwriters because your output from the last decade was unacceptable. That’s where Cheap Trick was in 1988. After having ruled the late 1970’s as the kings of power pop, Cheap Trick fell on hard times. Lap Of Luxury was seen as a return to form, a big time comeback. It returned the band to the charts, put them back on radio, and created the illusion that they were back. The reality is that they never went away…but also that they never returned to their earlier form. Lap Of Luxury served to prolong the career of a band that had long since run out of gas and ideas, and helped put one of the most underserving acts ever into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.
Sure, Lap Of Luxury contains their biggest hit, “The Flame”, along with “Don’t Be Cruel”…neither of which was written by anyone in the band. The best songs here were cowritten by the likes of Diane Warren (“Ghost Town”) and Todd Cerney (“Let Go”). The truth is that even with the infusion of outside writers, Lap Of Luxury is yet another lackluster Cheap Trick affair…it’s just propped up with a pair of hit singles. The band is as lackluster and uninspired as they had been for the entire decade, with guitarist Rick Nielsen having said that the making of the record was not a good experience. Cheap Trick has somehow managed to remain a concert draw for all of these years, despite the consistently dwindling quality of their recordings over the last 45 plus years. Lap Of Luxury is barely average at best. Not much more than that.
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XIU XIU
DEAR GOD, I HATE MYSELF
2010 – KILL ROCK STARS
Produced By JAMIE STEWART & GREG SAUNIER
1. Gray Death
2. Chocolate Makes You Happy
3. Apple For A Brain
4. House Sparrow
5. Hyunhye’s Theme
6. Dear God, I Hate Myself
7. Secret Motel
8. Falkland Rd.
9. The Fabrizio Palumbo Retaliation
10. Cumberland Gap
11. This Too Shall Pass (For Freddy)
12. Impossible Feeling
The American band Xiu Xiu (pronounced Shoo Shoo) is the domain of its only consistent member, Jamie Stewart. Since 2002, this band has made non-commercially successful experimental rock and pop music with an ever-changing membership and sound. Dear God, I Hate Myself is their seventh album, and the first to feature longtime keyboardist Angela Seo. This album is a raw nerve and honest to the core, with songs about things like eating disorders, body image, self-hate and Butters from South Park. This makes for intriguing music that you most likely will never hear on the radio. Stewart refers to himself on the album as incredibly dumb and incredibly ugly, and as a “sopping wet towel of stupidity”. But these songs are not all sad dirges…much of the music is upbeat and quite melodic. And experimental to the core.
Dear God, I Hate Myself is not their best work…for that, you’ll want to visit their earlier works like A Promise and Fabulous Muscles. But this is a pretty fascinating and always interesting record. The title track, “This Too Shall Pass” and “Gray Death” are the high points, and you’ll want to hear “Apple For A Brain” and its references to cartoon characters Butters and Pandapple. This is music that is far from the norm. It’s blatantly honest and sometimes painful lyrically, and it pushes boundaries musically. There are no hits here, and it’s not for everyone. If you can be patient, there are rewards here, but you won’t find yourself screaming to the heavens that this is the greatest music you’ve ever heard. Xiu Xiu, and this album, are strange yet passionate works. Worth at least a listen, and if you’re lucky, it might just take hold and become part of what you love about music.
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THE ROCHES
MOONSWEPT
2007 – 429
Produced By STEWART LERMAN & THE ROCHES
1. Us Little Kids
2. Only You Know How
3. No Shoes
4. Moonswept
5. Family Of Bones
6. That Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane
7. Long Before
8. Piggy Mask
9. Huh
10. Stop Performing
11. Gung Ho
12. Instead I Choose
13. September 11th At The Shambhala Center
14. Jesus Shaves
Sisters Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche got their big break when Paul Simon recruited them as backup singers for his 1973 album There Goes Rhymin’ Simon. They recorded consistently (with very little commercial success) from the end of the decade until 1995, at which time they put the group on hold. In 2007, after a 12 year hiatus, The Roches suddenly reappeared with their eleventh album, Moonswept. Their harmonies are as sharp as ever, and their voices remind you of why they were such critical darlings in the eighties and nineties. But their time apart didn’t bring what this album ultimately lacks: Moonswept is simply lacking good songs. It’s impossible not to compare this to their best work from the 80’s, and this unfortunately falls short of the bar that The Roches set earlier in their career.
The best track here is actually sung by the daughter of Suzzy Roche and Loudon Wainwright III, “Long Before”. “Jesus Shaves” is interesting also. But not even their amazing harmony work can’t save cringy songs like “No Shoes” and “Us Little Kids”. This plays like children’s music with adult themes. Ultimately, the only redeeming quality is their singing…which fortunately counts for a lot. Moonswept ended up being a one off reunion, as they stopped touring and never recorded as a trio again. The Roches officially ended in 2017 when Maggie Roche passed away. It’s recommended that you go back to their much better and mostly unheard earlier albums like Nurds, Keep On Doing and Speak, as well as their 1979 self-titled debut. Moonswept is just too thin and too silly. Sad that this fine group went out with a whimper rather than a bang.
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