A Leif Vollebekk Masterpiece: “Sunset Boulevard Expedition”
Brand new Leif Vollebekk!
Leif released ‘Revelation‘ on September 27th, and it took me until today to make it to “Sunset Boulevard Expedition,” the penultimate track on the album.
Sir. Inject this into my veins and let me live in this track for a few days, please! A slow-building melancholic monster of a tune, 8 minutes and 19 seconds of bittersweet and wistful beauty.
The transition mid-song to the dreamy refrain: If I have to live without you / I’m just gonna dream about you / I’m not gonna let you fade away / I’m not made that way – with accompaniment by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and the heavenly swells of Sara Pagé‘s harp.
The spoken words of the final moments. The genuine ACHE he feels, and the way the song just washes over me as I listen.
The drummer on this tune? The legendary Jim Keltner, honorary Traveling Wilbury, who has played with so many popular musicians in the business. Please check out Leif’s story about calling up Jim out of the blue, and how the song came together. It’s here on his Instagram post.
Listen to this song. Find and take in the lyrics and the imagery they evoke.
Just stunning.Christopher Owens is back with new music
After a (close to) 10-year hiatus of new music, Christopher Owens is back with the recently announced ‘I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair‘ (due in October). Chris was a founding member of Girls, who split in 2012 after releasing their stellar standout album ‘Father, Son and Holy Ghost‘ in 2011. He released a few solo records over the next few years (his first, Lysandre, is my favorite), then sort of receded into the shadows. This 2023 piece by Adrian Spinelli sums up Christopher’s story, and a lot of the struggles he’s been through. On top of that, his Girls band mate and friend JR White passed away in 2020.
After leaving San Francisco last year, it appears (based on his Instagram) that he’s moved to the Washington Heights area in NYC, gotten married, and has clearly rekindled that creative musical spark.
“No Good” is one of the first released singles, and definitely captures the Owens/Girls sound – the blend of sunny & melancholy guitar with Christopher’s vulnerable vocals.
“I Think About Heaven” continues to grow on me. I can’t help but hear “Ventura Highway” in the guitar melody, but after more listens, I’m finding more and more to enjoy – it’s a sweet six minute meandering journey (in a good way).
You can pre-order the album on Bandcamp. Welcome back, Christopher!
Album cover photo by Sandy Kim.
The Light Nights – Camera Obscura
If my Tuesday night hadn’t been spent catching Kamasi Washington’s Mesa gig, you would have found me Wednesday night at the intimate & awesome Crescent Ballroom watching Scottish band Camera Obscura. I fully realize I missed a terrific and rare opportunity to see a great band live, and most notably to hear the voice of Tracyanne Campbell in the flesh. But alas, I am old, I’m a working man, and yada yada didn’t happen.
I can report though that I’m instantly smitten with a tune off their new album, Look to the East, Look to the West. The song is “The Light Nights,” and it hits all the same sweet spots for me that “Honey in the Sun” did a few years back.
The band is currently winding their way through the southern and eastern U.S., and will wrap their U.S. leg at Webster Hall in NYC on June 20th.
I highly recommend this great tune.
Let Tracyanne’s smooth, flawless voice wash over you like a cool babbling brook in the Torridon Hills…
” I want to be sun-kissed and put on your wish list immediately.”Photo: from https://www.camera-obscura.net/
As All Get Out – New from MLV
Ickmusic favorite Matthew Logan Vasquez (aka the front man of the great Delta Spirit) is back with another great batch of songs on his brand new album, As All Get Out (Bandcamp), released this past Friday. This is Matt’s 5th full length solo album since 2015. Pretty prolific considering there’s also been an EP and two Delta Spirit albums released in that same time frame. It must be nice to let the songs spill out of you like that. I’m still struggling with writing my first full song, and yes, I’ve read Jeff Tweedy’s ‘How To Write One Song!’
This new album came to my attention via Matt’s Instagram, where he posted a video of himself along his his two band mates playing a great version of the album opener “Untouchable.” I was ‘reeled’ in!
With Friday’s release, I dove in. The second song in, the lead single “Over It,” has that driving Delta Spirit / Vasquez signature beat, and has me coming back for many repeat listens. The video is fun. I’m guessing that’s Matt’s son front and center.
And if you want an emotional, poignant ballad (see the DS tune “Vivian” too), then listen to “Recognize,” which is written from the point of view of someone just diagnosed with a memory-killing disease like Alzheimer’s. “Would it offend you if I left here tonight / while I’m still someone I recognize?” Crushingly beautiful.
when black midi comes to town
Always a treat to come across multi-talented new bands. black midi are young UK guys in their late teens / early 20’s who sound years ahead of their time. I bought this record after hearing “John L.” once and simply looking at this awesome album cover. Lots to discover here. Lots going on.
“John L” is the first song on this cool KEXP At Home performance.
My intro to Nicole Atkins
Nicole Atkins has evaded me all these years, but thanks to a friend pointing me to her latest release earlier this year (Italian Ice), and the last 24 hours of deep diving into her music, I am on board.
Her voice blows me away. Songs like “The Way It Is” that just hit me in all the right spots. A throwback 60’s pop diva feel… the voice as an instrument, one that is completely at her command.
Or “Forever,” where the intro and verses have a familiar ring (I hear “Time After Time” and “Little Red Corvette”) and then changes gears into a catchy chorus.
I’ve been discovering her collaborations with other artists too. A couple of really cool covers:
One collab I would love to see: Nicole teaming up with New Zealand’s Marlon Williams, who captures that same shimmery retro vibe.
Italian Ice pays homage to her Jersey Shore upbringing, and is a great listen. It was recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and features session legends Spooner Oldham and David Hood, as well as friends like Spoon’s Britt Daniel. The final song on the album is “In the Splinters”, and this live video from a July WFUV performance really sums up Nicole: fun, enthralling, entertaining, and a voice that can kill.
So, watch! And check out NicoleAtkins.com for more. For me, file under Late to the Party, and… On. board.
Hold Me – Oz Soul from The Teskey Brothers
If you close your eyes and throw on The Teskey Brothers latest record, Run Home Slow, you may think you’re hearing some recently unearthed Memphis Stax soul. What you’re actually hearing is the soulful voice of Melbourne, Australia’s Josh Teskey and the throwback sounds of the Teskey Brothers. Josh definitely channels the spirit of Otis Redding.
“Hold Me” strays just a little from the Stax formula and mixes in some folk/roots with infectious foot stomps, hand claps and harmonies. The video adds to its allure, with its atmospheric, earthy, outdoorsy setting (directed and produced by local filmmakers We Are The Moon House, and filmed at sunrise in the Teskeys hometown of Warrandyte).
This one hit my radar recently on a Tidal video mix. I’m thankful for the recommendation engines churning behind the scenes on Tidal, Spotify, Apple Music and such. This one’s a keeper.
In Appreciation of: Honey in the Sun
Please add me to the Tracyanne Campbell appreciation society. The Scottish lead singer/guitarist for Glaswegian Indie Pop band Camera Obscura caught my attention recently when “Honey in the Sun” rang out sweetly from my Mac speakers (hard to romanticize, ha).
Her voice is indeed sweet like honey, and the sun-kissed, wistful beauty of the song itself just hits me right where it counts. “Honey in the Sun” is the last song on their fourth album, My Maudlin Career, released in 2009. The comparisons to Belle & Sebastian are obvious, and after reading up, I came to discover that B&S singer Stuart Murdoch produced their debut album Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi.
In fact, “Honey in the Sun” gives off the same vibes as my favorite Belle & Sebastian tune, “Another Sunny Day.”
Long story short, I’ll be exploring Camera Obscura’s discography, and taking in the beauty of Tracyanne’s voice.
My Top Tune of 2018: There From Here (Phosphorescent)
I always find it hard to put together a “best of the year” music list because my listening habits jump all over the map, through different years and eras. When I look through my listening history this year on Last.fm, I see some great new stuff: Paul McCartney’s Egypt Station, Parker Millsap’s Other Arrangements, the great new Tom Petty collection An American Treasure…
But when it comes down to it, it’s Phosphorescent’s C’est la Vie that takes top billing, and in particular, the song “There From Here” – a song that I immediately loved. I won’t go into it too much, but in essence, I recorded myself messing around on guitar on my birthday this year (Aug 3rd). I sang a few made up lyrics, and really liked the melody and chord changes I had come up with (some sadness, some beauty, some bitter-sweetness). Fast forward a couple months later to the release of C’est La Vie and my first spin through the album. When I heard “There From Here,” it felt awfully familiar. Listening back to my noodling in August, there were a lot of similarities in the melody and feel of the songs. I felt like Matthew had written the song I had bouncing around in my head. It was sort of a surreal moment, honestly.
I said hello to Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck before his Phoenix show back on November 12th, and got to tell him how much I loved the album, and especially the song. During the show, he dedicated the tune my way before playing it..
Anyhow, I’m so thankful for artists like Matthew – artists who have the talent to take the melodies bouncing around our heads and are are able to bring them properly into this world.
Take a listen…
Some People
Heard this a while back on Elton John’s Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music. It quickly turned into a favorite of mine, and some friends too. Killer moment when the bass and drums kick in. Great, talented artist, this Parker Millsap.
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