“Tear out the flesh, tear out the bone,
Of anyone who tells you the known is unknown…”
“Ride My Arrow” [Bill Callahan 2013]
In this edition of JR we check out the newest long-player from American singer/songwriter, Bill Callahan. A consummate wordsmith with a rich baritone voice and a 15 album career now behind him, Callahan has been captivating fans for more than two decades, mostly behind the band persona of Smog. His just released 'Dream River' continues along a now well established path that is not quite Folk, not quite Country but consistently rewarding. Think of it as introverted Roots music - with a twist.
And we return to the Roots, both figuratively (with Ry Cooder’s new album) and literally (with the Hip-Hop band known by that name). On his first Live album release since 1977’s ‘Show Time’, Ry Cooder is noticeably having fun, revisiting songs from his deep catalogue in an exceptionally well recorded Live setting.
The music of Philadelphia band The Roots and Elvis Costello may appear to be at odds but in truth, neither can be easily pigeonholed into a specific style. Costello, for example, has recorded a litany of non-representative albums in his career encompassing Punk, R&B, Country, New Orleans Jazz and modern Classical so this year’s model, recorded in collaboration with The Roots, is neither surprising nor inconsistent. Testing his musical boundaries (along with the patience of his fans) is what Elvis Costello does best and in this edition of JR we litmus test the latest installment: ‘Wise Up Ghost & Other Songs’.
We also check the pulse of Electronic Dance Music with the debut album by Swedish DJ/musician, Avicii. Although just released the album has already sparked controversy through its innovative fusion of traditional House music styles with Rock, Soul and Country elements. The album features collaborations with artists as diverse as R&B singer Aloe Blacc, Country singer Mac Davis and Bluegrass musician Dan Tyminski. Helping weave the patchwork of styles together is Avicii’s co-producer, Nile Rodgers, fresh from his recent collaboration with Daft Punk.
Far from being a complete clash of styles, we also return to more familiar territory with a new single from Bernard Fanning’s recent ‘Departures’ album ahead of a national 'On The Green' tour. And proving her internationally acclaimed song “Royals” was no mere fluke, New Zealand’s Lorde, whose latest release "Team" (another preview from her forthcoming debut album, ‘Pure Heroine’) is similarly inventive.
Meanwhile, stirring up dust on the Comeback Trail this week were American Rock band Kings of Leon and piano man Elton John. Both have adopted a back-to-basics approach with albums which play to their respective strengths. Elton, for example, has described ‘The Diving Board’ as the most “piano-oriented” album of his career.
Kings Of Leon: “Wait For Me” (from the album, ‘Mechanical Bull’)
Avicii: “Addicted To You”/”Shame On Me” (from the album, ‘True’)
Ry Cooder: “Crazy ‘Bout An Automobile" (from the album, ‘Live In San Francisco’)
Bernard Fanning: “Grow Around You” (from the album, ‘Departures’)
Elvis Costello & The Roots: “Wake Me Up” (from the album, ‘Wise Up Ghost’)
Lorde: “Team” (preview from the album, ‘Pure Heroine’)
Bill Callahan: “Ride My Arrow”/“Spring” (from the album, ‘Dream River’)
Elton John: “The Diving Board” (from the album, ‘The Diving Board’)
Just Released is heard Saturdays at 12pm and Sundays at 4pm (AEDT or AEST) on ABC Digital Radio in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and via the streams of our metropolitan stations on the Gold Coast, in Newcastle, Hobart and Darwin.
You can also listen to JR during the week on ABC Dig Music Mondays @ 2pm, Wednesdays @ 8pm & Thursdays @ 11am (AEDT or AEST) and on Radio Australia throughout Asia & the Pacific.
To stream Just Released on demand, simply connect to our web pages via the hot links above. …(or even the shiny beast below):
♫
♫ {](-_-)[} ♫ Thanks for listening.
No comments:
Post a Comment