Review, "The Eventual Champion" EP by Jack Alberson

Don’t worry. That isn’t sadness or regret swirling around you; it’s a song. I know…it’s weird that a song can so accurately convey a sensation. But when Jack Alberson asserts that he “made this happen” in the opener “The Situation”, I feel no other course except to believe him. I accept his complicity in the decimation of everything in his wake. I also take part in his coming to terms with the situation—when the last few notes flicker out, I feel him letting go of the struggle, and I also let go.

The singer gets almost two minutes of respite when he’s cut “Loose”. Then the doubt, the “reservations” seep back in. In the slow burner “Call it a Day” he picks his sores open again, digs at his wounds. Panic, paranoia and remorse are sketched into every industrial noise, every melodic note. He’s “as far from life as one can go”.

Another minute or so of respite with the comparatively bright instrumental “Tigerbaby” and then we’re slammed back down again into industrial toiling and sad reflections. The end comes abruptly “without conclusion” in the “Ballad of the Eventual Champion”. He never states who the eventual champion is, but I’m starting to think misleading ourselves, questioning ourselves and feeling lost are major contenders for the role. In fact, I would tell you to get yourself a whiskey; you’re not going to sleep tonight. Look out into the night from whatever it is you call home. If you have a trench coat, then wear it with all the noir inflections that Memphis inspires.

~~Review by Lola Lariscy
Read my fiction writing here and follow/friend me on all those social media things.



Jack Alberson's Reverb Nation page

Jack is also a singer/musician/songwriter for Shortwave Dahlia and the Near Reaches

Efren, "The Woods and the Wild"

Efren, "The Woods and the Wild" (MP3 courtesy of their promotional company, Team Clermont).

Website
Twitter

Okay, everyone spread out. If we concentrate in the middle, this old thing'll come down!

The Saturday Giant

Website
Listen to their music on their Soundcloud page
Facebook

Valerie June, "Workin' Woman Blues"

Valerie, you don't need no sugar daddy!

Bon Iver live at Coachella

The Shy Lips, "In a Town That's Dead"

Hear more on their Soundcloud page
Free download on their Bandcamp page

The Cranberries

Oh, Delores O'Riordan. I wouldn't disagree with you. We should all see life as fun and take it if we can. I can't believe it's been almost twenty dang years. After a decade's hiatus, The Cranberries are back with another album, Roses. It looks like all of the original members are back, after spending the 2000s pursuing solo projects and working with other bands. It always makes me happy when an original line-up is back. As much as I loved some of The Pretenders later songs, it still made me kind of sad to know that the original people weren't playing the instruments (though it wouldn't have been right at all without Chrissie Hynde). In this case, though, all four members are back. I loved hearing Delores O'Riordan sing the effin' hell out of "Ode to My Family" in their recent NPR Tiny Desk Concert. I was going to use the actual word with an asterisk instead of the vowel, but it didn't feel right when referring to such a lovely song about her family, so I didnt.

Website
Last FM
Facebook
You can listed to a free sampler of the new album via Spotify.

Bill Frisell, NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Benjamin Francis Leftwich, "Atlas Hands" (MP3 thanks to AOL Spinner)

Website
Facebook

The Vaccines, "Norgaard"

Wait- Debbie Harry's missing from this photo! Or is it supposed to be Chrissie Hynde...

Sigh...I'm trying to embed this video, but it wouldn't let me. Couldn't find it on Youtube.

Facebook

Live From Nowhere Near You

Live From Nowhere Near You, a compilation of songs from Portland's Greyday Records. Sales benefit an organization
called Outside In.

I would like to get this when it comes out. It includes a previously unreleased (and little-heard) Elliott Smith song. Filter Magazine has a nice article on it. The article says there's a rough version of the Elliott Smith song available for download, but I couldn't find it.

Nico Muhly

My friend Koula posted this on her Facebook. I think it's absolutely gorgeous music, and you can stream his latest album at NPR.

Even his website is pretty.
His Twitter, on the other hand, is regular-looking.


Skip Town from Banner Gwin on Vimeo. Music by Nico Muhly.

Benyaro

This band reminds me a little of old David Bowie...without the space references. Even without the space references, Bowie would still great.

Listen to their music on their Facebook and watch live videos. My favorite song is "Dogs". Their website leads to their CDBaby site.

I'm thinking the joke I concoct will have something to do with Old Spice commercials...or maybe those Dos Equis commercials...yessss...

"Ladies...when I'm not drinking Dos Equis, I'm listening to the smooth sounds of Benyaro."



**By the by - the Dos Equis guy has a fansite with quotes.

Beth Jeans Houghton, "Dodecahedron"

Beth Jeans Houghton, "Dodecahedron" (MP3 courtesy of AOL)

Wikipedia article
Facebook


Her song "Milk Bottles". The video keeps buffering for me. Hopefully you'll have better luck.

 Sometimes the caption you come up with is better than anything I can write

Made in Iceland

This is just cool--a compilation of Icelandic music. You can stream the album here.

Amanda Mair, "House"

Amanda Mair, "House" (MP3 courtesy of AOL)

(This is song about how upset she is about the "Huddy" story arc on House. No it's not. I'm just kidding).

Labrador Records
Indie Today article

Listen to his version of Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes"

Bell XI, "Hey Anna Lena"

Bell XI, "Hey Anna Lena"

Website
Stream their album Bloodless Coup here

I've never been bird watching, but I think you're supposed to look at the birds.

Ego Likeness

I don't post much about darkwave. It's not that I don't like it, but I kind of branched away from it when I was in my early twenties. My darkwave was Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus (Oh how I love Bauhaus), Ministry, My Life With The Thrill Kill (I've got instant action, sweet satisfaction) and The Swans.

My knowledge of darkwave began and ended there, much like a baby dinosaur when the meteor hit. My darkwave is forever etched with the names Jarboe, Murphy and Sexplosion.  Not a bad way to remember darkwave. Definitely ending on a high note.

Anyway, I went to a club last night (Shock! Horror!) and I liked a band. I liked a darkwave band whose members weren't ready to apply for AARP.

I don't like comparing bands because it's an inaccurate and lazy way to make connections, but it's also a human way to describe something. When I was watching the lead singer/writer Donna Lynch, I was really struck by how much she reminded me of Jarboe from The Swans. The band reminded me a lot of The Swans, and I loved The Swans.

The music, though dark, was emotionally earnest. Each note was pulled from her throat, gasping for life, gasping to let go of its misery. The music was a living thing, and her voice was an honest, willing conduit. She wrapped her voice around the music: She was the Pilot to the music's Moya (Farscape reference).

I felt transfixed, despite my hurting feet, drunk head and uncoordinated body.

Website
MP3s are available here
Twitter


Ego Likeness, "Aviary"


The Swans' cover of "Love will Tell Us Apart" (oh yeah - if Joy Division counts as darkwave, then that was another darkwave band I liked). The Swans also did a beautiful cover of Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home".

Kasper Bjorke, "Young Again"

Thanks to Nick for this!