InRadio 3.6 Wishbone, March/April 2006

To hear these and other great artists, order now.

Rocky Votolato
Barsuk Records
It seems that Votolato's latest album, Makers, proves that straightforward singer/songwriter albums still can be good. Makers, his 4th full length release since parting ways with the rock group Waxwing is a beautifully simplistic album. Residing in Seattle with his wife and two kids Votolato's latest is a much more stripped down version of previous albums. The listener gets a much more personal and in depth record due to this mature subtlety. In conjunction with nostalgia and desperation, Votolato's roots in folk and country drive this albums music.


Calexico and Iron and Wine
Overcoat Recordings
In The Reins, the heavily anticipated album from Calexico and Iron & Wine is an absolutely magnificent CD. Although a short album, each song does not cease to impress. Calexico offers Iron and Wine's Sam Bean some amazing music to weave his lyrics through. It would seem that these two were destined to work together both profiting off of the others' strengths. Calexico's musical grandeur blends with Beam's soft folky sound to create one of the best albums of 2005. One can only hope that this collaborative effort is the first of many.


Minus Story
Jagjaguwar
Minus Story are Jordan Geiger, Nick Christus, Brian Phillips and Andy Byers, and they have put together a fine 3rd full-length album. No Rest for Ghosts is a portal to a richly imaginative Minus Story universe, where the band sings about a narrator being eaten and regurgitated by his or her own baby in order to feed its own monstrous young, the chasing of a cloud that eats souls, the jumping off of a cliff like lemmings after employers are laid waste to, the dreaming of a Nazi invasion of their hometown, God sadistically laughing at them, and their respective minds being invaded by undead celebrities. As strange as that all sounds give it a listen, it is a great album.


Souad Massi
Wrasse Records
Souad Massi is a leading light among the young Algerian artists. She sings the Arabic language with a sweet and pure voice, creating a delicate and harmonious Algerian folk rock. Though she now lives in Paris, she does not forget her native country. She explains with accuracy and consciousness what happens in Algeria everyday and keeps on denouncing the oppressors without being boastful nor activist. Unfortunately for those not fluent in Arabic the message may be lost but the power of her voice and music is universal.


Tom Brosseau
Loveless Records
What I Mean to Say Is Goodbye is Tom Brosseau's fifth release. One of his songs is the story of the flood that destroyed most of his hometown Grand Forks, North Dakota. He's not a mourner but a confessor: "I have forgiven the big Red River for doin' what she done". Though Tom Brosseau relocated to Los Angeles, he keeps his home close on his albums. Fans of Brosseau are eagerly awaiting his eponymous album, which should be out soon.


William Elliott Whitmore
Southern Records
Hailing from a horse farm along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, William Elliott Whitmore has developed an intense love and spiritual understanding of the land, which he flawlessly conveys through his second Southern Records release, Ashes To Dust. With a voice that sounds decades older than he is and full of emotional depth, William again delivers his signature style. Johnny Cash like story-telling and banjo filled songs dominate this country album.


Deerhoof
Kill Rock Stars
Led by Satomi Matsuzaki's childishly compelling vocals and supported by her now steady band mates Chris Cohen, John Dieterich and Greg Saunier, Deerhoof honed its frenetic sound and even more schizophrenic live show, resulting in quite a reputation. It's hard to explain this San Francisco quartet except that they are good and should not be missed if they are in your town. They are now touring around the world to support their eighth and latest release on KRS, The Runners Four, receiving high notes of praise.


DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid and Dave Lombardo
Thirsty Ear Recordings
Two years in the making, Drums of Death, pairs DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid with Dave Lombardo (drummer for Slayer). Added to the mix is, Chuck D from Public Enemy, Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid and Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto. DJ Spooky says of the album, "The drum is universal-it doesn't matter if it's hip-hop, drum n bass or trash metal-it's all about that beat. That's what this project is about: rhythm dialog, building bridges between scenes and styles."


Tapes 'N Tapes
Ibid Records
The Story of Tapes 'N Tapes via their website:
"In the winter of 2003, times were as hard as the frozen earth. Three men, tapes, 'n, and tapes, banded together to salvage what they could from the tundric wasteland. The resulting collective came to be known as 'tapes 'n tapes'. By altering hit records ever so slightly, and plagiarizing great works of German and Norwegian literature, the collective developed a sound wholly their own. In the spring of 2003 the band migrated north, to the taconite fields in the iron range. There, buried deep in a mineshaft, they spent long nights perfecting their craft. Finally, as the northern chill of fall began to once again sweep over Lake Superior, the brother's tapes returned south. Today they are presenting their beautifully wrapped, sweet smelling product to the hipsters, college rockers, and b-boys of this God blessed nation."


Architecture In Helsinki
Bar None Records
Architecture In Helsinki's, the eight-piece band from Melbourne recently put out its sophomore album called In Case We Die. With only 12 tracks that span 40 minutes, the fast paced album covers an amazing amount of ground. To try and classify AIH sound would be impossible, as a reference their sound is similar to The Fiery Furnaces, with shorter songs and a poppier feel, not to mention an additional six musicians and some 20 instruments.


Divorcee
Princess Records
Led by singer/songwriter Ryan Seitz and Jon Herchert on the guitar, Divorcee mixes rock and roll, power pop, and solid melodic songwriting into a sound that is all its own. Divorcee was originally started in 2001 by Ryan as a demo project to record his growing collection of songs. The demo sessions were independently released as the band's first album, Lovesick in 2001. In 2004, the lads hunkered down in Jon's studio to record Music for Cleanup Men, Breakdown and Inbetweeners.


The Black
K Woo Records
Not much is known about this young Austin quintet. They just released their debut album, Tanglewood, and are now on tour across the Midwest to support it. Their music mixes folk, country and blues. Their diverse style and influences are sure to attract fans of all types of music.


Mates Of State
Barsuk Records
Mates of State is the organ and drums, vocal-laden duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel. The band essentially began in 1997 but did not take off until, Kori (organ, vox) and Jason (drums, vox) quit their day jobs as a teacher and cancer researcher in 2001, got married, and hit the road. Mates of State has been described by critics as "unabashed joy", "honesty at its best", and "a band that you must see live". They've released several albums on Polyvinyl and now are with Barsuk. Bring It Back, their upcoming release, will be out this month.


Edith Frost
Drag City
Edith Frost is back from a four-year hiatus in the wilderness. It's A Game is her first release since 2001's, Wonder Wonder. Born in San Antonio, Texas her background is in old time music. The Carter Family and Hank Williams loom slightly under the surface of her sorrowful ballads. With many eager fans awaiting It's A Game, Edith has, with help of many talented musicians and producers, put together a beautiful album.


Jens Lekman
Secretly Canadian Records
It would not be an InRadio compilation without at least one Swedish artist and Jens Lekman does not disappoint. The 23 year old from Goteborg, Sweden is receiving much attention in Sweden and abroad. He recently hit number 2 on the Swedish pop charts. His latest release, Oh You're So Silent Jens, is a fantastic album of mostly re-releases and B-sides. It is almost overwhelming how many songs Jens Lekman has recorded so early on in his career. Keep an eye on this one; he seems to just be gaining momentum.


James Apollo
Aquarium Records
Born in Libertyville, Arkansas and raised in the American Middle West, James spent most of his young life traveling and playing music. The comfort and beauty that he has found in his wanderings come across gracefully in his music, both lyrically and musically. It seems that James found his place in a society that pushes the idea of a fixed home and a desk education. James stated, "I don't know if I learned more in school or on the road, but I sure remember a lot more desert sunrises than trigonometry." I would recommend James for those who've wanted to uproot themselves, like reading a good book, it enables the listener to sit back and get lost in someone else's story.


The Long Winters
Barsuk
Ultimatum, the new EP from The Long Winters, is a spare, six-song snapshot of the oblique and poetic-minded side of astounding songwriter and Winters bandleader John Roderick. At times sparse, at times warmly lush, this collection of songs is always intensely beautiful. It seemed appropriate to end InRadio's Wishbone with a track from such a matured song-writer. Roderick's stories are striped of cynicism and layered in an optimism that is digestible and intelligent. The music scene is lucky to receive such a perspective.