"It ain't bragging if you can do it," they say. When you get an email from a band that states, "The difference between us and other bands is that we're actually good," it's hard to take them seriously. I admire the cheek, but at the same time, I've heard many a crap band say that exact same thing. Boredom prompted me to take the band Kingsbury up on downloading their EP Lie to Me after they issued the above challenge...and I have to say, they most certainly weren't lying to me when they said they were good!

Lie to Me reminds me of Mute Records--the Mute Records that releases records by Nick Cave, and that released records by Crime and the City Solution, Anita Lane, Mick Harvey, and Barry Adamson. If you're following the drift, Kingsbury reminds me a lot of Nick Cave...except the singing. The music is an interesting combination of slow, sad music--like the Rachel's--and the mellower, melancholic tones of the aforementioned Mr. Cave and his Bad Seeds. They sound like they could have been associated with him in the 1980s and early 1990s. Though it starts with a haunting instrumental, "Armada," the music picks up significantly after that, though the pulse rate never rises above 100. It's all haunting and dark, but in a way that is totally their own.

But overall, Lie to Me is a contemplative listen; I know little about the band other than their moxie and that this EP is available entirely for free at their website. Check it out!

Listen To:"Lie to Me"

Labels: Kingsbury, Reviews K

posted by joseph kyle @ 6:00 AM 1 comments

Taro Kawasaki Sing Me a Song

Sunday, July 13, 2008

I recently received Sing Me a Song, a little 4-song disc of wonderful, mellow glitchy electronica from Japanese artist Taro Kawasaki, and I mean little: a limited-edition 3-inch CD with four gentle songs in less than ten minutes. With an emphasis on guitar and glitchy patches, Kawasaki explores a sonic landscape that is soft, supple, and innocent; these four songs are lovely little lullabies, and work well with those who are seeking a trip to the Land of Nod. If you're a fan of the Leaf label, Morr Music, or Windham Hill, even, you'll enjoy this little record. I definitely do look forward to hearing more from this young man.

Listen To: "Plouf"

Sing Me A Song is available now from Drifting, Falling

Labels: Drifting Falling, Reviews K, Taro Kawasaki

posted by joseph kyle @ 7:33 PM 0 comments

Jeremy Kelly Jeremy Kelly

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Decided to take a risk and check out the new self-titled album by experimental guitarist Jeremy Kelly. I know some people think he's wonderful; after spending time with his self-titled album, I see their point. Zilch is the amount I know about Kelly, and I prefer my mysterious artists that way. What I do know is that it's hard to not become enraptured in the gentle, simple guitar styling and quiet, hushed drones found on this album. At times, such as on "Polar Bodies" and "Beyond the River Skai," Kelly's work is haunting and disturbing, like a stroll through a dark thicket on Halloween night. It's not all terror and fear-mongering; on songs like "The King in Yellow" and "August Bootfire," Jeremy Kelly is restful and relaxing. The only song I'm not enthralled about is the closing "White Light from the Black Sun," when Kelly goes all psych-rock freakout; though I like music like that, within the context of the rest of the record, it seems out of place--perhaps because it breaks the peace and tranquility and quietness of the record. But that's why we have 'ignore' features, and it doesn't bother me too much. All in all, this little record has made me want to hear more of this talented man's work.

Listen To: August Bootfire

Jeremy Kelly is available now on Foxy Digitalis

Labels: Foxy Digitalis, Jeremy Kelly, Reviews K

posted by joseph kyle @ 8:48 AM 0 comments

Carole King Tapestry

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Carole King is a national treasure, a natural woman, and one of the best pop songwriters of the 20th century. Who else wrote songs that were made famous by Dion, Aretha Franklin, the Byrds, Little Eva, James Taylor, and the Beatles, amongst others? Not very many. She's a wonderful songwriter, and her 1971 Tapestry album was, and is, one of the greatest records of the Twentieth Century. I know that's a heck of a lot of hyperbole, but it's truth, it's wonderful truth, and I can still remember hearing this record as a little guy on 8-track.

Sadly, a generation of listeners only knows these songs by watching them massacred by American Idol contestants and wannabe contestants, but it's a testament to how great these songs are in that their greatness isn't tainted one iota by poor performance, singing inability, and delusions of grandeur. I cannot stand "I Feel The Earth Move," but Carole King can get away with belting it out, because it's her song, she's the only one I can believe as having emotions she just can't tame.

And a moment about those emotions--did I happen to mention that some of these songs are just so utterly beautiful in their simplicity that, well, they bring a tear to my eye? Yeah, I'm an old softy, and I'm a sucker for a beautiful song, and Tapestry has a dozen of 'em. Add to the song the simplicity of the arrangements--just a piano here, a guitar there, nothing heavy, nothing too complex. If anything, the simple guitar and piano arrangements makes a large part of the record feel like a demo tape. A wonderful demo tape, too. With classics like "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," "So Far Away," "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman," and "It's Too Late," Tapestry is one of those albums that is so filled with brilliance that it plays like a greatest hits record.

I'm a fan of the Legacy Edition series, and I jumped at the thought of this wonderful record being remastered, repackaged, and expanded. It's such a perfect album, it should be studied as a lesson in song writing, I was curious to see how it would be expanded. Thankfully, the compilers never messed with it; additional songs on the first disc would ruin it, and a heavy helping of outtakes and demo versions would only have distracted. The second disc is simply the album performed live, taken from a series of a few shows from 1973 and 1976. Only one song is missing, and the rest are simply Carole and her piano. It's no surprise to discover that she doesn't really need a band behind her to make these songs shine.

Few records are as perfect as Tapestry, and that's why the record still sounds fresh and inviting and warm today. This is true pop.

Listen To: So Far Away

Labels: Carole King, Reviews K

posted by joseph kyle @ 9:15 AM 0 comments

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