A Bloy and his Blog

You could almost file The Odd Couple, the latest release by Gnarls Barkley, under “old school R&B.” Gnarls Barkley (a duo comprised of producer Danger Mouse and vocalist Cee-Lo Green) brilliantly reference that old R&B style, while adding modern musical elements of their own. Hear that mixing of styles in “A Little Better.”

Following up their critically acclaimed debut album, St. Elsewhere, must have been a daunting task. Even though there isn’t a smash hit like that album’s “Crazy,” The Odd Couple is a more consistent, and better record.

read the rest of: The Odd Couple by Gnarls Barkley

On the first few listens of April, by Sun Kil Moon it’s the hooks (guitar riffs, chorus) that suck you in. Further listening uncovers the multiple layers beneath: the rich textured walls of sound, the expressive lyrics of loneliness, longing and memories of love. As each layer reveals itself and you become more familiar with the song, you move ever closer into the mind of the artists, feeling the depth of their emotions.

The opening track, “Lost Verses” sets the tone. It begins with a lone acoustic guitar accompanying the voice of singer Mark Kozelek. As it continues, instruments are added until the end of the song (a 90 second instrumental coda) has a wonderfully layered, full structure of sound.

read the rest of: April by Sun Kil Moon

The self-titled, debut album by the band Vampire Weekend has received a great deal of acclaim since its release, almost to the point of hype. When a debut causes the band to be the new darlings of the critics, I become skeptical. Is everyone just jumping the bandwagon? Although I’ve been burned by the hype in the past, after hearing some samples online I took a chance and bought the disc.

The music from this New York quartet should probably be filed under Indie Rock, but as is often the case with good music, it transcends labels.

read the rest of: Vampire Weekend

It was a bit of a long day at work today. When I left and headed for the bus stop it was snowing — again. While waiting and riding on the bus, I listened to one of my favorite albums of all time, U2’s The Joshua Tree. That helped a lot to changed my mood. I thought about how good that albums is, and I was reminded of the old game, Deserted Island Discs. You probably know the drill: If you were castaway on a deserted island, which albums would you choose to have with you?

What better daydream to have in the middle of a cold and snowy wait for the bus, than being stranded in a tropical paradise with great music?

read the rest of: Deserted island discs

2007 was an amazing year for music, one of the strongest in a long time. Consequently, I have quite a lengthy list of favorite albums for the year.

Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
I thought this was the best album of 2007. I wrote a full review of Easy Tiger when it was released last summer. And for a bonus, check out the EP, Follow the Lights, which Adams also released this year.

read the rest of: The best music of 2007

A few weeks ago Ryan Adams & the Cardinals released some new music, a seven song EP called Follow The Lights, which I have been listening to a LOT lately.

A perfect companion to their excellent disc Easy Tiger (released this past summer), Follow The Lights features two brand new songs, a great cover song, and four live studio performances of songs the band has been playing during their recent tour.

The two new songs, “Follow The Lights” and “My Love for You is Real” are ballads, the latter makes a beautiful statement without being too sweet.

read the rest of: Ryan Adams: Follow The Lights

Boxer, the newest release from The National, is one of those albums where the melodies linger in your brain long after the music has stopped playing. Maybe it’s the lead singer’s, soothing baritone, maybe it’s the dreamy, atmospheric sound the band has. “Green Gloves” is a perfect example of both.

read the rest of: Boxer by The National