Favorite Albums of 2011 20-11

20. Hey Rosetta! – Seeds
Lush strings, crunchy guitars and anthemic crescendos propel this ambitious and addictive collection of songs from underrated Canadian indie-popsters. 

 Hey Rosetta - Yer Spring

19. Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong
The sophomore effort from California-based road warriors Dawes didn't quite meet my high expectations.  A solid effort, seemingly teleported straight out of 1975 - but just didn't grab me the way North Hills did.  Still among the best live bands you'll see, though.

 Dawes - Fire Away

 
18. The Decemberists – The King Is Dead
A welcome return to the straightforward folk sound that the band had moved away from on recent records.  No bloated arrangements or convoluted storyline - just simple songs and Colin Meloy's lyrics on full display.  Plus a little help from Peter Buck and Gillian Welch.   

 The Decemberists - This Is Why We Fight

17. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
Where past records were draped in a haze of guitar effects and muddy noise, Smoke Ring For My Halo is crisp and clear.  The melodies and lyrics are discernable and the genius of Kurt Vile's songwriting is on full display.  

Kurt Vile - Baby's Arms

16. Real Estate – Days
On Days, New Jersey beachniks Real Estate clean up the production a bit without losing their lo-fi charm, and deliver another batch of summery pop songs that range from roadtrip-ready singalongs to slow-burning sunset jams.

Real Estate - It's Real

15. The Devil Whale – Teeth
A lucky discovery early in 2011, The Devil Whale released their sophomore effort Teeth in May.  The Utah-based band creates catchy indie-pop that recalls Dr. Dog or a grittier The Head And The Heart. 

 The Devil Whale - Earthquake Dreams

14. Roadside Graves – We Can Take Care of Ourselves
Ramshackle, whiskey-soaked folk-rock from New Jersey's Roadside Graves.  A concept album loosely based on S.E. Hinton's classic "The Outsiders", the story of the Greasers and the Socs sets a backdrop but never feels forced or contrived.

Roadside Graves - Hank Williams

13. Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire
Ryan Adams' music ushered me through the most formative years of my life, from high school to college and beyond.  29, Easy Tiger and Cardinology kind of lost me - but Ashes & Fire has me back on board.  Focused, honest and sans-Cardinals...welcome back Ryan.

Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire   

12. The Low Anthem – Smart Flesh
Local favorites The Low Anthem return with their third full-length.  What Smart Flesh may lack in cohesiveness it makes up for in spirit - with whisper-soft hymns standing alongside ragged folk-rockers.

The Low Anthem - Boeing 737

11. Tristen –  Charlatans At The Garden Gate
I was late to come around on Tristen, but have been making up for lost time.  Tristen treads in similar waters to Sharon Van Etten, a strong woman writing about ellusive love and failed relationships.  However, she paints with a more vibrant and diverse pallette - great stuff.

 Tristen - Avalanche

The Low Anthem - Smart Flesh review, Live in Boston 4.20.10

My most anticipated album of early 2011, The Low Anthem's Smart Flesh, is out today.  It's been more than a year since I first heard live versions of many of these songs - but in the intervening months the band holed themselves up in a freezing, abandoned pasta sauce factory and put the songs to wax.  The result is as beautiful and memorable an album as I expect to hear this year.

Smart Flesh showcases the band's continued growth - mixing delicate, whisper-soft hymns ("Ghost Woman Blues", "I'll Take Out Your Ashes", "Love And Altar") with electric guitar stomps that give the listener a chance to breathe ("Boeing 737", "Hey, All You Hippies!").  Haunting imagery, deft turns of phrase and starkly personal subjects - Ben Knox Miller's songwriting stands up as an example of songwriting at its best and most pure.

What lies within these grooves is a collection of songs that drip with soul but benefit from restraint.  Big ideas and intense emotion, stripped to the bone.  Devoid of pretense or anything superfluous, the songs have a lived-in patina and hand-worn luster - simply beautiful.

The Low Anthem will be at Old South Church in Boston on March 4 (tickets) and will be back in Boston on April 19 at the House of Blues, opening for Iron & Wine.  Two must-see shows.

Check out a remastered version of our excellent recording of the band at the Paradise last April 20 - the sound is improved over the last version, and is a pristine soundboard+room matrix.  Don't miss this!

The Low Anthem
Paradise Rock Club - Boston MA
April 20, 2010

Cage The Songbird
Ticket Taker
[thanks]
Sally Where'd You Get Your Liquor From *
To The Ghosts Who Write History Books
Apothecary Love
Ghost Woman Blues
Charlie Darwin
Home I'll Never Be **
Cigarettes, Whiskey & Wild, Wild Women ^
Maybe So
This God Damn House
Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around %
Ain't No More Cane %
Dreams Can't Chase You Down
Ohio
Love And Altar
I'll Take Out Your Ashes

* - Rev. Gary Davis
** - Jack Kerouac
^ - Jim Croce
% - Traditional

Full set download (mp3 zip)

The Low Anthem: Live at Lily Pads 1.8.11, preview new songs

Just a few short weeks away from releasing their highly-anticipated follow-up to 2008 breakthrough Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, and fresh off a tour with Emmylou Harris, The Low Anthem played an intimate show in the rural Rhode Island town of Peace Dale on Saturday night.  I was lucky enough to be there as the band gave a sneak peek at much of the upcoming Smart Flesh.

Lost on the back roads of Rhode Island, I thought I had made some kind of mistake -- this couldn't be where The Low Anthem was playing, could it?  Once I found the tiny church that would serve as venue for the night, I soon realized that it was going to be a special night.  Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons took the stage first, bringing an acoustic version of their outlaw country, rock and folk.  Joe Fletcher's booming voice filled the room and brought the crowd to their feet.  The band's recently-released album White Lighter has been in constant rotation for me (look for a full review soon) and the songs took on even more power in live form as Fletcher's lyrics jumped to life, complimented by mandolin, fiddle, percussion and upright bass.  Singalong set closer "Too Many Doors" featured The Low Anthem and forced the packed crowd to bring Fletcher and company out for an encore.  A brilliant set from a band you need to know.

After a brief intermission that gave attendees a chance to grab some homemade baked goods, cider and merch, The Low Anthem took the stage.  After starting with a couple of favorites off of OMGCD, "Ticket Taker" and "To The Ghosts Who Write History Books", the band began to showcase some of the new songs.  "Apothecary Love" and first single "Ghost Woman Blues" have been mainstays in the set for the better part of a year - the former a lilting song of love found over the drugstore counter, the latter showcasing the band's gorgeous four-part harmonies alongside a simply-strummed acoustic guitar and clarinet.  "I'll Take Out Your Ashes" a solemn meditation on loss that is probably as affecting of a song as I have ever heard.  

While I had become familiar with a few of the "new" songs over the past few months, for a number of the songs this was my first listen.  Whisper-soft "Burn" (I believe the only true "premiere" of the night) was gorgeous, featuring a simple melody accompanied by banjo and glockenspiel.  Ben Knox Miller described "Matter of Time" as "the laziest love song", but its beauty lie in the simplicity and honesty of the lyrics, a beautiful song.  As on OMGCD, there are a number of upbeat songs to balance the slower ballads -- "Hey, All You Hippies!" comes rambling "o'er the Hollywood hills" calling out entitled so-called-"hippies" and "Boeing 737" is a stomping rocker that rides a descending bassline. The centerpiece of the show and a stunning highlight from my perspective was the title-track from the upcoming album, "Smart Flesh" - a deeply personal rumination on the mortality we all share and a simply beautiful song.

It's clear that the band is gaining confidence as performers and reaching maturity as songwriters.  Ben Knox Miller has an incredible gift.  He writes songs that can make you smile and cry in the same moment; songs that are deeply personal yet universal.  In my eyes he is leading the pack in a new generation of songwriters.  The Low Anthem were already my favorite band, and they're only getting better.  Based solely on this sneak peek, Smart Flesh is going to be hard to top as my album of 2011. 

The full show is available for stream below - sound is generally excellent.  Thanks to The Low Anthem for their taper-friendly policies -- please support the band by preordering Smart Flesh here.

The Low Anthem
Lily Pads - Peace Dale, RI
January 8, 2011

Ticket Taker
To The Ghosts Who Write History Books
Apothecary Love
Hey, All You Hippies!
Burn
Ghost Woman Blues
I'll Take Out Your Ashes
Matter Of Time
Home I'll Never Be
Cigarettes and Whiskey
Smart Flesh
The God Damn House
Snake and Lightning Rod
Boeing 737
The Auld Triangle
Love and Altar
Charlie Darwin

Full set download:  mp3 zip

Keep an eye out for details about what sounds like it will be a special CD release show in Providence.  Other area dates:

March 4 - Boston MA, Old South Church
March 5 - N. Adams MA, Mass MoCa
March 7 - Portland ME, SPACE Gallery

Previous recordings from The Low Anthem:

Boston MA, Paradise Rock Club - 4.20.10
Portland ME, SPACE Gallery -4.23.10

New music: Twain - I'll Be Fooled Again

Twain is the side project of Low Anthem multi-instrumentalist Mat Davidson, who has recorded a new album of beautiful, understated folk songs with the help of Ken Woodward (Annie & The Beekeepers) and Pete Pezzimenti titled Love Is All Around.  Davidson's pure voice and fingerpicked guitars alongside slide guitar, singing saw and bouncy rhythms give the songs a light, airy and almost tropical feel at times.  It's a wholly pleasing listen, introspective and fun at the same time - great for those times that you want something mellow but still uplifting.

One of the clear highlights for me is "I'll Be Fooled Again", a flat-out gorgeous rumination on loss and one of my favorite songs of the year.  Listen/download below and watch a beautiful live performance captured by Possum Den Productions.

Twain - I'll Be Fooled Again

The album seems to only be available by mail for now, but go to the band's myspace page for ordering details.

New music: The Low Anthem - Ghost Woman Blues

The Low Anthem's Smart Flesh is high on my list of most anticipated albums of 2011.  Oh My God, Charlie Darwin was probably my favorite album of 2008 (pre-Nonesuch rerelease), and from there I discovered What The Crow Brings Home, another near-perfect album of simple folk songs.  The band has yet to release a bad song, and that trend continues with "Ghost Woman Blues", the first track off of Smart Flesh.  The song may sound familiar from live shows over the past year, but the album version adds stately piano chords to compliment Ben Knox Miller's pure vocals. 

The Low Anthem also have a string of tour dates scheduled to support Smart Flesh, including a few of local shows.  The band will play the gorgeous Old South Church in Boston on March 4th - a somewhat ironic yet perfect venue for the band.  They will also be at Mass MoCa in North Adams on March 5 and Portland's SPACE Gallery on March 7.  Presale tickets available through thelowanthem.com starting Monday.

The Low Anthem - Ghost Woman Blues by visible voice

Get the mp3 for free when you sign up for The Low Anthem's mailing list: