Americana

Live from the UK! - Commentary on music strictly American.

Lucinda Williams: Little Honey - "Its a real love," aye? I miss all the fake ones, then. Not that this new one's bad, but its not refined enough, not hooky enough...and the little close observations about life she's so good at aren't insightful enough to save the lack of melody. Her worst album of her own material...ever, surely, but still, better than 95% of country schlock out there, regardless. 17/20

Todd Snider: Peace Queer (EP) - In which Todd confesses this is all for him and that (surprise!) he doesn't like bullies. And it seems like the job of the idealists like him is to throw evil into its proper relief. Which isn't so bad a job. 18/20

Conor Oberst: Bright Eyes frontman makes the best thing (in pure musical terms) I've heard thus far this year. A gorgeous album that really grabs the heart. "I don't wanna die in a hospital" - body's not the only thing, let's have a little soul. 19/20

Randy Newman: Harps and Angels - Opens with a song about the (almost) death of a man; body of the beast has one about "this empire ending, just like all the rest" (this one needs an almost, too). Having these rather striking existentiale paraded before you in Newman's sarcastic conversational blather is musical food for thought. And its purty. 19/20

Drive-By Truckers: Brighter than Creation's Dark - This post has been too long, but I'll just say that the title's accurate about the work. Might be my personal favorite - recognizes the great good's in life (family, friends) and makes us aware of fortune's less favored ones, American style: queers, meth-heads, those of us who aren't angels... 19/20