One of my favorite music scenes – practically a genre unto itself – is what the Kinsella brothers and their associates were doing in Chicago about a decade ago. American Football, Owls, Ghosts and Vodka: They had their own unique sound that’s never really been duplicated. It’s fitting that a week after doing an interview with Mike Kinsella and asking him about his old bands that I should finally see a new band that has managed to brilliantly recreate that forgotten sound. It’s easy enough to tell from the songs Rooftops posted on their Myspace that they count those Chicago groups among their top influences, but since those recordings they’ve added a third guitarist, a low-end rhythm guitarist, moving them away from just a trebly tap-fest and more towards sonically balanced songwriting. The result is something I couldn’t want more: Their set last night at the Blue Moon was like a time machine to a music scene I was too young to see or appreciate when it was actually around. Here were four dudes with the skills and sensibilities to legitimately follow in the vein of American Football. Like I mentioned in my preview of this show yesterday, I’d seen members of Rooftops in previous Bellingham bands over the years, but I’ve never been so thoroughly impressed by them as I was last night. The set didn’t go without its share of snags (apparently when you’re really good at playing guitar it goes massively out of tune by the end of every song and requires extensive knob-twiddling), but Rooftops are still a very young band. Two of the band members are actually young: Guitarist Drew Fitchette is only 18 and drummer Wendelin Wohlgemuth is 20 (he was in another solid Seattle group, In Praise of Folly). Rooftops rest squarely on the right side of being influenced by a scene without ripping it off, of carrying on a forgotten sound without marring its memory. I can’t wait until they have a proper recording.

Sam Carter lost consciousness after contracting severe anaemia but was brought back to life when “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” was blared into his ears.

The anthem was the first single the retired baker from Stoke in Staffordshire ever bought, released in 1965 when he was just 17.

Despite only being given a 30 per cent chance of survival, he woke from his coma after his wife Eva, 65, took the doctor’s advice and played him his favourite tunes through a set of earphones.

After three days of listening to the local Stoke station Signal 2, his eyes opened as soon as he heard the sound of Mick Jagger’s vocals and Keith Richards’ guitar riff.

Read the whole story here, courtesy of the Daily Telegraph, and thanks to Line Out tipster my dad.

To quote Romenesko, it’s the feel-good story of the day.

by kjten22

My, there are several good shows tonight. If you’re into watching people who are really good at playing their instruments then you should probably head down to the Blue Moon (the fact that shows there are always free helps make the decision easier, right?). Opening are the Bellingham band Rooftops, who’s guitarist Mark Detrick blew my mind repeatedly during my college years up north in the bands Lands Farther East and Treasures. Rooftops play precise, melodic math rock in the vein of old Don Cab, Owls, and Maps and Atlases, and are certain to remind you several times during their set that you will never be able to play guitar like them.

Santa Rosa, CA’s the Americas are a two piece rock outfit with one of the most incredible manimals of a drummer alive, Casey Deitz. Though the Americas have operated for several years under the radar of much critical attention, you may recognize Deitz from his other band the Velvet Teen, which he joined in 2004. He’s the type of musician that can make an already good band great, as demonstrated with the Velvet Teen’s last record Cum Laude. The Americas are more high energy and spastic than TVT, and offer Deitz more opportunities to go totally bat shit on his drum kit.

I recently came across Wild Fantasy’s 1978 disco classic Jungle Drums, and I have to admit I haven’t been able to put the record down since. This classic album was produced by Tony Hiller of Brotherhood Of Man fame. The record contains amazing dancefloor friendly cuts including “Gypsy Lady”, “Africa”, “Get It On”, and “Africa”. I first found out about the group when I found a twelve-inch version of “Africa” for about two dollars and thought it was worth giving it a listen. When it comes to disco, any song or artist with the word “fantasy” and “Africa” included, I find, generally means it’s going to be good. This is definitely one of those times that the previous statement is absolutely true, with Wild Fantasy releasing a disco masterpiece in Jungle Drums.

Download songs from Wild Fantasy’s 1978 classic disco LP “Jungle Drums” by visiting this site.

(See what I did there? To go with Dolly’s DDs)

(And that’s a really classy photo compared to what I could show you.)

Dolly Parton
Lady Jesus

“It takes a lot of money to look this cheap!” chirps Dolly, forever casting herself as Daisy Duke with a gee-tar. It’s a ruse—a genius one—masking this hayride hussie’s stature as one of America’s great singer-songwriters. Beyond the voice and eternal songbook, Parton is the rare great artist who is also a great celebrity—her sexy-Muppet-with-a-heart-of-gold shtick was inverting sexploitation when Madonna was still in diapers—and even the shortest list of true American originals (Bob Dylan, Muhammad Ali, Buster Keaton) simply must include Dolly Parton. (WaMu Theater, 1000 Occidental Ave S, www.ticketmaster.com. 8 pm, $39.50–$85 David Schmader

“Devin the Dude is coming to Neumo’s, along with Portland’s own backbone, King Cool Nutz, as well as Neema, J Mar, D.Black, and the Parker Brothaz,” notes Larry Mizell Jr. in this week’s My Philosophy.

J Mar’s output so far is nothing but promising and I look forward to his upcoming Be a G About It, representing lovely for that Du4Self. D.Black’s upcoming Rejuvenation is, from the sample I got to hear, going to be fuuucking sick—and if you’re up on these here 206 internets, you know the Life just leaked like nine heatery unreleased tracks from Black himself to whet appetites. If you ain’t know, get your blogs up!

Drag the River - The Best of Times

Drag the River, Tumbledown, Mike D & the Loyal Bastards, Simon & Go Fuck Yourself

(Jules Maes) Every punk needs to learn a little history. Music didn’t start in 1977. That rebellious breed of outsider musical art can be traced back to the early 20th century. And it seems that more and more disenfranchised folks are taking note. They’re looking back to America’s roots. They’re embracing that Woody Guthrie creed: All you need is two chords, and the rest is just showing off. Drag the River, like any respectable ragged Americana act, understand that lineage. Yes, the world is a fucked up place, but rather than lashing out through distortion and Marshall full-stacks, unplug that guitar and lay those sentiments bare. Every bitter young ruffian should take note: There’s no better vehicle for your ire than a folk song. BRIAN COOK

Loaded, People Eating People, Flight to Mars (El Corazón) Nouela Johnston first flaunted her siren’s pipes in the electrifying blues-punk trio Mon Frere. After the band broke up, Johnston continued to play around town, filling in where needed (including a stint on keyboards with charming pop outfit Say Hi), all the while quietly working on solo material. She finally debuted her new songs a month or two ago under the name People Eating People. It’s quite a change from what she was doing with Mon Frere—she’s at the piano again, but now the songs are stripped down, allowing her stellar voice to take the lead in smoky, vintage lounge ballads and infectious piano parlor pop. MEGAN SELING

(If you search “people eating people” on YouTube, you get a bunch of cannibalism videos. Enough said.)

Continue reading "Tonight in Music: Dolly Parton, Devin the Dude, Drag the River, Duff McKagan's Loaded, and more" »

GO TO THIS SHOW! Also check out the interview we did last time he was here…

To celebrate the 8, Manchester’s Acid House kings, 808 State, have announced the remaster/reissue treatment in deluxe 2CD format.

London/Manchester, 8.08.08

The date of this press release is no coincidence! On 8.08.08, ZTT announces four deluxe reissues from one of the UK’s most important electronic outfits - 808 State - celebrating the band’s 20th anniversary, the 20th anniversary of acid house, and the 25th anniversary of ZTT itself. (Release date for all four is 06.10.2008)

The four albums getting reissued are: 808:90, EX:EL, Gorgeous and Don Solaris. Gorgeous is probably my favorite 808 State album but EX:EL has been imprinted on my brain permanently. Cubik, In Yer Face, Olympic, Spanish Heart, Oops…they all feel like nursery rhymes or ancient scrolls. Perhaps I just mean classic.

In honor of this day and the start of the Olympics, 808 State - Olympic

Just buy vinyl instead: New mp3 store operates on the In Rainbows model

Thanks, Fleet Foxes: J. Tillman’s albums get released digitally

The greatest and the not so greatest: Jay Z announces new album; disses Noel Gallagher

Calvin Johnson would make a hot contestant: Mirah’s album sales boosted by reality show

Jubilee: New side project features members of NIN, QOTSA, and Tool

Los Angeles, CA: The day has arrived. 8/8/08. It’s 8:08 AM. I post and wait for a cab. In twelve hours 88 drummers will play at the La Brea Tar Pits for 88 minutes. As stupid as it sounds, many will be one. How on will it be? Why do Boredoms do this? What’s this pluralized sound? What’s with numerology? How complex will the beats be? What does Nike have to do with it?

Conductor EYE will be syncing psyches and the drumming mind’s-eye, multiplied 88 times. I am drummer 56, one of the outer electrons of the shell. I have my snare, my kick pedal, my cymbals, and sticks. I have brushed my teeth. The rest is supposed to be there. I’m ready to get clear wide. Ready to uncoil some kinetic beast with membranous wings and hover. I’m ready to let it lean and list if it wants. I’m also ready to bang this shit home.

The schedule as it has been communicated to me is:

9:00 AM: Drummer Arrival
9:30 AM: Drummers Load In
9:30 AM: Drum Build
10:30 AM: Drummers Meeting - All Drummers Present
11:00/TBD: Drums Taken Out To Field
12:00 PM: Lunch Break (lunch provided)
1:45 PM: Sound Check
2:15 PM: Full Rehearsal
4:00 PM: Rehearsal Ends
5:00 PM: Doors
7:15 PM: Drummer Meeting / Final Adjustments
8:08 PM: Piece Beings (s.i.c.)
9:36 PM: Piece Ends
9:45 PM: Load Out Drums
9:46 PM: Chug Liquid Beer (just kidding, I put that in there)

From 10 to 10:30 AM we are not supposed to move from our set up spot. We are not supposed to play. They need a bit of quiet to organize everything.

Lastly they reminded us to go to the bathroom before the piece starts.

Speaking of bathrooms. In the airport on the way here, I went before boarding the plane. I was thinking about the symbol the BoaDrum organizers are using. The winding vortex symbol, it’s the way the drummers will be arranged. Then in the urinal, I saw a little winding vortex symbol. I wasn’t imagining it. It’s in all the urinals. I know I’m excited about this, but look, there are even BoaPissers. Seriously, what is that? Like the Hit It Here Cafe at Safeco? Pee here, and your urinating experience will be splashless:

List of all drummers after the jump.

Continue reading "88 By: Multiplied, Membranous" »

The best and worst part about dubstep is its one, long, ‘2001’-monolith-like bass creep into the horizon, and it can start to feel like it has just a single sound and point to it all.

Skream, from Croydon, meanwhile, crumples up the problem by injecting everything with a sense of genuine pleasure, a restless enthusiasm for the new, and an impatience for another English dance subculture potentially headed towards a creative lockstep feedback-loop.

If most of dubstep is slow and intent, Skream is a prolific splatter-shot of paint in strobe, alive and young — and inventive — where others are old, serious, and obsessed with death.

Tonight’s warm-up includes Seattle’s Zacharia, who does a nice enough if front-heavy low-build, and San Francisco’s Roommate, who gives the night a bit of a mixed-results hip-hop vibe.

But the last time we were in front of Skream was in London, and the crowd is now, in a comforting way, still up for it. The place is packed. “Not bad for a Wednesday night,” someone says. People swarm around when Skream takes the decks, and soon the place is all snapped photos, laughs with strangers, and knees-up dances to the bass and whoosh. Some yell along to their favorite tracks and it’s hard not to like it.

The set’s long and we hear everything from the worried “Wobble That Gut,” with sounds like an air-raid for insects, to Caspa’s murderous remix of TC’s “Where’s My Money,” Skream’s hollowed-out rejig of Klaxons’ “Not Over Yet,” the classic “Ghost Town” by The Specials, Skream’s work with Warrior Queen, a couple of new ones, and Skream’s own “Midnight Request Line” (twice), which helped define the genre.

It’s not Skream’s best night. There are loads of technical problems and he apologizes for “being a bit bumpy.”

Even at half-speed, though, he does well. Skream is thin and a bit of a geek, which is a good sign, and the actual records are crisp and nasty, always sounding modern and often sliced to pieces with extreme bass and harsh-but-open-armed highlights, while the BPMs are bashed up and down to keep the energy aloft.

Skream’s often brutal, but he’s got a massive ear for a tune.

You can hear how one of dubstep’s champions — dubstep’s most important champion — is never satisfied with a single sound. A single trick or palette. He pushes and pulls the genre tonight, managing to be, like the musicians that matter, both experimental and popular.

While Coki, Scorn, Kromestar, Warlock, Synkro, Unitz, Toasty Boy, Benga, and Burial have good ideas, Skream has them all.

Dubstep, and dance music, would be a worse place without him.

KEXP DJ Troy Nelson is interviewed here about what goes on in the world of a late night DJ. Who’s calling KEXP at 4:30 in the morning? Troy has saved some of those calls and shows us. Has this KEXP thing gone to his head? What does he do to get ready for his show?

The KEXP BBQ is this Saturday on the lawn behind South Lake Union Discovery Center. Troy will not be gurgling.

(Video edited by Black Daisy.)

Zs - “New Slave”

Zs, Wildildlife, Weird Lords, Capillary Action
(Comet) A night of stirringly unusual rock music, this bill includes the more cerebral Zs and Capillary Action. Recently pared down to a trio, NYC’s Zs are a compositional juggernaut, bending their rhythmically rigorous, note-stuffed pieces into thrilling and emotional shapes. They embody the most effective elements of both New Complexity and punk rock, and will truly knock your dick in the dirt. Capillary Action, another bastion of avant rock futurism, recently relocated to Seattle and are already on a tireless campaign of local ascendancy. SAM MICKENS

Joe Esposito - You’re the Best Around (My guilty pleasure)

Guilty Pleasures Cover Night: Massy Ferguson, Sean Bates, Thee Threats, C’est la Mort, Life in a Blender, the X-Ray Eyes, Mike Danner, Dischordia, Three Legged Dog, the Moonspinners, Holly Grigsby, the Harborrats, Black Swedes, Sean Nelson
(Tractor) In the world of guilty pleasures, there are two kinds of people. There are those who keep their guilty-pleasure songs secret, holding them close to their heart and never sharing with anyone what embarrassing sonic gems make them truly happy. Then there are those who are out and proud—shamelessly flaunting the fact that, fuck yeah, they love “Irreplaceable” (“to the left/to the left”) and they don’t care who knows it (I’m more the latter, usually). Tonight’s show, a benefit for 826 Seattle, is an ode to all those treasures that music snobbery has deemed guilty pleasures. Local artists including Sean Nelson, Massy Ferguson, and C’est Le Morte will pay tribute to their favorite embarrassments by covering them live, in public, for the world to hear. The evening is sure to be full of surprises. And someone better play some goddamn Avril Lavigne. MEGAN SELING

Read what David Schmader has to say about tonight’s ode to guilty pleasures here.

See everything else that’s happening tonight here.

No.

Pitchfork has M.I.A.’s response to the ridiculous (and tired) “Is M.I.A. a terrorist?” meme (which gets even more ridiculous in these comments):

“I don’t support terrorism and never have,” she wrote in a statement. “As a Sri Lankan that fled war and bombings, my music is the voice of the civilian refugee. Frankly, I am not trying to start dialogue with someone who is really just seeking self-promotion.”

Because exploiting geopolitical strife for self-promotion is anathema to M.I.A. (JK! Because at least M.I.A. self-promotes worthwhile art.)

This is pretty exciting, even with the Rick Rubinesque rock stuff and the “Wonderwall” biting (Jay Z out-rocking Shop Boyz?):

BLUEPRINT 3 from kwest on Vimeo.

Update: Does anyone else think Jay-Z should kind of be above feuding with Oasis in 2008?

I don’t believe in guilty pleasures, at least not how they’re commonly considered. Who actually feels guilty about enjoying, say, ABBA? Enjoying ABBA is not a guilty pleasure, collecting Hitler’s paintings is.

Despite my lack of guilt, I completely understand loving ridiculous music, and tonight at the Tractor Tavern, a 15 bands and solo musicians will bang out their favorite ridiculous songs at the Guilty Pleasures Cover Night, which is also a benefit for the nonprofit writing center 826 Seattle.

The list of performers, as of yesterday: Sean Nelson, Massy Ferguson, The MoonSpinners, Sean Bates, Lesli Wood of Ms. Led, The X-Ray Eyes, The BlackSwedes, 3 Legged Dog, Holly Grigsby, Mike Danner, Life in a Blender, C’est La Morte, The Harborrats, and Dischordia.

Their chosen songs are unknown, at least until tonight, when Guilty Pleasure Cover Night kicks off at 9pm, cover is $10, and all proceeds go to 826.

(My personal song-choice fantasies: Lesli Wood doing “Mr. Roboto” (or “One Night in Bangkok”!) and Sean Nelson crooning an utterly beautiful acoustic “One in a Million.”)

The Notorious K.I.M.: Dead body found at Lil Kim party

A Seattle institution: Damien Jurado announces new album and tour

Positive body images: Beth Ditto naked

More moping: New Morrissey album postponed

Wish I was Dutch: Neurosis host Beyond The Pale festival in Holland

Thin the herd: At All Costs break up

Some clarification to an item in my column this week: The craigslist ad cited in the column does not belong to King Cobra, according to owner Jamie Garza, who responded to inquiries after press time. Since announcing the club was for sale, he says King Cobra has received “tons of response from interested investors. We’re still in negotiations with some.” He says potential investors could buy “1/3, 1/2, or all” of the club, adding that “King Cobra is alive and well.”

Do you fondly recall the remix of Elvis’ “A Little More Satisfaction” and the 1997 era of big-beat techno? Have you been wondering just what the guys behind The Sopranos’ theme song have been up to? Do you think Snoop Dogg needs to rival Diddy in the “ruining old music” department? Do you hate yourself?

Then you’ll surely get a three-fourths over Cash Remixed, set for release in October but now streaming at JohnnyCashRemixed.com. First bad sign? The tunes stream in the cumbersome RealPlayer format.

The only song that gets out relatively unscathed is “Folsom Prison Blues,” its basic instrumentation left mostly intact with a Pete Rock beat crazy-glued on top. But otherwise, this album will give new meaning to “no stars” and “0.0” review scores. “I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow” has been run through a trip-hop grinder to sound like a B-side from The Saint’s soundtrack. “Rock Island Line” collides with percussion straight out of a Jock Jam. “Sugartime” has been trampled by the ghost of Kid Rock’s midget. But nothing-no-nothing is worse than Snoop Dogg turning “I Walk The Line” into a G-Funk duet, inserting 16 bars, Death Row-style vocoder, and plenty of interrupting mumbles (“tell ‘em why, Johnny”) and “uh”s into the song.

I’d like to say the result of the Snoop duet is funny, but it breaks my heart. Johnny Cash did so much to unearth new meaning in older pop and rock songs in his American series, and his estate deserves nothing as low as this “turn in kind.” How odd that people saw the song title “Leave That Junk Alone” and didn’t come to their senses. Sorry, Johnny.

It’s safe to say that Brooklyn based disco group Escort is one of my favorite bands to come out over the past few years. Over the past few years they have been releasing some amazing twelve inch singles including “Starlight”, “Bright New Life”, and “All Through the Night”. However, lately I’ve been finding myself getting back into, after not hearing for a while, maybe their most underrated single “Love in Indigo”, which was the groups second release back in 2006. I actually got to see the group about a year ago in San Francisco and “Love in Indigo” was the song I enjoyed the most live. If your one of the few people that haven’t caught on to this group, which features about fifteen members to make up a small orchestra of percussion, strings, horns, vocals, bass, and guitar instruments, I highly recommend picking up one of their four singles. The rumor has it that the group is actually working on a full-length album, however no date for a release has been given. Regardless, I’ll probably dropping a couple of classic Escort cuts later on this evening at Havana for your enjoyment!

Download Escort’s 2006 single “Love in Indigo” by visiting this site.

How can this be missed? Badu’s “Master Teacher,” which is on her superb new album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), owes everything to Plato:

I am in the search of something new
(a beautiful world im trying to find)
Searchin’ me,
Searching inside of you
And thats fo’ real

What if it were no niggaz
Only master teachers?
I stay woke
What if there was no niggaz
Only master teachers?
I stay woke
What if it was no niggaz only master teachers now?
I stay woke

Searching for a “beautiful world” that’s “hard to find”? What if there were only “master teachers” and “no niggaz”? “I stay woke”? Has Badu been reading The Republic? This tune is an R&B translation of Plato’s chief concerns: the third wave (philosopher kings), the cave and ship allegory, and the establishment of a guardian class.

“What if it were no niggaz [hoi polli/doxa/commoners/common opinions]/Only master teachers [philosophers/truth/alitheia/forms]/I stay woke [I stay authentic/aware/in a state of thavmazo, philosophical wonder].” Badu’s beautiful world is Plato’s world of forms. Amazing.

It’s Total Fest time. What is Total Fest you say? Total Fest is a three day music festival in Missoula, Montana. A mere seven hours away, Total Fest attendees camp and consume. Some people hike. Forty bands provide rock action. Beer is made and celebrated. A river is floated down. There’s a music swap at an ice-cream parlor. BBQ? Yes. Nudity? Maybe. Sun? Music and fun? Guaranteed like Grade A Top Choice tofu dogs or sirloin. Friday and Saturday are ALL AGES.

When: August 14-16. Record Swap is Aug. 16.
Where: the Badlander / Palace in Missoula, and Big Dipper Ice Cream.
How much: $35 three-day passes for 18+, $25 two-day (Fri.-Saturday) passes for all-ages.

In Russia, there is family of tightrope walkers by the name of Wallendah. The Wallendahs are a quiet bunch. The skill of tightrope walking is nimbly handed down through generations with care. They tightrope walk across town squares and from building to building twenty stories high. Some Wallendahs have fallen to their death.

Total Fest is nothing like that. Total Fest crushes the Wallendahs. People may fall at Total Fest, but they fall into soft grass, in the sun. And they are nude.

Some bands playing this year are Pierced Arrows, Akimbo, the Trucks, the Lights, PartMan PartHorse, Black Eyes and Neckties, Rad Touch, and Triclops! from SF.

Jeff from the Lights spoke about some of the goings on:

Can you talk Total Fest beer for me? Specifically keg beer.
Jeff: Well, in general, Josh Vanek (head honcho for Wantage USA record label) brews his own batch of “Total Beer.” This is quite tasty, ask the bros in Big Business and the dudes in Akimbo. After that everyone pretty much drinks whiskey and cheap beer until 4 AM. Josh is also known for making DIY elk jerky. Punk rock does not have to be vegan. Nor does it have to be anti-hunting and guns. Josh is proof. He also owns a potato cannon.

How late is late night at Total Fest?
The last time we played there we ended up playing an after hours party at 4 AM that was as decidedly debaucherous as it was disastrous musically.

Is there nudity?
Nudity is frequent. The first time I saw girls take their shirts off at a punk rock show was in Missoula. Missoulians are not afraid to take it up a notch. Seattleites take note, getting stupidly wasted and undressed is fun.

Everyone floats down a river, right?
Yeah. Saturday is usually the day everyone mellows out and heads up the river for a swim. Levis are cutoff, people get stoned. It’s fun to watch a bunch of dirt-bag rocker dudes in muscle tees act all wimpy when the icy river (glacial run off) goes above their testicles. Missoula is a fun town. It’s a perfect mix of DIY punk rockers and American-Gothic rednecks.

Pierced Arrows (ex Dead Moon) are playing this year. If Fred and Toodie Cole are not the grandparents of DIY punk rock then I don’t know who is.

Total Fest Line-Up after the jump.

Continue reading "Total Fest VII: DIY Elk Jerky" »

Minneapolis’ Jeff Hanson is something of an anomaly. He writes catchy, well-rounded pop songs that draw on modern and classic folk influences, and he plays all the instruments on his recordings, but that’s not what separates him from acoustic ilk. No, what makes Jeff Hanson different is the fact that, if you didn’t know better, you’d probably think from his singing that he was a lady. He has a beautiful, yet off-putting, lady voice. Specifically, he sounds like a female Elliott Smith. He’s put out two very good records on Kill Rock Stars, 2002’s Son and 2005’s s/t, and now he’s releasing his third effort Madam Owl on August 19th. I hadn’t thought about Hanson in a few years, but driving around listening to KEXP yesterday a song came on with a voice that seemed so familiar, and I thought to myself, “Who is this singing? I know her…” After a few moments I realized, and briefly relived that Crying Game moment from the first time I heard him back in ‘02. No doubt, the lady voice can be a bit of a hurdle on the track to enjoying Hanson’s songs. I was very fascinated with Son when it came out and showed it to pretty much all of my friends, curious if they would accept it, and a lot of them couldn’t get over that initial gender surprise. But once (or perhaps if) you are able to get past it, there’s a musician writing smart, lush, and often beautiful songs.