Old Crow Medicine Show, "Carry Me Back"

Last week, bluegrass veterans Old Crow Medicine Show released Carry Me Home (ATO, 2012), a rabble-rousing first offering since 2008's Tennessee Pusher (Nettwerk). As the title suggests, each track from beginning to end rely and a deep nostalgia that give even the fast-paced ditties layers of emotion. The opening title track is a bouncy rebel song about fighting for the confederacy in the Civil War and the ache to return home when inevitable casualty happens.

Perfectly bridging the distant past to very different times, the second track, "We Don't Grow Tobacco," details the painful end of a family farm with bitter, aggressive humor in the vocals. "Levi" follows as a much more modern war song about a soldier from Virginia that dies in the desert 10,000 miles away from home. As simple as that, they switch from old stories to new anthems that wail with shocking relevance despite the traditional Appalachian sound. "Ain't It Enough" is a sort of contemporary, pleading "This Land Is Your Land," against excess and advocating unity.

But Old Crow is always liable to shift gears without much warning. Knee-slapping "Mississippi Saturday Night" gets the listener moving and laughing before everything slows again a couple tracks later with the heartbroken ballad, "Genevieve". From love lost to goodhearted romping with a "Country Gal," this album is very well balanced and arranged with some great material to keep the listener's attention throughout. The last two tracks are a prime example of the abrupt jumps they can make but get away with thanks to the brevity of the tracks. "Sewanee Mountain Catfight" is a fast, and especially vivid track about some kind of backwoods female fighting circuit that features great soundscape effects like breaking bottles that slams on the brakes into the last track. "Ways of Man," concludes the album in slow, reflective lines and picking that winds the album down exceptionally.

Check Old Crow Medicine Show touring the East Coast this August and order the new album here.

The Shins "Port of Morrow"

After nearly five years, The Shins have released their fourth full-length album, Ports of Morrow (Aural Apothecary, 2012). This is their first release under frontman James Mercer's label after leaving Sub Pop in 2008. Ports keeps that catchy Shins signature with a little broader sound than we've previously heard.

This album starts with "The Rifle's Spiral," one of the best songs here and sets the feel really effectively. "Simple Song" was released as a single, which are rarely the strongest tracks on an album, and this isn't really different. It's a good way to advertise the release of new material with a sample of what sounds like something we've already heard. Along with "It's Only Life," it makes up probably the weakest section overall.

Ports is a great blend of poppy, hum-along melodies and languid, airy effects. "Bait & Switch" is an exceptional balance of their grooving instrumentation and floating vocals. This consists mostly of love songs, both pro and con. "September" and "For a Fool" are great examples of both sides of the argument. There is even what sounds like a little Steve Miller Band influence and clean trumpet accompaniment on "Fall of '82".

The average song runs under four minutes until the closing title track. Just a hair under six minutes, "Ports of Morrow" is definitely the spaciest on this release, but wraps up the album beautifully by following in the general slowed tempo and ghostly tones consistent throughout. Ports of Morrow feels much more mature than The Shins' previous releases, and helps them stand out from other acts in a fairly saturated genre. Download it here.

Umphrey's Mcgee at the Crystal Bay Club, Crystal Bay, NV 3/11/12

After settling back into the Lake Tahoe area, I'm glad to return from a very extended hiatus. And this show was a great start to the second chapter. While I wasn't the biggest supporter of their most recent album, Death By Stereo (ATO 2011), Umphrey's Mcgee rocked Tahoe's North Shore last Sunday with an excellent setlist.

The Crystal Bay Club is an intimate venue with pretty good views throughout and the added bonus of being able to play video poker at the bar during set break. With Joel Cummins' keyboards, Andy Farag's custom percussion and Kris Myer's sizable drum kit almost touching, it was a far cry from watching them on a massive outdoor stage in Chillicothe, IL, but the sound was much better and you didn't have to deal with 4,000 other people also trying to get a little bit closer.

They began mixing their newer material with the old from the first set which featured "Nemo" from 2006's Safety In Numbers (SCI Fidelity) then blending into newer tunes "Wellwishers" and a variation of "Day Nurse". Eventually, they lead back into "2nd Self" from 2002's Local Band Does O.K. before cranking out the first set with a raucous "Nothing Too Fancy" from the same release. Each member played in top form, and they even found a way to work about ten choruses of the $5 foot long song into some extended improvisation.

After losing a few dollars in Jokers or Better, the lights dimmed and we cheered and crowded forward, ravenous for the next block of high energy tunes. The second installment of the night included a few more covers and one all-but-forgotten composition titled "All Things Ninja". Lead guitarist Jake Cinninger took over vocal duties for a rendition of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" that got everybody moving and didn't stop hitting hard until late into the night. The second set rounded out with an incredible cover of The Talking Heads' "Making Flippy Floppy" that left everybody clawing for more. As the audience filed out following the encore and transformed back into individuals, snow fell lightly on the street, and they still kept cheering.

Experiencing a live Umphrey's performance is always intense. The sheer ease with which these musicians can meander around rhythms and playing styles is a continuing source of awe for their fans. And it's what they do best.

Umphrey's Mcgee will once again be hopping festival to festival over the course of the summer with other stops mixed in. Check this out to see if they'll be stopping near you. You will not be disappointed.

Meshell Ndegeocello "Weather"

One of the best things about writing is that I'm not expected to be able to pronounce every artist's name. Meshell Ndegeocello may be a mouthful to pronounce but her ninth studio release, Weather (Naive, 2011), is a mostly stripped-down album heavily rooted in minor tonalities and sad lyrics.

These songs feature a lot of piano and acoustic guitar starting with the title track. The soft instrumentation provides a solid, unobtrusive backdrop for Meshell's vocals, which range from quiet and breathy to deep and powerful to spoken lines. This variety of delivery can be a little disorienting for the listener. It works best on the song "Rapid Fire," the first song on the album longer than four minutes as well as featuring more electric instrumentation. It works least on a mostly incredible rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel," which utilizes the breathy vocals exquisitely but sporadic spoken lines have a tendency to interrupt the natural beauty of the song.

Ndegeocello has been mostly renowned for her bass playing, a noticeably absent element from much of the album. She's held down the low end for everybody from Basement Jaxx, to the Rolling Stones to Alanis Morissette. "Dirty World" is the sole tune to feature a really infectious bass groove. Though she does let loose some on the stellar track "Dead End."

This album is all about heartache and pain. That is usually a trustworthy combination for a really solid work of art and Weather is no exception. Of course, covering Leonard Cohen is always a surefire way to win my support. While I wouldn't call it a concept album, there is a definite sense of story arc here that immediately makes a work much more listenable. You can download it here.

Tom Waits "Bad As Me"

I can't pretend this is going to be a balanced review. The subject is Tom Waits' seventeenth studio release, and it comes seven years after Real Gone (Anti, 2004). Bad As Me (Anti, 2011) features all the heartbreaking and experimental instrumentation and lyrics that helped Mr. Waits into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.

This record utilizes mostly conventional instruments like much of his earlier work but the spectrum of sounds is vast including strings, brass, woodwinds, organ, marimba, piano, maracas, accordion, etc. All amazingly produced to accompany his legendary rough voice. The opener, "Chicago," applies some great brass that immediately brings to mind the blues and jazz music of the Second City, while Waits delivers the empty promise that "everything will be better in Chicago."

A little later, "Talking At the Same Time" has him singing a little falsetto and absent of rasp, yet the tremolo-laden guitar and the tickling piano provide the smooth background for him to get away with it. And all that smoothness gets eradicated with "Get Lost," a faster soul tune about the attraction of the leaving the mundane behind. The fast and raw is perfectly set off with the slow and smokey. There's even some Latin influence on "Back In the Crowd."

Every track is exemplary of his absolutely masterful songwriting talents. "Face To the Highway" describes some of the many things that want, animate or not. There's "Kiss Me," which illustrates the unbridgeable gap between the beginning and end of a relationship. The crushing loneliness of "Last Leaf" will bring you to your knees. "Hell Broke Luce" will help release some of that pent-up frustration with war. But ultimately everything is more or less resolved with some conflicted cynical optimism on "New Year's Eve."

There is no doubt in my mind that Waits' fans new and old will find that Bad As Me fits perfectly in line with the unbelievable body of work that dates back to 1972. The album is set to release on October 24. Get it here. You won't be disappointed.

Misfits "The Devil's Rain"

This is the first studio release of original material in twelve years for legendary punk group The Misfits. Bassist/founding member Jerry Only continues to hold down vocal duties since 2003's Project: 1950. And unlike many releases from groups already deemed "legendary," this album is really solid.

A storm comes in during the opening title track and sets up a very well produced, but undeniable Misfits record by utilizing all the classic elements that earned them their stature. The title, like many in the past, comes from a campy horror film starring William Shatner, and with titles like "Land of the Dead" and "Curse of the Mummy's Hand," there is no shortage of B-movie chills. The drums, laid down by Eric "Chupacabra" Arce, are as big and relentlessly driving as ever and Dez Cadena's crunchy guitar breaks only for screaming leads.

Only's crooning vocals are great on a couple of levels. They are reminiscent of the group's Danzig years while being different enough to establish this as a new chapter in their sound (and surpasses the albums sang by Michael Graves). There are plenty of "whoa-ohs" to keep the listener singing along and with lyrical content on songs like "Jack the Ripper" and "Monkey's Paw," they've done a great job of integrating the core elements of their Horror Punk signature.

Not everything about The Devil's Rain is good ol' fashioned Misfits however. Likely due to their study of the genre for Project: 1950, there are strong overtones of 1950's pop, especially for songs such as "Cold in Hell," "Monkey's Paw" and "Where Do They Go?" The result is a little like Frank Sinatra singing a Halloween album. Also the quality of the recording is very heightened and clear, which takes a couple of listens for the longtime fan to get used to but ultimately works very well.

It's impossible to tell if The Devil's Rain contains any classics that will match "London Dungeon" or "We Are 138," but at least it's a good sign that they aren't slowing down or moving in an unsavory direction (if only the same could be said for Metallica and Lou Reed). You can download it here.

Bjork "Biophilia"

For years Bjork has maintained the type of unpretentious weird that Lady Gaga can only aspire to. The Icelandic pop star will release her eighth solo record, Biophilia, tomorrow. She partnered with NPR's First Listen to allow fans to stream the entire album through their website.

It opens calmly with "Moon," which was released as a single. Dynamically and rhythmically varying, it's a powerful cosmic lullaby that sets the tone aptly for the rest of the album. The sound builds from there and by the end of the third song, "Crystalline," aggressive electronic elements sneak their way in. It leads to spurts of complicated polyrythmic drum programming akin to Aphex Twin or Squarepusher that contrast beautifully with Bjork's emotional singing style. "Sacrifice" is a prime example and a real highlight of this release.

The lyrics carry strong scientific and nature-inspired overtones including a brief history of the Universe on "Cosmonogy." The vast expanses of space and the shifting of plate tectonics are applied as interesting metaphors for human relationships especially on "Mutual Core" near the end.

It closes with "Solstice," which is very much a reprisal of the opener and again features single plucked notes as the only accompaniment to the vocals. It brings the listener completely around again to the calm darkness of a new moon. Wonderfully complex and balanced with heartbreaking simplicity, Biophilia is one of those well-constructed concept albums that aren't easily picked apart or separated into strong and weak tracks. Each song here is a crucial part of the whole that hypnotizes the listener until its conclusion. You can download it here starting tomorrow.