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.