Music

2024 in Review

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Bill Frisell Trio at the Tin Pan on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Photo taken by Warren Parker. Squint long enough and you might recognize someone…

2024 was a lot of things. Not all were great, but at its best, 2024 was The Year I Was on Bill Frisell’s Instagram Twice™. The first was when this Style Weekly Q&A went live, a few days before his November show at the Tin Pan. Red Hook Records, the label that released Frisell’s 2024 ad hoc trio album, Breaking the Shell, was kind enough to reshare the article and Bill’s account reposted.

The second was after the show, when WarHen Records founder Warren Parker posted the shot above (subsequently reposted to Frisell’s stories). It’s evidence of the awestruck look that did not leave my face until Frisell and his bandmates were done casting their 90-minute spell. What a privilege it was chatting with the endlessly inspirational guitarist, and what a joy it was seeing him from the very first table inside the doors of the Tin Pan.

As I did last year around this time, I wanted to drop a post here with a few lists: articles I wrote, shows I saw, and albums released in 2024 that have taken up residence at YHT HQ.

Articles I Wrote

Thanks to everyone who made these pieces possible: the brilliant musicians I chatted with, my editors (especially Brent at Style Weekly), and @maddyaboutfood, who reacts with saintly patience when I ask her to be a second set of eyes at like 10 p.m. the night before an article is due. I’m an unreasonably lucky dude.

Striking Gold: “Golden Country, Volume 1” captures the lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry between Justin Golden and Devil’s Coattails.
Style Weekly, January 2, 2024

Going Solo: A Q&A with the Camel’s outgoing co-owner, Lucas Fritz, and its new sole proprietor, Matt Hansen (pictured).
Style Weekly, January 16, 2024

Road Game: A Q&A with Will Anderson of rising Brooklyn band, Hotline TNT.
Style Weekly, January 17, 2024

Album Outlook in 2024: Six Richmond-affiliated artists (and a label) with new music on the way this year.
Style Weekly, January 23, 2024

A Second Debut: Adrian Ciucci, leader of the Southern Belles, on the group’s quiet hiatus and revised modus operandi.
Style Weekly, January 31, 2024

Return to the River: The sequel to the award-winning environmental documentary, “Headwaters Down,” journeys deeply and widely.
Style Weekly, February 26, 2024

Settling In, Leveling Up: A veteran of the Newport Folk Festival, Richmond-based folk trio Palmyra is ready for its biggest local gig yet.
Style Weekly, February 27, 2024

Battling Dad: Richmond rapper Cane goes viral turning fatherhood into battle rap.
Style Weekly, March 12, 2024

Unbroken Circle: The Carter Family’s Legacy and How to Find it in Southwestern Virginia
Virginia Tourism Blog, March 25, 2025

That One Song: “God’s Song” by Prabir Trio
Style Weekly, March 26, 2024

Keeping the Flame: Bandleader and streaming service apostate Timothy Bailey on his “New Love Stories” album which comes out in May.
Style Weekly, March 29, 2024

Time to Shine: Ratboys singer Julia Steiner on touring Japan, band bonding, and the importance of aimless country drives.
Style Weekly, April 1, 2024

That One Song: Richmond indie-pop standout Tyler Meacham’s recent single, “dream house,” is a graceful meditation on grief.
Style Weekly, April 15, 2024

Remembering Wes: A concert and art auction, Wes Freed Day takes place at the Canal Club on April 27.
Style Weekly, April 23, 2024

Dojo Inferno: Virginia garage-psych veterans the Ar-Kaics return with red-hot new album “See the World on Fire.”
Style Weekly, May 7, 2024

Worth Knowing, Worth Going: Hazy, stargazy Richmond rock band Rikki Rakki will celebrate the vinyl release of “Breaking Skin” at Plan 9
Style Weekly, May 22, 2024

Back in the Pocket: Ace drummer Nate Smith extends his “Pocket Change” solo album series and his influence.
Style Weekly, May 27, 2024

One City, Two Films at Sundance: A pair of criminal justice documentaries with Richmond roots captivated audiences at the Utah film festival.
Style Weekly, June 3, 2024

Friday Affirmation: Durham singer-songwriter Tre. Charles will scale up his message of introspection as Friday Cheers opening act.
Style Weekly, June 19, 2024

Worth Knowing, Worth Going: Richmond-raised guitarist Jack Stepanian brings blues riffs and brisk momentum to Get Tight Lounge.
Style Weekly, June 25, 2024

Worth Knowing, Worth Going: Americana outfit Holy Roller headlines the second annual Road to Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion showcase at the Broadberry.
Style Weekly, July 17, 2024

A Plunky good time: Concert to bring jazz icon’s multifaceted legacy to life
Richmond Free Press, July 18, 2024

Standing Together: The return of 804 Day celebrates the vibrancy of Richmond’s music community
Richmond Magazine, July 29, 2024

The Color of Sound: The Richmond Jazz and Music Festival returns to Maymont for a star-studded 12th year
Richmond Magazine, August 2, 2024

Sonic Storyteller: From working with iconic filmmaker David Lynch to outfitting his own studio in Bon Air, Dean Hurley explores the extremes of sound.
Style Weekly, August 20, 2024

A Meant-To-Be Trio: Guitarist Scott Metzger of LaMP joins three of the jam scene’s most revered instrumentalists for another Broadberry blowout.
Style Weekly, August 21, 2024

Latin Jazz and Salsa Festival sets the stage for unity
Richmond Free Press, August, 29, 2024

Worth Knowing, Worth Going: WRIR DJ Freddie J will spin Japanese music from his own vinyl collection at Plan 9.
Style Weekly, September 11, 2024

Drop Zone: A preview of some anticipated local album releases.
Style Weekly, September 14, 2024

Drawing Us Together: Illustrator Robert Meganck on his love of music and designing the 2024 RFF poster.
Style Weekly, September 23, 2024

The Chronicle Continues: Horsehead charges into the future with a 20th anniversary celebration.
Style Weekly, October 1, 2024

The Torchbearer: Known for playing in major Virginia rock bands, Charlie Glenn is finally releasing his own debut solo album on a special night.
Style Weekly, October 8, 2024

Virginia’s Farm Aid: A new country and Americana festival, Virginia Farm Fest, to benefit the Central Virginia Poultry Co-op.
Style Weekly, October 14, 2024

From The Ground Up: Virginia rock duo Illiterate Light continues growing organically with new album “Arches.”
Style Weekly, October 30, 2024

A Parting Gift: Concert to raise relocation funds for Minimum Wage Recording Studios owner Lance Koehler.
Style Weekly, November 13, 2024

Elements of Surprise: Jazz guitar legend Bill Frisell and his longtime trio push into the unknown.
Style Weekly, November 18, 2024

Spinning Season’s Cheer: A new vinyl Christmas compilation unites Virginia artists in the fight against cancer.
Style Weekly, December 5, 2024

Top 40 Under 40: Ant the Symbol, 36
Style Weekly, December 10, 2024

Top 40 Under 40: Doug Nunnally, 38
Style Weekly, December 10, 2024

Worth Knowing, Worth Going: Eclectic sonic explorer Cloud M will celebrate the release of “Cazimi” this weekend.
Style Weekly, December 16, 2024

Style Wrapped: Looking back on a year of listening to Richmond’s music scene.
Style Weekly, December 18, 202

Shows I Saw

Another year, another failure to keep a running list of shows. I even started a concert journal this year – that was fun while it lasted, but it didn’t last long. As best I can recall in retrospect, here’s what I saw:

1/18/24 Erin Lunsford and Tristan Dougherty at the Sefton Listening Room
1/20/24 Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Yam Yam at the National
1/22/24 Wednesday and Hotline TNT at the Broadberry
2/16/24 Skyway Man, Abby Huston and Less Blank at Spacebomb
2/23/24 Kendall Street Company at the Camel
3/13/24 Lamplight, Saw Black and Burns Burly West at Black Iris
3/14/24 Big Cat at Sefton Listening Room
4/13/24 Curt Sydnor at St. John’s Episcopal Church
4/13/24 Shovels & Rope and Al Olender at the Broadberry
4/27/24 Patterson Hood at the Canal Club
4/28/24 Waxahatchee and Good Morning at the National
5/2/24 Futurebirds and Jack Stepanian at the National
5/4/24 Tim Bailey & the Humans at the Basement
5/10/24 Daniel Donato and Mackenzie Roark on Brown’s Island
5/23/24 Trey Burnart Hall and Jon Charles Dwyer at the Sefton Listening Room
5/24/24 The Legendary Ingramettes, Woody Woodworth and Knifing Around on Brown’s Island
5/26/24 Shinyribs at Get Tight Lounge
5/27/24 Daydream Fest at Main Line Brewing
6/10/24 Drive-By Truckers at Lewis Ginter
6/14/24 Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners and Deau Eyes on Brown’s Island
6/21/24 Digable Planets and Tre. Charles on Brown’s Island
6/24/22 Jake Xerxes Fussell and The Great Beforetimes at Richmond Music Hall
6/28/24 Sam Barber, Jake Kohn and Villages on Brown’s Island
6/28/24 Jack Stepanian and Caroline Vain at Get Tight Lounge
6/29/24 Erin Lunsford house show
8/2/24-8/4/24 Newport Jazz Festival
8/23/24 LaMP at the Broadberry
8/24/24 Dean Hurley, Amminal and Second Dinner at Gallery5
8/28/24 King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Geese on Brown’s Island
9/6/24 Jonathan Russell and David Shultz at the Sefton Listening Room
9/9/24 Goose Ting at Pavilion
10/2/24 Vampire Weekend and Cults at Ting Pavilion
10/4/24 Horsehead at Starr Hill Richmond Beer Hall
10/5/24 Miramar with the Richmond Symphony at the Dominion Center
10/5/24 Justin Golden and The Great Beforetimes at the Camel
10/10/24-10/12/24 Richmond Folk Festival
10/12/24 Charlie Glenn and Deau Eyes at the Camel
10/17/24 The Dead Tongues and Libby Rodenbough at Richmond Music Hall
10/21/24 Chris Cohen, Benet, Shormey and Ethanol at Get Tight Lounge
11/8/24 André 3000 and serpentwithfeet at the Altria
11/13/24 Goose at the Anthem
11/15/24 Sturgill Simpson at Hampton Coliseum
11/17/24 Bio Ritmo, No BS! Brass Band and Juston Golden at the Broadberry
11/20/24 Bill Frisell Trio at the Tin Pan
11/30/24 Modern Groove Syndicate and Mekong Xpress & the Get Fresh Horns at the Camel
12/7/24 Nate Smith and Butcher Brown at the National
12/21/24 DJ Williams and Grateful Jed at Smartmouth Brewing Co.
12/29/24 Low Cut Connie at the Tin Pan

2024 Albums I Acquired

I loved plenty of 2024 albums not listed below, but here are the ones that I managed to pick up a physical copy of. I did do a Top-10 for Uproxx’s critics poll again, but that hasn’t been posted yet. I’ll be sure to add a link when it’s available.

Arooj Aftab – Night Reign
The Ar-Kaics – The See the World on Fire
Timothy Bailey & the Humans – New Love Stories
Beyoncé – Cowboy Carter
Bonny Light Horseman – Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free
Alan Braufman – Infinite Love Infinite Tears
Bright Eyes – Five Dice, All Threes
Anna Butterss – Mighty Vertebrate
Chris Cohen – Paint a Room
Louis Cole – Nothing
The Dead Tongues – Body Of Light / I Am A Cloud
The Decemberists – As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
DJ Harrison – Shades of Yesterday
Jon Charles Dwyer – Chorus
Father John Misty – Mahashmashana
The Fearless Flyers – The Fearless Flyers IV
Sierra Ferrell – Trail of Flowers
FM Skyline – Images
Mabe Fratti – Sentir Que No Sabes
Amaro Freitas – Y’Y
Futurebirds – Easy Company
Angelica Garcia – Gemelo
Sam Gendel and Sam Wilkes – The Doober
Myriam Gendron – Mayday
Good Morning – Seven
Nigel Hall & DJ Harrison – The Burning Bush: A Journey Through the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire
Helado Negro – Phasor
Hiatus Kaiyote – Love Heart Cheat Code
Brittany Howard – What Now
Christian Lee Hutson – Paradise Pop. 10
Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Past Is Still Alive
Illiterate Light – Arches
Itasca – Imitation of War
Jamie xx – In Waves
Johnny Blue Skies – Passage Du Desir
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Flight b741
Gold Connections – Fortune
Pokey LaFarge – Rhumba Country
Julian Lage – Speak to Me
Lamplight – Lamplight
Charles Lloyd – The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
John Moreland – Visitor
Fabiano Do Nascimento and Sam Gendel – The Room
Nickelus F – MMCHT
Misha Panfilov – To the Mesosphere and Beyond
Jeff Parker ETA IVtet – The Way Out of Easy
Parlor Greens – In Green We Dream
Jessica Pratt – Here in the Pitch
Joe Pug – Sketch of a Promised Departure
Tomeka Reid Quartet – 3 + 3
Peni Candra Rini – Wulansih
Bryant Roses – Bring It Back Around
Shabaka – Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace
Nala Sinephro – Endlessness
The Smile – Wall of Eyes
The Smile – Cutouts
Billy Strings – Highway Prayers
Tidiane Thiam – Africa Yontii
Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us
Kamasi Washington – Fearless Movement
Willie Watson – Willie Watson
Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – Woodland
Wild Pink – Dulling the Horns
Yasmin Williams – Acadia
Thom Yorke – Confidenza

Also 2024 But Archival/Live/Compilation/Other

Alice Coltrane – The Carnegie Hall Concert
Justin Townes Earle – All In: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years)
Emahoy Tsegue-Mariam Guebru – Souvenirs
Fleet Foxes – Live on Boston Harbor
The Grateful Dead – Duke ’78
Horse Lords – As It Happened: Horse Lords Live
Jason Isbell – Live from the Ryman Vol. 2
Paul McCartney – One Hand Clapping
Panda Bear – Reset Mariachi EP
Emily Remler – Cookin’ At The Queens: Live In Las Vegas 1984 & 1988
The Smile – Don’t Get Me Started / The Slip
Billy Strings – Live Vol. 1
Vampire Weekend – Frog On The Bass Drum Vol. 02: Una Notte A Milano 7.9.19 Con Vampire Weekend
Various – Love Hides All Faults
Various – Long Distance Love: A Sweet Relief Tribute to Lowell George
Various – European Primitive Guitar (1974​-​1987)
Various – Xmas in VA
J. Roddy Walston – Christmas to the Bone
Thom Yorke – Confidenza

I’m sure I’ve forgotten stuff, but 2025 is knocking. See y’all then.

Nelly Kate

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Ish Ish

On Tuesday, I praised 2011’s wave of remix EPs for two main reasons,  the first being that these companion albums provide a fresh perspective on familiar songs, which, for me, raises the value of the original compositions. But then again, I’m a sucker for intertextuality. The second reason I like these remix albums is that they put the artist in driver’s seat of something that is typically out of their hands — secondary consumption. Whether you’re dealing with remixes, live covers, or illegal downloads, songs take on a life of their own once they’ve been released, and their writers rarely benefit. Remix EPs provide a way for musicians to have some agency in a distribution paradigm that’s stacked against them. Lemons, meet lemonade. There’s another phenomenon happening right now that has that same lemonade-y feel to it, as Staunton-based musician Nelly Kate can attest: Kickstarter. Kickstarter is a service that lets you solicit funds online so you can turn your creative vision — be that a documentary, music recording, or modular and expandable crop production unit (I did not make, and could not have made, that last one up) — into a reality. After all, in the age of the interweb, why should anyone with a great idea sit around waiting for a big company to swoop in and save the day? As the not-so-great Bill O’Reilly once said, “Fuck it! We’ll do it live!” A few days ago, I found the Kickstarter page for Nelly Kate’s album Ish Ish as a result of an RVA Magazine article, and I quickly fell in love with her story. In the video on her page, Kate describes so eloquently her inspiration and goals for her album, which she recorded via reel-to-reel and will have pressed to vinyl to complete the analog process. As she mentions in the video “It takes a true sense of commitment to press a record onto vinyl,” and that’s the beauty of her project, and why it’s so perfect for Kickstarter — Kate’s passion shines through, making it impossible not to root for her. Listen below to the beautifully written and layered song from Ish Ish that she’s provided to whet our appetites, “Blue Badges,” and if you enjoy it, please head to her Kickstarter and contribute. Even though it appears that she’s reached her goal, you can still contribute at different levels and receive various gifts in return, from a digital download of the album, to a vinyl copy, to a limited edition 50-page book that features Kate’s line drawings, lyrics and inside secrets, complete with an autographed and a personal message.

Nelly Kate — “Blue Badges“

Death Cab for Cutie

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Keys and Codes Remix EP

You guys! ZOMG! Did you hear the news about Ben and Zooey? OK, OK, so it’s not exactly news anymore that Death Cab for Cutie frontman and 500 Days of Summer starlet Zooey Deschanel filed for divorce after their own 500 days (give or take) of marriage. According to my sources… A. That news broke in early November; B. It’s now the middle of December; and C. I’m a terrible celebrity gossip blogger. Regardless, it’s always sad when two seemingly nice people split up (apparently not too sad to use the whole incident for a blog post setup), leaving them to wonder what could have been, and what could have been done differently. Though there are seldom second chances in marriage, fortunately for Mr. Gibbard, there are second chances in music, as his band’s Keys and Codes Remix EP exemplifies so enjoyably. All the way back in October, when Ben and Zooey were still hitched and Death Cab for Cutie’s most recent full-length Codes and Keys was but a six-month-old bundle of joy, the group started releasing one remixed track every Monday, each featuring a different guest producer, leading up to the November 22 release of a 7-track remix album. From the beginning, I was a fan. I liked the marketing — the slow rollout built suspense, letting you hear one piece of the (CHEESY ALBUM CONCEPT METAPHOR ALERT) puzzle [groan] at a time. I liked the results — the tracks vary wildly but each one offers a fresh view on the source material. But more than anything else, I like this concept. Given how difficult it is these days to profit from record sales, I love that artists are taking control of the secondary consumption market by releasing their own remix albums. Radiohead did the same this year with TKOL RMX 1234567, the follow-up to King of Limbs, as did Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr with It’s A Corporate World’s companion Horse Power EP. Some might say that these groups should leave well enough alone and let their albums stand for themselves, and it’s true that not every single one of these remixed tracks has been a winner for me, but so many of them are winners, and I can’t help but enjoy having the opportunity to look at all of these songs in a different light, like I’m hearing them again for the first time. Listen to the Keys and Codes Remix EP for yourself to decide where you stand on the matter, and if you like what you hear, head over to iTunes to make it official.

Death Cab for Cutie — Keys and Codes Remix EP

Alabama Shakes

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Alabama Shakes EP

Alabama Shakes, Part 1
(Editor’s note: I’m so excited about last night’s Alabama Shakes show that I’m splitting my reaction up into two parts, one offering a macro view of the experience, and one that gives a little more detail. Hope you enjoy!)
–
“Don’t know much about history
Don’t know much biology
Don’t know much about a science book
Don’t know much about the french I took
But I do know that I love you”
— Sam Cooke

Over the course of 28 years, I’ve become an expert at certain things. Choosing which tunnel to use when traveling from Richmond to Norfolk is one. Choosing non-mealy apples at the grocery store is another. And I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I consider myself the Michael Jordan of choosing the wrong checkout lane at Costco. Soul music, however, is not one of my (apologies to John Hodgman) areas of expertise. Soul is such an influential, historically rich and culturally significant force that I’ve always approached it with a sense of cautious reverence. And while I’m somewhat familiar with greats like Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke and Mavis Staples, it’s always seemed like a broader understanding of the genre’s history and icons is just too steep a hill to climb, and that I’m destined to remain on the outside looking in. Lately though, a number of bands that have caught my attention are making it more and more difficult to stay on the soul music sidelines. Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing one of these bands in person, a group called Alabama Shakes. I’d been hearing this 5-piece outfit’s name everywhere, often lumped in with the present wave of so-called soul revivalists, so I came to the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville, VA prepared to find out firsthand where they stood within this movement. But as they worked their way through a powerful, confident and wildly entertaining set, it became clear that they weren’t reviving anything. What I saw felt like an authentic act of creation, not one of imitation or recreation. It felt like something totally new. Maybe I’m inclined to think this way because I lack the baseline of knowledge to make proper comparisons, but to say that frontwoman-extraoridnairre Brittany Howard has pipes like Aretha, or a 5th gear like Janis Joplin, or moo-oo-oo-OO-OO-ooves like Jagger (sorry, I really tried to stop myself from typing that) would, as accurate and complimentary as those comparisons might be, situate Alabama Shakes in the past, which is not where they belong. Sure, you can call them neo-soul, or something like that, but it really doesn’t matter, because you don’t need to be a soul savant, or an expert in musical taxonomy, to enjoy Alabama Shakes. And the proof was standing all around me last night. The crowd was as diverse as I’ve seen — black, white, young, old, hip, unhip — and while that could be a side effect of being relatively new and not having been pigeonholed yet, I’d like to think it’s because there’s so much to enjoy in their music that almost everyone can connect with it. See what I mean by listening below to “Hold On,” the first track off their eponymous EP, which you can snag here.

Alabama Shakes — “Hold On“

He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister

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He's My Brother, She's My Sister EP

Tryptophantastic Week: Day 3 — He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister
(Click here for Day 1 — Yellow Ostrich and here for Day 2 — Moon Hooch)

Preconceptions are very fickle, so fickle that they may very well be public enemy #1 when it comes to finding and exploring new music. Plus, they don’t always make sense. Take He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister, for example. One of the most dedicated music fans (and most recently minted twitterers) I know told me about this L.A. based outfit last weekend, and I can’t help but laugh at the random association that popped to mind immediately after hearing their name. Remember when Jack and Meg White were passing themselves off as siblings for a while? And then people figured out that they were not siblings, and had in fact been married at one point? Remember that? Two things. 1. This is not normal behavior. 2. The indelible strangeness of this ruse (yes, I’m excited that I get to use the word “ruse,” though I do feel like I’m typing in the voice of a soap opera actor) has made it so the White Stripes are the first thing I think of when confronted with a brother-sister musical group. It’s ironic and stupid. Fortunately, it doesn’t matter how distracted I may be by two people pretending to be blood relatives, the He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister EP is fantastic and engrossing and preconception-proof. Rob and Rachel Kolar are the namesake bro and sis, and the group’s 7-track EP is so jam packed with surprises — unexpected instrumentation, subtle touches that add texture and personality, stylistic swings — that it’s as impervious to prejudgement as it is enjoyable and re-listenable. And a Kill-Bill-Vol.-2-trumpet-infused cover of “Moonage Daydream” doesn’t hurt, either. Did you know David Bowie’s real name is David Jones? Just sayin’. While “Tales That I Tell” and “How’m I Gonna Get Back Home” are both highly recommendable, upbeat tunes, I can’t resist sharing with you “The House That Isn’t Mine,” which embodies the EP’s sneaky, varied brilliance so perfectly. Listen below and buy the He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister EP on iTunes here.

He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister — “The House That Isn’t Mine“

The Phonograph

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If anyone’s interested in Girl Talk and/or Tumblr, I invite you to have a look at this article I wrote for The Phonograph. If you’re not already a Phonograph fan, I highly suggest you check it out for some really interesting stories about everything from Silvio Berlusconi’s album of love songs to the EMI merger to Pete Townshend’s John Peel lecture. Enjoy!

Moon Hooch

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Moon Hooch

Tryptophantastic Week: Day 2 — Moon Hooch
(click here for Day 1 — Yellow Ostrich)

For Day 2 of Tryptophantastic Week, I’d like to flip Day 1 on its head. Remember how I talked about how special it is when you find a singer whose voice can double as an instrument? Well the opposite can be just as remarkable, as Moon Hooch exemplifies so resoundingly. The same fine folks who hosted my wife and I for the first night of our recent stay in New York City saw this big-apple-based trio open for former Soul Coughing singer Mike Doughty, and as our friends described their experience over some tasty desserts on Thanksgiving night, it was clear that they’d seen something singular and refreshing. They spoke of this unusual band that was comprised of two saxophones, drums, aaaaaand that’s it. So what can you do with a pair of saxes and some drums, not to mention a fantastic band name? A quick listen to Moon Hooch’s 13-track album proves that you can do a shit ton (which Urban Dictionary defines as “2000 assloads” or “The imperial equivalent to a metric buttload”) with just those 3 instruments when they’re in the right hands (or mouths, as the case may be). The first thing that jumped out as I listened was how they sounded like they were reading the imaginary sheet music to an extremely fun and energetic techno album. Songs build and release tension much like a house DJ might, taking a small sandbox, instrumentation-wise, and turning it into a crazy sandbox dance party. The second thing that stood out as I explored The Moon Hooch Album was a gradual realization that the two woodwinds were having a very animated, very fluid conversation with one another. And they’re not just chewing the cud about instrument cases and spit and stuff (I’m guessing that’s what woodwinds chat about over their tasty Thanksgiving desserts). Using voices that range from light and playful to Sam Elliott, speaking in staccato syllables, the two saxophones really engage one another, alternating between argument and agreement, putting ideas together, pulling them apart, all the while feeding off the furious energy generated by drums that are constantly shoveling more and more coals onto an ever-growing fire. I encourage you to join the — ahem [adjusts tie] — heated conversation by listening below to their song “#9,” which can be found and purchased on The Moon Hooch Album here.

Moon Hooch — “#9“

Yellow Ostrich

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The Mistress

Tryptophantastic Week: Day 1 — Yellow Ostrich

I’ve had an incredible time sorting through the music I heard about from friends and family over the Thanksgiving break, and since I haven’t done a themed week in a while, I’d like to spend the next few days exploring some of the winners. Call it “Tryptophantastic Week.” The first of these winners, Yellow Ostrich, originally came to my attention courtesy of the fact that they’d been touring as one of the openers for Ra Ra Riot. Some of my Pennsylvania-based in-laws are planning on catching the tour’s rescheduled stop in Harrisburg tomorrow, so over the weekend I introduced them to the music of the other opener, the amazing Delicate Steve (“In-laws, meet Wondervisions; Wondervisions, in-laws”) and then spent some time introducing myself to Yellow Ostrich. As it turns out, it looks like YO won’t be playing in H-burg — the venue’s website says they are, the band’s site says they’re no longer with the tour. But for my folks’ sake, I sincerely hope I’m wrong, because Yellow Ostrich has something special going on that strikes me as a hallmark of seriously good musicianship. On occasion, you’ll come across a singer whose voice has an instrumental quality, where words seem to melt away and vocals fuse with the accompanying music in the same way that any single piece of a well-oiled orchestra blends in with its compatriots to create a cohesive musical expression. It’s extremely rare (Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Jónsi Birgisson of Sigur Rós are two canonized practitioners), but Yellow Ostrich exhibits that same quality, and their song “Mary” takes this idea to another level. “Mary” is a gorgeous song that starts out with carefully layered vocals that build until they they sound almost exactly like an accordion that’s expanding and contracting. I can’t tell you how much I love that real voices, which are created by breath escaping human lungs and traveling over vocal chords, are being used to mimic an instrument that, itself, mimics the production of the human voice. The resulting effect forms a conceptual loop that’s cooler than I can possibly describe, so listen for yourself below and click here to buy Yellow Ostrich’s album, The Mistress.

Yellow Ostrich — “Mary“

Who wore it best?

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Did everyone have a great Thanksgiving? Get enough gravy? Watch enough football? I managed to catch chunks of all 3 of Thursday’s games, but there was one thing I was determined not to miss: Nickelback’s appearance during halftime of the Lions/Packers game in Detroit. I was fascinated by the hullabaloo leading up to their performance — I can’t remember the last time mean-spirited-ness was so widely tolerated (especially of the musican-on-musician variety). Hating on Nickelback is fun and all, but the campaign to have them replaced seemed bizarre in its fervor, and I was curious to see how they would handle the adversity. The event itself was relatively uneventful, in a way that these performances must be in a post-Nipplegate world, but two things stuck out… 1. The lead singer got a long-overdue haircut, and 2. There was a drumline. Hmmm… Now, marching bands and football go together like Forrest and Jenny, but this seemed like an odd choice, given how little the corps was utilized and how little you could actually hear it. See what you think…

Still with me? What a trouper you are. Seemed kinda off, right? Well the drumline issue jumped right back to the front of my mind when Enrique Iglesias took the stage just a few hours later during halftime of the Cowboys/Dolphins game. Why? Because Mr. Iglesias, owner of the world’s tightest hoodie, was flanked not only by rapper and co-founder of Bad Boy Records subsidiary Bad Boy Latino, Pitbull (he knows you want him), but also by a sizable group of marching drummers. Have a look…

Seriously, if you’re still reading, you get a gold star for wading through this crap with me. Speaking of crap, if you’ve ever read a glossy gossip magazine, you may already be familiar with the commonplace feature where they place pictures of two celebrities wearing a similar outfit side-by-side and ask the question (we’ll go with US Weekly’s wording here), “Who wore it best?” So what do you think? Who wore the drumline best, Nickelback or Enrique? Feel free to comment below, or just click here to get both out of your head as soon as humanly possible by watching the University of Southern California’s marching band back up Radiohead in their performance of “15 Step” at the 2009 Grammys.

Nas

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I Am...

One more quick thought about visiting the big apple. I’m pretty bad at the geography of New York City. It seems so overwhelming that I’ve never done a terribly good job of getting my bearings (though I did retain a tidbit this time about even streets heading east). But I realized while riding (not driving, thank god) around the city that many of the places and names that I do recognize (me sounding real white in 3… 2… 1… OK I’m just gonna say it), I recognize from hip hop lyrics. It sounds lame, but it’s true. It hit me most on Saturday when we were heading to our hotel in Long Island City, Queens, near Queensbridge, a neighborhood that instantly sounded familiar. After incorrectly guessing rappers from Queens (I’m not saying who, it’s more than a little embarrassing) I went ahead and asked the interweb, and the list of artists from just that one borough is astounding. Nas. 50 Cent. LL Cool J. Mobb Deep. Q-Tip. There are many more. Ja Rule is one of them. It’s truly amazing to think about how the genre of hip hop is so closely tied to the city of New York, and how beautifully hip hop artists provide an oral history of their hometown. Just like the relationship between soul and Detroit or jazz and New Orleans (hear that Utah??), it’s hard to imagine the place without the music that’s blossomed there. With that in mind, I’ve included one of my favorite Nas tracks below, “N.Y. State of Mind Pt. II,” which brings the big city to life, both in terms of its lyrics and its beat, which makes you feel like you’re walking down a busy street (east, if it’s an even one), with your head on a swivel, surveying the scene. Listen below and buy his 1999 album I Am… here.

Nas — “N.Y. State of Mind Pt. II“