Joanna Newsom - The Milk-Eyed Mender

Artist: Joanna Newsom
Album: The Milk-Eyed Mender
Genre: Folk
Year: 2004
Country of origin: United States

Tracklisting:

1. Bridges and Balloons
   
2. Sprout and the Bean
   
3. The Book of Right-On
   
4. Sadie
   
5. Inflammatory Writ
   
6. This Side of the Blue
   
7. En Gallop
   
8. Cassiopeia
   
9. Peach, Plum, Pear
   
10. Swansea
    
11. Three Little Babes
    
12. Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie
    

Newsom's wonderfully detailed romanticism ("Your skin is something that I stir into my tea"), homespun wisdom ("Never get so attached to a poem, you forget truth that lacks lyricism"), idiosyncratic flourishes ("See him fashion a cap from a page of Camus"), and insights into the prosaic ("There are some mornings/ When the sky looks like a road") infuse each track with the weightiness of an embroidered travel narrative and a private field-recording.

Showing an appreciation for Appalachian folk and the experimental composer/folksong scholar Ruth Crawford Seeger, her spare arrangements-- harp, Wurlitzer electronic piano, harpsichord, piano, and slide-guitar on two tracks-- unwind like early Homestead oddity, The Supreme Dicks.

Creating avant-garde American music for the back porch, she expands upon tradition without losing authenticity. In this sense, her practice could be linked to Devendra Banhart, a friend and kindred spirit. Both map a pile of eccentricities that tumble together to create something useful, familiar, and nearly sacred.
-Pitchfork

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Wingnut Dishwashers Union - Live in Plattsburgh, NY

Artist: Wingnut Dishwashers Union
Album: Live in Plattsburgh, NY
Genre: Folk-Punk/Anarcho-Folk
Country of origin: United States

Tracklisting:
1. Picking Sides
2. Reason To Breathe
3. Free and Alone
4. Jesus Does The Dishes
5. For A Girl In Rhinelander
6. Pop Jam
7. Stop Being So Cool
8. Ain't Nobody's Business

Since the death of Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains, lead singer Pat The Bunny has been working on this project.
If you've never really gotten into Folk-Punk, this is a good album to start with.
I decided to post a live WDU album because the things Pat The Bunny talks about between songs are tiny morsels of amazingness.

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He is Legend - Suck Out the Poison

Artist: He is Legend
Album: Suck Out the Poison
Genre: Southern rock/Hardcore/Metal
Release Date: October 3, 2006
Label: Solid State Records

Tracklisting:

1. Dixie Wolf (The Seduction Of...)
2. Attack of the Dungeon Witch
3. Suck Out the Poison
4. Mushroom River
5. Opening
6. China White II
7. Serpent Sickness
8. Electronic Throat
9. Stampede
10. The Window of Magnolia
11. The Pot Bellied Goddess
12. Cannonball Hands (The Tomato Parade)
13. Goldies Torn Locks
14. (((louds

When He Is Legend signed to Solid State Records in the spring, the band had already stirred a blaring buzz all their own. But they were just getting started. 2004 put He Is Legend on the map and on the move. In June, the five North Carolina natives released their debut EP, 91025 with Tribunal Records, a label most noted for helping launch the careers of bands like Atreyu and From Autumn to Ashes. The release received rave reviews, stirring the anticipation even further for He Is Legend’s debut full-length album, I Am Hollywood, released November 2nd, 2004. Their sophomore album, Suck Out The Poison, was released on October 3rd, 2006, featuring more raspy vocals.

*The bands roots reach back into the late 1990’s when Adam Tanbouz, Steven Bache, Matt Williams, guitarist McKenzie Bell, and vocalist Schuyler Croom began writing and performing around Wilmington, NC. In 2003, having previously played under the names of Stronghold, No One Wins, and The Uriah Omen, the name He Is Legend was adopted by members Tanbouz, Bache, Bell, Croom, and Williams. After releasing their first EP in June of 2004 entitled 91025, the band signed on with Solid State Records and released their first full length album in November. I Am Hollywood was a massive success and the band immediately began to experience a surge in popularity that extended far beyond their NC roots. After almost two years of extensive touring in the United States and Europe, the band temporarily relocated to California to record their next release. Suck Out the Poison was released on October 3, 2006 and triggered mixed reviews from long-time fans. It was evident, however, that the band believed firmly in the album and as a result were largely indifferent to often cruel criticisms from offended fans. Their confident, care-free response is portrayed in their music video “Attack of the Dungeon Witch” which was released in March of 2007. Soon after the release of Suck Out the Poison, guitarist McKenzie Bell left the band without explanation and was eventually placed by guitarist Mitch Marlow (previously of Classic Case). Bell later joined the band Bloodjinn.

Debates abouts whether or not He Is Legend is a Christian group have been fueled by the fact that Solid State Records is a Christian record label. While Croom and other members of the band have claimed to be followers of Christ, the band has made it clear that they are not collectively a Christian band in the FAQ section on their website saying that, “We are in no way a Christian band… We all enjoy music, we all enjoy playing our instruments, so if we had to be classified as anything it would be a ‘band’ band or ‘music’ band.” - [Source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_Is_Legend]

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New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom

Artist: New Young Pony Club
Album: Fantastic Playroom
Genre: Post-Punk/New Wave/Dance/Electro
Release Date: July 9, 2007
Label: Modular Interscope

Tracklisting:

1. Get Lucky
2. Hiding on the Staircase
3. Ice Cream
4. The Bomb
5. Jerk Me
6. The Get Go
7. Talking, Talking
8. Grey
9. Fan
10. Tight fit

New Young Pony Club: new rave or new disco? Answer: who cares when their music sounds this good? The London quintet might be a new phenomenon to some, but others will know them well, as they’ve been working hard behind the scenes for a good three years or so, building up a solid fan base to accommodate the release of this debut album. And what a debut it is. Fantastic Playroom ticks all the right "influence" boxes--Bowie, Blondie, New Order-–to make it suitably zeitgeist-capturing, yet their tunes are infused with an extra savvy and edginess, putting them slightly ahead of the new whatever game. Singles like "Ice Cream" and "The Bomb" illustrate the band’s way with a sexy rhythm; songs like the percussive "Hiding on the Staircase" keep the party going, while the band’s 80s style synth-pop indulgences come unashamedly to the fore on "The Get Go" and "The Jerk." A large part of the band’s appeal is vocalist Tahita Bulmer, whose slightly detached vocal delivery sits well on the band’s songs. True, Fantastic Playroom can feel more like a collection of singles than a coherent album at times, but that’s just what this band do best. We should love them for it. --Paul Sullivan

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Reverend Horton Heat - Liquor in the Front

Artist: Reverend Horton Heat
Album: Liquor in the Front
Genre: Psychobilly
Country of origin: United States
Year: 1994

Tracklisting:
1. Big Sky
2. Baddest of the Bad
3. One Time For Me
4. Five-O-Ford
5. In your Wildest Dreams
6. Yeah, Right
7. Cruisin' for a Bruisin'
8. I Could Get Used To It
9. Liquor, Beer, & Wine
10. I Can't Surf
11. Jezebel
12. Rockin' Dog
13. The Entertainer

Reverend Horton Heat was never your typical rockabilly act, and on Liquor in the Front he made an album that still honored the traditions of the style while kicking up more dust than he ever had before, and for sheer crank, nothing in his catalog can touch it. - Mark Deming, All Music Guide

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Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen

Artist: Cursive
Album: Mama, I'm Swollen
Genre: Indie/Rock/Punk
Country of origin: United States
Year: 2009

Tracklisting:
1. In The Now
2. From The Hips
3. I Couldn't Love You
4. Donkeys
5. Caveman
6. We're Going To Hell
7. Mama, I'm Satan
8. Let Me Up
9. Mama, I'm Swollen
10. What Have I Done?


Wracked with doubt, contradiction and existential despair, Mama, I’m Swollen strikes out as a weighty, superbly realized endeavor which, for all its oppressive nature, is as eminently listenable and brave an album as any the band have produced. - drownedinsound.com

I had to listen to this record 6 times before I could decide how I felt about it.
Final thought: FUCKING BRILLIANT.
The lyrics aren't as awe-inspiring/descriptive as previous endeavors, but Tim Kasher's delivery of them makes up for that when he veers between anguished whispers and yowls.
While the use of brass, strings, & flute are somewhat sparse, drummer Cornbread Compton's beats really make this record fantastic.

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Maria Taylor - Lynn Teeter Flower

Artist: Maria Taylor
Album: Lynn Teeter Flower
Genre: Folk/Indie
Country of origin: United States
Year: 2007

Tracklisting:
1. A Good Start
2. Clean Getaway
3. Smile and Wave
4. No Stars
5. Replay
6. Small Part of Me
7. Irish Goodbye
8. My Own Fault
9. Ballad of Sean Foley
10. Lost Time
11. Lynn Teeter Flower


Based on the sheer volume of her musical output over the past several years, chances are you have heard her voice somewhere before. Distinctly hypnotic, Maria Taylor’s vocals have not only been an asset to the groups that count her as a member (Azure Ray and Now It’s Overhead) but have also aided projects by Moby, Bright Eyes, The Faint and Crooked Fingers.

There is never a moment on Lynn Teeter Flower when the proceedings seem in danger of spinning out of control; no matter what the emotion being expressed, Taylor’s expression is sensible and laid-back. The track features inviting keys, steady and buoyant drums as well as rock guitars that have a definite presence without being dominating. The blend of these instruments is delicate, creating a backdrop to sufficiently support Taylor’s vocals without ever overpowering or overshadowing them. - popmatters.com

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