New Music: She & Him - Volume Two

Sometimes when an album contains many good songs mixed in with some mediocre but listenable ones, I mistakenly think that the entire album is certified gold. When I heard the sweet and breezy Volume Two, though I quickly thought it was one of the best albums I've ever heard, I waited to form an opinion so that I could listen to it over and over again and pick out what were really long-lasting hits.

And there are many of them in Volume Two. The flow of this album is absolutely fantastic. I listen to it over and over again without suffering ear fatigue. The only odd placement in the album is the opener, "Thieves," which I love, but is really heavy and gloomy and doesn't have the same atmosphere as the other lightweight tracks. It's still one of the standouts of the album, along with "Home," "In the Sun," and my absolute favorite, "Lingering Still."

Overall, this album is so good. It's produced masterfully to leave a rich sound but still raw enough to hear sincerity. I've had Volume Two on repeat for the entire week and the songs still haven't gotten old. The only complaint is that it's a little too cutesy, like you can hear Zooey Deschanel's voice doing twirls and curtsies as she sings lyrics, but what else do you expect from Zooey Deschanel? Regardless, I think this album is so crisp and fresh and a gem for the summer, sun and beyond.

American Idol

Has any one been paying attention to American Idol recently? It's virtually considered America's new favorite pastime nowadays. Anyway, there was a contestant voted off a couple weeks ago who had, what I thought, the most memorable voice. Don't judge him on the fact he was sporting a mullet or that he performs as stiff as a powdered shirt or that he slightly resembles Sondre Lerche, but that he has unmasked, pure talent.



Tough luck, Alex.

Spoon at Work Play 3/19/10

When I was at the Workplay Theater last, I thought it was most swanky venue I've ever been to. The mood was mellow, the drinks were mad expensive (albeit delicious), and Sondre was strumming an acoustic and singing to an attentive and polite audience sitting at dim, candle-lit booths and tables. So, I had a very hard time imagining a Spoon concert in the same atmosphere. Apparently, that was the "work" part of the theater and Spoon was in the "play," basically a ballroom, fitted with curtained ceilings and a glass chandelier, and a raised platform for a stage--a little less swanky. Actually, it felt like a frat party. The audience was also really random, from professional twenty-somethings to teens dragging their parents along to that middle aged couple drunk out of their mind and blabbering about god-knows-what.

Spoon came out about at about 10:45 and they were ready to play. They only said a quick "Hello, Birmingham" and went directly into the jam. I didn't really do my homework with this concert so I really had no idea what songs they were playing at the beginning. But, towards the middle, they started playing their hits like "I Turn My Camera On," "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb," and songs from their latest album, Transference. My personal favorite was "Finer Feelings," boppy and catchy, and when they slowed it down for "Black Like Me." The crowd was feeling good, but the band did not really play off the audience whatsoever. In fact, they could have been rehearsing in a garage. The only thing the lead singer said during the concert was, "Pretty good, huh?" Yes, it was pretty good--very good, in fact--those guys can really play. But I paid thirty bucks for a show, not just a repeat of what I've already heard on my iPod. Regardless, it was a good, and ungodly long, concert, roughly an hour and half of music not including the probable encore which I did not stay.

The best part of the night was when the lead singer's guitar string broke during the first song and he managed to retune and sing at the same time. You can't mask pure talent.

Next up is hopefully a glimpse of the Nashville music scene, which is just packed full of good upcoming shows--Vampire Weekend (which is, of course, sold out), Joanna Newsom, Julian Casablancas and Beach House--but all, unfortunately, happening on weekdays. Hopefully, Phoenix (!!!!) at Vanderbilt on April 23 is still a go.

Meanwhile in Huntsville, Uncle Kracker is coming to town--yay or nay?