It's not every record label that will sell you a surfboard, but new Marriage Records offshoot RAD is happy to oblige. The imprint of Little Wings mastermind Kyle Field begins with his band's new album Soft Pow'r, and while I've missed the previous discs on K, this one makes me a fan.Woozily beautiful tunes fill Soft Pow'r, and while the surfboard might lead you to think Jack Johnson, the sound here is thankfully more along the lines of the Radar Brothers, with a bit of Lambchop or doped-up Vic Chesnutt for good measure. Lead track "Scuby" is a happy-sad lament to stick in your late night playlist; even better is "Free Bird", one of the more beautiful tunes I've heard this year, which makes sleepy slowcore almost anthemic. Through it all, Field's vocals are double-tracked and treated just enough to enhance the intimacy, and the arrangements highlight subtle percussion or simple piano to good effect.
Chicago's Ezra Furman & The Harpoons take an appealingly garagey approach to Dylan/Johnathan Richman homage. Their new album Banging Down the Doors (buy it) is out on Minty Fresh. Beyond "I Wanna Be Ignored", download more songs from their MySpace.MP3: Ezra Furman & The Harpoons - I Wanna Be Ignored
Longtime iff favorite Mirah returns with yet another tagalong troupe, Spectratone International, for Share This Place (buy it). The whole insect theme, and the pronounced jazziness of the preview cuts don't really excite me as much as a more conventional studio album might, but new Mirah is always welcome.MP3: Mirah - Community
And for those with inclinations to doomy 90s-era sadcore, Jagjaguwar brings out new Spokane in Little Hours (buy it) and Magnolia Electric Company drop the massive Sojourner box set (buy it) through Secretly Canadian.
MP3: Spokane - Thankless Marriage
MP3: Spokane - Thankless Marriage
2 comments:
hi
first off thank you so much for reviewing little wings' SOFT POWR LP. we think its one of the best records Kyle has ever made, and possibly one of the greatest of our generation.
just wanted to write to note that RAD records, skateboards, patches and other stuff (a division of MArriage Records, books, serial publications, skateboards, clothing and other stuff) has YET to offer a surfboard as part of their catalog. they do offer a skateboard. it is awesome. marriage itself also offers a kyle field skateboard (which predates the creation of RAD as a label) which is still available. the small town nut/skatin' taco model. pretty sweet.
thanks again for your time and love and energy
vibe with light
adam forkner
assistant regional manager
Rad Records Skateboards, Patches and other stuff
a division of Marriage Records and other cools tuff
Hey,
I wrote a post about Ezra Furman and him possibly being "The New Dylan" at:
http://digitaljournal.com/article/218520/Bob_and_The_New_Dylans
Enjoy!
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