The Lumineers

First, they reminded me of The Tallest Man on Earth, then the Avett Brothers, the Felice Brothers, and Mumford & Sons. The Lumineers have elements of all those bands, but after about fifty listens in a week to their self-titled debut album, they are their own band. I realized this more around the tenth listen, but the point is - I couldn't stop listening.

Comparisons are great.  They are a reference when trying to describe music, which is difficult to do without creating your own Spinal Tap-like moment. Describing sound isn't easy, and I'm not going to begin trying to figure out why a genre is called anti-folk. Furthermore, comparisons are a place to start, so start with those bands in mind, and turn up The Lumineers' album to eleven - because it's louder than ten.

In the first song, Flowers in Your Hair, lead singer Wesley Schultz reminded me of The Tallest Man on Earth (aka musician Kristian Matsson), yet with a raspier voice. After the first three songs, the above comparisons stuck, and I was disappointed because I already have those bands' albums.

On track four, Dead Sea, is where the separation begins, and the album really takes off - becomes addicting. I am not a walking, or typing, advertisement for NPR music. I just find a lot of new music on there, and that is where I first heard The Lumineers. They sang the fifth track and their single, Ho Hey. In an interview on NPR's Sessions, the band joked they named the single in that order because they didn't want to say hey to a ho. Comedy may not attract you to listen to a band, but this single will. After first listen, Ho Hey may not stick with you, but...but it'll call you back when you wake up singing its refrain - "I belong with you / you belong with me / you're my sweetheart." Check out the video here: Ho Hey video

A band's formation and backstory of tragedy may not make you listen either. But, I'm going to tell you anyways. Jeremiah Fraites lost his nineteen year-old brother to a drug overdose. His brother's best friend was lead singer Wesley Schultz. Soon after, the two wrote songs and performed in New York as a duo. A move to Denver led them to the third Lumineers' member, Neyla Pekarek who is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist (allmusic.com).

If you were wondering, classically trained musicians search Craigslist too! And, that’s how the three met. Pekarek responded to the boys’ ad of them looking for a cellist. Her influence on the band is definitely heard, and creates a sound that makes me want to compare, equaling a much cleaner and structured sounding Felice Brothers.

The sixth track, Slow It Down, does just what the song infers. It feels like a blues song and adds more depth to the album. I pictured this fitting in well with the songs on Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's album Howl. This is followed by Stubborn Love, one of the album's best songs. It keeps building throughout, and ends with the band harmonizing a controlled scream. This captures much of what the Lumineers have to offer, and makes one believe they will be a great live act.

All these songs are emotional, but not to the point of nausea like so many songs out there (a la almost every song performed on American Idol). It is not rocknroll; more along the lines of the Americana genre. Yet, with all its emotion, the Lumineers still kept it a fun album to listen to, resulting in a beautifully executed first album.

Check their touring schedule to see when they play near you: tour dates. I will be catching them live this summer at Central Park SummerStage.

Norah Jones - Live at The Bell House (Park Slope, Brooklyn, Friday, May 12, 2012)

I swear Norah Jones has been around longer than a decade.  Maybe that’s because her voice sounds like it comes from another era.  She's thirty-three, but is an old soul, many say.  There's no doubt about it, she's got the voice, and she's got the looks.  I actually recall declaring her once as my future ex-wife.  Not her most glaring accomplishment, but impressive nonetheless.  It's taken some time, but she also has a presence on stage that's very comfortable, charming, and down to earth - all of which were exhibited last Friday night when I saw her perform live for the first time - "Is that really Norah Jones up there...twenty-five feet away?"

“I don’t know why I didn’t come,” Norah Jones sang, understandably causing a fan to belt out a, “Hey-oooo!” - at the thought of... Jones stopped the song to say, “I know what you think it means.”  That was Jones showcasing her sense of humor that she used throughout Friday night’s show at The Bell House in Park Slope, Brooklyn - "I live here too," she said.  This was one of her interactions with the crowd that was not seen in her earlier and much more bashful days.

Norah Jones is now on tour upon the release of her fifth solo studio album, Little Broken Hearts, produced by Danger Mouse (who?).  A star since the early 2000s, it is a rarity to see her live for only thirty-five bucks a ticket, and in a modest sized venue such as The Bell House.  If you were quick enough to jump on your computer last Tuesday at noon to purchase tickets during your lunch break, or simply chose to ignore job duties for a moment, then you could have been a part of the sold out crowd.

Jones performed mostly songs from the new album, but also mixed in some older and more familiar songs like Don’t Know Why, which includes the lyric above, and was the single from her debut album Come Away With Me (2002) that garnered her five Grammy Awards.  She now has a total of nine Grammy Awards, and is one of the best-selling artists of all time.  Little Broken Hearts was released May 1, and now is positioned at #2 on Billboard’s 200 Chart (Billboard.com).

Many critics say this album is a departure from Jones’ previous albums.  Sonically, she has shifted, much to do with her not pinned behind her piano like earlier in her career.  She’s playing some guitar these days, which you could tell at the show she isn’t 100% comfortable with yet, as she kept looking at her fingerers.  It’s still nice to see her try something new though.  Then comes the Danger Mouse effect.  His influence is definitely heard.  He has a producer’s touch that makes songs catchy, yet they are not pop songs.  Another example of this is his work on The Black Keys' latest, El Camino. 

Jones’ lyrics have also become more personal, and Little Broken Hearts has been declared her break up album.  On track 11, Miriam, Jones sings, “You know you done me wrong/ I’m gonna smile when you say goodbye/ Now I’m not the jealous type/ Never been the killing kind/ But you know what you did/ So don’t put up a fight.”  And, on track 2, Say Goodbye, she sings, “Well, it ain’t easy to stay in love/ If you can’t tell lies/ So I’ll just have to take a bow/ And say goodbye.”  You can sense a wise-ass, sarcastic tone in these lyrics, and others throughout the album.  Yet, there is some venom in the words.  Love hurts, right?  But, can make for good music too, and Jones has made another good album. 

When fans heard Norah Jones was teaming up with Danger Mouse, they rightfully became excited.  It’s possible they were hoping for that departure.  This leads us back to Jones' voice, and the fact that this wasn’t much a departure at all.  On all her albums, including Little Broken Hearts, her voice never wavers.  Her voice is great, and I heard my real future wife say, "She sounds even better in person."  This may be true, but wouldn’t many of you like to hear her belt a few notes out?  Maybe even yell once?  Nobody is saying Jones should be making music for her fans.  A better way to see it might be that her fans feel like her best work has yet to come. 


Jones was hardly a disappointment though.  It’s apparent she’s a professional, and gives performing her all.  There were a few humanizing moments too, and they made you like her even more.  She began a few songs, and stopped, “Why do I keep messing up the words.”  Then jumped right back into performing. 

We established Jones’ voice comes from another time; and possibly a simpler time when cell phones didn’t block the view of the stage.  That was the disappointment of the night.  There’s a hesitation in calling much of the crowd fans because too many paid more attention to the Internet (everything not happening in their lives) than to the artist on stage.  A concert, or a night out in New York City, is supposed to be an experience; however, it must be difficult to remember something when you aren’t fully engaged.  Snapping a few pictures is fine, and video too, but there has to be something wrong with checking your Facebook during a concert.  That’s my future ex-wife up there; give her some respect!

Respect is the word.  At a Norah Jones’ concert you will see generations.  There were people in their seventies (maybe older; I didn’t check IDs; well, I did, but was asked to stop), to some underage teenagers, and every other decade in-between.  You don’t accumulate that wide range of a fan base without being respected.  That is why everyone should experience seeing her live, whether or not the tickets are just thirty-five bucks.  

Seeing her at The Bell House is something to remember.  The encore came, and Jones’ band joined her upfront around the microphone to sing two last songs.  The band consisted of: Josh Lattanzi (bass), Pete Remm (keyboards), Jason Roberts (guitar) and Greg Wieczorek (drums).  You can catch them with Norah next time in New York City on Tuesday, July 3 at Central Park Summerstage.

Alabama Shakes - Boys and Girls (ATO Records, 2012)

About two months ago, I emailed my father to tell him to check out the Alabama Shakes.  "Our new favorite band," I predicted.  On April 10, 2012, the Alabama Shakes released their debut album Boys & Girls.  Most bands don't make it.  For other bands, it takes a couple albums, or more, to gain notoriety.  Just take a look at The Black Keys' journey.  But, The Alabama Shakes were booked to open for Jack White before this album was even released.  If you're opening for Jack, does that mean you must be good?  Yes.  And, the Athens, Alabama band proceeded to debut at number three on the UK Album Charts (NME).

I first came across the Alabama Shakes by stumbling upon them online at NPR Music.  My most common phrase, I need new music, was answered.  I pressed play to a video of the band playing their single Hold On and was transported back in time.  Vocalist Brittany Howard's voice has been compared to Janis Joplin's, Robert Plant's, Otis Redding's and Aretha Franklin's.  When I first heard her sing, I also saw her sing, and thought Macy Gray got a soul/blues band to play with.  Nevertheless, quite a catalog of compliments.  Howard has heard the comparisons and is flatter, but thought to herself, "Bon Scott from AC/DC" as far as how it feels to sing (NPR Music).

After listening for the past month to Boys and Girls on NPR's First Listen, I finally swiped my debit to make an actual CD purchase - at a CD store!  I love previewing albums online, but the actual CD has a much fuller sound.  Online you hear a radio sound and the instrumentation can be drowned out.  That might be the reason I was skeptical of the rest of the band at first. 

At first sound, from the first track Hold On, Howard sang, "Bless my heart, bless my soul, didn't think I'd make it to 22 years old", and I was hooked.  It was immediately apparent that Brittany Howard was a star.  But, after the first few listens to the whole album, the instrumentation didn't seem to be anything special.  Then, I bought the album and Brittany's opinion about songwriting was realized, and I'll apply it to the band's sound.  In a recent interview with NME, she said, "A lot of people want to be different...want to be original, instead of just writing songs together as people and being sincere about it." 

I have often said that it really isn't all that difficult to tell whether a band or musician cares about the music they're creating.  The Alabama Shakes' instrumentation is simple, yet effective, and yes, sincere.  Boys and Girls is a very strong debut album.  Its tempo is balanced and makes for a great listen for whatever mood you're in.  It will be interesting to see where the Alabama Shakes take their sound.  Comparisons have also been made to Amy Winehouse, yet with more of a rocknroll sound and attitude.  I know I will be checking them out this summer at Central Park SummerStage - for free on June 24th!  Check them out soon because they won't be needing to open for Jack White much longer.          

The Alabama Shakes are made up of: Brittany Howard (vocals/guitar/piano/percussion), Zac Cockrell (bass/backing vocals/guitar), Heath Fogg (guitar/backing vocals/percussion) and Steve Johnson (drums/percussion/backing vocals). 

Check out their website for upcoming shows: http://www.alabamashakes.com/tour/