Kentuckyseven

Label: Heavenly Recordings
Releasedate: 2011-02-07

Sea of Bees is Julie Ann Bee’s musical project. And the term project is well used in describing this album.

The songs evolve, changes and comes to life when listening to them. Just when you think that you got it, it takes another path. The world of Julie Ann Bee seems to drag you with it. The mysterious, sweet and yet dark songs seem to be telling you a story. Trying to catch on, I find myself humming along to songs I’ve not yet heard. Feeling poetic yet frantic.

The single Wizbot is one of those songs that just stick. From the very first note. Bee’s voice is clear yet fragile. There is something fresh yet familiar with this album. It is a building of sound. My feeling is that I’ve just entered the lobby. But I will make it to the roof.

Feels like a record that will grow with every listening. Right now it is a 5. Thanks for the ride Julie Ann Bee.

Listen to songs from Songs For The Ravens @ Myspace

Download ”Marmalade” @ Seeofbees.com

Photo: Maria Gunnesson

Iron & Wine @ Trägår’n, Gothenburg, Sweden 2011-02-04

Crowded with beards and chequered shirts. There is no doubt that this is going to be something special.

When Sam Beam and friends enter the stage, mine and all others heart start to pound. Worth the wait? Indeed.

But there is more than just Iron & Wine tonight, something new. Something else. The crowd is invited to Sam Beams personal musical universe. Jazz-tunes, Funky melodies and Calypso fills the room, and takes the songs to yet another level. This could have been a small, dark and quiet evening with touchy feel, but instead we are given a journey. A journey that leaves no one untouched. Except for those in the back, who apparently did some serious misreading when they bought their tickets. Talking with their backs against the stage, during the most magical extra song right in the end. Sad.

However, this is a new era, a new way to listen to great music, from a great man. I will be there next time too. Me and Lazareus too.

I haven’t had the pleasure of listening that much to the new album, but from this evening and on, it will surely take a place in my heart.

A six out of seven is not too much. That is what it is worth. Play it again, Sam. Please.

A round of applause to the greatest gang in the west. Woody West, who made it happen.

Been waiting forever. Just to get a date. And finally it’s out there. May 2 is the date. The date to mark in your calendar.

Fleet Foxes second album ”Helplessness Blues” will be released May 2:nd. The Seattleband follows up on their superdebut from 2008.

Producer on the new album is Phil Ek (Band of Horses, Modest Mouse and Shins among many). The album is released on Bella Union (Cosmos Music Group)

Twelve new tracks, and one new member. And for those of you who want to see them this summer. You’re in luck. Fleet Foxes are signed up for europe’s best festival. Way Out West.

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues by subpop

Check out the first album on Spotify

James Walbourne – The Hill

Label: Heavenly. Releasedate: Jan 31 2011.

James Walbourne´s debut album hit stores Monday morning. The Londoner is out doing his legwork, supporting Justin Townes Earle on tour and in February Walbourne gets on the dusty road with labelbuddies Sea of Bees and Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou.

Listening to James Walbourne I get a good Tim Easton slash Lars Winnerbäck vibe. It´s easygoing, free stuff yet thoughtful and willowy. My hunch says Walbourn and bandmates had a great time recording this album, you can tell just by listening to the tunes. The Hill welcomes you around for tea, the nice sort.

James Walbourne helps Chrissie Hynde out in The Pretenders. He played the guitar on iconic pianoburner Jerry Lee Lewis´ last year album. He tours with Son Volt and The Pogues. Not bad for a young fella…but listening to The Hill you know why. This is blues, countryrock and folk all wrapped up and ready to go. Me like.

¤ Judge says: 4/7 Kentuckyseven´s.

¤ Best tracks: The Hill, Cocaine Eyes

¤ Drink while you listen: 400 Pound Monkey

¤ Check it out: JW – Myspace + JW – Spotify

Cold War Kids – Mine Is Yours

Label: Downtown records. Releasedate: Jan 25, 2011

First time I heard Cold War Kids was on tv. Watching Letterman, this gang produced a crazy Hospital bed, or was it We used to vacation. Anyways. It got to me like chickenpox. Remined you I also digged the followup, not press-adored 2008 album Loyalty to Loyalty, expectations were up when I opened the box from Cosmos. And man, it blew me away.

This wonderful punksoulband from California has made a brilliant album. Singer Nathan Willett told me a couple of days ago that “We want people to dig deep in this album. It’s not an easy one, but it has a lot to offer.” True dat, Nathan. I´m hooked from the quiet beginning via the catchy Royal Blue to the best part, the last four songs who makes a fistful of greatness.

It is a different Cold War Kids album. It´s more mature and spins a lot around commitment and friendship. It´s like the wild nights caught up with the band and left them stranded with an empty bottle. On that end they found producer Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Tom Waits) and eleven enchanting songs. Instead of turning boring they turned the corner.

Credit to drummer Matt Aveiro for the sound, the often erie beginnings and twisted ends. To me – let´s make it easy – this is a record I wanna listen to. Piling up and down in the playlist, Mine Is Yours gets stuck in playmode. I´m keeping it that way.

¤ Judge says: 6/7 Kentuckyseven´s.

¤ Best Track: Bulldozer

¤ Drink while you listen: Brooklyn East India Pale Ale

¤ Check it out: CWK – Myspace + CWK – Spotify

Heidi Spencer And The Rare Birds – Under Streetlight Glow

Bella Union. Releasedate 2011-01-17.

The record begins. I´m letting Heidi Spencer enter my atmosphere. She sings, with her battered, mistreated, cruel, hurting, fetching, blinding voice.

”No one need to know

We laid around all day

Let´s make up a good – alibi

Let´s take it to the grave

Take it to the moon.”

Well, Heidi had me at hello. This is a sad record, yet heartwarming. It´s like a wind that carries you on. To the next place, maybe even a better one.

It´s haunting music that keeps rolling in. The Rare Birds make a perfect terrain to Heidi´s voice. It´s all about the voice. It´s there when the drugs won´t work.

This is Heidi Spencer´s third album. It´s her first on the great indie label Bella Union (Low Anthem, Midlake, Beach House). It will make the difference. It will take this Milwaukeegirl for a ride into the charts, well deserved.

Heidi Spencer remindes me of Emmylou Harris, Tracy Chapman, Tom Petty. Whatever. She´s made a perfect soundtrack to a rainy Sunday.

I´m listening to the gutting #3 track Moth Met Spider. In the words of Kurt Vonnegut; So it goes.

¤ Judge says: 6/7 Kentuckyseven´s.

¤ Best Track: Alibi

¤ Drink while you listen: Whiskey, no rocks.

¤ Check it out: Heidi on Spotify, Heidi on Myspace.

Tu Fawning – Hearts On Hold

City Slang Records
Releasedate 2010-01-10

Out of the awsome City Slang comes, like a fearful bat out of its cave, Tu Fawning’s first full length album.

To put in words what the sound of Tu Fawning sounds like, is like trying to throw out the christmas tree without having the floor filled with needles.

Hearts On Hold is an album that will keep you guessing. You will have nightmares,  feel bliss or just disappear into the world that is theirs. The instruments, samples and vocals together blends up to something never  experienced before. I got completely lost in the trumpet. There is some sense of Arcade Fireish notions hidden somewhere.

I have listened to the album a numerous times, and still it gets me. Confusing, beautiful and simple at times. It is like nothing you??’ve heard before, and still it feels somewhat like home at times.

The first track on the album will take you somewhere, thats guaranteed, just try to find out where. It’s amazing. If I ever die in New Orleans, give me a funeralband, marching and put Tu Fawning in the first line. Singing ”Multiply A House”

Hearts On Hold makes up for a strong 5/7 – Try it on, see if it fits you.

Dolorean – The Unfazed
Releasedate 18/1 2011

After I got to know the great band Dolorean, from Portland Oregon, I knew. That there’s hope for the great American music-scene. Bands like Dolorean rarely get the spotlight in commercial radio or press, but are greatly appreciated among the likes of Kentuckyseven-readers.

I listened to Dolorean’s first album and said to myself, this is real. Real music from real musicians. The lyrics are storys, the sound is pure and fresh, yet carry a heritage from great American music-history. Al James, the songwriter and vocalist is like a storyteller with warmth, depth and compassion and from the short contact I’ve had with the man, he is a great person too.

The Unfazed is no exception, it’s even larger. The opening song Thinskinned is extraordinary, with the piano, and lyrics like it was a love-story-gone-bad anthem.

Al James and Lara Miller get together in Country Clutter, second track of the album, their voices are melting together and create a comfortzone, where I gladly remain for days and days.

Titletrack sets the mood and emphasize the American singersongwriter culture in a way I think that many artist would sacrifice plenty to create.

The Unfazed is bound for something great. My hope is that Dolorean will meet a larger audience during 2011, the band surely deserves a great audience. My only wish for Christmas is that the rest of the world sees their splendor…
The album will surely end up in many Best Of 2011 lists… I know I have a place for it.

Six out of seven K7’s – just like that.

Wells Tower’s collection of short stories Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned (Granta) is a must-read.

The author (born 1973) grew up in North Carolina and lives in Brooklyn. His work was selected for the Best American Short Stories 2010 and it´s well deserved. This guy can write.

It´s eight or nine novels that in their own, twisted way makes a eerie picture of America. It´s dark and smart, a compelling debut. It´s better than an Ipad för christmas.

Nick Hornby loves Wells Tower and says ”when, in one of the stories, a woman finds out that her husband is having an affair because the footprint on the car windscreen does not match her own, you know you’re reading somebody who doesn’t come along very often.”

Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned is now presented in swedish (Härjat och Bränt), translated by Johan Nilsson och published by Brombergs.

Finns det mer än sju Kentuckysevens? Skitsamma. Det spelar ingen roll. Kvällen i Scandinavium var alltiett. Det var ungdomshjälten som tog fullformatet och bara stack iväg. Transistorn blev en 63-tummare, moppen blev en sportbil, diskokulan blev en storstad. Ni fattar.

Jag och Buffy drack grappa, kramades och ramlade ut i GBG-natten. Vi missade inte en hotellbar på vägen. Det var en kväll värdig en mästare, värdig Håkan Hellström.

Låtlistan? Överjävlig. Allt var bra, det som kittlade allra mest var 13, Jag vet inte vem jag är men…, Jag vet vilken dy…, Hurricane, Gårdakvarnar, Tro och tvivel, River en vacker dröm, Du är snart där, Vi två 17 år.

Allsången på slutet är något jag alltid tar med mig. Och realisationen, uppenbarelsen och det självklara i att Håkan har växt upp till en stjärna, en fullträff som aldrig klingar av, en publiktämjare och en dåre. En kille jag är glad att fått följa. Vi ska bli gamla tillsammans, han och jag.

1. Dom där jag kommer från

2. Kom igen Lena

3. Saknade te havs

4. 13

5. Jag vet inte vem jag är men jag vet att jag är din

6. Mitt Gullbergs Kaj paradis

7. Klubbland

8. Jag vet vilken dy hon har varit i

9. Hurricane Gilbert

10. Jag har varit i alla städer

11. Magiskt men tragiskt

12. Shelley

13. Gårdakvarnar och skit

14. Tro och tvivel

15. Ramlar

16. En midsommarnattsdröm

17. Kärlek är ett brev skickat tusen gånger

EXTRANUMMER:

18. Nu kan du få mig så lätt

19. För en lång, lång tid

20. Känn ingen sorg för mig Göteborg

21. River en vacker dröm

22. Du är snart där

EXTRA EXTRANUMMER:

23. Vi två, 17 år