My Amazon Reviews: Avett Brothers "Magpie And The Dandelion"

Peace, Love and Banjos
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Barely a year after releasing the acclaimed "The Carpenter," The Avett Brothers make a quick turnaround and issue "Magpie and The Dandelion." Along with producer Rick Rubin, The Avetts have mastered a style of folk-rock that many other bands of this ilk are just trying to grasp. Other than Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers have no one else that even come close to matching their own kind of American Roots rock, which makes it all the more interesting that Mumford and Sons are Irish, while the brothers hail from North Carolina.

That's not the only difference. Where the Mumfords typically strive for the bombastic crescendo, the Avetts deal in a more gentle style. Piano melodies intermingle with the banjos, and they have long ago learned that a silence can speak more than an amp turned up to 11. They're also not as preachy, even if the music speaks to universal love and faith. They sing of having an "Open Ended Life" and delicately contemplate "Souls With Wheels" (a live version of the song originally from the EP "The Second Gleam"). Sometimes doubt creeps in, like the long distance affair "Apart From Me," where Scott and Seth Avett question if they can keep love alive while out on the road. Same with "Skin and Bones," but this time with more spunk.

If I have any grumps about "Magpie And The Dandelion," it's that there doesn't seem to be much of a growth in the band. The songs here sound like they were very good, but not so good as to end up on "The Carpenter." Why else tease everyone with an older live song in the middle than to be a song or two short of a totally new album? But then, you'll hear the piano copping from The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" on the midtempo ballad "Good To You," and you can forgive them the lateral move. Also, as previously stated, no other band can keep up with the new folk movement the way The Avett Brothers do. If you prefer, think of "Magpie" and "The Carpenter" as a double album. Play them in tandem. Together, they're a delight, and even with my few misgivings, "Magpie and The Dandelion" is an excellent album.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Gogol Bordello "Pura Vida Conspiracy"

Borders are scars on the face of the planet
4 Out Of 5 Stars

So says Eugene Hutz on his merry band of musical pranksters' lead-off track, "We Rise Again." Indeed. Some three years after "Transcontinental Hustle," Gogol Bordello commence upon their ongoing mission to shred musical boundaries with "Pura Vida Conspiracy." Human cyclone Hutz seemingly runs on an inexhaustible supply of musical fuel, dragging gypsy violins, Spanish horns, punk rock guitars, accordions and his expressive voice all over the musical map.

There's also a new-found punkish spikiness to some of the songs here. Granted, I don't think anyone would ever accuse Gogol Bordello of being sedate, but "We Rise Again" and "Dig Deep Enough" start off typically, then plunge headlong into blistering pogo-dance breaks. They take it even further on the hidden bonus track "Jealous Sister." At a Ramones-timed 2:27, Hutz speaks of an Argentinian girl before hitting rapid fire verses that would do The Descendents proud, adding a strummed guitar interlude and a heavy metal guitar solo towards the end. Again, all in under two and a half minutes. Which is all the odder because the song "Jealous Sister" is 'hidden' behind is a heartfelt Hutz with a solo six string stepping along in three quarter time.

I guess I should be careful in using the word 'typically' in the confines of a Gogol Bordello CD, because "Pura Vida Conspiracy" bounces the ball across so many time zones that songs as delightful as "Lost Innocent World" confound traditional pop structure all while making me wonder why radio utterly ignores them. Is it the violins, Hutz's heavily accented voice, or just plain old conspiracy? No matter. Gogol Bordello is not about to let anyone dictate what or where their music is heading. They are on, as the song goes, "My Gypsy Auto Pilot," and "Pura Vida Conspiracy" is the latest love letter sent from a musical world without borders.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Avett Brothers "The Carpenter"

Epic Avetts
4 Out Of 5 Stars

I was lucky enough to catch the Avett Brothers live at the 50th Newport Folk Festival, where they were previewing songs from the forthcoming "I and Love and You." I was immediately taken by their range and scope, as well as their impact as a band. I thought I&L&U was one of the best albums of the year, and it's taken them since 2009 to create this follow-up. "The Carpenter" takes those intense, acute moments of the last album and gives them a glossier sound without losing any of the emotional wallop. In fact, if the longing and sadness of "A Father's First Spring" doesn't tug your heartstrings, you're reading the wrong review.

The Avett Brothers are into making epic music. There's not as much bombast here as there is on, say, Mumford and Sons' "Babel," and "The Carpenter" might be better for it. "Live and Die" plucks Scott Avett's banjo while swinging on a sing-along chorus. They also make great use of their harmony singing, with an almost doo-wop go at "Pretty Girl From Michigan" (the latest in a series of "Pretty Girl..." songs) or the oddly rocking "Paul Newman Vs The Demons." (The most unsubtle song here, and proof that these men have no issues with their eccentricities.)

The meat of the album remains the brothers' folk-band style, the stuff that got them and Mumford and Sons behind Bob Dylan. Rick Rubin adds the polish but doesn't make things run outside the album's limits. You can get "Down With The Shine," take a roll on the 90 second "Geraldine" or wax philosophical on the title song, but you'll never miss out on some tasty licks and lyrics. I don't feel "The Carpenter" quite measures up to the previous album, however, you'll not walk away dissatisfied. If you're one of the trendy folkies that snapped up "Babel" the first week out, "The Carpenter" should be in your playlist, too.

     

My Amazon Reviews: ZZ Top "La Futura"

Forward into The Past
4 Out Of 4 Stars

ZZ Top are still best remembered for their flashy videos, that crazy car and the buzzed out synths riding atop songs about legs and sharp dressed men. What most forget is that they started as a Texas blues and boogie outfit, making the most of their three piece line-up. That led to such great albums and songs like "Tush," "Tejas" and "Fandango." "La Futura" is a look back to that era, with producer Rick Rubin nudging Dusty Hill, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard towards s stripped down electric blues, letting the trio wail away like it was 1974.

That doesn't make "La Futura" a great album or a return to form, as they've been doing this music under the radar on discs like "Rhythmeen" and "Mescalaro," just without the hype. The sound is still instantly recognizable with Gibbons and Hill trading lead vocals and Gibbons' snarly guitar licks sounding exclusive to him. The songs are also appropriately snappy, with the growl of "Gotsta Get Paid" and "Have A Little Mercy" again sounding like no band except ZZ Top. And finally taking the shackles off of Frank Beard may be the best thing about "La Futura," as he can now freely whack his snare drums without worrying about a drum machine.

I guess what bums me out here are two things; that the songs all sound recycled from other ZZ Top tunes, and that the album barely clocks in at a 40 mins for 10 songs. With almost a decade between discs and the hype of Rubin behind the boards (one of the few times Gibbons has shared the bench with any other than Bill Ham), I was expecting something more. fans will enjoy this, non-fans will scracth their heads, while classic rock radio will Que up "Sharp Dressed Man" for another spin.