If It's Too Loud...

The last two weeks because I know I'm not going to get to this. Highlights: Artist : Aesop Rock Album : I Heard It's a Mess There Too Songs of Note : "Crystals and Herbs," "Full House Pinball," "The Cut," "Opossum," "Poly Cotton Blend" Artist : Anna von Hausswolff Album : ICONOCLASTS Songs of Note : "Facing Atlas," "The Iconoclast," "The Whole Woman," "The Mouth," "Stardust," "Struggle with the Beast" Artist : Sorry Album : Cosplay Songs of Note : "Jetplane," "Antelope," "Today Might Be the Hit," "Waxwing," "JIVE" Artist : The Mountain Goats Album : Through this Fire Across from Peter Balkan Songs of Note : "Fishing Boat," "Dawn of Revelation," "Peru," "Armies of the Lord," "Broken to Begin With" Artist : Sabine McCalla Album : Don't Call Me Ba...

While the latest single from Eli Paperboy Reed's upcoming album of Merle Haggard covers is a Merle Haggard original, it's actually a cover of an unreleased cover. I'll let Reed explain: “In 1969, Capitol Records commissioned a duet version of this song from Buck Owens, who was their biggest country star, and Bettye Swann, who was their most successful soul singer. The label ultimately shelved it out of fears that an interracial collaboration would damage Buck’s career, but a few of the acetates eventually leaked out, and I happen to own one of them. "When I decided to record an album of Merle Haggard songs I knew that wanted to pay homage to this version. I called Sabine and explained the story and my vision for resurrecting the long lost duet and she was thrilled to step into Swann’s shoes and helped deliver an unforgettable—and long overdue—rendition. "It’s probably the most straight ahead interpretation on the album, and that’s the way I wanted it. The arrangem...

After not getting out to any live shows for a number of years, hitting two just this past summer is an impressive feat in and of itself. Seeing a favorite in an old restored theater? Even better. First, I had never set eyes on the Columbus Theatre before, and seeing that Spirit Family Reunion was playing at the same venue Jenny Lewis and Rhett Miller are booked at confused me. Turns out that the Columbus has a unique and awesome setup where the balcony level has been converted to a second, more intimate stage. Perfect size for a band like Spirit Family Reunion, and perfect for the type of atmosphere I was hoping for from the show. Opening act was Sabine McCalla. Accompanied by her dog (who was a big hit on its own), McCalla gave us a set sprinkled with old music and new songs from her Folk EP alike. To say that she was great would be an understatement - McCalla had a presence on stage that was impossible to ignore, with one of the most gorgeous voices I've hears in some ...

It would be easy to compare Sabine McCalla's music to her sister's. Both Sabine and Leyla MaCalla do stripped down folk music that feels like it's from another era. The both have a specific New Orleans sound, but they're both from New Orleans. While both of their music may have the same basic structure, they both have completely unique versions of it.  On her new ep, folk, Sabine McCalla does the most stripped down version of folk you might ever hear. You can't get more stripped down than just a voice and acoustic instrument, but somehow her music is even more bare than that. "I Went to the Levee" and "Anyhow" may be a cappella, but those might be the most full sounding songs on the EP. The only instruments on the EP listed are piano and drums, and those don't appear in the same song. The sparseness of a song like "Stole My Heart" could be disturbing, and while the songs are dark, they are gorgeous in their intricate simplicity....