We kick off another Monday edition of The Well-Played list, which means it's time to get your groove on. The ongoing listening series features the most listened-to, jammed-out songs, albums and artists of the week as submitted by the CL Music Team along with a rotating crew of tastemakers — local music promoters, record store and venue owners, music fans and scenesters, DJs, musicians, and a radio personality or two; check the past several week’s worth here. Audio and video included, along with any applicable show information. And on that note, what are you jamming this week? Tell us in the comments…LEILANI
Outkast playlist - I put together a Spotify playlist based on the hip hop duo's setlist on Friday night at Big Guava, and am jamming through it as I put together my review. Stay tuned for that sometime tomorrow, with Days 2 and 3 to follow...
GABE ECHAZABAL
Gary Myrick, Language (1983) Originally a five-song EP in '83, expanded to a full-length album in 2009 thanks to the addition of remixes and unreleased tracks, Language takes me back to a different space and time completely. During the period MTV actually exposed new artists and turned people on to music we might never had the chance to discover otherwise, I stumbled upon the ultra-New Wave video for Myrick’s “Guitar, Talk, Love & Drums” and was instantly drawn to it. The bashing drums, hypnotic percussion and Thomas Dolby-like quirkiness of the track intrigued me and, upon hearing it again after many years, it still appeals to me tremendously. I’ve been listening to Language a lot lately and have been happily surprised with the depth and quality of all the additional tracks Myrick recorded that never saw the light of day until the deluxe reissue was released. Good, fun stuff.
Jack White, "Lazaretto" (2014) The title track from White’s second solo album (due out June 10 on Third Man Records) has permanently taken over my senses and consciousness. Boasting a perfect blend of blues, swagger, electronics, a little bluegrass and a whole lot of attitude, "Lazaretto” is easily one of the most inventive and infectious tunes White has ever cranked out even dating back to his years as the leader of White Stripes. White has indicated that his forthcoming full-length contains a variety of sounds and styles. If this rocker is any indication, we're in for a real treat! Listen to the track after the jump...
ANDY WARRENER | Freelance writer, CL & TBT
This week, I'm reaching way back to 2001. It's a little scary to me that I can say, "reaching way back to 2001," but what can you do? In light of country-western folk singer Lucinda Williams coming to Clearwater on May 24, I am pumping Essence, my favorite and one of Lucinda Williams' finer efforts. It marks a zenith in her long career and holds some of my very favorite tunes. The set kicks off with "Lonely Girls," maybe the most recognizable tune in Williams' repertoire, and it retains all of her signature sounds without ever reaching into Top 40 territory. Essence balances rolling-rhythm, Western-vibed tracks like "Steal Your Love" and "Get Right With God," with slower soulful reflections ala "Blue" and "Reason To Cry." Its two crowning highlights are the title track, a multi-layered near-power ballad and my personal favorite, "Bus To Baton Rouge," which has the sweetest, round-a-bout melody you ever did hear along with some of Williams' most powerful and vivid imagery.
SHAE K.
Mount Moriah, Miracle Temple (2013) To better acclimate myself with the music of Mount Moriah before I saw them open for M. Ward last Thursday night, I'd been listening to their most recent album. Whereas Heather McEntire's previous project, Bellafea, was a hard-driven indie rock band, Mount Moriah is softer, embracing more country roots aesthetics. At times, McEntire's voice here even reminds me of a less-sequined Dolly Parton. There are still enough indie-rock elements, however, to keep the album from veering into anyplace that could possibly be called 'nu-country.' Video for their song "Bright Light" below.
JOE D'ACUNTO | THX MGMT Presents
Been rocking these two jams: Ages and Ages, "DIVISIONARY (Do The Right Thing)" (video below) and The Underhill Family Orchestra's "The Showdown at St. Lawrence."
JACK SPATAFORA | aestheticized presents, Soft Rock Renegades
of Montreal, Lousy with Sylvianbriar (2013) Digging the psychedelic, guitar noodle-y feel of the latest from the Athens band. They hit State Theatre tomorrow night (May 6) with Boogarins.
SARAH GECAN | Daddy Kool, No Clubs Entertainment
I've been in a Norah Jones and The National kind of mood. Not sure if this is a good thing, but they compliment each other so very well.
Norah Jones, Little Broken Hearts (2012) Norah Jones has been seeping into my life lately, first via the tail-end of a PBS spotlight I caught on Monday and then at Brew D Licious, where her music was playing over the radio. I've always been fond of Norah, her beautiful voice, her thoughtful sound. In Little Broken Hearts, she has lost some of her innocence. She's a woman now who's been hurt and she'll shatter the betrayer's heart with her most sultry sounds. In "Miriam," she sings:
"Miriam, You know you done me wrong / I'm gonna smile when You say goodbye / You know you done me wrong / I'm gonna smile when I take your life " Her deliver is so soft and sweet that if you weren't paying attention to the lyrics, you might think it was a lullaby. I must admit, spiteful Norah is my favorite.
The National, Boxer (2007) Sad to admit, I've never gotten into The National. Yes, I knew they were good — a band I was "suppose to like." But I never purposefully listened to them, never searched them out, not until last week. "Mistaken For Strangers" came on a Spotify station and I stopped dead in my tracks. His voice, it is so perfect. Perfect for a rainy day, a humdrum day in the office. And the beat? The beat is just enough to wake you up. It is beautiful, in a sad way, but the sadness in his tone leads to the beauty.