Friday 30 November 2007

Delta Spirit, Daytrotter

One of my albums of the year, here's a snippet from the review:
"...the album you'll wish The Cold War Kids had made - it's CWK meet the Beatles, and the Kinks, and the best folk music. It is joyful, melodic, anthemic and rootsy. The San Diego band make music that makes you wish you could listen to nothing else for a few weeks - and they sound as if they care deeply about what they're doing. Ten songs seems ten too few. When the electric guitars kick in, they mean it; when the choruses kick in, they sing with the evangelism of a Baptist preacher. Delta Spirit sound as though they could have existed any time since the '60s - the lead vocal sounds suitably sun-ripened - but it is so modern in its approach as well - a mixture of styles and genres, blended as perfectly as an Innocent smoothie. There is not a weak moment, not a filler song, not a thrown away note. There is no preaching, no overreaching, no preening. It has spirit, soul and boundless energy. You should own this record; you should head without waiting to deltaspirit.net with your $10 held tightly (or iTunes...) and buy it."

Daytrotter is a phenomenon. A virtual concert venue that ropes in the best US indie artists for an in-studio session, and then makes the songs available for free. Click here to hear and download the Delta Spirit session.

Monday 12 November 2007

Josh Ritter

One of the great ones... Ritter, along with Stephen Fretwell, Will Johnson and Sam Beam are the new Dylan, Van Morrison and Springsteen.

His new album, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, is possibly his best.

Here's the opening track: To The Dogs Or Whoever