PAPA, BUILD ME A BOAT: Hog-Eyed Man, the long-running folk/bluegrass/Appalachian/old time music group anchored by Jason Cade and Rob McMaken, released its sixth full-length album this summer, and it’s named Across The Sea. Turns out the title is more than appropriate as the pair are joined here by Tallahassee’s Paddy League, which is quite accomplished in both Greek and Irish music, as well as Scotland’s Michael Starkey, who plays the clawhammer banjo. The 13 tracks on the new album nearly defy critical analysis. Each is performed deftly and thoughtfully. The group’s respect for its source material is well evidenced, but Hog-Eyed Man still puts its shoulder into the work to make these tunes at least somewhat its own. Particularly inspired are “Wolves A Howling,” “Polly Put The Kettle On,” the invigorating title track and album closer “Wabash Hornpipe.” There’s probably another 500 words or so that could be written about this, as it’s full of nooks and crannies to be explored, but suffice it to say, you’ll do just fine exploring it on your own. Find it at hogeyedman.bandcamp.com, and keep up with all the group’s goings on at hogeyedman.com.
STAY QUIET AWHILE: The utterly tuneful and cheeky smirk fest that is The Shut-Ups will celebrate the release of its new album, Proverbs, Saturday, Sept. 6 at Ciné. It comes out officially the day before. The album arrives courtesy of Attaboy Tapes and is loosely religiously oriented but, again, each reference is delivered through a knowing grin. It’s a double album spanning 27 songs, which is a lot of Shut-Ups in one serving, for sure. Now with a couple of decades of performing and recording under its belt, the band, which has often been too clever by half, is incredibly confident in both its compositions and presentation. And, honestly, there’s no reason these guys shouldn’t be. They’re well versed in power pop, soul/R&B, and entire swaths of 1970s and ‘80s pop music, as well as garage-band-ish indie rock. They’re also known to pull out some classic pop vocal Sinatra-isms, such as “Say It With A Sigh.” Specific highlights here are “Heaping Coals Of Fire,” “You Know Not What The Day Will Bring” and “Remember Me Wrong,” among others. Joining the band for the release show are CGI Joe and Foreceghost. This is available as a digital download and double compact disc, so bookmark shutups.bandcamp.com and listen in this Friday.
HIGH ON EMOTION: It was only a couple of weeks ago I was telling you about a new single by Jake Brower. Now, Attaboy Tapes has released a new, 13-song full-length by Brower named Long Term Wave. It opens with the previously released psych-folk “Both/and,” and the rest of the album carries this aesthetic quite capably and, indeed, charmingly. If there’s any overarching mood surrounding Brower’s music, it may well be that of a more approachable Neutral Milk Hotel. That’s in terms of vibes, not music, as Brower shares little in common with NMH. Brower doesn’t bark nor croon. He yearns but is not cloying. The title track is simultaneously uplifting and slightly melancholy, as is much of this music. The tape hiss and static present throughout creates a warm and personal mood, and the result is an album that is presented as a gift instead of some industry calling card. This is fully recommended if you dig psych pop, indie-folk, any number of E6 side projects, 4-track recording, etc. As I run out of descriptors for this, please just let me direct you toward your final destination of attaboytapes.bandcamp.com.
CAN YOU DIG IT?: Experimental electronic/DJ project Other Voices, Other Rooms will celebrate the release of new tape Summer Ov Our Pilgrim Wandering at Flicker Theatre and Bar on Friday, Sept. 5. Also appearing are frequent OV,OR compatriots Goddess Complex—the ongoing project of artist Cloud Powers–and Microtrak, a collaboration between Oliver Domingo of Organically Programmed and Aiden Jackson of Obscurity. Other Voices, Other Rooms reports that this newest tape is the result of experimenting with “processing vocal monologues with a synthesizer, using CV [control voltage] and gate signals to chop up the vocals in time with a drum machine.” The vocals processed here are largely from Timothy Leary’s 1967 album Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out. Word on the street is that Primordial Void will host this release on its Bandcamp page, so search for it at primordialvoid.bandcamp.com.
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