So onto March, the months are ticking away fast! After last month’s minor hiatus, in the form of the Johnny Cash Special, this month there is new music aplenty. I have had a lot more time to sit and listen to music and more of a chance to get out into the music stores, both chain and independent, on the hunt for a great sound and a great record. Here are this month’s offerings. Enjoy!

Monday – Man Made Lake - Calexico

Calexico is an “indie-rock” band hailing from Tucson, Arizona. They are a band renowned for playing an eclectic variety of music, and their latest musical offering, "Carried to Dust", is no different, alternating and shifting through a number of genres and musical styles. "Man Made Lake" is arguably one of the stand-out tracks on the album. It’s a song of subtle emotion and stellar vocal work, highlighting the best of aspects of the band’s lyricism and vocals, while the sparse and sometimes confronting instrumentation adds a lot to the emotion and feel of the track.

Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST03W3Y7B7A

Tuesday – SDP – The Kissaway Trail

"SDP" is the first single of the new record by Danish band The Kissaway Trail; and to some extent marks a slight departure from the sound of their first album. There is a rockier edge to the track, whilst still keeping the quirky and interesting instrumentation from their first album. One of the things I like about this track and the Kissaway Trail in general are the vocals. In my opinion they have a style similar to Arcade Fire, aiming for grand choral moments. Yet where Arcade Fire can be melancholic, this track captures feelings of euphoria, and shows a band in fine form, leaving me wanting to hear the rest of the album.

Watch: strangeglue.com/news/video-the-kissaway-trail-sdp

Wednesday – Kick Drum Heart – Avett Brothers

For me, The Avett Brothers currently represent modern indie-Americana at its best. They, of course, can be grouped together with other great emerging artists such as William Elliott Whitmore and The Felice Brothers, and they have that same “commercial” appeal, or rather they are artists which appeal to a broader market than say your typical Americana/country recording artist. "Kick Drum Heart" appears roughly halfway through their latest album, and highlights a shift to a faster pace. There are some great percussion moments on this record, with solid drumming throughout and rather effective use of the kick drum on this particular track. Another highlight of the album and the track is the quality and range of the vocals; they can go from soft and subtle one moment to the polar opposite the next. A great band, great track and a great album!

Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNvgNX3ZIV4

Thursday – Valleys of Neptune – Jimi Hendrix

First, I should say it shows a pretty amazing work ethic to still be releasing albums nearly 40 years after you have died, and even more impressive when it's new material. "Valleys of Neptune" is the title track from the latest posthumous release by Jimi Hendrix. Featuring most of the original Jimi Hendrix Experience, the album is the product of the Jimi Hendix Experience’s final studio recordings way back in 1969. "Valleys of Neptune" is a track which exudes life; it’s exciting, and has a great sound to it. Hendrix’s talent is there for all to hear, and this is a deceptively complex song. There are some great jazzy moments with some incredible guitar work and some impressive drumming, not to mention those trademark vocals. This is a track, and ultimately an album, which will remind us how much of a shame it was to lose one with that much talent so early.

Listen:
www.spinner.com/2010/01/28/jimi-hendrix-valleys-of-neptune-song-premiere/

Friday – San Francisco – Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard

The track "San Francisco" can easily be described as alt-country, and is the product of Son Volt’s Jay Farrar and Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard. It forms part of the soundtrack for a documentary about writer Jack Kerouac; a writer whose artistic sensibilities and work have influenced a great number of musicians and artists since his publication. Many of the songs on the album have had their lyrics adapted from the writings of Kerouac, and they really have a great melancholic feel to them. It is all about the fading of youth; the fading of youth’s ambition. It’s the product of two musicians’ attempts to translate the message and ideas of Kerouac’s "Big Sur" into music and, in my opinion, it is highly successful in doing so.

Watch:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpi6elfFjkA

Saturday – War – Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

The Hypnotic Brass Ensembl
e are an unadulterated brass and drums instrumental band, made up of 8 horn players and a drummer; what’s more amazing is that all 8 of these horn players are brothers, this really is a family band, playing music that was handed down to them by their father, who was also a trumpet player. They play some great inventive and exciting jazz music, drawing on all the many different jazz traditions and even those outside the jazz world. They really are a band that you need to check out, and I can’t recommend them highly enough - definitely worth a look. Also, whilst on the subject of the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, I am told they also feature on the new Gorrilaz album.

Watch
: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BhZ8n_OlcI

Sunday – My Body is a Cage – Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel’s latest album, "Scratch My Back", is the first part of an ambitious covers project, where he covers an eclectic group of musicians’ tracks, and then in return they cover some of his. As many of you will know, "My Body is a Cage" is an Arcade Fire track featuring on their album, "Neon Bible". As many of you may recall, it was not the most uplifting of albums, yet somehow Gabriel manages to make the whole thing even more sparse and melancholic. But, damn, it makes for some good listening. The instrumentation is sparse and sombre and then there are grand orchestral moments, contrasting with the vocals which are subtle and delicate. It is a powerful performance and a wonderful cover of a great song. I do recommend you give the whole album a listen, the other highlights for me were Gabriel covering Bowie’s "Heroes", and Bon Iver’s "Flume".

Listen
:
stereogum.com/110491/peter_gabriel_covers_arcade_fire_stereogum_premier/mp3s/