Jake Bugg-Simple as This and Country Song

Picture Credit: Luke Dyson Photography

Listening to Jake Bugg sometimes feels like listening to a 21st century teenager who stumbled upon a time machine and decided that he wanted to do nothing more than to go back to the 60's to record music. Modern references sometimes clash with the stripped down musical backing, and although you might feel that the 18 year old hasn't lived enough to make an album of folksy rock tunes, Jake speaks about what he knows. On his self-titled debut, Bugg at times struggles to maintain consistency throughout the 14 short tracks (most of which clock in at a very retro 3 minutes or less), but shows enough promise that you keep listening and are left with the feeling that only special things will come from the young Brit. "Simple as This" and "Country Song" are great tracks to get to know his musical stylings and are standout tracks on an album whose inconsistency is far outweighed by true talent and a committed dedication to the British tradition of storytelling.

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Sam Lee-On Yonder Hill

Sam Lee is on a mission to save British folk music. Having traveled the country learning old folk songs, he recently released his debut album Ground of Its Own which is his take on these old ballads. The result is a striking mix of words and instruments that sometimes borders on jarring. With modern music largely eschewing any semblance of story, Lee's music puts the story front and center and surrounds it with a medley of sounds ranging from a didgeridoo to an old show tune that sounds like it was borrowed from Yann Tiersen. Both a homage to a music he loves and a distinctly unique musical experiment, Ground of Its Own and "On Yonder Hill" take us back a few years and shows us what we're missing today.

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The Tallest Man on Earth-Little Brother

The other day I was listening to my ipod on shuffle on the way to work and The Tallest Man on Earth song "1904" came on. I got the same comforting feeling that you get when you grow up with a song; the feeling once you get to "know" a jam.

I quickly realized to myself, man, this song just came out. But The Tallest Man on Earth's music is like that-both timeless and comforting in a way that is refreshingly old school. His newest album There's No Leaving Now continues in the same vein as both Shallow Grave and Wild Hunt, and his new work is immediately familiar. This is a good thing-I wouldn't want Wu Tang to do an acoustic ukulele album and TTMOE does what he does best - stripped down crooning over graceful guitar licks. Though it was tough to pick out a song to showcase-it really works better as an album than individual singles-"Little Brother" is a real standout. It fits perfectly into his discography yet also marks a slight departure; the slight twang of the electric guitar subtly helping move the always stellar storytelling along. Check out the full album and let me know what you think.

Buy There's No Leaving Now/Stream on Spotify

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Case Studies-Lies

I love songs that flip up the script. Half listen to this jamandahalf and it seems like your typical campfire sing-along folk song: a cute story about a guy telling his lady how much he loves her. In reality its a tongue-in-cheek look at relationships, a sarcastic take on the sweet nothings that come expected in relationships.

The set up is perfect. Imitating old westerns to a T, replete with goofy sing alongs and a cheesiness which all of us men have resorted to at some point, this song is perfectly executed. Winking with one eye while giving it their weary all, Case Studies force you to have a what? moment. While I myself have nothing against little nicknames and love-hyperboles, and have to admit to having my fair share (gordita!), I applaud this jam for its begruding honesty.

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Case Studies Lies

Ben Harper-Don't Give Up On Me Now

Ben Harper has always had two main sounds: ones where he turns into a hard rocker, and the other, my personal favorite, his smooth jams. On his new album, Give Till It's Gone, Harper wears both hats and puts out some of his best work in years. "Don't Give Up On Me Now" is vintage Ben, a folky track driven by introspective lyrics and a sing along quality that has lacked in some of his newer music. Claremont, California's finest, Ben Harper has made a career out of exploring different styles, which for a fan is both incredibly rewarding but can also be somewhat frustrating, especially if an artist goes a direction which may not be your favorite. As the first track on the album, "Don't Give Up On Me Now" marks a return to his earlier work and after a few years pursuing a more aggressive sound with The Relentless 7, this jamandahalf is the perfect welcome back. Check out this jam and buy the album here.

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Ben Harper Don't Give Up On Me Now

Bon Iver-Towers

Most music fans have a funny relationship with the music industry. Bloggers too. While I know it's "bad" to download music illegally and yadayada, it's hard to compete against a product which comes out earlier and costs nothing. To find a middle ground though I have decided to do two things: see as many live shows, and if I really like an album, I'll buy it. Just like I try on a pair of jeans before I buy them, I also will almost always "try out" an album before I spend my hard earned euros/dollas on it, you know, just to see how it fits.

Bon Iver's newest album, also titled Bon Iver, is definitely a must-buy. Above all, the album is masterly crafted. Listening to it through is an experience and the only way to get a feel for all its complexity. Seemingly taking cues from his new buddy Kanye, Bon Iver has created something that can, and should, be listened to on many different levels. Following up an album like For Emma, Forever Ago, a classic that meant so many different things to so many different people, is always tough, but with this new one Bon Iver both managed to exceed all my expectations while continuing to push their sound forward. A track that shows this off is "Towers." While not nearly the most intricate or dense song on the album, it immediately places a Macho Man Randy Savage headlock on your attention, and doesn't release it until three minutes eight seconds later. The entire album is a seamless fusion of folk and electronica and that's noticeable here, where he plays the two off each other to create something that has its roots in old-timey jams but also is unmistakably modern. Buy Bon Iver
 here.

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Bedouin SoundClash-12:59 Lullaby

I remember when my good buddy Amitch first played this song for me on a post spring-semester roadtrip from LA to Portland. It was one of those songs that from then on I managed to sneak onto every playlist I made for the rest of the ride, but one that retained the magical ability that only a few songs possess-the ability to not get old.

"12:59 Lullaby" is a simple song, but I'm beginning to realize more and more that simplicity is truly at the heart of the best songs. Hauntingly beautiful, this jamandahalf seems to move along at its own pace. The essence of the song is really about this pace, about the passage of time, and appreciating things before they themselves pass. Each time the song ends it sounds like it just began, and it's easy to get caught in waves of repeats with this jam, each time causing you to momentarily lose all sense of time. It's hard to say much about a song like this, one that is both so simple yet could mean so many different things to people. So just take a second and play this gem of a jam.

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Tallest Man on Earth-Graceland (Cover)

The Alexander track yesterday got me on a folk tip, I'll roll with it for a second. The Tallest Man on Earth is a favorite of this blog, and his music just continues to sound better with time. While some critics harp on his high level of nase (I think I just made that up), its uniqueness simply adds to many reasons why the TMOE is one of the best new artists out right now. And with most of his songs simply consisting of his voice and a guitar, it ain't hard to tell that the Swede has not just come to terms with his nasallyness, but has wholeheartedly embraced it-putting it out naked in front of the audience in each song with very little in the way of distractions.

In this jamandahalf, the TMOE does two things that I think are essential when artists put out a cover song. 1-the song has to be a complete remake of the original, and 2-the cover has to make you think at least for a half second that it's better than the original. The all time showcase for these theories is Hendrix's Dylan cover "All Along the Watchtower," but this cover does its best to challenge those lofty heights. Completely stripping the original to its bare foundations, the Swede performs a nuanced and stirring take on the Paul Simon classic, paying homage to the original, but in the end making it completely his own.

Thanks to SunsetintheRearview

 Graceland (Paul Simon Cover) Jamandahalf.com by jammininthenameof

Alexander-In The Twilight & Old Friend

Alex Ebert is an interesting cat. I'm not going to go deep into his history, (you can read that here) but he seems like a modern day wandering troubadour, getting in where he fits in, but never staying somewhere for too long. His most recent stop is as a solo artist. The current front-man of personal favorite Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Ebert dropped his debut solo album, Alexander, on Tuesday. The album does exactly what you hope to see from an album of the lead singer to one of your favorite bands-introduces a new side of him that builds on, but doesn't copy, his work with his band, while establishing himself as a unique and memorable artist in his own right. 

These two jams showcase two very different sides of Alexander. "In The Twilight" is classic folk-pop. Mixing in a bit of the musical magic dust of Ed Sharpe, this song claps and stomps its way to a feel good finish. On this track Alexander sometimes echoes a young Paul Simon and is a worthy, if untested, heir. "Old Friend" presents a completely different side of Alexander. A convoluted song which at times threatens to ramble, "Old Friend" has a somewhat mysterious power to it which has had me listen to it on repeat for the last two days. While I still won't venture a guess about its meaning, Alexander's meandering psychedelic campfire story is bold and unexpected. The warbling background guitar and other sound effects threaten to take the jam to outerspace, but the sad story about loss and revenge and the harmonica solo keep it firmly rooted. The album on a whole is sometimes messy, and often reaches sky-high, but in the end its exuberance and passion keeps it refreshingly grounded. 

Buy Alexander Here

 Alexander (Jamandahalf.com) by jammininthenameof 

Ben Harper & The Relentless 7-Eldorado

Ben Harper is an artist that you have to appreciate. Seemingly never content to stick around any given genre for too long, Harper gets his Hindu god on, and has appeared in various reincarnations over the years: with the Innocent Criminals, the Relentless 7, the Blind Boys of Alabama, and his most recent project, Fistful of Mercy. As a music fan this is incredibly refreshing: seeing an artist explore the limits of his talents, seeing him tackle new styles and influences.

While the majority of Harper's music is unique, his instrumentals are just magic. Like "The Three of Us," "Eldorado" is a showcase of the emotions that an instrument can have. With a drum and keyboard keeping pace, Harper once again shows us his virtuoso slide guitar skills. Each note rings with supreme confidence, each measure feels wholesome and full. The song meanders along, sonically rich yet simple enough to be a reflection of how you are feeling, easily alternating between being pensive, joyous, and melancholy. In a music scene that seems to reward fitting in as much sound into each song as possible, this is a stark contrast, and a novel idea, letting the instruments speak for themselves.

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Fink-This Is The Thing

The JamandaHalf family continues to grow-a fellow assistant also living here in our rural Spanish town of Don Benito comes by with a folk song that has undeniable intensity to it which I love. Thanks Courtney, and keep the posts coming. 

I've been starting off my mornings for the past few weeks with this jamandahalf. The smooth sound of his voice goes down as easily as my morning coffee and helps me to slip into my day. Fink (aka Fin Greenall) is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist and DJ. His music was only just introduced to me by my favorite Danish friend but my trusty music guru was a bit behind on this one. "This is the Thing" is a song off Fink's third album, Distance and Time, released back in 2007. He's truly a brilliant songwriter and his lyrics entwine perfectly with his consistently bluesy, folksy, indie sound. His latest album, Sort of Revolution, was released last year and includes songwriting collaborations with John Legend. In addition to all of Finks previously listed talents, he's also produced major label artists including Amy Winehouse, Michael Pitt and Robert Belfour. He's currently in hiding working on his fifth album which will be released in the spring of 2011 but if you look hard enough you might find him bouncing around England DJ'ing under the name Sideshow. But for now, press play and let him pluck at your heart strings.

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