Shazam Around The World: A Touch Of Americana
With Fleet Foxes’ country-flavoured vocal harmonies and Bon Iver’s famous cabin retirement having produced the most universally acclaimed albums of 2008; it comes as no surprise that talent scouts are once again turning their ears towards the sounds of Americana. While there are no signs of a revival of the scope and impact of the mid-nineties wave of alt-country renovators (from Lambchop to Bonnie “Prince” Billy), a number of new acts mixing the old heritage (folk, country, blues) with the new (psychedelia, lo-fi, indie-rock) are helping to reignite interest for the genre.
Our favourite of the new pack is Woods, former lo-fi specialists who used to release their recordings on tape. “Songs Of Shame”, their fourth opus, has been hailed as their more accomplished to date. To their DIY weird psychedelic antics, they have added a diversity of classic influences, ranging from the guitar fuzz and distortion of Neil Young or Dinosaur Jr., to Crosby, Stills & Nash more rustic melodies. The promo videos ‘To Clean’ and ‘Where and what are you’ show celebrated proof of the band’s evolution, and although Jeremy Earl and Jarvis Taveniere are still way too experimental to forecast a big entrance into mainstream acceptance - like the one Fleet Foxes recently went through - it’s easy to see them among the top 10 of many blogs and publications when the moment to review the year arrives.
Another act knocking at the doors of wider recognition is Megafaun, a trio formed by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon’s former musical companions from his first band DeYarmond Edison. Based in Durham, North Carolina, Megafaun has released their second album ‘Gather, Form and Fly’ in which they mix the free improvisation of styles such as free jazz or musique concrete with the song structures of traditional American folk, while borrowing rhythm elements from world music around the globe. The results are as unexpected as worthy of exploration. Tracks from their discography can be sampled at their website.
Other expert blenders of the old and the new, Portland Oregon’s Blitzen Trapper stripped off some of the indie influences that had granted them comparisons with Pavement in their 2007’s breakthrough work ‘Wild Mountain Nation’, to focus on a more wholesome, classic folk-rock sound in its follow-up ‘Furr’. This change provoked a certain division among the band’s followers, leading to the album being criminally overlooked. Their new label, Sub-Pop, is giving it a new chance with the release of one of the album’s highlights “Black River Killed” on an EP next to six other songs formerly just available at the Trapper’s gigs on CDR Format.
A few more established alt-country singer/songwriters are joining forces in full supergroup fashion to become one of this Autumn’s most talked about performers: M Ward; Conor Oberst –also in the news after announcing he is soon to stop releasing records with Bright Eyes- his collaborator, producer Mike Mogis and My Morning Jacket’s lead singer Jim James got a whole album prepared under the ironically good and very appropriate name Monsters Of Folk.
A free download of the record’s first taster, ‘Say Please’, and details about their imminent American and European tour can be found here.
And last but not least, a four piece from LA formed by three girls and a male drummer, who may not drink directly from the typical fountains of Americana but it shares with most of the abovementioned artists a dreamy and ethereal psychedelic quality. Helped by Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante, Warpaint have digitally released their debut EP “Exquisite Corpse”, with “Billie Holiday” as its main track, earning rave reviews for recalling the early songs of Cat Power and Mazzy Starr.
