Really Good Music You've Probably Never Heard of
That Isn't Necessarily a New Discovery on My Part
Everything that's on the excellent page is also on this list, but to save
space, I didn't include it a second time.
This is the page for music that I already have in my collection that I'd recommend to others.
If you haven't already read the Excellent list,
go read them, then come back. They're in a very specific order. The order that they came to me
as I was typing.
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones: Pretty much anything.
No, pretty much anything isn't the name of a cd. I meant that just about anything put out by the Flecktones
is worth listening to. My most recent purchase was Little Worlds, shown here. It's a 3 disc set that
retails around $25-30. If you look around, you can find lower prices. Basically it's them playing
with just about everybody who's famous. Including, but not limited to, Nickel Creek, The Chieftains,
Bobby McFerrin, Branford Marsalis, Pamelia Kurstin and Joe Wooten playing theremins, Bernie Williams (plays
center field for the Yankees) on guitar, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Jake Shimabukuro playing ukelele, Derek
Trucks (guitarist for the Allman Brothers) and a whole mess of other people.
If you don't know who the Flecktones are, they're Béla Fleck on Banjo, Victor Wooten on bass, Jeff Coffin on
sax and "Futureman" on "drums" (more specifically a drum machine he built that's kind of shaped like a
guitar and he plays it with his fingers as he walks around the stage. Sounds weird, and it is, but it's
amazing). Their sound is unlike anything you've ever heard before. It's definitely jazz, but what kind
is a mystery. There are elements of rock, bluegrass, bebop, and I don't even know what else. The end
result is a smooth, good tasting blend of extremely complex and intricate music that pushes the limits
and challenges, all the while staying listenable. Parts may sound like Coltrane, but they don't make you
want to curl up, hold your ears and cry.
Another defining characteristic of the Flecktones is that everybody in the band (and most of the people
who sit in as guests) plays their instrument in a new way. Béla plays jazz banjo. Victor is a contributing
and soloing bass player. Jeff is a monster, and Futureman plays a drum machine. But the key factor is that
each one is the best, or one of the best (it's arguable) on their instrument in the world. These people
are not just virtuosos, they're legends. Béla plays bach two part inventions during his solos. Victor
plays melodies and accompanies himself at the same time. Mere words can't do them justice. Do yourself
a favor. Go somewhere and listen to samples.
iTunes, or even better, the Flecktones website.
I would reccomend Ten From Little Worlds as a good starter cd. Outbound is also great, but it's
a little deeper than Ten is. And then there's Live Art, which is live (obviously), with a lot of guests,
and also awesome.
John Gorka: Jack's Crows
John Gorka is a singer songwriter with a deep rich voice. I originally got this cd from my dad's cd
collection, who heard him on XPN. His songs are
meaningful, sad, happy, sarcastic, reflective and generally poetry. He sings about things from his
life: growing up in a rough neighborhood, his father, his children, wishing you could change the
past, death, and all kinds of other fun stuff. But it's not depressing. Some songs are a kick in
the face, but they're artfully done, and it softens the blow.
$15 from
John Gorka's Website (which lets you play
samples), or $14.99 from Amazon.com.
Dar Williams:Mortal City
Williams is another one of those artists whose songs are actually about something. (I consider that
one of my highest compliments for an artist.) Her voice is unique, yet somehow familiar. Her songs
are mostly happy sounding, but still about serious subjects. I listened to this album when I was
kayaking around a big lake down in Maryland. It's also one of the discs that I listen to when I'm
depressed. It's mellow enough to go down smooth, but still happy enough to keep you from sliding
into a coma of misery.
$9.99 on iTunes
$14.99 on Amazon
David Wilcox: Live Songs and Stories
My first exposure to David Wilcox was from a mix of some of his best songs that a friend gave me.
Later I joined the Columbia House music club to get the 12 free cd's, and I got
Live Songs and
Stories and
Into the Mystery. They're both good, but I like Live better. David is a storyteller,
who happens to be a great guitarist with an equally rich voice. That's what his songs do. They tell
stories. Serious ones, funny ones, sometimes both. Some of them have subtle faith refrences at the
core, others have social statements buried under layers of satire. But they're all enjoyable
and worth listening to. Best single songs (I think) are Johnny's Camaro, Jamie's Secret, and
Blow 'em Away.
$18.89 on
Amazon $11.99 on
iTunes
Norah Jones: Come Away With Me
Norah's voice is the aural equivalent of french silk pie. Smooth, rich and sweet. This is a cd to listen
to with the lights down low, a cup of coffee and a book. I can say that b/c I've done it before.
Her melodies are catchy, and the musicianship levels are high. The guitar solo on 'Nightingale' is
one of the best I've ever heard. You can listen to it 5 times in a row, and it doesn't get old.
(Something else I can say b/c I've done before) Basically, the only reason this cd didn't earn an
excellent rating is track #8, Lonestar. It seems out of place b/c the others are so good, and that
one is so bad. I skip it every time I listen to it. But the rest of the album is so strong that it
makes up for it. And that's saying something.
$13.49 on Amazon.
$12.99 on iTunes
Mindy Smith: One Moment More
Somewhere in that blurry realm between bluegrass and country lies Mindy Smith. I first heard
her when she opened for Nickel Creek. I liked her voice, and I liked her style, and she sang a
cover of Dolly Parton's Jolene that was leaps and bounds better than the original. I had a friend
(at that time) named Jolene, and I thought that was pretty cool. So when I joined Columbia House,
I saw that they had this cd, and I picked it up.
Her voice is unique. Somewhere between rough and edgy and smooth. Not Norah Jones smooth, but more
Cheryl Wheeler smooth. (If you listen to all 3, you'll know what I mean.) In all of her songs
she comes across as in control. She knows what she's doing, and she's comfortable enough to sound
like herself.
$13.99 on Amazon
$9.99 on iTunes
Nickel Creek: Nickel Creek
They call themselves a postmodern bluegrass group. They consist of three virtuoso musicians on
fiddle, mandolin and guitar and the combination is
absolutely phenomenal. They're sort of like the Flecktones, in that they push the limits of
their instruments and redefine the genre they happen to fall in. But they stay much closer to
their bluegrassy roots than the Flecktones do. At least in this album they do. Their next two discs
get increasingly out in the left field of weirdness. If you like bluegrass, jazz, country (gag),
acoustic music, or really any kind of good music, you need to listen to this cd.
$13.49 on Amazon
$9.99 on iTunes
I'm not sure where to put these next few albums, because I'm not positive how
well known they really are. I know I'd never heard of them before I listened to the album,
so I consider them not all that well known. If you disagree with their placement, let me know.
Guster: Lost and Gone Forever
Guster is acoustic alternative rock. They play all of their own instruments on the album, which
is commendable. They also only use hand drums (no drum sticks), which adds a different color that
you don't usually find in a 'rock' group. It's fairly musically interesting, but mostly it's
just fun to listen to. It's good driving music, b/c you can
sing along to it really loud, rock out in your seat and it's fairly fast moving so you end up
getting there quicker.
$13.98 from Amazon
$9.99 from iTunes
Ben Folds Five: Whatever and Ever Amen
Piano driven pop rock. Kind of. Bass with a lot of fuzz so it kind of sounds like a guitar,
drums and occasional strings, clarinet, bass clarinet, trumpet and whatever else. This is another
one of those fun (mostly) albums. The songs are funny, (with the occasional really sad one) stupid
or mundane. But they're all catchy. Steven's Last Night in Town is unlike anything you've ever
heard before, Kate should be in 7 but it isn't, Fair gets stuck in your head for the rest of the day,
Brick is the saddest thing you've ever heard, and Song for the Dumped is the hilarious. But I should
warn you...if you have a serious aversion to profanity, don't buy this album.
Also, these are links to the 'remastered edition' of the album. They have a few extra tracks
tacked on the end, and most of them suck. But it's cheaper than the original version, and
ships sooner. Less money for more songs? Go figure.
$9.99 from Amazon
$9.99 from iTunes
Cake: Comfort Eagle
Rock, with a trumpet, and a lead singer who more chants than sings. That's Cake. People say that
their Fashion Nugget cd is their best, but the only really good song on that album is their cover
of I Will Survive, which is amazing. I have all three of their cd's, and I find myself listening
to this one the most, so I'm reviewing it. They don't really sound like anything else that's out
there, so I don't know how to describe it. Clean would be a good word. Clean playing, that is. They
drop the F bomb in the middle of I Will Survive. (but not on this cd) Everything's tight and clips
along. No big long distorted guitar chords here. Lots of syncopation and just enough hits to emphasize
the feel. It's kind of minimalist rock, but not in the way you would imagine. Listen to samples.
$9.99 on Amazon
$10.98 on iTunes
