what are you listening to lately?

Alright, I was at Costco during lunchtime today and they had The Chieftains "Further Down the Old Plank Road" for $12.99, so I picked it up.

I've listened to the first three tracks and it's a mixed bag. The opening track with Nickel Creek is lackluster and boring. The next track with John Hiatt is okay, but not what I would expect from such a talented pairing. The third track is Allison Moorer. Wow! I've never heard any of her work before, but if this is an indication of what she's all about, I'm hooked. She has a powerful voice reminiscent of Linda Ronstadt in her prime.

My recent purchases (Last week):
Shack ...Here's Tom with the Weather. This is a shack CD through and through. It seems to be much happier, but has the same signature guitar sounds and vocals.

Royksopp - Melody A.M. A nice mixture of background type electronic and electronic pop songs. Very easy on the ears.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Take them on on your own. a good rock CD, and not nearly as derivative as their first. Seems they are getting a sound of their own, a little more upbeat and catchy than the first.

Los Lonely Boys - A trio of brother from San Angelo, Texas. nice heart felt rock, along the same lines as Los Lobos, but not quite as diverse. This CD has Willie Nelson's hands in it FWIW.

Turin Brakes The optimist LP - Along the same lines as their second LP which I had bought first. Quiet british indie bordering on folk.

Jposs,
I just finished listening to Los Lonely Boys. I kind of like it. I think I prefer over Lobos myself.

I didn't say I preferred Los Lobos, I said it seemed that LLB were a little more entrenched in one sound than Los Lobos. I dont think I have listened to this LLB album enough to make a judgement of which I enjoy more. its good to see they are getting a widespread audience though. They were playing a music festical I was at this weekend and unfortunately I missed them, but I did see los lobos, and they were fantastic.

Recent enjoyable purchases (although I've spent much time listening to BB6 music over the Internet)..

Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers. Looks like this is the release that gets them wide exposure. Witty lyrics, incessant hooks, great musicianship - from 80's Cars thrum of Stacy's Mom, Alt-Country, and more. I especially like the sub-rockers, including "Hackensack", "Valley Winter Song," and the graceful, brief closure of Yours and mine (In about an hour/the sunlight's gonna fad/And you and me will divvy up the wine/Like everything else here/Yours and mine/Picking up the paper/Coffee's been made/It's Book Review and Face the Nation time/Two in the same mind/Yours and mine").

Bebel Gilberto - Tanto Tempo. Late to the party with her, but can't beat that languid summer sound of bossa nova and Brazilian beaches. Attracted to her disc as a follow-up from listening to the Getz/Gilberto recording.

Denison Wittmer - Recovered. Remakes of 70's so-cal/easy acoustic rock songs and others. Reinvention of some (especially Carole King's "So Far Away" as a synthesized melancholic dirge), but very faithful to many sounds - w/a voice that brings to mind Jackson Browne more than any. Revisits some more back catalog songs, too - including "Nightime" by Alex Chilton/Big Star (also covered nicely by Epic Soundtracks), "Songbird" from Fleetwood Mac, "Farther On" and "These Days" by Jackson Browne. Instrumentation recalls 70's sound too (steel guitar?)-

Mull Historical Society - Us. One man music machine (a la Todd Rundgren). Very Brit - that is to say, eccentric, and not easily pigeonholed.