Issue No. 31, December 2010

Way Down With 'Hadestown'
Anais Mitchell's stellar folk opera tops our list of Favorites of 2010

  It seems every year there’s one album we cannot stop listening to: In 2004, Patty Griffin’s “Impossible Dream” blew our minds; a few years later, a neo-bluegrass band named Crooked Still shook us up with their “Shaken by a Low Sound.”
  This year it’s “Hadestown,” Anais Mitchell’s brilliant folk opera, which is based on the Greek myth Orpheus, but set in a mining town during a post-apocalyptic American depression era.
  The easy answer as to why this is such a great album is that it’s a blast to listen to.
  The songs, full of inspired and detailed description of life in the underground, tell the story of love and greed.
  It is actually an ALBUM, something you have to listen to from start to finish, unlike so many of today’s releases. It’s a concept album that doesn’t feel contrived or forced, exceptionally difficult to pull off.
  But there is so much more to love about it.
  The voices: Anais, who sings Eurydice, has an almost childlike voice, one I suspect people either love or not. And the other characters add incredible depth. The husky, deep sound of Greg Brown is perfect as Hades; Ani DiFranco, as Persephone, adds a ’40s speakeasy madame’s persona; Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) warms up Orpheus; and Ben Knox Miller (The Low Anthem) adds a funky presence as Hermes.
  The music: Under the direction of Michael Chorney, the music moves effortlessly from genre to genre – blues, jazz, sparse folk – in a way that ties the whole undertaking together.
  From the moment we heard it – and saw the whole album performed live with local musicians at Passim in Cambridge – “Hadestown” was destined to be the pick as our favorite album of the year. Congratulations Anais, it is truly a work of art.
  As for our other favorites, turn to Page 5 to see who else rocked our world in 2010.
  We also offer a chance to read about some musicians you probably don’t know, those who are either on small labels or have self-released albums. They might not have the vast resources to get their music out there, but they deserve to be heard.
  Who knows, one of these musicians could be the next to produce an album as breathtaking as “Hadestown.”
To read the issue, click HERE

MA5 - SONGS
Songs that helped us survive this issue:
1. “Furry Sings the Blues,” “Hejira,” Joni Mitchell. Beale Street in Memphis comes to life.
2. “Burgundy Shoes,” “Children Running Through,” Patty Griffin. Just beautiful.
3. “Jealous Guy,” “Imagine,” John Lennon. The guy put his feelings right out there for all to see.
4. “Pour,” “Bittertown,” Lori McKenna. Word of a new album early next year, got me listening – again.
5. “Washington,” “Oh Little Fire,” Sarah Harmer. This song has grown on me, even if the album hasn’t quite.

Our favorites of 2009

YEAH! Our faves of 2009 (from Modern Acoustic, Issue 27)

FAVORITE CD
“I and Love and You,” the Avett Brothers; “Sea of Tears,” Eilen Jewell. The Avetts’ mountain music has just enough punky attitude. Yes, we realize the band’s sound has been scrubbed a little cleaner than in the past, thanks to legendary producer Rick Rubin, but “I and Love and You” still comes off fresh and exciting, and new to those of us who hadn’t been paying attention before. As for “Sea of Tears,” Eilen’s timeless voice gets backing from some of the most-kickass late-’60s and early-’70s guitar-based sounds from a band who appears to have totally found its groove.
(Read our album reviews: Avetts HERE; Eilen HERE)

SURPRISE CD
“Friend of a Friend,” David Rawlings Machine. Since we’ve been waiting six years, anytime there is new music from Gillian Welch and David Rawlings it is a surprise.
(Read album review HERE; check out Dave’s music HERE)

MEMORABLE CONCERT MOMENT
Regina Spektor blowing the shofar as part of her encore.

FAVORITE CONCERT PHOTO
Dragonforce guitar player Herman Li (see above)

FAVORITE CONCERT
Big Surprise Tour. We went to see Gillian and David. We also got to hear the Felice Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show and Justin Townes Earle – all together sharing the stage in one big hoedown. The highlight was a concert-ending full-on version of “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ’n’ Roll).”
(Watch our video HERE; read our CONCERT review HERE).

FAVORITE VENUE
House of Blues Boston. We have mixed feelings about this. We love small clubs for their intimacy and HOB is a corporate rock club that holds a couple thousand people. But we saw six shows there this year – from Regina’s Spektor’s pin-drop quietude to the jam-rock of Grace Potter -- and the sound was perfect every time. Even when there were nearly 15 musicians on the stage for the Big Surprise Tour, we could hear every instrument and vocal nuance. While you do have to stand most of the time, the sightlines are surprisingly very good. One thing: $6 for a can of Bud? That’s why corporate rock really sucks. A special shoutout to the Palladium in Worcester. We had never been there before and it’s a pretty cool place to see a show. (read our GRACE concert review HERE)

BEST TIME AT A SHOW
Regina Spektor at the House of Blues, Dragonforce at the Worcester Palladium. Anytime you can experience music with your kids, it’s a good time.
(read our REGINA concert review HERE).

FAVORITE QUOTE
Q. How would you respond to some critics saying that “Inhuman Rampage” is just playing fast at the expense of taste?
Vadim Pruzhanov, Dragonforce keyboard player: We love to shred and shredding is what we do. There are plenty of bands that play mid-tempo power metal whilst looking at their fretboards and not move at all. If it’s too fast, you’re too fucking old! (FROM SAVIORSOFROCK.COM)

FAVORITE NEW ARTIST
The Low Anthem. This R.I. band caught our attention with their song “Charlie Darwin.” We look forward to their next album. (Check out the Low Anthem HERE).

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Steve Earle. We’ve known about Steve for a long time. But after seeing him at the Berklee Performance Center, we realized he is the real deal, a folk singer with that political drive to keep going.
(READ OUR concert review HERE; Steve's Music HERE)


OTHER MEMORABLE CONCERTS
Jenny Lewis at House of Blues We knew Jenny had a great voice, but we were amazed that in concert she hits all the notes, whether singing a solo gospel number or fronting her full-tilt rock band. (Read our concert review HERE; check out her music HERE)

The Avett Brothers at the House of Blues We’d heard that seeing these guys live is a different experience than hearing their albums. And it is true. The energy level is ratcheted up to the point where you can’t help but dance. (Read our concert review HERE; check out their music HERE)

Kathleen Edwards at Paradise This was our second time seeing Kathleen. She puts on a great show, stomping around the stage and firing off funny stories about life on the road. (Read our concert review HERE; check out her music HERE)

Eilen Jewell doing Loretta Lynn songs at Lizard Lounge We almost didn’t go to the show, but at the last minute changed our minds. And we’re glad we did. (Read our concert review HERE; check out her
music HERE)

OTHER MEMORABLE ALBUMS
Erin McKeown, “Hundreds of Lions” Erin has a spark, a wit, and a way with songs like no other. Take a listen to “(Put the Fun Back in) the Funeral” and “The Rascal” and try not to smile. (Read our album review HERE; check out her music HERE)

Regina Spektor, “Far” We thought we’d never love a Regina album as much as we did “Begin to Hope.’’ But, lo and behold, “Far” hooked us. It has so many great tunes full of her amazing vocal acrobatics. One listen to “Eet” or “Dance Anthem of the ’ 80s’’ and you’ll be hooked too. (Read our album review HERE; check out her music HERE)

Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, “Rattlin’ Bones” Kasey is a nationally known folk-pop singer; Shane, her husband, is apparently known mostly in their native Australia. This album, a mix of folk, blues and bluegrass, really stands out for the way their voices meld into one. The best songs -- “Jackson Hole,” “The Devil’s Inside My Head” – are romping tunes filled out with some furious banjo picking. (Read our album review HERE; check out their music HERE)