The Music Ramble is the weekly sports blog of Erik Ritland. The St. Paul, Minnesota journalist and musician is the founder of Rambling On. Learn more about us on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or our website.
Hello boys and girls, and welcome to our first monthly music ramble. We've been writing about music for years, of course, but now it'll be more regularly every month.
What's more, we'll be focusing on reviewing new music from an eclectic mix of genres, covering many shades of pop, rock, country, folk, blues, indie, and more.
This week it's the deep blues of James Leg, song-driven punk of the Wollen Men, and Fleetwood Mac/Maroon 5 inspired pop of Family of the Year.
The Music Ramble is the weekly sports blog of Erik Ritland. The St. Paul, Minnesota journalist and musician is the founder of Rambling On. Learn more about us on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or our website.
Hello boys and girls, and welcome to our first monthly music ramble. We've been writing about music for years, of course, but now it'll be more regularly every month.
What's more, we'll be focusing on reviewing new music from an eclectic mix of genres, covering many shades of pop, rock, country, folk, blues, indie, and more.
This week it's the deep blues of James Leg, song-driven punk of the Wollen Men, and Fleetwood Mac/Maroon 5 inspired pop of Family of the Year.
*Best New Music*
James Leg
Below the Belt (Alive Naturalsound 9/4/2015)
Essential tracks: "Dirty South," "Casa de Fuego," "Can't Stop Thinking About It," "What More?"
Although rooted in heavy, dirty blues ("Dirty South," "Glass Jaw," "Can't Stop Thinking About It"), James Leg proves that he is different from his deep blues counterparts on Below the Belt. He has a gospel spirit, a religious zeal, even though the album deals with classic secular blues themes. The only exception is an energetic cover of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Up Above My Head." As the blues has proven for over 100 years, the Spirit isn't solely consigned to the religious realm.
Gritty guitars, Leg's gravelly voice (think Howlin' Wolf), and layers of distorted keyboards are at the forefront of Below the Belt. It's cohesive in sound and spirit, even as it includes every imaginable blues form. "Up Above My Head" is pure gospel, "Casa de Fuego" a fun mariachi stomper, "Drink it Away" conjures Louis Armstrong, and "October 3rd" is tough soul with dizzying layers of keyboards.
In 2012 Leg teamed up with labelmates Left Lane Cruiser for rowdy covers album Painkillers. Together on Below the Belt they tear through the Dirtbombs "Can't Stop Thinking About It," which includes the scathing skateboard slide guitar of LLC's Joe Bent. If you haven't heard Painkillers, or Left Lane Cruiser's recent Dirty Spliff Blues, you're missing out.
The last three songs on Below the Belt are softer and more affecting: Leg filters the Cure's "A Forest" through his dirty blues lens, soulful “Disappearing” could have fit on Neil Young’s Are You Passionate?, and darkly poppy album closer “What More” is atmospheric and melodic. Very different from the songs surrounding it, "What More" is easily Leg’s most mature songwriting.
Perfectly balanced and contradictory, Below the Belt contains the multitudes of rock n' roll: sweet and rough, subtle and candid, traditional and modern, Saturday night and Sunday morning.
James Leg
Below the Belt (Alive Naturalsound 9/4/2015)
Essential tracks: "Dirty South," "Casa de Fuego," "Can't Stop Thinking About It," "What More?"
Although rooted in heavy, dirty blues ("Dirty South," "Glass Jaw," "Can't Stop Thinking About It"), James Leg proves that he is different from his deep blues counterparts on Below the Belt. He has a gospel spirit, a religious zeal, even though the album deals with classic secular blues themes. The only exception is an energetic cover of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Up Above My Head." As the blues has proven for over 100 years, the Spirit isn't solely consigned to the religious realm.
Gritty guitars, Leg's gravelly voice (think Howlin' Wolf), and layers of distorted keyboards are at the forefront of Below the Belt. It's cohesive in sound and spirit, even as it includes every imaginable blues form. "Up Above My Head" is pure gospel, "Casa de Fuego" a fun mariachi stomper, "Drink it Away" conjures Louis Armstrong, and "October 3rd" is tough soul with dizzying layers of keyboards.
In 2012 Leg teamed up with labelmates Left Lane Cruiser for rowdy covers album Painkillers. Together on Below the Belt they tear through the Dirtbombs "Can't Stop Thinking About It," which includes the scathing skateboard slide guitar of LLC's Joe Bent. If you haven't heard Painkillers, or Left Lane Cruiser's recent Dirty Spliff Blues, you're missing out.
The last three songs on Below the Belt are softer and more affecting: Leg filters the Cure's "A Forest" through his dirty blues lens, soulful “Disappearing” could have fit on Neil Young’s Are You Passionate?, and darkly poppy album closer “What More” is atmospheric and melodic. Very different from the songs surrounding it, "What More" is easily Leg’s most mature songwriting.
Perfectly balanced and contradictory, Below the Belt contains the multitudes of rock n' roll: sweet and rough, subtle and candid, traditional and modern, Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Wollen Men
Temporary Monument (Woodsist 9/4/2015)
Essential tracks: "Clean Dreams," "After the Flood," "Temporary Monument"
Portland trio The Wollen Men are part garage rock, part old school punk, and part indie. Although indebted to Oregon punk pioneers Dead Moon and the Wipers, their music is a bit more raw and minimalistic.
Most of Temporary Monument is direct and punky. Energetic opening track and lead single "Clean Dreams" sets up the the album with a jangly melody, primitive and visceral clean tone guitars, and simple bass and drums. "Life in Hell," "Alien City," "The Desert," "Dissolving Man," and "The Wheel" are each reckless without quite falling off the tracks.
Although raw and mid-fi, Monument is also memorable and melodic (see especially "University" and "On Cowardice"). The title track, which channels the New Wave side of the Wipers, is surprisingly poppy and straightforward. The band branches out on brooding, emotive, organ heavy "After the Flood," the best song on the album.
Family of the Year
Family of the Year (Nettwerk 9/4/2015)
Essential tracks: "The Dance," "Make You Mine," "Facepaint."
The sunny, 70s-tinged pop of Family of the Year is sometimes reminiscent of Buckingham/Nicks era Fleetwood Mac. Unfortunately, just as often they sound like a slightly less saccharine Maroon 5.
Opening “Make You Mine” sets the tone for the album. The production is warm and the chorus is big and memorable but it comes off as a bit workmanlike. It’s fun, though. “Facepaint” is more of the same, although some spacey synths give it a little more character.
Synths also add to “May I Miss You.” Its arrangement is interesting, with Lindsey Buckingham influenced acoustic fingerpicking giving way to a gutsier Mumford and Sons sort of thing. “Carry Me” is similar, only cheesier and with a catchier chorus. The coda is the best part but it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth getting there or not. I can’t make those sorts of decisions for you.
The rest of the album walks the thin line between well-crafted pop and plastic Maroon 5 cheesiness. “Blue Jean Girl” is a perfect example: the huge wall of sound production is interesting, the darkly melodic chorus is slightly edgy, but the verses are forced and have terrible lyrics (“she was born in the back of a pickup truck/hairspray queen with a ton of bad luck/we grew up then we grew apart/I guess I had to break her heart/we held each other in the dark”).
Although it’s still a bit show-y, lilting pop waltz “The Dance” is the unique high point of the album. Its ethereal feel sets it apart, even if the lyrics (“boys will be boys/girls will be girls/make me a part of your world”) are again a bit forced.
There’s no denying that Family of the Year is a great summer album. It’s filled with hooks, big choruses, and has a fun, breezy sound. It could just use a little more substance.
Family of the Year
Family of the Year (Nettwerk 9/4/2015)
Essential tracks: "The Dance," "Make You Mine," "Facepaint."
The sunny, 70s-tinged pop of Family of the Year is sometimes reminiscent of Buckingham/Nicks era Fleetwood Mac. Unfortunately, just as often they sound like a slightly less saccharine Maroon 5.
Opening “Make You Mine” sets the tone for the album. The production is warm and the chorus is big and memorable but it comes off as a bit workmanlike. It’s fun, though. “Facepaint” is more of the same, although some spacey synths give it a little more character.
Synths also add to “May I Miss You.” Its arrangement is interesting, with Lindsey Buckingham influenced acoustic fingerpicking giving way to a gutsier Mumford and Sons sort of thing. “Carry Me” is similar, only cheesier and with a catchier chorus. The coda is the best part but it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth getting there or not. I can’t make those sorts of decisions for you.
The rest of the album walks the thin line between well-crafted pop and plastic Maroon 5 cheesiness. “Blue Jean Girl” is a perfect example: the huge wall of sound production is interesting, the darkly melodic chorus is slightly edgy, but the verses are forced and have terrible lyrics (“she was born in the back of a pickup truck/hairspray queen with a ton of bad luck/we grew up then we grew apart/I guess I had to break her heart/we held each other in the dark”).
Although it’s still a bit show-y, lilting pop waltz “The Dance” is the unique high point of the album. Its ethereal feel sets it apart, even if the lyrics (“boys will be boys/girls will be girls/make me a part of your world”) are again a bit forced.
There’s no denying that Family of the Year is a great summer album. It’s filled with hooks, big choruses, and has a fun, breezy sound. It could just use a little more substance.
Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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