Things You Can Buy Today 5 August 2014

This week in Things You Can Buy we look at a now veteran rock act full of new ways to wow us, a singer-songwriter who has the calm vocal agility in storytelling to melt you and we take another look at an album you’re probably not but should be listening to.

So kick back and let us have a  look at what we’re listening to this week and some thoughts from around the webs.

(For more info click the album title)

In the time since Radiohead got themselves increasingly creepy and blur, well, is blur… Austin’s veteran alt-rockers Spoon have stayed steady course and weathered the permachanging music landscapes with almost zero nonsense their counterparts have either suffered or made us, the fans, put up with.

The band behind staples of your record collection Girls Can Tell(’01), Kill The Moonlight (’02) and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (’07) are back after a 4 year stretch with They Want My Soul and ‘they’ are up to their old tricks. As in their non-pretentious progression and, again, partly shedding their former selves to change it up and wow us all over. Maybe it’s was going outside of camp Spoon with part of the albums production (i.e. Dave Fridmann), maybe it was the longest break they’ve taken between efforts, “We’ve been away for four years since Transference because we needed a break, and we needed a break from each other, personally. We toured the record a bit too long, and got sick of it. And then I formed another band … But I think everyone’s really into it right now. These songs feel really good to play live.” Spoon’s Britt Daniels tells The Guardian. Whatever it is, is spectacular with not a groove wasted. Check out highlights Do You, Inside Out, Let Me Be Mine & Knock Knock Knock…

Cole Washburn – ‘Traveler’s Moon’ (Gravity)

Walking a fine line of Americana and the melodically shadowy, hopeful and lovelorn side of contemporary country Cole Washburn’s Traveler’s Moon is an infectiously beautiful and thoughtful set of tracks. Another one of those situations I scratch my head in amazement that this cat isn’t storming the charts but then again…who needs that bs when sounds like this will certainly build Cole a loyal and deep rooted fan base and the rest will certainly follow. These are the songs you want stuck in your noggin.

I don’t know who Washburn was talking to but he said this of Traveler’s Moon on his website, “I’ve been writing these songs for about two years now.  Sometimes I would get just a few lines or a chorus and then file it away for a few months.  Other times, like with Anastasia, I wrote that pretty much all at once.  Each song has a special meaning to me.  The first track “Anastasia” is really a song about addiction, recovery and redemption.  Not only does the guy get his life together he also re-unites with the love of his life.  So as sad as it may start out, it really is a song full of hope.  It’s funny with that one cause I have a friend named Anastasia and she kinda dared me to write a song with her name in it.  So that was the catalyst, but I’m really happy with how it turned out.  I was very honored to have the legendary Phil Madeira play on this as well as the extremely talented Kyle Everson and Anna Register.  The whole process was a complete blast, to be honest.” He chats up all 6 tracks in good fashion and you can check it out HERE.

Thanks for making these songs Cole. – Walter Price (The GTC)

Chris Leigh & The Broken Hearts – ‘Broken Hearted Friends’

Shocking, this isn’t a new album yet here it is…Again.

“Chris Leigh, The man with looks reminiscent of Johnny Cash, a hint of Elvis’ swagger and the voice and song writing in the styles of Lyle Lovett, Hank Williams, Marty Robbins, Elvis & Cash (and even a bit of Mojo Nixon).

“That sounds like a ton of comparisons and it is. That is who Chris seems to be. An artist making music the only way he knows how. Following in the footsteps of these great names and telling honest stories for real people living their real lives all documented in his verses. Many verses that would have made Hank Cochran wish he’d written them.” –  Walter Price (The GTC)

Sure, this is one of the most underrated albums and we invite to check it out.