Jeff McCord on the month’s new releases
Mike Rosenthal
Home
Freedom
In 1997 newspaper reporter Mike Rosenthal left rural Maine for Austin carrying dreams of rock and roll stardom. Despite two albums, and some notoriety for his running skills (he has regularly placed high in the Austin Marathon), it hasn’t exactly worked out that way: His releases, though stylistic opposites—one alt-country, the other amped-up power pop—never quite hit their mark. Still, don’t count Rosenthal out yet. On the surface, there’s nothing that extraordinary about Home (Freedom); it’s largely made up of songs built on basic strummed acoustic guitar chords. But just try to get it out of your head. Timeless in the fashion of many well-worn pop classics, Home is almost freakishly engaging. Rosenthal’s tales aren’t cloaked in mystery or metaphor; honest, direct, and plainly told, they’re gems that spring forth one after another (“Funny,” “Go Home,” “What I Should Do,” “Next Train”). In an age of self- consciously hip introspection, Home beats a retreat to life’s basic treasures and conundrums, and the music rings true. Only toward the end of the ten-song set does it begin to lose any steam. By that point, you just want to start it over.
Joe LoCascio
In the City of Lost Things
Heart Music
Even by the most conservative estimates, there are thousands of piano trio CDs in release. And while each tries to distinguish itself, many fail to do so. Play it quiet, and you might stray into New Age or smooth jazz territory. Play it loose and edgy, and you’re assigned to the avant-garde ghetto. Make it all about your chops, and you’re a fusion nerd. Joe LoCascio, who moved from New York to Houston in 1977, has released a string of albums that largely escape these traps with smart, economical jazz that skirts a narrow path between the modern and the traditional. On In the City of Lost Things (Heart Music), his compositions (all originals) are versatile, with melody lines that sparkle and flow, building with Bolero-like intensity. He doesn’t fly like Teddy Wilson or burn like Jason Moran. The closest analogy might be found in the sixties works of the late Vince Guaraldi: LoCascio’s not out there recording “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” but he does share an affinity for fashioning the harmonically complex into the simply beautiful. LoCascio has dazzled since his 1986 debut; what’s impressive is the way his talent continues to grow.
Ryan Bingham
Mescalito
Lost Highway
Few have heard of, much less heard, Wishbone Saloon, the 2003 debut from West Texan Ryan Bingham. But those who have, including Terry Allen and Joe Ely, have fostered enough praise to help land Bingham on a major label. Mescalito (Lost Highway) arrives with a bushel of expectations, and it doesn’t disappoint. With a voice worn weary far beyond his 26 years, Bingham sings what he knows: Both a boyhood marked by one eviction after another and a career as a bull rider on the Southwest rodeo circuit seem to inform his every word. Aided by some of the best seventies blues-rock guitar this side of Exile on Main St. (including help from ex–Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford, who also produces), Bingham lays the tryin’-to-make-a-livin’ lines on thick. Yet despite a few missteps, he spills it all with such raw conviction and refreshing “this is how things are” attitude (as opposed to “why me?”) that it’s easy to buy in. “There’s a poor boy livin’ on every block,” he sings on “Hard Times.” Just one problem: What’s he going to sing about if all this catches on?
Carrie Rodriguez
In 2005, after three studio albums with songwriting legend Chip Taylor, the Austin-born singer and fiddler wowed audiences with him for two nights in Germany. Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez Live From the RuhrTriennale (Train Wreck) captures the duo’s much-storied chemistry.
So how exactly did the live album come about?
Chip and I were touring with our Red Dog Tracks album, and we got asked to be part of this festival in Germany. We knew it was being recorded, but we didn’t imagine it would turn into a record. We had so many special moments in the show, though, I remember feeling thankful even then to have them captured.
What was the Ruhr like?
It used to be an industrial area in Germany, but it’s been cleaned up; the place we played was a factory that’s been transformed into this cool art space. It gave a very creative vibe to the concert.
How comfortable are you with your growing role as a singer-songwriter?
I feel comfortable singing now, but the songwriting thing is still new. I’ve been lucky to watch Chip with his writing; he’s let me in on how he does it. But I’m still green. I’m constantly thinking, “Hmm, what would Chip do here?” David A. Herron
Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez Live From the RuhrTriennale: Carrie Rodriguez, published by Train Wreck.
