The ever prolific Julianna Hatfield releases another collection of achingly introspective yet strangely triumphant original songs. Abandoning the indie rock bass/drums/guitar format that has been her canvas since her youthful debut in The Blake Babies, she’s also dropped all the pop production tricks to leave her sweet voice (well, plus a nice harmony overdub) and spare guitar accompaniment uncluttered and free. At once surrendering to fate, and demanding its cooperation, she opens her heart with the innocence of a child and the wisdom of an old soul on the opening track, “Peace and Love”. This is some really raw and vulnerable stuff, and it would be a cliché except she’s right, and you can tell she really means it. I’m touched.

Juliana Hatfield
“Peace and Love” (mp3)
from “Peace & Love”
(Ye Olde Records)

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Fool’s gold. If you’ve ever been to the Sierra Nevada, and gazed into a mountain stream, you’ve seen the shimmering stuff, beckoning as it did to prospectors who sought their fortunes there starting around 1848. Pretty, but worthless stuff. Then we wonder, why is gold valuable? Well, because we say it is. We agree it’s valuable and carry on having civilizations based on it being valuable. Pretty absurd if you toy with that notion. So let’s don’t. Don’t be fooled by the title, this beautiful song by The Abramson Singers is pure gold. Haunting twang-y guitars and delicate snare brushes set the stage for some magnificent, soft and sweet female vocal harmonies that could melt Fort Knox. From their, or more like her, eponymous album. Lovely work, check it out.

The Abramson Singers
“Fool’s Gold” (mp3)
from “The Abramson Singers”
(White Whale)

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The new crown prince of soft rock, Bart Davenport got his start in a more hard rockin’ capacity as the front man for East Bay Mod RnB heros the Loved Ones. This track from his 2002 solo debut on the marvelous Antenna Farm Records, is a meandering daydream of sweet romance. Much as I hope to hear the man hit the Jagger/Colin Blunstone style that he did years ago, I gotta love that he’s true to his own vision, and he does this stuff so very well. The dry acoustic drums and nicely recorded real instruments he favors are a stark and welcome contrast to the hyper-digital compressed poo that is the norm these days. And his singing is simply beautiful. From 2002, recently re-released digitally, here’s some “Chimes” of love from a cat who means it.

Bart Davenport
“Chimes” (mp3)
from “Bart Davenport”
(Antenna Farm Records)

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Vic Chesnutt‘s craft is at such a high level, between lyrics and voice and accompaniment, that listening to his songs one can forget oneself and become entirely transported into the musical picture. “Chain” from his latest album, is a soft cinematic masterpiece, each instrument a character, conversing and dancing ethereally with the protagonist/singer, illuminating a scene far more nuanced and colorful that pop music is expected to be. Perhaps this is why Mr. Chesnutt’s reputation amongst pop stars is so well established – to list his famous admirers would be something of a cliché at this point – while his own fame among the general public is still relatively limited. The quality of this work is so self evident all I can suggest is, download it and have a listen. And if you’re wondering if the rest of the album, and indeed the rest of the output from this artist is as original and beautiful as this, this answer is yeah, it is.

Vic Chesnutt
“Chain” (mp3)
from “At the Cut”
(Constellation)

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I swear if Paul Westerberg were born in the Appalachians instead of Minneapolis, he would have started a hillbilly band and recorded this song. Or I could say, if Bill Monroe were a young New Yorker, he might have done. These are compliments to all parties, if there’s any wondering. Curtis Harvey, at the time of this writing, has a whopping 47 myspace friends for his brand new solo outing, in which he emerges from a respectable run as a multi-instrumentalist with Rex, Pullman and others, to take the leading role. Listen to the beautiful guitar and banjo arrangement, and picture perfect lyrics of the single “Oldertoo,” and I’m sure you’ll agree this was an idea whose time had come. A gr8 new music find, folks, from a brilliant under-discovered artist, on the visionary Fat Cat Records label. Enjoy.

Curtis Harvey
“Oldertoo” (mp3)
from “Box Of Stones”
(Fat Cat Records)

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California bluesman Eric Lindell lays it out on this sweet and unpretentious song about love.

Eric Lindell
“If Love Can’t Find a Way” (mp3)
from “Gulf Coast Highway”
(Alligator Records)

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Light In The Attic records is one of those little things that makes the world a better place. How else would I ever have found out about Heikki’s Suburbian Bus Tour Ride. A wonderful, very early 70′s recording. Dylanesque folk rawk baby. I love this.

Rodriguez
“Heikki’s Suburbia Bus Tour” (mp3)
from “Coming From Reality”
(Light In The Attic)

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In the best tradition of modern Americana, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada’s Ox delivers an unhurried, wide as the sky ode to futility. The guitar work here is stellar, shiny and stark, accompanying a delicate lyric that could fall down so easily in one misplaced word, but it never does. Gorgeous harmonies and a full, superb lead vocal, lift this from a simple lament to something far more glorious. I don’t often find myself in the mood these days, for sad country music, but when I do, it has to be this good.

Ox
“Burnout” (mp3)
from “Burnout”
(Weewerk)

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Aaaaah, sweet Beatle-esque dreamy dream pop like lemonade on a fine spring day This is the sort of music that makes me use smileys, and reminds of childhood afternoons on swing sets and barefoot squishy lawns with daisies. Thank you Junipers for putting something kind and soft into the scary world.

The Junipers
“Gordie Can’t Swim” (mp3)
from “Gordie Can’t Swim”
(San Remo Records)

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The only thing I don’t get is why people put “Radio Edit” in the title tag of song in 2009. I mean, what radio? This is radio, you’re on it, this is it. The music blogosphere has replaced radio for music discovery, hello? Because, we music bloggers truly love music, while commercial radio doesn’t care and has no soul and can bite me. K? Glad we got that sorted.

Supertramp goes to Monty Python’s house! Radiohead visits Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood? Jellyfish takes some real acid! Mmm, trippy, fun song from a band simply called Clues. We study, we consider, we try to add it all up and solve the mystery.

Clues
“Perfect Fit” (mp3)
from “Clues”
(Constellation)

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