Hero by Edward Sharpe and the Magnificent Zeroes

Over the last month or so I have been seeing quite a few references to this band. Rolling Stone raves about them which does not always mean I will like them, but at least it means that it might be worth seeing what all the fuss is about.

Today I gave a full listen to both albums thus far released by Edward Sharpe and The Magnificent Zeroes. They should be given an award for a name hard to forget. Certainly Magnificent Zeroes is one you will not forget easily.

This band makes some very interesting music. Often referenced as a throwback band with a lot of sixties vibe I found, on certain songs, to see that. A female singer is featured prominently on many of the tracks and I found that the songs that featured her most prominently were the ones that would have felt at home with the Woodstock Generation. Much of the time though I heard a lot of the same things that can be found in today's folk revival from the likes of The Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons.

On their second album Here, Man on Fire is the first song and is a hit in the making. Well, perhaps not a hit, but a popular song on Alt Radio which is the bands home. On One Love to Another we hear the significant influences of Bob Marley and reggae music. Certainly One Love in the title and the accompanying sound makes it clear that the band knows full well who they are being influenced by in this song. Another standout track is a song called Child that is simply one of the best new songs I have heard this year. Sounding like a cross between a southern twang and early acoustic White Stripes this song is one that will get in your head. Also strong is I Don't Wanna Pray which sounds like it belonged on the soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou, a hand-clapping beat and one that again will be an earwig in your head. My foot is tapping as I listen to it again as I write this.

When Spotify then played me their first album which was self titled, the first thing I noticed is that the featured song on that album is one that I, that we all most likely , have heard already. Home is a nice, rhythmic song, that is pretty much irresistible, and has been featured on a commercial that we all have heard on NFL Commercials. Another strong song on the album called Janglin' has been used on Ford Fiesta commercials. It used to be that selling out by putting your song in commercials was frowned on, now it has become one of the easiest paths to success. Also strong is the song Jade, which one can again here the White Stripes influence but in this song the most relevant influence I hear is Ray Davies and the Kinks.

Certainly a band that one can hear this many influences from is a band that can be varied and broad in their musical choices. I think this music was interesting, but more than interesting they are actually not just musically, but also lyrically strong. The music is often music that gets your feet tapping and certainly is far and above much that one can hear these days.

Edward Sharpe gets and A plus from me, nothing close to a zero. Strong music, gives one hope that good music is still being made. Of course the influences for the most part going back a generation or two it seems even The Zeroes know that you have to look backward to make good music.

Chimes of Freedom : The Songs of Bob Dylan

Last Tuesday Amnesty International released a benefit album which contained 75 covers of Bob Dylan songs. This should be a good fundraiser for Amnesty and certainly should provide significant amounts of press play and publicity which is something Amnesty certainly needs.

In our house we were very much looking forward to this collection. I have a very strong predisposition for cover songs. I have a friend who does not like live versions as he likes to hear the song as he first heard it on the radio and thus covers completely shake his world. For me I think a new interpretation of a song you love is always nothing less than interesting and sometimes can be amazing.

Bob Dylan is an amazing songwriter. Often critics in the past have conceded this point and said but if he just had someone else sing the songs but this album at least for me proves what we might not have believed. We want Dylan to sing these songs. They are what they are not just because of the lyrics but because Bob is singing them.

In a collection of seventy five songs there are going to be some hits and most likely even more misses. In this collection I would not classify that many songs as misses as just being in the words of Simon Cowell " forgettable." The fact is that at least for me it is hard to make a Dylan song better without Dylan in it.

There are some songs that work very well however. First on my list is the song that starts the collection. A version of One Too Many Mornings with the vocal from Johnny Cash and Dylan, and added vocals from The Avett Brothers. This has been my song of the week. This is the song I play each day and am singing when I am not. My kids are tired of it though my youngest daughter plays along and agrees that it is neat how they put the Avett's in with Cash's voice.

Pete Townsend does justice to Corinna, Corinna and Diana Krall offers a lovely take on Simple Twist of Fate. Ziggy Marley gives a reggae twist to Blowin' in the Wind that works, while New Jersey's Gaslight Anthem rocks Changing of the Guard. My Morning Jacket offers up Your a Big Girl Now and Jim James voice works as well.

Miley Cyrus offers up a surprising success on her version of Your Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go. It is quite good. Jack's Mannequin does well on Mr Tambourine Man. The best song on the second disc is Jackson Browne with Love Minus Zero/No Limit. Browne's version works on all levels.

The third disc does not offer much but it does hold the highlight of the album. Not just the highlight but the shockingly effective highlight. The highlight that in now way could have been predicted. Keisha the pop slut princess of the moment known for songs like Tick Tock sings a version of Don't Think Twice It's Alright that is at least for a music fan earth shattering. Recorded on Garage Band at her home, and kept as the recording because it ended up being so powerful, this girls sings from so far down her heart that she is hollow. She ends up crying and as she pauses by verse you can hear her sniffing her tears and runny nose away. This might be contrived but it does not feel like it. It is amazing.

On Side Four there are more winning entries. Mick Hucknall actually sounds a bit like Dylan on his version of One of Us Must Know, Micheal Franti puts a pop reggae spin on Subterrean Homesick Blues, and a band I have never heard of called We Are Augustus takes on Mama, You've Been on My Mind and does very well.

Lastly of note Kris Kristofferson's version of Quinn the Eskimo, his sigh on the intro is more meaningful than have the singers songs on the album and Pete Seeger who is I believe over 90 sings Forever Young and with his age and his history it is a success.

What doesn't work? It is not so much that a song does not work as it just does not add much. Sting's version of Girl From the North Country and Lenny Kravitz doing a take on Rainy Day Women, neither work for me. They both sound like almost every song they have done and just sound like bad takes on the originals. Sugarland, Flogging Molly and Sinead O' Connor do not do well on their takes as well. Flogging Molly sounds like all other Flogging Molly but Blowin in the Wind does not sound very strong through and Irish lilt.

Dave Matthews and Adele have their well known live versions of All Along the Watchtower and To Make You Feel My Love. These work but I did not rate them as they are not new material.

All in all I love Spotify, it gives one the chance to hear them all without a twenty dollar investment. I know, I know it was for a good cause to spend the money. But I did listen all week, Spotify must pay royalties. Listen to Keisha the next time your feeling blue. Just stay away from window ledges when you do.

The Avett Brothers/ Live Volume 3

I had heard references to this band and new it was on the edge of popularity and a band with a huge cult following. It is always enjoyable to find a band not many other people know about. Last weekend on the Paladia Network the DVD of this concert was featured. So I had an opportunity to see them for myself. The concert was nothing short of spectacular.

So this Tuesday when the album of the same DVD was released it was an easy to decision to purchase. So many styles and influences are apparent in this band. I hear Simon and Garfunkel in the harmonies, early Counting Crows in the bounce and energy, and bluegrass and rockabilly influences as well.

Realizing that this band has made numerous albums as they widen their network of followers this live album is only I assume a short portion of the songs their long time fans know but with what I have heard this week they are a treasure.

Full scale commercial appeal is probably not in the cards for this group but that is not sad distinction. Top 40 has always been a wasteland and today it is worse than ever.

A few songs of particular importance are the frenetic Talk on Indolence and I Killed Sally's Lover, two songs which live you get to see a bouncing cello player which tells you all you need to know about the energy.

When I Drink, Shame and Kick Dream Heart are slightly less frenetic but bring different levels of bounce and enjoyment.

Clearly the masterpieces to me on this album are the most popular single song they have had I and You and Me ( a unique take on the I Love You constant in music), Murder in the City and the masterful Ballad of Love and Hate.

There are no bad songs and the concert end with Salvation Song is a sing along.

I went to see Tom Petty this summer and seeing the devotion of the fans of the opening act My Morning Jacket one sees the concert goers at this show as well. There is no one so devoted to a band as one who thinks they have something not many others know about.

With music like this these folks might not have that pleasure too much longer.