Words about music (735): Dusty Springfield

I've had very few fights with artists. I've had a few with club managers over, say, an out-of-tune piano. That ignorance, and lack of concern for the patrons of the club and the act would make me angry. I've had a few right old punch-ups. But the run-ins I've had with artists were always with groups, the pack instinct. They didn't like the fact that I'd had a bit more applause, and they would be disparaging. Together they had that courage but if one of them passed me in the corridor he'd look down, embarrassed.

Dusty Springfield

Tigerblind: It's All Gonna Happen To You

Cameron McCrary is among the countless hopefuls, recording lo-fi psych pop songs on a shoestring budget. That is a niche filled with musicians with half-baked ideas, using lack of "proper" recording equipment as an excuse to bore (or annoy) listeners with self-indulgent tunes about their uneventful life. Thankfully, the Dallas based singer-songwriter is not one of them. He is blessed with a knack for nifty melodies plus a sense of humour.

A couple of albums in with his Tigerblind project, he knows which side his bread is buttered. His new collection is called It's All Gonna Happen To You, a grab bag of well-executed pop acoustic guitar driven tracks, seasoned with a muffled, yet effective backbeat. When life throws him a curve ball, he catches it, busts a couple of moves to wow the onlookers, and plugs in to turn it into a song. Imagine Syd Barrett having a nice of cup of tea with Elliot Smith and Nick Frater, discussing New Wave and garage rock.

The Decemberists: "Oh No!" live video

Orchestral indie band The Decemberists have posted a video of them playing Oh No! @ The Hallowed Halls in Portland, OR. Storyelling vaudeville meets rock for a graceful dance. It is a track from their new album, As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, due for release on June 14th.

» decemberists.com

National Security Band: Critical Sound Theory

American post-punk trio National Security Band paint a dark picture on their new album Critical Sound Theory. The unstoppable rise of technology has a numbing effect on humanity and artificial intelligence works havoc on its stand-out characteristic: creativity. People are more concerned about how they look (Agastopia) and don't have the courage to stray away from the beaten tracks (Indignant Sheep). Also: they may be out of work soon (Humans Need Not Apply).

The band follows the blueprint from the Eighties, another decade wherein pessimism reigned supreme in the niche of alternative rock music. Most of of the tracks are served up as slow, monolithic excursions, led by a gnarly guitar floating above the unrelenting backbeat. Andy (guitar and vocals), Greg (drums), and Craig (bass) are not afraid to take a stand and on Critical Sound Theory they mix politics with rock quite successfully. Fingers crossed that listeners will take the trouble to take note of the lyrics.

Matt Saxton: Take It Or Leave It

English singer Matt Saxton is trying to come to terms with the effects of a long relationship coming to an end. Take It Or Leave It does not pout the blame squarely on one of the affected parties, but it still early days for moving on. He looks back on the good times they had, but has an open eye for the first cracks appearing until they could not longer be fixed. As per usual he is brutally honest. He did manage to patch things up in the past - as he aptly described on his It's Only Now That I Know album, but there is no change for a yet another restart this time.