MY GRAVEYARD JAW
COMING WINDS INDEPENDENT
My Graveyard Jaw is an eclectic mix of people who make a beautiful mix of music together. Coming Winds has elements of country, gypsy, and folk to name a few. The genres blend together to form a strange and amazing sound that cannot be matched. The album opens with the sweet country song “Lucy Lu.” Directly after that come more rollicking tunes with wailing, sorrowful violin by Denis Bonis and founder Michael James (commonly known as the prolific musician Stix) playing guitar while singing with his great, one-of-akind vocals. “Hold On” begins with a sadly romantic melody. Then after a short pause, they begin playing a hectic tune that makes you want to clap and jig along. The mood shifts to a ballad made for a slow two-step with the song “Waste for the Evening.” My Graveyard Jaw is a very creative and intriguing group and Coming Winds shows their incredible mix and diversity.—Emily Hingle
KOAN
CHRONICLES OF A DYING BREED
INDEPENDENT
This solo debut from hip hop group E.O.E.’s emcee Koan demonstrates the musician/ lyricist’s versatility and growing visibility in the southern hip hop scene. With musical and lyrical inclinations ripening at a young age, this multitalented hip hop artist quickly took to both poetry and several different instruments, including the saxophone and trumpet, in his childhood and teenage years, leaving him well-versed in more than just tight rhymes and fat beats. These influences resonate from the opening track: a wrenching, soulful piano solo introduces the lyrics and backbeat, which are then rounded out by an equally expressive trumpet-saxophone duet. This attention to high-quality production proliferates throughout the album—with the help of local producer Sean “Sean C” Carey—and is carried over into the killer collection of lyrics chosen for Koan’s solo debut. A man who finds great joy in the complex art of wordplay, Koan also takes pride in the street cred rightfully earned battling with his crew, The Daily Bread Unit. As he says himself in “Employed”: “Vocabulary like a juggernaut/And I spit it hotter than hellfire/So any emcee wanna test me, come and get inspired/Malicious when I spit the sentences, vicious is limitless/ mental capabilities overwhelmin’ my nemesis.” Koan lyrically looks beyond themes of self-promotion, money and power—all-toocommon in rap and hip hop—and instead refreshingly addresses relevant, real-world topics, such as run-ins with corrupt and racist law enforcement (“Crooked Officer”) and the harsh reality of street life (“Employed”). One can only hope that Koan is not the last of a “dying breed” of local, intellectual hip hop artists.—Carolyn Heneghan
THE GREEN DEMONS
OUTER SEX
INDEPENDANT
Outer Sex is one of the most exciting rock albums I’ve heard this year. Every song is invigorating and completely different than the next. Song styles range from traditional rockabilly with surfer elements, apparent from the first song “Engineer” about traveling by train to New Orleans, to the inclusion of different instruments like circusy organ in “Surfin’ Rambler.” My personal favorite was “Headhunter,” a dark and sexy piece that has an irresistible drum beat provided by Keith Hajjar. Then the mood switches to the fast, raw punk songs like “RnR” and “Penny’s Blood,” a horror-themed song. Also notable is the Link Wray-esque blues song called “Life is Rich.” The Green Demons’ Outer Sex will make you want to style your beehive or puff up a pompadour and dance all night. Don’t miss the CD release party for Outer Sex at the Big Top on June 10.—Emily Hingle
Dimestore Troubadours
Ordinary Hearts
Independent
Peel back the tattered red and white tent flaps and enter a carnival of shameless debauchery and orchestral chaos courtesy of New Orleans’ own Dimestore Troubadours. From their latest album Ordinary Hearts surfaces a dark circus of misfits armed with an arsenal of seemingly disparate instruments whose colors and timbres not only blend, but enhance each other: banjo, cello, alto sax, slide trombone and theremin, to name a few. A hodgepodge of smoky blues, gypsy rock, experimental jazz and vaudevillian theatrics, this irreverent, irresistible collection of late-night libation anthems and boozey waltzes draws inspiration from them all—and comes from the hearts of musicians far from ordinary. The smoky, guttural voice of Joseph Kees writhes with emotion as he recounts tales of heartbreak and sometimes gruesome imagery, supplemented by the commanding and often exotic melodies of Brian Kees on guitar and banjo and the versatile horn talents of Aaron Thomas. The drums (Creighton Durrant), upright bass (Daniel Kirschner) and accordion direct the rhythm and movement of each track; they maintain a steady, bouncy pace, often with a heavy waltz feel, broken up by some quieter sections, others fierce and pounding, and still others a cacophonic mess, such as in “Drunk Tank.” The album closes out with “Ballad & Broken Teeth,” which features a mesmerizing slide trombone solo in the bridge shadowed by distant-sounding, effected vocals—drawn out, garbled moans that go hand in hand with an overflowing beer stein and a bottle of Jack. While listening to this recklessly fun album, you may have to question from time to time whether the sway you’ve settled into is from the music or its liquid accompaniment.—Carolyn Heneghan
