By Lee Levin

Cedarwell is a Wisconsin folk band sent to Knox Road by Sebastian over at the lovely Common Folk Meadow blog after I commented on his glowing review of their latest, forthcoming March album, A Stone, A Leaf, A Door. The ever-evolving Cedarwell crew, fronted by Erik G. Neave, sent me a promo copy of the record, and it’s refreshingly diverse for an “acoustic” album of sorts. For those of you Western European folk, they’ll be touring overseas as a three-piece next month for the record release.

Neave’s voice has a slight falsetto ting, and the airy harmonies of other members effortlessly play off each other. My favorite tracks are those that showcase the female vocal contributions, as it adds another level to the already intricate, detailed songs. The instruments never dominate over each other – some tracks contain bells, others synth, and still others keys, harmonica, what have you, all complementing the acoustic guitars. The arrangements are carefully plotted, some wistful and yearning with just the delicate touch of Neave’s voice and others filled with the aforementioned instruments and more. They come into play at unexpected times, making me an eager listener.

My suggestion? Listen to A Stone, A Leaf, A Door when you’re hanging by the fireplace, on a train ride to nowhere, or, well, in bed. You’ll be more than content.

Cedarwell on MySpace

[Europe 2010 poster by Hilary and Frances Pharr]

Lee is an author and co-founder of the popular music blog, Knox Road. You can find more of his work at http://www.knoxroad.com/. This post is syndicated and slightly modified from the original content here.

By Lee Levin

We’re in a dark cellar. The only light we see is rays from the tiny window in the corner that show the floating dust. I can barely catch your image through squinted eyes. I take one step closer, you take one step back. Progress? Maybe. My strides are longer than yours. I take another step forward, you don’t move. I see a shiny, colorful face in the blackness, with a slight smirk and a glistening eye. I turn around, and walk upstairs.

There’s something about listening to “sad” music and feeling whole again. As if we’re stripped naked and collapse, then somehow build ourselves back up from scratch. Electric President songs cut through the layers with which we so cautiously shield our most vulnerable emotions. Ben Cooper’s voice is warm and inviting; you can’t help but let it seep in. It’s a tricky invitation – it brings an unexpected intensity along for the ride. Do we smile upon hearing the sound then duck for cover? Does it scare us with its manipulative ways? I’m not entirely sure, but introspection is a requirement upon listening to Electric President. Cooper and Alex Kane, the other half of Electric President, make us feel uncomfortable in our own skin. And, you know what? I kind of like that. But trust me, it’s not for everyone, and you better be willing to take the plunge on The Violent Blue, because it’s their most chilling effort to date.

At the ordinal level, the album goes from soft and slow to loud and fast, then repeats. The Violent Blue can best be described as a crisp album, showcasing Electric President’s bare bones sound most of the time. In an age where fuzz is at a premium, Cooper and Kane bring a refreshingly tidy album to their repertoire. We still get the bits of psychedelia we’ve come to expect out of their fragile electronica, but each instrument and sound is heard on its own. It makes for a more distinguished overall quality.  If these songs don’t affect you to some emotive degree, then I’m not sure what will.

Purchase The Violent Blue

Lee is an author and co-founder of the popular music blog, Knox Road. You can find more of his work at http://www.knoxroad.com/. This post is syndicated and slightly modified from the original content here.

[image courtesy of Amazon.com]

By Jamie Hale

Well that happened. Music’s biggest night nightmare of the year played out just like we all knew it would: unpredictably and hilariously miserable. Seriously, so many LOLs! Remember that time Dave Matthews Band was old and boring? And that other time Justin Bieber was too busy trying to be a “cool black guy” to speak right? HAHAHA ohhhhh you guys! Here are some highlights and lowlights…

• Zac Brown Band wins Best New Artist and the world lets out a collective “Who?”
• Kings Of Leon win Record of the Year. To be fair, I never listened to it because I know them as that mediocre band not really worth listening to. WHO IS IN THE WRONG HERE?
• Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Lady Gaga all win a bunch of awards because they are all pretty talented.
• Neko Case doesn’t win Best Recording Package because the old people need their shiny trophies.
• Lady Gaga performs with Elton John and it’s good!
• Lil’ Wayne, Eminem and Drake perform and it’s pretty silent because of either censors or CBS’s shoddy coverage. You be the judge!
• Two of Michael Jackson’s kids accept a Lifetime Achievement Award on his behalf and it’s really moving and sad and junk. That guy was INSANE but talented too, ya know?
• Phoenix wins Best Alternative Album. Neat!
• Green Day wins Best Rock Album for the atrocious 21st Century Breakdown because the new Good Charlotte album isn’t out until later this year.
• I decided to start playing a lifelong drinking game in which I take three shots every time I hear Black Eyed Peas’ “I Got A Feeling” at any wedding, Bar Mitzvah or charity fundraiser. I’m prepared to lead a very miserable and drunken life.

But we always have next year to look forward to, right? Maybe the Grammys will go the way of the Academy Awards and make 10 nominations for Best Album. That way, we can fit in Lil’ Wayne, Justin Bieber, Aaron Carter, Baha Men and Kriss Kross. I’m sure all their comeback albums will win Grammys Not Awful Awards Of Musical Relevancy.

Along with CM’s usual contributor Lee, Jamie is an author and co-founder of the popular music blog, Knox Road. You can find more of his work at http://www.knoxroad.com/. This post is syndicated and slightly modified from the original content here.

[image via]