I’ve got not much to say, but wanted to move my fab spider photo down the page a bit. Aha! How about this. For Mother’s Day, I commissioned a portrait of Boy Z for Dr. O’C. I’m a patron of the arts. Like a renaissance merchant, I am. I left it a bit late, as is genetically dictated by my Y chromosome, but the painting is all but done.

Here’s the original…

…and the portrait.

Jennifer Chevais, who blogs at No Place Like It, was my choice of artist. I love her whimsical illustrations and when she wrote a post about doing commissioned portraits, I knew I had my Mother’s Day present sorted. Dr. O’C’s asked for just a couple of minor touch ups, but we’re both thrilled with the portrait. Can’t wait to get it hung.

So if you’re in the market for a portrait, check out Jennifer’s Etsy site. She does wonderful work at a reasonable price.

In the link love vein, if you come around often you may have noticed that I have rotating header images. I’ve added a new one to the field – a capture from blogging buddy Not Afraid To Use It. She risked life, limb and a smashed up car for this one…

…and I think it makes a great addition.

Happy now, arachnophobes? Don’t scroll down too far…

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I’m hooked on Brooklyn alt-country act the Basement Band’s latest LP. It’s solid, splendidly written Americana in the vein of The Jayhawks and early Son Volt. The Brooklyn quintet is the latest I’ve heard in what seems to be an explosion of talented young country acts that are making the rounds these days – they fit in nicely with The Avett Brothers, A.A. Bondy, The Felice Brothers and others. There’s not a weak track on “Until the Evening Came” and the male-female dual vocals on a number of songs are to die for. Check out The Basement Band’s “Until the Evening Came” on .

Most of the stuff that comes through my inbox, I listen to once and toss away. But every now and again I get what I’m after – new music that enchants me and keeps me coming back for  more. Such was the case with Omaha, Nebraska’s Thunder Power. The sextet’s debut EP, “Love Yourself…” (Slumber Party Records), which came out back in November, is sparsely produced, folk-tinged, sparkling and twanging pop. They summon up memories of early R.E.M. and Belle and Sebastian and above all are utterly charming. “Love Yourself…” is absolutely worth the $5 (US) that wants for it. Highly recommended.

MP3: Thunder Power – “Your Pantry”

There’s nothing new about New Jersey’s Bouncing Souls, in fact they’re celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2009. But they’re new to me. “Serenity” starts off with a Cure-esque riff before rolling into some lucious power pop. The Bouncing Souls are releasing a new track every month of 2009, available from Chunksaah Records or you can check out their extensive back catalog on .

MP3: Bouncing Souls – “Serenity”

Just as another indication of how far behind I am with my music, I’d like to talk a bit about A.A. Bondy. He caught my ear way back in March or April of 2008 and I’ve been meaning to write about his Dylan-esque brand of folk since. He got a ton of attention, deservedly so, at SxSW in ‘08 and his debut “American Hearts” is a stunningly crafted record. Bondy, who fronted Verbena in the 90’s, is in a songwriting groove in this, his solo debut. Buy “American Hearts” from .

MP3: A.A. Bondy – “There’s A Reason”

I’m going to break my own loosely observed no major labels rule because Portland’s The Decemberists are one of my favorite acts on the scene. They make smart, historically inspired and elaborately instrumented indie pop. They also put on a hell of a live show if they ever make it down to your neck of the woods. They’ve got a new LP due March 24 and have leaked a track from that record that is just enough to whet my appetite. Look for “The Hazards of Love” next month and while you wait, check out their back-catalog on .

MP3: The Decemberists – “The Rake’s Song”

Country music, when done well, is just a wonderful thing. The problem with the genre is that it is rarely done well. This is the reason that so many folks hate country. I’m incredibly thankful for bands like Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s Slimfit. I don’t know where five Yankee boys get off, but they’re making the the best rock-tinged country that I’ve heard since Slobberbone or the Drive-by Truckers in their Gangstabilly days. Their latest “Make It Worse” is out and available from . I’ve been trying to sit down and write up some interview questions for these boys for a couple of weeks, so check back soon to learn more about Slimfit.

MP3: Slimfit – “Which Way You Gonna Go?”

Seems like every time I write one of these posts there is at least one band from Brooklyn featured. Brooklyn seems to be the Seattle of the 2000’s – there’s an absolute explosion of creativity Team Genius is the latest to tickle my fancy. They’re a loosely arranged group of musicians that have managed to put together a wildly eclectic, but thoroughly entertaining record with their self-titled effort. I hear a lot of Stephen Merritt in their music, a little bit of Luna as well as some of their Gotham contemporaries – Forest Fire and Oxford Collapse to name a couple. Check out their debut on .

MP3: Team Genius – “While We’re Asleep”

Let’s close things out this week with the lovely Neko Case. The ginger chanteuse’s last record, “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood” was easily one of the best records of the decade so far. She’s got a new one due in March and if the track that she leaked is any indication, she may have exceeded the last one. She certainly gets points from A Free Man for the album cover. Pre-order “Middle Cyclone” from Amazon.

MP3: Neko Case – “People Gotta Lot of Nerve”

I’ll be back with some new music in a week.

Or so.

They are shamelessly derivative but in an era in which nothing is truly original, Finn’s band turns creativity on it’s ear by trying (and often succeeding) to do Springsteen better than The Boss ever did. It’s old school American rock and roll and Finn is a lyrical genius, painting a sonic picture of inner city America in the 21st century. His songs are populated with skaters, druggies, hood rats and he tells their stories with an uncommonly sharp poetic voice.  “Stay Positive” is a summer record, a driving record, an onslaught of speeding guitars and frantic lyrics. And that, my friends, is a great thing.

I had incredibly high expectations for this album. I fell in love with The Hold Steady a couple of years ago with the opening lines of “Boys and Girls in America”:

There are nights when I think Sal Paradise was right.
Boys and Girls in America have such a sad time together.
Sucking off each other at the demonstrations
Making sure their makeup’s straight
Crushing one another with colossal expectations.
Dependent, undisciplined, and sleeping late.

And I was a little bit disappointed by this record. Maybe Finn’s narrative is wearing a little thin or maybe the Springsteen influenced sound has lost a little of its lustre for me, but this album wasn’t what I had hoped. The Hold Steady may have hit their peak with the last record or this may be a temporary glitch. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great album – tenth best of the year in fact – but if you’re not already a fan then don’t start with this one. Pick up “Separation Sunday” or “Boys and Girls in America” and hear a great rock band in their prime.

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Now for the important bit – the first contest of the month. I have copies of two of my Honorable Mention albums that I’m going to give away to a lucky and irreverently creative reader. I asked Dr. O’C for an idea for this one, so it’s her fault. I would like you guys to come up with your best anti-Christmas limerick and leave it as a comment on this post. Let’s set the deadline for a week from today – December 14. Bonus points for . Dr. O’C will pick the lucky winner next Monday who will receive The Pharmacy’s “Choose Yr Own Adventure” and Super XX Man’s “Volume XII: There’ll Be Diamonds” and potentially a bit of Oz schwag – maybe a kangaroo scrotum change purse or something. The racier and more irreverent the better. Good luck!

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The Hold Steady’s “Stay Positive” is available from .

Image credits:

Craig Finn

Bit of a twist this year. Because of my loosely enforced boycott of the major labels, this year’s top ten list will be the Top 10 Albums from Unsigned Artists or Artists Associated with Independent Record Labels.* Catchy title, eh? I don’t want to give any press to the Big 4, so I’m going to focus on the little guys. Guys that may not get the attention of an R.E.M. or a Kings of Leon but may be making better music. Now, I don’t own every album that was released in 2008, so this list is really just personal favorites. I’ll feature one of my Top 10 every couple of days until the end of the month.

Christmas blows but I’m not completely opposed to the Season of Giving concept. I’m working on a repeat of last year’s musical giveaways and am hoping to scale it up a bit this year. So, stay tuned for some reader rewards that will hopefully give me a chance to say thanks to those of you that enjoy the music that you find here at A Free Man.

So, we’ll start off today with the Honorable Mention albums:

The Pharmacy – “Choose Yr Own Adventure”: I fell in love with this cheeky Seattle trio earlier this year. I’m a sucker for the harpsichord as well as Kinky psych-pop and The Pharmacy has both. Their debut LP is a Buy it directly from Don’t Stop Believin’ Records or download from .

MP3: The Pharmacy – “Black Ice Cream”

Motel Motel – “New Denver”: I get a load of music through my inbox, the bulk of which goes pretty rapidly into my trash. If something doesn’t make me sit up and take notice on the first listen then it rarely gets another shot. So, the unsigned bands that I feature on this site are the ones that make it to the second listen. Every now and again, one gets a third or fourth or fifth. One of those is Brooklyn’s Motel Motel. The album is kind of all over the place, but when these guys are good they’re damn good. Check out their debut LP, “New Denver” available from .

MP3: Motel Motel – “Coffee”

Cat Power – “Jukebox”: I love Chan Marshall. She is my rock and roll fantasy girlfriend. But her record company, Matador, has been heavy handed with bloggers. This is really a shame, because they’ve got some great acts in their stable. Matador, I’d like to be friends, really I would. But until you make an effort to be friendly to bloggers, I’m afraid I have to treat you as a Major label. At any rate, Cat Power put out one of the best records of 2006 with “The Greatest”, but this follow up pales a bit. It’s kind of a step backwards for Chan. Still pretty good, though and certainly worthy of mention. As Matador will send the sheriff after me if I link to a song from “Jukebox” here’s an excellent live version of”New York, New York”.

MP3: Cat Power – “New York, New York” (Live)

We Grow Up – “Night Kitchen”: There seems to be a real movement in music right now toward simple, almost primitive, melodic pop. I’ve got to tell you, this makes me happy. I ran across an unsigned Aussie band from right here in Adelaide a while back and was immediately enchanted. Their sophomore LP, “Night Kitchen” is just a joy to listen to and they’re surprisingly mature songwriters for a young band. They’ve signed with Half A Cow and “Night Kitchen” is available from the label.

MP3: We Grow Up – “Celia” 

The Mountain Goats – “Heretic Pride”: John Darnielle, the brain behind The Mountain Goats, has a discography stretching back to the early 1990’s but he just really got on my radar this year with the lyrically stunning “Heretic Pride”. Two of my favorite music bloggers are huge fans and convinced me to have a proper listen. Man, am I glad that I did. I’ve always been a lyrics man and Darnielle is a poet. Have a listen to “Autoclave” and if you like what you hear, you won’t be disappointed by the LP. Buy it from 4AD.

MP3: The Mountain Goats – “Autoclave” 

Bon Iver – “For Emma, Forever Ago”: Another folky, lyrical guy is Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. He’s making spare, slightly spooky and gently ethereal music that is perfect for lullabies, among other things. I have a bit of experience. But beyond its usefulness to parents, Bon Iver makes beautiful and subtle music and “For Emma, Forever Ago” (Jagjaguwar) is a treat. Buy the record direcly from the label. By the way, remember that name (Jagjaguwar) you’ll be seeing these guys again, they’ve got some fantastic artists in their stable.

MP3: Bon Iver – “For Emma”

Super XX Man – “Volume XII: There’ll Be Diamonds”: Must be something about the rain in Portland, because that city is home to some wonderfully wistful, lo-fi artists here at the end of the 00’s. The latest to make me long for the Pacific Northwest is Super XX Man. The musical vehicle for Scott Gerrard is prolific, with their latest “Volume XII: There’ll Be Diamonds” (Tender Loving Empire) marking their twelfth (or so) long player. It’s addictively and simply charming and is available from the band.

MP3: Super XX Man – “There’ll Be Diamonds”

The Bell – “Make Some Quiet”: One of the unexpected, and pleasant, surprises of spending so much time in Sweden over the last few years was the discovery that Sweden right now is to melodious, beautifully crafted pop music what Florence in the 1400’s was to religious painting. There’s just an amazing number of incredibly talented pop bands coming out of the frozen north. One of my favorites is Stockholm’s The Bell, an heavily 80’s inspired trio. Their debut LP, “Make Some Quiet”, made some noise earlier this year and if you’ve got a taste for some of the darker music from the totally awesome decade it may just be for you. Check out my interview with Matthias Strömberg and if you like what you hear, buy their record from .

MP3: The Bell – “Do You Know How To Feel”

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* Independent means really independent. No boutique labels, no distribution deals (see Sub Pop).

MP3: Dead Confederate – “The Rat”

I’ve got to give a nod to Bop at Catfish and Cornbread for turning me on to the second Athenian act of the week, The Whigs. It took me the longest time to realize that when referring to this band people weren’t talking about some pared down, reformed Afghan Whigs. But, this trio definitely takes some inspiration from the early 90’s so it’s not that far a stretch. Check out their second LP, “Mission Control” on .

MP3: The Whigs – “Hot Bed”

Moving west from Athens finds Omaha’s Tilly & The Wall. Apparently these guys performed on the premiere of the new 90210, but I’m not holding that against them. Gorgeous harmonies and sugary sweet vocals from this co-ed quintet. Their latest, “o” is out and available from .

MP3: Tilly and the Wall – “Alligator Skin”

Old Crow Medicine Show will always remind me of a couple of weeks that I spend in Ithaca, NY doing some field work. I stayed with a bluegrass banjo player who introduced me to a number of great contemporary bluegrass acts, including this tight Nashville outfit. They’re one of the best bluegrass bands around. You can pre-order their upcoming LP “Tennessee Pusher” here.

MP3: Old Crow Medicine Show – “Caroline”

Fuzzy guitar from the Pacific Northwest is nothing particularly new, but Seattle’s Moondoggies mix it up a bit, bringing in a little Midwestern twang a la Jayhawks. I’ve been listening to this one over and over this week. Their debut, “Don’t Be A Stranger” is out and available from .

MP3: The Moondoggies – “Changing”

From the other side of Fortress America comes Brooklyn’s Forest Fire, a quirky, shambling collective that evokes late night sing-alongs. If that doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement, have a listen to this one from their latest, “Survival” (Catbird). It’s dead catchy in that charmingly slack way that appeals to aging Gen X-ers like your underwhelming correspondent.

MP3: Forest Fire – “I Make Windows”

My current troubles with avian antagonists may have made me perk up a bit when Caw! Caw!’s e-mail came chiming in, but it was their music that really made me sit up and take notice. This Chicago is making loose, swirling punk inspired music and have an EP due out next week. I’ve got no purchase info, but check their MySpace for updates.

MP3: Caw! Caw! – “Organisms”

Last but not least this week is Delta Spirit, a California act that’s been getting some well deserved attention here in Oz after their visit here this winter. These guys are making slick, but compelling power pop. Check out this track from their latest, “Ode to Sunshine”. Sing it and bring some to South Australia, boys .

MP3: Delta Spirit – “Trashcan”

MP3: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!”

London based singer-songwriter Owen Duff has offered up his latest EP “The Stop Gap”as a free download. A little reminiscent of Badly Drawn Boy, but definitely worth a listen.

MP3: Owen Duff – “Act of War”

Over on the other side of the Atlantic, New York’s Baskervilles have just released their latest LP “Twilight. Chirpy Mitch Easter produced indie pop.  

MP3: Baskervilles – “A Little More Time”

Toronto’s Luke Doucet wrote my favorite track of the week. Solid roots rock fueled by fierce song-writing. His debut, “Blood’s Too Rich” is out Tuesday.

MP3: Luke Doucet – “Blood’s Too Rich”

Los Campesinos is the self-declared second most punk-rock band in Britain. The Welsh septet’s latest LP, “Hold On Now, Youngster” was out earlier this year on Wichita.

MP3: Los Campesinos – “Death to Los Campesinos”

Gotham’s Dream Bitches are the second act from the Big Apple that caught my attention this week. Four of five Bitches are women, but this act is not your little sister’s girl band. Their sophomore LP “Coke and Spriters” is out on Recommend If You Like Records.  

MP3: Dream Bitches – “Me & The Major”

Thomas Bryan Eaton is another member of the burgeoning music scene in Brooklyn. Like fellow Yankees the Felice Brothers, he’s making music that sounds like it should be coming out of the Midwest or the South. Solid Americana.  ”Dreams, Demons & Butterflies” is his new one,  due in July.

MP3: Thomas Bryan Eaton – “Meant To Last”

Philly quintet Dr. Dog is staying busy. Their newest record, “Fate” is out in July and their supporting that release with live dates all over the U.S. and Europe for the rest of ‘08. Look out for these guys.

MP3: Dr. Dog – “The Old Days”

One-woman band (and purported elementary school teacher) Cannonball Jane is making some wonderfully creative homemade music. Get her latest effort, “Knees Up”, direct from Jane.  

MP3: Cannonball  Jane – “The Secret Handshake”

To finish up this week, a new feature here on A Free Man – the week’s best remix. During my time in the City of Dreaming Spires I was often enchanted by the Oxford-Cambridge rivalry (Top Toffs?). London producer Nikolai Levey captures that competitive spirit in his Cambridge remix of Vampire Weekend’s “Oxford Comma”.

M4A: Vampire Weekend – “Oxford Comma (Nikolai Levey’s Alternate University Version)”