The Harbours...

Dishing out some of the local love for SF band The Harbours. How to describe these guys without sounding disparaging? They're not breaking any new ground in the rock and roll world, they're just doing what they do really, really well. They play and smooth talking kind of Americana. Something that can easily be likened to Tom Petty, maybe the Counting Crows' best moments but with a singer that can sing, you know, folk rock with a swagger. The singer, by the way, alternately reminds me of Gordon Lightfoot and the guy from America. In my opinion neither of those comparisons is in the least bit negative, not even a little. They're actually quite complimentary in the funny little world I spend a lot of time in. The record is Second Story Maker on Stab City Records. You'll hear everything from the Beatles to the Jayhawks to Golden Smog in their songs. This record is a reall grower, keep listening it keeps getting better. Big ups to the Mission District!

from Second Story Maker:

Not The Same

Keep Your Days

In other news I continue to be baffled by Joanna Newsom's new disc Ys. It surely has something to do with the fact that I had a tough time getting into the Milkmaid's Mender Pony Show Sunrise or whatever it was called. Her voice is interesting and her lyrics fantastical but it just never penetrated my cynical ears. You'd think I'd have even more issues with a disc that's 5 songs covering almost an hour, the first song clocking in a like 13 minutes. I'm making a concerted effort to stick with Ys because something about it screams "this is important, understand this" but that takes some of the fun out of it. I'll keep trying.