CD Review: Hanami's 'Philomelos'

Hanami
Philomelos
Smugglers Records

UK's Hanami brings us an energetic, avant-garde, and folksy recording with gypsy and troubadour-type songs of a wayward music duo. The music seems experimental and alternative, which is some of the appeal. The ten songs contain great folk rhythms, minimal instrumentation and production cues, and yearning vocals. The song titles are as diverse as the music, such as "Into The Mystic," "Long Gone Mobile," and "Go Tell Someone Who Gives A F***." The delicate melodies are jaunty, poetic, and cafe-worthy, which are all positive traits. The artsy-folksy musical constructions are somewhere between Neutral Milk Hotel and Gogol Bordello. Anyone with an interest in folk-driven alternative music will love Hanami. Discover them today! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Painted Caves' Self-Titled Arab-American Release

Painted Caves
Painted Caves
Primitive Records

Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based, Painted Caves, presents us with an exciting Arab-American release of guitar fusion and world music on their self-titled release. The group is headed by Ali Lubbad on vocals, guitars, trap set, and Arabic percussion, while Mike Kashou plays the oud, bass, percussion, trumpet, piano, and adds background vocals. There are also other musicians on Native American flute, qanun, congas, didgeridoo, and conch shells. Anyone familiar with Wisconsin music will be familiar with the great Paul Cebar on backup vocals. There is an emotive fusion of instruments that come together to form interesting unions that seem to work just fine. The instrumental arrangements possess a little psych/experimental sound indicative of music from the 1970's in parts of the Middle East and South Asia. The tracks are named as cleverly as anything by Dengue Fever, which provides some influence here; especially on "The Behavior Of A Certain Snake," "Paper Tigers," "Man Is Coy Behind Animal Tears," and "Morse Code." Anyone interested in various traditional instruments played in a contemporary setting will love it. Painted Caves emerges as a great work of art! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Georgian/English Singer Katie Melua

Katie Melua

The House

Dramatico

As a follow-up to Katie's second release, Pictures, The House stand out as an artistic marvel for the ears. Katie's voice takes on Leigh Nash of Sixpence None The Richer fame, former Cardigans lead singer, Nina Persson, and Geike Arnaert of Belgium's Hooverphonic fame. The music is not folk, rock or pop, but a combination of each style. Lyrically, the songs are fun and funny, as in "Tiny Alien" and "God On Drums, Devil On The Bass". There is a hint of nostalgia in Katie's vocal style and some of the instrumentation follows in that vein, as in "A Moment Of Madness". The poetically-inclined art-pop song, "Red Balloons", is something Shawn Colvin might have composed, especially since her last album was titled after a house (These Four Walls, Nonesuch). However, all the songs are written or co-written by Katie and represent a style all her own. All the songs are playful, catchy, intelligent, and coherent from a lyrical, vocal, and instrumental point of view. If you like good music, then you are cordially invited into 'The House' by Katie Melua. Vocals and liner notes in English. ~ Matthew Forss