If there is one thing you can say about him; he picks some interesting songs to cover on his albums.  The tune “Sweetheart” is a Daniel Johnston original, not the first time he’s done this, and the song “I Get Ideas” is an oldie that was performed by Desi Arnaz on I Love Lucy.  Then you have his voice, which at times has a dry husk, yet, when it is accompanied by just an acoustic guitar, glides over the notes to lull you along.  I don’t want to say this is a straightforward rock album but it does have less frills than his previous work and it doesn’t sound as big.

Aside from the covers you should check out: “The First Time I Ran Away”, “Clean Slate” — his tribute to the late Alex Chilton –  the single “Primitive Girl”, “Watch the Show”, “Crawl After You” and “Wild Goose”.  At times this album is kind of haunting the way it pulls you in and leaves you holding on by a guitar string.

I like this album and you might too if you are into singer/songwriters that paint pictures with words.  There are times you need a good storyteller to whisk you away from everyday life and Ward does that very well.

Take, for example, the work of Hugh Tracey and his wife. Tracey was born to British parents in South Africa in 1903. He fell in love with the songs sung by the Africans who worked with him on the farm, and was astounded to learn that their music had never been recorded. Tracey, with the help of his wife, set out to document traditional music of sub-Saharan Africa. (Pictured is son Andrew Tracey with a portrait of Hugh.)

In order to preserve the music that he heard, Tracey founded the International Library of African Music (ILAM) in 1954, doing a great deal of fieldwork that included collecting recordings and unique African instruments, such as the mbira (of which Tracey created a adaptation, called the kalimba, which has notes from the Western scales).

Tracey focused on making high quality recordings. He put together 21  albums that were eventually produced by ILAM. These 21 albums contain music that was unheard of outside of where the music was originally being created. Some have criticized Tracey for shortening the lengths of songs so they could fit onto his tapes, and for “manipulating” the sound of the music by placing the microphone near the instruments or vocalists that he found the most interesting. However, we can say with certainty that without Tracey, some of the truly amazing African music that he recorded would no longer be in existence, due to the dismantlement of the culture from which they originated. For example, one of the albums that Tracey took recordings for is entitled Royal Court Music from Uganda. In the 1950s, the palaces of the once-dominant Nyoro nation were torn down. The royal musicians all dispersed or, unfortunately, were killed. Luckily, Tracey was able to capture their music, which contains intricate melodies and syncopated patterns, just before the Ugandan court and its music all disappeared.

It can be overwhelming to think about all of the music that has gone undocumented and unrecorded over the years. I’d like to thank Hugh Tracey for his part in preserving sub-Saharan African music of the mid-20th century.

While giving this album some spins I can pull in some influence from other groups, like Built to Spill for some guitar work, Fleet Foxes for the melodies and a bit of Yeasayer or Vampire Weekend as they also incorporate that Afro-pop sound.  Now I am not saying they sound like one of those bands; come on, Avid Reader, give me some credit here.  I’m trying to paint the best picture of this group that I can without having to use any paints  . . .  or maybe I’ll use crayons.  To tell you the truth, I like how they incorporate all of those pieces into these songs to build some atmosphere.  There are times I like a minute of instruments before the vocals break in to the song.

To get a better image for yourself I would suggest: “Tellin’ the Mind”, “Money Saves”, “California”, “Empty House” and “Home”.  There is something in these songs that could be a story of a person leaving a bad relationship to make the situation better and then doing some soul searching.  I find this album to be pretty good after a few spins in the background.

If you happen to be in the mood for something that isn’t very intrusive and you can nod along, this might be worth a download.  At some point I will have to check out previous releases and this seems like a good place to start for now.

OK, so this is all for a good cause, but just who are the folks contributing songs?  Glad you asked: David Bowie, Coldplay, Beck (of course), Eddie Vedder, Sade, Lauryn Hill, Sting, Rita Wilson (Tom Hanks’ wife? What?), Alanis Morissette, Rufus Wainwright, Patti Smith, Paul Simon and Edie Brickell, Diana Krall, Seal and Dave Matthews Band to whet your appetite.  Most of these tracks are new recordings for this project, while there are a few live tracks and covers throughout.

These artists were picked by Burns or asked to take part in the project and based on the contributors; I just had to check this out.  Charity compilations such as this are very cool because it offers bands a chance to branch out and do something they might not get away with on a standard album.  Of course, if you are neurotic like me then you have to go and purchase these albums to have the tracks by these artists because you’re crazy.  At least I admit it.

With Mother’s Day coming soon, very soon, keep this in mind as a cool gift.  You’ll be helping a good cause and passing on some good tunes in the process.  If you’d like to learn more go to the website and read up.

In India, sitar players are usually men; the women almost always play the role of singer and dancer. However, because of her father’s status and her own aptitude (in addition to being able to learn from the best of the best), Anoushka Shankar was able to pave the way for other female sitar players. She started performing with her father at the young age of 13 years. You might think that she was forced into the music business, following so closely in the footsteps of her father, but this is not the case. It is true that Shankar had some qualms about choosing performance over school, but after her first year of touring, she knew she had made the right decision. At the age of 16, she signed her first record contract, with Angel Records. Her first album was the self-titled Anoushka, released in 1998.

Anoushka Shankar has done some important trail blazing. She was the youngest-ever and first woman nominee in the World Music category at the 2003 Grammy awards for her third album Live at Carnegie Hall. Her half-sister Jones was also nominated that year. In 2006, Shankar become the first Indian to play at the Grammy awards. Shankar has done many collaborations. Her 2007 album Breathing Under Water was a mix of classical sitar and electronica that includes guest artist Sting as well as Jones and their father.

Her most recently released album is said to be an exploration of the connection between Spanish flamenco and Indian classical music, which was the result of ancient Gypsy migration. Entitled Traveller, this album is yet another collection of inspired work that shows off her talent and appropriate usage of the Shankar name.

Anoushka is truly an inspiration for many. It is quite amazing that both of Shankar’s children found their own important niche in the world of music. Jones paved her road with a name of her own, but Anoushka is equally deserving of her success for being brave enough to do what no female had done before her.

You might say that everything he touches is a “solo record” and I’ll disagree that this is the first project he’s worked on where he is in total control.  No input from other folks, this is a whole new backing band and he is their leader.  The band is competent and somehow makes him sound better here than any other project he’s worked on.  His guitar work shines all over each track, it isn’t jagged or subdued.  Right there in the forefront he blazes on with those licks you’d expect him to be harboring in his bones.

Even his lyrics are a little darker than usual, but he has a way with phrasing that most folks are still trying to manage in pop music.  You might think he’s being a lot more honest and straightforward with his lyrical content, and I like that about this record.  This is a culmination of each project he’s worked on so far, and the backing band is the real glue for this album.   I was worried that this would be a self-indulgent release and sound messy, but this is far from a mess and is quite a polished piece of work.

Do you need some proof?  Check out:  “Hypocritical Kiss”, “Sixteen Saltines”, “Take Me with You When You Go”,”On and On and On”, “Missing Piece” and the lone cover “I’m Shakin”.  That’s not to discount the rest of tracks here or the first single “Love Interruption”, I just like those tracks the best.

If you are a fan of everything he touches, this is something you’ve had since it was leaked — and if you are someone that is on the fence about him, give this a try.  It isn’t the Stripes, the Raconteurs or the Dead Weather, this is Jack White as he intended himself to sound the whole time.  Trust me; you’ll have some fun with this album.

Many people believe that we all have souls but very few of us have soul.  By that I mean, when they sing you can tell it is coming from their toes — and Brittany Howard is full of soul.  As the singer for this quartet, she belts out notes and encapsulates so much emotion you wonder if she cried while the album was recorded.  The band backs her up and helps her along the way with bassist Zac Cockrell and drummer Steve Johnson giving some perfect rhythm while Heath Fogg layers on some smooth guitar boogie.

For some proof you should try: “Hang Loose”, “Rise to the Sun”, “Heartbreaker”, “Be Mine” and the single “Hold On”.  Her convictions are real, and I’ll be damned if you aren’t singing along after the second or third time.  There is something special about this band, and when the vocals, drums, guitar and bass are all grooving together you can’t help but sway along.

Are you still reading this?  Just go out and buy this one in any format you can, this is the type of music that needs to be out there for people to hear.  Nothing is processed and everything sounds fresh.  Trust me, Avid Reader, when I say that sometimes you need to believe the hype and this is one of those sometimes.

Anyway, I’ve always loved Norah Jones, and decided to return to a bit of her music, and just in time: Jones’ fifth studio album Little Broken Hearts was just released on May 1. This album follows  The Fall, which  debuted at number three in November 2009, but was Jones’ first album to not reach the #1 spot in America. If you want to get a sneak peak of the album before investing in your own copy, the music is prominently featured on Jones’ official Web site. She played the album in its entirety at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2012.

I like Jones for her casual-cool voice. She sings so softly, effortlessly and smoothly in songs such as “Come Away with Me” and “Nearness of You.” Listening to the previews of Little Broken Hearts, I was surprised by the subtle but notable departure from her typical singing style. For the most part, her voice remains gentle to the ears. There are sections in the music where she sounds like the Norah Jones that I love; however, she seems to be experimenting with a different use of her voice. In “Say Goodbye,” she stretches her voice in a manner that I consider almost whiny, something I certainly have not come to expect from Jones. It is not my favorite use of her voice, but the experimentation is forgivable.

But then there’s the fact that Jones decided to leave the jazz roots with which we all fell in love. This fact is not so forgivable in my book. It took me very little time to realize that I actually didn’t like Little Broken Hearts because the pop/alternative fusion that it is simply doesn’t mesh well with the artist that she is. Jones stood out as a gem in the jazz genre, but simply disappears into an unfavorable mix with Little Broken Hearts.

Hey, I put this show together – I can review it if I want.

So yeah, full disclaimer I suppose. I’m in a cover band called Liquifaction. Up until now, I refrained from mentioning the actual band name because I felt that was a bit tacky. Like most traditions, however, this one’s going to have at least a momentary lapse because I’ve got to talk about this show.

So my band was supposed to play a gig at this place in Canton on the 13th of April. We were booked roughly a month in advance and we were on track to have a stellar turnout. Two days before the show, the owner says we’ve got to use this toy drum kit because the place has a problem with noise violations. I tell him than he probably shouldn’t be booking rock bands, then. Anyway, that show wound up not happening and we found another gig at this place called Surf City in Perry Hall.

This show was unusual for a few reasons. To begin with, we had two weeks to promote it – usually we book about a month out, but we were doing the owner a favor because he didn’t have anything on the books for this night. In addition, we needed at least one additional band because this was going to be a pro show – not simply some random four-hour gig at a local bar. The most interesting thing about this one, however, is that we’d have a professional sound and light guy making us look like a million bucks, on an actual stage.

Typically when we run shows, we do sound and lights ourselves. Having that burden off our shoulders really allowed us to concentrate on what mattered the most – the music. This is where the fun begins.

I’ve only ever seen rioLinda and Ahab’s Revenge perform in dimly lit dive-venues, with people packed tight and greasy like sardines. I wanted to see them on a stage, with proper sound and lights. This was a damn fine opportunity, and one that I certainly wasn’t going to waste.

Turns out, my suspicions were correct and a big stage, with a ridiculous sound system made two enjoyable bands all the more so. rioLinda and Ahab’s rocked the place hard with their original take on the grunge-rock style. It was a nice contrast to my group’s sets of top-40 covers. This was a show that really had something for everyone, and a great send-off for me as I take my month’s leave to fight lions on the African plains.

The Fierce and The Dead – On VHS – Those gents from across the pond are back with their latest EP and we’re not wasting time sugar coating it here: this is pretty awesome.  I enjoyed their previous album and guitarist Matt Stevens’ solo album, but the proper band is back to rock this time around.  With four songs they traverse the worlds of metal and prog with reckless abandon.  My biggest gripe: why are these songs so short?!  You can check it out here — and I do suggest you check them out if you are looking for a vacation from normal rock music and like instrumentals instead.

Balance and Composure – Acoustic – Time to dial it down a little bit and listen to a few songs that have words.  Pulling material from their 2011 album Separation we find the band turning “Stonehands”, “Separation” and”More to Me” into acoustic numbers that draw out the vocals more than anything else.  Their sound harkens back to the days when Alkaline Trio, Dashboard Confessional and Death Cab for Cutie were all fresh faces in the music world.  This release can be found on 7” color vinyl at a Hot Topic near you.  Check them out here and keep an eye out for them as they are touring with La Dispute this spring.