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.

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.

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.

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.

One of the biggest differences on this outing is the guests she features: Joe Lovano, Lalah Hathaway, Algebra Blesset and Lionel Loueke whom I’ve seen share the stage with Herbie Hancock, twice.  The vibe on this album feels a lot more relaxed than the previous album I reviewed, and she is expanding to electric bass besides her acoustic.  Either way, she captures some crazy grooves that are too deep to get out of at times.  Even her vocals sound more laid back than before.  The best part about this album is the title, Radio Music Society, which might throw people, but trust me, Avid Reade,r she hasn’t started dropping arena-sized pop anthems and I hope she never does.

Despite the draw and allure of some of the larger mainstream pop acts out there it is great to see musicians like Esperanza that have a real talent and do something with it.  That is not to discredit some of the people that get on stage and sing about breakups, while gyrating to homogenized beats.  All I’m saying is that we want more beats and less bad romances.

To get started I suggest: “Cinnamon Tree”,”Black Gold”, “Vague Suspicions”, “Let Her” and “Radio Song”.  This is some great listening from end to end and deserves to be heard, so what are you waiting for?  Check this one out, folks, you won’t be disappointed — and Justin, keep dancing, kid, you’ll wind up on a VH1 reality show in a few years when no one remembers who you are anymore.

PS – Did I mention Record Store Day is this Saturday, April 21?  I’m celebrating and if you read this blog you should be as well.

Before people started occupying Wall Street, Ani Difranco was singing for the 99% like her heroes of the folk tradition have for decades.  This album does have a theme of protest and a call to arms running through the tracks.  Yet there is her honesty brimming over the lyrics.  She has never been afraid to share her opinions, ideals or advice with the masses and that is admirable.

As this is her 16th album, you know what you expect from her, Avid Reader.  She isn’t about to start dropping pop hits and appearing on your local radio station;  although she seems to have added some cool instrumentation to give her music more depth.  Not that she needs the depth; there is plenty when she uses her voice and guitar to navigate a story.  These songs come from experiences as we hear her passing some sage wisdom and observations down to the rest of us or even to her own daughter.  She throws barbs and places tongue in cheek with plenty of clever word play to make you think about every song.

I would suggest: “Splinter”, “If Yr Not”,”J”, “Life Boat”,”Zoo” and the title track “Which Side Are You On?” featuring Pete Seeger on banjo, to get an idea of what you’ll encounter on this album.  If you follow her every release, this is one not to be missed, and if you are unsure of how you feel about her, then give this one a spin to see what you think.  This was a good detour from my usual listening and might be good for you.

PS – Record Store Day is Saturday April 21, will you be celebrating?

(Editor’s note: Our reviewer received a complimentary Ani Difranco CD, but the opinion reflected in this article is solely his.)

This album is not country, although if you dig a woman singing about a need for whisky so she can relax, then look no further.  This is the kind of album that straddles a couple of lines: not quite pop, not quite country, with a little rhythm and blues.  In essence this album is what marked Rock and Roll in those early days by covering all three of the needed ingredients.  Before there was anything called rock music, folks listened to country, pop, or R&B — then when someone thought to mix them all together and kids started to “rock and roll on the dance floor”, a revolution was born.

There are some great pop hooks scattered throughout these tracks; at times she sings those blues so well, while the rhythm is the one thing that can save her, and there is an underlying current of country here and there.  I picked those three women early on as comparison to try and give you an idea of what you’d be in for, and I think you can handle it, folks.  Trust me that if you dig those ladies, this album will fit in just fine with your collection.

If you need further proof check out: “Simple Feeling”, “Got to Have Rock and Roll”, “Late in the Night”, “Only for You” and  “Skin and Bone”.  I seem to be having some luck with these blind pickups and I’m glad to share them with you, folks.  This deserves some spins and a careful listen.