Posts Tagged ‘Jim James’

BASIA BULAT – ” Good Advice ” Best Albums 2016

Posted: July 2, 2016 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Every song has elements of wild abandon, as if Basia Bulat’s shaking something free, and pushing herself at every turn. Lyrically, Bulat is still exploring darkness, and still wrestling with some kind of heartbreak and grief — the very things that made her last album, Tall Tall Shadow, so compelling and resonant — but she’s reframing these themes through pop. Good Advice is the sound of Basia Bulat at her most daring while still being true to herself

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Canadian singer songwriter Basia Bulat has unveiled a brand new track, “Fool”.

The song sticks to Bulat’s previously well established folk template, but she takes that as a starting point and allows “Fool” to soar out in its own direction. Bulat’s talents as an instrumentalist are utilised to full effect, leading to a track that’s upbeat and infectious in its approach.

“Fool” is taken from the excellent album “Good Advice”. For the album’s production, Bulat teamed up with friend and collaborator Jim James of My Morning Jacket, driving 600 miles from her home in Montreal to La La Land recording studio in James’ hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

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Good Advice is due to mark a departure from Bulat’s previous work, with her voice backed up by drums, bass, electric guitar and keys. James plays electric guitar, synth, saxophone and bass on the album.

“Pop songs can take all those big statements and those big feelings that you have,” Bulat says. “You don’t need to necessarily have everything so detailed because everybody understands. Everybody understands those feelings.”

Of the sessions for the album James recalls, “The entire process was so amazing. Hearing her voice just exploding out of her soul brought us all to tears in the control room. Watching Basia come out of her shell with great power was an extraordinary thing to witness. ”

MY MORNING JACKET – ” It Still Moves ” (4LP DELUXE) Reissue

Posted: May 16, 2016 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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My Morning Jacket have announced that a rework and reissue of their third LP It Still Moves will arrive this May. The deluxe reissue of the 2003 album features the album’s 12 songs remixed and remastered as well as three unreleased songs from the It Still Moves sessions – “En La Ceremony,” “Grab a Body” and “That’s Too Bad” – plus singer Jim James’ own demos.

The reissue is due out May 27th on ATO. Fans who pre-order the album will receive instant downloads of the polished-up versions of It Still Moves’ “Golden” and “Mahgeetan.”

According to James, the band’s intense touring schedule at the time forced My Morning Jacket to hurriedly complete the album, which left the band feeling as though It Still Moves was “unfinished.” “Everybody can relate to something they’ve done in their life where you didn’t know it at the time, but you were rushed through finishing it,” James said. The 15th anniversary of the LP allowed James to revisit the album and remix it to his liking. The original album was “tweaked” by James, remastered by Bob Ludwig and mixed by Kevin Ratterman.

In addition to the remixed album tracks and three unreleased songs, the It Still Moves reissue also boasts James‘ original demo versions of 10 of the album’s 12 songs. “I feel lucky to have had so many songs that feel like there are chances to go in other directions,” James said of the demos. “It definitely feels more lonely. Maybe more haunting.”

The It Still Moves reissue will be released in a special deluxe package with new artwork and exclusive photos in either a 2-CD or 4-LP 180 vinyl set.

Speaking to the New York Times, James referred to the original version of It Still Moves as the band’s “wet blanket” album, a joke about the LP’s muffled sound. “It Still Moves is really the only record in our catalog that I’ve always felt I wanted to remix,” James said. “Part of the fun of that record was that we recorded it all to tape, and it was all super-duper organic. But when we mixed it originally, we didn’t have enough time. We thought we were happy with it, but there are certain things that bothered me when I would listen to it, like, ‘Oh my God, you can’t hear that guitar solo.'”

As for the three mostly unreleased tracks – “Grab a Body” was technically a limited Record Store Day release back in 2012 – James had current MMJ bandmates guitarist Carl Broemel and keyboardist Bo Koster, who didn’t join the band until the year after It Still Moves’ release, add flourishes to the tracks. “It became this fuller picture of the band, with most of the members from past and present playing together in a world,” James said of the bonus tracks.

MY MORNING JACKET – ” The Waterfall “

Posted: January 1, 2016 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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The ethos of My Morning Jacket – those American indie rock stalwarts – is found in the lyrics of “Compound Fracture” from this year’s album release, The Waterfall: “There is life in love and sound / Get as much as you can keep around / Before they put you into the ground.” This encapsulates both their philosophy and the pervasive theme of the album. The band’s focus, lyrically and melodically, is about fully embracing life and living in the moment. Such philosophical pragmatism from any other band might seem contrived, but in the talented hands of this Kentucky quintet, it’s effortlessly compelling. This seventh album reflects the cohesion built over their 17-year history: they’re at peak form, proving yet again what makes them one of the most dynamic groups in music.

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Every song is a testament to their uncanny ability to excel individually while bringing out the best in each other as a collective unit. The Waterfall shimmers as a whole with multi-faceted nuance at every turn. Where the opener, “Believe (Nobody Knows)”, surges as a big, unapologetic crowd-pleaser, gentler songs (“Like a River” and “Thin Line”) showcase Jim James’ honeyed vocals. There’s even a Zen-like calm to the album’s break-up song (“Get the Point”) that finds James facing the end of a relationship not with remorse but an accepting shrug. This is where the production from Tucker Martine (who worked on some of 2015’s top albums – The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, Modest Mouse) shines. The songs flow seamlessly through the peaks and valleys of emotions, from jubilation to introspection. Unlike previous albums recorded in their Louisville hometown, The Waterfall reflects its California origins with more ‘70s-rock influences (Fleetwood Mac and Yes), especially evident on the penultimate track, “Tropics (Erase Traces”). It’s one of the most stunning songs on the album with guitarist Carl Broemel adding depth to an already hypnotic tune with his arpeggiated picking on the intro and his backing vocal harmonies throughout. The wistful sunset vibe of the final track, “Only Memories Remain”, offers this parting thought: “Our earthly bodies will surely fail / But the love we share outlives us all.” What a perfect wrap to one of 2015’s very best albums.

 

The NEW BASEMENT TAPES – ” Lost On The River “

Posted: March 6, 2015 in MUSIC
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Bob Dylan came across a batch of lyrics from when he was recording the Basement Tapes with the Band – these were never put to music. These were passed to T Bone Burnett who has produced the album and put a band together to create music for these lyrics. The band is made up of Elvis Costello, Marcus Mumford, Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) and Rhiannon Giddons (Carolina Chocolate Drops). It also features Johnny Depp on the lead single ‘Kansas City’ which features Marcus Mumford on the lead vocal.

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The NEW BASEMENT TAPES – ” Lost In The River “

Posted: August 19, 2014 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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The New Basement Tapes are Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Jim James, Taylor Goldsmith, Marcus Mumford, Lost On The River The New Basement Tapes has been 47 years in the making, The Album celebrates the discovery of never seen before lyrics from the 1967 period and a creative highpoint for the musician who have participated, have brought these songs to life over a two week period T Bone Burnett organised the sessions and the recording of these songs.