Adam James

“Days Go By”-Keith Urban

Okay, well, yeah, I play in a country band now, so of course my listening tastes are gonna shift. But this song is just so damn GOOD! He sets it up with a simple acoustic guitar intro, but then, it kicks into overdrive! Once it calms down again, he starts telling a story many of us can probably relate to: “I’m changing lanes, talking on the phone, driving way too fast…” He continues: “Somewhere in the rush I felt, we’re losing ourselves” and of course, the chorus is perfect. “Days Go By, I can feel em flying like a hand out the window in the wind…” How many times have you enjoyed the feeling of just sheer FREEDOM, driving 75 down the interstate, hand out the window taking the wind as it comes at you? This tune is the soundtrack to that feeling.

“Razorblade Kiss”-H.I.M. (His Infernal Majesty)

Here I was thinking rock was dead and then along comes Ville Valo and Co. with their Razorblade Romance album. It snuck up on me. But then the fact that these guys make such incredible music was plain to see. On the three albums of theirs I own, I seriously don’t think there’s a bad song, and it’s HARD for me to say that a lot of the time, but in this case it’s warranted!
“Razorblade Kiss” is one of my faves though and starts out with this gloriously low guitar line that becomes the song’s main riff. Valo’s vocals are sincere and bruised in a way that just makes the song that much better. It takes about a minute or so for the song’s actual chorus to come in, but once it does, it’s a fantastic melody that most bands couldn’t write with instructions. The backup vocals in the chorus are pure gold and the basses and guitars are robust. Once the bridge comes in, the band pulls back to nothing but Valo’s voice and a single distant but beautiful sounding electric guitar from which they build back up. By the time they hit the last chorus, if you aren’t sold, then you may never be. But this is one in a long line of fantastic songs by a band known only as H.I.M.

“Time Is A Runaway”-The Alternate Routes

This is one of those songs that I hear pretty much every day at work and it’s one of the ones I actually look forward to hearing as opposed to most of the rest of the playlist. This song is just so damn GOOD! Who are the Alternate Routes? I have no idea, but there are people online and on iTunes praising this band to high heaven.
Glassy guitars, bruised but excellent vocals, and great hooks are the order of the day. The melodies on this track are just so good, almost obvious, but they work so well with the chord changes in the way a good melody should. The verses are well done enough, but the chorus is what sells it. All he says is, “TIme is a runaway coming for you.” What the hell does that even MEAN? It doesn’t matter because it’s delivered so well that you don’t even think about it. The harmonies are on point and those glassy guitar parts coming up the left and right channels bring it all into perspective. Even if time is coming for you, so what? You can’t escape it just like everyone else, so you might as well listen to great music and have a good time in the meantime.

“Heart Shaped Glasses”-Marilyn Manson

The other Man In Black is back with a new goth inspired album called “Eat Me, Drink Me” (And you can take what you will from that). “Heart Shaped Glasses” is the lead single from the album and is certainly a departure from the usual industrial sounding anthems people are used to from Manson. The track has a very dance-rock, almost Franz Ferdinand type of sound to it and Manson does very little in the way of screaming on here, he’s more of a singer this time out.
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You be you, I’ll be me, and we’ll see each other soon. Adam

“Other Side Of The World”-KT Tunstall

I’ve been hearing this song at work a lot, and it’s rare, very rare, that a song actually makes me stop what I’m doing to listen. But this song is SO beautiful that you can’t help it. It’s not remarkable in musical terms, but it doesn’t matter. It’s beautiful. Listen. KT’s voice is an instrument in a way that few singers’ voices are. Her harmonies are pure, the lyrics are simple but effective. There’s not much else I can say about it, but rave about how beautiful the song is. Download it and hear it for yourself!
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“This is the end, beautiful friend…” and with that Jim Morrison send off, I’m out. Cheers one and all! Adam

“Road To Peace”-Tom Waits
Okay, so it’s probably general knowledge that on some level, I wish I could sing all gravelly and stuff like Tom Waits. I don’t know why, but I do. Something about his voice just gets me. This song, from his recently released box set “Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards” is a tale of ideology as a means to destroy. In it, he details a suicide bomber 18 years old who has never spent a night away from home, yet he’s boarding a bus with bombs strapped to him. Waits then details the Israeli reaction which includes the destruction of a city and its people. The song is repetitive musically and quite long, but this is because Waits wants the listener to pay attention to the lyrics. In the end Waits muses “Maybe God is lost, and needs all our help, on the Road To Peace.” The message is powerful and when backed by Waits’ inimitable voice (which sounds better on this track than it has in a long time!) the effects are devestating.

Welp, it’s about time to head to work. I shall see thee on the flip side. HAve a great day! Adam

DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK
“Leader Of The Band”-Lewis Taylor

Okay, so go to iTunes, and punch in “Lewis Taylor.” Do it. DO IT! Now click on “The Lost Album” and then “Leader Of The Band.” I promise you, this song will at least make you bob your head, tap your foot, smile, or even buy it!
Lewis Taylor is a British soul sensation, but on this album, he takes a more Beach Boys influenced route, particulary in evidence on “The Leader Of The Band.” Lewis plays all the instruments, sings all the parts, and produces it as well. When was the last time you heard of an artist other than Prince that did that and did it well? A catchy, piano driven pop confection, “The Leader Of The Band’s” charm is in not only the great melody and fantastic vocal arrangement, but also the simplicity of the instruments. Lewis can wail, but he doesn’t here. He makes room.
I don’t normally make it such a thing to implore people to check out the stuff I recommend, but in this case, I really really REALLY want you to check this out!

DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK
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“Dirt In The Ground”-Tom Waits

Anyone not familiar with Tom Waits can email me and I will MAKE you a compilation! Well, okay, maybe the first 5 people who are that interested. But anyway, this track comes from his “Bone Machine” album, which is not only somewhat experimental, but death fixated as well. The majority of the album is played on various percussion instruments with some various bass, guitar, and piano tracks mixed in. Waits’ lyrics are good enough to stand on their own, especially on this tune. In the second verse, he describes the execution of a murderer by hanging, describing his ascent to the gallows, subsequent hanging, and the executioner saying that no matter who we are, “We’re all gonna be just Dirt In The Ground.”
Morbid as it sounds, it paints a great picture, as do the rest of the tracks on this album. And ultimately that is really what Waits is, in addition to being a great songwriter: He is a painter of words.

Album Review
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“Nighthawks At The Diner”-Tom Waits

“I wanna pull on your coat about somethin’!” That’s one of the first lines said on the album. And what it sets up is something unlike anything you’ve ever heard more than likely. Tom Waits is a songwriter extroardinaire, but “Nighthawks At The Diner” also shows him to be a master MC (not in the hip hop sense), an adept comedian, and one of the great storytellers of the 20th century.
The mood is everything on this record. Waits set up a fictional nighclub known as the “Silver Cloud Lounge” to record this album. And he doesn’t just play the songs, he chats with the audience, endears himself to them, tells them stories, makes them laugh…in short he ENTERTAINS! Each song has in intro to it in which Waits tells these little vignettes and jokes, and some of the best material on this album is in these parts.
But make no mistake, Waits is a songwriter first and foremost. “Eggs and Sausage in a Cadillac” tells about some of the various eating establishments he’s eaten in and some of the people you see in a late night diner, while “Better Off Without A Wife” is about the having the freedom than married men dream of but the underlying sadness that comes with that.
This is a perfect album for a late night at home, or a late night drive, or an after hours party. It’s a great album to put on when you’re alone and don’t want to be, when you want to be with other people who may be lonely, but you don’t want to go to a bar and deal with them. Sounds escapist, but remember, it’s all about the vibe. There are few records that do vibe and atmosphere this well. Download “Eggs and Sausage” or “Nobody” to get a feel for it!

DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY
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“Soul Sista”-Bilal

Bilal is a classically trained soul singer from Philly, but make no mistake, his training hasn’t affected his output any (I still don’t understand why people think that knowing classical music affects creativity). This track is about a girl that braodened his mind, and is marked by a really great bassline courtesy of Raphael Saadiq! It’s a great tune that shows off Bilal’s pipes, melodic ability, and his poetic lyrics. I saw him at Atlantis and even though he only sang for about 45 seconds, you can tell that regardless of the industry, Bilal is an artist making real music, with little concern for commercial viability. It’s rare when an artist is able to take some of those kinds of risks on an album. Check this tune out!