Williams embarks on her current musical trip with “50 White Lines”, a rhythmic sing-along about tooling down the highway with the wind in her hair and troubles at her back while her travel partner carefully counts off the painted white dividing stripes to pass the time, offering possibly the album’s most obvious choice for a single.  That rhythm-of-the-road theme carries over to “Just a Feeling”, which leaves you with just that thanks to a cool, easy tempo and what sounds like possibly a 12-string guitar (I’m working off a demo copy with few liner notes) being deftly picked atop the casual cadence.

The album also features some fairly diverse and interesting instrumentation, beginning with the digital pulsations and banjo (or maybe mandolin) that weave through “Winter is Sharp”, a title whose truth in reinforced by the minor chords and plaintive duet vocals that waft lazily through the song.  Having grown up in northern country myself I can appreciate the dreary melancholy that sharp, cold winter can bring.  Spring comes eventually in this season Williams has woven, but first another winter song and the most haunting on the album, “Wanting and Waiting”, the most personally revealing and tender moment on the record.  Metal guitar strings give off a harsh vibe as Williams gets a little metaphysical observing “time is an expensive thing” in emotionally evocative fashion.

Williams wearily croons the dreaded line that invariably ends every failed relationship on “Just Leave”.  Was it neglect, or betrayal, or maybe just the oppressive weight of darkest winter gloom?  And can we know, or does it matter?  The song could have done without the spacey digital effects, but the raw emotion that winds this one down is both convincing and painfully familiar.

“Smoke” reinforces an impression that Williams takes her personal relationships very seriously, although she also has the range to camp it up a bit with the lounge-like “Cream of the Crop” complete with jazz piano and a touch of Monroe vamping.

Not every track enhances the mood or advances the continuity of the album, with “Black Oil”, “Little Lessons” and “Noble Guesses” wandering into rather abstract emotional territory, but in total still managing to expose a glimpse of Williams’ insightful and poetic lyrical style.

Like I said, these songs fit together like a well-worn and comforting shirt, or given the slightly cool mood perhaps a warm denim jacket.  Either way this record is made to be listened to by couples, or at least by those who still yearn for heartfelt passion.  Enjoy.

My coursework involves acting as an on-air personality at Southern Utah University’s radio station, Power 91 (KSUU). It’s an adventure and a half. That will probably feature in my posting here, so keep an eye out.

At any rate, expect updates a bit more frequently from this point forward and let’s hope I can keep it going this time. We’ll see.

Cheers!

The Fun Police

The Fun Police are… well… fun! A quick listen of their most recent EP, Spring Break EP, had me dancing in my seat. Released for free at their website, www.thefunpolicemusic.com, the EP is three songs long with “Gringo Merengue,” “We Don’t Want No More,” and “Rather Be Dead.” The Fun Police are a refreshing reggae/ska band from Tacoma, Wash., with an impressive range of musical talent. With hints of blues, jazz, and frequent tongue-in-cheek lyrics, the band guides listeners through layers upon layers of funky, fun music. Definitely worth the listen, even (if not especially) for those not familiar with the genre.

The Fun Police released their first full length album in November, 2009, titled You Better Run, available at CD Baby here: cdbaby.com/cd/FunPolice. They are frequently playing shows in the Puget Sound area and “a sidewalk near you” in Seattle/Portland. The list of upcoming shows, as well as any other news from the band, may be found on their Myspace page: myspace.com/thefunpolicestation.

Upcoming Shows:

• Apr 2 2010 8:00P World Famous Bob’s Java Jive Benefit TACOMA, WASHINGTON
• Apr 6 2010 8:00P The Funhouse w/ Ocelot Omelet, Spillway and Neighbors SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
• Apr 7 2010 9:00P Tony V’s Garage w/ Posum Fat EVERETT, WASHINGTON
• Apr 9 2010 9:00P The 4th Ave Tavern w/ Dreaded Knuckles OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON
• Apr 10 2010 8:00P The Shelter w/ Back Ally Kicks and Go Get The Scissors! CENTRALIA, WASHINGTON
• May 8 2010 8:00P The Hub Bar and Grill w/ Black Market Review and Go Get the Scissors CENTRALIA, WASHINGTON
• May 21 2010 8:00P Cafe Venus and the Marsbar SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
• Jun 26 2010 8:00P Private Party TACOMA, WASHINGTON
• Dec 25 2010 4:15PA Sidewalk Near you… SEATTLE. PORTLAND, TACOMA, BEDALE

T.J. from Revolver Records from MusicGeek.org on Vimeo.

T.J. Jordan has a bold goal: to run the last record store in existence. When T.J. Jordan opened Revolver Records on Sept. 1, 2007, most people would have written it off as a pipe dream destined for failure. Two years later, Jordan and his staff are thriving at the Phoenix-based record store.

The store’s success, Jordan said, is down to one thing: It’s appealing to music lovers in search of something new.

“The people who come into record stores are coming in because they want something unique,” he said. “They’re not coming into to buy the latest Lil Wayne record. The only way record stores are going to stay in business is by appealing to the people who actually want to buy records.”

That appeal, Jordan said, is vital to the longevity of every record store; the traditional business model of the record store won’t keep them around, but providing excitement to music lovers will.

“If you go throughout the country, you’re going to see that the ones that are successful are the ones that have found a way to appeal to niche buyers and keep their store exciting,” he said. “I loved those record stores back in the ’90s, but I want to be the guy that owns the last record store. That’s my goal. I want to keep this in business as long as possible. What we try to do here is find ways we can stay in business, have a cushy job, and not have to work real jobs.”

Record stores are an invaluable asset in musical development, Jordan said. While the exit of many from the scene can be blamed on the faulty business model, much is lost when record stores shut their doors for good.

“If you listen to interviews with Paul McCartney or Brian Wilson, they always talk about the record stores they went into and discovered music,” he said. “Record stores are really important in musical development, and I hope it continues. I don’t like seeing record stores going out of business.”

Where Phoenix record stores like long-time city favorites Circles Records & Tapes — mere blocks away from Revolver — is closing its doors after 38 years of business, Revolver Records is busy carving out a niche for themselves. It’s not just Circles, but a business model that’s disappearing.

“The main reason is because they operate on a business model that worked for 1990, but it doesn’t work for 2010,” he said. “I don’t see that business model working now that you can download individual songs on iTunes. The ones that are dying are the ones that had a corporate mentality, and the ones that are thriving are appealing to music buyers again.”

Revolver’s niche, the same one to which other independent record stores across the country are looking, is why two-thirds of Jordan’s sales come from purchases of vinyl records.

As stores that sold vinyl in their heyday but have since moved exclusively to the CD sputter and collapse, Revolver Records represents a new breed of store: one that embraces the “long dead” format — and embraces their customer base along the way. Despite their love for vinyl, Jordan doesn’t think his customer base is simply antiquated.

“I think it would be foolish to say that most of our customers don’t have an iPod; I think they do,” he said. “I think the reason why people buy records is because it’s so unique, and it’s valuable.”

While the CD may have been easy to listen to, and the MP3 even easier to digest, there’s still an appeal to listening to vinyl, Jordan said.

“There’s a bit of effort involved in records,” Jordan said. “It’s tough to experience a record in tracks, you really experience it as a whole. For me, it’s a whole different experience, and I think that our customers come in for that.”

Austin Joseph performs at V-Tunes 2009

V-Tunes Music Festival, which takes place outside Lake Powell in Big Water, Utah, will be returning for its third year running. Returning to the festival will be Cory Mon & the Starlight Gospel, who will be headlining the event, while Pat and Rosy Maloney, Steven Swift, Austin Joseph, and Easy Joseph will each return for the 2010 iteration of the festival. The one-day event will hit on June 5.

Announced Lineup

Cory Mon & the Starlight Gospel

Pat & Rosy Maloney

Matt Jennings

Dave McGraw & Crow Wing

Steven Swift

Easy Joseph

Sandy Stevens

Lindi & Company

Austin Joseph

In a week, March 24, Australian rock-blues-soul-world musician Harper will feature at the store; tickets are $8 at the door. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

• Check out the Harper show on Facebook

Sister-duo Beliss, who performed in Cedar City during the 2009 southwest tour, will return on March 25. From Portland, Belinda and Melissa Underwood perform an eclectic blend of musical styles and aren’t to be missed. Tickets are available at the door, which opens at 7:30 p.m.

• RSVP to the Beliss show on Facebook

Upcoming Cedar City, Utah concerts

• March 20, 9pm, Worried Minds, Mike’s Tavern (21+)
• March 23, Alwin Nikolai Centennial at Heritage Theater
• March 24, 8pm, Harper at Groovacious Records
• March 25, 8pm, Beliss at Groovacious Records
• April 2, Green-Swift Duo with Bottled Monkey at Toadz
• April 9, Kris Special at Groovacious Records
• April 10, Green-Swift Duo with Kris Special at Toadz
• April 17, Thrift Store Cowboys at Mike’s Tavern

Who are some of your favorite Irish musicians? Share them with us on Twitter or comment below.

• My Bloody Valentine – “To Here Knows When” live at the Fuji Rock Festival ’08
• The High Llamas – “Bach Ze”
• God is an Astronaut – “Infinite Horizons”
• My Bloody Valentine – “Thorn” live at the Fuji Rock Festival ’08
• The High Llamas – “Nomads”
• God is an Astronaut – “The End of the Beginning”
• My Bloody Valentine interview after winning a Classic Album award
• The High Llamas – “Sun Beats Down”
• God is an Astronaut – “All is Violent, All is Bright”

SomaFM features a multitude of stations, and while most of its offerings are electronic in nature, some other notable stations with which I find interest include the recent Noise Pop Radio!, Covers – a station devoted to cover songs, and a dance rock station, PopTron! Across all its stations, SomaFM showcases artists from the obscure to the instantly recognizable.

Where something like last.fm or Pandora may offer some computer-generated discovery, the guided discovery of radio is where it can cull real power. Where most over-the-air radio has fallen into the mundaneness of the mainstream, SomaFM stands strong. For some, the variety may seem overwhelming — but with some time and patience, it transforms from something disparate and unrecognizable to the familiar.