Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong, 6/7/11

I am beyond excited for the new record from Dawes, entitled Nothing Is Wrong, set to be released on June 7th (ATO). I bought their first album North Hills on a whim about a year and a half ago, and while it was a slow builder for me, it has probably been the album I have listened to more than any other over that time period.

Beyond great songwriting, it is tough to say exactly what makes me love this band so much. They have definitely got the fraternal harmonies going for them, in a way that only people who share 25% of their DNA can. However, for me I think it is more of the mood that they convey in their music. They sing about home and the West and all of the things that I idealize excessively, so I suppose you could say that I am their target demographic.

Dawes - "If I Wanted Someone"























What I have not yet figured out is just how big these guys are going to get from this record. In a past decade of radio dominance, "When My Time Comes," off of North Hills, would have catapulted them to megastardom. However, in the oversaturated market of today, they remain a bit under the radar, but with a growing popularity, especially after the recent touring as part of Middle Brother. What remains to be seen is whether they will be able to crack the mainstream market with a few radio hits, perhaps becoming the flagbearers of American rock a la Tom Petty, or if they will rather take the path of becoming "indie big" a la the Avett Brothers or Wilco. Yes, I know Wilco seems more than indie big, but if you have doubts, I can take you to a room full of seventy-five 18-20 year-olds in Odessa, and you'd be lucky if 2 of them had heard of Wilco. Yet I digress...

You can find various tracks around the web from the new album, including a few free downloads. KUT recently featured "Time Spent in Los Angeles" as their free song of the day on iTunes. You can also get a free download of "If I Wanted Someone" off of the band's Web site, where you can also pre-order the new record. Don't expect for this to be the last you hear from me about this album.

3 albums I wish you were listening to

Ha Ha Tonka - Death of a Decade
























I've been interested in Ha Ha Tonka for a while, and have generally liked their stuff, but I have not owned a full album of theirs until Death of a Decade. This album brings it all around for me. Further proof that Bloodshot Records still knows what they are doing.

Songs of note: "Made Example of" and "Lonely Fortunes"



Dolorean - The Unfazed
























For one reason or another, Dolorean fell off my radar the past few years. They are back. Al James is simply brilliant. Partisan made a great decision putting this record out.

Songs of note: "Thinskinned" and "Hard Working Dogs"



Middle Brother - Middle Brother
























I approached the record as a big fan of Dawes & Deer Tick, but not a lot of familiarity with Delta Spirit. Thus, while the odds were in the record's favor, I still had reservations about how well they could pull off an entire record without drifting off into some John McCauley-led debauchery halfway through.

That said, I gave the record a couple of listens on the way down to SXSW, and while I liked a number of tracks, I didn't completely connect with the record as a whole. Enter the Partisan Party at SXSW, where Middle Brother & Johnny Corndawg brought the house down in one of the better performances of the festival, and I grabbed a spot on the Middle Brother bandwagon. This album is strong all the way through.

Songs of note: "Mom and Dad," "Blood and Guts," and "Someday" (and basically every other song)