Jam Central Station 1.16.10: Buzzworthy CD - Keller Williams - Odd Posted by Jeff Modzelewski on 01.16.2010
This week's highlight is one of my favorite jam band albums from 2009, Odd from Keller Williams
Welcome back to another week of Jam Central Station. I am your resident host and tour guide for the evening (or morning, afternoon, or night, whatever fits). Hope you all had a great week. I also hope that you weren't in Haiti and that no one you know was visiting over there this week. Frightening how an earthquake can pretty much destroy a whole country.
So instead of a profile this week, I wanted to do something different (again). I'm finding that I like to branch out beyond just band profiles, although I enjoy those as well. Instead, I'm gonna take a look at one of my favorite jam albums from last year. Hope you don't mind. Also, make sure to check out the "From The Road" section this week, because I found some great tunes to check out! Anyways, on with the show!
Seeing as how Keller Williams is truly one of the most prolific recording artists of our time, it's no surprise that last year he released the 14th album of his 15 year recording career. His one-syllable album titles often attempt to give the listener a basic feel for what mood he was trying to create with the album, or what genre he was exploring. Laugh is one of his most humorous albums, Dance is a remix album, Grass is a bluegrass collaboration with The Keels, and Stage is one of his live albums. Pretty straightforward, really. But, with a title like Odd, it's not very clear what the listener should expect. Luckily for fans of Keller, the answer is that there's nothing too out there on this album, although a few songs do live up to the title.
The 12 tracks on Odd are a diverse bunch, but they all stick mainly to the basic guitar songwriter style, albeit with some distinctly Keller stylings. There's no bluegrass, hip-hop, or genre-bending on this album, despite the title. That's not to say it's not a diverse album. Lyrically, it's one of Keller's more impressive outings, with a variety of stories to be told, observations to be had, and jokes to be made. In typical Keller style, he brings the listener into his unique stream of consciousness storytelling and usually gets at least a chuckle somewhere along the way.
The opening track is "Environmental Song," a tune backed by drum samples and marked by pretty laid-backed guitar. The song isn't any sort of anti-global warming tirade or anything like that. Instead, Keller makes the point that "we're all gonna die" and encourages living for today. There's some electric guitar on the song, but it's mainly a pretty relaxed song that highlights Keller's vocals more than his guitar.
"Day at the Office" is a look into live on tour with Keller and his crew. This piano-driven song is a great example of Keller's stream-of-consciousness observational storytelling, detailing him going to a gig, not having his guitar, and just wanting to be home with his family. For as much as Keller tours, it's a real insight to hear him song about needing to pay the mortgage, missing his home, and feeling lost on stage. He also gets some great shots the now-defunct Blender magazine for poor reviews. Keller's still around and Blender's gone, so I guess Keller wins that round.
"Spartan Darn It" is another song that takes a couple shots at the touring scene and the people in it. This one is about a promoter who pays with a bad check. The song has more samples and electronic elements than the first two, and has a slightly darker mood to it. "Groove of the Storm" draws parallels between watching a thunderstorm and going to a show. It's another song that rambles a bit, but it also highlights Keller's strengths as a singer-songwriter. The guitar parts aren't overly complicated, but it all comes together nicely.
"Elephorse" is the first song to feature Keller's traditional guitar-attacking style, although the vocals still take center stage over the guitar. The song is Keller's attempted foray into science fiction, and tells the story of Keller riding a two-headed dragon chasing a flying cross between an elephant and a horse and then surfing a wave from Hawaii to Alaska. Interesting to say the least. There's also a slightly veiled reference comparing Sarah Palin to Satan, which is very well done.
"Lost" starts off with a Keller beatbox loop, and goes on to tell the story of losing one's mind. I think most of us can relate to looking for a lighter that's in our hand. The guitar is pretty simple and there's a nice variety of vocal looped vocal effects. It actually turns into a sweet song about his family, with some good comments about how having kids equals losing your mind. "Warning" follows, and is really a lounge song, which doesn't fit too well with the rest of the album. It's not a bad song, but it's not the great lyrically, and it really feels like a diversion instead of a part of a cohesive album.
"Tundra" is a straightforward bluegrass song about Virginia in summer. Apparently Keller isn't a fan of the heat, which makes me wonder why he does so many performances at summer music festivals. The song is fun in a simplistic sort of way. None of the instruments stand out, but it works well. "Ultimate" is another pretty simple song, but it's not as strong lyrically as most of the album. He's basically singing a song about a game of Ultimate Frisbee, but there's not much to the story. It's fun, though.
"Doobie in my Pocket" might be the most entertaining song on the album. Musically it's interesting but not overly complex. The story, however, revolves around a feeling of panic when Keller realizes that he left part of a doobie in the pocket of a shirt that's in a suitcase as he goes through the airport. The level of detailed paranoia is hilarious for anyone who's been in a situation of not wanting to get caught with an offending article (like a joint at an airport) but doesn't have any way of avoiding the situation.
"Ear Infection" is about, fittingly, living with an ear infection. It's a fast paced tune using a traditional band of guitar/drums/bass, and includes some good guitar runs, but it's not a standout song. Luckily, it's also a short song, so, coupled with the fast pace, it doesn't wear out it's welcome. The final track is "Song for Fela," a song dedicated to Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. The song is more electronic than much of the rest of the album, and it has a nice bouncing rhythm. While Keller doesn't include actually include any traditional African instruments in the song, the drum samples and synthesizers that he does use are a good substitute. It almost sounds as if he's using his instruments to imitate the sound of African rhythms without actually using African instruments. It's a pretty neat effect, and it's a good closing song.
One of the best things about Keller is how easy he is to follow. His lyrics are understandable and his stories are usually easy to follow. This album is especially uncomplicated compared to previous releases, with fewer crazy guitar runs and layered loops. His singer/songwriter style on this album reminds me a bit of Tom Petty on this album, but, in reality, he hits a variety of influences on this album while always remaining the Keller that we know and love.
While I don't know if Odd really lives up to it's name, I also don't know what else I would name the album. While Keller doesn't stick exclusively to any single style, he also doesn't venture too far out into unchartered or unexpected territory. In fact, what's unexpected and odd about odd is really what it's missing. When I think of Keller Williams, I tend to think of the wild guitar runs, the crazy electronic loops, and the trademark whistling. None of those elements are present on Odd. So, I guess that what's odd about Odd is that, despite the fact that it doesn't include some of my favorite Keller Williams trademarks, it's still a damn good Keller Williams album.
Wakarusa announces initial lineup!
The announcements for the summer festival season are beginning to roll in. Wakarusa is one of the first of the major festivals to announce their initial lineup. The festival, which takes place at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas, will play host to plenty of festival veterans. Here is the current list of confirmed acts:
STS9, The Disco Biscuits, Slightly Stoopid, John Butler Trio, Blues Traveler, Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa, Bassnectar (late night set), Railroad Earth (2 sets), The Machine performs Pink Floyd (late night set), JJ Grey & MOFRO (2 sets), Lotus (late night set), Rebelution, ALO, Tea Leaf Green (2 sets including a late night), Boombox (2 sets including a late night), Black Joe Lewis (2 sets), Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk (2 sets), EOTO, James Zabiela (late night set), Split Lip Rayfield (2 sets), Hayes Carll, Sub Swara, Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band (2 sets), Trampled by Turtles (2 sets), Wookiefoot (late night set), Mishka, Big Gigantic, Truth & Salvage Co., Fort Knox Five (2 sets), Mountain Sprout (2 sets), Band of Heathens, Last Waltz Ensemble (2 sets), Cash'd Out, Earl Greyhound (2 sets), Bluetech (sunrise set), Uglysuit (2 sets), Passafire (2 sets), Simplified, Hoots & Hellmouth (2 sets), Resident Anti-Hero
Wanee Festival Lineup!
The Wanee Festival, set for April 16 and 17 in Live Oak, Florida (with a kick off party on the 15th) announced their lineup this week! The festival will be headlined by two nights of the Allman Brothers Band, along with two nights of Widespread Panic, Gov't Mule, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Stephen Stills, The Black Keys, Bob Weir Rob Wasserman & Jay Lane Are Scaring the Children, 7 Walkers featuring Bob Kreutzmann & Papa Mali, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, The Wailers, North Mississippi All Stars, Particle, Col. Bruce Hampton, and many many others. Tickets go on sale this Friday, and start at $158. That is one amazing deal for all of those bands.
Celebrate Phil Lesh's 70th birthday with Further
Further will celebrate Phil Lesh's 70th birthday on March 12 with a show at the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco. Fans can get mail-order presale tickets, and tickets go on sale to the general public on January 22. Proceeds are going to benefit the relief efforts in Haiti.
Bear Creek Festival announces lineup!
While it's not really a summer festival, the Bear Creek Festival announced their lineup. Bear Creek takes place November 12-14, also in Live Oaks, Florida. Confirmed artists include Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Lettuce, Soulive, Toubab Krewe, Zach Deputy, and others. Headliners are still to be announced. Pre-sale tickets are available now at the discount price of $99!
Simon and Garfunkel to headline New Orleans Jazz Fest
In a bit of a surprise announcement, Simon and Garfunkel will perform at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on April 24. Most of the lineup was released a couple of weeks ago, so the addition of another big name act like Simon and Garfunkel was unexpected. This is currently the only U.S. performance for Simon and Garfunkel scheduled for this year. Other artists scheduled to be at the Jazz Festival include Pearl Jam, Aretha Franklin, the Allman Brothers Band, and Widespread Panic.
Trey to preview potential new Phish songs
Trey is heading out with his classic Trey Anastasio Band next month, and fans should expect plenty of new music. Along with a variety of songs from previous TAB and Phish albums, Trey says that the band will be bringing "a lot of new material to the table." Trey also pointed out that plenty of Phish songs, such as Bug, Heavy Things, and Backwards Down the Number Line were originally performed as TAB songs before being taken on by Phish.
New Hendrix material to be released
Sony will be releasing the first album in a series of unreleased Jimi Hendrix recordings later this year. The first, Valleys of Neptune comes from the final recording sessions of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The recording has circulated in bootleg fashion in the past, but this is the first fully mastered officially released version of the recordings. Along with a variety of original songs, the album also features covers of "Bleeding Heart" and "Sunshine of Your Love."
Grace Potter to play Sundance
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals will play at the Sundance Film Festival on January 28 and 29. The band will be playing songs from their first two albums, as well as playing select tunes from their upcoming self-titled album.
In other Grace Potter news, the band will be covering Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" (a concert staple for the band) for the Almost Alice album. The album isn't a soundtrack to the upcoming Tim Burton version of "Alice in Wonderland," but it is meant to serve as a "companion" to the film and includes songs inspired by the story.
Quick plug for a buddy of mine. If you're in Columbus today (Saturday the 16th), come down to Victoria's Midnight Café at 251 W. 5th Avenue (at Neil) and check out the Groove Prophets. Cover is cheap and the show starts at 9. I'm still amazed that the kid who lived across the street from me is making such good music. I'm gonna take some credit since I sold Don his first guitar. Anyways, come check these guys out, and, until next week, Jam On!
