American Vernacular

Call this Americana if you will; standard kinds of jazz songs with blues, rock and bluegrass. This is a San Francisco artist, originally from Milwaukee. This album is a throwback to something, I will tell you that. Songs are mostly in 4/4, very nice. He’s critically acclaimed by institutions like the Village Voice. It’s probably too straightforward for me to play on my show but that shouldn’t stop you. These are mostly songs for men about women, with the exception of one about how he was beaten by his dad. There is a bit of wit in the lyrics from time to time. Songs are mostly bite-size length (3-4 mins.) All are good, like 2,3,9 best.

1 You can look at other people (to turn you on?!), but, ‘Eat at Home’
2 Backing female vocal, very well done
3 More in the alt.country vein
4 Slower, ‘please forgive me’ love song
5 Slower, ‘let’s leave this town’, mixture of country and blues
6 Song about schadenfreude?! Indeed, Mr. Rosh..
7 Find ‘someone with something upstairs’
8 A little like Waits, about drinking
9 Great saxophone, another song about drinking at the end of the day, pretty hot
10 Nightclub jazz, slow, about how his dad beat him and how he would not do that to his children.
11 ‘Beautiful ideal’ ¾, more backing female vocals, bluesy
12 Bluesy.