New music

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, October 2013; written by Lisa Pearson.

We have gotten a flush of new music CDs in at the public library this week, and some of the artists are quite well-known, such as Brad Paisley, India.Arie, John Fogerty and Iris DeMent. Most of the albums, however, are by upcoming talents who may be new to you. Here are some notable additions to the collection.

“Jake Bugg” by Jake Bugg. Don’t let the cover fool you here. He may look like early Justin Bieber, but Bugg’s sound is pure early 60’s. This 19-year-old British guitarist and songwriter pulls his influences from the worlds of rockabilly, folk and blues. Filled with infectious melodies, this is a treat of an album.

“Nation II Nation” by A Tribe Called Red. Three DJs from the Ojibway and Cayuga tribes of Ontario, Canada have blended traditional vocals and drumming with dubstep and hip-hop influences to create a unique dance club sound. On this album they have worked with various Aboriginal drumming groups from across eastern Canada.

“La Bibournoise” by Genticorum. Another Canadian band, Genticorum plays traditional music from Quebec on fiddle, guitar, bass and flute. Like Great Big Sea, they use their own musical arrangements on traditional tunes. The music has a heavy Celtic influence, and will resonate with fans of the Chieftains.

“Every kingdom” by Ben Howard. Howard is a singer-songwriter with a beautiful, light touch on the strings. This is his debut album, and the results are very impressive. The lyrics are powerful and the melodies are quite nice. This CD is very reminiscent of Lindsey Buckingham’s solo effort “Out of the Cradle”, and is just as pleasing to the ear.

“Can you stand the heat” by Ana Popovic. This is a funky album, and I mean that in a good way. Popovic plays a strong guitar and her music is a combination of Chicago blues, soul and funk. She does an excellent job channeling Stevie Ray Vaughn, although her voice is better suited to the mellow R&B tracks on the album. It’s hard to believe she was born in Belgrade, Serbia.

“Nomad” by Bombino. Bombino is another fabulous guitarist with a strong blues sound. A Tuareg from Niger, he infuses his music with North African influences and great rhythms. This is his second studio album, and it was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. It’s a good crossover between world music and blues.

“Dead, Born & Grown” by the Staves. If you’re not crazy about guitar music and you’re looking for something a little bit mellower, this is a good album for you. The Staves are a British folk trio who rely heavily on their beautiful voices and their amazing ability to harmonize. Instruments are in the background as the sweet voices blend on a variety of original compositions.

The public library has over 2,000 CD’s in the collection, representing a wide variety of genres and time periods. It’s well worth browsing through our offerings; you may rediscover a lost favorite or get turned on to a completely new sound. We’re about more than books!