Bloggerhythms

Even though I grew up with the generation that let their "freak flag fly" (thank you for that, David Crosby) the musicians of that era seldom used language that was considered inappropriate in polite society on their recordings. Steppenwolf's "The Pusher" used a word similar to "darn" along with the deity's name and John Lennon used the English language's most infamous four letter word on "Working Class Hero" from his LP, Plastic Ono Band . Nils Lofgren employed the same word in "I Had Too Much" from Grin's first album. Billy Joel dropped it in one of his attempts to win over critics on "Laura" from The Nylon Curtain . There may have been a couple more examples but not many. Call me old, stodgy, out of touch, narrow-minded, or whatever insult suits you, but the current generation of musicians seems to have no qualms about using this word that begins with the sixth letter of the alphabet quite routinely i...

A little late, here are Bloggerhythms' picks for the best releases of 2012. 1 – The Avett Brothers – The Carpenter The country-rocking outfit from North Carolina does it again with their second terrific album in a row. The banjo driven "Live and Die" couldn't be more catchy if it tried and you really need to listen to the great power-pop treat, "I Never Knew You." Most of the album is country music with a rock attitude. Great arrangements, songs, and vocals are everywhere. Rick Rubin has really turned the brothers into stars. Details here . 2 – Brandi Carlile – Bear Creek Carlile's always mature song-writing blooms into full adulthood on this, her fourth, full length, studio album. Reflecting on her childhood and sometimes demonstrating a spiritual side she never displayed before the young singer-songwriter and her ever-present cohorts, the Hanseroth twins, gave us a top notch set of inward looking, philosophical songs. The ballads are sw...

England's Mumford & Sons have quickly become an international sensation by mining the same musical territory as North Carolina's excellent Avett Brothers. While the band's lineup suggests they are true folkies their high energy music is frequently not for the faint of heart. Together the quartet plays a unique synthesis of rock and folk. Leader Marcus Mumford's down home banjo picking and Winston Marshall's dobro are ably assisted by Ted Dwane on bass and Ben Lovett on keyboards. The four mates don't play their instruments in quiet coffee houses where you can hear a feather drop on the floor during a set. Instead, the Mumford men play music with a kick that is readily apparent on Babel , their successful followup to 2009's rookie release, Sigh No More . They're also serious lyricists with a profound confessional tone so fans of singer-songwriters will also find something appealing in their music too. Babel doesn't suffer from the sopho...