Quick Hits, Vol. 21 (Tweedy, Nehruviandoom, Aretha Franklin, Angaleena Presley)

My spell-check does not condone any of the band names (or two of the album names) in this posting.

Tweedy - Sukierae.  Man, if it wasn't obvious before that Jeff Tweedy is the reason for Wilco being good, this album spells it out in black and white.  In usual low-key fashion, these are Wilco-esque gentle rockers based on Tweedy's great voice, basic drums, and a simple guitar/bass line or two.  The "group" is Tweedy and his son on drums - from the Rolling Stone article I read a few months ago, that's the whole band.  But this totally sounds like a chilled Wilco album, and its a fine disc to enjoy in the background of a day.

Nehruviandoom - NehruvianDOOM.  MF Doom is badass.  I've been listening to his weird, offkilter beats and raps since he did Madvillainy with Madlib in 2004.  That album is cool as hell, using clips from movies and completely original sounds to weave a consistently great sound.

This new album is a collaboration with teenager rapper Bishop Nehru - which opens with a mish-mash of sounds and samples, including one clever sample of the scene in Aliens when Bishop (the android) plays his knife point game with Bill Paxton:

This album is freaking fantastic.  Cool, original beats built from samples, sounds, and thump, with Nehru's laid back flow over the top.  I've never heard of Nuhru, but am going to hunt down his other work to listen to later.  In usual DOOM style, there are strange interludes here and there with some kind of 70's soul sounding instrumental under some movie/show clip of a dude talking about something random.  "Mean the Most" delivers a minutes long dialogue at the end.  Weird, but I like it.  I think my favorite track on the album is "Om."

Cool, right?  This project is the good stuff.  Keeping this thing around for a while.

Aretha Franklin - Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics.  I get that any self-respecting music nerd is supposed to respect the greats.  I should gush over the fact that Aretha is still out there blaring her killer voice for the world to hear.  Adele and Sinead (diva classic?) are cool, but these versions are weaker for sure than the original.  I mean, good for her that she is still making that dough and doing her thing.  But none for me, thanks.

Angaleena Presley - American Middle Class.  Reminds me of the excellent album from Kacey Musgraves a few years ago.  A little Sheryl Crow too.  Country (kinda bluesy as well) in sound and tone, but with modern subjects and lyrics.  She still mentions things like Jesus and hard times and gettin' knocked up, but she also talks about weed and "meth-whores."  I like "Grocery Store," a song going through the other patrons on a Tuesday night at the local grocery. Paints a real picture of people in regular world.  I also liked "Dry County Blues," a tale of the crap-world of living somewhere that doesn't sell booze.  She is a third of the group called Pistol Annies (with Miranda Lambert), but I've never heard their music.  Her solo stuff is solid - a fine take on modern country that isn't painfully cheesy, bro-fest rock-country.