95 North. . . The Newspaper

Sufjan Stevens, the guy who's in tune with the inner working of the heart, has a song for us this independence day: "Fourth of July", off of his excellent 2015 album Carrie & Lowell . The album itself is a reflection on Sufjan's turbulent childhood, with images of his mother dying her hair and smoking cigarettes in the bathroom, leaving him at the video store when he was 5, day drinking, and other similar scenes filling the contents of the record. In this context, "Fourth of July", a song about her death, finds itself placed right in the middle of the album- constituting the heart of the Carrie & Lowell project. The song is carried by a hauntingly beautiful piano melody that seems to sweep right through you- delicate, yet strong in the sense that it all but demands a wide-eyed introspection of some sorts. Here, Sufjan encounters his emotions, a vivid imagination, and the natural world as he retells the story of his mothers death. He imagine...

Phoebe Bridgers had been circling around the L.A singer-songwriter scene for a few years. It was inevitable that her talent would see her through- with an ear for melody and class A writing skills, Bridgers steadily attracted the attention of many- and unfortunately, that of Ryan Adams. Adams, who was revealed by the New York Times to be at best, a manipulative, misogynistic, and coercive force (see the article  here ) that dangled record deals and studio time for talented young women like Bridgers. In this context, "Motion Sickness" is a song that recounts an ill-fated, manipulative relationship with an older man. A few steady sweeps of an electric guitar greet us at the start of the song, sending the whole enterprise in motion, down the sidewalk, down memory lane, down a reflective L.A. street lit with regret, anger, and just enough catharsis to roll everything downhill.

Jason Isbell certainly has a penchant for writing detailed, heartbreaking country-tinged folk tunes. For perhaps his saddest, look no further than "Elephant" off of his excellent 2013 album Southeastern . Although this is a song specifically about cancer, like the best written songs, it is about so much more: denial, substance abuse, communication, and the valuing of human connections in the midst of suffering. Vivid details color the track: sitting on a bar stool, doctors notes, country songs. You can picture the relationship between the two in the song- not talking about the cancer- drinking in bars- both their minds covered over with the gloss of sickness, drinking, and unsaid words. Pair it with Isbell's sweet n' sad southern drawl and minor chord guitar patterns, and out comes this tear jerking classic from a master songwriter.

About two weeks ago, I attended church the day directly after the Pride parade in Middletown, CT. I tend to remember bits and pieces of the sermon each week, and what stuck with me this particular Sunday was this proclamation: "shame is the number one inhibitor of joy in our lives". That message was relevant in light of the weeks festivities. First Church had a large presence on Main Street in Middletown for the Pride event, including but not limited to a booth, a float/marchers, and the handing out of stickers that read "God Loves You- and so do we". A brochure read "A little off Main St. . . in more ways than one", which represents a clever hint that weds our location (Court st, right off Main) and the church's bold open and affirming stance to all sexual and gender identities. This celebration of the full spectrum of humanity, one that inched my heart forward towards possessing a sort of general love and acceptance of all people, brought to ...

Sitting around the house- cold night- haven't posted since June. Here are some songs that have me feelin' some type of way right now: "Luna" by the Smashing Pumpkins: Ah, the melodrama, as Pumpkins lead singer guides us through a heavy, melodic haze steered by a a clean strummed electric. He poses a series of questions: what do we do for those we love? How do we express that love? Sometimes you gotta take a chance, and say it somehow. "Beautiful Loser" by Bob Seeger: Ain't we all beautiful losers? Wanting the wisdom of the elderly and the dreams of a young gun. Wanting to explore the world like Jack Keroac somehow paired with the domestic tranquility of an afternoon with the kids and the two car garage. Bob knows we can't have it all. Hear all about it here, served to us with the steak, eggs, and potatoes Midwestern rock of Bob Seeger. "Emaline" Ben Folds Here, Ben Folds does what he is good at: banging solo on the piano, find...

Columbia recording artist Bob Dylan's been slinging out the alt-takes, b-sides, throwaways, covers, live versions, and other unreleased tunes on the Bootleg Series since 1991. Of course, a bootleg ain't a bootleg if it is released officially, but I digress. If there's one thing that the series has proven, it is that often Dylan's best versions of his songs are left off the albums. . . and sometimes even the best songs are scratched, left in the backyard as Bob turns the lights out (I'm looking at you, "Blind Willie McTell"). Point is, the Bootleg series is rich with material, and Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Volume 8 , is about as good as it gets. Chronicling the era between 1989's Oh Mercy and 2006's Modern Times , Tell Tale  affords listeners a front road seat next to Dylan on his journey away from the burned out- leather jacket 80s to the ultimate bluesman, the songsmith so steeped in Americana that the man and the characters that po...

Polar brings that springtime refreshment to CT The trees are green, the flowers are booming, the grass is growing, and the whistles of track and field coaches are ringing throughout Connecticut. Here is a quick review of ten songs I've been listening to recently: "Percy Faith" by Damien Jurado: As a single released before the streaming debut of his new album The Horizon Just Laughed , on "Percy Faith" Jurado channels his folk roots, 50's and 60's easy listening grooves, and rainbow-bright keys. Easy listening music icons and Arizona news anchors are referenced with ease- the song floats along- as the last verse condemns the modern world for "knowing everything but no one at all". This letter to the past couldn't more beautiful and easy.  "My Body" David Bazan : Big Dave writes about the mind/body connection, or perhaps, disconnection. Here, Bazan evokes an ancient idea: we know what's good for us, but we don...

For my enjoyment, recently I've been listening to and thinking about my favorite lines from Bob Dylan songs. Viewed from this lens, his songs are interesting- there always seems to be a line or two even from his lesser celebrated songs that really sticks out to me- reverberates in my head- rattles the cage a bit- or gives me something to chew on. Today, I put  Bob Dylan on "shuffle" and participated in this "favorite line" exercise. Lucky for me, the first song that came up was "Froggie Went A-Courtin'", which is actually an ancient English folk tune that finds its roots in the 16th century. It must be a great song. It's been around for that long. Staying power. Without further ado: "Froggy Went A-Courtin'" : A little piece of cornbread laying on the shelf/ if you want any more you can sing it yourself "Idiot Wind":   She inherited a million bucks/ And when she died it came to me/ I can't help it if I'm...

Rust Never Sleeps: Neil Young live. Courtesy Getty Images "Powderfinger" may be Neil Young's best song. In a few short minutes, Young manages to paint an evocative picture that is cinematic in its scope- place, setting, theme, backstory- it's all there as Young tells the story (in first person) of a young man that encounters war, death, and violence admist the backdrop of a small town life, filled with family tragedy and everyday musings. "Powderfinger" can be heard in two formats: first, there's the revved up electric version that Young cut with his band Crazy Horse. Of course, Young's got the heart-wrenching acoustic version in his back pocket as well. Both can be heard below. Most impressive of all is Young's ability to communicate, deeply, the tragedy of an early death on a river town. While the song is filled with specifics, it manages to be general enough- and finds it place in the Vietnam War or perhaps the American Civil War in eq...

Here at 95 North , we love Bob Dylan and Kendrick Lamar. While Bobby won a Nobel Prize for literature in 2017, we were all elated to discover that Kendrick Lamar's got one now, too. Recently, Lamar won the Pulitzer prize for music. Noticeably, he is the first non-jazz/non-classical musician to win the prize, according to the  New Yorker . To honor the occasion, click  here  to read 95 North's overview of the best of Kendrick Lamar, who, along with Bob Dylan, write some of the best American music my ears have been lucky enough to take in. I've been educated, enthralled, mystified, appropriately saddened and enlivened (emotional intelligence?), and generally enriched by the music of these two human beings for a long time. Educated: Lamar-"Institutionalized" Enthralled : Lamar- "DNA" Mystified : Lamar- "Duckworth" Saddened : Lamar-"Sing About Me (I'm Dying of Thirst) Enlivened : Lamar- "Money Trees" Enriched : Lamar- ...

Ryan Adams is a rare talent- a generation X Neil Young- and a singer/songwriter who can rattle off a melody effortlessly. Like Uncle Neil, Adams has built a strong back catalog full of hard rockers, folkly tunes, country waltzes, and delicate piano songs. "Night Birds", from his 2005 album  29  is of the soft piano variety, but it packs as much of an emotional punch as anything a power chord is capable of. The piano steps along the timeline of life, here, zooming in on a reflection of a particular point in Adams' life (29 was a loose concept album with a song about each year of his 20's) with poignancy. "Night Birds" invites you in Adam's head, where sad scenes play out, where the desire for something better is transparent as the clear waves of the ocean on a moonlit night.

Below is a list of album's I'd like to review. I tried to exclude album's I've already discussed here, such as John Prine's Fair and Square , Lauryn Hill's MTV Unplugged , Beck's  Sea Change , SZA's  Ctrl , and Dylan's  P lanet Waves  (not including overviews of  Kendrick Lamar ,  Neil Young ,  The Drive By Truckers , and  the great Jason Isbell ). Some of these albums were youthful obsessions, others; classics I feel need revisiting. Album Artist Funeral Arcade Fire Rubber Soul The Beatles The White Album The Beatles Rockin’ the Suburbs Ben Folds Silent Alarm Bloc Party Desire Bob Dylan Legend (Greatest Hits) Bob Marley The Undisputed Truth Brother Ali Nebraska Bruce Springsteen There’s Nothing Wrong with Love Built to Spill The Greatest Cat Power A Rush of Blood to the Head Coldplay Be Common Deja Vu CSNY Ghost of David Damien Jurado Channel Orange Fran...