Americana with attitude is the best way to describe the Avett Brothers' music, a sublime blend of folk, country, hillbilly, and lues, swirled through with pop, ock, and a touch of wry punk. In their dreams, it all sounds perfect, but not so much so, they think, when they awake. "Yeah, you deserve the best," they bemoan, not just some "Hand-Me-Down Tune." Well, regrets, we've all had a few, and the Avett Brothers more than some. But if you're going to be filled with "Shame," best to offset your remorse with an incredibly infectious melody. Besides, life is short, and since we're all going to "Die Die Die," we might as well live and love while we can, even if that does just occasionally mean the band must shrug off "All My Mistakes." And love is the paramount emotion of Emotionalism, be it too young (the bouncy "I Would Be Sad"), Spanish-flavored ("Pretty Girl from San Diego"), lues-flecked ("Living of Love"), or exuberant (the British Invasion-styled "Will You Return?"). However, of the many marvelous romantic-themed numbers, the most striking is the romantic tale "The Ballad of Love and Hate," whose opening line, "Love writes a letter and sends it to Hate," immediately grabs your attention. Elsewhere, the band explores other emotions, like the nervousness that infects the otherwise jaunty "Paranoia in B-Flat Major," or the amusing attempts of the band to shrug off the attentions from cities around the country: "Salina" begins in fingerpicking style but ends with evocative classical piano and cello, and "Pretty Girl from San Diego" also shifts tactics from Spanish guitar to a big ock finish. From lullabies to the contrarily rousing singalong party piece "Go to Sleep," the Avett Brothers pick their way through America's folk styles, and deliver them in ways you'd never expect, all wrapped around lyrics, sometimes wry, sometimes dead-serious, but all delivered with the band's signature intensity. A fabulous album from a band that just keeps getting better.
Stelios Phili EDITOR Goodbye Jonas Brothers. There is a new a set of siblings in town - they have beards, drink whiskey, and sound like an indie-country version of Weezer. The aptly titled EP, emotionalism, reaffirms these qualities. From start to finish of the six track EP, we see the boys exploring their emotions concerning the two classics: love and death. "Paranoia in B Flat Major" d...
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NO...not really, but I am really, really bored on a Friday night...saving money is really no fun at all...but thank God for the internet, at least I am able to somewhat amuse myself.Here are 10 things about me that nobody here probably knows...save the one or two of you that I have had one two many drinks with. The soundtrack for tonight's rambling is provided by The Avett Brothers...this is on...
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Now this is a band that more people should be listening to. On the advice of a friend I went and checked out there set at Bonnaroo this past June and was blown away. I was tired and dirty after 3 days straight of performances with Saturday night ahead and all of Sunday so I found a comfortable spot to sit and listen to there set. Three songs in however I found myself making my way toward...
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Stelios Phili EDITOR Goodbye Jonas Brothers. There is a new a set of siblings in town - they have beards, drink whiskey, and sound like an indie-country version of Weezer. The aptly titled EP, emotionalism, reaffirms these qualities. From start to finish of the six track EP, we see the boys exploring their emotions concerning the two classics: love and death. "Paranoia in B Flat Major" d...
More >
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 "Emotionalism")
