Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks, Tangled Tales. One
thing’s certain: Dan Hicks has swing, and plenty of swagger. That’s
what sells this latest release from the famed Bay Area songwriter,
twice the subject of a Rolling Stone cover and now living in
Mill Valley. But attitude isn’t everything; the songs and performances
are top-notch, too, in their irreverent, rowdy, even dangerous
distillation of real American music. (Surfdog Records)
Mike Marshall’s Big Trio, Mike Marshall’s Big Trio.
They may look like chamber musicians, but more often than not they
sound like an old-fashioned, albeit exceptionally skilled, folk trio on
mandolin (bandleader Mike Marshall), violin (16-year-old Alex
Hargreaves), and double bass (21-year-old Paul Kowert). Bluegrass roots
bloom into jazz and classical themes, but the underlying sensibilities
prove even prodigies can have fun. (Adventure Music)
Convergence of Robins, Broken Stairs. If you find Xiu
Xiu intriguing yet hard to listen to, Oakland artist Nate Toutjian’s
Convergence of Robins project may be your thing. Toutjian and his
backing musicians paint with pleasingly straightforward and
challengingly avant-garde strokes inside frames shaped by experimental
and minimalist loops. (self-released)
Eoin Harrington, Story. Young, good-looking male
singer-songwriters with acoustic guitars and adult contemporary
radio-ready singles are still a solid sell in the music industry, but
that’s not necessarily a good thing for San Francisco’s Eoin
Harrington. He’s talented and fits the bill, yet offers little to
distinguish himself from countless other would-be John Mayers and Jack
Johnsons. (self-released)
