The Tom Fun Orchestra - You Will Land With A Thud

Aside from having one of the coolest album titles ever, these guys make some of the coolest music off the mainstream path. To sum them up in a word, The Tom Fun Orchestra is a "blender" band. They cull their musical influences from such vast and far-reaching genres (folk, rock, country, blues, roots) and artists (Tom Waits, for sure) that their resultant sound is one unlike anything you've ever heard before. No doubt, you'll recognize pieces and parts of myriad hitmakers who have come before them, but Tom Fun Orchestra puts all those pieces and parts back together in an odd and refreshing way that leaves you feeling a little confused, like maybe this music is a little too hip and cool for you, but then you realize that there's a nerdiness to it all that seems to open its arms like a giant bearhug holding all the world together as one. Okay, that may be overstating it just a bit, but you get the point nonetheless. What I'm trying to say here is that the music is so inclusive of conflicting genres and song structures that it excludes no one from its potential pool of listeners. If the vocals come off a little rough at first, just give it a few more minutes, it'll grow and change. And that seems to be the constant theme of the album: "growth and change." Every song has its own little existence and groove, but yet they all fit perfectly onto the collective album. And it's no mistake that the word "fun" is part of the band's name; this is a party album! They're not all hooks and grooves and bouncing basslines, (in fact none of them are) but rather just good, fun, upbeat-tempo, get-off-your-bum-and-try-something-new type of tunes. I've listened to this album for weeks at a time over the last few years, and it never gets old - it never even gets older. It's just as fresh, fun and new as the first day I picked it up. Goes well with Crooked Fingers and a party hat... and a feather boa... and a glass of champagne... and jelly beans. In short, don't bottle it up in a pair of headphones; let this one breathe.

Highlights: "When You Were Mine" and "Throw Me To The Rats"

Have Gun, Will Travel - Postcards From The Friendly City

Just released in February, this is perhaps the most recent selection to hold my heart captive. Mostly well-defined by the term "folk", Postcards From The Friendly City has something else going on, which may be called "alt-country" in some circles, even though it's more progressive than most alt-country bands that exist today. Reminds me a good deal of the Deer Tick War Elephant album I posted a few weeks back, which isn't terribly surprising, given that both bands are signed to Suburban Home Records, who also represents some of my other favorite singer/songwriters Chuck Ragan and Tim Barry. (Note to readers: If you ever find an indie band you like, always check out who else is on their label - there's likely a few more you'll enjoy. Saddle Creek Records is a good example.) Hailing from Tampa (I know, who'd have thought?), Have Gun, Will Travel (HGWT) have a sound more representative of Memphis than mid-Florida. What's interesting is that this band just sort of came together with one member at a time, creating a fuller sound with each new player. Those players are: Matt Burke (voice, guitar, harmonica, occasional banjo), Daniel Burke (stand-up/elec. bass, voice), JP Beaubien (drums, percussion), Joshua "The Violation" Hernandez (viola, mandolin), and Scott "Fats" Anderson (elec. guitar, lap steel). The lyrics are really honest, the music is pretty straight-forward, and all of the songs are played in a really loose, live sort of way, which seems to capture the essence of HGWT pretty well. This isn't big music for a big venue, but rather exactly what I have in mind when I think of the perfect bar band, and I don't say that as an insult at all. What I mean is that these are really well-crafted, thoughtful songs that are better suited to a smaller, more thoughtful audience, that's all. And I must warn you: It's a catchy album! So, if you're the kind of person who tends to hear a hook and hum it out loud the rest of the day, just beware. Goes well with The Felice Brothers, The Avett Brothers, or just about any other brotherly bands.

Highlights: "Salad Days" and "Asa Dalton"