Muse Arts

July 17, 2008

Hipper Than Usher, Hotter Than Duffy: New CDs By Stars To Watch
Review By Mark Beech

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- Usher, Duffy and the Raconteurs are among the new rock artists to have nudged such superstars as Madonna and Prince out of the limelight. Here's an even fresher list of acts to watch that are every bit as good: Fleet Foxes, Jon Regen, Vincent and the Villains, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Josh Fix and Jessie Baylin. Only a few of the thousands of new CDs each year get much radio play, reviews and sales. I listen to about 1,000 a year. Many of the review copies I am sent are mediocre. So it's a rare, savory pleasure to be blown away by a new recording.

The Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut (Sub Pop) looks like a classical release. It has a Bruegel painting on the cover and opens with medieval plainsong. The Seattle act moves rapidly to Beach Boys harmonies, baroque pop and then 1950s doo-wop.

This is a musical smoothie poured out of a blender full of ingredients pinched from the Belmonts, Fairport Convention, Love and Arcade Fire. It gels nicely on tracks such as ``Ragged Wood.''

Most CDs I get are sent from record companies or PR agencies. I'll admit to being wary when an artist pitches material directly -- don't they have someone to do that for them?

This happened in the case of a handwritten note I received from Jon Regen. This pianist's no amateur: His CD ``Let It Go'' (Sandfish) features Andy Summers of the Police and Martha Wainwright. There are hints of Bruce Hornsby and Van Morrison about it and the songwriting lifts it a notch.

Quirky Mix

Josh Fix says he started as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley in San Francisco, sneaking away from work to become a radio DJ. He then became an insurance broker and slept in the office, saving his rent money to buy studio equipment. It's a fun story. Fortunately, the struggle was worth it. His debut ``Free at Last'' (1650 Entertainment) is almost as much fun. His breezy rock, a weird marriage of Queen and Todd Rundgren, flows over some biting words, such as the opener ``Don't Call Me in the Morning,'' where a 9-to-5 job blunts life's meaning.

Jessie Baylin has an uphill struggle to overcome the envy factor: This is a major label debut from a 24-year-old singer- songwriter engaged to Nathan Followill of the Kings of Leon. Her Web site trumpets interviews with Cosmo Girl and quotes reviews comparing her with Norah Jones. Those comparisons are fueled by her collaborations with Jones's songwriter Jesse Harris. The CD ``Firesight'' (Verve Forecast) is beautifully crafted.

It's almost as good in fact as Eileen Rose, whose excellent ``At Our Tables'' (Evangeline) will be re-released later this year with a bonus disc from her live shows.

All CDs at prices from about $12.98 in the U.S. or 8.99 pounds in the U.K. Download rates vary across services.

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