The contemporary music appreciation thread

So, this should get a few laughs...

When browsing this forum, one could be mistaken that no decent music was made by any artist that started their career after 1980. Of course, we all know that a lot of good contemporary music is still being made, it just doesn't make it into the top 40 anymore. At least, I as a 36 year old have trouble identifying 99% of the songs that are currently in the Billboard top 100 (or it's Dutch counterpart, 'De Nederlandse Top 40').

Now, granted, I don't listen much to the radio at all and when I do it's likely an oldies station. So most of the discoveries I make are through music forums or the occasional Spotify recommendation.

So what I'd like to do is to post about a video a day of a song or artist that deserves a bit more attention. Of course, this might not be nearly as exciting as the 50th anniversary edition of an album we've al bought 7 times already, or the 48th archival release by Neil Young but I'm curious to see how it goes.

Anyway, the first artist I'd like to put in the spotlight is Israel Nash Gripka (who now goes by the moniker Israel Nash). I first came across Israel Nash when I saw his second album in the record store, titled Barn Doors and Concrete Floors. The album cover was very similar in style to that of CSNY's Deja Vu:



Now, at first, I though this fella was related to Graham Nash, or that it was some new supergroup with three guys, of which one was Graham Nash.

It was not. Israel Nash is actually from Missouri and after moving to New York in 2006, released his first solo album in 2009, called New York Town. This 2011 follow up is clearly inspired by Neil Young since it's recorded in a barn, on all analog equipment. You can even hear a dog barking on one of the songs. His record company, Continental Song City, is actually Dutch and released a live album with a making of DVD of Barn Doors. The live album was actually recorded in the Netherlands (and released) without him being aware. It's a decent live album, with a nice cover of Neil Young's Revolution Blues.

My favorite song from the album is Drown, which has a bit of a 'The Band' feel in terms of the lyrics:


The official video is a bit silly and has a string intro and outro that's not on the album:
Israel Nash Gripka - Drown - YouTube

So... share your thoughts!

 

I was hoping for a little more discord here, but I suppose the time zone doesn't help either

Anyway, next up is an artist I discovered on my honeymoon. Back in 2010 I found out that Dave Rawlings Machine were playing the Take Root Festival in Groningen, in the North of the Netherlands. I had wanted to see Gillian Welch live in concert for ages, only to find out it coincided with my honeymoon. Fortunately we were only a one hour drive away from the venue and my fiancée really liked the idea, so we went (that's why I married her).

Now, apart from Dave Rawlings Machine (which coincided with Wilco's concert, which I gladly missed for what can only be described as one of the best concerts I ever attended), other artists like Carrie Rodriguez, Iron & Wine, Old Crow Medicine Show and Phosphorescent were also playing. The latter I had never heard of, but I really dug his style. At the time he just had released the follow up to his album To Willie (Which is a Willie Nelson Cover album), called Here's to Taking it Easy. Although I didn't catch all of the concert, it was enough to convince me to buy the latest album, there and then.

The song Los Angeles is probably my favorite from the album:

 

Don’t have a lot of time right now but a great song I love by Phosphorescent is one called Song For Zula.

 

2011 is still quite old, isn't it. Just bought myself some 21st century music by the Deaf. And it's from the Hague and sounds like 1966: the Deaf
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mLPBNhSsh4un57MBbC3BaWJrBDl91cMcg

 

Well, I would consider any artist that started their career after 2000 contemporary, certainly if they are still active today.

I mean, 2000 is still almost 40 years after the first Beatles, Stones and Dylan music. And more than 30 years after the first Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd or The Band album.

 

A wonderful bassist, my favorite of this time and wish he had a little more recognition. But it the meantime one of his I enjoy so much



Adam Ben Ezra ‎– Pin Drop
Label:
Ropeadope ‎– RAD-340
Format:
CD, Album
Country:
Israel
Released:
19 May 2017
Genre:
Jazz

 

I write a music blog (in my sig) that covers about 90% new records. Here's one of my favorites from the last couple of years

Saint Cloud by Waxahatchee

 

I'll start with this one just literally discovered on Sunday, b/c there is a relation to what OP posted in opening.
Joana Serrat - Dripping Springs

and, the coincidence....
Israel Nash produced it! Also sings backing vocals & plays guitar.

"For her fourth album in five years, Joana Serrat travelled from her home in Vic, Barcelona to the Texas Hill Country outside Austin. There she teamed up with Israel Nash at his Plum Creek Sound studio near the town of Dripping Springs. For the recording sessions Nash and Serrat corralled a stellar crew of musicians: Joey and Aaron McClellan, (Midlake, BNQT, John Grant, Israel Nash), Eric Swanson and Josh Fleischmann (Israel Nash), Dave Simonett (Trampled By Turtles) and Dennis Love (Futurebirds), as well as Nash himself providing additional guitar and backing vocals. Israel Nash produced the album, with Ted Young (Grammy award winner for The Rolling Stones) on engineering and mixing duties. The resulting album - which Joana named after the local town - is unsurprisingly Joana Serrat’s most Americana album to date."



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Bhu0HcaOY - Unnamed

Based on OP's first post:
Re: Mention of The Band, recommend The Felice Brothers, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band - "Outer South". Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, as well as solo. Ray Lamontagne also puts out different material on each record, not strictly blues rock some of it more americana, folk, country & so, too Sturgill Simpson not being strictly country. - There's currently a lot of genre-busting/blending occurring, making for some very intriguing music. - Further, for discovery of contemporary music here, members do initiate threads, particularly "Best New Albums of (insert year) & Favorite of (insert year). Not how I rely on new music discovery, but do participate. Also started as dedicated artists' threads. So, contemporary music is not completely overlooked around here, though I think it would be a fair estimation to say it's not heavily weighted percentage-wise. I'd seen this new thread yesterday, but waited to see if anyone else participated b/c that opening post had some sarcastic elements to it & so, wasn't certain if this was seriously about new music, or yet another new music stinks thread, which seem to crop up weekly to the point of being completely tedious & detrimental to new music discovery - particularly rather obnoxious for a music forum - but fortunately, there are those which are not so biased.
Hope your thread finds good footing!

 

Nice choice. I knew when I pre-ordered Saint Cloud last year that it would be winding up on many year end best-of's lists. I'd been listening to samples from several preceding releases for a month or so & just @ the time Walking Proof was announced, had revisited - after hearing 2 samples, pre-ordered immediately. Also watched a ticketed live-stream of Saint Cloud performed from home, as well as Ivy Tripp & another early on last year. Just last month caught another ticketed live-stream show of Saint Cloud - 1 year anniversary - w/full band... All excellent!

Tied w/Lilly Hiatt - Walking Proof for my favorites of 2020. 2020 was a very good year - for new music! Caught 2 ticketed livestream events, 1 solo & 1 w/full band... Also, all excellent!

 

I discovered Kevin Morby through his record company Dead Oceans, which is also the home of Phosphorescent, one of my other favorite contemporary artists. The record in question was City Music, which was actually his fourth album. The first two albums were released through Woodsist. Morby started his career with Woods in the mid zeroes as a bass player before releasing his first solo album, Harlem River in 2013.

The title track is my favorite cut from the album and a crowd favorite during live concerts, where he typically plays it during the encore:


I consider his 2019 album Oh My God as his most accomplished one, but I'll get to that later.

 

I really like Bartees Strange, his debut album Live Forever was one of my favourites from 2020 and I think he's somebody who should really get more attention.

Here's some tracks.

 

There have been some great releases, in my opinion over the last few years.

Devin Townsend - Empath 2019
A wonderful hybrid of music styles, blended beautifully into a musical journey. The 2020 5.1 mix is excellent, and really draws you into the feel of it.
The Order Of Magnitude bluray concert is also a great journey that runs the gamut of emotions and feelings ... and even includes the surprising feel good cover of Disco Inferno

Transatlantic - The Absolute Universe 2021
An epic, as Transatlantic tend to deliver, but musically very satisfying. Again the 5.1 is very good, though most folks think the rears need a little raise in volume.

Nick Cave
From 2013 to this year, we have had the sublime Push The Sky away. The haunting Skeleton Tree. The reflective Ghosteen.
The new album, Carnage seems to tie all of that up in a bow. Available on streaming with physical copies coming out soon.

Lots and lots more...

Some great music floating about the place

 

“Morning in America”⸻Durand Jones & the Indications
℗2O19

 

Kevin Morby is Katie Crutchfield's (stage name, Waxahatchee, who a couple of us have mentioned) companion/boyfriend. He performed a couple of songs on at least 1 of the livestream shows from their home last year @ close of show.
Katie appears in some of his music videos.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22Q_Ec0V2OQ&list=OLAK5uy_lbd2qQ7gHg4wk8Q_wJQmU_shQvToS68e8&index=4 - Kevin Morby "Campfire" music video

 

I’m enjoying this gem:

 

Amanda Shires

Enjoying both very much of late:
To The Sunset
Down Fell The Doves


Another of contemporary americana's music dynamic duo's, Amanda, accomplished singer-songwriter & fiddle player in her own history, is married to Jason Isbell. She is also in supergroup The Highwomen w/Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris & Natalie Hemby.

- from Down Fell The Doves, live performance of The Drop and Lift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pZRp2HElNw - Break Out The Champagne from To The Sunset

 

Re: Artists whose sounds very much bear their influcences (like Kevin Morby sounding quite Dylan-esque).
The influences are interwoven as does occur, it's just some you hear it more present, while they bring their own spins to update, as well. So, I'll include here:

Aaron Lee Tasjan
His sounds vary from Tom Petty to Harry Nilsson to Roy Orbison. He seems to be garnering great(er) attention from his latest album Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! just released Feb. 5, 2021.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtMoButGyj8&list=PLe-WQQHddpPM1-VPiuBdt8UxaMtafMSwg - Hard Life, from Silver Tears (2016)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HdvZHL3zU8&list=PLe-WQQHddpPM1-VPiuBdt8UxaMtafMSwg&index=3 - Memphis Rain

P.S. to OP & others who like the americana/folk-y, roots, alternative country stuff, recommend signing up for newsletters - New West Records & blogs: Twangville & No Depression for continuing discoveries:
New West Records Store
Twangville – A music blog featuring Alt-Country, Americana, Indie, Rock, Folk & Blues. Est. 2005.
The Journal of Roots Music - No Depression

 

@Harm1985

All great artists you posted, you should be able to them and more here:

Americana Lovers, Unite!

 

Sarah Jarosz
"Johnny"
from Grammy winning 2020 album "World On The Ground"

Sarah Jarosz' debut was in 2009. I have followed her work since 2011, have seen her live a couple of times, phenomenal talent - great songwriter, storyteller, singer, multinstmentalist.

 

World On The Ground was another terrific 2020 release!
Sarah Jarosz also has a new release scheduled for May 7th, of her Blue Heron Suite recordings. Pre-orders are available now = placed mine about a week & 1/2 ago.
Sarah Jarosz To Release New Project, 'Blue Heron Suite'
Sarah Jarosz - Rounder Records (pre-orders)

Also, just in time, if you're interested - tonight is 1st of 2 livestream events & this one is for World On The Ground, performance in full. The next is full performance of Blue Heron Suite on May 9th. Tonight's show does expressly state w/full band, the May 9th show doesn't so stipulate, so IDK if it is, or if solo, acoustic performance. Have viewed other livestreams on Mandolin, all VG++!
Sarah Jarosz - World On The Screen
2 Shows: Thursday, April 29th & Sunday, May 9th 7:30 PM/CT, 8:30 PM/EST
Platform: Mandolin. Replay (w/ticket purchase) avail. 1 week from when it goes live. Link below:

Sarah Jarosz: World On The Screen

 

My impression: pretty standard country rock, pleasant to listen to without making me think I need to hear it repeatedly.

I don'thear much resemblance to CSN (or CSNY) - more like Steve Earle but without the rough edges.

I do like the fact that it's actually a TUNE, and a decent one at that, so full marks to him for that.

 

Whoa thanks for the notice - glad I posted my little rave-up. I heard her do Blue Heron live in 2017. My favourite artist of the 21st century by miles.

 

The follow-up to Barn Doors; Israel Nash's Rain Plans was received with a little more critical acclaim (as were the ones after that), Nash finetuned his style a little:


His latest album, Topaz, veers even further away from Country Rock, with a horn section.

As for resemblance to CSNY, no there is no, apart from the album cover. If anything, the album sounds like the songs from Neil Young's Harvest he recorded in his barn (Words, Alabama and Are Your Ready for the Country).

 

Great idea for a thread!

I am one of those that keep harping on the fact that there is no shortage of great music being created on a consistent basis. All on has to do is look a little further than their comfort zone, or expect the good new music to be what is popular.

If one is expecting great music in the top 20 list from Spotify, or other streaming service, of course they will be disappointed, and falsely believe there is no good new music.