Who's to Blame?

Don't blame it on the sunshine

Don't blame it on the moonlight

Don't blame it on the good times

Blame it on the boogie

I love Michael Jackson and The Jacksons. Can't help myself. I have been thinking about him recently. SIRIUS XM has a special channel for him right now, there is new material being released and it's coming up on the 5 year anniversary of his death. To honour the artist, I chose this Jacksons song, because it's fun.....and the video is ridiculous.

Now onto my new release reviews. There are only three this week, as I have been all consumed at work with the Children's Festival. It really takes over the office, and subsequently my life that I don't have time to listen to music.

Upside Down Mountain by Conor Oberst

The opening track is great, and it really sets the tone for the rest of the album. It's been quite a while since there's been solo work from Conor, and I will say it was worth the wait. His writing and melodies, have only gotten stronger and vocally his message is clearer (I used to find him a tad mummbly). 

Definitely worth a listen.

Maroma by Pastono Orquesta

I was really not sure what I would be getting myself into with this. I looked at the title and thought to myself.....how do I feel about Mexican Circus music?

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this record. I take the word "surprisingly" back; great music is great music. The group is comprised of  ethno-musicologists that are dedicated to the preservation of Mexican music and the various sub-genres. I highly recommend tracking the music down and checking it out.

Wine Dark Sea by Jolie Holland

The sound is sort of a heavy bluesy guitar with plenty of reverb and in parts it also embraced jazz and soul. It definitely forged it's own unique path. Her vocals I found to be slurred and drawn out. I won't lie, in parts her vocals annoyed the shit out of me. While I will say on certain tracks the style works, I think she needs to choose when to use it. It almost feels like she didn't flush out the idea of the song, and decided to simply interpret each song the same way. There is a spark to her, but ultimately this album is not for me.

Before I sign off I wanted to leave you with this insightful animated short of Johnny Cash talking about life: