The Wheel's Still In Spin

Best Albums Of October 2007

1. Southeast Engine - A Wheel Within A Wheel | buy it at insound!

   This album is full of incredible production. The layers of guitars and keyboards sound realistic and original while every verse of every song offers different instrumentation. The album sounds like Son Volt with the masterful production style of the late Beatles albums. Lyrically, the album is just as grandiose as the production.



2. Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin | buy it at insound!

   Upon the first listen of this album, I though it was pretty good, but didn't stand up to Everything All The Time. The more I listen to the album, however, the more I am convinced it's as good as last year's release. Still focused on accessible, direct 3 and 4 minute indie pop songs, the album is an addictive piece of ear candy.



3. Ryan Bingham - Mescalito

   In the tradition of the outsider voiced singer-songwriter, Bingham sounds like a cross of Springsteen and I Can Lick Any SOB In The House. The songs are infectious, well produced, and memorable.



4. The Sadies - New Season | buy it at insound!

   Volleying between bluegrass and country rock musicality, this album is full of masterful playing and artistically delightful songs. With the vast amounts of alternative country albums released these days, this one rises above the masses.



5. Buck 65 - Situation

   This album is rooted in an old school hip hop sound. Some of the beats are much better than others, but it's the lyrics that make this album damn good. It's a nonstop assault intelligent rhymes and consciously driven messages.



6. Tullycraft - Every Scene Needs A Center | buy it at insound!

   This album is full of indie pop songs that are witty and catchy. With songs like "The Punks Are Writing Love Songs," "Clique At Night Vandals" and "If You Take Away The Make-Up (Then The Vampires They Will Die)," the band has made another quintessential twee pop album.



7. Sunburned Hand Of The Man - Fire Escape | buy it at insound!

   Take the Sonic Youth influences of the band's sound. Mix in the neo-folk sound they can often conjure up. Then allow the production and skills of Four Tet to stir everything together. In the end this album is a heterogeneous creation. Quite simply, it may be the best jazz album a non-jazz band ever released.



8. Radiohead - In Rainbow | buy it at www.inrainbows.com

   The way this album was released is the major story. There is a lot of talk about how the typical way the music industry releases albums is going to have to change. With this release, a major band offered a new and independent alternative by letting fans pay whatever price they wanted. Once the hype behind the way the album was immediately announced and released subsides, there's still the music. In some ways, it's like the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot of the year. And while the music is great, as expected from Radiohead, the album doesn't stand out as their best work.



9. Doveman - With My Left Hand I Raised The Dead | buy it at insound!

   This album is a very good, mellow project. This would be a great album to put on to which to relax or fall asleep. While the music itself is pretty impressive, these movies are equally as extraordinary.



10. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover | buy it at insound!

    A very good, eclectic album. This band sounds like Pavement fronted by Sufjan Stevens instead of Stephen Malkmus.

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Southeast Engine - A Wheel Within A Wheel

Release Date: 16 Oct 2007 (Misra)

A Wheel Within A Wheel by Southeast Engine is an album that with the issues and personal dilemmas that one encounters when it feels like the world is stacked against you. This album is grounded in establishing the ideals and foundation by which to live a confident life. But that's only if you delve into the lyrics. If you just listen to the music you will get washed away in waves of electric guitars, pianos, organs, strings, glockenspiels, catchy melodies, and pop driven phrasing. It's album full of themes and musical ideas that any listener can relate to and desire to hear again and again.

Download "We Have Your Surrounded" (mp3)
Download "Quit While You're Ahead" (mp3)

The Happiness To Pursue

David has been through a lot in the past year. While he has always been a skilled carpenter, he primarily worked in the home construction field. He hasn't had nearly as much work with the decline in new home sales. The sudden drop off of work came after the best peak he'd ever known. This past spring and summer were a time that tested his ego and pride, his strength and skills, and even his devotion and faith.

David is reminded of how unexpected his life has been. Full of peaks and valleys, rewards and challenges, there seems to be a cyclic nature to it. It cannot be controlled. Some of the hardest struggles he has lived through have led to the most gratifying decisions. He can’t help but think of these phases of his life as smaller sequences in his recurring life on earth. It’s all just A Wheel Within A Wheel.

The latest album by Southeast Engine is full of a diverse and dynamic instrumentation. The production is stellar. The layers of guitars and keyboards create a sound that brings to mind what Son Volt would sound like if that band was recorded by a producer with a strong regard for the later Beatles albums. The lyrical content worked perfectly as the soundtrack for David's struggles.

The Trouble With Music by Mat Callahan

Most independent musicians consistently voice basic complaints about the music industry. It is now run by corporate companies that don’t care about artist development or the quality of music released. The only concern of the major record companies is the amount of sales. Furthermore, radio stations are now run by large companies that own a large number of stations. These corporate run stations are only concerned with increasing advertising sales. They create playlists that are homogenized. There is less diversity in radio airplay. The music industry is now run my businessmen. The Trouble With Music by Mat Callahan addresses these concerns, explains the history of music and the industry, and offers solutions to make the industry more appeasing for musicians and listeners.

Weakerthans - Reunion Tour

Release Date: 25 Sept 2007 (Epitaph / Anti)

Imagine a band hosting a poker tournament between Fountains Of Wayne and The Decemberists. There would be some interesting conversations. They'd probably talk about music. There would have to be some storytelling. Some tales would be hard to believe, but told with an impeccable poker face. Some would seem most likely true based on the attention to the minute details. The hosts for this tournament are Canada's The Weakerthans. Even if they lost every hand, they ended up with a 37-minute album full of catchy, upbeat melodies and character driven musical exhibits.

Download "Sun In An Empty Room" (mp3)
Download "Night Windows" (mp3)

Greg's Move To Start Over

"What are you doing?" Paul asked in such dismay that it almost sounded forceful.

"I was just going to make a few more mixes for the road," Greg calmly tried to explain.

"You need to just pack all this stuff. You'll never leave if you don't."

He knew Paul was right, but moving back to his hometown, back to his parent's house, was not easy for Greg.

It seems like it would be hard to pinpoint when things started going bad. The job, the apartment, the money situation. Nothing seemed to be going his way. But it all started to unravel when Beth broke up with him. That one event was not responsible for everything that followed, but it was the catalyst that started the downward spiral.

After pausing for a minute, Greg decided to stop making mixes. He put on a CD, The Weakerthans’ Reunion Tour, and asked his friend, "Mind helping me load up the car?"

"That’s why I’m here."