Friday music blogging: The Avett Brothers

Front-porch singin' for a high country weekend

Posted by David Roberts at 5:45 PM on 25 Jan 2008

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Play "Shame," by The Avett Brothers

Last week I mentioned Southern rock as one of the things I'd spurned in my youthful rejection of my native culture, only to rediscover and appreciate it as an adult. A similarly inclined reader wrote in to recommend the Avett Brothers, a band out of North Carolina (not rock, per se, but quite Southern in a folky bluegrassy poppy way). As it happened, I'd just gotten their new album, Emotionalism.

The Avett Brothers I am officially obsessed. I can't stop listening to the damn thing.

You can read the band's wikipedia page for more info -- they've been around for a while but are really blowing up right now. I'm seeing them in concert in April; I'll report back.

But if I may go off on a slight tangent, let's talk about singers. Two singers in particular: Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day.

I have huge respect for both guys. They're good singers, great songwriters, socially engaged, got their heads on straight, etc. But damn do they have terrible legacies among rock singers.

People in my age cohort will remember when Pearl Jam debuted amidst the grunge scene (and was inaccurately lumped into it). Vedder's deep, ragged baritone was always the band's secret weapon. But then came The Vedder Clones, singers who sang deep because it's the only register they could manage. They lacked Vedder's range and feeling, and reduced "grunge voice" to a single tone and mannerism. Think ... Creed. Unfortunately that style of singing is still incredibly popular on the rock charts.

Then there was Billie Joe's nasal whining -- his attempt to mimic his '70s Brit punk heroes. I was never a fan, but soon Armstrong clones swarmed all over MTV, doing their whiny angst-ridden teen boy shtick over bad pop passing as bad punk. To this day they dominate the one-note "emo" scene. It's yet another means of singing for people who don't sing very well -- all attitude, no technique.

Between Vedder clones and Armstrong clones, you've pretty much covered 90% of modern rock radio. Kill me.

This gets to one of the things I find so appealing about the Avett Brothers: their pure, keening tenors. There's nothing growled or distorted, no affected mannerisms. It's just good singing, not hidden behind fuzz or over-amped instrumentation, not passed through software filters, just clearly recorded, live in studio. And the harmonies -- sweet, sweet harmonies. Damn I love me some harmonies.

Anyway, there's a classicism about it that hits my sweet spot. This either means that classicism is making a comeback and we're going to see a new trend toward good singing ... or I'm incredibly old and you kids should get off my lawn. I said get off my lawn!

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6 Comments | Post a Comment

Wow!

Something you and I agree on! Harmony and plain old singing ability, that is, not this particular band. I'll have to check them out.

OTOH, I like Green Day. I didn't like them as a teenager (I'm 28 now, so they were popular when I should have cared), but in the last few years I've realized that I really, really like a lot of their music. American Idiot is catchy and fun right along with being snarky social commentary. It's not Mozart, but I enjoy listening ot it.

by willa at 9:26 PM on 25 Jan 2008

"classicism"

OK, DR, I was moved by the way you described the Avett Brothers -- you make them sound pretty much like a kind of music I like very very much -- so I leaped and ordered a copy of "Emotionalism" from the Grist shop.

But surely this is not the first time that I followed a recommendation of yours ...

Also, I agree with Willa on "harmony and plain singing ability," but every instance of that should be judged on its own.

What amazes me about all you young whippersnappers, over against the purist narcissists of my own Boomer generation, is how learned you are in music of recent decades. Not only are you classicists, you are archaizers. We, by contrast, were very age-conscious, very exclusivist. We especially did not listen to music from the 1950s and pre-Beatles 60s. No matter what they may tell you, the audience for Elvis was circumscribed. Sometimes music from earlier in the century received a hearing, such as Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer," and that was a hoot, but it did not exactly radically change anything.

So I think you guys have it all over us when it comes to open-mindedness.

As for Eddie Vedder, it is worth noting that his music accompanies Sean Penn's recent acclaimed movie "Into the Wild," the story of Chris McCandless; it is said to have been a crucially important part of Penn's inspiration and imagination in the making of that movie. I have not yet seen the movie or heard the music, but am looking forward to doing both.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 5:47 AM on 26 Jan 2008

Sweet!

I saw these guys in Orlando recently and it was a stomping good time. Local musician Matt Butcher opened for them & if you like the Avett brothers, you'll love matt - check him out at http://www.myspace.com/mattbutchermusic

rock on!

Be the change you wish to see. -MG

by dandelioncc at 12:41 PM on 27 Jan 2008

Just you wait

You like 'Emotionalism'? Seeing them live will blow your mind. These guys are amazing. They can go from crooning ballads to ROCKING OUT in a single breath. Enjoy.

by overyonder at 1:37 PM on 27 Jan 2008

OK, got it, love it

Firing off my mighty little popgun in the face of the grim Recession, I ordered "Emotionality," as I said. It arrived yesterday, and I have been playing and re-playing it this morning, and I love it. The musical virtuosity and creativity are glorious. I laughed and I cried.

So now I am lending it to my husband, home on his lunch break, to take back to work and listen for himself.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 10:51 AM on 01 Feb 2008

Couldn't agree more...

The Avett Brothers can sing... and they rock! I found them by accident, but will go see them again the next chance I get.

by SonicStrings at 11:17 AM on 09 Apr 2008

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