Music Making A Difference

New Releases - Feb. 17, 2009

If you need a reason to listen to M. Ward, you may be missing the point. He can make a difference in your mood and your attitude towards your daily interactions. M. Ward has been praised highly by critics for his dazzling guitar-strumming and singer-songwriter style. His latest effort, Hold Time, continues the earthy, acoustic love fest with which he has reeled so many admirers in. The riff heavy love song "Never Had Nobody Like You" features Zooey Deschanel (his She & Him counterpart). "To Save Me" is more upbeat than some of the other tracks on the new album, but still reflects the introspective nature M. Ward dishes out in his music. "Fisher of Men" is a rockabilly, alt-country diddy that sits heavy on the soul much like the guitar licks and lyrics of "Oh Lonesome Me" featuring Lucinda Williams.

After signing with Merge Records, M. Ward released Transfiguration of Vincent in 2003, Transistor Radio in 2005 and Post-War in 2006. His fourth Merge album is out this Tuesday.

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

In saving the world, one song at a time news:

Ready to make a difference just by enjoying some good indie music? Red Hot Organization, an international charity focused on HIV/AIDS related awareness and fundraising, will release Dark Was The Night on 4AD Records this Tuesday. The compilation was produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner from Brooklyn indie rockers The National and John Carlin, founder of the Red Hot Organization. This album is not only well worth the cause it supports, but the artists and bands alone are stellar! Some of my personal favorites are Fiest and Ben Gibbard's cover duet of Vashti Bunyan's "Train Song", the brief, but beautiful, "Die" by Iron & Wine, and Spoon's bouncy tune, "Well-Alright". Here's the complete track list:

Disc One:
1. Dirty Projectors and David Byrne, "Knotty Pine"
2. The Books featuring José González, "Cello Song"
3. Feist and Ben Gibbard, "Train Song"
4. Grizzly Bear, "Deep Blue Sea"
5. The National, "So Far Around the Bend"
6. Yeasayer, "Tightrope"
7. My Brightest Diamond, "Feeling Good"
8. The Kronos Quartet, "Dark Was the Night"
9. Antony and Bryce Dessner, "I Was Young When I Left Home"
10. Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner, "Big Red Machine"
11. The Decemberists, "Sleepless"
12. Iron and Wine, "Die"
13. Grizzly Bear and Feist, "Service Bell"
14. Sufjan Stevens, "Blood"

Disc Two:
1. Spoon, "Well-Alright"
2. The Arcade Fire, "Lenin"
3. Beirut, "Mimizan"
4. My Morning Jacket, "El Caporal"
5. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, "Inspiration Information"
6. Dave Sitek, "With a Girl Like You"
7. Buck 65 remix featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti, "Blood Pt. 2"
8. The New Pornographers, "Hey, Snow White"
9. Yo La Tengo, "Gentle Hour"
10. Stuart Murdoch, "Another Saturday"
11. Riceboy Sleeps, "Happiness"
12. Cat Power, "Amazing Grace"
13. Andrew Bird, "The Giant of Illinois"
14. Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch, "Lua"
15. Blonde Redhead and the Devastations, "When the Road Runs Out"
16. Kevin Drew, "Love vs. Porn"

Please go purchase this benefit album to support the cause of the Red Hot Organization. Your ears will thank you!

Overall Rating: 9.5 out of 10 (for all the talent!)