Author: james-hopkins

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In the quest for authentic world musics, few labels support young white teenagers eager to re-live other cultures. Not all traditions (so they assume) have a universal code that can be broken without living the history embedded in the lyrics.

Beirut channel the spirits of gypsies, tramps and thieves on the worldly debut, Gulag Orkestar.

But sometimes art transcends such assumptions, a happy fact proven by Beirut’s Zach Condon on his debut disc, Gulag Orkestar. This New Mexico teen sings in the moaning, bluesy croon of a weary middle-aged man of a central Europe that exists as much in his heart as in history, accompanied by a quietly mournful Gypsy band consisting mostly of himself.

Is it a freakish imitation? Condon avoids that trap by combining a subtle attention to the arrangements of this genre with a gut ability to make the connection between his blues and the sardonic despair of his musical parents, creating a previously nonexisting bridge between Gypsy alienation and our own lack of connection with each other.

London’s Bloc Party offer a classier celebration on their second album, A Weekend in the City. Not on the guest list: hipsters.

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Bloc Party avoids the sophomore curse by doing what too few alternative bands do well—improving their original energy level while finding the delicate point between its core sound and the need for updates that will expose new potentials in that identity. They accomplish this tricky goal by never giving new ideas permission to upstage the hurricane of tight noise given even greater urgency by bluntly confessional lyrics that warn in agonized shouts of London alienation. In 2007, indie sensations are considered betrayers of their promise even when they show signs of progress. Bloc Party can’t avoid such a shallow attitude, but their intelligent passion guarantees they will survive it.

cd The country-based awe shown to Gram parsons sometimes makes us ignore the influence of R&B and blues on his writing, even though his choice of cover songs proves James Carr touched him as deeply as George Jones. Despite his lethal habits, the temporary Byrd and Flying Burrito Brother leader was smart enough to sense a convergence of the agonies of truckers and the Delta weariness of black sharecroppers—a connection so unnerving to ’60s country fans their attitude to Parsons was often hostile.

Country music’s grievous angel, remembered through tunes handpicked by country music’s best backup vocalist, Emmylou Harris.

This box set of his complete Reprise recordings comes with many alternate tracks and radio interviews, respectfully assembled by his singing partner Emmylou Harris, another country artist who knows this genre gains greater depth when it acknowledges its kinship with all the traditions of the South.