chris robinson brotherhood - big moon ritual

i'm not even a fan of the black crowes/robinson. initially jonathan wilson's involvement in this project drew me in, then he was replaced by neal casal. neal brings his "jerry" tone guitar that made ryan adams Cold Roses so damn good. no song shorter than 7 minutes, but incredibly good jams - no mindless noodling. Cosmic Americana, Laurel Canyon, Fillmore West and the usual cliched descriptions apply here. most of you will hate this. essential listening for Dumpjack and Yail Bloor.

sounds up my alley as well. link below for those interested

Anti- Records agreed to bankroll her latest, I Like to Keep Myself in Pain. Not only did Anti- offer Hogan the opportunity to record at L.A.’s famed East-West Studio (in the same room where The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and Frank Sinatra’s “It Was a Very Good Year” were recorded), they also helped her put together a dream team of backing musicians, including soul pioneers Booker T and James Gadson, Gabe Roth of the Dap-Kings and Hogan’s close friend and collaborator Scott Ligon of NRBQ.

Add to the that the first-rate material they were working with—songs written specifically for Hogan by friends and contemporaries such as Vic Chesnutt, Andrew Bird, Stephen Merritt, M. Ward and Robyn Hitchcock—and you’ve got the perfect vehicle for this skilled interpreter and her deeply expressive voice. As always, musical omnivore Hogan dips her paintbrush in a variety of stylistic colors, whether carefully exploring subtle shades of a particular hue, or swirling them all together in an earthy, Hammond B3-swathed blend of country, soul, torch songs and classic pop. I Like to Keep Myself in Pain is a passionate, yet refined record, the culmination of all the years Hogan has spent quietly honing her craft, snug in the shadows of her more well-known peers. There’s a reason these respected artists have always called on Hogan—listen to this album and you’ll understand why.