In House #1585: Loose Fur's Born Again In the U.S.A.; New Billy Bragg Single

It might be said, and rightly so, that side projects generally play out as vanity exercises, with artists tending toward the more experimental, and not always more listenable, side of things. This argument, in fact, could be made about the first release from Loose Fur, the trio made up of Wilco's Glenn Kotche and Jeff Tweedy, as well as hand-in-everything Jim O'Rourke. Born Again In the U.S.A., the band's sophomore effort out last week on Drag City, is another story all-together, however, as it tightens things up a bit and brings the average track length down to a much more manageable four minutes or so. The band mines power pop, classic rock and rootsy balladry through ten tracks that, while more listener-friendly than those on the debut, are still full of the unpredictability Loose Fur established with that release. The result is an album that plays out less like a release made up of studio jams and Wilco throwaways and more like a band establishing its own sound.


In House #1585.
Airdate: 3/27/06
Focus: New release from Loose Fur, Born Again In the U.S.A., plus a new politically-charged single from Billy Bragg, and the latest from the Minus 5, Portastatic, Gus Black and more.

BONUS MP3-
Billy Bragg: "Bush War Blues" (MP3)

BONUS Video-
Loose Fur: "Hey Chicken" (YouTube)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #80