In House #1646: Frank Black's Fast Man Raider Man; Jolie Holland in Salt Lake City Tonight

Frank Black continued the dusty travels he began a few years back with the Catholics this week with the release of the new double album, Fast Man Raider Man. The new collection features 27 new songs spread over 94 minutes, and much of the same personnel that joined Black for last year's Honeycomb.

Frank Black

As with that release, this means legendary Memphis and Nashville sessions players like Spooner Oldham, in addition to the likes of Bobby Bare Jr., Levon Helm, Buddy Miller, and Catholic Lyle Workman. The result is a solid, if not necessarily groundbreaking, mix of rock, blues and Americana on Black's eleventh post-Pixies release. High points include his version of Ewan MacColl's "Dirty Old Town," on which he's joined on lead vocals by Marty Brown; and the brass-laden, genre-bending "Dog Sleep," perhaps the most adventurous tune in the group. Black will be playing a month's worth of European dates beginning in mid-July, before returning for several shows in the U.S., including August 9th at Salt Lake City's Urban Lounge.


Speaking of the Urban Lounge, indie-americana chanteuse Jolie Holland plays there tonight, touring in support of the fine new album Springtime Can Kill You. One of the more interesting young musicians around, Holland has a voice and a sound that feel as if they were lifted from a bygone era, sort of a female version of M. Ward. Her new album meanders in and out of rhythms, rarely satisfied with a traditional verse-chorus-verse song structure. It's occasionally unsettling, and always gorgeous, listening.

Jolie Holland

Related content: here

In House #1646.
Airdate: 6/21/06
Focus: New double album from Frank Black, Fastman Raiderman, plus Jolie Holland and the Yonder Mountain String Band in Salt Lake City tonight and new music from Grant Lee Phillips and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Frank Black, from Fast Man Raider Man: "In My Time of Ruin" (MP3) (courtesy A Plague of Angels)

Jolie Holland, from Catalpa: "Black Hand Blues" (MP3)
...and from Springtime Can Kill You: "Crazy Dreams" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #124