The torrent of local music releases continues unabated, even as the end of the year begins to float into sight.
2011 appears to be the year that musicians in Fort Worth, Dallas and Denton never stopped working, offering up full-length albums, EPs, singles or mixtapes -- whatever best suited the music. This approach ran counter to the usual cycle (a flurry of activity just before South by Southwest, followed by a long, dull, dry stretch and then a blitzkrieg of material before the year concludes) -- and revealed new depths of talents from artists we thought we already knew.
Here's a sample of five newly released albums that are among some of the best the area has to offer.
Nicholas Altobelli, When Now Becomes Then: This Dallas-based troubadour might be one of the most criminally overlooked musicians in town. Despite a few gigs at the Kessler (an ideal venue for this subdued singer-songwriter) and regular appearances at area coffeehouses, Altobelli's sharply rendered, wonderfully forlorn folk just can't get a foothold with Metroplex audiences often obsessed more with seeing and being seen than sturdy songcraft. Their loss: Altobelli's self-produced fourth album, after last year's Radio Waves and Telephone Wires, is as lovingly realized as his previous, essential output. If you listen closely, you can almost hear an autumnal wind whistling softly beneath the gently picked acoustic guitar lines. (nicholasaltobelli.com)
The Blurries, Paper Cuts: From its opening notes, Paper Cuts kicks the gate open and doesn't let up for a dozen tracks, none of which clocks in at more than four minutes. That these songs are irresistible hunks of power-pop is not particularly surprising -- before taking on the Blurries moniker, this trio (Andy Lester, Bill Spellman and Joey Shanks) made music as Slider Pines, another underappreciated Dallas institution. But given the sparkling presentation here (courtesy of Valve Studios' Casey Dilorio), the Blurries won't be a mystery for much longer. Throw this sucker into the car and take advantage of the few gorgeous fall days we have left in North Texas. (facebook.com/theblurries)
Sarah Jaffe, The Way Sound Leaves a Room: Finally we can stop talking only about the Dentonite's beloved-in-every-corner-of-the-Internet Suburban Nature. This EP, assembled from flotsam (a handful of tongue-in-cheek covers delivered with deadly seriousness) and jetsam (Jaffe offers up a few "demos," including the 98-second All That Time.), is meant to serve a stop-gap between Nature and Jaffe's sophomore release, due out next year. Although the rough-hewn nature of these eight tracks does have a certain "process" appeal (and the piano-driven take on Jaffe's signature Clementine is appropriately goose-bumpy), the real gem here is the gorgeous live DVD, captured during Jaffe's February performance at the Wyly Theatre. (sarahjaffe.com)
Secret Ghost Champion, Psychosomatic Immortality: This Fort Worth quintet bills itself as "psyche-Americana," which really just gives it free rein to try any genre it feels appropriate. There are touches of rock, blues, country and even a smattering of alt-pop here. A sprawling 15 tracks following up 2008's self-released debut, Power Mouth, the album has an overall feel of blissful release, with lots of organ; floating, multi-track vocals; and guitar solos bending back upon themselves. The Ben Hance-led outfit doesn't pretend to have any of the answers, but instead, lets listeners divine their own perspective on Immortality. (secretghostchampion.com)
Jefferson Colby, Dinosaurs & Fireworks: After a rapid-fire 2010, which saw the release of no fewer than three full-length JC albums, this Fort Worth trio has eased off the throttle this year. Don't expect this LP, the band's sixth overall, to be any less intense, though: Danny and Matt Mabe, along with new bassist Anthony Sosa, deliver full-bore rock designed to splinter skulls. Painting with bold colors (the eye-popping album cover is part of a much larger artwork), Danny Mabe calls this effort "a new beginning." It's certainly a thrilling display of musical muscle; just try and listen to the opening one-two punch of Einstein and Roller Coaster Mobile Saloon and not feel an urge to smash beer bottles. (myspace.com/jeffersoncolby)
