The Hazards of Love

          The Decemberists released their fifth album yesterday (Tuesday, March 24, 2009). The album, titled The Hazards of Love, is one continuous song with 17 titles for different parts. If this sounds at all confusing, the album is one long story, the music never stops, when the tempo and topic of the story change, so does the track. The different titles can be looked at like different chapters of the story. Starpulse.com describes it as," A 17-song suite (think one continuous song with track ID's peppered throughout for sanity's sake) about a girl named Margaret, shape shifters, forest queens, and fairytale treachery, Hazards of Love is ambitious, pretentious, obtuse, often impenetrable, and altogether pretty great.” A 1966 EP by Anne Briggs inspires the album and its title. The album, much like their 2006 album The Crane Wife, is a great combination of boot-stomping drum beats, melodic yet head-banging guitars, enchanting vocals, and thrilling lyrics. The band is able to keep the listener on the edge his seat and singing the songs all day. The Decemberists have a way of telling a story like no other band has done before. The band’s lead singer, Colin Meloy, has a way of incorporating Shakespearean themes into rocking guitar songs. This band is unique.

The song of the day is the Decemberists' "O Valencia" from their album The Crane Wife, and has a West Side Story and Romeo & Juliet theme.

Bo Henry Band

The Bo Henry Band has been around for 10 years and has single handedly pioneer and sustained Albany’s music scene. From headlining the stage at the annual Mardi Gras festival in downtown Albany to playing booze-filled frat houses in Athens, Georgia, the Bo Henry Band has played a part in the southern music scene. The band regularly plays at the local pizzeria and bar, Harvest Moon, as well as Deerfield Windsor's "yearbook day." Tim Carter, Bo Henry Band's drummer, says the band loves playing outside. "I feel like everything sounds better," he says sprightly. He then adds that he really likes playing college because "you know everyone is having a lot of fun." The Bo Henry Band has been booked at colleges all over Alabama and Georgia alike.
The music, dubbed "mostly Southern Rock" by Carter, can range from old Southern power ballads such as "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" by the Band to up beat reggae tunes like Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds." The band's website includes a song list including roughly 370 cover songs and 18 original songs, so their repertoire is fantastic. Carter's influence is mostly a Jazz originated background, while the rest of the band is mostly Southern Rock creating a unique sound to some famous tunes.
What will the Bo Henry Band be in 10 more years? "Worldwide!" Tim says excitedly. In a more realistic sense, Tim says the band hopes to have put out more albums to back up the band's debut album Strange Situation and a much broader fan base. He adds, "We actually have a pretty big fan base in England. Europe really loves American music." Bo Henry Band's music may span out beyond the southern United States across the Atlantic.
The Bo Henry Band will play their next show on Saturday, March 7th, 2009 at the Mardi Gras festival in down town Albany.

The song of the day is The Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."