By Donovan Roche
Some interesting shows coming up in June to consider: Pop ingénue Anna Burch will be sliding into Soda Bar on June 6 (Speedy Ortiz and Winter open).
Her hook-laden debut album, Quit the Curse (Polyvinyl Records) has received praise from college radio listeners and critics alike. Hailing from Detroit, Burch crafted songs for the album that sound light and airy, but upon deeper inspection reveal darker themes.
“To me this album marks the end of an era of uncertainty,” Burch said. “Writing songs about my emotional struggles helped me to work through some negative patterns in my personal life, while giving me the sense of creative urgency I’d been searching for.”
Check out her video for “2 Cool 2 Care.”
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Americana singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle and Lydia Loveless are playing The Casbah on June 10.
Earle (son of Steve) is newly married and has a kid on the way, which he says influenced his latest album, Kids in the Street (New West Records).
“There’s definitely an uplifting aspect to this record,” Earle said. “When I wrote songs in the past, I was looking in on what I was feeling, but this record’s more about looking outward on what’s happening.”
More soulful and bluesy than his previous efforts, Street lyrically covers subjects like gentrification and inner city strife. To help craft his new sound, Earle worked with producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley) for the first time.
“We did all of the vocals and basic tracks live, which almost nobody does these days,” Earle said, “but that’s the way I like to work because it keeps it organic.”
Before you cruise on over to the show, check out Earle’s bubbly lead single: Champagne Corolla.
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After a 10-year recording hiatus, legendary British punk band The Damned has returned with Evil Spirits (Search And Destroy / Spinefarm Records), a punchy collection of 10 tracks produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie).
“We deliberately recorded the album retro style,” explained guitarist Captain Sensible. “The same way our debut album was made, basically. There’s something wonderful about the ‘70s sounds — glam, rock and punk records — they all sound so great and Tony specializes in beautifully crafted old school production. He had us all playing live, bashing it out in the same room.”
The five-piece is currently touring to support the new album. As of this writing, they won’t be making a stop in San Diego, but there’s talk of a return to the States in the fall. In the meantime, you can peep their video for lead single “Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow” and stream/listen to whole Evil Spirits album here.
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