A return to a wider vocal range on his new album too. Love the vocal harmonies on Karaoke. The wandering, where the hell is this melody going? vocal lines on Music Is Blue. Every track is interesting vocally, it's the instrumentation and production that I haven't fell in love with on Heartmind (except for Karaoke, a cracker track)
― H.P, Monday, 18 December 2023 23:57 (five months ago) link
enjoy reading your thoughts
I never considered Cass a strong singer, in the sense that his vocals seem a bit fragile or... well, they're very understated... but they work perfectly, live too
can't put a finger on the instrumentation, my favorite from Heartmind is A Blue, Blue Band
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 08:24 (five months ago) link
Wit's End kinda his masterpiece, no? got a vinyl copy. haven't listened to him/it in a long time. pressing is sadly a little loud/surfacey at the beginning of each side. and a little loud otherwise. in that way of modern vinyl. still sounds good though. i do think "County Line" is his best song but the whole album is nearly as strong. i don't know if i have the inner fortitude to do a Cass deep dive right now but this album will do for now.
i got this copy from a musician i know named nat baldwin. he's very nice. he makes cool avant garde music. has a tape label. he just got his Masters! he's moving to town from a couple of towns over. anyway, he sold me a crate of records - which was a very hip crate - and he had a bunch of singer/songwriter LPs that i had never heard. Wit's End was one of them. and of them was put out by my friend Teddy on his Feeding Tube label and somehow i missed it - Ted usually brings me in a big box of FT releases to sell every blue moon - and I think anyone here would really like it. Ned Collette - Old Chestnut. it's REALLY good in a late-60s/early 70s folk-psych vein. it reminds me of a lot of not-famous british singers that i like a lot. anyway, check it out. came out in 2018.
― scott seward, Monday, 6 May 2024 16:02 (three weeks ago) link
i started this thread 19 years ago and i'm still listening to the Casster! the Cassaroonie! MC Cassie Cash!
― scott seward, Monday, 6 May 2024 16:11 (three weeks ago) link
Thanks for the Ned C. rec, Scott--going to give a full listen, but on first flip-through that synth arpeggio incorporation on Track 2 is tastefully surprisingly/well-integrated into the folkiness IMO!
Nat Baldwin seems like a v cool fellow indeed--first heard of him through his Dirty Projectors membership.
As an intermediate Cass listener/fan I'd rec next getting into Catacombs and then Big Wheel, maybe?
― Funding Hostile (Craig D.), Monday, 6 May 2024 16:20 (three weeks ago) link
(Oh, I now grok that you've already heard a good am't the Cassster and are re-listening, gotcha)
― Funding Hostile (Craig D.), Monday, 6 May 2024 16:21 (three weeks ago) link
i like Catacombs a lot. i could see that being someone's fave Cass. that has such great songs on it. i wouldn't mind having that on vinyl. 2XLP.
still listening to Wit's End and "Buried Alive" is up there for me too. sounds so good. the guitar especially.
― scott seward, Monday, 6 May 2024 16:24 (three weeks ago) link
I remember "Memory's Stain" really blowing me away, too--am in need of a relisten myself!
Have only cherrypicked/skimmed through his Anti- output in recent years, am now thinking I should attempt to give those later albums some (mangy) love
― Funding Hostile (Craig D.), Monday, 6 May 2024 16:29 (three weeks ago) link
don't sleep on Tip of the Sphere!
gotta agree wit's end is impeccable
― corrs unplugged, Monday, 6 May 2024 16:31 (three weeks ago) link
Scott, have you ever listened to this? Cass is in this group:
https://theskiffleplayers.bandcamp.com/album/skifflin
― Evan, Monday, 6 May 2024 16:33 (three weeks ago) link
that Skiffle Players album never clicked with me. I kinda want to sell it, given the prices it seems to get.
― mizzell, Monday, 6 May 2024 16:42 (three weeks ago) link
I saw him play a small intimate gig with Steve Gunn last Thursday. They did a gorgeous psychy rendition of "Wild Mountain Thyme".
― Saxophone Of Futility (Michael B), Monday, 6 May 2024 17:04 (three weeks ago) link
Skifflin'! oh man no i didn't know about that one.
― scott seward, Monday, 6 May 2024 17:12 (three weeks ago) link
"County Line" is one of my favorite songs.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 6 May 2024 17:16 (three weeks ago) link
that Ned Collette album i praised above is kinda like the new Taylor Swift. the first LP is perfect and all you need out of an album and then some. BUT if you want more there is a 2nd LP.
― scott seward, Monday, 6 May 2024 17:19 (three weeks ago) link
The “Coo Coo Bird” cover is good! I like the Skifflin’ album
― your dog is fed and no one cares (flamboyant goon tie included), Monday, 6 May 2024 17:48 (three weeks ago) link
I don't know why exactly but this one really gets me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWX09AivQGk
― Evan, Monday, 6 May 2024 18:59 (three weeks ago) link