Liz Durrett

MP3: Liz Durrett - Wake to Believe

Boasting a producer/arranger in Eric Bachmann (Crooked Fingers, Archers of Loaf, songwriting deity), an uncle in Vic Chesnutt and a label in Warm, it was pretty hard for me to ignore "Outside Our Gates", the 3rd record from Liz Durrett. Thankfully, it doesn't disappoint, and fulfills as a meaty 11 song album that is more layered than naked. It's nice to hear that from a singer-songwriter these days, as most of them seem to boast on the fact that they are so thin, which is all well and good, but I feel like it's time for more. The sweetness that is "Outside Our Gates" has it in spades, be it from strings or beat keeping percussion: call it folk, rock, whatever genre you'd like, but Liz Durrett can confidently fly the flag of quality any day.

"Outside Our Gates" is out now from Warm Electronic Recordings.

Archers of Loaf

MP3: Archers of Loaf - You and Me

MP3: Give Up the Ghost - You and Me

Today's track is from one of the greatest groups ever: Archers of Loaf. While I was too young to grow up listening to them, the bands I loved in high school would always credit them, so I was aware. Once American Nightmare (called Give Up the Ghost at this point) covered "You and Me" on the Love American single, I had a huge urge to research AOL.

I like this song a lot. The line "this isn't fun anymore" is one of the most striking lyrics I've ever heard in my lifetime.