October Discover Records of the Month - Jackie Greene - The Modern Lives Vol 1 & 2 (Ltd. Ed. colored vinyl)
The Modern Lives Vol 1
- Ltd. Ed. red vinyl
Hailed as "the Prince of Americana" by the New York Times, Greene has always had a knack for capturing the human experience in all it's messy, emotional complexity, and on his new EP, 'The Modern Lives - Vol 1,' he draws inspiration from some of the great social paradoxes of our 21st century world: that the technology designed to simplify our lives can actually complicate them in ways we'd never imagined, that the most crowded cities can actually be the loneliest places to live, that the constructs meant to connect us to each other can actually leave us feeling more isolated than ever. The EP also marks Greene's first release as part of his new partnership with Blue Rose Music, the record label and multimedia company founded by media and tech veteran Joe Poletto. Released from the shackles of traditional music business models, Greene was free to follow his muse in the basement. There, he found that the physical limitations of the space were actually inspiring rather than prohibitive, as they forced him to get more creative than ever with his arrangements and to learn to let go in the quest for sonic perfection. It's a distinctly New York metaphor, and Greene wastes no time in getting to the point on the EP as he grapples with the close quarters and hectic pace of life in his new hometown.
Tracks
- Modern Lives
- Back Of My Mind
- Tupelo
- Good Advice
- The Captain's Daughter
- Alabama Queen
The Modern Lives Vol 2
Jackie Greene is a jack-of-all-trades, and an artist who can croon over soulful piano ballads as much as he can shred a bluesy guitar solo. A road warrior and musician's musician, Greene's EP The Modern Lives - Vol 2 finds him at a new chapter in his life: his first months of fatherhood, time off his relentless touring circuit, and a cross-country move from Brooklyn to his birthplace of Northern California. This collection of six original songs is a thematic extension of The Modern Lives - Vol 1 EP, imbued with a Brooklyn basement DIY feel and ethos. He is a student of American music, transfixed upon it's progression through time, as well as how regional sounds fit in a contemporary context. Whereas Vol 1 saw Greene experiment with the Delta blues as a canvas for his examinations of modern society, Vol 2 sees Greene embrace the sounds of the bluegrass and folk tapes of his youth. Lead single "Crazy Comes Easy" showcases Greene's dynamic, multi-instrumental range as he plays slide guitar, organ, bass, and percussion, the open tuning of the guitar an appreciative nod to his time in The Black Crowes. Meanwhile, "Good Old Bad Times" highlights Greene as the songwriter as he rattles off lines like "How can somebody find a future?/If they ain't got a foothold in the past?" while taking a critical eye to the idea of nostalgia. Piano ballad "Victim Of The Crime" was one of Jackie's oldest demos up until the feel of these sessions gave him the tools to finish a song that, in his words, was written for his wife before she was his wife. While the title possesses a kind of melodrama, the song itself is tender and heartfelt as he details love's trials and tribulations.
Tracks
- Crazy Comes Easy
- Gold Old Bad Times
- Women and the Rain
- Fragile and Wanting
- Victim of the Crime
- That Ain't Love That's Sugar