It seems lately that I’ve been filling in the gaps. Bands or musicians who tickled me pink in the past, well, I felt the need to go make sure I had everything they had to offer.

This may have not been the best of ideas.

The most recent gap filled is in the catalog of Jenny Lewis.

My affair with Jenny Lewis started poorly. Namely, “Does he love you?” was on a mix CD a friend made for me. I thought it was boring. I then categorized both Rilo Kiley and Jenny Lewis as “Boring”.

Many years later i finally decided to try out some Rilo Kiley. This was during my study abroad in Denmark, and now Rilo Kiley is my personal soundtrack to Denmark. That translates to Rilo Kiley seriously stealing my soul for those 4.5 months.

I moved on to Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins‘ “Rabbit Furcoat“. And it was good. Amazingly good. If someone would have described that album to me prior to my listening to it, I would have been skeptical at best. Jenny Lewis, mostly acoustic music, singing folk/alt-country songs, with twin gospel harmonists accompanying?

I’m glad I didn’t get the opportunity to become skeptical.

So next on my acquisition list was Jenny Lewis’ “Acid Tongue“. I was expecting the same as “Rabbit Furcoat”.

It’s not the same. It’s not even close.

I mean, it’s not terrible. It doesn’t leave me wishing for unconsciousness. But it’s not good either. The music is overly simple, and so is the singing. The lyrics don’t strike me as particularly powerful, witty, or interesting. There is no hook at all. It’s like tepid water.

I find the first two songs without much merit at all. I often have a hard time sleeping with music on because I find myself more interested in the music than sleeping. The first two songs would not interrupt my sleep at all (a bad sign).

“The Next Messiah” picks up the tempo a bit. Electric guitar and a steady drum beat come into play. Jenny Lewis’ vocals are more energetic than in the first two songs…but the whole song still feels uninspired to me. Something doesn’t mesh quite right, and I would describe the song as more or less boring, despite the upped tempo.

The middle and title track “Acid Tongue” reminds me the most of “Rabbit Furcoat”. Great harmonies. Sincere vocals. simple, well done acoustic instrumentation. For me, this is the most stand out track on the album.

“See Fernando” is a good follow up. It’s higher energy. The music and the vocals mesh well. And the song effectively makes me want to go see Fernando.

“Carpetbagger” is an okay song. 7.5 out of 10, if you will.

The rest of the album is of no interest to me.

What to take away?

Acid Tongue is less inspired than Rabbit Furcoat. I generally find it boring.

What to expect?

Watered down Jenny Lewis, falling short of her best.

What drink to pair it with?

Lukewarm watered down tea.

I am a whore for acoustic music. That’s not saying so much – I’m a whore for every-other style of music out there too. Recently I’ve been extra into acoustic stuff, though. When I stumbled across Heathers opening for the Ghost Mice… Damn.

I picked up their CD at the show, and was listening to it within minutes of getting home from the concert. The opening of the CD is just as simple and powerful as the opening of their set.

Well played acoustic guitar lays the perfect backdrop to their voices. Perfect harmonies cut in, and the song is off, running in places, strolling leisurely in others. It’s simple, but masterfully done. I feel as if any other band attempted to produce an album like this it would end up being boring, whereas this is exhilarating.

Being from Ireland, there is a hint of Irish influence. It slips into their singing and their melodies, and leaves me unbelievably happy.

Generally I’m overly picky about female vocalists. I don’t know why I hold women to a higher standard than I do men…I just feel like most female singers share the same generic nasally singing. These women have none of that. Their voices are as far from generic as possible.

As is the case with most acoustic music, their voices are what make the record. That’s not to say their accompanying music is boring. Far from it. It’s just kept simple so their voices are the main attraction.

I am absolutely mesmerized by how complicated their music sounds, given their only instruments are their voices and an acoustic guitar.

This album makes me think of summer, picnics, and laying outside in the sun, full of food and drink, surrounded by awesome people.

Some day soon I want to do cartwheels through the park to this album.

What to take away…

Heathers has powerful vocals that are incredibly harmonized and fantastical. Irish influences slip in regularly diferentiating this album from most of the others in the Plan-It-X catalog. It is the perfect blending of folk and folk punk, leaving it perhaps on the other side of folk when it comes to instrumentation. The lyrics ought to resonate with even the most die-hard folk-punker.

What should you expect?

Acoustic Irish influenced folk with a slight glaze of folk-punk.

What drink would they pair with?

Perhaps a Bulmers Irish hard cider. Delicious, refreshing, and tasting distinctly of summer.

Favorite song?

I have such a hard time playing favorites.

“Remember When” however perhaps inches slightly higher than the rest on my list. It’s one of their faster songs. I will forever remember them kicking off their set with it. It grabbed my attention and held it hostage.

“Slices Of Palama” is slower, and has another instrument, a string of some manner, that sucks me right in. It’s almost melancholy, but just misses that vibe. I think it’s lingering feeling is that of earnestness.

Ghost Mice with special guest Heathers hit the mean streets of Cleveland on June 24^th, and of course I had to be in on this folk punk action. I was rolling three deep; my unofficial couchsurfer, two and a half week roommate Shu and my 15 year old cousin Taylor were in tow.

The very nice looking duplex that was purportedly the venue of the evening was touting a sign that redirected us to Lakewood Park…wherever that was. Luckily a nice woman with some Basset hounds directed us, and before long our ears were being caressed by the soothing strum of an acoustic guitar.

Except…well. I started out with Ska and Street Punk. Those concerts, no matter their arguable flaws, had lots of energy not only in the band but in the crowd as well. So why the hell were all these people sitting in the grass!? You can’t dance sitting in the grass! Hadn’t they gotten the memo?

Two Hand Fools was playing, presumably the first opener. He was pretty good from what I heard, though my arrival was a bit into his set. Soulful crooning to acoustic guitar.

When he concluded, everyone moved up to the floor of the outdoor amphitheater, and I was excited that people may stand for the next set. I was wrong. While the next band, Heathers, broke out their fabulous voices, most of the audience was sitting down, leaning against something, looking bored. Apathetic little teenage assholes. Don’t get me started…

Heathers was seriously awesome. Their Irish accents were audible while they were singing, and their voices worked together beautifully. Harmonious beyond reason. While they occasionally forgot a lyric, or how that next part of the song went, I found these little mistakes endearing. I like it when musicians are believable. It was just the two of them and an acoustic guitar, singing what I will dub as Irish infused alt-folk. No amps, mics, nothing. I was enthralled. the apathites (I thusly dub “apathite” the official term for those who go to shows determined to look bored) just sat.

Immediately placed on the top of my to-do list was buy a Heathers CD. It was the first thing I’ve crossed off my to-do list in weeks.

Heathers played their last song with Ghost Mice’s help, and Ghost Mice played their first song with the accompaniment of Heathers.

Ghost Mice’s musical tradition is one of almost painful optimism…at least if you’re a relentless pessimist and cynic like me. With songs like “Hang on Kids” aimed at high-school kids, “Please Quit Smoking Mom“, and “Up the Punks“, sometimes they’re so doggedly positive I almost feel they’re being sarcastic.

Pairing their songs about riding bikes and climbing trees with an acoustic guitar, a violin, and a Playskool xylophone, in an outside amphitheater on the shore of lake Erie…it was obvious they weren’t being sarcastic.

Their style is that of Folk-Punk, and with lead singer “Chris Clavin” being a co-founder of Folk Punk record label/collective Plan-it-X Records, it seems logical that they stay incredibly true to their ideologies. They play strictly heartfelt acoustic music, eschewing amps and mics for all but one festival where without the electrical intervention only a few would have been able to hear. Their music is vocal and lyric heavy, as most folk punk is. What they’re trying to say is the most important aspect – the music just helps underline it.

They make me think of camp. That we should have been sitting on logs around a fire, quickly on our way to becoming really good friends. Well, if not for those apathites, anyway.

After making all the apathites stand up, they quickly broke into “The Moon Will Rise“. I love that song. It’s their only angry song, and it’s mostly about turning off your TV, enjoying your life, and standing up for yourself. And half way through the song, right after they sing the line “and the moon will rise”, there’s a little howl. I’ve been wanting to howl to that song live since the first time I heard it. My dream came true. Ahooooo!

Unfortunately Ghost Mice’s set was rather short. Without amps and microphones, I assume they’d have to hit harder and sing louder than the average musician. Or maybe they just don’t dig long sets. Either way they broke out some classics, and left me walking away happy.

What you’ll take away…

A freakishly optimistic mood and the desire to quit your job in favor of climbing trees and building forts.

What should you expect?

Hippies, these days known as folk punkers. Cut off shorts. Genuinity.

What drink to pair it with?

Water, from your Eco friendly non-leaching Klean-Kanteen. Beware packing a bottle of Aquafina to this show.