JPP Review: Jeremy Fisher, Goodbye Blue Monday

My latest review is up at Just Press Play - this time it's Jeremy Fisher's debut album, Goodbye Blue Monday.

The first paragraph:

Alt-Americana has many pedagogues, but all too often they miss the mark by too carefully mimicking the genre they set out to honor. It can be limiting to compose mainly on acoustic guitar and find fresh ways to incorporate a harmonica lick or a tambourine backbeat. Those who try to adhere too closely to Americana’s strict mandates often sound derivative or throwback-y rather than emergent. Which is why Jeremy Fisher’s debut album, Goodbye Blue Monday, sounds so remarkably fresh and listenable – it’s alt-Americana without the heavy weight of reverence dragging it down, and he’s not afraid to stray from the traditional when it suits his sound. You’ll hear elements of early 1950s rock ‘n roll, folk protest, and mountain music woven in with more mainstream pop sounds as well.

For the rest, go here.

For your viewing pleasure, here is the video that started it all, Fisher's homemade stop-action video for "Cigarette:"

New album alert

I'm totally running around like crazy right now, but I wanted to share a new artist I recently discovered thanks to Whitney and the always-awesome Pop Candy.

Jeremy Fisher's debut album "Goodbye Blue Monday" was released on Tuesday and if the four songs he's posted on his MySpace page are any indication, it's pretty awesome. I am particularly obsessed with "Scar That Never Heals" ("She runs guns, everyone wants guns...") It almost sounds like a Graduate-era Simon and Garfunkel with a really dark sense of humor. Well worth checking out.