Murder by Death: Good Morning, Magpie

Artist: Murder by DeathTitle: Good Morning, MagpieRelease date: April 6Label: VagrantWhat would you expect a band called Murder by Death to sound like? I figured these guys were gonna be among the new breed of "punk" bands in which one dude sort of croons while another screams his lungs out...

By Jay Bennett

April 9, 2010

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Artist: Murder by Death

Title: Good Morning, Magpie

Release date: April 6

Label: Vagrant

What would you expect a band called Murder by Death to sound like? I figured these guys were gonna be among the new breed of "punk" bands in which one dude sort of croons while another screams his lungs out. God, I hope that trend goes away soon.

Anyway, MBD sounds nothing like its band name would indicate. At their best, these guys (and woman) deliver Western Gothic storytelling, with tales of gutters and knives and whiskey, over a dusty mix of acoustic guitar- and cello-driven music.

It's actually a refreshing sound, when it works. Much of the credit for that goes out to the cello player. Obviously, there's not a lot of cello in rock 'n' roll -- for good reason. But here, it definitely fleshes out the sound and helps Murder by Death differentiate themselves.

A lot of the best songs on Good Morning, Magpie (the album's centerpiece "King of the Gutters, Prince of the Dogs") are reminiscent of Alejandro Escovedo, the great Texas singer-songwriter, or excellent Southern-rock band Drive By Truckers. When it doesn't work, the music falls flat or sounds completely silly, as on the Tom Waits rip-off "You Don't Miss Twice (When You're Shaving with a Knife").

The singer has one of the most interesting voices in indie rock. To me, he sounds a little like Waylon Jennings, but with less outlaw country and a little more book-learnin' in his voice. The vocals are slightly buried in the mix, making it sound like the singer is that guy in the Western movies who emerges from the shadows in the saloon corner to deliver some ominous news.

The second half of the record really comes up short, but if you're fan of Escovedo or Drive By Truckers or alt-country, in general, it may be worth your while to download a song or two by Murder by Death.

Note: Murder by Death is scheduled to perform on Monday, April 12, at the Rhythm Room.

Best song: "King of the Gutters, Prince of the Dogs"

Rotation: Medium

Deja Vu: Waylon Jennings with a master's degree in English

I'd rather listen to: Alejandro Escovedo's Bourbonitis Blues

Grade: B-

"Nothing Not New" is a yearlong project in which New Times editorial operations manager Jay Bennett, a 40-year-old music fan and musician, will listen only to music released in 2010. Each Monday through Friday, he will listen to one new record (no best ofs, reissues, or concert recordings) and write about it. Why? Because in the words of his editor, Martin Cizmar, he suffers from "aesthetic atrophy," a wasting away of one's ability to embrace new and different music as one ages. Read more about this all-too-common ailment here.

The "Nothing Not New" Archives

April 8 -- Harlem: Hippies (C+)

April 7 -- Slow Club: Yeah, So (B)

April 6 -- Black Francis: NonStopErotik (B+)

April 5 -- Growing: Pumps! (F)

April 2 -- Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs: Medicine County (B)

April 1 -- Dum Dum Girls: I Will Be (A-)

March 31 -- The Dillinger Escape Plan: Option Paralysis (B+)

March 30 -- Local Natives: Gorilla Manor (B)

March 29 -- The Bird and the Bee: Interpreting the Masters: Hall & Oates (C)

March 26 -- Eddy Current Suppression Ring: Rush to Relax (C+)

March 25 -- Let's Wrestle: In the Court of the Wrestling Let's (B)

March 24 -- Goldfrapp: Head First (D)

March 23 -- She & Him: Volume 2 (A-)

March 22 -- Broken Bells: Broken Bells (C+)

March 19 -- Locksley: Be In Love (B)

March 18 -- jj: jj no. 3 (C-)

March 17 -- Xiu Xiu: Dear God, I Hate Myself (D+)

March 16 -- Drive By Truckers: The Big To-Do (B-)

March 15 -- April Smith and the Great Picture Show: Songs for a Sinking Ship (C)

March 12 -- The Morning Benders: Big Echo (C+)

March 11 -- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Beat the Devil's Tattoos (B)

March 10 -- Acrassicauda: Only the Dead See the End of War (C-)

March 9 -- Titus Andronicus: The Monitor (B+)

March 8 -- Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: The Brutalist Bricks (A)

March 5 -- Liars: Sisterworld (A-)

March 4 -- Gorillaz: Plastic Beach (A-)

March 3 -- Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain't No Grave (B+)

March 2 -- High on Fire: Snakes for the Divine (C)

March 1 -- Joanna Newsom: Have One on Me (C)

Feb. 26 -- Freeway & Jake One: The Stimulus Package (D)

Feb. 25 -- Past Lives: Tapestry of Webs (B-)

Feb. 24 -- Shout Out Louds: Work (B)

Feb. 23 -- Brian Jonestown Massacre: Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? (B+)

Feb. 22 -- Shearwater: The Golden Archipelago (D+)

Feb. 19 -- The Strange Boys: Be Brave (B+)

Feb. 18 -- Tindersticks: Falling Down a Mountain (A)

Feb. 17 -- Lightspeed Champion: Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You (C-)

Feb. 16 -- Adam Green: Minor Love (B-)

Feb. 15 -- Juliana Hatfield: Peace & Love (B+)

Feb. 12 -- Massive Attack: Heligoland (C-)

Feb. 11 -- The Watson Twins: Talking to You, Talking to Me (C-)

Feb. 10 -- Hot Chip: One Life Stand (B+)

Feb. 9 -- You Say Party! We Say Die!: XXXX (B+)

Feb. 8 -- Allison Moorer: Crows (B)

Feb. 5 -- Joe Pug: Messenger (C)

Feb. 4 -- The Soft Pack: The Soft Pack (A)

Feb. 3 -- Polysics: Absolute Polysics (B-)

Feb. 2 -- Pierced Arrows: Descending Shadows (A-)

Feb. 1 -- The Brunettes: Paper Doll (B-)

Jan. 29 -- Basia Bulat: Heart of My Own (C)

Jan. 28 -- Priestess: Prior to the Fire (B)

Jan. 27 -- The Magnetic Fields: Realism (B)

Jan. 26 -- Four Tet: There Is Love in You (D)

Jan. 25 -- Delphic: Acolyte (C+)

Jan. 22 -- The Hot Rats: Turn Ons (B+)

Jan. 21 -- Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring (A-)

Jan. 20 -- Midlake: The Courage of Others (D-)

Jan. 19 -- Laura Veirs: July Flame (B+)

Jan. 18 -- Beach House: Teen Dream (C)

Jan. 15 -- Charlotte Gainsbourg: IRM (B)

Jan. 14 -- OK Go: Of the Blue Colour of the Sky (D)

Jan. 13 -- Eels: End Times (A-)

Jan. 12 -- Spoon: Transference (B)

Jan. 11 -- Editors: In This Light and On This Evening (D+)

Jan. 8 -- Surfer Blood: Astro Coast (B+)

Jan. 7 -- Yeasayer: Odd Blood (C-)

Jan. 6 -- Cold War Kids: Behave Yourself EP (B+)

Jan. 5 -- Vampire Weekend: Contra (D+)

Jan. 4 -- Texas Tornados: Está Bueno! (B)

Jan. 1 -- Scanners: Submarine (B-)

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