Lambchop | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Lambchop were arguably the most consistently brilliant and unique American group to emerge during the 1990s. Their unclassifiable hybrid of country, soul, jazz, and avant-garde noise seemed at one time or another to drink from every conceivable tributary of contemporary music, its Baroque beauty held together by the surreal lyrical wit and droll vocal presence of frontman Kurt Wagner. While their label, Merge Records, once famously described them as "Nashvilles most fucked-up country band," that description was ultimately too limiting: the group constantly changed throughout their existence. Their stylistic blend evolved from the detuned country accents of 1996s How I Quit Smoking and the widescreen Southern-tinged melodies of 2000s Nixon to the polished chamber pop of 2004s Aw Cmon and No, You Cmon, the evocative tone poems of 2012s Mr. M, and the coolly expressive electronic surfaces of 2019s This (Is What I Wanted to Tell You). The constant lineup changes throughout the groups history would also leave no doubt that Wagner was Lambchops auteur, but despite the consistency of his lyrical and melodic vision, their body of work testifies to his refusal to let his ideas turn stale. Although Lambchops ever-rotating roster would later expand to over a dozen members, the group formed in 1986 as a simple three-piece, teaming Wagner, guitarist Jim Watkins, and bassist Marc Trovillion, former high school classmates. Originally dubbed Posterchild, the trio made their earliest recordings in Trovillions bedroom, self-releasing a series of cassettes with titles like Im F*cking Your Daughter. In time, the lineup began to grow and the band regularly performed live in and around the Nashville area, often at the area record shop, Lucys (not coincidentally owned by Wagners wife, Mary). In 1992, Posterchild -- now consisting of Wagner, Trovillion, guitarist Bill Killbrew, clarinetist Jonathan Marx, multi-instrumentalist Scott C. Chase, drummer Steve Goodhue, and percussionist Allen Lowery -- released An Open Fresca + A Moist Towelette, a split single with friends Crop Circle Hoax. The 7" brought the group to the attention of entertainment lawyer George Regis, who issued cease-and-desist orders on behalf of his clients, the noise pop band Poster Children. After rejecting the names REN, Pinnacles of Cream, and Turd Goes Back, the band settled on Lambchop, added vocalist/saxophonist Deanna Varagona, steel guitarist Paul Niehaus, and organist John Delworth, and signed to Merge to release the 1993 single "Nine." Their debut LP, I Hope Youre Sitting Down (aka Jacks Tulips), followed a year later. In many ways, this album would be the most conventional Lambchop record. Its Nashville origins and torch-and-twang ambience would saddle the band with the increasingly erroneous alt-country tag, although Wagners Lou Reed-like vocals and bizarre narrative conceits -- in particular the fan-favorite "Soaky in the Pooper," a vivid recounting of a bad LSD trip -- immediately signaled their obvious distance from the likes of Uncle Tupelo or the Jayhawks. The lovely How I Quit Smoking appeared in 1996 (although on the subsequent "Cigaretiquette" single, Wagner would proudly announce, "Im smoking again"). Recorded live the previous Independence Day, the Hank EP followed later in 1996. Marking the debut of drummer Paul Burch, the disc represented the apotheosis of Lambchops Billy Sherrill-inspired phase, its lush production evoking the Nashville sound so popular three decades earlier, but by then completely passé among Music Citys chart superstars. 1997s Thriller proved a major turning point; highlighted by the Muscle Shoals soul of "Your Fucking Sunny Day" and including no fewer than three songs penned by East River Pipes F.M. Cornog, this sprawling, difficult album introduced the uncompromising eclecticism that would dominate Lambchops work from here on out. The follow-up, 1998s What Another Man Spills, upped the ante further. On remarkably soulful covers of Curtis Mayfields "Love Song (Give Me Your Love)" and Frederick Knights "Ive Been Lonely for So Long," Wagners baritone drawl even gives way to a Prince-like falsetto. That same year, the group also backed Vic Chesnutt on his album The Salesman and Bernadette. Lambchops fifth full-length, Nixon, appeared in the spring of 2000. Supposedly a concept album exploring the presidency of the infamous Tricky Dick, Wagner even included a bibliography in the liner notes -- a direct connection to the Watergate scandal remains unidentified. Though still criminally unknown at home, Lambchop enjoyed a much more substantial following overseas, and on May 13, 2000 they appeared at the London Royal Festival Hall. The gig was recorded and made available at U.K. appearances that fall as the Queens Royal Trimma limited-edition EP. (A 2001 European tour yielded the Treasure Chest of the Enemy EP.) The 2001 collection Tools in the Dryer assembled many of Lambchops scattered singles, compilation tracks, and remixes. After recording the purposefully spare Is a Woman in 2002, Wagner and company moved on to their most ambitious project yet -- two simultaneously released albums, Aw CMon and No, You Cmon, in which Lambchop returned to full power and were joined by a lush string section. The next year, the musically experimental EP CoLAB came out, in which Wagner and co. joined forces in the studio with the Nashville electronic duo Hands Off Cuba. It was followed in the spring of 2006 by The Decline of Country & Western Civilization, Pt. 2: The Woodwind Years, an eclectic collection of tracks that had never appeared before on Lambchop records, including one new song, "Gettysburg Address," and a record of all-new material called Damaged later that summer. The year 2008 saw the release of the typically graceful and elegant OH (Ohio), followed in early 2012 by the groups 11th full-length outing, the austere Mr. M., which offered up 11 lush, string-laden meditations on love and loss, all of which were dedicated to the late Vic Chesnutt. In 2015, Kurt Wagner introduced his electronic side project HeCTA, and elements of HeCTAs eclectic musical approach informed Lambchops next project. FLOTUS (which Wagner says stands for "For Love Often Turns Us Still") was released in October 2016. The following year, they released the single "The Hustle Unlimited," an orchestral reworking of the FLOTUS track "The Hustle." 2019s This (Is What I Wanted to Tell You) found Lambchop doubling down on their atmospheric electronic side and Wagners Auto-Tuned vocals. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 34 Title: I Hope Youre Sitting Down Released: 1994-09-19 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:11:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Begin (03:30) 2 Betweemus (05:26) 3 Soaky in the Pooper (04:16) 4 Because You Are the Very Air He Breathes (06:11) 5 Under the Same Moon (04:55) 6 I Will Drive Slowly (04:44) 7 Oh, What a Disappointment (04:26) 8 Hellmouth (02:52) 9 Bon Soir, Bon Soir (03:32) 10 Hickey (04:13) 11 Breathe Deep (05:51) 12 So I Hear Youre Moving (03:47) 13 Lets Go Bowling (05:29) 14 What Was He Wearing? (03:18) 15 Cowboy on the Moon (02:40) 16 Or Thousands of Prices (04:53) 17 The Pack-Up Song (01:53) |
 | Album: 2 of 34 Title: How I Quit Smoking Released: 1995 Tracks: 14 Duration: 52:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 For Which We Are Truly Thankful (02:58) 2 The Man Who Loved Beer (02:47) 3 The Militant (03:34) 4 We Never Argue (04:15) 5 Life’s Little Tragedy (04:16) 6 Suzieju (04:24) 7 All Smiles and Mariachi (03:30) 8 The Scary Caroler (04:44) 9 Smuckers (04:33) 10 The Militant (02:56) 11 Garf (04:30) 12 Your Life as a Sequel (04:18) 13 Theöne (04:53) 14 Again (01:10) |
| How I Quit Smoking : Allmusic album Review : Lambchop hails from Nashville and claims to play a "refined, and redefined" style of country music, but the songs the band creates on its second album, How I Quit Smoking, have more in common with Brit crooners the Tindersticks than Chet Atkins and Billy Sherrill (whom the Lambchop members claim as heroes). Boasting 13 players on this album, Lambchop feels more like an art collective on a mission of enlightenment than a country band bent on AM airplay. Still, with subtlely threads of clarinet, sax, organ, and even a full string section integrated into the mix alongside a double-necked lap steel and an impressive lineup of vintage guitars, the music is so lush, lovely, and thoroughly hypnotic you can see their point. The country element lies buried in the subtle rhythms and melodies, surfacing in the quiet moan of the lap steel or the melancholic flutter of the strings. Spooky as often as it is soothing, Lambchops music may not be the fireside countrypolitan of Atkins or Sherrill -- I dont think either would put up with the babbling rhymes of "Smuckers," the sinister guitars that mark "The Militant," or the existential undercurrents of "The Scary Caroler." But this is music that will lull you to sleep like a cup of Sleepytime tea as much as it will give you dreams to remember. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 34 Title: Hank Released: 1996-07-08 Tracks: 7 Duration: 31:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Im a Stranger Here (04:37) 2 Blame It on the Brunettes (06:41) 3 The Tin Chime (04:20) 4 Randi (04:46) 5 Doaks Need (04:26) 6 Poor Bastard (06:08) 7 I Sucked My Bosss Dick (00:38) |
 | Album: 4 of 34 Title: Thriller / Hank Released: 1997 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:05:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 My Face Your Ass (03:55) 2 Your Fucking Sunny Day (03:47) 3 Hey, Wheres Your Girl (02:26) 4 Crawl Away (03:44) 5 Gloria Leonard (04:37) 6 Thriller (04:50) 7 The Old Fat Robin (05:24) 8 Superstar in France (04:47) 9 Im a Stranger Here (04:37) 10 Blame It on the Brunettes (06:41) 11 The Tin Chime (04:20) 12 Randi (04:46) 13 Doaks Need (04:26) 14 Poor Bastard (06:08) 15 I Sucked My Bosss Dick (00:38) |
 | Album: 5 of 34 Title: The Man Who Loved Beer Released: 1997 Tracks: 3 Duration: 09:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Man Who Loved Beer (02:47) 2 Alumni Lawn (02:48) 3 Burly & Johnson (03:27) |
 | Album: 6 of 34 Title: Thriller Released: 1997-09-23 Tracks: 11 Duration: 42:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 My Face Your Ass (03:55) 2 Your Fucking Sunny Day (03:47) 3 Hey, Wheres Your Girl (02:26) 4 Crawl Away (03:44) 5 Gloria Leonard (04:37) 6 Thriller (04:50) 7 The Old Fat Robin (05:24) 8 Superstar in France (04:47) 9 Whitey (03:07) 10 Cigarettiquette (02:21) 11 Mr Crabby (03:41) |
| Thriller : Allmusic album Review : Following in the tradition of the brilliant "Cigaretiquette" single, which immediately preceded it, Thriller moves Lambchop sharply away from their signature alt-countrypolitan sound, pushing instead toward a punchier, noisier aesthetic; borrowing its title from the best-selling album of all time and devoting no less than three of its eight tracks to East River Pipe covers, its a strange, difficult record likely to baffle even the groups most devoted fans. Opening with the surreal doo wop of "My Face Your Ass" and then sliding into the oddly funky "Your Fucking Sunny Day," which comes complete with a Muscle Shoals-styled horn section, the record defies expectations at every turn; almost completely abandoning the string-laden, Nashville sound-influenced approach of earlier efforts, Thriller is dark and dissonant, with an edgy, menacing lyrical slant to match. Not everything here works, but the albums sheer audacity alone makes it well worth a listen, again confirming Lambchops status among the most consistently weird and fascinating bands around. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 34 Title: What Another Man Spills Released: 1998-09-08 Tracks: 12 Duration: 55:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Interrupted (06:08) 2 The Saturday Option (04:37) 3 Shucks (05:11) 4 Give Me Your Love (Love Song) (05:15) 5 Life #2 (04:41) 6 Scamper (06:21) 7 Its Not Alright (03:26) 8 N.O. (04:26) 9 Ive Been Lonely for So Long (04:40) 10 Magnificent Obsession (03:20) 11 King of Nothing Never (04:07) 12 The Theme from the Neil Miller Show (02:45) |
| What Another Man Spills : Allmusic album Review : Its a safe bet to expect the unexpected in regards to any new Lambchop effort, but the cryptically titled (and beautifully packaged) What Another Man Spills is the bands most consistently surprising and deliriously eclectic outing to date, with new twists around every corner. While its their loveliest record since How I Quit Smoking, that albums countrypolitan gauze is largely a thing of the past, replaced here by a dreamy, jazz-like patina which proves a remarkably versatile backdrop not only for Kurt Wagners originals but for a vast range of covers, from Dumps "Its Not Alright" to Curtis Mayfields "Give Me Your Love (Love Song)." The latter is easily the most jaw-dropping track on What Another Man Spills, with the group easily slipping into the songs soulful groove without a hint of irony, not even in Wagners amazingly Prince-like falsetto; a later cover of the Frederick Knight smash "Ive Been Lonely for So Long," while less surprising, is no less engaging, further solidifying Lambchops growing debt to the Stax/Volt sound. Where the albums jumble of styles and offbeat covers might seem self-indulgent coming from any other band, Lambchop somehow makes it all work with their wit, style, and intelligence intact -- even five records in, they never cease to amaze. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 34 Title: The Queens Royal Trimma Released: 2000 Tracks: 6 Duration: 33:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 If I Could Touch The Hem Of His Garment (03:46) 2 Nashville Parent (05:56) 3 The Old Gold Shoe (07:28) 4 Give Me Your Love (05:40) 5 Theone (04:37) 6 Love TKO (06:13) |
 | Album: 9 of 34 Title: Nixon Released: 2000-02-08 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Old Gold Shoe (06:20) 2 Grumpus (04:19) 3 You Masculine You (05:59) 4 Up With People (05:59) 5 Nashville Parent (05:38) 6 What Else Could It Be? (03:38) 7 The Distance From Her to There (04:20) 8 The Book I Havent Read (05:44) 9 The Petrified Florist (04:52) 10 The Butcher Boy (02:52) |
| Nixon : Allmusic album Review : Supposedly a concept album about the disgraced 37th president of the United States (though the lyrics make no recognizable statements about Richard Nixons infamous life and times), Lambchops fifth full-length was a powerful consolidation of the strengths theyd gained since their uncertain debut in 1994. Kurt Wagners sometimes singing/ sometimes talking vocal style, and lyrics that were oblique to the point of seeing surreal, remained a matter of taste, but his melodies hit a new peak in their beauty and evocative spirit as he merged countrypolitan country, smooth R&B;, and chamber pop in ambitious and intriguing ways. And as Lambchop swelled to 13 musicians (not counting guest musicians, a choir, and the string section), the arrangements became increasingly sophisticated as Wagner and his collaborators used their rich palette of sounds to inspire a wealth of moods -- from the easygoing groove of "Grumpus" to the luxurious sadness of "Nashville Parent" -- and helped to clarify and strengthen that which seemed uncertain in Wagners lyrics. And given the sheer ambition of this album, Nixon is a milestone in independent record making, music constructed on a grand scale thats richly satisfying without seeming overdone or tricked up simply for its own sake. And regardless of how one feels about Wagners abilities as a singer, when he lets his heart do the talking on numbers like "The Distance from Her to There" and "The Book I Havent Read," his sincerity is undeniable and affecting. Calling Nixon Lambchops masterpiece is to ignore the fine work theyd done before, and the similarly ambitious work that came afterward, but it is the point where they showed they were in full command of the tools and talents at their disposal, and its glorious eccentricities are as pleasurable as anything in their catalog. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 34 Title: Tools in the Dryer Released: 2001-09-18 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:07:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Nine (03:36) 2 Whitey (03:07) 3 Cigarettiquette (02:21) 4 Miss Prissy (06:25) 5 The Petrified Florist (04:44) 6 Each With a Bag of Fries (03:32) 7 All Over the World (03:20) 8 Flowers of Memory (04:35) 9 Scared Out of My Shoes (02:51) 10 Style Monkeys (03:43) 11 The Militant (Mark Robinson remix) (03:38) 12 Up with People (Zero 7 reprise remix) (04:48) 13 Gimme Your Love (Doppelganger remix) (05:17) 14 Love TKO (05:26) 15 Or Thousands of Prizes (04:50) 16 Moody Fucker (05:31) |
 | Album: 11 of 34 Title: Treasure Chest of the Enemy Released: 2002 Tracks: 10 Duration: 29:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Fade Away Jumper (?) 2 The Gettysburg Address (?) 3 We Shall Not Be Overwhelmed (03:44) 4 The Puppy and the Leaf (03:59) 5 Haul Away Joe (05:00) 6 Greylines in Heaven (05:55) 7 Yard Work (03:33) 8 Kurt Wagners Heart Attack (02:58) 9 Di Di 7 (04:01) 10 Flub (?) |
 | Album: 12 of 34 Title: Pet Sounds Sucks Released: 2002 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:01:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The New Cobweb Summer (07:31) 2 My Blue Wave (07:41) 3 I Can Hardly Spell My Name (04:47) 4 Flick (05:02) 5 You Masculine You (07:45) 6 Caterpillar (06:29) 7 Bugs (05:35) 8 The Book I Havent Read (06:24) 9 The Puppy and the Leaf (04:14) 10 Flub (05:56) |
 | Album: 13 of 34 Title: Is a Woman Released: 2002-02-19 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:17:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Daily Growl (06:36) 2 The New Cobweb Summer (06:57) 3 My Blue Wave (07:52) 4 I Can Hardly Spell My Name (03:24) 5 Autumns Vicar (04:16) 6 Flick (05:07) 7 Caterpillar (06:19) 8 D. Scott Parsley (05:57) 9 Bugs (05:43) 10 The Old Matchbook Trick (04:41) 11 Is a Woman (04:38) 1 This Corrosion (06:11) 2 Backstreet Girl (04:31) 3 UTI (04:53) |
| Is a Woman : Allmusic album Review : Many of the attributes that numerous alternative listeners have found endearing or annoying about Lambchop remain on this, the bands sixth album. Theres the fragmented, sometimes mundane subject matter of Kurt Wagners lyrics, his dry sing-speak voice, and an overall air of resignation that blurs the line between contentment and containment. Is a Woman has to rank as one of the groups better efforts, though, primarily since the coyness that could lead to aggravating pretensions has been muted, almost to the point of absence. Its also fair to say that, at this point, Lambchop was no longer an alt-country act. Perhaps theres still a touch of countrypolitan to the subdued songs and languorous tempos. But the effect is rather more like that of an arty lounge singer, with the deft piano, rich vibes, and occasional science fiction-like guitar effects. Wagner sounds something like an alternate-universe Randy Newman, not nearly as concise or direct in his imagery, but possessed of similar weary, reflective Americana. By focusing less on quotidian (i.e., boring) experiences of the proletariat and more on less-tangible allusions to death, troubled romance, and loneliness, Wagners music is simply more approachable and meaningful, if still hard to puzzle out in its specific intent. Too, the sound is much more consistent from cut to cut than it has been on past Lambchop albums, with enough inventive tinges of soul and jazz to leaven the super-somber after-hours ethos. This is still way too idiosyncratic for mass digestion, but its a definite positive artistic progression. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 34 Title: Mono Released: 2003 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:08:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Intro (03:03) 2 The Daily Growl (06:49) 3 The New Cobweb Summer (10:04) 4 Im A Stranger Here (04:35) 5 Betweemus (06:35) 6 Your Life Is A Sequel (05:53) 7 I Can Hardly Spell My Name (04:46) 8 The Old Matchbook Trick (05:56) 9 My Blue Wave (07:59) 10 You Masculine You (08:21) 11 The Gusher (04:20) |
 | Album: 15 of 34 Title: Nashville Does Dallas Released: 2004 Tracks: 9 Duration: 30:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Jan 17B (04:26) 2 Where or When (02:53) 3 Under a Dream of a Lie (04:19) 4 Every Waking Moment (02:35) 5 (Get a) Grip (on Yourself) (03:53) 6 Jan 14 (02:37) 7 Christian Rock (04:00) 8 The Puppy and the Leaf (04:56) 9 Theme from the Television Show "Dallas" (00:52) |
 | Album: 16 of 34 Title: Boo Fucking Who? Released: 2004 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:08:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Nothing but a Blur From a Bullet Train (03:58) 2 Low Ambition (05:36) 3 The Gusher (04:14) 4 Theres Still Time (03:48) 5 Sunrise (04:09) 6 I Havent Heard a Word Ive Said (04:25) 7 The Lone Official (03:35) 8 Four Pounds in Two Days (02:16) 9 Joke (00:37) 10 You Masculine You (08:52) 11 Action Figure (05:15) 12 Under a Dream of a Lie (03:41) 13 Nothing Adventurous Please (03:55) 14 Steve McQueen (04:59) 15 Betweemus (06:14) 16 The Man Who Loved Beer (03:21) |
 | Album: 17 of 34 Title: No You Cmon Released: 2004-02-09 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Sunrise (04:10) 2 Low Ambition (04:40) 3 Theres Still Time (04:18) 4 Nothing Adventurous Please (03:52) 5 The Problem (02:27) 6 Shang a Dang Dang (03:21) 7 About My Lighter (04:51) 8 Under a Dream of a Lie (03:44) 9 Jan. 24 (03:13) 10 The Gusher (03:50) 11 Listen (05:41) 12 The Producer (03:16) |
| No You C'mon : Allmusic album Review : Well, if its good enough for Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, and Guns N Roses, it must be good enough for Lambchop, and Kurt Wagners super-sized Nashville chamber pop ensemble have followed in the footsteps of the above-mentioned artists by releasing two albums of new material on the same day. No, You Cmon was written and recorded at the same time as its sister set, Aw Cmon, and stylistically the two albums are cut from the same mold -- expansive, lushly arranged pop melodies with classic R&B; and country accents, often accompanied by Wagners engaging cryptic lyrics and nicotine-laced vocals, given life by a 13-piece band and aided by polished string arrangements. In fact, the most difficult question to answer about this music is just whats the difference between Aw Cmon and No, You Cmon? The obvious response is not much of anything, particularly in terms of execution and quality -- the two albums sound like twin sides of the same coin, and while Aw Cmon doesnt have a track that rocks as hard as "Nothing Adventurous Please," No, You Cmon lacks a cut as willfully odd as "Women Help to Create the Kind of Men They Despise." In short, theres a serious case of yin and yang going on between these two albums, and its all but impossible to single out one as better than the other -- if you love this band, youre going to want to have both, as they represent Lambchops strange but beautiful worldview writ large, and if youve never heard the band before, both represent the bands current state of mind equally well. In fact, these two discs would have made for a fine double album, and if Lambchop have chosen to regard them as two separate entities, that just means theyve released two of the finest albums of 2004 instead of just one. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 34 Title: Aw Cmon / No You Cmon Released: 2004-02-09 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:32:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Being Tyler (03:19) 2 Four Pounds in Two Days (02:04) 3 Steve McQueen (04:32) 4 The Lone Official (03:43) 5 Something’s Going On (and On) (02:45) 6 Nothing but a Blur From a Bullet Train (03:58) 7 Each Time I Bring It Up It Seems to Bring You Down (04:25) 8 Timothy B. Schmidt (03:05) 9 Women Help to Create the Kind of Men They Despise (02:29) 10 I Hate Candy (04:48) 11 I Havent Heard a Word Ive Said (04:04) 12 Action Figure (05:30) 1 Sunrise (04:10) 2 Low Ambition (04:40) 3 Theres Still Time (04:18) 4 Nothing Adventurous Please (03:52) 5 The Problem (02:27) 6 Shang a Dang Dang (03:21) 7 About My Lighter (04:51) 8 Under a Dream of a Lie (03:44) 9 Jan. 24 (03:13) 10 The Gusher (03:50) 11 Listen (05:41) 12 The Producer (03:16) |
 | Album: 19 of 34 Title: Aw Cmon Released: 2004-02-09 Tracks: 13 Duration: 50:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Sunrise (04:10) 2 Low Ambition (04:40) 3 Theres Still Time (04:18) 4 Nothing Adventurous Please (03:52) 5 The Problem (02:27) 6 Shang a Dang Dang (03:21) 7 About My Lighter (04:51) 8 Under a Dream of a Lie (03:44) 9 Jan. 24 (03:13) 10 The Gusher (03:50) 11 Listen (05:41) 12 The Producer (03:16) 13 [data track] (02:54) |
| Aw C'mon : Allmusic album Review : After the spare musical textures of Lambchops 2002 album, Is a Woman, Kurt Wagner and his king-sized chamber pop ensemble have returned to full force with Aw Cmon, the first of two albums the group released on the same day in February 2004. Ambitious, eclectic, and boasting lush string charts performed by the Nashville String Machine (the orchestra-for-hire that has been adding countrypolitian polish to country & western recording sessions since the 1970s), Aw Cmon (as well as its sibling, No, You Cmon) easily trumps Nixon for widescreen musical grandeur, which makes for a lovely if puzzling contrast with the whispered thumbnail sketches of Wagners lyrics and vocals. Delivered in a craggy murmur and often mixed low enough that one sometimes has to strain to hear them, Kurt Wagners stories focus on the small details of lifes big events rather than the shape of the larger picture, while his music builds an impressive sonic mosaic out of the assorted tones and textures of this 13-piece ensemble and the myriad pop, R&B;, and country influences that inform his music. In fact, the albums instrumental cuts, "Being Tyler," "The Lone Official," and "Timothy B. Schmidt," pack nearly as much emotional resonance as most of the vocal numbers, which seems to reinforce the notion that Wagner is going for mood as much as message here. Aw Cmon is lovely, compelling, mysterious, and confounding; its hard to know just what is supposed to lurk at the core of this music, but Lambchop have given listeners enough fine music that digging to the center is fine and rewarding work. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 34 Title: Sunrise Released: 2004-10-20 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:02:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sunrise (04:11) 2 I Hate Candy (04:51) 3 The Problem (02:27) 4 Under a Dream of a Lie (05:44) 5 Nothing but a Blur From a Bullet Train (03:59) 6 The Puppy and the Leaf (04:53) 7 January 24 (03:08) 8 Timothy B. Schmidt (02:56) 9 Shang a Dang (02:50) 10 The Producer (02:43) 11 January 14 (03:16) 12 Nothing Adventurous Please (03:39) 13 The Lone Official (03:12) 14 January 17b (with Storm) (04:19) 15 Nothing but a Blur From a Bullet Train (instrumental) (04:00) 16 Four Pounds in Two Days (02:04) 17 Steve McQueen (04:22) |
 | Album: 21 of 34 Title: CoLAB Released: 2005 Tracks: 4 Duration: 28:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Prepared (05:21) 2 Blur (07:28) 3 Women (08:00) 4 Gus (07:36) |
 | Album: 22 of 34 Title: The Decline of Country and Western Civilization, Part II: The Woodwind Years Released: 2006-04-11 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:12:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 My Cliché (04:51) 2 Loretta Lung (03:15) 3 Two Kittens Dont Make a Puppy (02:04) 4 Its Impossible (05:37) 5 Ovary Eyes (03:10) 6 I Can Hardly Spell My Name (03:38) 7 Scary Caroler (03:06) 8 Your Life as a Sequel (04:21) 9 Smuckers (02:00) 10 Alumni Lawn (02:48) 11 Burly & Johnson (03:27) 12 Mr Crabby (03:41) 13 Playboy, The Shit (05:32) 14 Gloria Leonard (alternate version) (04:44) 15 Old Fat Robin (alternate version) (05:18) 16 Distance From Her to There (alternate version) (04:05) 17 Book I Havent Read (alternate version) (04:43) 18 Gettysburg Address (05:59) |
 | Album: 23 of 34 Title: Damaged Released: 2006-08-11 Tracks: 10 Duration: 48:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Paperback Bible (07:48) 2 Prepared (06:03) 3 The Rise and Fall of the Letter P (03:36) 4 A Day Without Glasses (04:11) 5 Beers Before the Barbican (04:51) 6 I Would Have Waited Here All Day (04:02) 7 Crackers (04:11) 8 Fear (05:00) 9 Short (03:48) 10 The Decline of Country and Western Civilization (04:36) |
| Damaged : Allmusic album Review : After the ambitious sweep of releasing two full albums on a single day in 2004 and creating a collaborative electronic EP with Hands Off Cuba while assembling a collection of singles and rarities in 2005, one can hardly blame Kurt Wagner and his partners in Lambchop for wanting to take on a less challenging project for the groups ninth album proper. And indeed, Damaged is a simpler and more streamlined effort than Lambchop have offered over their last several releases. Damaged is a set of ten elegant tone poems which rarely call full attention to the size and scope of the 15-person ensemble (enhanced with a string section) employed for these sessions. But dont get the idea Wagner and his cohorts have gotten lazy; Damaged is as moving and accomplished an album as this band has ever made, with the subtle but expert musicianship used in the service of a handful of songs which look deep into the heart of longing, disappointment, and the troubling mysteries of faith. If youre hoping for an easy-to-follow narrative from Wagners songs, youll be disappointed, but through a collection of accumulated, gestured, offhand asides and occasional confessions of weakness, he creates a world thats telling, poignant, and as real as the dust in the air on a Sunday morning. And the mighty Lambchop ensemble approaches the melodies with the care and dynamics of a great orchestra, where each note is carefully balanced as if it was assembling a house of cards that can miraculously balance a grand piano. While Lambchops country gestures recede a bit on Damaged, as a master class in the art and craft of record-making in the great Nashville tradition, this album is a true wonder, a quiet and deliberate recording that cumulatively hits with a massive emotional impact. This ranks with the best work of one of Americas most original musical visionaries. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 34 Title: Rainer on My Parade Released: 2008 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:07:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Im Glad I Never (01:24) 2 Seemingly Stranded (05:15) 3 Miss Prissy (07:06) 4 Beyond Belief (04:17) 5 Give Me Your Love (05:22) 6 Ive Been Lonely for So Long (03:47) 7 Love T.K.O. (05:17) 8 Hey, Wheres Your Girl (02:46) 9 Why Cant I Touch It (05:34) 10 (Get a) Grip (on Yourself) (03:37) 11 This Corrosion (06:53) 12 Fall of Troy (04:00) 13 Chelsea Hotel #2 (03:21) 14 Give It (04:59) 15 Where or When (04:17) |
 | Album: 25 of 34 Title: OH (Ohio) Released: 2008-09-25 Tracks: 11 Duration: 50:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Ohio (02:24) 2 Slipped Dissolved and Loosed (04:50) 3 Im Thinking of a Number (Between 1 and 2) (06:18) 4 National Talk Like a Pirate Day (05:59) 5 A Hold of You (05:38) 6 Sharing a Gibson With Martin Luther King Jr. (04:34) 7 Of Raymond (03:02) 8 Please Rise (03:38) 9 Popeye (06:18) 10 Close Up (03:52) 11 I Believe in You (03:27) |
| OH (Ohio) : Allmusic album Review : Lambchop may have begun life as "Nashvilles most fucked up country band," but with the passage of time the groups country leanings have slowly but surely faded away, and theyve grown into perhaps the most singularly pleasurable pop band of their day, mastering a sound that embraces the broad sonic palate of chamber pop and the ambitious experimentalism of indie rock without losing touch with the organic, human voice that informed their early work. OH (Ohio) is Lambchops tenth proper album, and it finds this band in masterful form; Kurt Wagner and his seven accompanists (with two additional musicians helping out with horns and woodwinds) bring a dazzling sense of grace, balance, and drama to the melodies, and while one senses the size of the ensemble while listening to these songs, theres no clutter or waste in the arrangements, and Lambchop is able to generate a compelling emotional immediacy no matter how broad their musical canvas. While no one will ever accuse Wagner of having a masters vocal range, his plaintive mumbles and mutterings have evolved into a remarkably expressive instrument, projecting a palpable range of hurt, longing, and conviction through his cryptic but genuinely fascinating lyrics. There isnt much in the way of a coherent narrative in songs like "National Talk Like a Pirate Day" or "Sharing a Gibson with Martin Luther King Jr.," but Wagner communicates with a verbal expressionism thats strong and telling, and he knows how to make his songs work with this gifted band. And just as Michael Peeds cover paintings offer eccentric but potent images of passion and desire, OH (Ohio) is a set of songs that speak about love with a strength that belies their nuanced elegance, and when Lambchop close out the set with a thoughtful and genuine interpretation of the old Don Williams hit "I Believe in You," its a gentle reinforcement of all thats gone before on the disc. OH (Ohio) is a singular accomplishment, and its hard to imagine anyone but Lambchop doing this so well -- or even imagining it at all. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 34 Title: Live at XX Merge Released: 2009-11-17 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Introduction (Jon Wurster) (00:51) 2 I Will Drive Slowly (05:37) 3 The New Cobweb Summer (06:32) 4 Grumpus (04:14) 5 Sharing a Gibson With Martin Luther King Jr. (04:01) 6 What Else Could It Be? (03:15) 7 Joke (Tony Crow) (01:48) 8 National Talk Like a Pirate Day (05:03) 9 Hey, Wheres Your Girl? (02:12) 10 Your Fucking Sunny Day (03:23) 11 Up With People (03:57) 12 Give It (06:33) |
| Live at XX Merge : Allmusic album Review : When Lambchop were first conceived as Posterchild in the late 80s, it was in the spirit of getting together to play with no discernible purpose. Anybody who wanted in could have in. There is still something of that spirit in the 11-piece edition of Kurt Wagners venerable Lambchop that appeared at Merge Records 20th anniversary festival in North Carolina in July 2009. Between horns and keyboards and multiple strummers, including the supremely tasteful lead guitarist William Tyler -- who embodies Lambchops indie Nashville vibe to a T -- Wagners project is still impossible to classify, and completely sublime. Wagner pulls from all corners of his 15-year career, stacking them into a pleasing arc, including erudite mid-set R&B; ("Your Fucking Sunny Day," from 1997s Thriller), a show-opening alt-country lilt ("I Will Drive Slowly," from 1994s I Hope Youre Sitting Down), and a joyous rock climax ("Give It," which begins as a half-sung recitation and propels itself into a chorus of Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime"). Recorded pristinely, the bands first official live album -- not counting a few tour-only discs -- is as pleasing as any of its ten albums, the wall of sound as fresh and wonderful as ever. On "Grumpus," from 2000s Nixon, the band fits together brass, noisy guitar, Tylers reverberated fingerpicking, and slightly dirty synth fills, each totally finding its own space in the mix. Complex and accessible, avant-garde and pleasing to the ear, introspective and cathartic, Lambchop communicate themselves in full, and there remains nobody like them in American music. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 34 Title: Tour Box Released: 2010 Tracks: 86 Duration: 7:10:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 If I Could Touch The Hem Of His Garment (03:46) 2 Nashville Parent (05:56) 3 The Old Gold Shoe (07:28) 4 Give Me Your Love (05:40) 5 Theone (04:37) 6 Love TKO (06:13) 1 We Shall Not Be Overwhelmed (03:44) 2 The Puppy and the Leaf (03:59) 3 Haul Away Joe (05:00) 4 Greylines in Heaven (05:55) 5 Yard Work (03:33) 6 Kurt Wagners Heart Attack (02:58) 7 Di Di 7 (04:01) 1 The New Cobweb Summer (07:31) 2 My Blue Wave (07:41) 3 I Can Hardly Spell My Name (04:47) 4 Flick (05:02) 5 You Masculine You (07:45) 6 Caterpillar (06:29) 7 Bugs (05:35) 8 The Book I Havent Read (06:24) 9 The Puppy and the Leaf (04:14) 10 Flub (05:56) 1 Intro (03:03) 2 The Daily Growl (06:49) 3 The New Cobweb Summer (10:04) 4 Im A Stranger Here (04:35) 5 Betweemus (06:35) 6 Your Life Is A Sequel (05:53) 7 I Can Hardly Spell My Name (04:46) 8 The Old Matchbook Trick (05:56) 9 My Blue Wave (07:59) 10 You Masculine You (08:21) 11 The Gusher (04:20) 1 Jan 17B (04:26) 2 Where or When (02:53) 3 Under a Dream of a Lie (04:19) 4 Every Waking Moment (02:35) 5 (Get a) Grip (on Yourself) (03:53) 6 Jan 14 (02:37) 7 Christian Rock (04:00) 8 The Puppy and the Leaf (04:56) 9 Theme from the Television Show "Dallas" (00:52) 1 Nothing but a Blur From a Bullet Train (03:58) 2 Low Ambition (05:36) 3 The Gusher (04:14) 4 Theres Still Time (03:48) 5 Sunrise (04:09) 6 I Havent Heard a Word Ive Said (04:25) 7 The Lone Official (03:35) 8 Four Pounds in Two Days (02:16) 9 Joke (00:37) 10 You Masculine You (08:52) 11 Action Figure (05:15) 12 Under a Dream of a Lie (03:41) 13 Nothing Adventurous Please (03:55) 14 Steve McQueen (04:59) 15 Betweemus (06:14) 16 The Man Who Loved Beer (03:21) 1 Paperback Bible (live) (09:48) 2 The Daily Growl (live) (06:06) 3 Prepared (live) (06:29) 4 Caterpillar (live) (06:30) 5 The Rise and Fall of the Letter P (live) (04:25) 6 I Would Have Waited Here All Day (live) (04:07) 7 The New Cobweb Summer (live) (10:01) 8 A Day Without Glasses (live) (05:21) 9 Beers Before the Barbican (live) (05:16) 10 The Militant (live) (04:00) 11 Fear (live) (04:45) 12 The Decline of Country and Western Civilization (live) (03:48) 1 Im Glad I Never (01:24) 2 Seemingly Stranded (05:15) 3 Miss Prissy (07:06) 4 Beyond Belief (04:17) 5 Give Me Your Love (05:22) 6 Ive Been Lonely for So Long (03:47) 7 Love T.K.O. (05:17) 8 Hey, Wheres Your Girl (02:46) 9 Why Cant I Touch It (05:34) 10 (Get a) Grip (on Yourself) (03:37) 11 This Corrosion (06:53) 12 Fall of Troy (04:00) 13 Chelsea Hotel #2 (03:21) 14 Give It (04:59) 15 Where or When (04:17) |
 | Album: 28 of 34 Title: Turd Goes Back Released: 2011 Tracks: 15 Duration: 38:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Fish Fry (01:38) 2 Daktari (01:26) 3 My Cliché (03:30) 4 They Were Made for Each Other (02:47) 5 Que Sera Sera (05:16) 6 Came Home Late (03:52) 7 Megalomaniac (01:22) 8 Old Dog Blue (02:01) 1 Soaky in the Pooper (04:19) 2 Music City Shits (01:00) 3 All Over the World (03:17) 4 Oh Nooooooo (03:54) 5 Fa-Q (04:36) 6 The Backyard Hoop (?) 7 How Many Times Did They Play Iko Iko? (?) |
 | Album: 29 of 34 Title: Democracy Released: 2012 Tracks: 8 Duration: 33:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Kind Of (04:53) 2 2B2 (05:19) 3 Gone Tomorrow (03:38) 4 Never My Love (02:39) 5 Mr. Met (04:48) 6 The Good Life (Is Wasted) (02:56) 7 Nice Without Mercy (04:03) 8 2B2 (05:05) |
 | Album: 30 of 34 Title: Mr. M Released: 2012-01-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 56:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 If Not Ill Just Die (04:25) 2 2B2 (05:39) 3 Gone Tomorrow (06:57) 4 Mr. Met (07:10) 5 Gar (05:28) 6 Nice Without Mercy (05:47) 7 Buttons (05:21) 8 The Good Life (Is Wasted) (03:19) 9 Kind Of (05:28) 10 Bettys Overture (03:21) 11 Never My Love (03:02) |
| Mr. M : Allmusic album Review : Lambchop have made a number of outstanding albums as theyve evolved from "Nashvilles most f--ked-up country band" to a singular chamber pop ensemble during a career that lasted nearly two decades, but one of their finest works is not really a Lambchop album at all. Vic Chesnutt recruited Lambchop to serve as his backing band on the 1998 album The Salesman and Bernadette, and the results were a marvelous fusion of the groups broad but emotionally intimate approach and Chesnutts witty, skewed, and perceptive gifts as a songwriter. Chesnutt and Lambchops Kurt Wagner seemed like kindred spirits, fellow Southerners who married oblique yet telling poetry to melodies that were strong yet fluidly graceful, and it should surprise no one that Wagner was hit hard by Chesnutts death in late 2009. Lambchops first studio project since Chesnutts passing, 2012s Mr. M, is dedicated to Wagners friend and collaborator, and though the songs dont deal explicitly with Chesnutt, theres a sense of sorrow in these songs thats deeper than what weve come to expect from Lambchop, infused with an air of reflection and regret thats impossible to miss. As usual, Wagners lyrics are blankly poetic and dont much concern themselves with linear storytelling, but his gently abstract sketches of people coming to terms with loss and unkind fate make themselves felt even when theyre not literally understood, and the lines "Friends make you sensitive/Loss makes us idiots/Fear makes us critical/Knowledge is difficult" from the song "Mr. Met" sums up the tone and the themes of this album remarkably well. But if Mr. M is music informed by tragedy, the sense of gravity makes this some of the most beautiful and powerful music Lambchop have created to date. Wagners gorgeous, artful melodies give the musicians plenty of opportunity to demonstrate their remarkable command of dynamics and interpersonal interaction, and most of the songs have been gussied up with fine, tasteful string arrangements that weave their way in and out of the bands performances rather than simply being draped over the top. Mr. M is an album that concerns itself with loss, but the beauty and gentle force of these songs speak to the joys and responsibilities of being alive, and the album is more than simply a fitting tribute to a fallen comrade, its one of the most affecting works to date from a brilliant, one-of-a-kind band. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 34 Title: Mr. N Released: 2012-10-26 Tracks: 4 Duration: 21:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Suicide Lasts Forever (05:59) 2 Dishes to Wash Music To (05:13) 3 Prelude to My Hallucination (06:05) 4 The Coral Castle (04:18) |
 | Album: 32 of 34 Title: FLOTUS Released: 2016-11-04 Tracks: 11 Duration: 55:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In Care of 8675309 (11:51) 2 Directions to the Can (03:32) 3 FLOTUS (03:30) 4 JFK (05:32) 5 Howe (04:06) 6 Old Masters (04:44) 7 Relatives #2 (05:26) 8 Harbor Country (03:27) 9 Writer (03:41) 10 NIV (04:35) 11 The Hustle (05:30) |
| FLOTUS : Allmusic album Review : Since their recording debut in 1994, Lambchop have evolved from a small combo to a veritable orchestra, complete with horns and strings. But since the mid-2000s, Lambchop leader, songwriter, and lead singer Kurt Wagner has been easing back on the scale of his ensemble, and 2016s FLOTUS is one of the most purposefully spare albums of his career. Lambchop once cheerfully described themselves as "Nashvilles most f--ked-up country band," but FLOTUS betrays not the slightest country influence. On FLOTUS -- which Wagner insists stands not for "First Lady of the United States," but "For Love Often Turns Us Still" -- the languid, spectral melodies are most often carried by pianos, synthesizers, bass, and drum machines, easing along with the unobtrusive grace of an ambient performance. And Wagner treats his own voice as another instrument in the ensemble, processing his singing through Auto-Tune that transforms his distinctive mutter into something quite different. FLOTUS plays like Wagners Bizarro World take on smooth R&B; and electronic pop, though most of this is too laid-back to function as dance music (even though the liner notes contain convenient BPM counts for each tune). But as different as the approach may be, the melodies and the homey but abstract lyrics still sound like the work of Kurt Wagner. Bookended by two extended numbers (the finale, "The Hustle," comes in at over 18 minutes), this music is full of emotional warmth despite the cool surfaces, and though Wagner experimented with electronics with his side project HeCTA, on FLOTUS hes found a way to effectively fuse beats and keyboards with the slightly bent but heartfelt persona hes carefully fashioned over time. And while it bears little resemblance to anything in Wagners catalog, "The Hustle" feels like some sort of masterwork, a rueful but passionate meditation on love and relationships that glides along on an endless pulse thats as elemental and sustaining as the human heart. Two decades on, Lambchop are not only still able to surprise listeners, theyre doing some of their best work at the same time, and FLOTUS is an unexpected triumph. | ||
 | Album: 33 of 34 Title: Live at the Shanghai Symphony Chamber Hall Released: 2017-01 Tracks: 6 Duration: 40:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Nashville Parent (06:19) 2 New Cobweb Summer (08:34) 3 My Blue Wave (08:36) 4 Beers Before the Barbican (06:19) 5 Petrified Florist (05:27) 6 Theone (05:19) |
 | Album: 34 of 34 Title: This (Is What I Wanted to Tell You) Released: 2019-03-22 Tracks: 8 Duration: 45:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The New Isnt So You Anymore (05:19) 2 Crosswords, or What This Says About You (06:47) 3 Everything Is for You (03:55) 4 The Lasting Last of You (06:08) 5 The Air Is Heavy and I Should Be Listening to You (07:40) 6 The December-ish You (06:20) 7 This Is What I Wanted to Tell You (06:45) 8 Flower (02:38) |