Vanguard Records Sounds of Summer (AmazonMP3 Sampler)

Various Artists | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: June 29, 2010
• Release Date: June 29, 2010
• Label: VANGUARD
• Copyright: (C) 2010 Vanguard Records, A Welk Music Group Company
• Total Length: 37:08
• Genres:
• ASIN: B003UHS09I
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An OK collection of rock and blues at a great price, July 20, 2010

By 

Michael Lichter (Buffalo, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vanguard Records Sounds of Summer (AmazonMP3 Sampler) (MP3 Download)

Vanguard is a long-lived folkish label. You probably haven't heard of most of its artists, which is why it's a bit of a surprise to see recognizable names like Isobel Campbell (from Belle and Sebastian), the Indigo Girls, and the Robert Cray Band in this sampler. Nevertheless, folkies should be wary: this is a rock/blues album from beginning to end. The tunes are breezy and upbeat, for the most part, which is what makes this a SUMMER sampler. Also, several of the tracks (not just #6) are live, which gives this collection a more informal feeling than it might otherwise have.

1. "Blue Sunshine" by Portland-based (I think) Blue Giant is a generic Southern-style rocker that sounds like something that the Allman Brothers might have recorded as a "B" side.
2. "Feast Of The Heart" by Jesca Hoop is probably the most avant-garde track on the album; it falls somewhere between Sheryl Crow and The Residents, with distorted (as through a megaphone) vocals, odd rhythms, and an aggressive tone.
3. "Come Undone" by Isobel Campbell is, I think, really a Belle and Sebastian tune. The lead vocal is male; the female vocal is barely audible under it. The tune is slow and lightly bluesy, with an arrangement that relies mostly on piano, organ, and string-like synthesizers. Not my cup of tea, but not really bad either.
4. "Don't Take What's Mine" by Stacy Clark is pleasant and bouncy. Her sound falls somewhere between Avril Lavigne and Taylor Swift -- more the latter than the former. Which is OK, if a little unexpected given the label.
5. "The Lime Tree" by Trevor Hall starts out pretty low-key, with Hall (I presume) speaking more than singing with acoustic backup. It builds up to a passionate, electric crescendo, however, before simmering back down into spoken/acoustic territory. I don't know how to describe Hall, but he's not your usual 2000s indie guy.
6. "4th Of July (Live)" by Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers sounds like John Cougar Melloncamp-style country, meaning vaguely patriotic and not very countrified. More personal and confessional (including a bit about being suicidal) than Cougar's hit "Jack and Diane," it nonetheless feels similar. Still, I kind of liked it.
7. "Shame On You" by Indigo Girls is a lively tune that sounds like their usual uptempo work, here spiced up with a cajunish accordion and electric guitar. Not one of their more introspective songs, this one targets several groups of people who they think ought to be ashamed of themselves. It's OK, but it's probably not going to make their next greatest hits collection.
8. "Chicken In The Kitchen" by The Robert Cray Band is a typical blues tune where lyrics about food and eating are thinly-disguised allusions to sexual organs and activities. I'm not a big blues fan, but this is a respectable genre performance (with nice guitar work).

Overall, this is an OK collection of tunes, well suited for burning onto a CD (or iPod) and listening to as you roll down the road. I'm not revved up to buy anything, but I will probably check out more work by one or two of these artists on Rhapsody.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's FREE PEOPLE!!!!, September 19, 2010

By 

Lauri "lorelei" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vanguard Records Sounds of Summer (AmazonMP3 Sampler) (MP3 Download)

I think is a great album. It's even better because it's free! The Robert Cray Band, it's gotta be worth a listen. Broaden your horizons you might hear something you like, you're not losing any money!!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Surprise find for free, July 27, 2010

By 

Leafsfan2028 (magnolia, tx, usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vanguard Records Sounds of Summer (AmazonMP3 Sampler) (MP3 Download)

Glad I took a chance on this. Not too shabby and a great price tag.