We all suspected that deep inside, indie-folker Damian Jurado was an electric guitar-wieldin’, chair-breakin’ pop star, and this 2002 full-band album (reissued in 2007) proves it. Produced by Pedro the Lion’s David Bazan, the 12 songs here bristle with punk-pop energy, but Jurado’s usual melodicism and lyrical poignancy are far from lost. Songs like “Parade” and “Never Ending Tide,” in fact, deftly straddle both his worlds.

‘Caught in the Trees’ marks the dawn of a new era for Damien Jurado. It may not be a huge departure from some of his past albums musically, but lyrically Jurado has taken a giant leap forward and there is no turning back. Best known for his dark yet fragile first person fictional tales, Jurado now unlocks the door and invites us into his own enigmatic world with an energy and intensity that is all-consuming. Jurado took a full year to make this record, longer than ever before, as he ran away from
and eventually found himself in his own songs – some much more rocking than Jurado fans are used to, but as intense as ever. Recording started in the summer months and the sweltering heat, and wrapped in the freezing temps of winter. There was laughter and there was introspection, and the result is a record that Jurado loyalists will find was worth the wait. And perhaps a reason to listen for those who have yet to give this bedraggled storyteller a chance.

Seattle native Damien Jurado’s first album is an impressive debut that was sadly overlooked by many people still caught up in the hype of the celebrated Sub Pop Records and the aftermath left from the grunge era. While Jurado is responsible for writing hundreds of songs on his own, he chose 13 to make the cut for this album. Many are silly, dealing with topics such as purple anteaters or the circus. Others cry out as therapy for Jurado, trying to reconcile his parent’s painful divorce or the feeling of being independent from a recent relationship. Still others are just fictional stories, woven by this man who is known in certain indie folk circles as a master storyteller. Taking jangly guitars and Jurado’s awkward, yet soothing crooning, along with steady drumming and a host of other instruments, Waters Ave S. is silky smooth in its delivery and rarely comes up short. While not entirely similar to his later works, on its own, Waters Ave S. is a special treat that deserves a listen. ~ Kurt Morris

Where Shall You Take Me?’ is the fifth full-length album from Seattle singer/songwriter DAMIEN JURADO.
He has previously released four albums becoming one of the most lauded and revered American songwriters in recent memory, in particular through MOJO and UNCUT.
With its tenderness and joy, intensity and anxiety, the album is awash with emotion.
Comparisons have been made to WILL OLDHAM, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, BOB DYLAN, RICHARD BUCKNER, (SMOG), RED HOUSE PAINTERS and GILLIAN WELCH.
Licensed locally by SENSORY PROJECTS (HOOD, THE TIGERS).
UNCUT “Ten menacing tales from Seattle’s master of the dark and distributing”
CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES “Jurado strips bare uncomfortable truths, at times genuinely moving, at others distressingly funny”.

Another strong collection of urban folk songs from Damien Jurado, Ghost of David builds on the gentle, friendly loneliness of Rehearsals for Departure and deepens it with a spiritual, often otherworldly feel. With the notable exception of “Paxil”’s bedroom-crafted rock, the album casts a reflective, melancholy spell, especially on “Great Today,” “Tonight I Will Retire,” “Walk With Me,” and “Ghost in the Snow.” However, Jurado lets rays of hope shine through on “Johnny Go Riding” and the title track, and songs like “Medication” and “Desert” showcase his conversational lyrics and delivery. A sweetly earnest version of “Rosewood Casket” adds another dimension to this contemplative, compelling album, which is Jurado’s finest work yet. ~ Heather Phares

With this album Dylan emerged from the cloak of Woody Guthrie and proclaimed his own unique talent. No longer detached–the set was originally entitled BOB DYLAN’S BLUES–he personalized his songs, famously rejecting four from the final draft in favor of others reflecting his newer muse. Protest songs were given a wider resonance–the text of “Masters Of War” remains sadly relevant decades later–while his love songs are haunting but universal statements. Dylan injected black humor into the talking blues and railed against injustice in all forms, with a perception encompassing the anger of a generation. FREEWHEELIN’ is a landmark in the development of folk and pop music.

On this album it was clear that Dylan was becoming bored with straight folk, although his music was still acoustic. His left-thinking devotees began to raise an eyebrow at subtle lyrical shifts, yet this album was to be raided time and again–particularly by the Byrds–in 1965’s folk rock boom. There is much free-spirited music, as if Dylan was somehow aware of the acceptance that was around the corner, and it has been noted that here were the first signs of his trademark vocal style so prevalent through the rest of the ’60s. Take your pick: most of the offerings are striking. “My Back Pages,” “All I Really Want To Do,” “It Ain’t Me Babe,” and even a last nod to protest, “The Chimes Of Freedom.” How can one man have been so prolific?

NASHVILLE from the album’s title. However, as usual, he proved ahead of the game; his embrace of country ushered in Gram Parsons, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and scores of subsequent artists under the Americana banner. Prescient too was his nod to Johnny Cash, with whom he duets on the gorgeous “Girl From The North Country.” Buoyed by an altered, near-crooning vocal style, most of the tracks are pleasant and enduring; the chart hit “Lay Lady Lay” remains one of Dylan’s most engaging songs.

TIME OUT OF MIND won the 1998 Grammy Awards for Album Of The Year and for Best Contemporary Folk Album. “Cold Irons Bound” won the 1998 Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
This album by the quintessential singer-songwriter comes after a long layoff from recording original material. Dylan’s previous two albums were powerful collections of traditional songs, and the album that preceded them was full of some rather iffy original tunes, so all eyes were on Dylan to make one of his patented surprise comebacks. As luck would have it, that’s exactly what TIME OUT OF MIND turns out to be. Produced by Daniel Lanois, who manned the boards for Dylan’s best latter-day album, OH MERCY, this one has the kind of raw, spontaneous vibe that serves Zimmy’s music so well.
Loss and world-weariness abound in the lyrics, and Dylan articulates these emotions perfectly, in a manner that seems simultaneously casual and precise. Songs like “Standing In The Doorway” and “Million Miles” are bathed in sorrow and emotional desolation, but are so well-crafted that their solipsism is irresistible. An all-star cast including Ry Cooder and Duke Robillard provides the sparse, rough-edged, bluesy accompaniment that casts Dylan’s compositions in the perfect musical light. Bob’s back!

After using SLOW TRAIN COMING, SAVED and SHOT OF LOVE as sounding boards for his born-again Christianity, Bob Dylan took a trip to Israel amidst rumors that he was repudiating his new faith and embracing his Judaic roots. Upon returning from his overseas excursion, Dylan went straight into the studio with co-producer Mark Knopfler and emerged with INFIDELS, a record that found the legendary singer-songwriter recording songs that were more of a political nature than a religious one.
Backed by a band that includes Knopfler and ex-Stone Mick Taylor on guitar and the legendary reggae rhythm section of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, Zimmy’s biting songs don’t lack for solid musical support. Speaking out with conviction, Dylan uses the hard-driving “Neighborhood Bully” to praise Israel’s fortitude amidst a sea of hostile Arab relations, while the feisty troubador rips into corporate greed within the barrage of twangy country guitar that defines “Union Sundown.” “Jokerman,” one of Dylan’s most enduring songs, offers a flirtation with reggae, with Dylan blowing away on harmonica as Knopfler provides the perfect accompaniment with his distinctive guitar work.