"In the Ever" by Mason Jennings (Brushfire Records) - Out now

First things first: Mason Jennings is not Jack Johnson. It’s easy to get confused, since they do sound kind of similar. And they both fit nicely into the mellow folk rock category. This has to be something Jennings considered before signing to Johnson’s label, Brushfire Records. But as his stock grows, the moves seems to be paying off.

The two first crossed paths in 2000 when the fairly unknown singers were opening for Pete Yorn in Minnesota. After Jennings’ set, Johnson took the time to tell him to "keep playing." They’ve been buddies since, and now Jennings is part of the perpetual orbit of singers that tours the globe with Johnson.

But before lumping the two together, give Mason a good listen. There’s something different in there. Where Johnson is all smooth like ocean-tossed pebbles, Jennings is equal parts smooth and jagged. He takes steps Johnson would never take, giving him plenty of separation from his super-huge label boss.

"In the Ever" finds Jennings at his best, crafting a stable of simple but catchy tunes. But what really sticks out about him is the weird Dylanesque twang he inserts at the end of lines. Almost like he’s getting yanked out of a chair by his collar mid-sentence.

It’s an old-school country kind of thing that fits perfectly on a tune like the guitar-and-harmonica diddy "Memphis, Tennessee," and maybe even better on the brooding, yet confident "Your New Man."

But it suits him just as well on the more Johnson-like tunes "Fighter Girl" and "Soldier Boy," adding on another layer of originality.

The simplicity of his approach might be what really draws in Johnson fans, though. He deals openly with faith ("I Love You and Buddha Too" and the spiritual "How Deep is That River) and love (the sweet yet unsappy "Something About Your Love"), but also angry frustration in the freight-train "Going Back to New Orleans."

In the end, Jennings gains more than enough separation from that mellow dude that cheered him on eight years ago. And worst case, he’s still got at least one high-profile fan.

Download this track now: "Fighter Girl"

"My Grandfather, the Cubist" by Joy Electric (Tooth and Nail Records) - Out now
With "My Grandfather, The Cubist," Joy Electric’s Ronnie Martin continues to peel back the effervescent layers of pop hooks and move towards a sharper, more minimalistic sound.
 
As the title suggests, this album has more angles and edges, with sounds that are harsher and more distinctly [...]

 
"Body Language" by Monotonix (Drag City) Out Now
As with many underground indie bands trying to break through, their fan base grows from Internet buzz, MySpace entries, and many times, what their gigs are like. When it comes to Monotonix, their shows are incendiary. Literally.
There are pictures from their concerts on their MySpace page; one [...]

 "Old Home Movies" by The Botticellis (Antenna Farm Records) -Out Now
If born in the ’70s or early ’80s, you did it, too. You riffled through your parents’ old albums, trying to make sense of strange names and creased images—Petula Clark in a pink raincoat, the Beatles crossing a street, a woman covered with [...]

"Evil Urges" by My Morning Jacket (ATO) - Out nowWeird. Less than five years ago, My Morning Jacket seemed like a full-throttle Southern rock band with a penchant for blow-out live performances.

But they started drifting into uncharted territory with 2005’s "Z," still including their trademark anthemic blowouts, but also weaving in more moody, aural [...]

We’re resting now in a dirtbag hotel in Knoxville, wondering what the hippie outside actually did to his car (he says it was a lug nut issue, but that doesn’t account for the smashed windshield.)
Anyway, we only saw a few shows: Jakob Dylan and Phil Lesh and friends.
The fest was a blast, but we’re [...]

Jack Johnson and Pearl Jam were fantastic, but the big news was Kanye West bombing.
Apparently he showed up at 4 a.m. for his 2 a.m. show and walked through it lazily.
Even Robert Randolph weighed in during his set, shouting "Kanye sucks!" Glad we didn’t wait up for Kanye.

Posting now that my Blackberry is recharged. It was another long day.
We caught Donavan Frankenreiter and Mason Jennings before catching the amazing punk bluegrass of The Avett Brothers. Simply the best show I’ve ever seen.

Fatigue and rain got the best of us last night, and we didn’t quite make it through My Morning Jacket.
What we did see was amazing, as always.
It continued raining all night, but hopefully it’ll dry out a bit today. It’s another busy day, with the capper being Jack Johnson and Pearl Jam.

Holy tiredness. We caught three amazing sets in a row: Tegan & Sarah, The Swell Season and Rilo Kiley.
Also caught some comedian named Chris Rock.
But the big one lies ahead: My Morning Jacket late night. I need some more rest.