New track from Sigur Ros (icelandic ambient pop)
What came first, the music or the misery? … [T]housands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?
“
| — | High Fidelity |
Blind Willie Johnson - Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground
Blind Willie Johnson. Good God, what a musician. When you listen to this man, listen for Tom Waits. Listen for Jack White. Listen for Bob Dylan. All of those men and, I’m sure, many more have drawn inspiration from Mr. Johnson.
He was a poor preacher, living in the south in the early 1900s. He was also a self taught guitarist.
This is one of his earliest recordings. Released by Columbia Records on the tail end of the 1920s, this track is one of the best selling 78s to come out of Columbia records. It is one of the few songs chosen for inclusion on the voyager space probe.
So, to recap: Science! Religion! Jack White! Tom Waits! [It doesn’t get much better than that, folks.]
Last track from Morning teleprotation. This one is called Snow Frog Vs Motor Cobra.
Easily the most trippy song in the bands repitour, this song is mind blowing. It features a saxaphone, a talkbox, spitting, synths, and all manner of effects. [It manages to feature all of those things and still sound good!]
Stick with it at least until the two minute mark. (Although, honestly, the whole song is amazing.
Alexander - Truth - Alexander Ebert
This is one of the vocalists from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. This song is moving, and rather powerful.
“The truth is that I never shook my shadow, every day he’s trying to trick me into doing battle.
He’s calling out faker, trying to get me rattled.
Wants to pull me back behind the fence with the cattle.
Building your lenses. Digging your trenches.
Put me on the front line, leave me with a dumb mind with no defenses, but your defense is if you can’t stand to feel the pain then you are senseless.
I’ve grown up some
Different kind of fighter
And when the darkness come let it inside you
Your darkness is shining
My darkness is shining
Have faith in myself
Truth
I’ve seen a million numbered doors on the horizon
Now which is the future you choosen before you gone dying.
I’ll tell you ‘bout a secret I’ve been underminding
Every little lie in this world come from dividing
Say you’re my lover, say you’re my homie,
Tilt my chin back slit my throat take a bath in my blood get to know me
All out of my secrets
All my enemies are turning into my teachers.
Because, lights blinding, no way dividing what’s yours or mine when everything’s shining
You darkness is shining my darkness is shining
Have faith in ourselves
Truth
Yes I’m only loving, only trying to only love
That’s what I’m trying to do is only loving
Yes I’m only lonely loving feeling only loving
Till I’m feeling only loving
Ya say it ain’t loving ain’t loving my loving
But I’m only loving only loving only loving
Only loving the truth.”
For a little while, I listened to this song almost every day.
Super Sessions (Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, Stephen Stills) - Season of the Witch
This comes from one of the greatest live blues/folk improvisational albums of all time.
JEFF the Brotherhood - NPR Tinydesk Performance
Great set, showcasing the “Quite versions” of a handful of their songs.
[Somewhere around 7:50, they demonstrate that I was being honest when I said that they like to play shirtless.]
this is not music… THIS IS SEX!
Sometimes youtube coments are great.
See this one through to the end, it’s worth it.
[Speaking of popping a guitar string, When I saw the Dead Weather in Atlanta a few years ago, this song was the first time Jack picked up a guitar. 5 minutes in, he broke his high e while playing a crazy solo, much like he does in this video. Without stopping, he continued the solo, replaced the string, and got it in tune. The song went on for another several minutes. It was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen.)
Bill Callahan - All thoughts are prey to some beast
Bill is an excellent singer/songwriter. Some would argue that he excels at the latter far more than the former. Others would argue that he doesn’t excel at either.
I love his music. I find myself listening to it endlessly.
Hunters - Deadbeat [from the EP “Hands on Fire]
Apparently there are several bands currently performing who are calling themselves Hunters or The Hunters (not to mention Deer Hunter, Deerhunter, etc.) Sadly, one (many?) of the other Hunters have a much stronger web presence.
I saw these guys play at the Masq in Atlanta a few weeks ago. They introduced themselves as “Hunters, from Brooklyn.” Without that last bit, I would have never found them again. It’s taken me a little while to sort through all the google results, but I finally figured out that their EP was called Hands on Fire. (I should have just bought the vinyl at the show but, as always, money. )
Check them out. You will enjoy it.
The lead singer has so much energy when she is on the stage that it seems to infect everyone else. Their sound alternates between a slow, kind of ambient, drone/feedback heavy rock, and an unapologetic, forceful, psudopop punk. Occasionally the lead singer screams. It doesn’t detract from the music, even if you’re not in to that kind of thing.
Also, according to Amber, the lead singer is “Fucking Sexy.”
Look, my description isn’t going to do them justice. Just go listen.
(More:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px4y2Fiyxn0 (live, high quality)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_C-VYG5S9E&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL472DAD876DFB6105 (playlist) )
Mount Carmel
3 piece blues rock group from Ohio.
These guys are amazing. There is one obvious comparison that springs to mind (The Black Keys) but I think that it is really unfair to both bands to lean to heavily on it. There are some stylistic similarities between the music these guys play, and the music played by The Black Keys. The attitude is all different, though. (I think you’d be surprised how much of a difference attitude can make with this kind of music.)
It appears that not many people have been enjoying their music on youtube. Let’s fix that?
There isn’t much else to say. It’s good stuff, listen to it.
Their second album, Real Women, is available for download now. Physical copies go on sale on March 6th. Their first album is self titled. Both are available from a couple of dozen sources.
(another tune, live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP5cqhfHtiI&feature=related)
The sexual tension in there could pop a guitar string…