The album "For Emma Forever Ago" is possibly my favorite release from the past 5, maybe even 10, years. It is extremely melancholy, but so serene, peaceful and soothing. It's a complete mixture of emotions. Justin Vernon, who is the singer, songwriter and guitarist for the group, is an astounding talent. His voice is mesmerizing, beautiful and filled with sensitivity.
The track I am featuring today is not a cut from the album, but an a cappella version instead. I will post a video for the album version as well, so you may draw comparisons; but the a cappella version is far superior in my opinion. The harmonies among the three singers are phenomenal, rich and powerful. Vernon's talents are visibly carrying the group here, as he sings the lead and directs the harmonizing vocalists through the piece. One of my favorite things about this piece is that it's performed in a hallway inside an apartment building in Paris. Watch as the residents all lean out their doors to see the performance; a performance they did not expect to receive, but all enjoy immensely. If only I were lucky enough to live in a place where Justin Vernon would just drop in and sing some songs in the corridor of my apartment building. I'm jealous.
The a cappella version:
The album version:
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
"God's Gonna Cut You Down" - Johnny Cash & "Run On For A Long Time" - Bill Landford and the Landfordaires
I've been struggling over internal conflict about this post all morning. Originally I was completely convinced that I would be posting about the Johnny Cash version of this song, but the more I listen to the Bill Landford and the Landfordaires gospel version (same song, different title) from 1943, the more I crave to write about that one. My solution is to write about both.
The Johnny Cash version is hard, rugged and dark; very Johnny-Cash-like. His acoustic guitar picks and slides through gritty, hardened folk music. His deep voice, rhythmic and weathered; experienced. It's the bass drum and clapping combination, however, that really moves this song. It has a foot-stomping rhythm to it that builds pressure inside your veins. It's like a shot of adrenalin. The music amps you up with emotion; sadness, anger, rage, yearning. There's a level of darkness here that only The Man in Black could evoke, and it does the song great justice.
The music video for Cash's great piece is excellent, too. Shot entirely in black and white, it holds to the dark quality of his work. It's fun to watch too, as everyone in the video is a famous entertainer. See if you can identify everyone in it. Unfortunately, the embedding feature on youtube has been disabled for this video, but I encourage you to follow this link - it'll be 3 of the most enjoyable minutes of your day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxh-FfElY0M
"Run On For A Long Time" is the original title of the folk song that Cash covered. The first time I had heard this song was on the album "Play" by Moby, released in 1999. Moby sampled the vocals of his piece from Bill Landford and the Landfordaires, a 1940's gospel group. This morning I searched the actual Bill Landford and the Landfordaires version it blew my fucking mind. Completely different from the Cash version, the song still holds an intensity and sadness, without the darkness that Johnny Cash gives it. The guitar is more subtle, almost absent from the piece entirely. The primary driving force behind this track is the amazing harmonizing vocals. Sung in a capella style, higher vocals harmonize over a deep baritone section. Emotions still run high, as you can hear the pain in the voices of those singing and feel their oppression in the music. You feel for them, you feel with them, you'll sing with them too, and move along to the music. I've been scouring the internet all morning for an album so I can hear more of their music, but my search has lead me no where. For now I'll just keep listening to this piece, and just be happy I've found what I have.
Give this one a listen and compare it with the Cash link from above!
The Johnny Cash version is hard, rugged and dark; very Johnny-Cash-like. His acoustic guitar picks and slides through gritty, hardened folk music. His deep voice, rhythmic and weathered; experienced. It's the bass drum and clapping combination, however, that really moves this song. It has a foot-stomping rhythm to it that builds pressure inside your veins. It's like a shot of adrenalin. The music amps you up with emotion; sadness, anger, rage, yearning. There's a level of darkness here that only The Man in Black could evoke, and it does the song great justice.
The music video for Cash's great piece is excellent, too. Shot entirely in black and white, it holds to the dark quality of his work. It's fun to watch too, as everyone in the video is a famous entertainer. See if you can identify everyone in it. Unfortunately, the embedding feature on youtube has been disabled for this video, but I encourage you to follow this link - it'll be 3 of the most enjoyable minutes of your day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxh-FfElY0M
"Run On For A Long Time" is the original title of the folk song that Cash covered. The first time I had heard this song was on the album "Play" by Moby, released in 1999. Moby sampled the vocals of his piece from Bill Landford and the Landfordaires, a 1940's gospel group. This morning I searched the actual Bill Landford and the Landfordaires version it blew my fucking mind. Completely different from the Cash version, the song still holds an intensity and sadness, without the darkness that Johnny Cash gives it. The guitar is more subtle, almost absent from the piece entirely. The primary driving force behind this track is the amazing harmonizing vocals. Sung in a capella style, higher vocals harmonize over a deep baritone section. Emotions still run high, as you can hear the pain in the voices of those singing and feel their oppression in the music. You feel for them, you feel with them, you'll sing with them too, and move along to the music. I've been scouring the internet all morning for an album so I can hear more of their music, but my search has lead me no where. For now I'll just keep listening to this piece, and just be happy I've found what I have.
Give this one a listen and compare it with the Cash link from above!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
"9 Crimes" - Damien Rice
I have been a Damien Rice fan for 7 years now (fuck that makes me feel old!). Back then I worked at a record store, where an Irish couple introduced me to his first album "O", which is still to this day one of my top 5 favorite albums of all time. If I aspire to sound like any musician it is Damien Rice, because of the music on "O". "9 Crimes" is not on "O" however. This track is the opening song from "9", Rice's second and final release.
When this album first came out 4 years ago I was addicted to this song. I'd put it on every chance I could, and listen to it over and over again. The piano still to this day gives me goose bumps right from the beginning. The vocals are exemplary pieces of harmonization, and provide a solid argument for my belief that Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan sing the best harmonies in the business. Lisa's voice is chilling, cold and meloncholy, yet as strikingly beautiful as her appearance, while Damien's voice is unpolished, troubled and haunting. The use of strings and a single bass drum help lead the song into an unforgettable climax, where the chilling melody meets the haunting music for a bone chilling experience that could break the heart of any listener.
Following the release of "9", I was fortunate enough to see Damien live at the Boston Opera House. I took my wife (girlfriend then) because I had introduced her to the amazing talents of this man. Before the tour, it turned out, Lisa had left the band leaving Damien to sing on his own. Initially I was disappointed but the show ended up being amazing anyway. Lisa's harmony adds such depth to Damien's music, but his talent is so strong that he could survive without her. The shitty thing is that since her departure four years ago there hasn't been any new material from Damien Rice, or another world tour. I hope things will change soon!
When this album first came out 4 years ago I was addicted to this song. I'd put it on every chance I could, and listen to it over and over again. The piano still to this day gives me goose bumps right from the beginning. The vocals are exemplary pieces of harmonization, and provide a solid argument for my belief that Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan sing the best harmonies in the business. Lisa's voice is chilling, cold and meloncholy, yet as strikingly beautiful as her appearance, while Damien's voice is unpolished, troubled and haunting. The use of strings and a single bass drum help lead the song into an unforgettable climax, where the chilling melody meets the haunting music for a bone chilling experience that could break the heart of any listener.
Following the release of "9", I was fortunate enough to see Damien live at the Boston Opera House. I took my wife (girlfriend then) because I had introduced her to the amazing talents of this man. Before the tour, it turned out, Lisa had left the band leaving Damien to sing on his own. Initially I was disappointed but the show ended up being amazing anyway. Lisa's harmony adds such depth to Damien's music, but his talent is so strong that he could survive without her. The shitty thing is that since her departure four years ago there hasn't been any new material from Damien Rice, or another world tour. I hope things will change soon!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
"Will There Be Enough Water" - The Dead Weather
Jack White has 3 bands. I'm not sure how he finds the time, or what his muse is for writing so many songs, but he seems to feel the need for multiple outlets for his creativity. I've avoided listening to the Dead Weather for a long time because of that fact. I love the White Stripes, but I feel like Jack failed with The Raconteurs (his second band), with the exception of "The Level", which is one of his more bad ass songs. I made the assumption that because his second band was a failure, his third would be even worse, and I was wrong. When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me, and I did exactly that. I am an ass.
"Will There be Enough Water" is the type of song that I love Jack White for. It's bluesy, it's rock, it's distorted and it is bad ass beyond belief. The guitar work in this song can only be compared to Jimmy Page. It's epic, it's raw, it's dirty, it's just kick ass blues. Even better - it's live! The band is so tight that they put together a live performance that most bands couldn't master in a studio. Fucking show offs. I'm finding that no matter what I write, I just can't do this track the justice it deserves. Give it a listen and just see for yourselves.
"Will There be Enough Water" is the type of song that I love Jack White for. It's bluesy, it's rock, it's distorted and it is bad ass beyond belief. The guitar work in this song can only be compared to Jimmy Page. It's epic, it's raw, it's dirty, it's just kick ass blues. Even better - it's live! The band is so tight that they put together a live performance that most bands couldn't master in a studio. Fucking show offs. I'm finding that no matter what I write, I just can't do this track the justice it deserves. Give it a listen and just see for yourselves.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
"Hook" - Blues Traveler
Taking a break from the obscure bands I listen to now and flashing back to my days as an 8th grader back in the mid 90's. Actually, Blues Traveler might be obscure now too, but I'm hoping that's not so. This band was a phenomenal success in the 90's, especially this song and "Runaround". People knew them as the band with the obese lead singer who could really tear it up on the harmonica. He's even responsible for the harmonica part in "What Would You Say" by Dave Matthews.
Whenever I hear Blues Traveler I think of an interview I saw of John Popper (the fat singer/harmonica player) about 10 years ago. Popper had undergone a liposuction and a stomach stapling to trim off the pounds. He didn't even look like the same person any more, he was so skinny. His new look could actually be in direct correlation with the bands loss in popularity, though it could also be attributed to a decline in people who wear Birkenstocks and tie-dye t-shirts. Back to the liposuction. I applaud people for their motivation to lose weight, but I was shocked to hear Popper admit to a national audience what had been his deciding factor.
Apparently Popper was spending an evening alone, and had been browsing the plethora of x rated video content online. After several minutes of taking matters into his own hands (so to speak) Popper began experiencing strange, painful sensations in his chest and left arm. Concerned, he stopped, the pain passed, and he began the process over again. A few minutes into his second attempt, the pain returned, he took another break. According to his interview, this went on for 4 hours before he decided to go to the ER. This must be the only man to check himself into the hospital with an erection lasting longer than 4 hours who hadn't consumed Viagra. As it turned out, Popper was suffering from a heart attack because he was too out of shape to masturbate. I'm left puzzled here. The man played harmonica with ferocious intensity without any sign of heart failure. In a live show, Popper would steal the stage, sweating like a half-fucked-fox in a forest fire, cranking out on the harmonica with more stamina than I think I could find in myself. He sits down to watch a porn, and almost dies? What the hell was the guy doing to himself? Thankfully, during his over-share on national TV, he didn't get into that.
Popper's issues aside, this song is incredible. It's catchy, fun, energetic, and for me, it's a bit of middle-school nostalgia.
Whenever I hear Blues Traveler I think of an interview I saw of John Popper (the fat singer/harmonica player) about 10 years ago. Popper had undergone a liposuction and a stomach stapling to trim off the pounds. He didn't even look like the same person any more, he was so skinny. His new look could actually be in direct correlation with the bands loss in popularity, though it could also be attributed to a decline in people who wear Birkenstocks and tie-dye t-shirts. Back to the liposuction. I applaud people for their motivation to lose weight, but I was shocked to hear Popper admit to a national audience what had been his deciding factor.
Apparently Popper was spending an evening alone, and had been browsing the plethora of x rated video content online. After several minutes of taking matters into his own hands (so to speak) Popper began experiencing strange, painful sensations in his chest and left arm. Concerned, he stopped, the pain passed, and he began the process over again. A few minutes into his second attempt, the pain returned, he took another break. According to his interview, this went on for 4 hours before he decided to go to the ER. This must be the only man to check himself into the hospital with an erection lasting longer than 4 hours who hadn't consumed Viagra. As it turned out, Popper was suffering from a heart attack because he was too out of shape to masturbate. I'm left puzzled here. The man played harmonica with ferocious intensity without any sign of heart failure. In a live show, Popper would steal the stage, sweating like a half-fucked-fox in a forest fire, cranking out on the harmonica with more stamina than I think I could find in myself. He sits down to watch a porn, and almost dies? What the hell was the guy doing to himself? Thankfully, during his over-share on national TV, he didn't get into that.
Popper's issues aside, this song is incredible. It's catchy, fun, energetic, and for me, it's a bit of middle-school nostalgia.
Monday, November 8, 2010
"So Happy Together" - The Turtles
This just blew my effing my mind. All this time I thought this was The Beatles, and today I find out it's by The Turtles. Who in the hell are The Turtles? I've obviously heard them, but I hadn't ever heard OF them. It's really hard to believe this song wasn't the product of a Beatles acid trip, but instead, of a Turtles acid trip; I mean lets be honest, it doesn't matter who wrote this song, they were on acid. Seriously, they were. It was the mid 60's. There was so much fucking acid around that it rained LSD at Woodstock. You probably could have found an I-V drip for acid if you tried, or even an LSD enema if you so wanted.
With or without the hallucinations however, "So Happy Together" is a wonderful song. There's no other way to put it. If this song doesn't make you smile, you must be dead. Even if you don't speak English, the music alone is enough to make you grin. And, if you do speak English, you'll notice that the lyrics are charming and sweet, just like the peppy music that will absorb your brain quicker than the acid that created the song. There's nothing complex about it. It's just a simple, psychedelic love song that sounds like it should have been a cut on Sergeant Pepper's.
The fucking Turtles... I can't believe it.
With or without the hallucinations however, "So Happy Together" is a wonderful song. There's no other way to put it. If this song doesn't make you smile, you must be dead. Even if you don't speak English, the music alone is enough to make you grin. And, if you do speak English, you'll notice that the lyrics are charming and sweet, just like the peppy music that will absorb your brain quicker than the acid that created the song. There's nothing complex about it. It's just a simple, psychedelic love song that sounds like it should have been a cut on Sergeant Pepper's.
The fucking Turtles... I can't believe it.
Monday, October 25, 2010
"Rio" - Hey Marseilles
Rio is not a Duran Duran cover. I was pleased to learn this after downloading the free single from the bands website http://www.heymarseilles.com/. What "Rio" is, however, is a very pleasant, melodic and catchy song.
A plethora of instruments were used in making "Rio", but the intro is nothing more than a smile enducing cadence of clapping hands, partnered soon after with an acoustic guitar. A cheerful explosion of music erupts into the song. I don't think any listener would be able to fight back a grin at the least, upon hearing the joyful sound. It's a colorful combination of piano, xylophone, string and bow instruments, drums, and horns. Vocally, and lyrically, I'm immediately reminded of a cross between Michael Stipe of REM and Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, only the music is much more worldly and elegant.
"Rio" feels like it could teach you to waltz, just by listening, or maybe even river dance. It could brighten your day, no matter how gloomy you're feeling. Undoubtedly, you'll find yourself swaying back and forth, humming along, as if you've been brain washed by the spiked punch. A blend of cultures and style, "Rio" is more than a song, it is an experience that can be enjoyed by all.
A plethora of instruments were used in making "Rio", but the intro is nothing more than a smile enducing cadence of clapping hands, partnered soon after with an acoustic guitar. A cheerful explosion of music erupts into the song. I don't think any listener would be able to fight back a grin at the least, upon hearing the joyful sound. It's a colorful combination of piano, xylophone, string and bow instruments, drums, and horns. Vocally, and lyrically, I'm immediately reminded of a cross between Michael Stipe of REM and Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, only the music is much more worldly and elegant.
"Rio" feels like it could teach you to waltz, just by listening, or maybe even river dance. It could brighten your day, no matter how gloomy you're feeling. Undoubtedly, you'll find yourself swaying back and forth, humming along, as if you've been brain washed by the spiked punch. A blend of cultures and style, "Rio" is more than a song, it is an experience that can be enjoyed by all.
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