1-10-13 - "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More" ~ The Walker Brothers

Oh, just a little ditty from a band about which I recently heard someone say, "They were almost as big as The Beatles back in the '60s..."  Apparently, this American trio took the UK by storm, and (if the internet speaks truth) at one time their fan club was bigger than that of the Fab Four.  Their counterattack to the British Invasion makes for quite the tale of intrigue... hit up Wikipedia if you're looking for more details.

The song has that classic feel, and if you're dealing with a breakup or just wishing you had someone special, this one's definitely for you.

"Loneliness is the cloak you wear
a deep shade of blue is always there
the sun ain't gonna shine any more..."

5-19-12 - "Anything Worth Anything" ~ Rachael Johnson

A few weeks ago, my job had me travel to Nashville to work on a prototype system we have set up with a customer.  Same prototype that had my in Tennessee twice last year, but this time I was there all week and had a bit more time to enjoy the city.  Plus, it was spring instead of winter, so the city was coming out of its shell a bit and more lively this time around.


Last year, I stumbled across a girl with some pipes in one of the honky tonk / bar establishments on Broadway (downtown Nashville).  When I found out I'd be back in town, I checked her website, and sure enough, she was playing at a different venue right down the street.  As is the nature of bar entertainment, she and her band were playing a bunch of covers, from Beatles to Bon Jovi.  I put in a request for her original song, "Arizona", which I'd heard her play last year.  Since I already posted that song back then, here's an introspective ballad where Rachael Johnson reflects on the trials of her musical journey and trying to make a living in one of the musical meccas of the world:

And a live performance:

"Anything worth anything don't come easy..."

2-1-12 - "Fog In The Valley" ~ Good Night, States

Every time I post a song that involves an Echo Chamber session from the Draw Us Lines crew, I'm reminded of a line in The Rescuers Down Under (you know you loved that movie as a kid)... "We're gonna have to make connections with a bigger bird." (said by Wilbur of Albatross Air, when asked whether it's a non-stop flight to Australia...)  They do such a good job over there at DUL, and capture some truly amazing songs stripped down to the roots in the EC sessions.  Not to mention, some of the songs are as yet unreleased (this one is from Good Night, States' upcoming "Country / Static" release - due 4.5.12), and the EC videos are the only versions available for me to post.

Good Night, States are yet another gem formed in the coal valleys of the Steel City... but they throw in some Jersey attitude for good measure.  Given their long-distance relationship, they're more than slightly elusive as far as live concert performances go, and I've yet to see them.  But I can guarantee I'll be at their next PGH gig, good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise.

This song will blow you away.  At least, it blew me away; I'll try not to oversell it since not everyone's musical tastes are identical.  But if you like the folksy feel and lush harmonies of The Head And The Heart or Fleet Foxes; or haunting, love/heartbreak songs like "Liar" or "Poison and Wine", I'll wager you'll like this song too:

"Fog In The Valley" ~ Good Night, States (from Vimeo.com, Draw Us Lines Echo Chamber Session)

"what i want more than silver

what i know i'm gonna wish i had

what i'd die and i'd kill for

some intimation that i make you glad..."

PS - props to percussionist Dan Harding for the awesome Where The Wild Things Are t-shirt (and the ridiculous glockenspiel breakdown), and to the venue for this EC session, which is a gorgeous local church - Eastminster Presbyterian.

1-27-12 - "January Wedding" ~ The Avett Brothers

With a few performances on TV lately and word that their new album is fast approaching, I've been getting excited about The Avett Brothers again lately.  I've waxed eloquent on several previous occasions about the boys, and even posted a song with a month in the title before.  So I'll spare you the rehash of all that, and present you with this sweet, simple love song:


(live)

(album)

"And I was sick with heartache

And she was sick like Audrey Hepburn when I met her...

…no longer does it matter what circumstances we were born in

She knows which birds are singin' 

And the names of the trees where they're performin' in the mornin'…"

1-5-12 - "The Weirds" ~ Katie Costello

Heard this one on TV radio channel tonight (yea, left my iPod at work, so was listening to the Singer/Songwriter channel whilst doing some chores...)  It's a bit... weird... but pretty cool and chill.  Check it out:

I'm sure you know the feeling about which Costello coined this term and is singing.  She describes it such: " I think having "The Weirds" is a sign of growing pains... Meaning, one probably has that feeling when they are destined to somehow move forward or make a change in their life."  Happens to me all the time.

"I’ve overstayed my welcome in this life

and it seems as though time won’t tell you exactly what you’d like

I’ve given up on waving off the flies that have blackened my mind -

my sugarcoated mind..."

1-1-12 - "Riding The Wooly Bug To Dreamland" ~ 1,2,3

Since I just poured my heart out about life, love, and blogging, I'm going to do a quickie post to let you know about some free tunes from Pittsburgh / NYC band 1,2,3 - they just dropped a freebie EP which was originally conceived as a few lullaby tunes for the niece of one of the band members, but they decided to share it with us.


You can read about it and get the download link here; it's definitely some chill but sweet stuff.  Early indicators are that the first track, "Riding The Wooly Bug To Dreamland", is my fave of the five, so we'll call that today's song, but the others ain't half bad either.  I may drop this EP into my iTunes sleep playlist tonight and see if it works better than my standards at putting me out...


Listen on Soundcloud:  "Riding The Wooly Bug To Dreamland"


If you like these tunes, go pick up the band's album and support their future endeavors!  The ever-evolving music industry is using the power of the internet to allow bands to do stuff like this, but those bands still need to pay the bills for studio time and whatnot in order to continue bringing you the tunes.  So, whether it's this band or others, take advantage of the free songs, but also be sure to support bands you love so they can keep making awesome music!

11-29-11 - "Hope You Know" ~ Megafaun

So apparently these dudes used to play music with Justin Vernon (a.k.a. Bon Iver).  So that basically makes them awesome.  Wikipedia classifies Megafaun as "psych-folk", which only adds to the potential for awesomeness.  Can I build them up any more before you listen to the track?


Hyperbole aside, this is just a chill track with simple piano over a restrained drum and bass foundation, washed over by a gently blended harmonic wave.

"close your eyes
and kiss goodbye..."

10-3-11 - "Star Witness" ~ Neko Case

Once again, WYEP on the drive home comes through with a song that just caught my ear.  I'd heard of Neko Case before, primarily as part of The New Pornographers, but hadn't heard much of her solo stuff, and certainly not this moving track.


It's said to be about a shooting, and with or without that context, it gets me thinking...

And here's a pretty cool live version:

"rolling off in a crooked line

to the chainlink lots where the redials dive…"

10-2-11 - "Ulysses" ~ Josh Garrels

My cousin posted this on Facebook the other day (yes, Facebook is evil, but we're in too deep at this point... discussion for another day.)  The song is rife with intricately woven metaphors drawn from Homer's "Odyssey" - 'Ulysses' is the Latin version of the Greek name 'Odysseus'.  If you've read the Odyssey, seen a film adaptation, or are otherwise at least familiar with the tale, you'll catch the aspects of the epic tale... storms, shipwrecks, and sirens.


The lyrics about being tied to the mast and pointed home resonate.  If you don't know of the "Siren song", it was an irresistible melody sung by the mythical creatures which lured many sailors and their ships to doom, smashed on the rocks of the Sirens' lair.  Odysseus had his crew plug their ears so as to not be lured by the song and lash him to the mast so he could hear the song but not act on the temptation to seek it out.  Thus, he heard the beauty of the song without succumbing to the trap.


You know by now that I'm a piano guy, and I love the album version which is piano-driven, but I just might love the acoustic guitar version with no other instrumentation even more.  That's the version I heard first, and it lets the emotion in the vocals really shine through... let me know which you prefer.


Album Version:

Live in NYC:

"So tie me to the mast of this old ship and point me home…"

9-23-11 - "Hold On" ~ Angus and Julia Stone

This one has a haunting and ethereal vibe.  Sounds like she loved someone whom she thought loved her in return, only to have her heart broken... yet she still holds on to hope that he'll come through in the end... or something to that effect, anyway.  Give it a listen; I think you may enjoy it.

"Hold on, what do you take me for?"

9-20-11 - "Flags" ~ Brooke Fraser

A beautiful piano tune for you tonight.  Sometimes I get loquacious, so I'll leave you to this one with minimal comments.  Brooke Fraser has some thought-provoking and moving songs, and this one fits the mold.


Live performance:

"Flags" ~ Acoustic Piano recording (from Grooveshark; I like this better than the below version with drums and whatnot)


Recorded version with other instrumentation:

"Reality has left you reeling

all facts and no feeling

no faith and all fear..."

9-12-11 - "Shores" ~ Paul Luc

Thanks to DrawUsLines, I won free tickets to a show last night that I intended to attend anyway.  Everything came up Milhouse yesterday... except that pathetic performance by the Steelers, which we'll not discuss here.  I went to see 1,2,3, a Pittsburgh band whose work I recently discovered, but was pleasantly surprised by the first band as well.  Paul Luc is another local dude who got some other dudes together to be in his eponymous band.  (Yes, I'm pretty proud of myself for dropping "eponymous" on my blog.  Gold star for me!)


It's always tricky to gauge an entire set of music you've never heard before; I liked most of what they did but I couldn't really tell you much about most of the songs after one listen.  Certainly liked it enough to pick up an album and give it some more spins though.  They did play one song that grabbed me instantly, possibly because it was pretty low-key musically which allowed me to grasp the lyrics.  It's a fairly introspective song, seemingly about fighting to survive in a cruel world and the hope of finding redemption and/or love.


Here's a performance they did on local TV station KDKA last New Year's Eve - acoustic and with just Luc on guitar and John Rokosz on keys:

Start at 1:22 if you want to skip the mini-interview and get straight to the song.


Check out the band's website for the studio version and some other tracks.


"I was out in the cold

I was a product you sold

my hair turned white

and the streets turned gold"

9-6-11 - "Cannonball" ~ Damien Rice

Damien Rice's music is good for introspection.  The mellow tunes can be simply background for reading or deep thought, but then they can also reel you in with lyrics that make you think.  This one is about a lost romance, but one that molded the lyricist and perhaps prepared him for future events...

"Cannonball" (Album version on Grooveshark)


"so come on, courage, teach me to be shy..."

8-28-11 - "After The Storm" ~ Mumford & Sons

Just a gorgeous little tune for you tonight.  Through eloquent lyrics, the singer elucidates the human condition and the struggles we each face in life.  He resolves to persevere through whatever trials life throws at him, and looks to brighter times ahead with hopeful eyes.  The melody and instrumentation are simple, which fits the theme.  And despite the mellow nature of the song, the boys manage to build the intensity by adding harmonies and through sheer force of will, drawing you in and lifting you up along the way.

Live at Bonnaroo:

" 'Cause death is just so full, and man so small..."

8-27-11 - "Poison and Wine" ~ The Civil Wars

Not going to say much about this, other than it's incredibly beautiful in every aspect.  The voices intertwine through the heart-wrenching lyrics and exquisitely dance through intricate harmonic progressions... simply remarkable control and talent here.

"You only know what I want you to..."
"I know everything you don't want me to..."

8-4-11 - "Pressing On" ~ Relient K

Ten years.  Used to seem like forever, but now it seems like it went by in a blur.  Yea, this song is from ten summers ago.  At the time, I was rocking this disc every day on the way to soccer conditioning with mi hermano, not a care in the world.  Well, probably I was starting to care about college, but looking back, I'm really not sure why...


So yeah, here's a song about perseverance and keeping your head up through tough times, from the early years of one of my favorite bands, Relient K.  Masters of witty pop-culture references and infectious pop-punk tunes, these boys broke free of the oppression of growing up in Ohio and have gone on to make tons of great music.  My favorite part of following a band is when they broaden their horizons and hone their talents while still putting out music I want to hear.  RK has done that over the years, adding more piano and other instruments along with more intricate harmonies while shedding some of the wit in exchange for more frequent lyrical depth.  Still, sometimes it's nice to go back to the relative simplicity of their early works:

And for you indie types, here's a more mellow "back porch acoustic" version (complete with lawnmower):

"Adversity - we get around it,
searched for joy, in you I found it."

8-3-11 - "Perth" ~ Bon Iver

In honor of several of my friends who trekked to various locales over the past few days to catch Bon Iver in concert, here's the epic leadoff track from the recent self-titled release.  I wasn't able to make one of the shows, but NPR did the world a solid by streaming last night's DC show live and leaving it up for us schmucks who missed it to catch later.  Definitely worth your time, some evening when you can just sit back and soak it in.


The song features rolling percussion, reminiscent of a drum corps from the Civil War, muted horns creating a surreal sensation, and of course, Justin Vernon's soaring falsetto.  Lyrically, it's pretty cryptic, yet beautiful.  Vernon said in a recent interview that the song was inspired by the happenstance of working with a close friend of Heath Ledger's when the actor died, and the town from which Ledger had come.  The emotions of loss and the conceptualizing of a town form the foundation for the rest of this amazing album...

"in a mother, out a moth
furling forests for the soft
gotta know been led aloft..."
_______________________________


EDIT 8-6-11: my friend Jake, who attended the DC show on Monday, posted a video of this song from the show!  Check it out on Youtube (embedding not so much working right now)

7-18-11 - "Turpentine" ~ Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile is an artist I've heard of, but not really heard until recently.  This one was on WYEP a few days ago and I thought it was pretty sweet.  Just a folksy song about how time distorts relationships...

"I watch you grow away from me in photographs
And memories like spies
And salt betrays my eyes again..."

7-6-11 - "Crash Into Me" ~ Dave Matthews Band

I read an intriguing article today.  Kind of talks about hipster trends, and how people shouldn't just like an artist because other people do... and when Dave Matthews speaks up, people need to listen.  Thus, since Dave is no longer into DMB, neither am I.  But I offer you this song in tribute to a band I'm sure you used to love, just as I once did...


This may have been the first DMB song I ever heard.  Just a chill melody about intoxicating love...

"If I've gone overboard, then I'm begging you
to forgive me in my haste..."

5-27-11 - "Never Been Alive" ~ The Avett Brothers

How can I choose just one?  Just saw The Avett Brothers perform live for the tenth time, and just like the previous nine times, they brought it from start to finish, and did not disappoint.  Well, to be honest, they did disappoint, but only in that they didn't play their entire catalogue... to be fair, they have to be in Columbus for another show Saturday night so we'll have to forgive them that one.


If you haven't guessed, TAB are pretty much my favorite band.  I'm trying to show restraint and not overhype them on the blog (I went all of April and most of May without using them) but after a show like tonight, I can't help it.


I'm going with a song that hasn't made an album yet, but surely will be on their next release... the first time I heard it was last year's Pittsburgh show, and it blew me away.  I'm glad to have heard it once more this year; Seth is my favorite (by a nose), and this one's lyrics are just swell.  Can't wait for the album version, but the live vid should give you a feel for the energy the boys bring every time they take the stage:

"Money won't do the trick,
but it will help
to open the doors we need it to
to help someone else..."