pacing the cage

all of her secrets are locked up in her head...

2012-01-10T14:11:00.005-05:00

I saw The David Mayfield Parade open for The Avett Brothers in Milwaukee this past November. I'd no idea who the DMP were, and thought maybe he was related to Jessica Lee Mayfield (he is). He and his band put on quite the show that night; he's a fabulous entertainer...the best way to describe him would be Zach Galifinakis meets Josh Ritter. I remember thinking that they seemed like a band that pushed the limits live and played with all the energy they could muster (much like The Avett's did early in their career) but that their recordings might lack that live punch. I was right. Their only album, a self-titled release from 2010, is good but not great. Hopefully they'll harness that creative energy on their next album, which should be out this year. This is their best song, Human Cannonball.

turn it up so you know it's got soul.

i'm a beggar in the morning, i'm a king at night.

2012-01-07T19:01:00.003-05:00

I'm back. Before the first post of the comeback, here are a few important things from 2011:

- Bon Iver put out the album of the year (Bon Iver, Bon Iver).
- The 2011 Holiday album is complete, but still being shipped. If you haven't received one and want one (especially if you haven't asked for one, holler).
- Spotify has significantly improved my life.

Significant holiday album contributor JV sent me this song earlier today. The Barr Brothers are from Montreal and released their self-titled debut album in September 2011. This is the best of many good songs that can be found on it.

turn it up so you know it's got soul.

don't keep it just to figure it out.

2011-07-19T00:40:00.003-04:00

The halfway point of 2011 has come and gone, which means the playlist for AVSH 2011 is growing rapidly, and this here Brett Dennen tune, off his latest album, Loverboy, is definitely in the mix. Below is a terrific solo version of "Comeback Kid." Thanks, JV.

music saves.

your careless heart invites me in just to see me go.

2011-06-28T11:08:00.002-04:00

Last July, in this post, I raved about The David Wax Museum, a band I saw open for the Old 97s here in Fargo. Nearly a year later, they've released their new album and toured relentlessly, which has resulted in loads of deserved praise over their album and their live shows. Fortunately for us in this neighborhood, they're playing TWO shows in ten days. The first is at the Aquarium (above Dempsey's) in Fargo on Saturday, July 2 and the second is Tuesday, July 12 at the North Dakota Museum of Art on the campus of the University of North Dakota. If you haven't heard of them, do so now by viewing/listening to the videos below. If you have heard of them, watch/listen anyway, and then go to one or both of the shows because you won't be disappointed. The third video is "Let Me Rest" from their show last July here in Fargo.

"Yes, Maria, Yes,"

"Born With a Broken Heart"

"Let Me Rest"

"Unfruitful"

music saves.

i guess it’s easy when you’re young and you know you still want it so badly...

2011-05-03T00:35:00.006-04:00

The Airborne Toxic Event released a new album last week (4.26.11), called All At Once. Ever since I first heard "Sometime Around Midnight" off their self-titled 2007 debut I've been a fan. They fall in line with bands like Kings of Leon and The Strokes, but what I think separates them is Mikel Jolett's songwriting ability. His raw approach is displayed always in complete sentences and is easy to relate to and sing along to. Below are my favorites off the new album.

All I Ever Wanted

Half of Something Else

It Doesn't Mean a Thing

Graveyard Near the House

it saves.

under the covers, chapter thirty-seven: and like goliath, they'll be conquered.

2011-05-01T22:13:00.003-04:00

The Denver based band The Lumineers are featured covering Bob Dylan's "When The Ship Comes In" in this chapter of under the covers. No version of the original was available....but the cover is enough to get your knees bouncing and your hands clapping.

When The Ship Comes In

music saves.

under the covers, chapter thirty-six: i'll be holding all the tickets and you'll be holding all the fines.

2011-04-27T23:21:00.004-04:00

Birdy, a fourteen year old UK sensation, has released a single of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love." The words I could try to come up with to describe it would be worthless. Just go on and listen. The original is below it. Come on, Skinny Love. Thanks to Mike D on this one.

Birdy

Bon Iver

it saves.

Uncle Leo Comes to Fargo

2011-04-25T23:00:00.004-04:00

Leo Kottke is playing the Fargo Theatre on Saturday, April 30. If you live in Fargo, you need to go. He's playing in St. Cloud the night before and Bismarck the night after. For more tour dates, click here.

I've been fortunate enough to see Leo three or four times over the years, and I distinctly remember walking out of each show and thinking that my life was now better for what I'd just witnessed. His phenomenal guitar skills paired with his fabulous stories are sure to give you more than your money's worth. Such stories and songs are below, so go on and enjoy. And go see the show.

Bob Dylan Story

Rings

Train and the Gate & Vaseline Machine Gun

it saves.

under the covers, chapter thirty-five: from a war that must be won in the name of truth

2011-04-02T11:27:00.004-04:00

Seven-piece Seattle boys Hey Marseilles have been dominating my days lately, and in this three way chapter of under the covers, they get after Iron & Wine's cover of "Love Vigilantes," originally done by New Order.

Hey Marseilles

Iron & Wine

New Order

it saves.

and if you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born then it's time to go

2011-04-01T14:31:00.003-04:00

The new Death Cab For Cutie album, Codes and Keys, comes out May 31. The new video for their single, You Are a Tourist, will be the "first live, scripted, one-take music video shoot ever" on their website on Tuesday, April 5th at 7 PM Eastern. Color me excited.

it saves.

long time coming but now the snow is gone.

2011-03-28T14:04:00.003-04:00

The snow isn't quite all gone yet, but when I looked out my window this morning I noticed that mountains of snow have been reduced to a few inches of mostly dirty snow that is quickly melting away. And so, as we do every year, PTC celebrates the beginning of spring with this Josh Ritter song, off his fabulous 2003 album, Hello Starling.

Snow Is Gone

celebrate.

and hell, i took you up on all your threats to leave.

2011-03-27T13:44:00.010-04:00

Massive thanks goes to JV, via David Dye, for passing this artist my way. Dan Mangan is a twenty-seven year old singer/songwriter from the Vancouver area, and as of this morning, is aggressively improving my world. He's put out two full length albums, the most recent was Nice, Nice, Very Nice in 2010. He's a touring machine, and fortunately will be at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in July (see you there). Below are three tunes Mangan played at Edmonton's 95.7 The Sound last November (I may have just discovered that LeVar Burton works there!). The first of the three, Road Regrets, blew me away this morning. All three songs are well-written, and if you like Mumford & Sons or The Tallest Man on Earth then you'll love Dan Mangan.

Road Regrets

Sold

I Will

it saves.

the place we used to call our home can't be found when were alone

2011-03-23T22:11:00.004-04:00

I first heard Joshua Radin in the background of a Grey's Anatomy episode in 2006. I was never much of a fan of the show, but holy tornado did they have some tremendous soundtracks. Seems to me that most prime time series' on major networks have the same formula: shit drama that manages to suck you in and incredibly good, new music that adds significant weight to the dramatic moments.

A good friend of mine, KKC, asked me to recommend some musicians that were similar to Alexi Murdoch (new album just came out, post coming soon) to her a few weeks back, so I replied with a boatload. A few days later she sent me a message explaining her new burning love for Joshua Radin, especially his song "No Envy, No Fear." I'd heard all or nearly all of Radin's first two albums, and liked most of the tracks, but somehow missed the final track on his second release, Simple Times. So, I sat down to youtube during a break from thesis work and found three clips of Radin at PASTE, all of which are below. But the first listen of "No Envy, No Fear" was an absolutely sledgehammer to my chest. I mean it sat me right down and took hold of me for a good hour. The idea behind the song and the fact that it was inspired by Bob Dylan only gives the song more weight.

The third video is "Winter," the song that launched his career when Zack Braff included it on Scrubs in 2004.

Radin's third album, The Rock and the Tide, came out in October of last year, one in which he left the somber, solo approach at home, brought in a full band, and attacked the space with a new, upbeat sound. It's not hard, it's just faster paced and has more depth. The last video is the first track and also my favorite song off the album, called "Road To Ride On."

No Envy, No Fear

You've Got Growin' Up To Do

Winter

Road to Ride On

it saves.

everyone's Irish today.

2011-03-17T13:35:00.005-04:00

In conjunction with the Irish Holiday (cough) that Americans, regardless of their amount of Irish ancestry use to get hammered drunk, I offer up some of my favorite Irish-themed tunes. Don't forget to have fun.

The Pogues - Body of an American

Spirit of the West - Home for a Rest (yes, I know they're Canadian)

Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies

enjoy.

and the hardest thing about this love is that it's never gonna last.

2011-03-15T20:47:00.002-04:00

The Rural Alberta Advantage recently released their second album, Departing (Saddle Creek) and with it, have taken a progressive leap forward since their 2009 debut album, Hometowns. The ten songs on this album are collectively much more fast-paced and offer up much more musical depth than their softer, more somber debut release (which was quite good in its own right). The trio of Canadian musicians are currently at SXSW (I vow to be there next year) and will join up with James Vincent McMorrow to tour several midwest cities, among others, following SXSW. Below are my favorite/youtube available tracks off their new album. Also, here is what Pitchfork had to say about the new release. Oh, and the video for Stamp is awesome.

Stamp

Under the Knife

music saves.

i've got the cure for the shape that you're in.

2011-03-08T18:58:00.004-05:00

The Low Anthem have released a new studio album. I thoroughly enjoy it. Below is the single and top track, Apothecary Love, recorded by Le Blogotheque at Grand Central Station in NYC. Just for the sake of good music, the second posted video is their stunning rendition of This God Damn House at PASTE Magazine in the fall of 2008.

Apothecary Love

This God Damn House

music saves.

this is how i remember you best.

2011-02-27T23:35:00.007-05:00

My ears first met folk singer Richard Shindell when KFJM 90.7 sent "Next Best Western" through the speakers of my 1997 Nissan Altima in the Fall of 2005. I picked up his live album, Courier, that was released 2002 and absolutely fell in love. Shindell is a masterful song writer, crafting stories, creating characters, and weaving them in with his own personal experiences. His rendition of The Band's "Acadian Driftwood" is one of the best cover songs ever recorded. While plowing through a school project that's long been procrastinated over, I listened to all the Shindell I have and thought it wise to share a few of my favorites. And so, I offer up one-third of his self-described "trucker trio" songs (Next Best Western, Willin', and Kenworth of My Dreams) and my favorite of his original tunes, Summer Wind, Cotton Dress, and his cover of Pete Seeger's Waist Deep in the Big Muddy. Shindell has a brief tour this spring and I hope to see him in a couple weeks in St. Paul, MN. For my KY friends, he'll be in Lexington on 3/13.

Next Best Western

Summer Wind, Cotton Dress

Waist Deep in the Big Muddy (Seeger)

it saves.

i'll be a full grown man this winter.

2011-02-22T21:54:00.006-05:00

I stumbled on to Cass Lowe (and his friends) while looking for a quality cover of The Shins' New Slang, and upon finding he and his friends singing their combination of New Slang and Coldplay's Don't Panic, I converted it into an mp3 and listened to it more than two hundred times in a row (it's true). And then, after sucking all I could from it, I posted it and sent it to everyone I knew because if people could get a tenth of the happiness I got from it, it would at the very least improve their day, because it pretty much made my month. This won't come as a shock, but it was one of the easiest tracks to pick for this year's holiday album.

Anyway, after I moved on from New Slang/Don't Panic, I found a couple other of his songs floating around the web, but wasn't all that impressed, but was certainly disappointed. And now, a year later, even though he's still unsigned, he's put some solid tracks on his myspace page and the one posted below, This Winter, made it to youtube. I don't know much, but I do know that he and his friends need to put an album out. Sounds like a job for Sub Pop Records. And just for funsies, I posted New Slang/Don't Panic too.

It saves.

lay my bones in neat little rows

2011-02-18T17:04:00.004-05:00

British indie-emo-pop-rockers Elbow will be releasing their new album, Build A Rocket Boys! in the US on April 12 (digital release set for March 8). The single, Neat Little Rows (below), will be out February 27. I'm not a huge Elbow fan, but I've found that I've really enjoyed about half the songs on each of their previous four albums. I'm really digging what they've done with this new single; it's much more layered than their previous work.

Neat Little Rows

music saves.

you know you're gold, you don't gotta worry none

2011-02-17T11:11:00.007-05:00

Beach House released their third studio album, a CD/DVD combo called Teen Dream, a few weeks ago (I know, I'm behind). But I've finally had some time to digest the entire thing, and it's absolutely fantastic. It offers up several love-based tracks and this is by far their slowest paced, most tranquil sounding album. If you dig bands like Mazzy Star or Yo La Tengo, then you'll love Beach House. Below is the lead track off the new album, called Zebra. Oh, and Sub Pop is the best record label out there. Period.

Thanks, Kyle.

Beach House - Zebra

music saves.

throw your soul through every open door.

2011-02-16T11:27:00.007-05:00

Adele is the shit and I'm knee deep in it. Her voice is simply out of this world. It's beyond comprehension. And it's one thing to have a tremazing voice, but to have the ability to write lyrics that literally everyone can relate to, is a whole different story. Her new album, 21, will be released February 22 in the US. Below is her three song set in a NPR Tiny Desk Concert.

music saves.

we've got no money but we've got heart.

2011-02-14T12:41:00.006-05:00

I'd like to thank JV and WFPK Radio Louisville for introducing me to Walk the Moon, and in particular, their song, Anna Sun. The unsigned Cincinnati based band starts their debut album off with an explosion of fun (the aforementioned song). There's some Passion Pit, some Phoenix, some Talking Heads, some Bell X1, and maybe even some Scissor Sisters in the sounds their throwing out...and I must say I'm a massive fan already. Below is the single, go on and get you some.

Walk the Moon - Anna Sun

music saves.

Inside of Love: PTC's Valentine's Day Mixed Tape

2011-02-14T11:08:00.009-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day. To commemorate this silly little pseudo-holiday, here's a digital youtube mish-mash mixed tape for your enjoyment (click on song name).

Gabe Dixon Band - Disappear
Steve Earle - Valentines Day
Yeasayer - I Remember
Phoenix - Love Like a Sunset Part 1 & 2
American Analog Set - The Postman
The Duhks - Love is the Seventh Wave (Sting cover)
Stevie Wonder - I Believe (When I Fall In Love)
Nada Surf - Inside of Love
Tom Waits - I Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You
The Lumineers - Hey Ho
The Tallest Man on Earth - Love Is All
Ben Sollee - Built For This
Jamie Barnes - Don't Turn My Love Down
Lucero - Sweet Little Thing
500 Miles to Memphis - You Loved Me Once
The Moldy Peaches - Anyone Else But You
Joe Pug - How Good You Are
The Gaslight Anthem - She Loves You
Danny Malone - Song For The Year
fun. - Take Your Time (Coming Home)

music saves.

under the covers, chapter thirty-four: everyone i used to know they just moved on

2011-02-11T16:49:00.004-05:00

On this gorgeous North Dakota Friday I offer up Adam Carroll's "Girl With the Dirty Hair" and then covered by the fabulous Hayes Carll. Notice that in Carroll's version Ryan Bingham is playing with him. More on Bingham before he comes to Fargo in early March.

Adam Carroll

Hayes Carll

sing along.

BS

she comes around here just about midnight...

2011-02-11T10:16:00.005-05:00

I've got a handful of posts in the works and will spend some time over the weekend polishing them up, but until then, here's Van the Man and John Lee Hooker putting the hurt on a track from way back in the VM (Them) collection: Gloria. It's got me bouncing in my seat this fine Friday morning. Don't forget to have fun.

bounce.

so i go, umbrella under my arm, into the green of the radar.

2011-02-09T21:20:00.004-05:00

The first time I heard Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning I remember thinking it was literally the best album I'd ever heard. And now, less than a week before Conor Oberst's musical vehicle releases it's latest piece of artistry, The People's Key, I'm thinking something similar. The People's Key is as intelligent and and explorative album Oberst has ever made, and is to me, after just three listens, quite possibly the best album I've ever heard. NPR has a similar opinion, and you can read about it and LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE ALBUM for free by clicking HERE.

The People's Key will be released on February 15 on Saddle Creek Records. Click here to see tour dates.

space needle, eddie vedder, ichirooooo suzuki.

2011-02-01T23:49:00.008-05:00

It was nearly six years ago when I first heard Todd Snider's "Ballad of the Kingsmen" on The World Cafe with David Dye (via KFJM 90.7 in Grand Forks, ND), and from that moment on, I've loved every word and every sound he's put out, recorded and live. I've been fortunate enough to see him four or five times, and each time he's been nothing but a showman. He walks the line of comical and thought provoking, with songs that make you laugh out loud and some question who you are and where you stand on current issues. And then he'll tell a rambling, hilarious story about how he came to write a particular song and at that point you just fall in love with the barefoot, tree-huggin' hippie from Oregon.

He's put out another live album, one that matches his 200? live release, Near Truths and Hotel Rooms. Todd Snider may not be the biggest name in music today, but his writing is sharp, overloaded with truth, and comes from a viewpoint most of us would never have thought of if weren't for him. He's not na artist you throw on when you're reading a book or pre-occupied with some other task---no---if you want full enjoyment, you must give your full attention to him or you'll miss something good (like right around the third minute of the first song below). Pick up the album and take a ride with Snider through his musical autobiography and if he's coming near you, make sure you see him. Below are two songs and a classic Snider story sandwiched in between, the first two of which are on the new album.

Tension

KK Rider Story

Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues

it'll make you happy.

Sam Beam Strikes Again

2011-01-27T17:53:00.004-05:00

Sam Beam and his musical vehicle, Iron & Wine, threw listeners a curve ball with 2007's, The Shepherd's Dog. Beam left his soft and somber sound in the past and brought a more focused songwriting on top of curious percussion and bouncing guitars. It was regarded as his best album yet---until now. Kiss Each Other Clean takes off from where The Shepherd's Dog ended, this time, with intense songwriting that's a bit clearer...a bit less cryptic. The album's first single, Walking Far From Home, is a gem of a track, with lines like "I saw lovers in a window whisper want me like time, want me like time" but the track that stands above the rest (and they're all good) is Rabbit Will Run. Beam's voice seeps out from behind all the balanced, beautiful noise that he's created. Beam is one of the elite songwriters out there today and his musical voyage continues to lead listeners in new and challenging directions.

Rabbit Will Run

it saves.

under the covers, chapter thirty-three: oh, don't carve me out.

2011-01-24T17:09:00.004-05:00

Jill Andrews, former co-frontwoman of The Everybodyfields is on out on her own now, and has her first full-length album, The Mirror, set to come out in March (expect a post on that when it comes out). I saw The Everybodyfields open for The Avett Brothers at least twice between 2006-2008 and absolutely fell in love each time (with the music and her). In this chapter she covers the My Morning Jacket tune "Bermuda Highway." As for her own work, her guitar playing is solid, her lyrics are earnest, and her voice is remarkable (again, more upon release of new album). Those of you who know me know I'm a massive MMJ fan, and if you're like me, you too are on edge for their newest album that should be out sometime this year, one they recorded in a church in Louisville. You must see them live; it will change your life.

My Morning Jacket

Jill Andrews

when it comes down to me and i grit my teeth...

2011-01-23T18:26:00.008-05:00

Much thanks to Ford for selecting Derby's "If Ever There's a Reason" for one of their commercials. They're from Portland and before today, I didn't know they existed. They've released two full-length albums, with the last one being Posters Fade, in 2008. The songwriting is clever, the music is catchy and uncomplicated, and the lead singer's voice reminds me of Jakob Dylan. If you're into artists like Matt Pond PA, American Music Club or Michael Penn, you'll dig what's below.

If Ever There's a Reason

it saves.

don't let us get stupid, all right?

2011-01-22T00:18:00.006-05:00

Pissed off that "Looking For Eric" hadn't arrived via Netflix yet, I turned to my XBOX 360 to see if there was anything worth watching online. If you're a stranger to Netflix's online catalog, you should know that ninety-five percent of it is either complete crap or complete crap no one I know has ever heard of. Near the end of my desperation I stopped at Californication, a Showtime production I'd heard some good things about (but nothing great) and never made the time to judge for myself. Six episodes later, I was immersed in the show and scrambling to find out who covered Warren Zevon's "Don't Let Us Get Sick" as the sixth episode came to a close. Thanks to my bff, Google, I quickly learned that a self-described "saloon singer" who specializes in covers from nowhere, New Jersey, named Pat Guadagno, was directly responsible for improving my evening. I quickly gathered info on this fellow and devoured as much of his material as I could. Turns out he is just what he says he is: an aging man riding out a mediocre career in bars and saloons somewhere along the eastern seaboard. Of what I've consumed so far, three tunes stand out: the aforementioned cover, a cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," and a cover of a tune by The Hollies called "Bus Stop." His live album, Live at the City Lights Saloon, is aggressively entertaining. Up and down and fast and slow, covers and originals, he certainly knows how to put on a show. Lastly, in the cover of AAtW Guadagno's attack on his acoustic guitar is rousing, and overall, his ability to make the songs he covers his own but not stray too far from what made the originals so great is a unique strength that draws me closer with each listen.

Don't Let Us Get Sick

All Along the Watchtower

Bus Stop

under the covers, chapter thirty-two: mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids.

2011-01-20T19:47:00.003-05:00

My computer spent some time in the hospital last week, and during its stay, its memory was wiped out. So I sat down tonight to begin sorting through what I wanted on my itunes and on my ipod and I came across something I hadn't listened to in a couple years: My Morning Jacket's Chapter 1: The Sandworm Cometh - Early Recordings. And so, this chapter features Elton John's "Rocketman." EJ's version is a sweet live one from his 60th Bday bash at MSG.

Elton

MMJ

yes, maria, yes: the david wax museum are coming (as predicted)

2011-01-18T00:06:00.009-05:00

The David Wax Museum, the band I saw open for the Old 97's last July, look like they're taking the momentum and acclaim they absolutely deserved last year right into 2011 with the same vigor and energy they showed the first time I saw them. Their new album, Everything Is Saved, comes out February 8, they've been featured as a World Cafe "Next" artist, and they've played an NPR Tiny Desk Concert (hence this post). I said this after I saw THIS and THIS, that they would blow up in the near future. It certainly appears that's going to be the case. I am so sorry I missed their house show in Fargo but I have it on good authority that I indeed should be sorry, because they killed it again the next night in Minneapolis. The raw energy and unique sound I jabbered on and on about to friends and in this post are just a couple traits that continue to propel them forward. I can't wait to see them again. And yes, that's a donkey jaw she's playing, and yes, it's awesome.

let me rest; it saves.

showroom of compassion: the return of Cake

2011-01-17T13:53:00.004-05:00

This past Tuesday, Cake released their first album in seven years. Despite the hiatus (and for whatever reason), they're back to their old tricks: edgy guitar riffs, horns aplenty, curious percussion, background yelling, and simple yet mostly clever lyrics. In their time together they certainly haven't strayed from the comforts of those aforementioned skills, but they've continually honed them and for this fan, they stand alone in their own unique niche. I've always LOVED at least a few tracks from each of their albums, and it's no different with this one, which is called Showroom of Compassion. First up is the single, "Sick of You," performed on Conan, complete with some fantastic crowd involvement. Next up is "Long Time," a second, bonus song from their visit to Conan. Finally is a song straight from the album, a lyricless track called "Teenage Pregnancy."

Sick of You

Long Time

Teenage Pregnancy

it'll make you move.

under the covers, chapter thirty-two: and you put the load right on me

2011-01-13T11:47:00.007-05:00

This chapter's featured song is from music legends The Band; a live version of "The Weight" and then covered by a host of singer-songwriters who've come together to play the Totally Fuckin' Doin' It tour the last couple of years. The group includes Tony Lucca, Matt Duke, and Jay Nash (click their name to see/hear a song be each artist, it'll be worth your time). Massive thanks to LN for throwing the cover my way.

The Band

TFDI

listen hard + sing loud.

i don't have a choice but i still choose you.

2011-01-11T23:48:00.010-05:00

About six months ago I didn't jump at the duo The Civil Wars, a band PASTE labeled "the best of what's next." When a good and thorough man, JV, asked me if I'd heard of them earlier today, I decided to give them another listen. Let's just say I won't pass on them again. The first song below, "Poison and Wine," comes off their first release, a self-titled EP released in November of 2009. The aforementioned song was featured on Grey's Anatomy and also gained momentum via a Taylor Swift tweet (too bad I'm not a T-Swift follower......). The EP is available on itunes, as is their new single, "Barton Hollow," which will be featured on their upcoming album of same name, to be released February 1st. Their sound is beautifully haunting and I go back and forth between aching and rejoicing each time I listen (which has been a lot today). They're also currently touring so go on and click on their name up above and check out their myspace to learn more and see tour dates.

Poison and Wine

Barton Hollow

music saves.

the best of 2010: in my mind anyway

2011-01-04T11:30:00.001-05:00

In no particular order, my favorite albums of the year, followed by some honorable mentions.

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
The first year after their album was released they worked hard to gather a following in the UK and earlier this year absolutely blew up in the states. The album is full of raw emotion, and Marcus Mumford strings you along through each track, climbing melodies and diving back down into powerful lyrics. Their continued success is proof of their legitimacy, their relentless touring is a sign of their dedication, but their second album, when it comes, will be the true sign of whether or not they're going to stay legitimate.

Linked Track: White Blank Page

Vampire Weekend - Contra
Ezra Koenig and crew did not disappoint in their sophomore effort. Some folks think their constant comparisons to Paul Simon are annoying...but this fan thinks they're a terrific compliment. Sure, they play on the African sound that Simon brought out so well, but Koenig and his mates are here to stay, bringing

Linked Track: I Think Ur a Contra

Black Keys - Brothers
The dynamic Ohio duo continues to smash instruments and Dan Auerbach's songwriting continues to improve---and my love for them continues to grow. With each album they stay true to their sound but find a way to avoid boredom or repetitiveness. One of the better and more raw live acts I've ever seen. Brothers was one of the few albums that followed me where I went this year---especially in the summer.

Linked Track: Next Girl

Josh Ritter - So Runs the World Away
I've been saying for awhile now that Ritter is one of the best young songwriters around...and with this album, his ability to weave his own, bizarre stories through already existing historical events/characters shines through. When he's not adding make-believe to history, he's pulling at your heart and soothing your soul. His genuine happiness on stage is infectious. Super excited for his tour with Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison.

The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart
This Pacific Northwest group of migrants met in Seattle and have since blown up, and did so quickly. Youtube has been both their companion and their launchpad, with fabulous, even breathtaking videos from parking garage performances and house shows popping up with almost every show they played. They were a Starbucks download of the week about a month ago. They were hand-picked by Dave Matthews to open for he and Tim Reynolds. They opened for Dr. Dog. Their first album is so raw, so full of youthful emotion, so innocent...you just can't help but keep listening. They appear to be doing things the right way, the artistic way, and they cannot be stopped. Look out, they're coming and they're going to be really, really good.

Linked Track: Down In The Valley

The National - High Violet
I didn't take to this album as quickly as I did their last, Boxer, mainly I think because it's fairly slow-paced, but The National's fifth studio release is, now, to me, their best. The lyrics are as confusing as ever, but they're still magical, and the band's sound is tighter and more concentrated---a true sign of a veteran group. The single, Bloodbuzz Ohio, is the top track, but there are several others right behind it...."England" and "Conversation 16," and this track, "Runaway," to name a few.

Linked Track: Runaway

The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever
Craig Finn and company have found greater success with each album, and you know, they may not ever top Boys and Girls In America, but their latest release did not disappoint. Hurricane J, The Weekenders, and The Sweet Part of the City are a few of the tracks that struck me the hardest.

Linked Track: The Sweet Part of the City

Yeasayer - Odd Blood
This was my first Yeasayer album and just a few tracks in I knew I was soon to be headed for the rest of their collection. Heartfelt songwriting mixed in with rock and electronica and I've nearly landed in personal music heaven.

Linked Track - Ambling Alp

Drew Grow and the Pastors' Wives - Drew Grow and the Pastors' Wives
This band came to my ears literally the same day The Head and the Heart did, and I nearly couldn't handle it. Playing both albums over and over trying to figure which was better. Truth is, they're different, and they're both fantastic. Drew Grow writes thoughtfully and honestly, and their modest approach and love for music is quite clear. They are supposedly unspeakable live. Yes + Please.

Linked Track: Friendly Fire

Freelance Whales - Weathervanes
This is another new band putting out their first album, and another band that blew up fairly quickly. I was able to see them live and it's clear they need some work, but all new bands do. The album flows so perfectly, so brilliantly. Fast and slow and back again, weaving speeds and dizzying lyrics.

Linked Track: Broken Horse

Honorable Mentions
Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs - God Willin' and the Crek Don't Rise
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Joe Pug - Messenger
DeLorean - Subiza
Frightened Rabbit - Winter of Mixed Drinks
Delta Spirit - History From Below
Crystal Castles - Self Titled
Langhorne Slim - Be Set Free
The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
Matt Pond PA - The Dark Leaves
Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Fourtet - There Is Love In You

if you don't know what to make of this, then we will not relate.

2011-01-03T23:52:00.006-05:00

So I've been slowly working on the 2010 albums of the year post, and in doing so, came across these and they deserve their own post. My favorite new band from this year, play four songs and answer questions in a class room of high school film students at Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Kansas, on my birthday. This is the stuff I love, especially about this band...they have, since their inception, opened their arms to everyone and been honest about everything. Rivers and Roads, their last song in this set, is my favorite of theirs so far. It's not on the album, but it simply does it for me, especially this version.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

it saves.

under the covers, chapter thirty-one: but you don't really care for music, do you?

2010-12-29T17:05:00.005-05:00

Before I finish up the 2010 best albums of the year post, I offer up another chapter of under the covers. This time, a three song set, inspired by the recent holiday and as well as my recent re-discovering of my love for Jeff Buckley. Buckley is unfortunately perhaps most known for his cover of the featured song of this post, the mighty Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," but believe me his music is worth much more than just the one beautiful cover song. Regardless, below is Cohen's original, followed by Buckley's cover, and then Damien Rice takes a stab at it. Seems to me this song backs up the fact that music saves.

Cohen

Buckley

Rice

sing loud cause you're still alive.

Be Set Free: Langhorne Slim takes Fargo

2010-12-13T21:23:00.011-05:00

There's something about a terrific live show that sends you out into the night feeling invincible, and on Sunday night Langhorne Slim and his opening acts did that for a small but dedicated crowd at the Aquarium in Fargo, North Dakota. Local boy Michael Pink started the evening off quietly but sharply, providing a handful of original tracks blended in with a couple solid covers, one of which was Neil Young's "Long May You Run." Dazzlingly dressed Scottish singer-songwriter Ryan Lauder followed and was met, after his first tune, with genuine excitement from the crowd. Lauder's banter with the audience, fun facts about North Dakota and Fargo speech, and his honest, full of effort performance was worth getting excited about. You can catch Lauder with Slim for the next couple tour dates before he crossed back over the pond. He made promises of a soon to be released album so we're certainly looking forward to that. Below is a track he played with a little help from Slim's band members. Lauder's myspace page offers a handful of tracks, and if I could suggest one, it would be "I Need Sleep," which he played at the show. It should also be known that Lauder is extremely kind and a blast to talk to.

Langhorne Slim has been on my musical mind for about a year now. I've heard from several people that his live shows are fabulous, and I can tell you all now that they're more than that. His energy level is high and his stage presence is brilliant. About half-way through the show he came down in the middle of the crowd and sang amongst his fans...and a couple of ladies I know where among the fortunate who got to hold his hand for a minute as he wailed away. He later came down and scooted through the crowd to the bar, taking advantage of it's lack of a line and ordering himself another drink. His setlist covered about half of his most recent release, Be Set Free, mixed in with tracks off his other releases, a self-titled album from 2008 and When The Sun's Gone Down from 2005. Slim was very gracious after the show as he stuck around to give autographs, take pictures, shake hands, and talk to his fans. We walked out of that bar knowing there was nothing that could have happened that night that would have made it any better. Below are three videos from that night: 1) Slim's failed attempt at a new song followed by some banter to the crowd followed by a crowd requested "I Love You, But Goodbye" 2) A chunk of Slim's "Be Set Free" and 3) An unknown Ryan Lauder track in which he's accompanied by Slim's two bandmates.

New Song/Banter/I Love You, But Goodbye

Be Set Free

Ryan Lauder

music saves. especially live music.

i told all the lies i could tell and now i'm coming home again

2010-12-08T23:55:00.005-05:00

I had trouble working for more than two minutes at a time the other day because the Iron & Wine station on Pandora kept providing me with ear-catching music I'd not heard before. One of those artists was Gregory Alan Isakov, a South African born singer-songwriter whose lyrics I enjoy more and more as I dive deeper into his four album collection. Below are three songs, the second of which is from a house show (that's the thing to do these days, eh?) and I really, really dig what he's putting out. It's not hard to see his connection to Iron & Wine and to me, he's a bit of Jason Isbell fused with Ryan Adams and Pete Yorn...

Drank All the Wine

The Stable Song

That Moon Song

it saves.

under the covers, chapter thirty: where is my mind?

2010-12-08T23:31:00.004-05:00

I was perusing one of my favorite blogs the other day, Stolen Lyric, and came across a post/photo I hadn't seen/noticed before...

...and it reminded me of how much I love the lyric featured in that photo. And so, chapter thirty was born. Up first are the Pixies with a live version of the original and then the previously annoying James Blunt covering it. He actually does it quite well...there's a video of Yoav doing a loop cover of it that's okay, but I think Blunt's version stacked up against the original much better. Never thought I'd be posting a James Blunt video...

The Pixies - Where Is My Mind?

James Blunt - Where Is My Mind?

it saves.

i saw lovers in a window whisper "want me like time, want me like time"

2010-11-30T11:33:00.003-05:00

I've been thoroughly convinced that Sam Beam is one of the best songwriters alive today, and the new Iron & Wine single, Walking Far From Home, provides evidence that Beam deserves such accolades. To me, Josh Ritter, Connor Oberst, and Beam are paving our generation's songwriting path...but don't get me wrong, there's a slew of quality writers just trailing them.

The new I&W single was released on Black Friday, as part of Record Store Day's Back to Black Friday and is off their upcoming album, Kiss Each Other Clean, to be released on January 25, 2011.

music saves.

AVSH 2010 Honorable Mention Tracks

2010-11-30T00:02:00.005-05:00

The process of making the holiday album begins as soon as the previous years' album is finished. This October, I started to cut the years worth of songs down and finally, Thanksgiving week, decided on the twenty songs listed in the previous post. Here's a list of the last twenty songs that were cut from the album, making up this year's Honorable Mentions. I don't typically get stressed out or think on things too long, but this album, every year, keeps me up longer than it should...I fret over all of it, hoping with all I have that it will be enjoyed by those who receive it. Click on the artist name to visit their website, click on the song name to see/hear the track.

Tallest Man on Earth - Love Is All
Danny Malone - Song for the Year (70 views...wow).

The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
The Hold Steady - Sweet Part of the City
The Black Keys - She's Long Gone
500 Miles to Memphis - Shots (things get real about the 1:40 mark, be patient).
Vampire Weekend - Run
Arcade Fire - City With No Children
Drew Grow & The Pastors Wives - Friendly Fire
Rogue Wave - Fear Itself (this minifilm teaser is all i could find...terrific track though)
Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs - Old Before Your Time
Mumford & Sons - Roll Away Your Stone
Josh Ritter - Change of Time
Jamie Mefford and Blue Light - This House of Cards (song not available, but you can hear it on their myspace by clicking the band name)
Frank Turner - The Road
The Middle East - Blood (thanks MB)
Ra Ra Riot - Boy
Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard - California Zephyr (thanks TN)
Phosphorescent - Tell Me Baby (thanks DH)
Matt the Electrician - Faithfully (cover)
Drive-by Truckers - This F*****g Job

music saves.

A Very Schneweis Holiday, 2010

2010-11-26T18:30:00.004-05:00

The sixth annual edition of A Very Schneweis Holiday is complete. This year was the toughest I can remember in terms of deciding which tracks would make it and what order to go with. This was a year where a handful of my favorite bands made terrific albums with holiday album worthy tracks, but I left them off because they've all had loads of recent commercial success. And don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with that, but I'd like to avoid any song I think is one of the best of the year ending up on the next Now That's What I Call Music album. Mumford & Sons, Vampire Weekend, The Black Keys, Band of Horses, Drive-By Truckers, The National, The Hold Steady, Josh Ritter and Ray LaMontagne all released albums that are in the running for my best albums of the year list, but since even the casual listener will have heard of and heard those bands, I decided to leave them off. That doesn't mean that I believe everyone who sees this list of songs will not have heard of the artist or heard the song...that's far from true. But the initial and chief goal of this project has always been to share music with people, and if it's on commercial radio, then there's a good chance everyone and their goat has heard it already. I'd like to thank all of you who had a hand in my musical experiences this past year...many of you were along for the ride in my relationships with each artist (even if it's one way) that I've chosen this year. And so, below is the twenty song list that made the cut this year. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you share on. Click the band name to go to their website, click the track name to view/hear the song.

1. The Radio Dept. - Heaven's on Fire
2. Moreland & Arbuckle - Bound & Determined (song not available)
3. Trampled By Turtles - Wait So Long
4. A Night In the Box - The Hustle
5. Cold War Kids - Audience
6. Cass Lowe - New Slang/Don't Panic (covers)
7. Rocky Votolato - Red River
8. Delta Spirit - White Table
9. Joe Pug - Speak Plainly, Diana
10. The Gaslight Anthem - The Diamond Church Street Choir
11. Frightened Rabbit - The Loneliness and the Scream
12. Sleigh Bells - Tell 'Em
13. Freelance Whales - Generator (Second Floor)
14. Wakey! Wakey! - Light Outside
15. Matt Pond PA - Specks
16. Langhorne Slim - Boots Boy
17. The Head and the Heart - Down In the Valley
18. Local Natives - Sun Hands
19. Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
20. Crystal Castles with Robert Smith - Not In Love

Music Saves.

are you as excited about me as i am?

2010-11-10T14:04:00.008-05:00

Daniels during his first song

Last night Jeff Daniels played the Fargo Theatre. He played to a crowd of around a hundred. He didn't melt our faces with his guitar. He didn't blow us away with his vocals. What he did was much more extraordinary than that. He sat us down, told us stories, sang us songs, made us laugh, made us hurt, made us smile, and allowed us to walk out of that theatre better than we were when we walked in.

I first learned Daniels had turned musician in 2007, when I heard "Start At the End" on some NPR show...and I immediately purchased the album that song was on, called Together Again. Since then Daniels has continued to act and put out music, much of it to benefit causes in his home state of Michigan. He's touring this fall/winter, and if you have a chance to go spend an evening with him, you absolutely should. He's got a great presence about him, he interacts with the audience and it's clear that he wants everyone to feel like they gotten their money's worth. He's not a genre bender, he's not ground breaking, but he's clever, he's funny, he's smart, and each note and word are soaked in honesty, hard work, and humility. Below are four songs, Start At the End, a live version of A Revisionist's Mary Had a Little Lamb, a live version of Are You As Excited (About Me as I am?), and a live version of Mile 416. They are all very different songs, and to me, all very enjoyable.

Start At The End

Are You As Excited (About Me As I Am?)

A Revisionists Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mile 416

listen hard. it saves.

under the covers, chapter twenty-nine: these are the places you will find me hiding

2010-10-28T22:11:00.004-04:00

As you should rightly know by now, I've quickly become a massive fan of The Head and the Heart (it's a safe bet they'll make it onto the holiday album), thanks to a Fuel/Friends Blog post not too far back. THATH posted a cover of their song, "Down In the Valley" on their facebook page today by Richard Hunt. And while it's worthy of sharing, I do believe that it's hard to improve upon the original simply because of the THATH's delightful harmonizing and depth each band member brings to the track.

The Head and the Heart

Richard Hunt

it saves.

BS

Glen Hansard + Pike Place Market + Busking = enjoyment.

2010-10-25T19:28:00.010-04:00

I was perusing the Fretboard Journal's video section tonight and came across a post featuring Glen Hansard (of The Frames and The Swell Season joining a local Seattle busker outside the Pike Place Market for three tunes: Low Rising (Swell Season), Astral Weeks (Van Morrison) and The Thrill Is Gone (Waterboys). You'll notice that The Thrill is gone leads into Van's And the Healing Has Begun, which the Waterboys did often live. I've heard stories of Hansard doing this often...just jumping in with a local musician or even posting up on a corner by himself and busking in whatever city he's playing a show in. How fantastic it would be to stumble upon him in the act...

Glen Hansard Busking in Seattle, Part One

Glen Hansard Busking in Seattle, Part Two

music saves.

BS

so I looked for your eyes and the waves looked like they'd pour right out of them...

2010-10-19T23:42:00.003-04:00

Today was the first day that I walked outside and knew it was fall. We've been fortunate with all kinds of awesome weather lately (I love global warming?) and today was the first sunny day filled with that slightly cold, crisp autumn air. And to that I say yes + please. What I'm getting at is I immediately thought of a song by one of my absolute favorite bands, Yo La Tengo, called Autumn Sweater. It's off their phenomenal 1997 release, I Can Feel the Heart Beating as One.

enjoy.

BS

yeppppppppp

2010-10-18T14:37:00.001-04:00

Radio Dept. - Heaven's On Fire. Fighting for a place on the holiday album. It makes me move.

enjoy.

BS

under the covers, chapter twenty-eight: instant karma's gonna get you.

2010-10-12T01:54:00.006-04:00

John Lennon's classic "Instant Karma" and then covered by an artist I can't seem to stop listening to, Danny Malone. Murphy performs the song to a house concert and does so with such joy (including dance moves) that it's impossible not to enjoy.

John Lennon

Danny Malone

it saves.

BS

under the covers, chapter twenty-seven: mumford covers sufjan, who covered robert robinson.

2010-10-06T01:13:00.004-04:00

This chapter features a live version of Sufjan Stevens' "Thou Fount of Every Blessing" and then covered by Mumford & Sons. Here's to both of them, to the lyrics that were written in 1757, to music, to doing covers just as well or better than the original, and to music, my savior.

Sufjan Stevens - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Mumford & Sons - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Sufjan Stevens cover)

it saves.

BS

the lives you lost can never come back, and the deed in return is worse than the act.

2010-10-04T23:09:00.003-04:00

I've started work on this year's edition of A Very Schneweis Holiday, which has prompted me to dive back into about twenty-five albums that I've made notes on this year in terms of potential tracks for the album, as well as best albums of the year. This is the last track, and one of the best, off Delta Spirit's album History From Below, that was released earlier this year. So good. The sound isn't that great toward the end when things pick up, but this is the best version out there and worth sharing.

Delta Spirit - Ballad of Vitaly

it saves.

BS

brother was right...mind blown.

2010-09-30T11:54:00.003-04:00

My brother sent me this video yesterday with two words attached to it: mind blown. He wasn't kidding.

Delorean & John Talbot - Sunshine

electronica makes me better.

BS

music is my savior and i was maimed by rock & roll.

2010-09-14T01:25:00.005-04:00

Being There was my first Wilco album. Right from the start (Misunderstood), I was hooked hard on what Jeff Tweedy had to say and the sounds they were capable of producing. It was different than anything I'd ever heard, and while I'm more aware of more artists that sound like or share similarities with Wilco, there still is no one like them. I was watching/listening to their documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (again) while cleaning my apartment tonight and for some reason, the live version of "Sunken Treasure" Tweedy plays during the film hit me in a unexpected, firm way. I stopped cleaning and sat down to listen. And then I went youtubing, and this is what I found, with just over one hundred views. Yes + please. I've been listening to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot over and over the last couple of days, but now I suppose it's time to turn to Being There.

Sunken Treasure (solo, acoustic)

music saves. tweedy even said so.

BS

if you don't know what to make of this, then we will not relate.

2010-09-07T16:49:00.003-04:00

Because I hadn't visited Fuel/Friends Blog in about a month (I regret that move, even though it wasn't intentional), I have been allowed to scour the site and subsequently have been provided with loads of new music that has forced my ass to the chair and the volume to 100%. For that, I'm so very thankful (keep up the good work, HPB).

One of those bands I'm currently covered in is The Head and the Heart. Below are four videos, all from a post-show set in a Tacoma parking garage. If you love music, you'll love these songs. It's what music is all about, especially live. Raw, emotional, intense, beautiful. Lyrically, musically, it's just all there. It's almost too much to take in at first listen. The performances below leave me happy and speechless. And now it's your turn.

One

Two

Three

Four

music saves.

BS

you win some, you lose some, and you let it go.

2010-08-31T00:15:00.000-04:00

Ray LaMontagne, along with his new backing band, The Pariah Dogs, has released a new album (God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise). This is his fourth studio album, one where he appears to have turned down the volume to the bulk of his songs, which means, for listeners, that we must turn the volume up. His simplistic lyrical brilliance continues to shine through on songs like Rock & Roll an the Radio and Old Before Your Time, among others. Though I'm a fan of each of Ray's albums, his real work comes at his live shows. His shy, yet completely charismatic personality adds the honesty of his music. You get the feeling he's telling you the story of his life, and whether or not that's true, I find it so easy to believe in his words that it's impossible to not get wrapped up in them. Click on the song titles for the lyrics and click here for his tour schedule.

Repo Man

Old Before Your Time

Rock & Roll and The Radio

it saves.

BS

i held on as tightly as you held on to me.

2010-08-30T22:36:00.005-04:00

I don't possess the vocabulary to describe how this song makes me feel, I can simply tell you that driving with the windows down, volume up, straight toward a sunset of unequaled beauty, trying to get a picture before it was disappeared, is quite an experience. I didn't get the picture. But I have the memory. Music saves.

Cinematic Orchestra - To Build A Home

BS

only the girls know the truth in the end.

2010-08-27T20:43:00.003-04:00

Before I let loose my musings on the new Ray LaMontagne album, I offer up my favorite song of the moment. This is an acoustic (and faneffingtastic) version of "The Weekenders," a track off album The Hold Steady put out earlier this year, and to no surprise, even though I loved the album when it first came out, I love it more and more with each listen. And in this very moment, this song absolutely does it for me. Check out the lyrics here, they're worth reading. The second link is the album version...

acoustic

album

listen hard. sing loud. enjoy.

BS

And in the night ive been waiting for The real possibility that I may meet you in my dreams

2010-08-17T22:09:00.006-04:00

I've been completely enveloped by the first season of Friday Night Lights lately and in one of the episodes, my favorite track off of Pearl Jam's 2004 album Pearl Jam album was used to compliment the last five or so minutes, which was of course, totally fantastic. And now, for your enjoyment, Eddie Vedder, doing what he does best, cutting straight to my heart with his words and voice. Right around the 4:00 mark is when I get the chills, whether it be the album or a live version.

Come Back

music saves.

BS

we have become hated and feared for something we don't want.

2010-08-12T21:46:00.004-04:00

Jim James makes my life better. Let him makes your better too. This version of Gideon gave me the chills.

Gideon (with Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore)

Where to Begin

Golden (two-thirds)

it saves.

BS

no matter how hard you try you can't stop us now.

2010-08-12T20:53:00.004-04:00

I miss Zach De La Rocha and Rage Against the Machine. Enjoy some of their best (in my opinion) youtube material.

Bulls on Parade (acoustic)

Renegades of Funk

Sleep Now in the Fire

Born of a Broken Man

In case you couldn't tell, Battle of Los Angeles is my favorite Rage album. It has to start somewhere, it has to start some time. What better place than here? What better time than now? Ah, hell, can't stop us now...

glen hansard covers van the man, the boss, and the pixies

2010-08-08T23:28:00.005-04:00

Below are Glen Hansard's covers of songs by Van Morrison (the first two), Bruce Springsteen (third) and The Pixies (fourth). I love all of Hansard's original work, no matter the musical moniker he's wearing at the time (The Frames or The Swell Season). Each of these are covers of songs I already adore, but his versions are just as good, if not better. His energy toward the end of Astral Weeks is intoxicating.

Into the Mystic

Astral Weeks

Drive All Night

Levitate

do you think your righteousness could pay the interest on you debt? i have my doubts about it.

2010-08-07T23:28:00.003-04:00

The new Arcade Fire album came out on Tuesday, and it's been playing on heavy repeat from every piece of stereo equipment in my apartment, car, and office since I bought it. This band is truly fighting for their place as best band in the world...they've continued their streak of putting out fantastic records, which is a rarity these days. Every track on each of their albums is solid. Every album is full of songs that, after you hear the first time, make you want to hit repeat (the true sign of a good song. Thanks, Mike.). Lyrically and musically they continue to improve and never rely on what they're good at...they keep fans on their toes and have yet to disappoint. Below is my favorite track thus far...though I'm sure with more listens it will be replaced and replaced again. Go buy the album.

The City With No Children

it saves.

BS

under the covers, chapter twenty-six: i'll return to claim your hand as the king of california

2010-08-04T00:40:00.005-04:00

Special thanks to film The King of California for bringing this song into my life and then JV & Dave for reminding me of how terrific it truly is during that winding Sunday afternoon drive up US Highway 231.

First up, the original, by Dave Alvin, followed by a more bluegrassy cover done by the John Cowan Band (the strings just do it for me, especially on the version found on itunes...even more so than when Alvin has his full band with him).

Dave Alvin

John Cowan Band

i thought of all the gas we guzzled and the love we kept muzzled...

2010-07-27T20:08:00.005-04:00

Last Friday I was fortunate enough to score free tickets to the Old 97's show in Fargo via KFJM. Travis and I went with zero expectations for the opening act, only hoping that the Old 97's would be a fun show (as they had been the only other time I've seen them). Quickly after Rhett Miller introduced them as his favorite new band, The David Wax Museum became everyone in the room's favorite new band as well. They kicked things off with "Yes, Maria, Yes" and from there we were all hooked. They are so raw, so young, so in love with playing music that it's all a bit intoxicating. An accordion, some sort of mexican ukelele and/or a six string guitar, and a donkey jaw (yes, a donkey jaw) and/or a violin are their musical weapons of choice, and I'm telling you they absolutely attacked that space with their sound. They stole the show and there was nothing, and I mean nothing, the Old 97's could do to get it back. Towards the end of their set they came down to the middle of the floor and played three songs acoustically (two of those songs I was able to record and are posted below), and it was beyond adjectives. The sound quality of the videos I shot is terrific, though the video is average at best. Their sound is original, their lyrics are meaningful, and their voices are wonderful. I was able to briefly speak to each of the band members after the show and they are super nice folks. Their new album should be coming out this fall, but you can find their first two on itunes.

Let me say that the Old 97s put on a great show, too, but that DWM were so great that it was just too hard to top. Combined, their efforts gave the crowd a tremendous show, right up there with the best I've seen this year.

Yes, Maria, Yes

Unknown Track

Let Me Rest

there are three more videos on youtube from that show.

music saves. especially live.

BS

it might go better if we do it by the letter

2010-07-22T14:23:00.003-04:00

I fortunately scored a free ticket to the Old 97s here in Fargo tomorrow, and in honor/preparation, here are a few songs I hope to hear. I've seen them live once before and it was an awfully fun show. I certainly expect the same tomorrow. The band and Rhett Miller's songwriting ability are generally underestimated, in my opinion. Tickets still available...click here to find your way in.

I Need to Know Where I Stand (Rhett Miller)

Timebomb

Question

connect.

BS

it's an accidental fall and they won't suspect a thing at all.

2010-07-21T14:58:00.003-04:00

The only Yeasayer album I own is their latest, Odd Blood, which I've posted about before. David Dye started today's World Cafe off with a track off their 2007 release, All Hour Cymbals, and it's had a hold on me the rest of the day. It's called "Wait For Summer" and it's effing fantastic. It's one of those tremendously fun sounding songs that contains lyrics that are the absolute opposite. Enjoy.

Yeasayer - Wait for Summer

listen hard/sing loud.

BS

so tell me why we're talking when we dance so good?

2010-07-17T13:53:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my good friend Mick, I've come across Wakey!Wakey! and for that I'm so very thankful. Wakey!Wakey! is Michael Grubbs' musical vehicle, and his music walks a line between The Fray (who I do not enjoy) and The Format (who split up and one half of them formed fun.), and then throw in a little Ben Folds (lyrical content) and Something Corporate (piano rock) and you've got the Wakey!Wakey! formula. Their full-length debut, Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said the Last Time I Saw You (isn't that a fantastic album name?) was released in February, and prior to that, Grubbs' music and his acting skills were displayed on One Tree Hill. To learn a bit more about Grubbs and his music, click here. Below are what I think are the top tracks off the album.

Light Outside

Almost Everything

Dance So Good

it saves.

BS

i been down, i been out, had my head and my heart kicked around.

2010-07-16T09:28:00.006-04:00

The Gaslight Anthem's third and most recent album, American Slang, is the summer album I have been waiting for. It rings out like a complete Springsteen tribute (it's long been known The Boss is a major influence of the band) and it's full of emotion but offers a few changes of pace to keep you on your toes. Brian Fallon's rough voice is a band trademark, and though his lyrics are good, they're not great. Regardless, this album is the one I'll continue to put on when the sun is out and I've got nothing to do but smile. The first track below is the title track off the new album, followed by The Queen of Lower Chelsea, We Did It When We Were Young, and the B-Side itunes bonus track (and my favorite), She Loves You.

American Slang

Queen of Lower Chelsea

We Did It When We Were Young

She Loves You

Sing Loud.

BS

don't leave my half a heart alone.

2010-07-04T22:13:00.005-04:00

I was perusing Stolen Lyric last night and in issue #67 I found exactly what I was hoping to find. It's also a terrific source of new music (she has brilliant taste).

Here's the song that goes with the photo, "Sorrow" by The National (off their latest album, High Violet, which you need to pick up if you haven't yet).

it saves.

heeeeyyyyyyy mama, rock me.

2010-07-04T20:52:00.007-04:00

Just before the second to last song Mumford & Sons played this year at Bonnaroo, they invited Dave Rawlings, Gillian Welch and members of Old Crow Medicine Show to join them on stage. And then nine musicians lined up and absolutely crushed the original Bob Dylan tune. This makes me so very happy (in particular, the crowd singing along).

Sing loud.

NPR + Bonnaroo = yes + please.

2010-06-30T12:02:00.003-04:00

NPR went to Bonnaroo and recorded a whole bunch of shows from the festival and has them up on their website for all of us to enjoy, over and over again (for free!). Thanks to Chelsey for sending me the link to The Avett Brothers show (amazing). Click HERE to see what other shows are offered and then listen to any or all. I'm looking forward to listening to several shows, such as: Dan Deacon, The Flaming Lips, The Gaslight Anthem, John Butler Trio, Norah Jones, LCD Soundsystem, Local Natives, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Mumford & Sons, The National, John Prine, Regina Spektor, She and Him, and The XX.

Enjoy (it won't be hard).

they're all good hearted with good intentions...

2010-06-28T12:57:00.006-04:00

I've been sitting on the new 500 Miles to Memphis album for a couple months now, having no real excuse for not playing it, except for maybe subconsciously I knew it was going to be a classic Summer album and wanted to wait until then to enjoy it...

Some people know this Cincinnati based band (their name comes from Cincinnati being 500 miles from Memphis) because "All My Friends are Crazy," off their first album, Sunshine in a Shot Glass, was featured on Rock Band. They've got a little bit of Lucero, The Avett Brothers and Son Volt in them, as well as a whole bunch of energy. They teeter the line between country and rock and though some folks call them "cowpunk" there's no punk to what they're putting out. After a tremendous weekend on the Missouri River with a great group of friends, the Rock Band featured song seems so very appropriate. And now I'm off to explore their new album as well as the Gaslight Anthem album that came out on the 15th...more on that soon...

All My Friends Are Crazy

crazy in the best of ways.

BS

go on. click it.

2010-06-21T23:52:00.003-04:00

Enjoy Mumford & Sons La Blogotheque Take Away Session by clicking here. It's absolutely fantastic. Thanks Aaron.

music = universal.

BS

summer begins.

2010-06-21T13:25:00.003-04:00

It's the first day of summer. Yes + please. The four tunes below have kick started my summer solstice day...hope they do the same for you.

Langhorne Slim - Say Yes

Roman Candle - Another Summer

Jimmy Eat World - A Praise Chorus

Better Than Ezra - This Time of Year

say yes.

no one gets off without paying the ride.

2010-06-20T22:19:00.004-04:00

While driving back from Fargo last week I heard Tracey Thorn on The World Cafe with David Dye. It was a dark and rainy morning and the tunes she played off her new album, Love and Its Opposite, fit in perfectly. Thorn and her husband, Ben Watt, put their group Everything But the Girl on hold when they had twins in the late nineties and this is her second solo album since then. Her take on love and relationships as the years go by is hard-hitting and truthful and her voice is absolutely wonderful. Here's the first track off the album, called Oh, the Divorces!

Oh, the Divorces!

sad but awesome.

BS

under the covers, chapter twenty-five: a hard rain's a gonna fall.

2010-06-16T13:48:00.006-04:00

Featured in this chapter is Bob Dylan's epic tune "A Hard Rain's A-gonna Fall" and covered (tremendously, I might add) by Jason Mraz (yes, Jason Mraz). Dylan's been quoted as saying, when explaining this song, that "a hard rain's a-gonna fall means something's gonna happen." Right on.

Mraz's version is off the Listen to Bob Dylan: A Tribute Album. The Format do a faaaaaaaantastic cover of Simple Twist of Fate on that same album and it may just have to be a future chapter.

Dylan

Mraz

and I'll tell and think it and speak it and breathe it.

we fell asleep in the middle of the fury...

2010-06-08T00:30:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Margaret, via All Songs Considered, for introducing me to Sleigh Bells. Pitchfork reviewed their first album, Treats, in mid-May and rated it quite high. It's experimental, it's pop, it's techno, it's rap, and it's totally outside my musical comfort zone and I love it.

Tell Em

Kids

enjoy.

BS

i'm gonna take on this world, i'm gonna make you love me, if you let me...

2010-06-04T11:59:00.005-04:00

JP Chrissie and the Fairground Boys' primary contributors are JP Jones and Chrissie Hynde (of the Pretenders). I heard their debut single, If You Let Me, on the World Cafe today and nearly pulled over to just listen harder. I am now anxiously awaiting the album release in August (the single won't be out til July). Here's a live performance of the single and a link to a NY Daily News article about them. Click on their band name above for their myspace page.

If You Let Me

music saves.

under the covers chapter twenty-four: tell me are you a christian child? ma'am, I am tonight.

2010-06-01T19:42:00.006-04:00

I was doing laundry today and Marc Cohn's Walking In Memphis found it's way into my head...which led me to youtube...which led me to this chapter of under the covers. First up, a live version of the original and then covered by 2009 Swedish Idol runner-up Calle Kristiansson. I'm in the mood to have my feet ten feet off of Beale, and you know, that line "when you haven't got a prayer, you've got a prayer in Memphis" just gets me every time. Enjoy.

Marc Cohn

Calle Kristiansson

sing loud cause you're still alive.

BS

think less but see it grow like a riot...

2010-05-27T10:21:00.004-04:00

The French gentlemen that make up the band Phoenix perform for the NPR Tiny Desk concert series. yes + please.

enjoy.

BS

now we're apart, though not through choice. do we stay mute? or raise our voice?

2010-05-26T00:12:00.009-04:00

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is on the horizon. Because of my excitement level for the event and with a little help from my friend PD, I started hunting for US Men's National Team videos, which then lead me to searching for Liverpool videos (because I love Liverpool). Thanks to this video, I found the song "He Films the Clouds, Pt. 2" by Maybeshewill (not to be confused with the song "Maybe She Will" by Montell Jordan). They are, at the very least, three things: clear musical descendants of Explosions in the Sky, British, and awesome. If you like what you hear/see below, check out their myspace. I really wanted to post a live version, but the few out there with high quality video have poor quality audio, and the one with high quality audio has poor quality video. Thus, the album version.

He Films the Clouds, Pt. 2

turn it up, so you know it's got soul.

BS

steve earle: yes + please.

2010-05-22T22:24:00.004-04:00

I've spent the afternoon with Steve Earle, and now I offer up three of my favorite tunes of his up to you. If you enjoy Talladega Nights, Townes Van Zandt or most any party I threw or attended between 2003-2005, then you may know these songs.

Hard-core Troubadour

Colorado Girl

Copperhead Road

sing.

BS

under the covers, chapter twenty-three: long may you run.

2010-05-20T17:15:00.004-04:00

This one's for Lane.

The legendary Neil Young performing Long May You Run at the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics and then covered by his friend + admirer, the man himself, Eddie Vedder (how lucky he is that he gets to refer to Neil Young as Uncle Neil?).

Neil

Eddie

long may you run, friends.

BS

you know i don't find this stuff amusing anymore...

2010-05-20T16:40:00.004-04:00

This is for all you Paul Simon lovers out there (I know there are at least two of you).
Perfect for a sunny near-summer day, right KG?

Father and Daughter/You Can Call Me Al

tap your feet.
bob your head.
and don't forget to have fun.

BS

i woke beneath a clear blue sky, the sun was a shout and the breeze a sigh.

2010-05-18T13:00:00.008-04:00

I am aware that some of you could be getting sick of my affection for and frequent posting of Josh Ritter...but here comes another one. He played at The Brown in Louisville last night and all reports are that it was a great show (no shocker) but that he didn't play Thin Blue Flame. The one time I saw him he didn't play it then either (massively disappointing, even thought the show was still incredible). Thin Blue Flame is the first Ritter song I ever heard, back in 2006, right after I'd moved to Louisville. It's what hooked me on him and opened the door to his entire catalog. And so, after hearing he didn't play it last night I went youtubing for it (as I've done several times before) and found a version I'd not yet seen yet, and it's beyond words. Four years after first hearing it, I'm still trying to get underneath the lyrics and understand it for what he meant it to be. From the dedication/explanation to the new verses, the only word that comes to mind that could do this version justice is, well, fuck (in the best possible way). Enjoy.

Thin Blue Flame

listen.

BS

can money pay for all the days I lived awake but half asleep?

2010-05-17T21:46:00.003-04:00

Remember the Primitive Radio Gods?

Standing Outside a Broken Telephone Booth With Money In My Hand

Fading Out

The first track was huge in 1996. Should fit right in when we have our middle school party...

listen.
love.
sing.

BS

you can't stop us on the road to freedom, you can't keep us cause our eyes can see.

2010-05-17T15:34:00.006-04:00

Van Morrison, though in the interviews I've watched seems completely off his head, has been a musician I've long admired (I bought Bang Masters in the ninth grade), but in the last year has become what I believe he is to the generations that precede ours: the man. All kinds of people claim Astral Weeks (1968) is his best album, but for this music fan Moondance (1970) and Into the Music (1979), along with Astral Weeks, are three examples of musical mastery. There aren't many quality videos on youtube featuring Morrison (I shared a performance of Caravan on facebook last week), and so I share the wonderful Richie Havens merging my favorite Morrison song, Tupelo Honey with Dylan's Just Like a Woman. It's effing tremendous.

Turn it up so you know it's got soul.

BS

holy fuck

2010-05-14T20:49:00.004-04:00

Holy Fuck, riding boatloads of steam that came from their performances at SWSW, released their latest album, Latin, this week. If you dig on anything along the lines The Knife, Animal Collective, Four Tet, or even Phoenix, MGMT, or Passion Pit, Holy Fuck is up your alley. If not, perhaps, if you're willing to let them, they'll expand your musical parameters...

Holy Fuck - Red Lights

bounce to it.

your shoulder blades, your spine were shorelines in the moonlight...

2010-05-11T19:05:00.007-04:00

Let me first say that if you don't read any of my words below, at least read these words that belong to Josh Ritter, concerning his newest album, the focus of this post.

Josh Ritter has done it again. His energy, music, words, and personality are all infectious. All that said, this post is more than a week late (his album, So Runs the World Away, came out May 4), and I apologize for my tardiness, but travels, school, and my desire to soak in every word and note on the album were the causes of the delay. I've written on this blog several times that I firmly believe Ritter is supplanting himself as one of the strongest voices and songwriters of OUR generation. He's not Bob Dylan. He's not Van Morrison. He's not Eddie Vedder. He's just Josh Ritter and his winding, imaginative, creative, meaningful lyrics are to this music lover, absolutely top drawer.

His latest work has a more historical (which is ironic) feel to it, and while some of his songs are just as straight out of left field as some of his previous ones (The Temptation of Adam), this album flows more fluidly from track to track, it's softer than his previous album (The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter), and overall it's more intriguing. It takes time and to get underneath the veil that coats his stories, to understand them for what he meant them to be or even what you as a listener need to them to be. And that journey through the music is a rare one, not offered up by many artists, and one worth enjoying slowly and devouring quickly all at the same time.

Below are some absolutely tremendous versions of tracks off the album. Try and listen to the below version of Change of Time without hitting repeat. I'm incapable of such a feat at this point.

If he's coming near you, go see him (click here for tour schedule).

Change of Time

Lark

The Curse

Buy the album.

BS

then they wrote it all down as the progress of man...

2010-05-10T16:37:00.006-04:00

Josh Glauber (post coming soon) was kind enough to tell the audience the story behind this beauty of a John Prine song before he covered it so well (as he does with every song he covers). Instead of me retelling it, you can read it here, and then listen to a fabulous version that includes Amos Lee...there are versions of Josh Ritter joining Prine on stage for this track, but none of them are high quality audio (bummer). Prine's music offers so much simple substance, and I think many folks in my generation have overlooked his importance in the history of American music.

Paradise

enjoy.

BS

don't tell them your bigger than jesus, don't give it away.

2010-05-08T17:28:00.006-04:00

I have all kinds of love for the Drive-By Truckers pre and post Jason Isbell and have an equal amount of love for Isbell as a solo artist (Seven Mile Island was on AVSH 2009). While listening to an array of DBT and solo Isbell yesterday, I landed on a few videos worth sharing. Outfit is a a DBT tune, Dress Blues and Chicago Promenade are Isbell tracks and Into the Mystic is a Van Morrison cover. All of these versions are nothing short of tremendous. Enjoy, friends.

Dress Blues

Outfit

Chicago Promenade

Into the Mystic (Van Morrison cover)

listen + share.

BS

everything sparkles and it feels like we're on wheels...

2010-05-08T16:42:00.003-04:00

Craig Finn and the rest of The Hold Steady released their latest album, Heaven Is Whenever, last Tuesday (May 4). Though their becoming more popular among mainstream music fans, what these Minneapolis/Brooklyn based boys are doing is worth paying attention to. The album, to me, isn't quite as good as Boys and Girls In America but it's not far off either. The first track, The Sweet Part of the City, is my favorite through my first few listens. Enjoy.

listen + share.

BS

you don't know it's right until it's wrong, you don't know it's yours until it's gone...

2010-05-05T21:39:00.003-04:00

Forthcoming posts regarding the new albums from The Hold Steady and Josh Ritter (both tremendous) as well as a post on Josh Glauber's live performance on the banks of the Ohio River on Monday night. But, before I get to all of that, I must share what's stopped me in my tracks this evening: Glen Hansard and Josh Ritter. Hansard, as you might already know, is a musician I hold in the highest regard. His raw and brutally honest approach just about knocks me over ever time I listen. And Ritter, well, I've said before he's one of the best songwriters of our generation, and his performances are packed full of positive, focused energy. Together, these two men make me so genuinely happy, and finding this performance of this Ritter song couldn't have come at a more perfect time for me. I hope you enjoy it.

Come and Find Me

listen. really listen.

BS

under the covers, chaper twenty-two

2010-04-28T15:05:00.003-04:00

I got a chance to preview this week's Acoustic Cafe show and this is the track that leads things off...it's a cover of Journey's "Faithfully" by Matt the Electrician, and it's tremendous. Enjoy.

Journey

Matt the Electrician

sing loud.

BS

highways + horses

2010-04-27T21:32:00.002-04:00

I depart for the Louisville tomorrow to attend the 136th running of the both the Kentucky Oaks & Derby as well as see a heap of dearly missed friends. Because of this adventure the blog will be out of commission for about a week, and I leave you with links to the first fifteen songs on the playlist that will guide my journey: highway to horses. Enjoy. You know I will.

1. Pearl Jam - Rearviewmirror
2. Bright Eyes - Road to Joy
3. Will Hoge - Highway's Home
4. Elliott - Drive On to Me
5. The Avett Brothers - Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
6. Jim James of My Morning Jacket - Bermuda Highway
7. The Swell Season - High Horses
8. Eddie Money - Two Tickets to Paradise (we have six)
9. Pearl Jam - Untitled/MFC
10. The Swell Season - Drive All Night (acoustic Springsteen cover)
11. Tom McRae - Silent Boulevard
12. Ray Lamontagne - All the Wild Horses
13. The Proclaimers - 500 Miles (acoustic)
14. The Format - Faith in Fast Cars (parking lot acoustic)
15. Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running

listen hard, drive harder, and sing the whole effing time.

BS

we're going nowhere slowly but we're enjoying all the sights...

2010-04-25T10:29:00.006-04:00

Frank Turner debuted on this site in chapter nineteen of under the covers, and now, after a friendly reminder from a friend to give him a proper listen and some quality time with him and his work, he appears again.

Just as he displayed in his cover of "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," passion is his trademark. His guitar abilities are average, but his energy is nearly tangible and his lyrics are simple and true, stuffed with emotion and experience, all of which hits home without any listening effort. He's put out three albums, the newest is The Poetry of the Deed, released last year on Epitaph Records. Enjoy.

The Road

Photosynthesis

The Ballad of Me and My Friends

Thunder Road (Springsteen cover)

let it make you move.

BS

crawling in deaf and dumb for the losers ball...

2010-04-23T18:57:00.003-04:00

Below is the awesome first track off the self-titled debut Codeine Velvet Club album, "Hollywood." I'm not sure if I like it because it's slight Tony Christie feel to it (chorus) or because of the incredibly intelligent lyrics, but either way, I simply like it. I'll just keep working on an explanation...

Hollywood

enjoy.

BS

put out the fire and don't look past my shoulder...

2010-04-23T02:03:00.003-04:00

A massive thank you to Nate C for posting this on facebook for all (and at the very least, me) to enjoy. Eddie Vedder played two songs on his own before the house came down with this cover of Baba O'Riley at Conan's Prohibited tour show in Seattle. Enjoy.

wow.

BS