Stream: Giovanni James - "Shining"

I missed this one when it was first released this summer but it's good enough to highlight now. He hasn't released this to download in any way (any legal way, that is) so I will respect his wishes and only provide the stream from Soundcloud. Best whistling of 2012!

Broken Links

Apparently while I wasn't paying attention, my online storage provider, Opendrive, changed their link format for streaming music so all of my streaming links are broken. I've fixed a few of the more popular ones and all of the download links should be fixed, but the older ones I will probably just leave be. This obviously doesn't apply to the new spotify streams below.

Best of 2012 - Disc Three

Disc Three is Indie & Indie-Folk. Link at the bottom to download the entire album.

Best of 2012 - Disc Three

1. Disparate Youth - Santigold
2. Sweater Weather - The Neighborhood
3. This Head I Hold - Electric Guest
4. You Go Running - Deep Sea Diver
5. Forever - Haim
6. Dissolve Me - Alt-J
7. Yet Again - Grizzly Bear
8. Simple Song - The Shins
9. Airhead - Right The Stars
10. Some Nights - fun.
11. Bright Whites - Kishi Bashi
12. The Only Place - Best Coast
13. I Will Walk - Release The Sunbird
14. Far Away - Mean Lady
15. The Sun - SURES
16. Iscariot - Walk The Moon
17. Feathered Pocket - Wallis Bird
18. Ordinary Heart - Emily King
19. Blank Maps - Cold Specks

Download songs and cover art

Best of 2012 - Disc Two

Disc Two is made up of Rock, Indie-Rock, Southern Rock & R-n-B. A couple of songs were not available on Spotify so be sure to download the full compilation to hear them. Link at the bottom.

Best of 2012 - Disc Two

1. The House That Heaven Built - Japandroids
2. Are You Gonna Waste My Time? - Zeus
3. Indio - Matt Mays
4. O' Be Joyful - Shovels and Rope
5. North Side Gal - JD McPherson
6. A La Modeliste - Mark Ronson ft. Erykah Badu, Trombone Shorty, & Mos Def
7. Is Your Love Big Enough - Lianne La Havas
8. Nakamarra - Hiatus Kaiyote
9. Thinkin Bout You (Ryan Hemsworth Bootleg) - Frank Ocean
10. jasmine (demo) - Jai Paul
11. Please Forgive My Heart - Bobby Womack
12. I'll Keep My Light In My Window - Quantic & Alice Russell with the Combo Barbaro
13. Bright Lights - Gary Clark Jr.
14. Hold On - Alabama Shakes
15. "45" - The Gaslight Anthem
16. Sixteen Saltines - Jack White
17. Light Show - Plants and Animals
18. Would That Not Be Nice - Divine Fits
19. It's Time - Imagine Dragons

Download songs and cover art

Best of 2012 - Disc One

Continuing in the yearly tradition of compiling CDs of my favorite music from the year past, I present the first disc. The first disc is mostly Folk, Indie-Folk, and Singer-Songwriter material. The order of songs does not represent a ranking but rather a suggested order of listening. As usual, great care has been put into the arrangement of songs with consideration of flow in sound and story from one song to the next. Download link at the bottom.
Best of 2012 - Disc One

1. Hello My Old Heart - The Oh Hellos
2. Stubborn Love - The Lumineers
3. Pure Joy - M. Ward
4. I'll Get Along - Michael Kiwanuka
5. Fun Times In Babylon - Father John Misty
6. Before - Plants & Animals
7. National Anthem - The Gaslight Anthem
8. Museum Of Flight - Damien Jurado
9. Sweet - Dave Matthews Band
10. Love, Don't Leave Me Waiting - Glen Hansard
11. Let It Go - Joshua Radin
12. Age - Lianne La Havas
13. Man On Fire - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
14. Home - Philip Phillips
15. Something's Rattling (Cowpoke) - Ben Gibbard
16. To Be Born - Sean Hayes
17. One Lovely Day - Citizen Cope
18. Be Good (Lion's Song) - Gregory Porter
19. No Room For Doubt - Lianne La Havas
20. There's No Leaving Now - The Tallest Man on Earth

Download songs and cover art

Video: The Neighbourhood - 'Sweater Weather'

LA quintet The Neighbourhood just released a new EP called I'M SORRY on May 7th which includes this song, Sweater Weather. It sounds like The Weeknd crossed with Sam Sparro.

Video: Cold Specks - 'Blank Maps'

Cold Specks is the moniker of unpronounceable Canadian singer Al Spx. She apparently takes her name from the following line in James Joyce's Ulysses: "Born all in the dark wormy earth, cold specks of fire, evil, lights shining in the darkness". Lighthearted, this music is not. She has an album due out on May 22nd entitled I Predict a Graceful Expulsion but was kind enough to release this video for her upcoming single, Blank Maps.



Due out on May 22nd on Mute Records.

Stream: Tom Waits - "You Can Never Hold Back Spring"

It looks like Spring has finally come to Cleveland. The weather forecasts warm temperatures from here on out. Here is a nice tune from the inimitable Tom Waits entitled You Can Never Hold Back Spring. 

2-02 You Can Never Hold Back Spring by oldjoytree

Also, if you weren't aware that Heath Ledger based his Joker performance on Tom Waits, this video clip from a 1979 interview should leave no doubt in your mind. 

Passed Over: Ben Howard - 'Only Love'

Somehow this one slipped through the cracks last year but, fortunately, I've been turned on to it now. It's by UK artist Ben Howard.

Ben Howard - Only Love


While you're at it, check out this amazing video of Ben performing the song live for a surprise flashmob.

Stream: Fiona Apple - 'Every Single Night'

 After just a short 7-year hiatus, Fiona Apple returns with a new full-length album, due out on June 19th. It's another mouthful of an album name, The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do. Here is a taste of things to come, with her lead-off single, Every Single Night.

Download: Wintersleep - "Resuscitate"

Wintersleep has a new album set to be released on June 12th entitled Hello Hum, but they've given us a little taste of what's to come with a song from that forthcoming release. It's called Resuscitate and it showcases their new electronic leanings. Check it out:

Wintersleep - Resuscitate

Here's a video of Wintersleep performing a song from their 2010 release, Weighty Ghost.

Video: Cloud Nothings - "Stay Useless"

Check out this new video from Cleveland's own Cloud Nothings. It's a trippy animated affair for the title track of their recent LP Stay Useless. 

Stream: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes - "Mother"

Spinner brings us a stream of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes' new song Mother that was written for an album commissioned by Every Mother Counts. Check it out below.

Listen to "Mother"

Stream: Gotye feat. Kimbra - 'Somebody That I Used to Know (Jr. Blender Dub Remix)'

This remix of Gotye's smash 2011 hit was actually released a while back, but I just heard it on today's Morning Becomes Eclectic. One of my favorite of the plethora of remixes of this song that are out there.

Gotye feat. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know (Jr. Blender Dub Remix)

Thanks to Peter Yong for the illustration. 

Stream: Horse Feathers - "Cynic's New Year"

NPR is streaming Horse Feathers' new album Cynic's New Year over at NPR Music. Hear it now before it's out on April 17th.

Stream: POP ETC (Formerly The Morning Benders) - Mixtape

So, UK Band The Morning Benders has changed it's name to the unpronounceable POP ETC and released a new mixtape for streaming on Soundcloud to introduce the new name. Apparently "bender" is a derogatory term for homosexuals in their native England and they didn't want to be associated with that name anymore. I can respect that.

Check out the very synth-heavy release below.

Video: Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers - "I Can't Go For That (Hall & Oates)"

Just in case you missed this:

Review: Quantic & Alice Russell With The Combo Barbaro - Look Around The Corner (2012)

DJ extraordinaire Quantic has teamed up with chanteuse Alice Russell on a fantastic release that blends touches of latin jazz, bolero, funk, boogaloo, doo-wop and motown into a delicious blend of hard-charging soul music. Apparently he's been spending quite a bit of time down in Colombia exploring the style known as Cumbia which accounts for the heavy latin flair. I've been listening to this release quite a bit since it found its way onto my playlist and the standout track, so far, is clearly the Latin/Motown/Soul song I'll Keep A Light In My Window. This song could be an anthem and rallying cry for the socially-minded among us. Take a listen:
Quantic & Alice Russell  - I'll Keep A Light In My Window


Songs featuring Alice Russell are interspersed throughout with the straight-up instrumentals that are Quantic's bread and butter. My favorites so far have been the vocal tracks, but that's not to say the instrumentals aren't up to his usual standards. Check out Una Tarde En Mariquita as a great example of the cumbia style.
Quantic & Alice Russell - Una Tarde En Mariquita


The huge breadth of musical styles and genres that are integrated seamlessly on this album is really impressive. Check out Su Suzy which leads off in sincere Latin Jazz but then swings wildly into doo-wop when the vocals come in. Craziness.
Quanti & Alice Russell - Su Suzy



Boogaloo 33 is a danceable motown/boogaloo number, complete with hammond organ and a horn section.
Quantic & Alice Russell - Boogaloo 33


It's really a great album, all around, and is highly recommended. I'll close with a mini-documentary performance of I'll Keep A Light In My Window. Skip to 1:20 if you don't want your illusions about Alice Russell's speaking voice shattered.

Available now on TRU THOUGHTS records. Buy it here.

For fans of: Quantic, Bajka, Alabama Shakes, Thievery Corporation

Review: M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion (2012)

M. Ward hasn't put out a solo album since 2009's underwhelming Hold Time, instead making time with Ben Gibbard's favorite girl, Zooey Deschanel, playing backup to her nasally, irritating warble. I don't know if he finally got tired of playing second fiddle or whether he's tapped that well dry but he's about to release a brand new solo album that, thankfully, only features Deschanel on one song. Titled A Wasteland Companion, the 12-track LP features a host of other guest performances by the Portland singer-songwriter’s talented friends, including John Parish, longtime collaborator/Monsters of Folk bandmate Mike Mogis, Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley, and recent tourmate Howe Gelb. It's a return to form for M. Ward, similar in strength to 2006's Post War, but not quite reaching the heights of, what I consider his masterpiece, Transistor Radio. 

The album leads off with a soft-spoken peon to second chances entitled Clean Slate. It's M. Ward at his best, voice un-processed and without overproduction. 

M. Ward - Clean Slate

Track #2 is the lead-off single that's been making the rounds on college radio, Primitive Girl. It features the double-tracked, processed M. Ward vocals featured prominently on Hold Time and over-production with backing vocals that I'm not terribly fond of. 

M. Ward - Primitive Girl

Track #3, Me and My Shadow, starts off strong but then devolves quickly. Track #4, Sweetheart, features  the erstwhile Mrs. Gibbard and that's all I'll say about that. 

Skipping ahead to Track #6, The First Time I Ran Away, we find another great song. We return to the soft-spoken vocals, but now with a bit more in the way of backing instrumentation and vocals. A lovely song. 

M. Ward  - The First Time I Ran Away

Next we have the title track, A Wasteland Companion, which starts out a straight-up blues affair which shifts to a atmospheric guitar instrumental half-way through. My second favorite of the album. 

M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion

The next four tracks are middling efforts, with a low point at Crawl After You, my least favorite of the album. This is quickly followed, however, with the closing track, and my favorite of the album, Pure Joy. Great strummed guitar with a lovely chorus with backing vocals and a walking bass-line. Fantastic. 

M. Ward - Pure Joy

This is a short album, clocking in at a paltry 36 minutes total, with the longest song being only 3:42 and the majority being under 3 minutes. Clearly quantity is not a reflection of quality, however, as this is a great album, overall. 8/10

I'll leave you with a solo performance of Chinese Translation from Hold Time. More of this, please. 

Out April 10th on Merge Records. Buy it here.

For fans of: Josh Ritter, Ryan Adams, Bon Iver, Joe Pug

Review: The Lumineers - The Lumineers (2012)

It is somewhat appropriate that this band shares their name with a brand of dental veneers. Go see one of their live shows and it will become obvious why. Just check out the giant grins plastered across the faces of the audience members. The Lumineers play stompy-clappy roots Americana that just can't help but pick you up and carry you along. You may recognize The Lumineers from their appearance on my 2011 picks with their song Ho Hey (special thanks to Fuel/Friends for the recording). That happened to be a soft pick for 2011 since they had not released an actual album in 2011, but the song was just too good to not include, considering how many plays it had in iTunes on my computer. Now they have finally released a full-length album, just a few months too late. I can imagine I'll find a few tracks to include on next year's list though.

Here is the studio recording of Ho Hey from the album.
The Lumineers - Ho Hey

They really manage to capture the same live feel to it. Impressive.

They often manage to sound a bit like Mumford & Sons, likely due to the lead singer's tendency to stomp a kick-drum while strumming out his songs. There's only so many ways to play kick-drum, I suppose. Check out Classy Girls, which starts out slow blue-grass and flips into a rollicking stomp-clap number, complete with kick-drum, halfway through.
The Lumineers - Classy Girls


In Big Parade, the pattern is reversed with the kick-drum keeping steady-time through most of the beginning of the song before dropping out briefly towards the end before coming back in at the end for a big finish with the same shouted back-up vocals we heard in Ho Hey.
The Lumineers - Big Parade


They change things up quite a bit with Slow it Down, a heart-rending ballad strummed out on echo-laden electric guitar. The aching vocals are a perfect counterpoint to the insistent electric guitar. I love how the emotion and pace ramps up towards the end.
The Lumineers - Slow It Down


I'll close with a great impromptu performance of the lead off track Flowers In Your Hair played in the stairwell of the Bar Bar Bus Bus of Portland, Oregon.

Out now from Dualtone Music Group. Buy it here.

For fans of: The Head & The Heart, Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Campfire OK.

Video: The Tallest Man On Earth - "Little Brother" (Live in Cape Town)

Continuing to catch up on promising new music from the past few months, here is a surprisingly listenable audience recording of Kristian Mattson (The Tallest Man On Earth) debuting a fantastic new song during one of his two recent sold-out shows in Cape Town, South Africa. I can't wait to hear a better recording of it.

Stream: Michael Kiwanuka & Dan Auerbach - Lasan

This has apparently been out since mid-March, but I just came across it today. Dan Auerbach (of the The Black Keys) teamed up with Michael Kiwanuka on a predictably soulful track called Lasan. Soundcloud stream below.

Impromptu

One of the best things about the ubiquity of cheap, high-quality cameras and sound equipment is that we can capture forever all sorts of impromptu street performances that would otherwise be ephemeral affairs. Youtube and Vimeo are gold-mines for this sort of thing, and I could spend hours sifting through them if I had the time. My favorites are the ones that capture a sense of spontaneity -- where the artists just walk in to the space and start playing. I love to see the reactions of the unsuspecting patrons. Obviously most of these are anything but impromptu, but it is still bit of live performance that would otherwise be lost.

Christian Sorensen Hansen makes some lovely high-definition videos that he posts on Vimeo. Here is a great impromptu performance by Campfire Ok:


Campfire Ok at Oddfellows from Christian Sorensen Hansen on Vimeo.

La Blogotheque's fantastic conert a emporter, or take-away show, series is another treasure trove of street performances. Here are just a few of their hundreds of excellent videos from a huge variety of artists:





Pickwick is a band out of Seattle that has generated some incredible buzz with their soulful performances at SXSW and others. Here is a fantastic a capella version of their song Blackout which made an appearance on my best of lists for 2011. It has been making the rounds on blogs for quite some time, but I haven't gotten tired of it yet.



Here is a great outdoor performance from The Head And The Heart brought to you by Germany's Cardinal Sessions.



And finally, a bonus video from Christian Sorensen Hansen. Clearly choreographed, but it's such a lovely version of this fantastic song from Cataldo that I had to include it.


Deep Cuts from Christian Sorensen Hansen on Vimeo.

I'm sure I'll be revisiting this topic some time in the future as I have no doubt there will be no shortage of new performances being captured.

Spring Mix

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn 

 It's officially spring, both by calendar and by weather, which I'm told is unusual this early here in Cleveland. In celebration I've put together a little spring mix for you to enjoy.

Spring Mix 2012

1. Snow is Gone (Acoustic)  - Josh Ritter

2. Here Comes The Sun Again - M. Ward

3. Yellow Wings - Ferraby Lionheart

4. First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes

5. Spring Wind - Greg Brown

6. Springtime - Annuals

7. This Old Dark Machine - James Vincent McMorrow

8. Winter In The Hamptons - Josh Rouse

9. Blue Skies - Noah & The Whale

10. Sweet Thing - Van Morrison

11. This Tornado Loves You - Neko Case

12. Waters of March - Anya Marina

13. April Come She Will - Simon & Garfunkel

14. First of May - Jonathan Coulton

15. Thistled Spring - Horse Feathers

16. When We Fall In - Sean Hayes

17. Yer Spring - Hey Rosetta!

18. Comfort Inn - Lewis & Clarke

Download the tracks individually or One Zip File

Forgotten Songs - From the archives: Michael Franti

 The weather has made quite the turnaround here in Cleveland lately, and nearly nationwide. It feels almost like summer and the warm temperatures inspired me to pull out some of my old music that had been archived away. There's nothing like a little Michael Franti to remind me of summer weather and most of my favorites of his are from 2003 or earlier. Many of you are probably only familial with Michael Franti from his more recent work like Sounds of Sunshine and the dancehall staple Say Hey (I Love You). Based on those current feel-good summertime hits you might be surprised to hear his previous quasi-militant, social activist music.

Here's one of my favorite's of his called Oh My God from his 2001 release Stay Human:


Michael Franti & Spearhead - Oh My God (2001)


Pretty clear message there and a stark contrast to his more recent work. He also makes a turn towards an almost hard-core sound with this track from the same album.

Michael Franti & Spearhead - Listener Supported (2001)


The entire album is worth a listen. The tracks are interspersed with fictional radio segments referring to the case of "Sister Fatima". Woody Harrelson makes an appearance as Governor Franklin Shane in the radio segments.

My favorite track is a remix from an unknown DJ of the title track, Stay Human. 


Michael Franti & Spearhead - Stay Human (Stereo Sauna remix) (2001)

Here is something from a little later, a live track taken from Australia's Live on The Panel tv show. It features Katie Noonan of the Australian band Elixer. It's a cover of the ultimate social-activist protest song, Marvin Gaye's What's Goin on?


Michael Franti feat. Katie Noonan - What's going on? (2003)


In 2003, Franti released a full album with Spearhead as well as a solo acoustic album of previously released tunes as well as a few originals called Songs From The Front Porch. Check out his acoustic cover of 2001's Oh My God.


Michael Franti - Oh My God (Acoustic) (2003)

An original song from the same album that has become a perpetual favorite of the stoner sect is the excellent Ganja Babe:

Michael Franti - Ganja Babe (2003)

His album with Spearhead, Everyone Deserves Music, also has a few great tracks. You can really hear his progression from 2001's Stay Human towards a lighter, brighter feel. Listening to his older songs, you can really trace out his career ark from his Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy days to his current party music work.

Michael Franti & Spearhead - Never Too Late (2003)

Michael Franti & Spearhead - Crazy, Crazy, Crazy (2003)

The Shins - Port of Morrow

Here is a picture of James Mercer looking like James Mercer. For the most part, the new Shins album, Port of Morrow, is The Shins sounding just like The Shins. For instance, if I told you that the first single Simple Song was a long lost B-side from Chutes Too Narrow I doubt that it would stretch your credibility too far. Please have a listen:

The Shins - Simple Song

Ok, maybe slightly unbelievable. B-side is probably pushing it. More like long-lost lead-off single. It's good, in other words.

Now, for some contrast, let's take a listen No Way Down. While Mercer's trademark timbre and delivery are unmistakable here, there is a bouncy, almost pop-like beat that I haven't from The Shins before.

The Shins - No Way Down


The experimentation with timing and beat continues with Fall of '82 which might as well be a cover of a Squeeze song originally released during the titular time period. Very retro. Yes, I realize that most of the people reading this were not alive in the fall of 1982 but I was and, more importantly, James Mercer was.

The Shins - Fall of '82

And finally, ready for things to get completely off the wall? The title track Port of Morrow leads off with Mercer singing in falsetto, entirely unrecognizable. He sings the majority of the verses in his regular voice, but the effect is vaguely unsettling. Which I think is the point.

The Shins - Port of Morrow


Overall, the album has a much more polished feel than their previous efforts, with more emphasis on electronics and experimentation. Here's to taking chances and evolving.

Out March 20th on Columbia Records. Buy it here.

For fans of: The Shins

Notable New Music

  Here are some songs from some new and upcoming releases that I've enjoyed. Full reviews on these albums may be forthcoming, or maybe not.

Yellow Ostrich - Elephant King

Right The Stars - Airhead (There's The Moment)

Lucy Rose - Red Face

Miniature Tigers - Boomerang

Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again

  The first time I heard Michael Kiwanuka it was in the fall of last year, and I remember thinking to myself "this guy is going to be huge". With the release of his first full-length album, Home Again, that may finally come to pass. He has been drawing praise from many bloggers and the comparisons to Bill Withers, Otis Redding, and Sam Cooke are well deserved. While many of the recent soul-revival artists seem to have one foot in the past and one in the present, melding old and new styles, Kiwanuka has his feet grounded firmly in the musical eras of his influences. Listen to I'm Getting Ready:


I'm Getting Ready - Michael Kiwanuka

Not a single nod to the present in that one, and it is all the better for it. While his voice sounds a lot like the above mentioned artists, I would place his music in the style of Van Morrison or Nick Drake. Check out I'll Get Along which sounds like Bill Withers singing a Cat Stevens song:

I'll Get Along - Michael Kiwanuka

Kiwanuka was raised in the Muswell Hill neighborhood of North London, to Ugandan parents. He is all of 24 years old and I'm expecting great things from him in the future.

Home Again is due out on April 12th domestically on Polydor UK or today in the UK. Buy it here.

For Fans of: Bill Withers, Sam Cooke, Van Morrison, Otis Redding

Forgotten Songs #2 - Aftershocks

  The worst is over, but the after effects will be felt for a long time. The process going from raw, gaping wound to scabbing to re-epithelialization and finally to normal looking skin takes time. They say that time heals all wounds but it's a farce. A simulacrum. It's an umbrella held up against falling debris. Scar tissue is only ever 70% as strong as the skin it replaces. As you'll see below, song-writers are a thin-skinned bunch.

Our first selection is a soft-as-silk acoustic cover of the well known Radiohead tune, High & Dry, by Uruguayan Jorge Drexler and taken from his 2006 album, 12 Segundos de Oscuridad. It is the pleading of the heartbroken-to-be.
High & Dry (Radiohead) - Jorge Drexler (2006)


Teitur Lassen is a singer-songwriter from the Faroe Islands. This song is taken from his 2003 release, Poetry & Airplanes, and describes the emptiness that remains following a painful loss.
Shade of a Shadow - Teitur (2003)


From Sean Hayes' 2006 release, Big Black Hole & Little Baby Star. No explanation necessary for this choice, I would think
Fucked Me Right Up - Sean Hayes (2006)


This was a bonus track on Frightened Rabbit's 2010 release, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, so it may have escaped some of you. Rebounding can be worse than nothing.
Fun Stuff - Frightened Rabbit (2010)


Magnus Tingsek is a Swedish musician. This song appears in solo form on his self-titled 2005 album. This particular version is taken from an Ane Brun album entitled Duets from 2005. The lyrics are actually somewhat uplifting, but belie the melancholy music that accompanies them. I like to think it is sung with irony.
Easier - Tingsek with Ane Brun (2005)



The last is a cover of Swedish band Elias & The Wizzkids' 2006 release. The original is actually quite twee which is amazing considering the soft touch of this cover version.
Young and Hairy - Johannes Mayer (2006)

Anaïs Mitchell - Young Man In America

  Despïte her assertïon ïn the lead off track to her new album, Anaïs Mitchell ïs actually a young woman. Ï had not heard of her prïor to my dïscovery of thïs album, but Ï'm told by wïkïpedïa that she has been makïng the folk rounds sïnce 2006. Of partïcular note, she wrote a "folk opera" entïtled Hadestown that had such lumïnaries as Justin Vernon, Anï DïFranco, Greg Brown, and Ben Knox Mïller as guest stars. Check out thïs vïdeo of her performïng one of the songs from Hadestown, called Why We Build The Wall. Ït's a powerful song, by any rïght, with a strong message of socïal justïce.



Her latest album, Young Man In America, is full of other such songs. Songs with messages, if you will. There's something to be learned from each one, even if I haven't determined yet what that is. She has a high-registered, almost nasally tone -- most similar to New Zealand's Gin Wigmore, or Duffy perhaps -- and she sings with an insistent voice. I find it quite hard to pin down or categorize, in fact. The title track starts out with pulsed strumming guitar and adds layers and layers of different instrumentation which drop out and come back in periodically through the song. She sings as her title character, disaffected with his lot in life but with big plans. It's quite affecting. Take a listen:


Young Man In America - Anaïs Mitchell


Other songs are brighter, with bouncier feels and with seemingly lighter subject matter. The song Venus seems, ostensibly, to be an ode to a statue:


Venus - Anaïs Mitchell

Available now on Thirty Tigers records

As a bonus, check out another song from 2010's Hadestown, featuring Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.


Wedding Song - Anaïs Mitchell feat. Justin Vernon (2010)



For fans of: Gin Wigmore, Erin McKeown, Jesca Hoop

Best of 2011 - Three

Best of 2011 - Three

1. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People
2. It's Real  - Real Estate
3. Shuffle - Bombay Bicycle Club
4. Anna Sun - Walk The Moon
5. Climbing Walls - Strange Talk
6. Rose Mary Stretch - Pepper Rabbit
7. Two Cousins - Slow Club
8. Video Games - Lana Del Ray
9. Limit To Your Love - James Blake
10. You Know What I Mean - Cults
11. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye
12. Exile Vilify - The National
13. Settle Down - Kimbra
14. Shoelaces - Submarines
15. Do You Remember - Ane Brun
16. Sydney - Brett Dennen
17. Rough Town - Bronze Radio Return
18. Cold Feet - Lunar Lander
19. Second Chance - Peter Bjorn & John
20. Jeopardy - Dan Mangan

Full album download

Best of 2011 - Disc two

Best of 2011 - Disc two

1. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

2. Badaboom - Tapes 'n Tapes

3. Cradle - The Joy Formidable

4. Bizness - tUnE - yArDs

5. Wildfire - SBTRKT

6. Rolling In The Deep (Jamie XX Remix ) - Adele feat. Childish Gambino

7. Truth - Alexander

8. Progress - Booker T. Jones

9. Money Grabber - Fitz & The Tantrums

10. I Found You - The Alabama Shakes

11. Blackout - Pickwick

12. Hold On - SBTRKT

13. Lotus Flower - Radiohead

14. Ritual Union - Little Dragon

15. The Magic - Joan as Policewoman

16. Little Black Submarines - The Black Keys

17. Me Me Me - Middle Brother

18. If I Wanted Someone - Dawes

19. Chevy Express - Deer Tick

20. Spit - Vandaveer

21. Yer Spring - Hey Rosetta!

Full Album Download

Best of 2011 - Disc one, belatedly.

Here, 3 months late, are my Best of 2011 picks. As usual, they are divided up in some inscrutable fashion that only I am privy to.

Best of 2011 - Disc one

1. We Found Each Other In The Dark - City & Colour
2. Half Moon - Iron & Wine
3. Bad Apple - Scott Matthews
4. Representing Memphis - Booker T. Jones
5. Honey Jars - Bryan John Appleby
6. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
7. Sparrow & The Wolf - James Vincent McMorrow
8. I'm Getting Ready - Michael Kiwanuka
9. Lovin' You Baby - Charles Bradley
10. In My Dreams (Acoustic) - James Morrison
11. Million Dollar Bill - Middle Brother
12. Two Lovers - The Rural Alberta Advantage
13. Ohio (Damien Jurado) - Strand of Oaks
14. Deep Cuts - Cataldo
15. Always Like The Sun - Release The Sunbird
16. The A Team - Ed Sheeran
17. I Can't Make You Love Me/Love In The Nick Of Time - Bon Iver
18. Make You Feel My Love - ortoPilot
19. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
20. The Golden Age & The Silver Girl - Tyler Lyle

Full Album Download


Stay tuned for disc 2 and 3 which will be posted tomorrow and the next!

Damien Jurado - Maroqopa

  Damien Jurado makes lo-fi folk music with a deep undercurrent of emotion. He has an interesting process, often sampling field recordings and found sounds. His latest album Maroqopa is something like his twelfth full release in 15 years and the quality remains strong for someone with such a prolific career. Amazingly, he just seems to be getting better.

I've been curious as to what the album title means, since google comes up short. It's possibly an alternative spelling of "Maricopa", which may refer to cities in Arizona or California or even a Native-American language. Either way, he's put out more of his signature folky, singer-songwriter-ey sound. Damien has this capacity to sound so plaintive and earnest while singing about the most heart-breaking of topics. Every note is handled with casual precision and evocative grace. My favorite from the album is the track Museum of Flight.

Don't let go

I need you to hang around

I'm so broke

And foolishly in love

Damien Jurado - Museum of Flight



I've been a sucker for Oooh's lately, it seems like, and this track lays them on. Thick. If it had some violin it could be an Andrew Bird song.

Damien Jurado - Working Titles

Available now on Secretly Canadian

For fans of: Andrew Bird, Josh Ritter, Ryan Adams