Horse Feathers - Curs in the Weeds

Horse Feathers is a string-folk band from Oregon. Apparently it started as one man (guitar), then grew to two (violin), and now includes a woman (bass).

Anyways, I thought this video was funny because they are performing Curs in the Weeds in the weeds.


Their newest album, House with No Home, came out September 9th, and was reviewed by Pitchfork here.

Horse Feather's MySpace page

My September Album

For my first post I thought i would post TV on the Radio's new album Dear Science which i can not stop listening to. It reminds me of some of my favorites: Bowie and Prince.

http://www.myspace.com/tvotr

Releases 9/30/08

This week is boring to say the least, but here they are:

Dungen - 4
Jesus and Mary Chain - The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities
Guns n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (reissue)
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Reissues
Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series 8: Tell Tale Signs - Rarities 1989-2006
Ray LaMontagne - Gossip in the Grain
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (50th Anniversary Edition)
T.I. - Paper Trail/Live Your Life
Kenny Rogers - Love Songs, vol 2
Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark - Messages: Best of OMD
Joseph Arthur - Temporary People
Ben Folds - Way to Normal

5 Sad Ones

Okkervil River - "Calling and Not Calling My Ex"

Definitely the sad song of the year so far.




Gilbert O'Sullivan - "Alone Again (Naturally)"

70s sad.  Super-catchy melody with relentlessly depressing lyrics.




Elliott Smith - "Say Yes"

Maybe the saddest line in a career full of sad lines:  "See how it is/they want you or they don't...say yes."

Pulp - "Disco 2000"

High school reunion sadness.




Sufjan Stevens - "Romulus"

Absentee mother sadness.

A song and video for your pleasure

My favorite song of the year so far...

Otis Redding - Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

WV Score: 9.7/10

Otis Redding. Most people today think of "Dock of the Bay" when he is mentioned. In 1965 he released "Otis Blue", his third album, which many consider to be his best and most essential album.

This is amazing since he laid down 10 of the 11 tracks in two days time. Earlier in the year, his idol, Sam Cooke had died, so there was a since of urgency for someone to step up and take the crown of best damn soul singer in the universe. This is exactly what Redding did on Otis Blue. He even covered two of Cooke's songs on the album.

He starts out smooth on "Ole Man Trouble", staying with the intensity of the horns in the background, yet never overshadowing them with his voice.

Next is his probably his most famous original song, "Respect". The only problem is he didn't make it famous although his version is just as good as the cover done by Aretha Franklin.

His cover of "My Girl" doesn't sound much different than the Temptations. It is a little more soul-sy and included more horns. Not to mention it came out only a year after the original.

One thing that I read in the linear notes that made the album even more impressive is that Redding not only wrote most of his songs but also played in upwards of five different instruments. Of course the most potent is his raspy voice that shows emotions like no soul singer after him.

It was one of the greatest tradegies in all of music when, at the young and promising age of 26, Otis Redding died in a plane crash, forever cementing his place in music history.

All I have to say is this album is one of the greatest albums ever and it would be a shame for you not to own a copy to listen to in your car, on your back porch, or even throw on at a party. Otis is right for all occasions. It has the upbeat songs as well as the ballads, yet it all seems to make you feel warm on the inside.

I think the first paragraph in the linear notes says it best: "Soul is a word that has many meanings. In the pop-R&B world of today (1965) it usually means and intensely dramatic performance by a singer, projected with such feeling that it reaches out and visibly moves the listener. It means that the singer is saying something, sometimes ever more than the lyrics themselves might normally convey. Soul is not something that can be feigned-you either have it or you don't. Otis Redding has it, to a degree almost unrivaled by any other young singer in sight.

5 Songs for September

3 New Songs and 2 Classics:

NEW:

"Parachute" - Shugo Tokumaru

Perfect end-of-summer song. It has burrowed into my brain the last couple weeks, causing me to walk around singing "PRA-chute! PRA-chute! PRAAA-chuuute!!" all day, which my girlfriend finds somewhat entertaining.

Streaming from his MySpace page:

http://www.myspace.com/shugotokumaru

"Cape Canaveral" - Conor Oberst

Oberst's voice is so much more restrained on the new "solo album" than on his Bright Eyes records, which I view as a good thing. This is the best song off the new record.



"Furr" - Blitzen Trapper

Judging by this song, Blitzen Trapper are moving away from spazzy Pavementesque rock and towards Dylanesque folk.



CLASSICS:

"September Gurls" - Big Star

Because it's September and this is the maybe (or definitely) the best power pop song ever . . .



"The Hardest Walk" - Jesus and Mary Chain

I'm a little disappointed in myself for going so long without investigating JAMC. Psychocandy is basically just 60s pop fuzzed-out with some nasty-sounding distortion - it's a great concept that JAMC execute perfectly.

Kanye's New Song

So, I have to admit that although I am not a huge fan of Kanye West the person, I do love his music. Pretty much anything he puts out, I seem to like (except the awful Good Life with T-Pain). When he debuted his new song at the MTV VMAs a couple of weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't really rap, it was more...song, and tribal yet modern.

I don't know if I like the autotune all the way through the song. Maybe it just reminds me of T-Pain, who knows. I do like how he is being classy with his suit in the video, but once again, the show is all about him. Oh Kanye and his lonesomeness.

Below is the video from the VMAs and a link to the 3rd version of the recorded song. He recorded it so fast that apparently the fans didn't like the song so he keeps re-recording it until his fans are pleased. Thanks Kanye.


Kayne West - Love Lockdown (3rd version)

PS.. Apparently Love Lockdown is available now on iTunes and his new album is going to be called 808s and Heartbreaks (his most gangsta album yet...so it should be 50s favorite, he says)

The Tallest Man on Earth

Everyone is always looking for "the next Bob Dylan". Well from what I hear and from what I have read, The Tallest Man on Earth, aka Kristian Matsson from Sweden, just may be the person everyone is searching for. They just don't know it because they are stuck in the past.

From what I have heard, I really enjoy his work. I think he will become more popular once his CD "Shallow Grave" drops in the US, which may be a while yet.

Anyways, here are some songs from Shallow Grave.










Myspace Page

Introduction...

Welcome to our music blog. There will be reviews, lists, and miscellaneous information pertaining to music of all sorts from a small group of friends.

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