Q1: Important Songs

2012 is 25% complete and I’ve managed to scrounge up a lovely baker’s dozen. Just nine more months before 2013 engulfs this beautiful mess.

January 01, 2012: Kathleen Edwards “Change the Sheets”

January 08, 2012: Blaudzen “Le Chant De Cigales”

January 15, 2012: Laura Gibson “Skin, Warming Skin”

January 22, 2012: Sharon Van Etten “Serpents”

January 29, 2012: Hospitality “Liberal Arts”

February 05, 2012: Damien Jurado “Museum Of Flight”

February 12, 2012: Cate Le Bon “Ploughing Out, Part 1”

February 19, 2012: Bowerbirds “Tuck the Darkness In”

February 26, 2012: Y La Bamba “Houghson Boys”

March 04, 2012: Fanfarlo “Lens Life”

March 11, 2012: Grimes “Oblivion”

March 18, 2012: Alex Winston “Locomotive”

March 25, 2012: Yukon Blonde “My Girl”

Damien Jurado

Damien Jurado: Museum Of Flight

I feel like I’ve been a fan for so long, there’s barely anything left for me to say about Damien Jurado. Every time he releases an album, current me and 16 year old me are united by excitement. “Museum Of Flight”, from upcoming album Maraqopa, showcases the man’s undeniable talent for finding melody. I’ve listened to it over a dozen times in the last 18 hours. This record, like the last one, was a collaborative effort with the remarkable Richard Swift. Preorder the album and catch him on the road.

“Falling to the ground I was anxious to be found. You can always go home to the safety of your clothes. Don’t let go, I need you to hang around. I’m so broke and foolishly in love. I turned around to love revealing. What did I learn? It’s not that easy, when you get burned, to go on burning loud. Falling into sound, is that love still fading by, one day we will go home to the safety of our house. Don’t let go, I need you to hang around. I’m so broke and foolishly in love. I turned around, my love was changing. What did I learn? It’s not that easy to go on burning loud.”

As usual, my apologies for any misheard lyrics.

Photo by: Sarah Jurado

Important Songs of 2010 (the complete list)

Each Sunday, all year long, I chose a song, read about the artist, uploaded the track, wrote a little something and typed up the lyrics. Some weeks the song was picked out on Monday and others, so much time was spent listening to podcasts I hadn’t even listened to anything new. No matter how rushed, uninspired or hungover Sunday morning left me the entry went up. Now, I’ve been asked how I choose the songs and it’s largely a gut feeling, a hunch, an inkling, a bug, a perfection. Each one of these songs is a little stop on way through two-thousand-ten, not a diary but a collection of memories.

If you’ve been following along you’ve heard these all before but since most of you haven’t they’re all here in one place. I’ve linked the original posts for your listening enjoyment. Happy New Year!

01/03/10: Beach House - Zebra [post]

01/10/10: Laura Veirs - When You Give Your Heart [post]

01/17/10: Class Actress - Careful What You Say [post]

01/24/10: Basia Bulat - Run [post]

01/31/10: Nana Grizol - Cynicism [post]

02/07/10: Cars & Trains - Intimidated By Silence [post]

02/14/10: Magnetic Fields - You Must Be Out Of Your Mind [post]

02/21/10: Skybox - Light [post]

02/28/10: Joanna Newsom - Esme [post]

03/10/10: The Tallest Man On Earth - Love Is All [post]

03/14/10: Clogs - Red Seas [post]

03/21/10: Tunng - Hustle [post]

03/28/10: Seabear - I’ll Build You A Fire [post]

04/04/10: First Aid Kit - Ghost Town [post]

04/11/10: Avi Buffalo - One Last [post]

04/18/10: Damien Jurado - Throwing Your Voice [post]

04/25/10: The Mynabirds - Wash It Out [post]

05/02/10: Sean Nicholas Savage - Rowdy River Of Love [post]

05/09/10: Delta Spirit - St. France [post]

05/16/10: Ratatat - Drugs [post]

05/23/10: Marching Band - It’s Not Your Dream (But His) [post]

05/30/10: Laura Marling - Hope In The Air [post]

06/06/10: Secret Cities - Boyfriends [post]

06/13/10: The Black Keys - Too Afraid To Love You [post]

06/20/10: Johnny Flynn - The Water (featuring Laura Marling) [post]

06/27/10: Sarah Harmer - The Theif [post]

07/04/10: Holly Miranda - Slow Burn Treason [post]

07/11/10: Samantha Crain - Blueprints [post]

07/18/10: The Drums - Me & The Moon [post]

07/25/10: The Love Language - Heart To Tell [post]

08/01/10: Best Coast - Goodbye [post]

08/08/10: The Walkmen - Juveniles [post]

08/15/10: Crooked Fingers - I Am Not Willing [post]

08/22/10: The Frowning Clouds - Purple Heart [post]

08/29/10: The Thermals - Not Like Any Other Feeling [post]

09/05/10: The Arcade Fire - City With No Children [post]

09/12/10: Jared Mees & The Grown Children - The Tallest Building In Hell [post]

09/19/10: Sean Flinn & The Royal We - Fossil Radio [post]

09/26/10: Miniature Tigers - Rock & Roll Mountain Troll [post]

10/03/10: Bombay Bicycle Club - Many Ways [post]

10/10/10: The Moondoggies - What Took So Long [post]

10/17/10: Sharon Van Etten - One Day [post]

10/24/10: The Acorn - Misplaced [post]

10/31/10: The War On Drugs - Comin’ Through [post]

11/07/10: The 1900s - Sanzimat [post]

11/14/10: Ben Weaver - East Jefferson [post]

11/21/10: Dark Dark Dark - Celebrate [post]

11/28/10: Cocoon - Dee Doo [post]

12/05/10: Angel Olsen - Some Things Cosmic [post]

12/12/10: Land Of Talk - Playita [post]

12/19/10: Deerhunter - Helicopter [post]

12/26/10: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Nothing But Our Love [post]

Damien Jurado

Photo by Sarah Jurado

Damien Jurado: Throwing Your Voice

In high school I spent hours listening to the Green River Community College’s radio station, KGRG, waiting to hear the first notes of “Yuma, AZ” or “Sarah” just hoping I’d push record in time to make them my own. I’d listen to them over and over. When I got my very own copy of Waters Ave S I cherished those songs. When “I Break Chairs” came out I saw him play with Gathered In Song in Bellingham. In 2006, I saw him play again in Austin, TX. At fifteen these songs were unlike any others I’d heard and ever since then all of my favorite music is related (though at times quite loosely) to these sounds.

Damien Jurado has been making music for about as long as music has mattered to me. He’s been telling stories, writing hummable melodies and making me cry. This years Saint Bartlett is filled with songs that are exceptionally hopeful and even reassuring. Pre-order your copy from Secretly Canadian on CD or LP and have it on your doorstep by May 25, 2010.

“I got news for you, we all know. Stop acting like you’ve never heard this before. The blood on your hands, leaving your mark, it’s swept across the line where the trouble starts. Michael your headed voice learned like was a day we had a feeling apart that we almost died. I would like to think people change but I’ve seen no evidence of the point it makes. You can come back when you need me. You can come back when you need me. Michael I’ve had enough, it’s time to go. Make it clear they don’t want you here. You can throw your voice all you’d like I don’t see them returning any time. Shake off your doubt, grab a hoe, sometimes the hardest part is letting you go. You can always come back when you need. I’ll leave the light on, leave the light on. You can come back when you need me.”