Posts tagged important songs
Lost in the Trees
North Carolinian, Ari Picker, uses a cinematic style while creating a whole world of sound, leaving space where space is due and creating cacophony where nothing else will do. Lost in the Trees latest effort, A Church That Fits Our Needs, is best when enjoyed in its entirety. There are several lyrical themes that run throughout the work: golden, light, protection, fear, glory, memories, water and eyes. One read through the press release and suddenly the melancholic feeling the record leaves behind is understood. You’re listening to a devine exploration of a painful past.
“Follow your shadow down to the ocean and get swept up by the sea. You are weeping, you are weeping all that I’ve done to you was once done to me. Such a wicked, wicked house we’re on rounding your memories. And all your words can try, you words can try but there are things that words can’t say, I’ll watch you fall away, fall away as you cower under our graves. I swore I saw her in her golden armor float up around the house, was so glorious, was so glorious, she came down and put her song into my mouth. Her voice lights up the darkest staircase, I’m home when you’re around. And my song will try, my songs can try but there are things that songs can’t say, so watch me fall away, fall away as I cower under your grace. Am I hopeless, am I hopeless, I trust you but where are we walking to?”
Photo by: Annalee Harkins
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”
Yukon Blonde
These Canadians are in loooooove with the road, at least that’s what the press release says. On their latest release, Tiger Talk, I hear Yukon Blonde longing for home.
It’s out now on Dine Alone Records. Buy it here.
“You get these urges to just drive when you’re drunk. I have these urges to just ride along. Sometimes I think that I just don’t remember names so that I say my own and come clean. You left your roller coaster attitudes back home and found a little place just on your own. Sometimes I think that there’s no distance in between our conversations, baby, and your dreams. Those simple moments, they just seem to come for free. It was just you and I in the quiet breeze. You spent your adolescence with pictures on your wall, you loved your eyes, baby, you could be them all. I’ll buy you a house and I’ll buy you a car when I make it rich from selling this song. When I make it rich, babe, you’ll be my girl.”
Photo by: Nicole Stishenko
Alex Winston
Detroit native, Alex Winston and her pop-concepts are a bit cooky. Whether singing about love for a “Velvet Elvis” or domestic issues with her “Sister Wives”, it’s done with an unbelievably catchy charm.
“I wish I cared about the things you care about but I don’t, the skrill in the bars and the lakes and the stars, but I don’t. Hey we may, you know my name. Hey we may, I know your name. I wish I cared about the things you cared about but I don’t. Your locomotive, keep going, keep going, no focus. Locomotive, slow down, slow down. Now come on call me sugar, call her honey, call me darling. But I leave it at the door cause nobody’s saying nothing. I wish I cared about the things you care about but I don’t. Your locomotive, keep going, keep going, no focus. Locomotive, slow down, slow down. Look down on what you started, look down.”
Photo by: Unknown
Grimes
Sometimes I can be a bit closed-minded, that’s how I ended up late to the Grimes party. Visions is amazing.
Another walk about, after dark is my point of view, cause I’m gonna beg your name. Tell me that behind you always tell me that you never have a clue. And now I’m left behind, all the time. I will wait forever, always looking straight thinking how they’re all the other way. See you on a dark night. And now another clue I would have you to help me out. It’s hard to understand. Cause when you’re running by yourself it’s hard to find someone to hold your hand. And now it’s going to be tough for me, but I will wait forever. I need someone now to look into my eyes and tell me girl you know you gotta watch your health. To look into my eyes and tell me, la la la la la. See you on a dark night.”
Photo by: Unknown
Fanfarlo
London charmers, Fanfarlo, grabbed an orchestra and made a lush commentary on the current generation’s need to photograph every fucking thing. Get it here.
“I’m running down the stairs to catch you dropping in a lens, oh, don’t let it get away. It’s in my photo books. It’s in my memoirs. It fills the cupboards, I begin to wonder where it’s from, ah, it’s all caught on tape. Just don’t let it get away and one day say that I lived it up. And one day say that I remember it. And one day say that I’ve got hard evidence. We have a better chance of paper so we’ve got to log our lives. All is the center, is the secret, is now any part. Prefer reflections, adding things you can fit within a page. Just don’t let it get away. And one day say that I lived it up. And one day say that I remember it.”
Photo by: Unknown
Y La Bamba
Y La Bamba has finally captured the feeling of their live show, something too few people have had the pleasure of witnessing. Luz Elena Mendoza carries this song away. For four and a half short minutes, your heart will swell, you will feel comforted, everything will be okay and the scene will soften as your eyes moisten.
Court The Storm will be released in just a few days. Tender Loving Empire is taking pre-orders now, but if you’re unnecessarily cautious feel free to stream the record on NPR.
“The setting sun is falling right in place singing your final song. Singing to your choir bringing favors of melodies that you’re searching for, searching your heart. I can’t save my own life, if I could I can only save my dreams. Blessing to the room, blessings to the dark places I give room to, be free for so long. Share your wounds and give them all a name, it’s alright to be confused, in the end we will be okay and please stand by and dance in the pouring rain and in the fires now we’ll meet up with our sins. Let the cold break my bones. The setting sun was falling right in place singing your final song.”
Bowerbirds
Bowerbirds: Tuck The Darkness In
This song is pretty perfect. Comfort and cacophony. The new Bowerbirds records will be released March 6th on the ever amazing Dead Oceans. There’s a documentary about the making of The Clearing, a tour and so many ways to buy it. Holy smokes that’s a lot of art. These two are fantastic.
“Where the light was rust and the cold was in our knees and our breath poured out over golden fields. Though I could not know then, we’d have but few times like these with all the good smoke in between. Tuck the darkness in, drug the hero across the land, found our fresh start, sow my wildest dreams. Though, I could not know then, I was well in the weeds, a tangled mess, whatever could commence. Before the hours took over, before the full weight was on our shoulders, before the twilight’s cover, before I knew time was such a swindler. I told my dear friend, everything falls to death, we tuck the darkness in, we tuck the darkness in.”
Photo by: D. L. Anderson
