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Listen to “Carlotta” on MySpace.
Listen to the intro of “Carlotta”, especially: that horn sounds like feedback. Beautiful beautiful feedback. And when the lyrics come in they act a lot like feedback, too, except that now it’s like advice–feedback as advice. And when feedback feeds back into feedback, the feedback strengthens. In short time, the song is deafening (if not audibly, spiritually). Also, I was very swayed by the way the photo above was framed. Gretel can give me feedback anytime.
Listen to “Cigarette Tree” on MySpace.
Brine Webb’s “Cigarette Tree” gets a review for several reasons:
1. That chimey sound that comes in early on in the song.
2. The name “Cigarette Tree”–beautiful!
3. The simple guitar line that is reminiscent of another song I dearly love, yet not an imitation of it–it’s a new incarnation of the guitar line.
4. Simplicity. Gotta’ love simplicity.
Listen to “Rising Sun Take 2 Demo” on MySpace.
You haven’t heard of Samantha Crain yet, and I’m not going to pretend that you’re going to for sure because I’m no more in charge of things like “justice” than I am in charge of your musical reportoire or the breakfast cereal you eat (or don’t eat). On “Rising Sun Take 2″, Samantha Crain sings about breaks. These are not clean breaks, though. These are the breaks that come on like lakes being filled over centuries. These are the breaks that sift through eons of starlight and remind you of snowflakes on your ten-year-old tongue. These are the breaks that pat you on your back for thirty years as you toil your way to retirement. You’ll make it. Really.
Listen to “Pretty Girl from Chile” on MySpace.
The Avett Brothers summon honesty in a fresh approach to an old theme. “Pretty Girl from Chile” takes you from love’s failings to love’s failings (the sequel). If I describe it any more it will just seem trite, when really they really really did do an original number on this. Really. You’ll just have to trust me. Aw, come on, just listen to it. And don’t quit until you’ve heard three different songs in one, at least.
Listen to “Do You Love” on MySpace.
“Do You Love” is probably not Shadow and Dust’s best song. It’s not as painfully direct as “Washed Away”, and it’s not as achingly desperate as “Shout to be Heard”, but I keep coming back to listen to “Do You Love” because of that piano hook. Shadow and Dust can easily join the club of Good Piano Hook Creators, with bonus points.
Listen to “The Owl and the Pussycat” on MySpace.
Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez is one of many projects by Lesser Gonzalez. Not only does Lesser Gonzalez do video, animation, painting, and music (and all of it in highly original ways)–he can also take a tale like The Owl and the Pussycat (the poem by Edward Lear) and turn it into a good song. “The Owl and the Pussycat” (from the album Why is bear billowing?) is quite possibly a grand statement of enormous proportion–who would know, with this coding genius behind it? I also highly recommend Fish, available for viewing on thinplastic.com.
Listen to “Wintering” on MySpace.
The winter of the Northwestern United States is mild in climate, but not in temperament. Sure, there aren’t many gales of windblown natural anger. Nor are there fierce bouts of time spent coated in snow–rarely does snow stick for long enough to shovel it. But there is grey. Grey summarizes the Northwest “Wintering” (from the album If You Come to Greet Me) like no other word. And grey will get you in the end. Laura Gibson knows it. And now so do you.
Listen to a clip of “Regarding Light” on MySpace.
This song is exactly how I feel in the morning. Sometimes. Mornings are all different, and so is this song, each time you listen to it. Also: Gutpuppet uses some killer-fun harmonics in the song. That’s reason enought to listen to it.
Listen to “Tomato Song” on MySpace.com.
There is just something ultra-charming about a person who can sing about tomatoes so honestly. In “Tomato Song”, Pwrfl Power is earnest, simple, direct, and so, so, so, adorable in a heartbreaking way. Poor tomato thrower! Juice gone to waste.
Listen to “Paranoia in Bflat Major” on MySpace.com.
In “Paranoia in Bflat Major”, the Avett Brothers invite you in through their front door, give you the best seat in the living room, thrust a nice friendly drink in your hands, and tell you all about the neighbors. That’s how intimate and warm “Paranoia in Bflat Major” (from the album Emotionalism) is. And they don’t even know you!
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