I think that's pretty cool, myself. I have this hunch that the video, as of right now, is a little better than the music... then again, I'm the guy who's partial to post-rock, acoustic hip-hop, and jazz metal. So this isn't necessarily the sort of thing I usually go for. It's nice, though.
Dinner time! Have a great evening, everyone!
(note: it's frigging COLD out here! like, below 0 Celsius! wtf?! there's ice on the sidewalks! I almost busted my highly toned @55 returning from class this afternoon. It's nice, though, because there's sun. And also warm drinks. I understand now why the Russians make vodka.)
I don't know quite how 'indie' Jarvis Cocker is, seing how he used to front Pulp and he's signed to Rough Trade Records... but his music is tremendous fun, and there's new music from him out now! This is the title track from his new album, "Further Complications", which dropped all of two days ago. Hope you enjoy!
...and it's time for me to head out.
Have a great afternoon!
(whoo! four minute post. who says that you need free time to be a blogger?)
Hey, y'all... sorry it's been a little while since I've posted - life has a funny way of getting busy and eating up spare time.
Anyways - I realized this morning that I'd never posted on DM Stith. This caused some slight embarrassment, if only because (1) a lot of people have never heard of him and (2) he's completely freakin' amazing. I'm going to post three of his music videos for y'all today, all from his album "Heavy Ghost", which came out in March of this year.
[disclaimer, before I begin: I've heard from folks that DM Stith's music is a very bad idea if you're high. I would of course have no firsthand knowledge of this, but it seems reasonable. So. If you're high, be warned.]
DM Stith - Isaac's Song
For those of you who are counting, Isaac's Song is the first track from Heavy Ghost. Simple enough, lyrically - but absolutely haunting and just drop-dead gorgeous. It's probably worth mentioning at this point that DM Stith - DM stands for David Michael, his first and middle names - is a protege of Sufjan Stevens and is signed to his label, Asthmatic Kitty Records.
DM Stith - Pity Dance
Pity Dance is the second track off of Heavy Ghost, and it starts getting into some of the absolute lyrical brilliance that DM Stith features - lines like "I say bring me sunflowers and bring me a landscape of clouds and rain / And let the sky give up her many, heavy hammered warnings"... wow. I'd also like to comment on the music video, which is simultaneously creepy and absolutely wonderful.
DM Stith - BMB
The complete lyrics to this track:
From in your car we saw the fire and we could feel it on our skin Slick licorice road, our glassy eyes, shared in the argument of undefended light Oh, did you say? What did you say? Oh did you say? What did you say?
Wow.
Hope y'all have a great day (and how could you not, after seeing those music videos?) Peace.
There's a startling beauty in the music of The Duke And The King; they write and perform songs that have the warm clarity of a lake in summer and the slow melancholy of the moon shining through early morning fog.
I suppose I should have expected this, to a certain extent: this band, after all, includes Simone Felice, a member of The Felice Brothers (who I wrote about in September), and The Duke and the King's sound is reminiscent of some of the more contemplative moments in The Felice Brothers' canon.
Is there a point at which I'm required to acknowledge that, yes, I get the reference in the group's name? As the band's Myspace points out, "Named after the traveling Shakespeare hustlers in 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' these curious blood-brothers (and sweet sister) have found a home together, a traveling Church of Harmony and Sin where its OK to french kiss your cousin and all strays are welcome to come out of the cold and sing along to these songs of love, loss, pathos, and hope." Love, loss, pathos, and hope. Who could ask for more than that?
Anyways... here are a couple of tracks from the group's debut album, Nothing Gold Can Stay, (and, yes, I get that reference, too) which came out just a couple of months ago.
I've gotta run in a minute here, so I'll do this quick and nasty (just the way you like it, I know... yeah, baby, that's right).
Patrick Wolf is a pretty awesome, significantly flamboyant British singer who's been putting out music for the last decade or so... one friend of mine (thanks, H) described him as a talented version of Mika.
So this band I'm talking about today, Horse Feathers, they haven't gotten a lot of hype or airplay... but they really should.
Why?
They're freakin' awesome, that's why. They produce intricate melodic arrangements anchored firmly within the folk and jazz traditions they're clearly working from, making use of fresh, surprising harmonies and instruments, and all tied together by lead singer Justin Ringle's throaty, soulful musings, and occasionally enlivened by bright bursts of violin and cello - check out the sudden arrival of the violin at about the 1:00 mark of "Honest Doubters" - it's really quality stuff, and, to me, about as good as you're likely to find anywhere.
So - check out Horse Feathers. I've loaded two of the songs from their "Words are Dead" album... hope you enjoy them!
Hardwood Pews:
Honest Doubters:
In News From My Life (TM), I'm off to Seattle in about a week and a half... time to get ready, start packing, and (hopefully) find an apartment! I'll also be turning 21 shortly after my arrival there... we'll see how that goes. I'm for sure looking forward to experiencing that culture (given that I've lived in the Southeast most of my life) and continuing to find awesome new music!
Hey there, we at Attempts At Hip would love to hear from you. If you have music suggestions, questions, or anything please email us at JackIrish300@gmail.com. If you're a record label or band and feel that we've over stepped our bounds, please let me know and I'll take down/change whatever needs. We showcase music merely for sampling purposes and so people can get a taste of great bands, we don't intend on infringing upon any rights.
