One Day We’ll All Grow Wings or Horns

A few weeks ago I asked you to check out a record from the wonderful Golden Sounds. As much as I loved it then, I have fallen more and more in love with it these past few weeks. I had the chance to see a stripped down version of the band play at Christopher Pizza Company here in Nashville last night at Music Society Night (every Wednesday at eight if you’re interested.) It was one of the smallest shows I have ever been to (the room is about the size of a master bedroom but more narrow, and the show was amazing: Christmas light wrapped suit-coats, melodicas, night-lights glued to electric guitars, and lyric sheets for singing along.

This is just another plea to buy the record at Grimey’s, and check out The Golden Sounds on iTunes.

If you’re in Nashville, you can see the band at The Family Wash on 8/16. More info here. I’ll be there, so come say hi.

[mp3] The Golden Sounds – Hillside Town

Lo-fi Sounds for a Hi-fi Heart

Some two and-a-half years ago, I stumbled into Rocketown about 20 minutes after the opener had gone on, intending to see the now defunct Aireline, and Sleeping at Last. As I was walking in though, a sound caught my ear; it was a melody, a melody I have still not forgotten, and that I wouldn’t be able to shake from my head for many weeks. The melody was a song called Whistles and Windchimes, and the band playing it was The Golden Sounds.

I remember stopping in mid-stride across the huge main room of Rocketown, which was only about one-third full, if even that, to stare at what was taking place on stage. A man with a rainbow on his pant-leg was cooing into a microphone, a man was playing a cello, a woman was playing a keyboard, and a man was playing drums. There was something very oddly captivating about this mostly common set up though: they seemed lost in the big room, like they came from some other place and didn’t understand what was going on here, but they were going to play their wonderful music anyways, and it was enough for me to purchase a record of theirs, entitled We are The Golden Sounds.

Here we are in 2007, two records later, and that band has recently released an LP entitled Lo-fi Sounds for a Hi-fi Heart, and it is, quite simply: beautiful. The songs exist between an ethereal dream state wave of melodica, acoustic guitars, synths and strings, and a glitchy electronic mess of sterile bitterness, both sides completely captivating and effective.

This is an album in the true sense of the word: a story unravels (complete with phone messages), and by the end of the thing you feel like you have lived an entire chapter of someone’s life out with them, but on the other side of some invisible fourth wall. I can’t explain it any better than that, I can only plead with you to buy the record. If you live in Nashville you can and should swing by Grimey’s (the best record store in the free world, not sure about China, Cuba, Venezuela, and other ‘oppressed’ nations’ offerings in this field) and pick it up. If you are not, you can pick it up soon on iTunes. In the meantime, you may pick up two LPs and an EP which are all worth your time on iTunes NOW.

The Golden Sounds on iTunes

[mp3] The Golden Sounds – Whistles and Windchimes
[mp3] The Golden Sounds – Your Apartment

Sospiri

The Winston Jazz Routine, is a beautifully delicate, disarmingly tender, startlingly sparse, and breathtakingly serene bunch of people that make music together. They also live in Nashville, my home town, and they also have an absolutely amazing new record out called Sospiri.

According to the remarkably well-done liner notes, which feature full musical notation for one of the album’s tracks and standard record credits on worn brown stock, the title means to exhale. Although I cannot confirm this (the word is not in my dictionary), it couldn’t make more sense, as that is precisely what this album feels like: a beautiful and delicate release, full of climaxes that are always quick to float back down to the earth, leaving only thin wisps of sound that float from ear to ear inducing a dream-like coma when listened to in the right frame of mind.

I cannot recommend this album enough as your next purchase. If you live in Nashville, you can pick it up at Grimey’s; otherwise you can order it here.

[mp3] The Winston Jazz Routine – A Ghost Beneath the Tower
[mp3] The Winston Jazz Routine – Grandmother’s Glow

These tracks appear in the order I list them on the album, as the fourth and fifth tracks; if you’re using iTunes, turn on the gapless playback option. This album is just that: an album, rather than a collection of songs thrown on a CD.

The Winston Jazz Routine is on Tour, see the dates here.

The Decemberists @ City Hall 4-05-07

“Wow,” I thought to myself as I was leaving what was undoubtedly the best show I have EVER attended. This was my first time seeing the Decemberists ya see. Unless you have seen them yourself there really isn’t anyway to for you to understand what it’s like. Rather than try to explain (it would take me hours to articulate everything that went down) I will just leave you a fragmented and scattered list of some of the more exciting moments of the show, some mp3’s and grainy cell phone pics and urge, no, beg you to attend a Decemberists show if ever you have the chance.

+ The setlist was amazing and spanned the bands entire discography
+ The entire band was genuinely having fun
+ There were dance contests. Three of them actually. Meloy instructed us all to make big circles in each of the three sides of the audience and appoint judges during a 12 minute version of The Perfect Crime.
+ Back to back guitar solos, guitar duels, and other fake but epic battles between Meloy and multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk.

+ David Rawlings and Gillian Welch came out to do a rendition of Look at Miss Ohio with the Decemberists as their backing band including Funk on Slide Guitar, then backed the band up on a few songs
+Meloy made us all sit down after he “put the band to sleep” and then woke them up for the encore
+Rawlings and Welch reappeared this time dressed as a giant whale that ate Chris, Colin, and Chris’ Banjo and then proceeded to eat us
+They played The Mariner’s Revenge much to the elation of the crowd. This included floor tom/sleigh bell banging, some nice mandolin work from Funk, lots of crowd participation (see: giant crowd eating whale) and the realization that Meloy should probable look into being a Broadway actor after The Decemberists are done (may that day never come)

[mp3] The Decemberists – O Valencia
[mp3] The Decemberists – California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade
[mp3] The Decemberists – Los Angeles, I’m Yours
[mp3] The Decemberists – After the Bombs

In conclusion, I beg of you, PLEASE go see the band if it is at all financially and logistically possible. They’re on the road until July, dates for the remainder of the tour are HERE.

There is some youtube video shot a little bit behind me (I was one person back dead center) here. If any of the various authors should be reading, thank you.

Delta Spirit / Tokyo Police Club / Cold War Kids @ Mercy lounge 3-24-2007

I was expecting a good show last night. I had been waiting to see Cold War Kids for awhile and had always had conflicts when they were in town (a total of four times I believe, which is ridiculous). It seemed like there was some mystical force out to keep me from enjoying myself though. After trouble at the door involving re-entry and Id’s and the like with a friend who is underage, having to drive 20 minutes back to my friends car and then return, the show starting 40 minutes late, having a tall guy in front of me blocking my line of sight (and I’m 6′4”!) and having beer spilt on my flip flopped feet, the odds weren’t looking so good.

Then Delta Spirit came on and started the show…wow, that is all I can say friends, these guys are really really good. They outperformed everyone else who would grace the stage. Wonderful aged pop songs with fierce intensity, co-op percussion, and a whole lot of confidence made for one of my favorite sets in a long time. The songs shifted from really catchy rock songs to dylanesque folk sing alongs, to danceable vintage pop. I urge you to buy their album, really I cannot say enough wonderful things about these folks! mp3’s are below.

Next up was Tokyo Police Club minus their drummer who was severely ill. If you’ve ever heard TPC music you understand why this is a big problem. After two acoustic songs, the canucks were joined on stage by members of Delta Spirit and Cold war kids who formed a crazy drumcorps which consisted of people stomping and clapping, playing sleigh bells, shakers, trash can lids, tambourines, beer bottles, drum sticks, piano lids, 3 snare drums, and anything else they could bang. I strongly suggest you pick up their stuff as well.

Next was a short and unplanned performance from local poet and cold war pal Derrick Brown who was freaking hillarious and quite skilled as well.

Cold War Kids took the stage to play to a VERY FULL mercy lounge, the atmosphere was great everyone was dancing and genuinely having a good time which is something that you unfortunately don’t see much of at rock shows anymore. After a short and sparse Willie Johnson cover the kids ripped right into Robbers and Cowards standout We Used to Vacation and didn’t look back from there. The entire place erupted when the bass riff to Hang me up to Dry began and sang along to the refrain of Hospital Beds. The best moment of the evening came when Delta Spirit and TPC joined the kids in their entirety (twelve people on a very small stage) for a wonderful rendition of an already wonderful song, Saint John. They formed the afformentioned clapping/sleigh belling/tambourining/beer bottle banging, shaker shaking drum corp and provided some wonderful background vocals.

In the end nothing could stop me from enjoying what turned out to be a phenomenal and wonderfully fun show. I can say with the greatest of confidence that you’ll be hearing ALOT from all three of these fine assemblies of lads in the near future. They’re just too good to go un-noticed.

[mp3] Cold War Kids – Hospital Beds
[mp3] Cold War Kids – Saint John
[mp3] Cold War Kids – Hair Down
[mp3] Cold War Kids – We Used to Vacation

[mp3] Delta Spirit – Streetwalker

[mp3] Tokyo Police Club – Citizens of Tommorow

EDIT: The kids have posted some pics of their day in Nashville on their site/tour blog.

Simplifysimplify

Sleeptalker is a wonderful band from right here in Nashville comprised of members of Aireline, Imaginary Baseball League, Cool Hand Luke, and Come Down. But I already told you that. The important thing here is that their new mini-album (NOT EP) is out and ready to be loved. This album is one of those albums that you will want to spend time with over and over again. All at once Sprawling and intimate, sterile and dirty, frigid and warm, curious and introverted.

I strongly suggest you buy the album, even if you are not a Nashvillian, it’s only 5 dollars for 6 songs and a short instrumental, every second of which is worthwhile in multiple ways.

If you ARE a Nashvillian though, you may see them at the Rutledge on the 11th and 21st of March or at The End on the 25th of April. There is talk of a regional tour in the works so keep your eyes peeled for that.

[mp3] Sleeptalker – Many Bells Down
[mp3] Imaginary Baseball League – Alot to Say
[mp3] Cool Hand Luke – Skydive
[mp3] Aireline – Winter Song

Purchase Simplifysimplify and stream three songs Here

Nashville News

First off, it pleasures me beyond compare to announce that the oh-so-wonderful Sleeptalker (Ex – Airline, Cool Hand Luke, Imaginary Baseball League) has announced that their new EP, or “Mini-album” as they are calling it, Simplify, Simplify is done and in the process of being manufactured. Hopefully it will be at the Cool Hand Luke album release party at The Exit/In on February 21.

The Guys and the gal will post a song a week from the EP until it’s release. These can be heard at their myspace. The first is the album version of Great Wall of China. The demo has been up for awhile this one is alot better though.

“I don’t wanna love with broken bones, I don’t wanna be a ghost trapped in the sky, I don’t wanna live in funeral homes where everybody has a graveyard with a white picket fence and flower bed”

And finally, here are some mp3’s from the wonderful bands whose ashes produced this wonderful band.

[mp3] Aireline – Winter Song
[mp3] Imaginary Baseball League – Alot to Say
[mp3] Cool Hand Luke – Sky Dive

On that note, the incredible Imaginary Baseball League who is sadly no mroe posted a free zip file of the progress they made on their final album, which was never released. You may find it here. I miss those guys, alot.