Jonathan Lally
04/23/06, 12:42 PM
This week I did my recs with our forum user FeynmanWannabe (http://www.absolutepunk.net/member.php?u=38642).
Jonathan: Nick Drake, Josh Ritter, Limbeck, Starting Line.
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FeynmanWannabe (http://www.absolutepunk.net/member.php?u=38642)'s Recs:
Josh Ritter The Animal Years
This album is the sole reason that Jonathon invited me to join him in this week's recommendations. Being first introduced to Josh Ritter via his 2003's Hello Starling, I found myself a converted fan within a few months of listening. Although I was excited to hear what Ritter would muster for his follow-up, I'll be honest and say that I neglected to include it near the top of my list of anticipated releases. As the end of 2005 approached, I came across a track that was to be on the upcoming release. Innocently enough, I begin to play the song and was met with a familiar duo of Ritter's distinctive voice and a strumming guitar emanating from my speakers. Moments before acknowledging that this would indeed be a good album I heard a spark, an instrument that, to my knowledge, was a slight departure for Josh Ritter - a piano. Soon I was met with the sound of drums slowly building as Ritter's voice marched on, sounding as if it adamantly refused to be deterred from saying what Ritter felt needed to be said, asking the questions he felt needed to be asked, despite the ever-increasing intensity surrounding it. The song reaches a climax of sorts in the form of Ritter declaring, "You need faith for the same reasons that it's so hard to find". Bringing to mind the image of the battle-weary warrior, the instruments suddenly die down but Ritter, equipped with his voice, refuses to have this mark the finale of his song and once again brings it to a chaotic state while spewing phrase after phrase of some of the most visual lyrics I have read in a long time. Some songwriters are scholars of the school of “length for the length’s sake”. However, in the case of “Thin Blue Flame” no portion of the 9 minutes and 38 seconds was squandered so as to pander to the songwriter's ego.
That, ladies and gentlemen, was my introduction to The Animal Years. “Girl in the War” was the second song released in anticipation of the album and, truthfully, I was much more affected by this song despite it not attempting the epic proportions of “Thin Blue Flame”. A great compliment to be paid to “The Animal Years” is the fact that no other song on this album attempts to match what Ritter did with “Thin Blue Flame”, but rather the songs each have their own identities. Reading the comments of fans is supremely interesting, as it seems that everyone has found a different favorite song in this album that, in my experience, is the mark of a truly great album. I am in no way saying that better albums will not come out this year, as that would be a ludicrous claim. However, it would be an incredible feat for another album to touch me in the way that this one has. Have you ever felt that an artist must be your kindred spirit? I feel this way with Josh Ritter, that we must have undergone things so similar that it is almost eerie. I wholeheartedly recommend that you at least listen to this album, the entirety of which is available for streaming (link in my signature).
Recommended if you like: Iron & Wine, Bob Dylan, Sufjan Stevens, Leonard Cohen, and Nick Drake
Songs to listen to: Girl in the War, Thin Blue Flame, Here at the Right Time, Wings [from Hello Starling]
Iron & Wine The Creek Drank the Cradle/Our Endless Numbered Days
I am arguable the biggest Iron & Wine fan that frequents this site and as such I am obliged to include one Samuel Beam in my set of recommendations. If I had one piece of advice regarding Iron & Wine to all who read this it would be the following: Ignore his cover of “Such Great Heights”. I can’t enumerate the number of times that I have heard or read someone either laud or discount Iron & Wine based on this one song. In my humble opinion, it is not even his best cover song, let alone anywhere close to his best song. Admittedly, the vocals remain intimate and hushed for the majority of his original works, but that in no way implies lack of differentiation among Iron & Wine’s catalogue.
RIYL: Nick Drake, Elliott Smith
Songs to listen to: The Trapeze Swinger, Jezebel, Upward Over The Mountain, Dead Man’s Will (Addendum: Each of these songs are on different releases, a testament to Sam Beam’s consistency.)
M. Ward Transfiguration of Vincent
If I were to ask you to estimate the time period in which this album was written upon having listened to it for the first time, it is doubtful that your answer would be a mere three years ago. Transfiguration of Vincent, and M. Ward in general, has a timeless quality above all else. You might very well be listening to this album twenty years from now without a second thought. M. Ward draws from influences well beyond my personal meager music education to create this wonderful album that has unfortunately been criminally underrated thus far.
RIYL: Tom Waits, William Oldham (and his various incarnation), Rocky V, Ryan Adams, Devendra Banhart
Listen to: Helicopter, Sad Sad Song, and Transfiguration of Vincent
The Elected Sun, Sun, Sun
I owe this album to the regulars in the General Forum as they were able create enough of a buzz within our circle that lead me to go out and purchase this album. Here comes the obligatory reference: If you were unaware, The Elected is the side-project of Blake Sennet of Rilo Kiley fame. Unfortunately I was never as big a fan of the Rilo Kiley songs in which Blake’s vocals took the lead. Perhaps it was the fact that in Rilo Kiley he is forced into of the gorgeous voice of Jenny Lewis, but here he sounds so self-assured, both vocally and lyrically, that it makes all the difference in the world. This is a year-round album, as opposed to the ones in which you have a tendency to spin mostly in the summer/winter, and that quality will guarantee it a spot in my best of the year list come December.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy I See A Darkness
As one might expect upon investigating the album cover of "I See A Darkness", the listener is in for a rather morbid album. Will Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy)
Will Oldham's somber take on death, sex, and love is one of my favorite albums of all time. Each song on this masterpiece of an album is rich despite its very minumal instrumentation. This is an album that I struggle with describing and just outright plead people to experience. FYI: Johnny Cash performed a beautiful cover of the title track that fans of both Cash and Oldham should listen to.
RIYL: Neil Young
Listen to: I See A Darkness, A Minor Place, Death To Everyone, Black
RIYL: Rilo Kiley, Indie Pop with a Twist of Folk, if you come up with a band that fits well here and I haven’t heard it, let me know
Listen to: Would You Come With Me, Fireflies in the Steel Mill, Not Going Home, The Bank and Trust
Jonathan: Nick Drake, Josh Ritter, Limbeck, Starting Line.
----------------------------------------------------------
FeynmanWannabe (http://www.absolutepunk.net/member.php?u=38642)'s Recs:
Josh Ritter The Animal Years
This album is the sole reason that Jonathon invited me to join him in this week's recommendations. Being first introduced to Josh Ritter via his 2003's Hello Starling, I found myself a converted fan within a few months of listening. Although I was excited to hear what Ritter would muster for his follow-up, I'll be honest and say that I neglected to include it near the top of my list of anticipated releases. As the end of 2005 approached, I came across a track that was to be on the upcoming release. Innocently enough, I begin to play the song and was met with a familiar duo of Ritter's distinctive voice and a strumming guitar emanating from my speakers. Moments before acknowledging that this would indeed be a good album I heard a spark, an instrument that, to my knowledge, was a slight departure for Josh Ritter - a piano. Soon I was met with the sound of drums slowly building as Ritter's voice marched on, sounding as if it adamantly refused to be deterred from saying what Ritter felt needed to be said, asking the questions he felt needed to be asked, despite the ever-increasing intensity surrounding it. The song reaches a climax of sorts in the form of Ritter declaring, "You need faith for the same reasons that it's so hard to find". Bringing to mind the image of the battle-weary warrior, the instruments suddenly die down but Ritter, equipped with his voice, refuses to have this mark the finale of his song and once again brings it to a chaotic state while spewing phrase after phrase of some of the most visual lyrics I have read in a long time. Some songwriters are scholars of the school of “length for the length’s sake”. However, in the case of “Thin Blue Flame” no portion of the 9 minutes and 38 seconds was squandered so as to pander to the songwriter's ego.
That, ladies and gentlemen, was my introduction to The Animal Years. “Girl in the War” was the second song released in anticipation of the album and, truthfully, I was much more affected by this song despite it not attempting the epic proportions of “Thin Blue Flame”. A great compliment to be paid to “The Animal Years” is the fact that no other song on this album attempts to match what Ritter did with “Thin Blue Flame”, but rather the songs each have their own identities. Reading the comments of fans is supremely interesting, as it seems that everyone has found a different favorite song in this album that, in my experience, is the mark of a truly great album. I am in no way saying that better albums will not come out this year, as that would be a ludicrous claim. However, it would be an incredible feat for another album to touch me in the way that this one has. Have you ever felt that an artist must be your kindred spirit? I feel this way with Josh Ritter, that we must have undergone things so similar that it is almost eerie. I wholeheartedly recommend that you at least listen to this album, the entirety of which is available for streaming (link in my signature).
Recommended if you like: Iron & Wine, Bob Dylan, Sufjan Stevens, Leonard Cohen, and Nick Drake
Songs to listen to: Girl in the War, Thin Blue Flame, Here at the Right Time, Wings [from Hello Starling]
Iron & Wine The Creek Drank the Cradle/Our Endless Numbered Days
I am arguable the biggest Iron & Wine fan that frequents this site and as such I am obliged to include one Samuel Beam in my set of recommendations. If I had one piece of advice regarding Iron & Wine to all who read this it would be the following: Ignore his cover of “Such Great Heights”. I can’t enumerate the number of times that I have heard or read someone either laud or discount Iron & Wine based on this one song. In my humble opinion, it is not even his best cover song, let alone anywhere close to his best song. Admittedly, the vocals remain intimate and hushed for the majority of his original works, but that in no way implies lack of differentiation among Iron & Wine’s catalogue.
RIYL: Nick Drake, Elliott Smith
Songs to listen to: The Trapeze Swinger, Jezebel, Upward Over The Mountain, Dead Man’s Will (Addendum: Each of these songs are on different releases, a testament to Sam Beam’s consistency.)
M. Ward Transfiguration of Vincent
If I were to ask you to estimate the time period in which this album was written upon having listened to it for the first time, it is doubtful that your answer would be a mere three years ago. Transfiguration of Vincent, and M. Ward in general, has a timeless quality above all else. You might very well be listening to this album twenty years from now without a second thought. M. Ward draws from influences well beyond my personal meager music education to create this wonderful album that has unfortunately been criminally underrated thus far.
RIYL: Tom Waits, William Oldham (and his various incarnation), Rocky V, Ryan Adams, Devendra Banhart
Listen to: Helicopter, Sad Sad Song, and Transfiguration of Vincent
The Elected Sun, Sun, Sun
I owe this album to the regulars in the General Forum as they were able create enough of a buzz within our circle that lead me to go out and purchase this album. Here comes the obligatory reference: If you were unaware, The Elected is the side-project of Blake Sennet of Rilo Kiley fame. Unfortunately I was never as big a fan of the Rilo Kiley songs in which Blake’s vocals took the lead. Perhaps it was the fact that in Rilo Kiley he is forced into of the gorgeous voice of Jenny Lewis, but here he sounds so self-assured, both vocally and lyrically, that it makes all the difference in the world. This is a year-round album, as opposed to the ones in which you have a tendency to spin mostly in the summer/winter, and that quality will guarantee it a spot in my best of the year list come December.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy I See A Darkness
As one might expect upon investigating the album cover of "I See A Darkness", the listener is in for a rather morbid album. Will Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy)
Will Oldham's somber take on death, sex, and love is one of my favorite albums of all time. Each song on this masterpiece of an album is rich despite its very minumal instrumentation. This is an album that I struggle with describing and just outright plead people to experience. FYI: Johnny Cash performed a beautiful cover of the title track that fans of both Cash and Oldham should listen to.
RIYL: Neil Young
Listen to: I See A Darkness, A Minor Place, Death To Everyone, Black
RIYL: Rilo Kiley, Indie Pop with a Twist of Folk, if you come up with a band that fits well here and I haven’t heard it, let me know
Listen to: Would You Come With Me, Fireflies in the Steel Mill, Not Going Home, The Bank and Trust