Avett Brothers, G-Love

Old 

       Avett Brothers -  The Weight of Lies off their 2007 album Emotionalism.

This is my favorite Avett Brothers song, and it's not even close. There are a bunch of other songs that I really enjoy, but this one has everything; beautiful guitars, great harmonizing, and thoughtful lyrics. It's a song that people can interpret to fit their own situations, regardless of the specific message that the Avett Brothers originally intended; which I wager is exactly what they intended. 

To me it's a song about being true to yourself and to the people in your life that matter to you. It's also saying that personal problems, faults, and limitations won't change just because of where you move, the friends you keep, or the job you are doing. So own up to them and find a way to change yourself for the better. It's tough advice to follow, one of those easier said than done things, but this song is trying to get you to realize that "difficult" doesn't mean "shouldn't be done."

"The weight of lies will bring you down, and follow you to every town, cause nothing happens here that doesn't happen there. So when you run make sure you run to something and not away from, cause lies don't need an airplane to chase you anywhere." 

It's not helpful to hide from things or omit your faults, because they will always catch up to you in the end. To me this is a personal chorus that makes me realize that I sometimes avoid things that need to be addressed. I disregard the fact that  these omissions hurt people close to me because I am afraid of the possible outcomes. Afterwards I almost always realize that the outcome would have been much better had I faced the situation originally rather than letting it get to the point I did. 


Most people probably have a situation in their life that has followed this general formula and this song is intended to remind you that if you are yourself, the people who care for you will appreciate you no matter what, so there is no reason to hide anything.

New

          G-Love - The Road, off of his 2011 album Fixin' to Die 

I just picked up this album and I love it. It was produced by Scott and Seth Avett and, as I probably made clear above, I’m a big Avett Bros fan so I was glad to see G-Love working with them. The album is certainly more folksy/country than the usual funky G-love album. But I think it’s a pretty natural fit with his style, especially considering how often he's used harmonica and folk guitar chord progressions in the past. His distinctive vocal style is still very present, but now it's supported with the bonus of banjo and harmonizing from the Avetts. The Road is a song that would fit on several of his previous albums in a slightly different form. On this album it's a track that seems to talk about his life as a touring musician, making it well suited to the winding folk guitar that gives the song its backbone. I think it's pretty representative of the entire album, which is about a good of a mix of G-Love's Philly and the Avett's North Carolina as you can get. 

The Road - G Love - G Love Videos

Drive-By Truckers, Charlie Khan

Old 

       Drive-By Truckers -  Where the Devil Don't Stay off their 2004 album The Dirty South.

I am never disappointed by a DBT album in its entirety. They do hard southern rock. They do slow ballads about life in the south (sometimes almost more like spoken storytelling with a light drum or guitar backing, for example "Three Great Alabama Icons"). And they do semi-traditional country songs. So it's hard to suggest one song to listen to that will give you a true feel for how they play. You really should just listen to an entire album. 


Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley are the main vocalists and do a fairly equal amount of songs. They have completely different vocal styles, Cooley is a deep twanger, and Hood has a scratchy higher pitched voice.


"Where The Devil Don't Stay" is a good example of their southern rock storytelling and  commentary on hard times in the South. I saw an interview once where they said that they love being from Alabama but they write songs about the seedier, darker side of Southern life and its less-than-equal history because people tend to over-glorify the South. I tend to over-glorify their music, but they are at least worth one listen. 

New

          Charlie Khan - The Mortal Coil Shuffle, off of his 2010 EP The Four Horsemen 

Since it's Friday, I thought we should consider our own mortality. Kidding. But I think this song is fun even though it asks us to contemplate how we deal with our eventual demises. 

"It's how we would've wanted it, to be buried with the sound, of a brass band playing to cries and mourning all around. Well I know that this is painful, and I know you're feeling hurt, but you've got to accept that you're six feet deep in dirt." 

I don't know much about Charlie Khan, other than that he is British. I read a website (http://www.indierockcafe.com) that mentioned this song and the tune draws you in.  What I get from the song is "stop being so serious and goof off a little" since they are clearly not taking themselves serious in the video. Also, I swear the grim reaper is Eminem. All in all, it's your run of the mill song about how people care too much about success and being admired, since we're all going to just be buried under ground. Happy Friday. 

Ben Kweller, Fleet Foxes

Old 

   Ben Kweller -  The Rules off his 2004 album On My Way.

I'm going to see Ben Kweller tonight so I thought it appropriate to mention one of my favorites from him. He's a versatile musician; on his self titled 2006 album he plays every instrument and his latest release in 2009 was a countrified departure from his usual energetic rock/pop style to his Texas roots. 

I really like The Rules because the pace changes build up and release that energy at the right times and the guitar riff is short and sweet. I'm interested to see how he jumps between Ben Kweller the shredding guitarist to Ben Kweller the piano man at his live shows. Should be fun.

New

          Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues, off of their upcoming album Helplessness Blues (comes out on May 3.)
Their self titled 2008 release was sprinkled with songs that I really loved even while I kind of got lost listening to it because the style doesn't change that much from one to the other. That's not always a bad thing. I can get a lot of work done because I end up just letting the melodies play in the background of my head, rather than focus on the lyrics like usual.


They released this new song on their website and I don't see it as much of a change stylistically from their last album. I've listened to it several times now and I can't really pick out anything different from 2008. I'm not complaining though because I like their old stuff so much that I've been checking their website regularly for over a year trying to figure out when they would have a new album or when they'd be touring. Who knows how the rest of the album will be, but until May 3rd, even if it's not in my headphones, I'll be listening to Helplessness Blues, cuz I can't get it out of my head.

My Morning Jacket, Local Natives

Old 

   My Morning Jacket - It's About Twilight Now, off their 1999 album The Tennessee Fire.

Somehow, I just started listening to these guys in the last year, so I'm clearly playing catch-up. I'm working my way chronologically through their catalog, and at this point I honestly haven't heard any mid-to-late 2000s My Morning Jacket. Not knowing where they have since gone musically, this is my unaffected view of a song that I really enjoy. The reverb is turned up to 11, which they like apparently. Makes them seem like they are too far away from the mics, but it's a unique sound. There is a 50's rock style guitar riff that is the backbone for the beginning of the song. It's simple and catchy and doesn't do justice to the guitarist that really rocks out in the solos of other songs. The vocals in this song show the range in octaves that Jim James is capable of, but his full voice doesn't come out. Compared to other songs on this album, It's About Twilight is faster paced and the lyrics don't have as much emotional power behind them. But, I think it showcases their building blocks style-wise and so it speaks to where I am in my appreciation for this band. I am intrigued by the sound and want to explore more but I'm not sure yet which version of them i'm going to like be the best. It's like a My Morning Jacket sampler platter.

New

          Local Natives - Airplanes, off of their 2009/2010 album Gorilla Manor.
If you like harmonizing and percussion, you will like Local Natives. They have two vocalists that really complement each other. This album was released in the U.S. early last year, and these guys are based in LA. I think they are bound to be a pretty major national band, at least on the indie scene, because they have a style that's all their own, and they put a lot of thought into their lyrics that tell stories most people can associate with. They don't fit neatly into a radio friendly format, so we'll have to see how that plays out with their next album.


I thought this was a good song when I first heard it, but after I heard an interview explaining what it was about, it became a song I associate with very personally. It's about one of the band members who never got to meet his grandfather. He's heard so many good things that he's disappointed that he didn't get to know the man and he's excited to eventually get to meet. My favorite line is "it sounds like we would have had a great deal to say to each other." I get totally wrapped up in this song because I never got to know one of my grandfathers either, and I've always thought that exact thing from what people tell me about him. 


The subtle piano chords and guitar riffs are secondary and allow you to focus on the percussion and lyrics, which are the main drivers of the meaning. It's a fantastic song, and after listening to their debut album, Local Natives are one of those bands where I will eagerly anticipate each album release going forward.

Pepper, Good Old War

Old 
          Pepper - Tradewinds, off of the 2002 album Kona Town.
This song makes me realize how fast time goes by. I really got into Pepper when I was in high school during a pretty strong reggae/ska/punk phase. They are a fun band and most of their songs are fast paced, ska rock, power chord type songs.  On every album they throw in a few slower ballad types, and I think Tradewinds is a good representation of their mellow Hawaiian roots.

New
          Good Old War - That's Some Dream, off of their self titled 2010 album.
These guys are from Philly but they are totally different from other 70's/80's style rock bands that the Philly/NJ area seems to pump out like Tastycakes. I don't know why, but people from Philly love hair bands. These guys sound like they should be from Cali or Minnesota or somewhere where folk music and singing about your feelings is normal. They use fairly simple chord progressions and light, upbeat guitar picking. Even when their songs have serious or sad lyrics, they play everything with an optimistic feel. It could confuse you if you didn't listen to the lyrics, but then again, I think a general message from this song, and throughout the entire album, is "you may have problems, but if you approach things with a positive outlook you'll be ok." They are coming out with their third album this summer. 

Intro

Music is a big part of my life. By the music I choose to listen to, I have defined my own unique soundtrack over the years. Some songs or bands really resonate with me for one reason or the other; a lyric that I connect with, a trip or time that a song or band reminds me of, a stage in my life that a specific band really encapsulates. However, I’ve found music in general to be unfulfilling at times because it can be almost too personal. You can get so wrapped up in how the song affects you personally that you start to think “wow, no one else in the world understands what this means to me.” It really hits me when I’m singing along in the car to a song I love or when I’m playing my guitar to a crowd of zero. It makes sense why people begin to want to play in front of others. They want to share the emotions they feel and hopefully find someone else who can relate to the meanings of the songs they care about.

Maybe that’s a little too much of a deconstruction of what people enjoy about music, but it makes sense to me. After all, that’s probably why concerts are so damn fun. It’s confirmation that there are other people who feel the same way as you about specific music. I think the desire to connect with people is also why I love sharing music that I like with others and why I always give at least two listens to bands that are recommended to me by others.

Now, I love discovering new music on my own. I get a sense of accomplishment when I seek out a style, find a band, and then become a big fan. But when I’m in a genre-rut, I need a fresh set of ears to feed me music; maybe something I would have never looked for myself. I have a few friends that I go to for opinions and I have found that when a music recommendation comes from another person the music can be even more fulfilling than if you found it yourself. It gives you a camaraderie with that person. You’re not just singing in your car alone, because one of your friends is probably driving a different road doing the exact same thing.

With that being said, I want to try to make some of those connections here by recommending two songs a day. One old and one new. I’m not sure how to define new, so it might mean “came out last week” or it might mean “from this band’s latest album.” It’s going to depend. The hope is that I can introduce you to some bands you didn’t know about, and maybe I can get some recommendations in return.

Lately I’ve been on an indie folk rock kick, but my iPod has blues, rap, dance, rock, alt-country, and just about every other genre you can name, so I’ll be pulling songs from all over to try to give a direction for people to start their own search. Because, after all, music is very personal, so I can’t expect that everyone will enjoy all of my recommendations. Take it and run with it to your own musical ends, but whatever you find, I’m always open for suggestions.

I’ll start out with two quick ones.
Old: Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign, off of the 1967 album Born Under a Bad Sign
New: Black Keys - The Go Getter, off of the 2010 album Brothers
Not only do I think that the central idea of these songs match each other, for some reason, I really badly want to mash them up and see if it comes out nice. ….”the go getter.... born under a bad sign....the go getter.” Albert King's style of blues is alive and well with the Black Keys.