Red House Painters - "Song For A Blue Guitar"

I know it's been awhile since I last posted, but I have a beautiful sad song for you. Enjoy!

Iron & Wine - "The Trapeze Swinger (Live)"

I've got another one from Iron & Wine for you today. This one closed out a stellar set on Austin City Limits, which you should really check out if you enjoy this one. By the way, the background singer to Sam's right is his sister, Sarah Beam. Enjoy!

Gomez - "How We Operate"

I've always loved this song because it's so unique. The structure is just a bit odd, and I like that. I also enjoy the singer's raspy voice, and it certainly doesn't hurt that he reminds me of my guitar teacher in college, Larry Hammett. I hope you enjoy it!

Oren Lavie - "Her Morning Elegance"

I was in a Michaels craft store yesterday with my family, and heard this song playing over the in-store speakers. I found the song striking, particularly the singer's voice and the keyboard lick that plays throughout. I had to jot down a few lyrics so I could Google the song when I got home...I made out "she fights for her life on the train", and figured that would be unique enough to identify the song. And so it was. It turns out that it was an artist that I'd never heard of - Oren Lavie - and that he's Israeli. Further, it just so happens that the video for the song garnerned a Grammy nomination for "Best Short Form Music Video" and that it has over 20,000,000 hits on Youtube.

I still have no idea what the song is about, and I don't care. It's a song worth hearing, and the video is a trip, as well. Enjoy!

Jack's Mannequin - "Amy, I"

Sorry that it's been awhile since I've posted any songs. Life happened. I've got a good song for you today, though, and you may recognize the lead singer's voice...he's also the lead singer for Something Corporate. Jack's Mannequin was a side project of his that seems to have turned into something more, seeing as how this week marked the release of their third album. This is my favorite song from the album so far, so I hope you enjoy it.

Wilco - "Impossible Germany (Live)"

I've got a treat for you today. Wilco was one of those bands that people who knew my musical tastes kept mentioning to me. "You should really check them out." I tried a number of different albums at several different points in time, but never really found a good entry point. Their album "Yankee Foxtrot Hotel" was critically acclaimed by virtually every music publication, but I still haven't found much to like on that one. However, my opinion of Wilco changed when I heard their album "Sky Blue Sky"; the album is genius, and I say that without a hint of hyperbole. Take this track for instance...how would you pin it down into a single genre? It turns out that the addition of Nels Cline on guitar augmented their sound quite a bit, and it's not hard to see why from this video...the man creates a world of possibilities.

It was really hard for me to pick a single song from this album, because I really could recommend almost every track. So I'm sure I'll be posting more from this album in the future, but for the time being, enjoy this one!

Matt Nathanson - "Bulletproof Weeks"

A Pandora special today. I'm in the middle of exploring Matt Nathanson's catalogue, and so far so good. I really enjoy this song, so I hope you do as well.

Led Zeppelin - "Over The Hills And Far Away"

I've always loved Led Zeppelin, and this has long been one of my favorite songs of theirs. The guitar intro is so memorable. The track is from their album "Houses of the Holy", which was riddled with hits. It should be a nice way to start your week. Enjoy!

Note: You might have noticed that I didn't manage to post a song yesterday. I'm not running out of ideas (yet), but time on the weekend is certainly at a premium these days. When I first started this blog I had planned on only posting songs for weekdays, taking the weekends off. I think the time has arrived to implement that schedule, so I'll only be posting five songs per week from here on in. Hopefully that won't disappoint my loyal readers...all three of you.

The Police - "Walking On The Moon"

Whenever anyone mentions Stewart Copeland, my mind immediately jumps to this song. I've always loved his minimalist setup, and (of course) his prolific playing within that framework. This is a nice song for the weekend. Enjoy!

Bruce Hornsby and The Range - "The Show Goes On"

I've been holding back Bruce Hornsby until the start of autumn. I can't explain why, but most of his music simply works best in the fall. The album that this track came from - "Songs From The Southside" - is a perfect example of this. The whole album works best played in the car on a crisp autumn afternoon. I've always loved this track. It was too long for the radio, but I'd never want it edited down to radio length, because what would you cut? Nothing, that's what. Enjoy!

Better Than Ezra - "Scared Are You?"

I never really got into Better Than Ezra for long, but the album that this comes from - "Friction Baby" - was fantastic throughout. I remember hearing "Desperately Wanting" and "King of New Orleans" on the radio, but this track seems to have slipped through the cracks. Enjoy!

Tonic - "Soldier's Daughter"

I've always felt that Tonic was an underrated band. Most people remember them from their single "If You Could Only See". Both that song and today's song are from their debut album "Lemon Parade", which was solid throughout. Their follow-up albums "Sugar" and "Head On Straight" were largely in the same vein, but this album always felt a little more organic than its successors. I like the guitar part on this tune, as well as the overall tone of the song. Enjoy!

Burlap to Cashmere - "Eileen's Song"

I wanted to post something by Burlap to Cashmere today, and I had planned on using "Basic Instructions", but couldn't find a satisfactory version on YouTube. So I opted for "Eileen's Song" instead. This tune got quite a bit of radio time when it was released, so you've probably heard it before. I like the little guitar lick that he uses in the later verses so much that I've used it when playing other tunes before. I hope you enjoy it!

Big Wreck - "That Song"

A very 'meta' tune today, because for one summer it became exactly the kind of tune that is referenced by the lyrics. Several people have heard this one before, but never knew who wrote it...likely because they could never ask anyone about the lyrics without getting a headache from the ensuing conversation:

Inquisitor: "Do you know who does 'That Song'?"
Friend: "Which song?"
Inquisitor: "That Song."
Friend: "Um...ok. How does it go? Do you remember any lyrics?"
Inquisitor: "I really love that tune. Man, I love that song."
Friend: "I understand, but do you remember any of the lyrics?"
Inquisitor: "I just told you some of the lyrics."
Friend (while making a mental note to get some smarter friends): "Wow, look at the time!"

Anyway, enjoy!

Jack Johnson - "Flake"

I almost forgot to post a song today, but I decided to use a good one anyway. Jack Johnson's music is perfect for relaxing; it's almost impossible to remain stressed while listening to him. I've always liked this tune, in particular the little jam session at the tail end. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Anberlin - "(*Fin)"

And now for something a bit harder. Anberlin is a fantastic band, and their music stands out in my mind for their excellent songwriting and solid guitar work. This track closes out their album "Cities" which is great throughout. The lyrics are tough; they comprise stories of the lead singer's struggles with faith at different points in his life, often amplified rather than quelled by those within the church ("patron saint, are we all lost like you?"). The children's choir in the middle of the tune is haunting, and I love that touch. I expect to post more Anberlin tunes here in the future, but for the time being, enjoy this one!

Kings of Convenience - "Riot On An Empty Street"

I'm pretty excited to get to share Kings of Convenience with you. The hardest thing for me was picking just one song. This tune is from their album "Declaration of Dependence" which is simply fantastic throughout. The band is clearly Norway's answer to Simon and Garfunkel, and that suits me just fine. I haven't had a chance to dig into any of their earlier albums yet, but I most certainly will. Enjoy!

Elton John - "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word"

I've got a classic for you today. The video is a bit creepy, with the foggy lens, Elton's receding hairline, etc. However, I've always loved this song, particularly the double-tracked vocal responses in the chorus. Enjoy!

Mainstay - "October Came Late"

As I alluded to yesterday, I've got another example of a subtle shift in the beat having a major impact on a chorus. With today's example, however, it's the band that shifts the beat rather than the vocals changing their phrasing within the same temporal construct. I like Mainstay's music, and this tune in particular, because the vocals are so solid and the band seems to have a really good sense of melody. I would have eventually posted this song on its own merits, but it really jumped to my mind as I was writing yesterday's post about shifting beats...it's one of the things that makes this song memorable for me, because it creates a rather unique feel. I'm sure I'll post some other Mainstay songs in the future. For now, I hope you enjoy this one!

Acceptance - "So Contagious"

This band is no more, and it turns out that they only produced one studio album. The album itself isn't that great, but this song has always stood out to me. The music is vaguely reminiscent of any number of bands that popped up the late 90's and early 2000's...but Hoobastank is the one that jumps to my mind.

Anyway, I have a hard time determining what I find catchy about this song, but I think it comes down to two things: 1) the nifty little two-string guitar part that opens the song and runs throughout and 2) the offbeat phrasing of the second "could this be out of line" in the choruses...it's a small thing, to be sure, but it significantly changes the feel. I may post another example tomorrow of a song using a subtle shift in the beat to change the feel, because I find it amusing. Enjoy!

Glen Phillips - "Train Wreck"

I have a sad one for you today, from the lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket. This track was from his first solo album "Abulum", which is a great album, but takes several listens to appreciate. Also, it's mostly depressing...like palpably so. This track is certainly representative of that tone, but I love the sparse instrumentation as well as the tasteful guitar lick starting at the 4:02 mark.

This is my first post that contains embedding from a source other than Youtube. There simply aren't enough Glen Phillips fans out there willing to infringe on his copyrights. Today's source is from his bandcamp site...pretty awesome of them to allow a fairly high-quality streaming of a full track. I hope you enjoy it!

Simon and Garfunkel - "The Boxer"

I've got a classic for you today, without a thing to say about it. Enjoy!

Damien Rice - "The Blower's Daughter"

I like the tone of most of Damien Rice's music, but there are only a few songs of his that I really enjoy. This happens to be one of them. The video is a bit weird, and the sound quality leaves plenty to be desired, but the official video had clips from the movie "Closer", which I want nothing to do with, even with the better sound quality. Hopefully, you can still find the beauty in this song. Enjoy!

Dispatch - "The General"

We've got a Pandora special today. A very talented three-man 'jam band', Dispatch's music typically has a nice groove to it. The lyrics to this song are pretty incredible, and the song has a fantastic hook that's managed to bore its way deep into my skull. After listening to the studio version posted below, I highly recommend checking out their performance at Madison Square Garden at a benefit concert they arranged, called "Dispatch: Zimbabwe". That's a pretty awesome way to close out a show. Enjoy!

Something Corporate - "Me and the Moon"

I love me some piano bands, and Something Corporate is a good one. Andrew McMahon, the lead singer, went on to form another band called Jack's Mannequin, which is also pretty good, but not quite as good as Something Corporate, in my opinion. This song appeared on their album "North", which has a fairly sad tone throughout, but is quite good (I also love me some good sad music). The piano and strings carry this song for me, because the lyrics are fairly devastating. Sorry about the video ("Lyrics are in the Description" in case you didn't notice)...it was either this, or a something that looked like a slideshow put together by a girl in middle school, which was still on the table for me, but the sound quality was better on this one. Enjoy!

The Dream Academy - "Life in a Northern Town"

Back to the 80's today. I loved this song long before I knew what it was about. Someone once wrote of The White Stripes' song "Seven Nation Army" that it didn't seem like Jack White had written the main riff so much as he had uncovered one that had existed since the dawn of time, because it was so primal and so immediately recognizable. I feel that way about the chorus of this song; musically speaking, the verses seem to exist only to bring things down so they can build back up to that chorus. And the chorus is primarily gibberish, but it's immediately recognizable...even if you didn't know the name of the song, you'd probably recognize that chorus anywhere.

Well, it turns out that the song was written as a tribute to Nick Drake, who happens to be one of my favorite artists. His story is quite sad, ending with his death in 1974 at the age of 26 via an overdose of amitriptyline, an antidepressant. His music is hauntingly beautiful, though, and as soon as I can find a youtube clip of his work with some decent audio, you can be sure I'll be posting some of his songs on this blog. For the time being, here's a song dedicated to him (which, by the way, doesn't resemble his music in any fashion). This video (not the official video) is a bit distracting, but try to enjoy the music!

Chevelle - "Saferwaters"

Time for something a bit harder today. I've always liked Chevelle because their drummer is pretty incredible, and also because they craft a rather melodic form of metal, which I appreciate. This song (which comes from the album "Vena Sera") serves as a good example of both...check out the vocal harmony in the choruses and the tight drum fills (particularly on the intro and coming out of the break). Their lyrics have always been a bit cryptic to me, but then, I'm not a lyrics person so that doesn't bother me. I hope you enjoy today's change of pace!

Chicago - "Hard to Say I'm Sorry / Get Away"

Today it's an oldie, but a goodie. This track was originally on Chicago 16, and both that album and Chicago 17 were in serious rotation in my household when I was younger. I always loved the keys in this song, but perhaps more importantly, I could never figure out why radio stations would always fade out at the end of "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" as if there were nothing more to hear...didn't they know that they were cutting out the best part?! The brass is stellar on "Get Away", and it's a fun little tune. I'm sure you've all heard the track before, but enjoy it anyway!

Antoine Dufour - "Reality"

I discovered Antoine back when I was trying to find out all I could about Andy McKee. It turns out that CandyRat Records has a whole stable of unbelievably talented string musicians...I guess it's their niche. Apparently, Antoine was born in 1979, making him a year younger than me. His wikipedia page says that he started playing when he was 15. I started when I was 12. So I've got a good 4 years on him, and yet almost all of his catalogue remains untouchable for me. Go figure. Maybe he spends more time practicing? Regardless, enjoy...unless you're a guitarist, in which case you should grab some tissues to prepare for the inevitable weeping.

Sting - "We Work The Black Seam"

How about some Sting for your Saturday? This has long been one of my favorite songs of his. It comes from the album "The Dream of the Blue Turtles", the title track of which my friend Sandor uses as his ringtone...so you know it has to be a good album (right Craig?). The tone of this track is pretty dark and sad, but the music is beautiful, and I love Sting's voice on the chorus. Enjoy!

Van Morrison - "Caravan"

How about some Van Morrison to get your weekend started? What more can I say about Van Morrison? He's nicknamed "Van the Man" for a reason. I've always loved this song. Sit back and enjoy!

MUTEMATH - "Reset (Live)" and "Armistice"

This is one of my few music discovery experiences that I can recreate perfectly for you on this blog. Watch the performance of a song called "Reset" by a band named MUTEMATH.


That exact Youtube video was my first taste of MUTEMATH. Yes, the drummer has his over-the-ear headphones literally strapped to his head. Yes, he's awesome enough to pull that off. I would go on to discover that the band was strongly influenced by The Police (and if you don't believe me, then check out "Noticed"), that their singer actually has a great voice, that the crazy theremin-like instrument the singer's playing at the end is called an Atari, and that they can write really good songs. So why did I choose "Armistice" to go along with "Reset" today? Largely because of the awesome beat and the brass, and because you need to know what this band is capable of. Enjoy!

Sigur Rós - "Glósóli" and "Sæglópur"

Beautiful music has no need of language, because it is its own language. If ever there were a case study to prove that point, Sigur Rós would be it. Sometimes they sing in Icelandic, but mostly in Vonlenska (or "Hopelandic"), a type of gibberish vaguely resembling Icelandic, but crafted instead to fit the music. I can't tell you how well that idea resonates with me, because in my mind music is what I turn to when words fail, so it only seems fitting that the words would ultimately be subservient to the music. But then, I'm a musician...I'm certain a poet would feel differently.

I've been looking forward to including Sigur Rós on this blog, because there aren't many people I know who are aware of the band. But they're probably aware of bands who have been influenced by them, such as Radiohead and Coldplay (just to name a few). I've chosen two tracks from their album "Takk...", because I think you need both to get a feel for what they're capable of. For "Glósóli" (roughly 'glowing sun' in Icelandic), I've embedded the official video for the song, because I feel that it enhances the experience of hearing it. For "Sæglópur" (roughly 'lost at sea' in Icelandic), I've chosen to instead go with an unofficial video that's mostly a black screen, because in this case, I think the official video takes the focus too far away from the music (you can still view it here afterwards if you like, though). The band is best experienced with headphones, but with Youtube videos, the sound quality is only going to be so good, regardless of the setup.

One other thing: make sure to listen to both in their entirety, because a 30 second snippet won't give you an accurate picture of the songs. Hearing Sigur Rós for the first time can be a bit of a trip, so I sincerely hope you enjoy both of these songs!

Note: Massive props to Craig Ratliff for pointing me to Character Map, without which this post would not have been possible...Crazy Icelandic.

Sara Bareilles - "City"

Sara Bareilles burst onto the scene a few years back with "Love Song", which made its way into a number of commercials. It's a catchy tune, but her slow songs are much better. "City" is one of those songs, and it's from the same album ("Little Voice") that "Love Song" is on. I really like the harmony and instrumentation on this tune, especially how the strings swell into the song at the end of the first chorus. Good stuff. Enjoy!

Bon Iver - "Blindsided"

I'm excited to get to share Bon Iver with you. This song was the first of theirs that I heard, and it was enough to get me hooked. I've been listening to them pretty heavily for the past two months now. Justin Vernon, the lead singer and songwriter, actually has a rather deep speaking voice...his falsetto technique was something of an experiment for him that really took off. Sometimes he uses it, sometimes not, and sometimes - like with this track - you'll hear him singing a falsetto line and double tracking it an octave down. This song is on the album "For Emma, Forever Ago", and overall the album is quite good. It was written over the course of a winter in which Justin holed up by himself in his father's cabin in the woods of northern Wisconsin. The name Bon Iver, by the way, is derived from the french bon hiver which means good winter. I'll be sharing more from Bon Iver in the coming months, but for now, I'd like you to sit back and enjoy this one.

Brooke Fraser - "Shadowfeet"

Like several others, I first heard of Brooke Fraser when this song hit the radio. I like the lyrics and I really like the beat when it comes in. It turns out that the entire "Albertine" album is quite good, actually, and well worth a listen if you haven't heard it. Enjoy!

Bill Withers - "Ain't No Sunshine"

Yes, just about everyone has heard this song, but that doesn't change the fact that it's just about perfect. My only complaint is that it's so short; I could use 10 more minutes of Bill Withers singing the same thing over and over. I love his voice, his songwriting, the strings, everything. Enjoy!

Toad The Wet Sprocket - "Windmills"

This is one of my favorite songs from what is hands-down my favorite band. The band took its name from a Monty Python sketch, and by the time I found out about them, they were only 2 years away from breaking up. Glen Phillips, the lead singer, moved on to a moderately successful solo career, and I feel quite certain some of his songs will be showing up in this space. The remaining members formed a band called Lapdog which had a really good debut album "Near Tonight", and a second album "Mayfly" that I was never able to get into. All the members remained good friends, though, and from time to time they did shows or mini-tours as Toad The Wet Sprocket. Apparently, they are now reunited and are in the process of recording a new studio album, so that's pretty awesome.

"Windmills" is one of the best tracks from their album "Dulcinea", which many fans consider to be their finest album. I sincerely hope you enjoy it!

Edwin McCain - "Working Man"

Edwin is one of my favorite artists, and has probably had a greater influence on my acoustic guitar playing than any other guitarist. While most people know him more as a singer from ballads like "I'll Be" and "I Could Not Ask For More" (which he did before - and in my opinion better than - Sara Evans), he's always been an acoustic guitar player and songwriter to me. That's probably because I got into him with his first studio album "Honor Among Thieves", which was largely acoustic-driven ("I'll Be" was on his next album, "Misguided Roses") and included a duet with Darius Rucker ("Solitude"...sorry I couldn't find the studio version) that got some radio play. In order to play his songs, I was forced to augment my picking and strumming techniques to be able to handle some of the rhythmic elements of his playing. He's also the reason I know how to play an E/G# chord. So thanks, Edwin! He's a much better guitar player than he gets credit for. He can't even be considered an underrated guitar player; because most people think of him as just another singer/songwriter, he's not even rated.

All of that is to say that this probably won't be the last song of his to show up on this blog. It's a fairly simple number about a man and his guitar. Small wonder, then, that I like it so much. Enjoy!

Queensryche - "Real World"

And now, for something completely different. There is plenty to appreciate about Queensrÿche: Geoff Tate's 4-octave vocal range (he's a classically trained opera singer, as was his mother), the intricate arrangements of guitarist Michael Wilton (also a classically trained musician), the umlaut over the 'y' in the band's name that you would probably expect from a progressive metal band (I'm not going to attempt to recreate it in this post, but you can see it in the album cover shown in the video below). Queensrÿche has always possessed a bit of a flair for the orchestral (see also "Silent Lucidity"...better yet, don't see, just listen and ignore the video; it was 1991), and this track is a good example of that. For some reason, I never really explored their music much beyond the "Empire" album; odd, because the album was quite good. This track (sadly enough) wasn't on the "Empire" album, or any studio album of theirs...it appeared on the soundtrack to "Last Action Hero", one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's more - how do I say this - perplexing project choices. But the song is good. Seriously. Just listen.

Update: Of course I had to figure out how to do the umlaut over the 'y'...it was a technical challenge and took all of 3 seconds on Google to find, so I added it to the paragraph above. I still can't figure out how to get it into the post title, though. Blogger doesn't seem to accept html codes in that spot. Oh well.

Citizen Cope - "Lifeline"

There's really not a lot to say about this song...it's just good. I can tell you that Citizen Cope is the stage name of one Clarence Greenwood. I've only listened to a couple of his albums, and they're pretty good, but this is my favorite song of his so far. Enjoy!

Seafood - "Time and Tides"

Weird name for a band, right? Crazy British bands. This song comes from their 2006 album "Paper Crown King", which is a pretty solid release and worth checking out if you like this tune, because the rest of the album is similar in tone. I can't say the same for their 2004 release "As The Cry Flows" which, while cleverly titled, simply isn't very good. So they seemed to be getting better as a band...right before they split up. Such is life, sometimes. This tune takes a little while to develop, but it's worth the wait. Enjoy!

Dave Beegle - "Amazing Grace / Joy Medley"

Can I interest you in a flamenco-trained guitarist (who happens to be a good personal friend of Phil Keaggy) performing a medley of "Amazing Grace" and his own personal take on "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"? Dave Beegle is ridiculously good, and if that guitar that he's playing sounds a bit familiar, it's because it's an Olson guitar. He used to play an Olson that was loaned to him by Phil Keaggy (the tones of which you might have heard on Phil's album "Acoustic Sketches"). I think he owns a few of his own now, but you can't mistake that tone. For the record, it's a very expensive tone...as in a bare minimum of at least $10,000 expensive, and more typically between $15,000 and $40,000. Yeah, I'd like to play an Olson.

I was blessed to see Phil Keaggy and Dave Beegle together in concert up in Boulder, CO back when I was working in Denver. I hadn't heard of Dave before then, but I haven't forgotten him since that performance. He moves seamlessly between flamenco, jazz, classical, and sometimes even rock. His first solo album "A Year Closer" is entirely acoustic, amazing throughout, and well worth a listen. It also contains two different tracks that my wife and I used in our wedding service ("Joy" and "A Simple Prayer", in case you were wondering). It might take you a few minutes to figure out where he's going with this particular performance, but the wait is worth it. Also, for those of you unfamiliar with the technique, he's looping his own playing in a few parts toward the beginning (probably using a Lexicon JamMan, which has been Phil Keaggy's looping tool of choice for years). Enjoy!

Stevie Wonder - "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)"

How about some Stevie Wonder to brighten up your day? I love this song. Now seems like as good of a time as any to note that the point of this blog is to highlight good songs, not necessarily obscure songs. Though it seems to be an increasingly rare occurrence, sometimes a good song does actually get the radio play and attention that it deserves. This happens to be one of them, though that attention was given before I was born. Enjoy!

Andy McKee - "Rylynn"

I just couldn't go any longer without posting something by Andy McKee. Like many people, I found out about Andy through his video for "Drifting". That one has over 40 million views, and for good reason. I chose "Rylynn" because I've long considered it to be his best song and - because Andy is clearly one of my guitar heroes - the one I'd most love to be able to play. Though I'd also settle for being able to pull off "For My Father". All of these songs appear on Andy's first album, "Art of Motion", and the entire album is a great listen. The music (not just the virtuosity, but the music itself) is just fantastic. Enjoy!

Hem - "Leave Me Here"

How do I introduce you to Hem? Well, I hand you a copy of their first album "Rabbit Songs" and call it good. But what if I can only choose one song? Tough. Very tough. You've probably already heard "Half Acre" without knowing it, because it was in a few Liberty Mutual commercials, so that seems like a waste (though a solid song choice). I could go with "Idle (The Rabbit Song)", which puts a little more emphasis on the band and has some great string interplay in the final third of the song.

But I really love Sally Ellyson's vocals. I've heard it suggested that one of the reasons her vocals sound so pure is because she was a completely unknown talent at the time Hem found her, so she never had to deal with years of cigarette smoke by playing in dive bars. When people are taking time to speculate about such a thing, you've probably got a pretty good voice. Hem put out an advertisement looking for a singer, and Sally's demo tape showed up with her singing some old lullabyes a capella. It must have been pretty good, because the band chose to use the undoctored version one of those lullabyes ("Lord, Blow Out the Moon Please") as the first track on "Rabbit Songs". Straight from the demo tape to the debut album. Not bad.

I've chosen to use the song "Leave Me Here" as your introduction to the band (that is, if you haven't heard them before) because the instrumentation is great, and representative of the "Rabbit Songs" album. By the way, they recorded this album with the 18-piece Radio Slovak Orchestra...so, there's that. But also, I think this song does as good of a job as any of showcasing Sally's vocals. Great song, great album. Enjoy!

Iron & Wine - "My Lady's House"

How about a nice and mellow song for Wednesday? Iron & Wine is the stage name of one Samuel (not Jim) Beam. His stuff is usually fairly mellow like this. Most people have heard something of his before without realizing it: his remake of The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights" shows up in a number of places, most notably the Garden State soundtrack. Interestingly enough, most people have also heard at least a clip of The Postal Service's original song without realizing it, because the intro used to run underneath a number of UPS commercials with the "whiteboard guy". I bet they thought they were clever for that. I can imagine the conversation:

Boss: "We need a song for this commercial, any ideas?"
Unpaid intern: "Well, there's a band called The Postal Service"
Boss: "I love it. So clever, and edgy, too. What's that you say...they're not very good?"
Commercial guys: "Don't worry, we can edit out the sucking."
Boss: "Good. Because the pun is critical to our success."
Unpaid intern: "Wait, if you edit out the sucking, who's going to know it's The Postal Service and catch the joke?"
Commercial guys: "Mostly music nerds."
Boss: "Do they ship many packages?"
Commercial guys: "Ummm...sure."

Anyway, if you listen the original and then realize that Sam found enough of something in there to turn into something beautiful, he should probably gain a level of respect in your mind, if nothing else. None of that has anything to do with the song I'm posting today. This song showed up on a little six-song EP called "Woman King" that he put out back in 2005. I love the overall tone of the album, of which this song is fairly representative. So if you like the track, check out the EP as well. Enjoy!

Counting Crows - "Children in Bloom"

Counting Crows holds a special place in my heart. Their first album, "August and Everything After" is in my top 5 albums of all time. That's almost certainly due to the fact that I was 15 when it was released. So I'm a little defensive when someone says they can't stand Counting Crows. More often than not, however, I find that the people who say that just got tired of hearing "Mr. Jones" played hour after hour on the radio and on MTV (back when MTV played music). For the record, "Mr. Jones" is my least favorite track on that album, so I can understand the sentiment. But there is so much more there to appreciate. The guitarists (sometimes two of them, sometimes three), in particular, consistently impress me not with their wizardry (though David Bryson studied under Joe Satriani and could undoubtedly impress on that front) but with their ability to find a space to occupy, and their unique choices that result from that dynamic. There is so much that they do that would never even occur to me to try. I also love that the band routinely (and tastefully) uses a Hammond organ (just check out "Another Horsedreamer's Blues" for an example of that). Now, if you don't like the Counting Crows because of Adam Duritz's vocals, I can understand and respect that; I never really got into Rush for the very same reason...I couldn't deal with Geddy Lee's vocals.

Anyway, the song: this is probably my favorite cut from their sophomore album "Recovering the Satellites". Unsurprisingly, it was never released as a single. I just checked Wikipedia for the singles that charted from this album: "Angels of the Silences", "A Long December", "Daylight Fading", and "Have You Seen Me Lately". I'm not sure you could have picked a worse four...I'll never understand A&R folks. My four would have been "Children in Bloom", "Recovering the Satellites", "Another Horsedreamer's Blues", and "Goodnight Elizabeth". I'd also push for "Miller's Angels", but I'd lose because of the length of the song. I have no idea what this song is actually about, and that's kind of the way I like it. It evokes my own set of visions and memories when I hear it, and I think that's how music should be: personal. I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

p.s. - Please try to ignore the picture of the band all leather-clad and looking like the photographer caught them enjoying a dimebag. Please.

Colin Hay - "Don't Wait Up"

Does the name ring a bell for you? No? How about Men at Work? Well, it turns out that a good songwriter is a good songwriter, regardless of the decade. And Colin's voice has simply gotten cooler with age. I highly recommend the album that this track shows up on, Going Somewhere. In addition to today's song, it also includes some other gems, such as "Beautiful World", "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin", and "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You". Because I'm a guitarist, I'm a sucker for songs with nothing more than a singer and his/her guitar (a fact that will undoubtedly influence to some degree the songs that I post here), and this one certainly fits the bill. Enjoy!

Mat Kearney - "What's a Boy to Do"

I really enjoy most of Mat Kearney's music. The only exceptions tend to be his brief ventures into rapping. While this song didn't get much radio play (or any, to my knowledge), I think it's one of his best. It's a haunting song about a boy's search for what it means to be a man. I've remarked to a few people before that this is one that probably wouldn't have impacted me as much before I had children, but now that I do, I find it devastating. Not too shabby for a song with only three chords (IV-VI-V). Enjoy!

Elbow - "Mirrorball"

There are so many good songs by Elbow that it was really hard for me to choose just one. I could have just as easily gone with "Grounds for Divorce", "Any Day Now", or "One Day Like This". However, the real choice came down to "Mirrorball" or "Switching Off". I love both songs, but "Mirrorball" has better overall instrumentation, and I think does a better job of pointing towards lead singer Guy Garvey's primary vocal influence: Peter Gabriel. It's fairly noticeable throughout, but in my opinion, it's unmistakable in the final refrain "...down to you dear". If you happen to like the song, you should check out the orchestral session performed at Abbey Road studios. Enjoy!

The Raconteurs - "Level (Live)" and "Bang, Bang (Live)"

So it looks like we have a double-dose today. I was originally just going to post the live version of "Level" for a couple of reasons: 1) it's far better than the version on the album and 2) it does a pretty good job of demonstrating the primary quality I enjoy about Jack White's playing/singing...namely, his barely controlled energy. I love the song, and I like the atmosphere of the video and getting to see the band communicate with one another. They're tight enough that it's mostly quick glances when necessary at all. But in my opinion, the better example of all of these points has always been The Raconteurs cover of Sonny Bono's "Bang, Bang" (originally performed by Cher, then by Nancy Sinatra). My problem was that hands down, the best version of this I've ever seen was their performance on Austin City Limits, and that didn't used to be on Youtube. Well I checked this morning, and someone finally got it out there. So please enjoy both of these.

The Avett Brothers - "Murder in the City"

The Avett Brothers are a fairly eclectic group, moving easily from soft and heartfelt (like this song, "I and Love and You", and "January Wedding") to hilarious ("Yardsale") to full-on romps ("Talk on Indolence"). However, what I really appreciate about this group is the ability of the two brothers to harmonize, a feature that tends to mark bands featuring siblings. Take it in, and enjoy!

The Mercy Street Band - "Heart of Grace"

Because the first song posted should be something special, I opted for a project with which I was involved.  Is it shilling a bit?  Probably, but the cause couldn't be more worthy: the song was recorded for the sole purpose of raising funds to help cover the costs of a heart transplant for a 3-year old girl (Leah Grace Parker, who is the daughter of some good friends of mine, Ross and Katie Parker).  You can download the song from iTunes or Amazon.com by visiting The Mercy Street Band's Website and choosing your preferred download outlet from there.  You can also find links to Leah's COTA (Children's Organ Transplant Association) page there, and discover a little more about this wonderful family's plight.  Should you be so inclined, you can also donate directly to her COTA fund on that site.  I hope you enjoy the song!