Seven Minutes or More, Part One

I have a healthy obsession with lengthy songs. I don't love all of them, though. "November Rain" is a great example of a tremendously long song that I don't enjoy. The list below, however, are songs found in my library that are longer than seven minutes that I do enjoy. Some are legitimately legendary on musical merit, some are just personally legendary to me.

"Thin Blue Flame" by Josh Ritter (9:39)
This song's been mentioned on PTC before. It's truly epic in nature. I remember after I first heard it, I just couldn't wait to read the lyrics and dissect them, to break them down and get inside them to get more enjoyment out of the song. Well, I did that, or, at least attempted to, and then I heard Ritter give an interview on The World Cafe with David Dye about the song, and I was disappointed at the gibberish he was spewing out regarding the meaning of the song (I am aware that my anger towards the songwriter for the definition of their own song isn't okay). Then after I thought about it, I realized it didn't matter. That song became such a massive part of that moment in my life and although his meaning doesn't match up with mine, I'll still always have my end of it.

"23" by Jimmy Eat World (7:23)
This track was on their Futures album that came out my senior year of college. I was 22 and frantically trying to get the required work done to finish my last semester and graduate. The lyircs came into my life at the right time, and it helped that at one point Jim Adkins sings "I'll be 23." It was true....I would be. I can remember sitting in a study cubicle at the Chester Fritz Library, reading Shakespeare and listening to this song on repeat.

"Release" by Pearl Jam (8:23)
Though a good chunk of the more than eight minutes is silence followed by a instrumental outtro/intro to the first track (Release is the final track on the album), Once, this song is too important to me not to qualify. I've seen them play it live and that was great and all, but this is my favorite all time PJ song, and the only way to listen to it is in a silent, dark room with the volume high. Try it.

"Velvet Waltz" by Built to Spill (8:33)

My oldest brother introduced me to The Shins and Built to Spill at the same time by giving me a disc with a plethera of new music on it, but two of the standout tracks were "New Slang" by the Shins and this track by BTS. "You had better just enjoy the luxury of sympathy if that's a luxury you have." I was hooked from that point on.

"Mrs. Potters' Lullaby" by Counting Crows (7:46)
As annoying as Counting Crows can be and as bad as they can be live, they have some songs that have resonated with me personally and have managed to keep popping up in my life. This Desert Life came out when I was a junior in high school and for about two months, it was all I listened to. CC mastered the art of being unhappy, yet occaisonally masking their total unhappy lyrics with happy sounding music. This is one of those songs, and because of it's repeated personal relevance, it will stay in my library.

"The Trapeze Swinger" by Iron & Wine (9:32)
I've written about this track a few times on PTC now. I genuinely think Sam Beam is the best songwriter of his time (I hope his time lasts for many years to come). In this song he takes listeners through a winding but familar path, using situations we can all relate to and leaving us wishing we'd written the song ourselves. As it is in many of his songs, there's a heavy dose of relationships and religion. His magnificient writing talent is almost haunting.

To Be Concluded.

Listen hard, sing loud and as always, enjoy.

Bullets without Butterfly Wings...

First off, are the words "bullet with butterfly wings" even mentioned in the Smashing Pumpkins song that bears the same name? Secondly, there are many things to discuss...

• Let me be the last to inform you that Michael Jackson is dead. When I heard the news I have to say that I was sad, but not shocked. For a long time now he's looked like a sneeze would kill him. It's unfortunate, for sure, especially for those who were slated to see him perform in London. There's really no way he was going to get through all 50 shows, was there? And while I certainly enjoy a handful of songs he made over the course of his career, he's never been someone that's had a direct impact on my adult musical choices. I did have the cassette tape of Bad when I was a kid, and all I can remember about is listening to the title track, rewinding it, and listening again and again. Side note, I do not miss walkman's (would the plural of walkman be walkmen?) or discman's (same question). Back to Michael...it's a shame, but his estate will now make a bunch of money on the whole thing and I'm sure they'll be some never released material that Sony somehow gets their hands on soon enough.

• Wilco's new album comes out Tuesday. If you like music, you should buy it.
  
  
• Lollapalooza is coming up in August in Chicago. If you like music, you'll find some performer there that you can enjoy. The list of bands I'm excited for are: Tool, Ben Harper, Andrew Bird, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, Ben Folds, Bon Iver, Dan Auerbach, Cold War Kids, Robert Earl Keen, Heartless Bastards, Peter, Bjorn and John, Gomez, Glasvegas, Gaslight Anthem, Airborne Toxic Event, and Delta Spirit. If I make it there and if I manage to see all those bands, I may have a sensory overload and collapse. I'll be sure to bring my helmet.
  
  
• There's word that Josh Ritter is headlining the July Waterfront Wednesday. I hope it's true. I am high on nearly all his stuff....fell in love with him after I heard the epic track that is "Thin Blue Flame, " and his his latest album, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter is tremendous. I saw him at Headliners not long after that album was released and he put out a qualify live performance. Sometimes artists like him, who typically start as acoustic singer-songwriters and then with some success pick up a full band, can struggle at live shows with the right amount of sound output...but Ritter handled it well and I'm jazzed to see him again.
  
  
• I hope to soon put down a review of Dave Matthews Band's latest album, which is something about whiskey and a "groogrux" king. Looking forward to diving into that album. Though Dave has always been a massively popular artist, I really enjoy a lot of his stuff. And I have a huge soft spot for anything played by him and Tim Reynolds....

Until then, listen hard, sing loud and as always, enjoy.

BS

I Got Some

A track off Pearl Jam's upcoming album Backspacer, called "I Got Some." A good way for Conan to start off his tenure as the host of the Tonight Show...

June = slow down.

Through the summer heat and the heavy work load, it's been difficult to slow down. Some recently found music has started to help me do so, though.

1. "Colorado Girl" - Steve Earle (Townes Van Zandt)
Earle has recently released an album title Townes, in which he covers fifteen Townes Van Zandt songs. Van Zandt was Earle's mentor and friend, and he's taken each of these songs, paid tribute to his hero, yet managed to attach his own scent to it. He's on a different plane than he was when he wrote "Copperhead Road." Steve Earle, quite frankly, is the man.

2. "Venn Diagram" - Lisa Hannigan
I saw Damien Rice play here in Louisville soon after his rather public split from Hannigan, and despite her absence, he put on a tremendous show at The Palace. Hannigan, though, played a major role in a large number of Rice's tracks, typically adding to the already haunting nature of them. Well, Hannigan has fully emerged from the shadow of Rice and the cloud that surrounded their breakup and released her own album. This is my favorite song off that release, Sea Sew.

3. "Sleeping Sickness" - City and Colour

A super fun song that blends a bit of Oasis, Remy Zero and Snow Patrol. Try not enjoying it.

4. "The National Side" - Romantica
A song that makes reference to Wembley and winning the FA Cup....right up my alley.

5. "Bones from the Ground" - Brooks Ritter
I've mentioned this tune before...but Ritter was on Live Lunch last week and failed to play this....at least not in the portion I heard....and since I wished he had played it, I'm listing it. I'm excited to see Ritter open for Mike Mangione at the 930 Listening Room on July 18. Last time around, Ben Sollee opened for Mangione at that same venue and it was a fantastic show. Mangione and crew are a tremendous live act that not many seem to know/care about. And Sollee of course, well, you know how I feel about him.

6. "Heartbroken, In Disrepair" - Dan Auerbach
One half of the Black Keys takes off on a similar, yet singular path of music. Great tune.

7. "Day is Done" - Ryan Bingham

Bingham's second release, Roadhouse Sun, came out last week. His hard-nosed, rodeo personna is the real deal. He's about as close to country as I get, and he his second effort has proved he's got good things to offer to the world of music.

8. "Moonshiner" - Redbird
Typically softer sounding Redbird continue to grow on me. Pandora has provided me anything and everything by this artist.

9. "Eden was a Garden" - Roman Candle
David Dye seems to love this group, and so do I.