under the covers, chaper twenty-two

I got a chance to preview this week's Acoustic Cafe show and this is the track that leads things off...it's a cover of Journey's "Faithfully" by Matt the Electrician, and it's tremendous. Enjoy.

Journey


Matt the Electrician


sing loud.

BS

highways + horses

I depart for the Louisville tomorrow to attend the 136th running of the both the Kentucky Oaks & Derby as well as see a heap of dearly missed friends. Because of this adventure the blog will be out of commission for about a week, and I leave you with links to the first fifteen songs on the playlist that will guide my journey: highway to horses. Enjoy. You know I will.

1. Pearl Jam - Rearviewmirror
2. Bright Eyes - Road to Joy
3. Will Hoge - Highway's Home
4. Elliott - Drive On to Me
5. The Avett Brothers - Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
6. Jim James of My Morning Jacket - Bermuda Highway
7. The Swell Season - High Horses
8. Eddie Money - Two Tickets to Paradise (we have six)
9. Pearl Jam - Untitled/MFC
10. The Swell Season - Drive All Night (acoustic Springsteen cover)
11. Tom McRae - Silent Boulevard
12. Ray Lamontagne - All the Wild Horses
13. The Proclaimers - 500 Miles (acoustic)
14. The Format - Faith in Fast Cars (parking lot acoustic)
15. Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running

listen hard, drive harder, and sing the whole effing time.

BS

we're going nowhere slowly but we're enjoying all the sights...

Frank Turner debuted on this site in chapter nineteen of under the covers, and now, after a friendly reminder from a friend to give him a proper listen and some quality time with him and his work, he appears again.

Just as he displayed in his cover of "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," passion is his trademark. His guitar abilities are average, but his energy is nearly tangible and his lyrics are simple and true, stuffed with emotion and experience, all of which hits home without any listening effort. He's put out three albums, the newest is The Poetry of the Deed, released last year on Epitaph Records. Enjoy.

The Road


Photosynthesis


The Ballad of Me and My Friends


Thunder Road (Springsteen cover)


let it make you move.

BS

crawling in deaf and dumb for the losers ball...

Below is the awesome first track off the self-titled debut Codeine Velvet Club album, "Hollywood." I'm not sure if I like it because it's slight Tony Christie feel to it (chorus) or because of the incredibly intelligent lyrics, but either way, I simply like it. I'll just keep working on an explanation...

Hollywood


enjoy.

BS

put out the fire and don't look past my shoulder...

A massive thank you to Nate C for posting this on facebook for all (and at the very least, me) to enjoy. Eddie Vedder played two songs on his own before the house came down with this cover of Baba O'Riley at Conan's Prohibited tour show in Seattle. Enjoy.



wow.

BS

when you pull me from the bed tell me i look stunning and cadaverous (again)...

If you visit this blog remotely often, you should know by now that I have a newly (earlier this year) formed obsession with Freelance Whales. They are gaining popularity and their upbeat, poppy sounds paired with fairly dark lyrics have combined for a tremendous debut album (Weathervanes). They just finished up a Daytrotter Session, and so, here it is for you to enjoy. Note that the track list is messed up (at least at the time of posting), the Generator songs (first floor and second floor) are mixed up.

Click here.

listen.
sing.
enjoy.

BS

what do you see when you dream about the future?

The new album from Apples In Stereo, Travellers in Space and Time, came out today...I had a chance to give a good twice over last week at the radio station and the pairing of the first two tracks are the ones that were deemed to be the best for airplay. "The Code" leads into the single off the album, which is "Dream About the Future." You'll hear them both below...it just makes me want to move around a little bit. Click on the band name above to visit their website and preview the entire album.

Coming soon...Dawes, Okkervil River, LCD Soundsystem and The Tallest Man On Earth...

The Code/Dream About the Future


dance?

BS

the fact that my heart's beating is all the proof you need.

Jim James. It's simple: just hit play and enjoy.

Steam Engine


Master Plan


listen.
sing.
enjoy.

BS

that which you fear the most could meet you half way...

While working on a paper this morning, I went youtubing for a live performance of Off He Goes (top five Pearl Jam favorites) and it led me to several videos from their Benaroya Hall show in Seattle in 2003 (which was made into live album). Below are terrific versions of Crazy Mary, Bob Dylan's Masters of War, Johnny Cash's 25 Minutes to Go, Black (great crowd involvement) and a few others worth your time. And to all of it I say yes and please. Go on and enjoy.

Off He Goes


Masters of War (Dylan cover)


Crazy Mary


Black


Daughter/You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (Beatles)


Immortality


Man of the Hour


25 Minutes to Go (Johnny Cash cover)


listen.

BS

you told us fortunes in american slang...

Th new single from The Gaslight Anthem, American Slang, that's out June 15. Yes + please.



listen.
sing.
enjoy.

BS

in my days I ruled deception.

Mike Mangione has within him, the ability to stack lyrics onto music that forces you to to do more than listen. They sit you down and makes you think about moments past and current paths. Like he did with so many tracks off his last album, Tenebrae, he's at it again with The Offering, but this time, his backing band has a moniker (The Union). Let it be known that a handful of his songs have a religious undertone to them, which is usually a turn off for me, but, if done right, can be appreciated and enjoyed. The new album is available to stream on their website and it's available on itunes, but it appears that if you want a hard copy, you have to purchase it through the Mike Mangione website via CDFreedom. Now, more about the music...

Not long ago, I posted four live songs by Mangione and Co. as a precursor to this album being released. Mangione was then kind enough to give PTC some love by posting a link to the blog on the front page of his website (and for that, I'm genuinely thankful). Mangione's lyrics are consistently strong, full of purpose, meaning, and relation: real life stories about real life situations accompanied by a host of simple yet winding melodies. Musically, they don't complicated things, but they've added the element of strings to their latest effort, which, if used correctly, can take a song to the next level. The Offering is soft and sweeping and more layered than previous efforts; it's clear they've taken their time to make this record (Tenebrae was released in August of 2007). The chief complaint I have is that Mangione doesn't let himself go, that is to say, he seems to hold back in what seem to be opportunities within his own songs to wail and blow away his listeners, yet he continually sticks to the comfort of his soft vocals. I've listened to the album twice now, and while I'm still soaking in all the lyrics and diving into the melodies, a few tracks stick out initially (which I fully expected, and they're listed below).

I hope you'll take the time to go to his site and listen (for free) and then go on and buy the album. The only song off the album with a decent youtube video (that I could find) is posted below.

PTC Top Drawer Tracks:
At Your Gate
Darling Little Sister
Somewhere In Between
Wear My Name

Darlin Little Sister

directionless and drifting...

A couple months back I posted the album version of Josh Ritter's new single, "Change of Time." Since then I've been periodically searching for a solid live version (one decent one has been around for awhile) and this morning, it has been located. Only 222 people had viewed this before I had, which just gives me a little bit more pep in my step for the day. His new album, So the World Runs Away is due out May 4. Yes please.

Change of Time


listen.

BS

let it always be known that i was who i am.

Laura Marling with her song "Rambling Man."

Intentional or not, it's a page straight out of the book written by Joni Mitchell, and to this listener, it's awesome. The twenty year-old Marling found success and gained musical momentum as a teenager via Myspace, and released her second full length album, I Speak Because I Can, on March 22 on Virgin Records.

Rambling Man


listen.

BS

i like to know you're there, though there's nothing left to say.

Thanks is in order to MB, whose background music choice of Lucero was nothing short of perfect. Music, and all forms of art, each have their own place and time, whether it be one song that brings you back to a specific moment or entire album dominating your summer, timing is everything. And thanks to perfect timing, I spent last night enveloped in early Lucero brilliance, and it has carried on into today. Yes and please.

While I've enjoyed their newest release, 1372 Overton Park, for it's musical depth, layers, and inclusion of horns (they must be Springsteen fans, but then again, who isn't?), I certainly don't think it's their best, or, at least, their lyrically hardest hitting album. However, "Smoke" is absolutely, hands down, a terrific song (track sixteen on AVSH 2009). Below are two older Lucero tracks, one from Rogues, Rebels and Sworn Brothers (2006) and one from Tennessee (2002).

The last minute and thirty two seconds of the first song posted below, "Sweet Little Thing," send me hopelessly searching for words to describe and define the effect music can have. I think though, that if I ever do find those words, the songs may not mean as much. Anyway, for now, just go on and enjoy a little piece of Memphis (you know I am).

Sweet Little Thing


She Wakes When She Dreams


listen.

BS

i've done the math enough to know the dangers of our second guessing...

Nothing new here, just a solid live version of a tremendous song. Maynard is the man. The music kicks in around the one minute mark...



listen.

BS

oh, please tell me when to go.

This post is for the one and only Jum Hammonds. He has been driving the Vampire Weekend bus from the very beginning (which I'm also riding on...I really, really love Contra). He sent me a message the other day about this song, and I'd actually heard it about 10 hours before...so, let's embrace The Very Best and the tremendous Ezra Koenig (of VW) as they make our worlds better with this song. It makes me happy, I hope it does the same for you. The official video cannot be embedded, but it's tremendous, so click here to watch it, or just listen by clicking below. Finally, click here for lyrics.

Warm Heart of Africa

the hold steady = eagerly awaiting.

The Hold Steady's new album, Heaven Is Whenever, is due out May 4th. Yes please. While their last effort, Stay Positive, is an album worth owning, they did not improve upon the tremendous work piece of work that is Boys and Girls In America, but word is that this new album is more like Boys and Girls, and with that, consider me officially excited. This is one track off the new album, titled "Hurricane J."




listen hard.
sing loud.
enjoy.

I thought I had found my golden September in the middle of that purple June...

Thanks to JV, via WFPK Radio Louisville, for passing this on. Australian indie rockers Augie March released their fourth album, Watch Me Disappear last month. The first song posted is "One Crowded Hour," off their 2006 album Moo, You Bloody Choir. The second is the title track off their latest.

One Crowded Hour


Watch Me Disappear


listen hard.
sing loud.
enjoy.

BS

the bridge: section two

Section two features David Berkeley's "Willis Avenue Bridge," Frightened Rabbit's "Nothing Like You" and "Take Your Time (Coming Home)" by fun. They're all connected, enjoy the music and the bridges between.

David Berkeley - Willis Avenue Bridge (seriously, no pun intended here)


Frightened Rabbit - Nothing Like You


fun. - Take Your Time (Coming Home)


listen hard.
sing loud.
enjoy.

BS

under the covers, chapter twenty one: the sweeping insensitivity...

Imogen Heap, playing a live version of "Hide and Seek" and covered by the tremendously talented Time for Three, a classically trained trio of string players (two violins and one bass) who were on the World Cafe today. I sat in my parked car, listening to their version, absolutely paralyzed. This song is so sad, so well-written, so innovative, and the string version brings all of that but from a whole different musical direction. Yes. Please.

Imogen Heap


Time for Three


it saves.

BS

freelance whales + bear in heaven + cymbals eat guitars = $3

Last Friday night at the Replay Lounge in Lawrence, Kansas, my brother and I paid $3 to see, in this order, Freelance Whales, Bear In Heaven and Cymbals Eat Guitars. I'd pay $3 to see almost anyone play music, but to pay a dollar a band for the quality of music we saw that night is absurd. I feel like I should go back and give them more money.

The Replay, at least where the bands play, can't hold more than 100 people and there is no stage. Freelance Whales opened up, a band I've been listening to for about six weeks now, one that's rapidly receiving more and more hype. They've a versatile bunch, switching up instruments after nearly every song. I'm in love with their debut album, Weathervanes, and was so pleased to be able to see (and even meet) them. Seriously though, buy the album. It's tremendous. Below is "Generator (Second Floor)."

Generator (Second Floor)


I had heard of but had not heard Bear In Heaven before the show. There were significantly more people there to see them than Freelance Whales, and by the time they there a couple songs in, I understood why. Three men, offering up a rock/electronica sound with distorted vocals may not sound like much when you read it, but their space exploring sound and intensity are enough to hook you in immediately. The lead singer, with an impressive mustache and bushy eyebrows, glared menacingly into the crowd during each song, but then quickly, gently, and quietly thanked everyone immediately after. It was if he transformed into this super-intense musical maniac during each song, and then back to normal again when it ended (let me say that I think it was awesome). I bought their newest album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth, directly after the show. This is one of the top tracks off it, "Lovesick Teenagers."

Lovesick Teenagers


Cymbals Eat Guitars
I hadn't even heard of this band before the show, but apparently they've received some solid praise from places like KEXP and Pitchfork. My brother aptly compared them to early Modest Mouse, with their sometimes angry, passion filled approach, it makes them harder to like than to dislike. There were less people there to see CEG than there were to see FW, which is interesting. Regardless, though their overall sound may not be up my alley, I found myself enjoying the show and admiring their commitment to the music, their passion for playing and seeing how much they enjoyed themselves. This is one of the top songs off their album, Why There Are Mountains. It's called "Wind Phoenix."

Wind Phoenix


listen hard.
sing loud.
enjoy.

so you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore...

I caught the last half of Bruce Springsteen on Storytellers this afternoon. And while some of what The Boss had to say in his song explanations could be classified as batshit crazy, he's still a legend, a genius, and a hero. There are so many Springsteen songs worth posting, but this one, right here in this moment, just fits perfectly into the space I'm currently occupying. Check out the lyrics here.

Thunder Road


listen hard.
sing loud.
it saves.

BS

stick up for yourself son, nevermind what anybody else done...

I'm listening to the new Yeasayer album, Odd Blood, while cleaning/packing for the weekend. Thanks to David Dye for pushing me in the direction I needed to put the album on today. Their first album, All Hour Cymbals, released in 2007, was met with massive critical acclaim. At first listen, it appears they have at least matched their efforts from three years ago. If you dig on Animal Collective, Phoenix, or Passion Pit, then you'll enjoy Yeasayer. Here are a couple tracks off the new album that stuck out to me...

Ambling Alp


I Remember


listen hard.
sing loud.
enjoy.

BS