Category Archives: MP3’s

Jeremy Messersmith – The Silver City (2008)

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photo credit: Steven Cohen

Minneapolis singer/songwriter Jeremy Messersmith just released his sophomore album, The Silver City. I featured Messersmith on the site two years ago when his debut album The Alcatraz Kid came out, and I’ve been following him ever since.

As traditional as his music is, and as easy as it is to compare him to a more upbeat (happier) Elliott Smith, I’ve always found him to have a unique sound. His vocals are the forefront of his music, and I feel many similarly influenced musicians hide behind their instrumentals and somberly whisper in a way that he doesn’t. When I’m in the mood for music that offers a balance between light & dark, Messersmith’s music fills the role perfectly.

While The Silver City hasn’t had as big of an impact on me as The Alcatraz Kid, I still really like it. The album has a concentration on the Twin Cities (Minneapolis), and focuses on geography, such as life in the suburbs, city, and the commute between both. Right now, “Miracles,” “Skyway,” “Virginia,” and “Light Rail” are among my favorite tracks on the album.

I noted in my last feature on Jeremy, and it’s worth noting again, that he seems like an extremely friendly guy (just like everyone from Minneapolis, am I right?!) It looks like his blog has disappeared from his recently updated site, but he sometimes uses Myspace to make blog posts. They are really enjoyable to read, like this older post about his apartment getting broken into. We could use some more honest musicians out there like Messersmith.

The Silver City (2008):

Jeremy Messersmith – Virginia

Jeremy Messersmith – Miracles

The  Alcatraz Kid (2006):

Jeremy Messersmith – Beautiful Children

Jeremy Messersmith – Great Times

Site | iTunes | Amazon | Myspace | ‘Cake In 15’ Interview

Below is the music video for “Miracles.” Supposedly it’s the first full-length music video shot by iPhone. This better not turn into Apple’s next iPhone commercial.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-Woqa-XJfs[/youtube]

WVAU: The Indie Muse Show

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click banner to stream

Happy Sunday, everyone. Just wanted to let you know that you can stream our radio show today from 2-4 EST via WVAU.org. If you have a chance to check it out, we’d really appreciate the support. Our AIM screenname is “radiowvau,” if you wanna say hi during the show. Thanks!

Just press this link to stream: http://wvau.ods.org/listen.pls

Here are two songs we’ll be playing today:

Andrew Bird -  Fiery Crash

Eddie Vedder – Hard Sun (Into the Wild OST)

Built to Spill – Perfect From Now On (LIVE)

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Last night I saw Built to Spill for the third time in the past 3 years. The first time I saw them at Lollapalooza and they were supporting You In Reverse, the second was in Boston when they were just touring for the sake of touring, and this third time they played Perfect From Now On in its entirety. This was the first time that had gone to an album show. I sort of have mixed feelings about the concept. On one hand this can really emphasize the importance of the album and PFNO is one that needs to be emphasized as an album. On the other hand, I like when a band is able to pull out some old songs from their earlier albums and hearing their new interpretation of an old song. The best part about the second time I saw Built to Spill was they got to play whatever they wanted with no pressure to play songs from their newest album.

Last night’s show, however, was very good. There were 3 guitars, bass, cello, synthesizer, and drums. Their sound was nearly as full as it was on the album. They played everything almost exactly how it sounded on the album, but in this case it’s a good thing. I also picked up this little newspaper type thing that explained the album with little interviews with all the band members. Doug Martsch described “Randy Describes Eternity” (my favorite song on the album).

“When I was in junior high school I went to a youth group called God Squad. Every Tuesday night we’d meet at the First Baptist Church, play foosball, go to McDonald’s, and hang out with Randy, a friendly, charismatic Christian. He told us this metaphor for eternity which struck me not because it drove home how long my suffering or joy would last after my death, depending on whether or not I accept Jesus as my savior, which was his intent, but because I thought it was a such a frustrating concept – the futility of trying to wear down a planet-sized metal ball by swiping it periodically with a feather. When Phil [Ek] was mastering it the engineer asked how many girls were in the band.”

Though they didn’t just play the album; immediately after they went right into “Goin’ Against Your Mind” for probably about 10 minutes. The came out for a little encore of “Big Dipper” and “Car” off of There’s Nothing Wrong With Love. This show was a great reminder of how much I enjoy Built to Spill and I like music in the first place.

MP3: Built to Spill -  Randy Describes Eternity

MP3: Built to Spill – Made-Up Dreams

MySpace | Website

Dr. Dog: “Breeze”

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Sometimes life is a bit overwhelming. The feeling is incredibly human, and everyone experiences it at one point or another. It may be life moving too fast or perhaps not fast enough. Or maybe it’s just an uncomfortable uncertainty with our future. Whatever the reason, it’s important for us to take a second out of our busy lives to catch our breath and realize everything is going to be okay. I heard the song “Breeze” by Dr. Dog for the first time today, and it had an extremely meaningful impact on me. Everyone needs to hear this song.

Fate (2008):

Dr. Dog – Breeze

lyrics

image credit: Listen for Joy

Pikelet – Bug-In-Mouth

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Before coming to Australia, where I’m studying until December, I was repeatedly told that there is no local music scene in Sydney. “It’s all DJs and clubs and $20 drinks and dress codes,” they said. Well apparently, these people never wandered outside of the two block radius encompassed by our campus. Sydney’s music scene is thriving.

Last week, I wandered into the Hopetoun Hotel (they call bars hotels, weird) in a wonderful town called Surry Hills to discover Pikelet, an Australian singer/songwriter/magician out of Melbourne. Sitting alone with a classical guitar, in front of two mics and above an assortment of loop and delay pedals, next to a lone tom-tom, underneath what seemed like a single ray of divine light, Pikelet built masterful, otherworldly arrangements that I still don’t believe could originate entirely from one person. After only one song, I knew: if I were to take a trip to a mystical land far, far away, Pikelet would be my soundtrack.

She weaves tales in the style of Joanna Newsom, meandering through songs with ever-evolving structures, forcing her stories to fit her melodies, all the while propelled by layers of accordion, synthesizers, classical guitar and vocal and percussive loops. If you’re into the above mentioned Ms. Newsom, Kate Bush, Mirah, Audrey Ryan, dig Sufjan’s arrangements or have a respect for Phil Elverum’s production style, then you’ve found a friend in Pikelet.

I know I’ve been captured by a sound when I can space out for an hour, not quite knowing what just happened, but having definitively vague memories of valleys and peaks, of half-conceived hooks and singular notes, that with a second listen, always evoke overwhelming deja vu, and nostalgia for something that might not exist. Basically, it’s when I get the chills. So, thanks for that, Pikelet. And I hope y’all get the chills too.

And my favorite lyric so far, from “Bug-In-Mouth”:

“Instead of sleeping, I’m going to keep going. Instead of counting sheep, I’m going to count how many bugs I eat in my sleep.”

And two songs! From her self-titled debut (and you can purchase the album from the link below, which you should):

Pikelet – Bug-In-Mouth

Pikelet – Size Matters

|Myspace|Website/OMG buy the album!|Wikipedia!|

Neil Halstead – Oh! Mighty Engine

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Neil Halstead is mostly known for his work with Slowdive and Mojave 3. He normally creates quiet, elegant music. Slowdive is more shoegazey and atmospheric, while Mojave 3 has a more traditional rock vibe, but there remains a somewhat consistent sound throughout his career. On his second solo album (released on Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records), Halstead moves in the direction of folk a la Nick Drake, Bob Dylan and Donovan. I find it to be good music for the transition from summer into fall. There’s nothing too exciting going on, but you can tell that Halstead has developed as a songwriter and has been able to convey a particular laid-back yet contemplative mood.

MP3: Neil Halstead – Oh! Mighty Engine

MP3: Neil Halstead – Sometimes the Wheels

MP3: Mojave 3 – Bluebird of Happiness

MP3: Slowdive – Erik’s Song

MySpace |  Brushfire Records

Sufjan Stevens – Super Sexy Woman (2000)

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I only post this because I feel this song has slipped under most people’s radars. (So, sorry if this post seems slightly irrelevant. I just re-discovered it and got really excited.) From his first album, A Sun Came!, this is one of the zanier things Sufjan’s ever released. It sounds like something you’d record stoned at four in the morning on a whim. Which was probably the case, evidenced by the off-key vocals and the warm crackle of a four-track. I especially recommend this for any doubter’s of Sufjan’s songwriting prowess. If there is a song to turn you, it’s Super Sexy Woman. And with lyrics like “She is super duper smart/I like her for her mind/She’ll shoot a super fart/The deadly silent kind,” what’s not to love?

And for whatever reason, no one ever talks about A Sun Came!, which is just as good, if not better, than his more celebrated releases. So check it out. I know Sufjan has been blogged to death, but most of it is deserving.

And just for some context (and in the event that you’ve been living under a rock, which is somehow underneath another, larger rock), I’ve included Chicago, one of his hits from Illinoise!.

Sufjan Stevens – Super Sexy Woman

Sufjan Stevens – Chicago

Oh, and this video is hysterical.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv5AELClUNs[/youtube]

|Myspace|Amazon|Website|

Song of the Day – 9/8/08

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Hey everyone. It’s been crazy as always. Good to see you again.

photo credit: Bowen Rodkey

A few weeks ago, I got a chance to listen to the On the Tail of the White Donkey EP, the debut release from folk-singer Vikesh Kapoor. His music always brings me to the same conclusion. We must return to this tradition. There is so much to be had here–so much that real folk music can do for the industry and all the places it reaches.

I can just imagine Kapoor (recently off a successful tour with staff favorite Nicholas Beaven) moving along, each song gracefully falling from his back pocket. Travelling through the heart of an unnamed area,  almost ignoring the complications of musicianship and poetics, he sings his stories. I remember my first experience with his music, sitting cross-legged on the floor of a discreet second-story Allston apartment. There were no chairs, no posters, no amplifiers and absolutely no bullshit.

An Indian-American traditonal folk singer is something to turn your head to at first. His influences are part of a strong force of writers and players that do not share common ground in style, but share a similar need to create this long-forgotten escape that doesn’t have any room for the pitfalls of popular music today. I’ll spare all of you comparisons to others in his genre and simply say this: Everything in his music that at first sounds tired quickly becomes an understanding–that in order to create a piece of intellectual, poetic tradition one must come to terms with both who they are and what they have learned along the long, hard path. Kapoor’s feet are on their way to becoming tough and leathery and we’re lucky enough to catch him so soon.

Over the course of the EP, this truly became clear. Deciding which of these songs was going to be your Song of the Day was tough. Just as important as the individual tales, the whole EP is a coherent, imaginative collection of songs that describe a shared need for honest human connection. If that isn’t the point of this EP, then I would have to say Vikesh Kapoor as succeeded in creating something that, while sometimes inconsistent and unsteady in its footing, is in a way universally relatable–the way it should be.

Some major moments for me occur on the unnervingly beautiful “One Woman Man.” It’s those moments of folk glory where the song sounds as if it is from 1950 until he includes a line with a turn-of-phrase or euphemism that jarrs the listener back into the present. All of a sudden we have something that exists outside of the system. Later on, Kapoor hits what I consider to be a masterpiece, “Willy Robbins.” A traditional folk tale (no chorus, just the adamant painting of a harrowing picture). He sings lines like “then like many working men, he’d shower, watch TV.” and their gravity is unreal. It is truly brilliant.

However, neither of these songs I chose to share with you today. I think you should grab the EP and spend a moment to hear what an honest artist sounds like.  The songs discussed above are even better in context. One song, however, you should definitely hear. “Till the Fields” is a happy, catchy tune with many simple parts working together. Truly, Vikesh Kapoor’s poetry is the most obvious talent, but as a guitarist he supports himself in admirable fashion.

MP3: Vikesh Kapoor – “Till the Fields”

MP3: Vikesh Kapoor – “Down by the River”

Home | MySpace

Support Vikesh Kapoor: Buy On The Tail Of The White Donkey EP

Vikesh Kapoor is performing at TT the Bears in Caimbridge on Thursday, September 25th. It’s his only show for a little while so GO THERE.

Pick up an album and meet the guy. It’s all possible with real music.

I leave you with an intimate performace by Kapoor at Firehouse 13 in Rhode Island

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPJwZBjs3d0[/youtube]

Pierre de Reeder – The Way That It Was (2008)

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The past few weeks I’ve been listening to co-founding member of Rilo Kiley, Pierre de Reeder’s, solo album, The Way That It Was. It’s got some really solid songs on it, and if you are looking for new easy listening summer/fall music, it’s definitely worth your time to check out.

“Not How I Believe,” is by far my favorite song on the album.  I’ve got a soft spot for choirs in songs like this, and it’s the exact same reason I love the Rilo Kiley song “With Arms Outstretched” so much. “Not How I Believe” also has a flute–it’s awesome!

It’s clear that The Way That It Was is a very personal album for de Reeder, and it ranges from songs about growing up, to a song for his daughter, “Sophia’s song,” which brought to mind Ben Folds’ song “Gracie.”

I’m a really big fan of solo albums like this, not only because of the music, but what it represents. Pierre de Reeder is very talented, and does a great job performing his role in Rilo Kiley. However,  it’s impossible for a collaboration to be as personal as a solo album. Pierre decided to release an album because he has something to say that’s meaningful to him, and though the lyrics can be a bit soft at times and some of the songs fall a little flat, there is no questioning that it is extremely honest.

Pierre de Reeder lives in Los Angeles and is the bassist for Rilo Kiley. He’s been working on and off on The Way That It Was for the past five years, and plays most of the instruments, although Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett and Jason Boese did offer a hand.

The Way That It Was (2008):

Pierre de Reeder -  Not How I Believe

Pierre de Reeder- I’ll Be Around

Bonus:

Rilo Kiley – With Arms Outstretched

Read de Reeder’s essay on why Obama should be President.

Site |  Amazon |  iTunes | Myspace

Throw Me The Statue- Moonbeams

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Throw Me The Statue is the brainchild of Seattle resident Scott Reitherman and with the help of a few friends, Reitherman recorded Throw Me The Statue’s debut LP Moonbeams in 2007. The album was re-released this year on Secretly Canadian and fans of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Pedro The Lion, Sunset Rubdown or even LCD Soundsystem will fall in love with Reitherman’s clean mixs of pounding guitars, bouncy electronics and his distinct catchy whines. Moonbeams is one of the year’s catchiest albums and not one to be missed so check out the mp3s I posted. Enjoy!

 

mp3: “Lolita”

mp3: “About To Walk”