Blitzen Trapper: "Furr"

This Portland, OR based experimental folk rock band had released several albums over the years but not until their most recent album Furr was released in 2008 did they begin to gain some serious national and international attention. Their previous album Wild Mountain Nation had gained critical acclaim from critics like Pitchfork Media and Spin. One thing I love about this band is that their sound is quite broad.

This song was actually in the short list for my top songs from 2008. Which is an entirely different beast from albums of the year, perhaps I whill run that list here soon. In the mean time here is Blitzen Trapper's song "Furr" of their forth album of the same name - I hope you enjoy it.

Blitzen Trapper - "Furr"

Sufjan Stevens: "To Be Alone With You"

This song utterly captivates me every time I hear it. I can't pull my self away from it. I just stop close my eyes... and then there are no words for what this song makes me feel.

Sufjan Stevens - To Be Alone With You

Joe Pug: "Hymn 101"

I first heard this song on a friend's blog, Guesswork Theory. He has a great post on his website on the song including the lyrics, which you can find here. So go there and check it out.

He says everything I would say - just better. It's a great song. Thanks Justin.

Joe Pug - Hymn 101

Sufjan Stevens: "Holy Holy Holy"

I actually discovered this song through friend of a friend. I have wanted to purchase Sufjan's Christmas albums for a while now, but I always seem to forget about them until after just after Christmas. His recording of the classic "Holy Holy Holy" brings the gentleness, beauty and inventiveness that Sufjan brings to all of his works. I think this year I might have to go out and by the whole 5-disc set. It is more likely that I will just buy it off of amazon after I finnish this post.

It is simply refreshing to hear Christmas music that is being sung from the heart. I get chills just listening to this song. There is so much christmas music out there that is sung for pop culture, for tradition, for materialism. These songs are different. They make me reflect, they make me think and hope. They make me actually think about what Christmas is truly about. They make me think about my Savior. And perhaps most astonishingly to me, they make me realize how often I forget that.

Sufjan Stevens - "Holy Holy Holy"

Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile: Fence Post in the Front Yard

I just found an awesome collaboration between two of my favorite musicians - Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile (of Nickel Creek). Most of the album is awesome. I found the following article that contains a link to an audio stream of their song entitles "Fence Post in the Front Yard." It's pretty amazing. Just scroll down in the following window till you see the Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile album and click on "Listen."

Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová: Falling Slowly

A simply beautiful song from a simply amazing album.  The power of this song astounds me.  It breaks through all of my defenses and strikes me at the very depth of my heart.  It makes me feel and think very hard about those whom I love. 

The Swell Season - Falling Slowly

Bon Iver: Skinny Love

The band Bon Iver or 'Good Winter' and their album "For Emma, Forever ago" is one of the most recommended and critically acclaimed albums I have heard of this year. Everywhere I turn someone is saying something great about it. While I haven't heard the whole album, I have listened to this track several times actually. And I really like what I hear.

Bon Iver - Skinny Love

Sufjan Stevens: The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!

I can think of only a handful of albums that I have thrown on the hi-fi that have totally stopped me dead in my tracks.  The kind of album that I have listen to in their entirety while lying on the floor with eyes closed.  Albums like the Beatle's "Abbey Road" or the Flaming Lip's record "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots." The type of album that was intended to  be listened to from beginning to end without interruption.  An album whose songs bleed effortlessly into one another forming a cohesive whole - true audial works of art. 

Sufjan Stevens album "Come On!  Feel the Illinoise!"  is one of these albums.  If Paul Simon and Phillip Glass came together to make an album it might sound a lot like this one.  Not only does Sufjan write the music and lyrics for these songs but he also writes the orchestral compositions for them as well.  On top of that his lyrics are astounding.  Here is one of my favorite tracks of "Come On!  Feel the Illinoise!." 

Sufjan Stevens:  The Predatory Wasp Of the Palisades Is After Us!

Listening Seasonally: Damien Rice - "The Blowers Daughter"

I truly believe that different styles of music, much like clothing or types of food, are best in different seasons.  It's an eating thick hearty stews in the fall as opposed to salads in the summer kinda thing.   Musically there are sounds that just fit cold windy days and nights.  My meat and potatoes of this time of year create sounds the totally surround you.  Bands like Radiohead, Damien Rice, Snow Patrol and Sigur Ros just feel right in this weather.  Bands like the Beach Boys or Bob Marley just seem out of place.  Their open airy sound just lets in a draft.  

While I am exaggerating of course, I really do listen to different types of music year round - even the Beach Boys,  there are just certain types of music that fit during different times of the year.  Around this time of year I mentally put pack up and put away a lot of my light "warm weather collection" and unpack the heavier stuff from my "cold weather collection" from seasons past.  Then I put them on as I would a warm sweater, sip my hot cocoa, and celebrate the arrival of the colder weather. 

Coincidence or not, most of the artists I love during this time of year come from England, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, etc... you know the colder places.  In the summer I find myself diving deep into the warmer climates of Africa or South America.  While there are blaring exceptions to this trend or maybe I am crazy, I do often find this to be true.  

So today, in my ode to fall mood, I'm listening to one of my seasonal favorites "The Blowers Daughter" by the Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice from his debut album "O" in 2002. 

"The Blowers Daughter"

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy: "The World's Greatest"

I love covers that cross genres.  One of my favorites is this track by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, an American Folk singer covering the R. Kelly song, "I am the Greatest." I was honestly surprised to hear this was an R. Kelly song.  This song really grows on you in spite of  the overwhelming sense of narcissism that permeates the lyrics. 

"The World's Greatest"

Gillian Welch (with David Rawlings): "Throw Me the Rope"

This haunting tune was recently preformed live at the infamous Newport Folk Festival.  I love the soothing sound of this song.  Its beauty soothes a tired spirit. 

"Throw Me the Rope"