New Music Discovery: We Were Promised Jetpacks
This is We Were Promised Jetpacks. With a name like that, how can you not like them? They're from Scotland, home to the great Frightened Rabbit. I found them last week and the very next day received an iTunes card in the mail with which I bought their record.
I have dug deep into them yet, but so far, I'm liking what I'm hearing. So check them out.
To be fair, I like this acoustic recording far more than their record which is a lot louder and harder to keep up with. Still, worth a listen
Song We Wish We’d Written – #41
#41 by Dave Matthews - Even after reading up on this song on Wikipedia, I can't fully tell you what it means. All I can tell you is that I love it. Personally I prefer the Dave + Tim renditions of it to the DMB versions, as is true of most of his work.
Songs We Wish We’d Written – Forgiveness
Forgiveness by Patty Griffin - When I went to Nashville back in 2003, everyone was talking about Patty Griffin and hoping to get tickets to her show at The Ryman. i was particularly impressed that Matt Wertz had her album cover framed on his wall alongside other major influences. When I got back to Lubbock, I found her "Living with Ghosts" record and fell in love with it. This is my favorite song from that record. Here's a bonus clip of Matt Nathanson performing a great cover version of it.
iTunes Update
As promised yesterday, an update of the latest downloads.
Disclaimer: So that you would not think that I'm just wantonly blowing money on music, it should be noted that I got a few iTunes giftcards for my birthday and Christmas.
James Morrison: Man in the Mirror (Single) - Two things I love: 1) Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson, 2) James Morrison. The combination of the two does not fail to impress.
30 Seconds to Mars: This is War (Deluxe) - This is a phenomenal album. I downloaded the deluxe tracks, mainly because I wanted to hear the original version of "Hurricane" featuring Kanye West. The other bonus tracks were alright.
Third Day: Move - Bought this for my wife because she really likes Third Day. I only gave it a brief, half-hearted listen. While it was ok, I felt that it lacked the immediacy and relevance of their last album, Revelations.
Shane & Shane: Unending Worship - Ok, I don't really know where this came from but it looks to have been commissioned by this Dare 2 Share organization. [Warning: Avoid organizations that shorten the word "to" with the number "2". The same goes for Prince albums.] Anyway, there are several recycled songs on here, but the unexpected covers of "Our God" and "Revelation Song" are brilliant.
Neil Diamond: Dreams - A wonderful Christmas gift from my wonderful wife. This is a great collection of songs. Similar to his last two outings - 12 Songs and Home Before Dark - the overall tone is pretty slow and simple. The most surprising and rewarding track has to be Neil covering his own song "I'm A Believer" (made famous by The Monkeys). It is both stark and beautiful. I just noticed that Amazon has this for $5, so save your place here and go buy it, then come back and read the rest. There's really no reason not to.
The Myriad: With Arrows, With Poise - I can't say that I had ever heard of this band, but I'm a sucker for the "People who bought this album, also purchased..." bar in iTunes. It reminds me of early Radiohead - when you could understand what Thom Yorke was saying - with a dose of the Killers, with an indie vibe. I like it. Not sure if they are still together, but I would bet they put on a great live show.
Ray LaMontagne: Trouble - I haven't listened to this yet, but I've been getting into Ray LaMontagne and heard that this debut record is amazing. I decided I would pick it up since it was on sale.
I also downloaded "Come on Eileen" and "Safety Dance" because my collection was in great need of them.
Flashback
So, I've recently found myself in the car a lot during the mid-morning and I've been pleased to find that The EDGE is keeping my formative years alive through music. I heard "How's it Going to Be" the other day and the wealth of memory and emotion was nearly overwhelming. So, I thought I would share it and a couple of others with you.
Songs We Wish We’d Written – Footshooter
Footshooter by Frightened Rabbit - Proof that there is hope for the music industry. Only downside is that most of it is in Scotland and Ireland. I love this band. I saw them last month. Someone in the crowd shouted out this song and Scott said he would play it later. For the encore he came back out by himself and said that it was the first and probably only time he would play it on the tour. He unplugged his guitar and walked out to the very edge of the stage and we all got real quiet. Then everyone sang along for the "oohs". It was amazing. This guy can just write a stinkin song.
[Disclaimer: if you check them out, their album "Midnight Organ Fight" contains some strong language, but "The Winter of Mixed Drinks" only has one or two occurrences. This song is from the latter.]
Songs We Wish We’d Written – Desire
Desire by Ryan Adams - I put together a playlist in iTunes of songs that I had not listened to. This one cycled through amongst a wealth of mediocrity and from the first chord I latched onto it. It's vintage Ryan from some post-"Gold" (his second album) studio sessions. In an interview about the Demolition album on which the track appears, he's quoted as saying "My ambition is strictly artistic. It's not my job to care about who's listening to (my music) on the radio." A fair quote from a guy recorded probably 300+ songs in the last 10 years. Unlike many of those tracks, this one is a gem.
As a bonus, here's a live version. I really like this, but hate that they exchanged the harmonica for pedal steel.
New Music Tuesday
It's Tuesday... that means, new music.
5 Miles Inland: The Caroline EP
If you haven't already reserved your copy of The Caroline EP, you should. And do it now while you can still get all the bonus content.
Derek Webb: FEEDBACK
Derek's new, instrumental project based on the Lord's Prayer. The clips I've heard sound interesting. Great pricing structure for several different options. He's playing in Dallas this weekend, but it's hard to say if he'll be playing anything from this album.
Neil Diamond: Dreams
I previewed most of this on iTunes and all I could say was "Wow". All cover songs. Incredible. "Midnight Train to Georgia", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Yesterday", and his own "I'm a Believer". Hearing is believing.
While you're at it, Support Neil for the 2011 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
The Caroline EP
The time has come. It's your chance to reserve your copy of The Caroline EP by 5 Miles Inland. We're raising a few dollars on Kickstarter to get the album finished. We are offering some awesome gifts as a "thank you" for your donation. So, go there, check it out, and reserve your copy today.
Songs We Wish We’d Written – Lost and Found
Lost and Found by Randy Rogers Band - I wish that I'd been able to find a YouTube clip of the Live at Billy Bob's performance because it kills. This song is country music. The fiddle solo is pure gold. Unfortunately, it seem that Randy has gone the way of Pat Green - that is, Nashville. Still, these old songs will always be greatness.
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