Songs We Wish We’d Written – Leave
Leave by Glen Hansard - The thing that connects me to music is the emotion and passion in the singer's voice. If that's not there, it's really hard to get into it, no matter how "visionary" your friend that works at Starbucks might claim that it is. Glen just brings that to most all of his work, whether with the Frames or the Swell Season. (In fact, I've found that many Irish artists have that way about them.) This is a great simple song without a whole lot of structure. Glen's ability to deliver it with just a voice and a guitar should serve as a lesson to the Ke$has and Justin Beibers of the world.
Songs We Wish We’d Written – Fitzcarraldo
Fitzcarraldo by The Frames (video is The Swell Season) - In one recording, Glen introduces the song by saying "This song was written after watching a movie about a man who pulled a ship over a mountain. I think we've all got a lot of ships we're trying to pull over mountains." In another he describes it as though you're moving forward and sometimes you hit this invisible wall and so you try to go around it, but you end up go all the way around the world and just end up right back where you started rather than just going through it to begin with.
[Note: Glen Hansard is the leader of both The Frames and The Swell Season. The song was originally released on the The Frames' 1996 album Fitzcarraldo.]
Music Spotlight: End of Year
Ok, so I struggled with how to approach music at the end of the year.
It's hard for me to highlight the best albums of the year because all I have to work with is what I have on iTunes and to be honest I probably came across more older stuff that I liked than new stuff that I liked.
So, I've put together a list of music that I discovered this year and heard for the first time, though some of it is as old as 1996.
Here are my best song discoveries of 2008.
12. Fortunate Son by Donavon Frankenreiter from the EP Recycled Recipes, 2007
11. Hanging Tree by Counting Crows from the album Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings,2008
10. Seattle by The Classic Crime from the EP Seattle Sessions, 2007
9. Does Me No Good by William Elliott Whitmore from the online exclusive Daytrotter Sessions, 2006
8. Leave by The Swell Season from the album The Swell Season, 2006
7. Black Lungs by The New Frontiers from the album, Mending, 2008
6. Shine Your Light (Acoustic) by Robbie Seay Band from the album Give Yourself Away, 2007
5. Glory of it All by David Crowder Band from the album Remedy, 2007
4. Fitzcarraldo by The Frames from the album Fitzcarraldo, 1996
3. Watching Airplanes by Gary Allan from the album Living Hard, 2007
2. Good Arms vs. Bad Arms by Frightened Rabbit from the album Midnight Organ Fight, 2008
1. Welcome to Schubas Medley by Jason Mraz from the live album Selections for Friends, 2007
And my top 3 artist discoveries: The Frames, The New Frontiers, and Missy Higgins
Going Overboard
So, I went a little bit overboard at eMusic. I cashed in on their free download offer and paid for 1 month of service to get the following.
Caitlin Cary: I'm Staying Out
Caleb Carruth: Darkness Falls
Coldplay: Brothers and Sisters EP
Glen and Marketa: The Swell Season
Heath Brandon: Stand Clear of the Closing Doors
Jason Mraz: Live and Acoustic
Justin Barnard: Fight Songs
The Frames: For the Birds
The Frames: The Roads Outgrown
The New Frontiers: Mending
The only album that I've listened to thus far is Justin B, so if any of these turn out to be inappropriate I'm claiming ignorance.
Do you know any of the albums? Any opinions?
Did I mention that all this only cost me about $15?
