Friday
Oct072005
iTunes Reviews
Friday, October 7, 2005 at 01:43PM
A couple weeks ago I asked people to send me the name of a song they thought I should hear, and I took the first ten and got them off of iTunes. After a few listens I have written my thoughts on each tune.
Allison Moorer - Melancholy Polly
I thought the guitars on this song were killer. The vocal sounded kind of bored, though. Still, I liked the song, it rocked more than I thought it would.
Casting Crowns - Stained Glass Masquerade
I'll admit it: I expected to not like this song. We played something with these guys a year or so ago, and I wasn't into it. Their first big hit, something about "if we are the body..." actually kind of offended me. It seemed to me to be all about how Christians don't do anything Jesus commanded them to do, especially regarding the poor and loving each other. Having just got back from spending a month in India, I was very excited about how the Body was serving each other and loving their God.
That aside, this song was actually pretty good. I thought the lyrics were very honest and humble. I didn't care for the guy's voice, but a girl came in and sang the second verse and she sounded great. Does she sing more of their stuff? Really a nice voice. They both sound like country singers, so if that's your thing...
Iron & Wine - Freedom Hangs Like Heaven
This was another surprise. I always thought this band was a lot more slow and mellow. This tune had a great groove, and really had a cool motion to it. Something that always grabs my ear. They worked lots of blue-grass elements in, slide dobro and banjo, but in a total indie/emo way. Really cool, and great melodies.
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over the Rainbow
The first truly great voice in these songs. Holy cow, this guy can sing. Just him and a ukulele, reinterpreting this old showtune. I love how you can hear his breathing when he's not singing, and the reconstruction of the melody was beautiful. Highly re-recommended. I'd love to know where this guy is from. It takes me both to Hawaii and Africa...
Nickel Creek - Doubting Thomas
I've always enjoyed this group, but often their playing has kind of covered up for somewhat average songwriting. This song is great. I love the vibe they create with just a few instruments, and when you know what they can do on their instruments, their restraint is all the more beautiful. Really some bittersweet melodies. You can tell they've been hanging out with Glen Phillips, especially on the bridge. And that's a good thing. I'm going to check out this new record, if more of the songs are of this caliber, I'll be a fan.
Pilotdrift - Bubblecraft
I'm definitely going to check out this band. It starts out with a very Radiohead vibe, which is nice, but has been done, obviously, by the masters themselves. The rhythmic drum stuff that comes in about a minute in, though, is really unique and very, very cool. Then the song sort of shifts into this bizarre "Love Boat"/classical/synthesizer thing. My first thought when that started happening was "Mark Lockett needs to hear this, and now". A total trip, with great use of the studio as an instrument. You've just got to hear it to understand. I really liked this. Probably my favorite of them all.
Mae - Suspension
This is a really strong power-pop song. The guitar parts are great, so are the background vocals. Kind of in that Switchfoot/Jimmy Eat World radio-stuff vein. The singer sounds a lot like Cliff to me, that is, if Cliff sang rock songs. Listen for it, you'll hear it, though. I'm going to talk to him about learning to yell like this guy does in the bridge. That would be rad.
Jamie Cullum - High & Dry (US Version)
Speaking of Radiohead, this is a cover of one of their greatest songs, off of "The Bends" one of my favorite records ever. It's a full-on jazz piano version. The song really stands up with this arrangement. A testament to Thom Yorke. Cullum really delivers vocally, bringing a new and unique delivery to the lyric. The drum and piano work is really tasty. I enjoyed this. The piano solo is just totally icing on the cake.
To me, a good cover pays homage to the original by not doing it the same way. A note for note version always seems lame to me. Why hear somebody else do exactly what you already have in your iPod? This arrangement really honors the fact that it's a great song by changing around the structure, adding a great jazz hook in the turnarounds, and letting the performers be themselves in the tune. This was a great example of the right way to cover a great song.
The Features - Blow It Out
I heard this on the radio a couple weeks ago, and loved it, but had no idea who it was. The singer rocks. Just sounds totally into it. I bet this would be great in concert. Straight up rock song, like a Stones tune. I liked the line "I'm probably found between a pair of huge speakers pushed by vacuum tubes." He rhymes
"huge" and "tubes" and makes it totally sing-along-able. Clever.
Hem - Pacific Street
Beautiful. This girl's voice is absolutely enchanting, and the lyric is hypnotically poetic. A very simple piano/vocal/strings/oboe? arrangement. Without sounding like them, this leaves me with the same feeling a Sixpence record does. And that is a very good thing. The second verse lyric is amazing. "I don't know you except for the way a traveler knows a traveler..." This was my other favorite, and I'm going to look into them as well.
Thanks to everybody who sent me songs. I really enjoyed getting exposed to some new music. I'll have to repeat this a couple times a year. I was honestly surprised by how good most of this stuff was. Pilotdrift and Hem were the standouts to me, but really, every song had something about it that I really enjoyed. It's just amazing to know there is so much good music going on that we can't even be aware of it all. Thanks for your patience with me finding time to digest all of the songs to be able to write about them.
Allison Moorer - Melancholy Polly
I thought the guitars on this song were killer. The vocal sounded kind of bored, though. Still, I liked the song, it rocked more than I thought it would.
Casting Crowns - Stained Glass Masquerade
I'll admit it: I expected to not like this song. We played something with these guys a year or so ago, and I wasn't into it. Their first big hit, something about "if we are the body..." actually kind of offended me. It seemed to me to be all about how Christians don't do anything Jesus commanded them to do, especially regarding the poor and loving each other. Having just got back from spending a month in India, I was very excited about how the Body was serving each other and loving their God.
That aside, this song was actually pretty good. I thought the lyrics were very honest and humble. I didn't care for the guy's voice, but a girl came in and sang the second verse and she sounded great. Does she sing more of their stuff? Really a nice voice. They both sound like country singers, so if that's your thing...
Iron & Wine - Freedom Hangs Like Heaven
This was another surprise. I always thought this band was a lot more slow and mellow. This tune had a great groove, and really had a cool motion to it. Something that always grabs my ear. They worked lots of blue-grass elements in, slide dobro and banjo, but in a total indie/emo way. Really cool, and great melodies.
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over the Rainbow
The first truly great voice in these songs. Holy cow, this guy can sing. Just him and a ukulele, reinterpreting this old showtune. I love how you can hear his breathing when he's not singing, and the reconstruction of the melody was beautiful. Highly re-recommended. I'd love to know where this guy is from. It takes me both to Hawaii and Africa...
Nickel Creek - Doubting Thomas
I've always enjoyed this group, but often their playing has kind of covered up for somewhat average songwriting. This song is great. I love the vibe they create with just a few instruments, and when you know what they can do on their instruments, their restraint is all the more beautiful. Really some bittersweet melodies. You can tell they've been hanging out with Glen Phillips, especially on the bridge. And that's a good thing. I'm going to check out this new record, if more of the songs are of this caliber, I'll be a fan.
Pilotdrift - Bubblecraft
I'm definitely going to check out this band. It starts out with a very Radiohead vibe, which is nice, but has been done, obviously, by the masters themselves. The rhythmic drum stuff that comes in about a minute in, though, is really unique and very, very cool. Then the song sort of shifts into this bizarre "Love Boat"/classical/synthesizer thing. My first thought when that started happening was "Mark Lockett needs to hear this, and now". A total trip, with great use of the studio as an instrument. You've just got to hear it to understand. I really liked this. Probably my favorite of them all.
Mae - Suspension
This is a really strong power-pop song. The guitar parts are great, so are the background vocals. Kind of in that Switchfoot/Jimmy Eat World radio-stuff vein. The singer sounds a lot like Cliff to me, that is, if Cliff sang rock songs. Listen for it, you'll hear it, though. I'm going to talk to him about learning to yell like this guy does in the bridge. That would be rad.
Jamie Cullum - High & Dry (US Version)
Speaking of Radiohead, this is a cover of one of their greatest songs, off of "The Bends" one of my favorite records ever. It's a full-on jazz piano version. The song really stands up with this arrangement. A testament to Thom Yorke. Cullum really delivers vocally, bringing a new and unique delivery to the lyric. The drum and piano work is really tasty. I enjoyed this. The piano solo is just totally icing on the cake.
To me, a good cover pays homage to the original by not doing it the same way. A note for note version always seems lame to me. Why hear somebody else do exactly what you already have in your iPod? This arrangement really honors the fact that it's a great song by changing around the structure, adding a great jazz hook in the turnarounds, and letting the performers be themselves in the tune. This was a great example of the right way to cover a great song.
The Features - Blow It Out
I heard this on the radio a couple weeks ago, and loved it, but had no idea who it was. The singer rocks. Just sounds totally into it. I bet this would be great in concert. Straight up rock song, like a Stones tune. I liked the line "I'm probably found between a pair of huge speakers pushed by vacuum tubes." He rhymes
"huge" and "tubes" and makes it totally sing-along-able. Clever.
Hem - Pacific Street
Beautiful. This girl's voice is absolutely enchanting, and the lyric is hypnotically poetic. A very simple piano/vocal/strings/oboe? arrangement. Without sounding like them, this leaves me with the same feeling a Sixpence record does. And that is a very good thing. The second verse lyric is amazing. "I don't know you except for the way a traveler knows a traveler..." This was my other favorite, and I'm going to look into them as well.
Thanks to everybody who sent me songs. I really enjoyed getting exposed to some new music. I'll have to repeat this a couple times a year. I was honestly surprised by how good most of this stuff was. Pilotdrift and Hem were the standouts to me, but really, every song had something about it that I really enjoyed. It's just amazing to know there is so much good music going on that we can't even be aware of it all. Thanks for your patience with me finding time to digest all of the songs to be able to write about them.
Reader Comments (12)
Glad you enjoyed "Polly" -- but even happier that you enjoyed "Doubting Thomas" and "High and Dry" ... though I wasn't the one who suggested those, they are two songs that I am ABSOLUTELY ADDICTED to. I love the new NC album, I think they're really growing as songwriters (we all already know they're amazing musicians, like you said) and it's also fun to hear them trying different things. And yeah, Jamie Cullum's cover of that Radiohead song ... it's like crack. I can't get enough of it.
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole - Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Israel ("Iz") was from Hawaii. He died back in 1997, sadly.
http://1800sunstar.com/sitesR/H_listen/offscan/IZ/00izmemorial.html
I remember first hearing this song on a commercial for a now-defunct online toy store (eToys? something like that). It got me every time.
Bill
I'll have to listen to these... I think I haven't even heard of most of these bands/singers.
It's nice to hear about a well-done cover. There's almost nothing more annoying to me than a crappy cover, and it particularly bothers me when Christian artists do it. I posted a rant http://www.xanga.com/item.aspx?user=FzxGkJssFrk&tab=weblogs&uid=169175666" rel="nofollow">last December about Salvador's terrible cover of Los Lonely Boys' "Heaven", and proposed some rules for doing covers. The point about not doing the song the same way is well taken.
There's an upcoming Michael W. Smith "tribute" album - apparently Tree63 is covering "Missing Person", which sounds like a great idea; except they played like half of the new version on the radio the other night and it sounds just like the original only with John Ellis singing it. Disappointing.
You may not want to spend the 13 bucks on the NC album. The songwriting has gotten more serious, but I can't say it's gotten any deeper. Great music though, and I love the harmonies on Doubting Thomas.
I gotta tell you, first, check out Over the Rhine. They are awesome. But to be honest. All I mainly listen to is you, U2, Caedmons, D-Webb,Shane and Shane, AP, Rich Mullins and Keith Green. I also like John Denver and Frank Sinatra(random).
But, What kinda guys have lyrically and spiritually influenced you throughout their music. For me, you have, I play guitar a little but when I drive to work, I put in one of yours or APs CDs and it prepares my heart. I work in inner-city Indianapolis with Teenagers trying to tell them through love and action about Jesus Christ real love for them. But like I said, Who blesses your day, what music is it that you listen to and it has a good Godly influence on your life. Thank you.
More More More!!!
And I completely disagree with Clyde. I am LOVING every single track on the NC CD.
I'm glad you liked the Hem, Andy. I'd tell you to go for Eveningland over Rabbit Songs ... the production's better on Eveningland, even if I like the lyrics on Rabbit Songs a bit more. They also have an EP of covers from Cash, Lyle Lovett, etc., called I'm Talking With My Mouth.
there's this amazing new track from Nickelback you need to hear. breathtaking...
If you liked "Suspension" by Mae, I highly recommend buying the whole album, [i]The Everglow[/i] The album as a whole is really better than any individual song on the CD. Also, the whole product is amazing from the liner notes to the artwork to the CD art. It's a great example of terrific CD packaging.
I recently bought Jamie Cullum's live DVD, Live at Blenheim Palace, upon high recommendation from Paste magazine. It is amazing. He does things to his grand piano that make me want to cry but he is an amazing pianist.
My Best Music of 2005
My boy Josh Bobbitt inspired me to come up with a list of my best music of 2005. Like Josh, I am not limiting this to albums released in 2005—this is autobiographical, dammit, so it’s music I got a hold of in 2005. Nine releases, listed ...
The Art Of Stained Glass...
As with all forms of art, its beauty is defined by the sensations it arouses. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect in the art of stained glass is in its' versatility. It's durable, yet fragile, challenging, but yielding to the experienced hands of the ...