The Low Anthem: I Wouldn't Be Ready To Die

Over the course of the last three years, I may have seen The Low Anthem perform more than nearly any other band.  Funny thing is, most of the time it's been inadvertant.  They just happened to be opening for the band I bought tickets to see.  A good portion of the bands I enjoy, I end up discovering as openers for bands I love.  It's a great way to find music, because if you like a particular band, they probably enjoy the same type of music you do.  This was the case with the The Low Anthem.  I've seen them open for Lisa Hannigan, and Josh Ritter twice.  Both times they were fantastic.  So much so, that I came back to see them headline a show last year.  My favorite thing about The Low Anthem is that they play unique instruments, and that each band member plays different instrumentst throughout the show.  They're like a more acoustic Freelance Whales.

The band has three albums out.  Their latest Smart Flesh was released this past February.  The Low Anthem gained notorioty on the strength of their second album Oh My God, Charlie Darwin.  My good friend Teresa helped me pick today's song, a bonus track off of that second album, entitled "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around."  It's actually based off an old gospel tune.  Teresa made a great choice, because there is a sweet bass solo to start!  Also the bassist looks like he'd be cool to hang out with.  Check out that mustache!

The Low Anthem will be tourning with Mumford & Sons for a portion of their upcoming US tour.  Find out more about The Low Anthem by visiting their website!

M. Ward: The Song Is Always The Same

M. Ward is all over the place in the music industry.  You may know him as half of She & Him, the duo he and Zoey Deschanel started.  Or you may be familiar with his work as part of Indie super group Monsters of Folk. Or perhaps you know him as just M. Ward, singer-songwriter extraordinaire.  Just in case you don't fall into any of those categories, I'd like to introduce you to Matthew Stephen Ward, better known as M. Ward, singer-songwriter from Portland, Oregon.  There!  Now you know.

As you might have guessed, it's been a winding road for M. Ward's venture into music.  His first full length release, Duet For Guitars #2 was released in 1999.  However, M. Ward didn't become a fixture on Indie playlists till the mid 2000's.  He's written, performed, and produced with a long list of powerhouses in music.

This solo performance crushed me.  The way the words take their time making their way to the microphone, makes it seem as though the song moves in slow motion.  It's a song that hits the feeling of lonely squarely on the head.  Just take a listen.  Here's M. Ward performing "Fuel For Fire" from the album Transistor Radio.

M. Ward always seems to be up to something new.  If you'd like to keep up with him, visit his website.  You might just be hearing him in some capacity again on this blog.  Think, beautiful actress!  There's your hint.

The Civil Wars: Your Hands Can Heal, Your Hands Can Bruise

Last fall, my friend and concert companion Teresa told me I should check out a band at Jammin' Java called The Civil Wars.  I wasn't able to make it that night, and for some reason they completely slipped my mind and I never sought out their music online either.  Unfortunately, I really missed out.  Over the last month or so, I have been able to delve into their music a bit more, and it turns out they produce some beautiful music.

The duo's debut full length album, Barton Hallow, was released this past February.  So far, the band has been featured in Paste Magazines' "Best of What's Next", opened for Adele on her current tour, had a song featured on "Grey's Anatomy", and was mentioned numerous times by Taylor Swift on her twitter account which has 5 million followers.  Frankly, if you haven't listened to The Civil Wars, it probably wouldn't have taken you long to come across them.

Here's the duo performing their hit "Poison & Wine."  Check 'em out!

The band's website has a great bio write up.  Definitely worth checking out.  Hope you enjoyed!

Andrew Bird: My Dewy-Eyed Disney Bride

Chicago-based songwriter Andrew Bird, is supremely talented.  Classically trained since he was four years old, he plays violin as if it's an extension of his body.  At concerts, he's a virtual one man band, playing a number of instruments and utilizing loop pedals to amaze audiences.  Did I mention that he's an outstanding whistler as well?  If I could whistle like that, I would probably never talk.  Just whistle... whistle all day long!

I had heard of Andrew Bird, but I didn't really start listening until my brother gave me his album Nobel Beast as a gift.  His discography dates back to 1996, however, the sound and style of his recordings have changed dramatically over the years as much of his early work focused on traditional folk.  Andrew Bird's more recent recordings are more along the lines of indie rock.

It was really difficult to pick just one video to showcase Andrew Bird's talents.  So, like I usually do when faced with a difficult decision, I did my best to avoid making one.  My favorite Andrew Bird song is "Anonanimal", but I couldn't quite find a live video that did the song justice.  Instead, I chose a video of the song "Why?", which is an amazing solo performance that reminds me of some kind of Jazz poet.  Then, there's the full band performance of "Fake Palindromes", that just blew me away.  My indecision probably worked out for the best!  Enjoy two videos from Andrew Bird today!

"Why?"--



"Fake Palindromes"--

Check out Andrew Bird's website!

Cover Thursdays- Everybody Sees You're Blown Apart

Cover Thursday on a Friday!  All apologies for the delay.  Blogger had a few technical difficulties with posting last night.

With all the flooding in the South, I thought that now was as good as ever for a bit of a tribute.  Most of Memphis' many music based landmarks have been saved, but Memphis as a whole has been hit pretty hard. 

In honor of Memphis, and all the South here's The Tallest Man On Earth performing "Graceland" by Paul Simon.



Rich Price: I've Been Scheming To Kiss Your Lips Again

I don't know much about Rich Price, to be completely honest.  His last album All These Roads was released in 2007.  He has a website, but the most useful information is a link to his myspace page... which hasn't been updated in almost a year.  I may need to do some research.  I do know this:  Years ago I somehow found one of his songs on iTunes and on a whim purchased the entire album, Miles From Anywhere.  It's a really well done record.  The songwriting is great, catchy hooks throughout, but I don't know if it's received the love it should have from the listening public.  Rich Price is a great songwriter, and it seems that no one knows it.  I myself, just happened upon a song one day and luckily I clicked the sample.

Here's Rich Price singing "Turn Off My Heart".  This is an outstanding song.  It reminds me of being in love with someone, who you know you shouldn't be, someone who is difficult to walk away from.  Take a listen and see if you can find out more about Rich Price, because the man can write music!

Joshua James: Is It Selfish To Suppose, Love...?

You'd be hard pressed to find a musician that empties out his soul into his songs better than Joshua James does.  I've seen him live as an opener, and it's hard not to respect and value the heartfelt and honest lyrics.  That being said, I find that I have to be in the right mood to listen to his albums all the way through.  Not because he's a sub par musician, in fact he's great, but because the topics he writes about are so deep and emotional, that it can be draining.

Joshua James' 2008 release The Sun Is Always Brighter was named iTunes "Best of 2008" folk album.  In 2009 he released Build Me This which was named iTunes "Best of 2009" Indie Spotlight Singer/Songwriter Album.

This performance is one of my favorites since starting the blog.  Here's Joshua James performing "In The Middle" from Build Me This.

Take a look at his website!