Song of the Week - June 29th, 2010

If you didn't know any better you'd probably swear that Zoe was born and raised in the Appalachians and at times she almost seems to channel Dolly Parton. But alas, this Seattle native is part of a growing number of classic country interpretors who are taking country back to it's roots. Accompanied by the extremely talented Lost High Rollers, Zoe's songs and lyrics are reminiscent of country greats like Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons and John Prine. Like any good county music there's plenty of heartache and heart break but it's nothing you can't tap your toe to.

Without further ado, my pick of the week: Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers - Hey Little Darlin'

Honorable Mentions:


Wayne Hancock - Miller, Jack and Mad Dog
Oh Susana - Greyhound Bus
Caleb Klauder - It's All Your Fault

That's it for this week folks, I think I've got the country out of my system, so to those of you who absolutely can't stand it check back later for something completely different!

Until next time,
Matt



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Song of the Week - June 4th, 2010

Blitzen Trapper has been around in various incarnations for years before finally crystallizing in July 2000 on the slopes of Mt. Hood. And it's this modern version of the experimental folk-rock sextet that we have to thank for my pick of the week. Off their 2008 release, "Furr", "Black River Killer" spins a tale of perpetual sin despite being a hairs breadth from 'heaven's gate'. Opening with the murder of a young girl, it follows a serial killer through several states, not to mention a few prison cells, as he seeks blood and redemption. Depressing, sure but it sings to the darkness in all of us in a profound yet simple manner and invites the listener to really examine his or her subconscious with this one seemingly innocent question: What would it really take to pull me back from heaven's gate?


Honorable Mentions

Simple but catchy as hell pretty much sums up this track. The boy/girl duo Sleigh Bells has garnered critical claim from the likes of NPR, The New York Times and ABC with nothing but a couple of apparently astounding live performances and a few leaked tracks. Rare as that is what's rarer still is the talent these two share, talent severely lacking in todays world of Autotuned pop artists. 

Swelling, haunting, epic, profound, thoughtful... These are but  a few of the adjectives I would use to describe "Blank White Page". A folk/bluegrass group from London, England, Mumford & Sons pretty much rocketed to the the top of my favorite artists list this week standing beside the likes of Delta Spirit, Laura Marling and Sunset Rubdown. Granted, there are a shit-ton of artists in my favorites list but it takes some pretty amazing song writing skills to make it up there.

All I can say about this one is it's just good fun. Seriously, unless you've been hiding under a rock you've already heard their first single "Something Good Can Work" and this is more of the same. Trust me, that's a good thing!


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