Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Townes Van Zandt Joins a Fraternity

I downloaded "Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas" not really knowing much about this guy. I liked the simplicity of his songs (just him playing an acoustic guitar) and how he sang (and often talked) very plainly. This is my favorite song from that album and always leaves me with a smile. Little did I know that Van Zandt was a manic depressive, addicted to both heroin and alcohol (allegedly drinking a pint of vodka a day by 1982). It got so bad that by his mid-thirties, he needed a full-time caretaker. According to doctor's notes, he even heard voices; although, according to Townes, they were mainly musical. Clearly then, this is a man with a lot of demons. He does well to channel them.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

I think I love you, though I don't know what that means

Sebadoh's "Think (Let Tomorrow Bee)" is not a love song because Lou Barlow, the lead singer, isn't sure what love is. An acoustic number delivered in a voice that nears a whisper, it stands out among Bubble and Scrape's (1993) messy noise rock/lo-fi experimentation and the shouted psychosis of alternate frontman Eric Gaffney. The song revolves around a chorus so fragile and sincere that, when sung, it sounds like it might completely dissolve. Simple and simply beautiful. Check it out.


Monday, January 25, 2010

Song of the Month - January - "Velvet" by the Big Pink

I came around to this one a little late. The Big Pink's "A Brief History of Love" came out in September of 2009, and I slept on it til the beginning part of this year. Velvet, a song seemingly about falling in love with a girl in a dream and wondering whether or not to pursue her, is my favorite song from it. It starts like a Knife outtake, adds a heavy dose of shoegaze, and metamorphosizes into some kind of ethereal Eurotrash anthem. Plus, every band needs a girl drummer.