14 days - 7 ways -- Episode Four Prelude: Intro to Alt. Country

It's been overdue - primarily due to the big move; but here lies unraveled Episode Four. Drifting onwards into more of the whole Alt.country/Americana obsession of mine, this next artist is more country than indie obviously but the drawl of it all is pretty sweet tugging on them heartstrings y'all. In other words - it's all out country, so a heads up, if you're not a country fan than this might be your downward spiral into, if not country, than most certainly Alt. Country.

*Note: at this point, I feel it prudent & essential to make this blogisode a prelude to the actual episode Four and proper intro to Alt. Country

Possibly my favorite genre - my darling alt. country artists include, in no particular order: Neko Case, Ryan Adams, Old 97's, Kathleen Edwards, Hem, Teddy Thompson, Josh Ritter, The Mountain Goats, Lucero, Iron & Wine,  Caitlin Cary, Cory Branan and more. 

  (Wiki says: Alternative country is a term used to describe a number of country music subgenres that tend to differ from mainstream or pop country music. The term is sometimes known as alt-country and has included country music bands and artists that have incorporated influences ranging from American roots music, bluegrass, rock & roll, rockabilly, acoustic music, americana, honky-tonk, alternative rock, folk rock and punk rock.)

It'll be preposterous NOT to post some of my favorite alt-country tunes right here, right now. Ofcourse that again will be hundreds of songs, but let's start with the basic starter pack.

Mid-Blogisode Special - Alt. Country Starter Pack

 

Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You

key-lyric: besides the dazzling opening lyric "My love I am the speed of sound...", deep into the first verse Neko says: "I have waited with a glacier's patience... smashed every transformer with every trailer till nothing was standing... 65 miles wide" (the whole song is lushfully brilliant)

Old 97's - Designs on You

key-lyric: "You can go ahead and get married & this'll be our secret thing... I won't tell a soul except the people in the night club where I sing"

Ryan Adams - Dear Chicago

key-lyric: "You know the girl you said I'd meet someday, well I got something to confess; I picked her up on friday, she asked me if she reminded me of you - I just laughed & lit a cigarette, said that's impossible to do"

Kathleen Edwards - Goodnight, California

key-lyric: "You don't even have to speak, if you keep looking at me..."

Hem - So. Central Rain

R.E.M. cover - So. Central Rain is one of the most gracefully brilliant songs ever written.

So blogisode four shall descend later with a little bit of Caitlin & Will and a whole lot more of Alt. Country. Grr.

7 honey-dipped indie recommendations - the 7 blogisode series. This was prelude to blogisode four. Emme Packer/Madi Diaz/Kate Tucker/Prelude: Intro. to Alt. Country/Caitlin & Wil/Voyces/Portico/Special - Indie Undercover

The Sentinels Sent A Letter

Many yellow days and many amber nights later, I have picked up the proverbial pen again. Watch the fuck out.

Besides sweeping by many important milestones and desecrating many relentless pie-suckers; I've been busy with two jobs, a looming (in a good way looming) marriage, catching up on shows and movies, the music of Trespassers William, Mark Lanegan, Ben Harper, Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos, Hem, Neko Case and the Perishers has been whispering early morning lullaby's to me. To all you prissy maybe sparrows, the wedding is on October 21st 22nd.

The second job is interesting, gets me in touch with the natural sensei spirit in me. That said, the next post shall hold a marvelous delight for all us from one of the hospital receptionists.

I spent the better part of my surf seeking day looking for Hem's Funnel Cloud today. Not a good thing when you yearn for something so bad. Every page has a good review, every page has a picture; but no zShare, no sendspace, no mediafire, no RAR NO FUN I SAY. So I give to you, my prettys, Hem's Funnel Cloud in all its multi orgasmic Sharebee glory. Thanks to Asim who put up with my relentless pushing the link-ness-ish-tude.



"...For the Brooklyn based Hem, what you initially hear is what you fall in love with—soft melodies, delicate instrumentals, and quiet, detailed musicianship that seems destined to be duplicated over a career..."

Funnel Cloud is the fourth album by folk rock band Hem. I Considered the band's most ambitious work to date, they recorded the album accompanied by a 21-piece orchestra, as well as James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins.

The concept was conceived on the day of lead singer Sally Ellyson's wedding, during which the party had to evacuate to storm cellars due to a number of tornadoes that touched down in the area.

Track listing
1. "Almost Home"
2. "Barcarolle"
3. "The Burnt"-Over District
4. "Curtains"
5. "Funnel Cloud"
6. "Great Houses of New York"
7. "He Came to Meet Me"
8. "Hotel Fire"
9. "I'll Dream of You Tonight"
10. "Not California"
11. "Old Adam"
12. "The Pills Stopped Working"
13. "Reservoir"
14. "Too Late to Turn Back Now"
15. "We'll Meet Along the Way"


Download via Sharebee



You can now download lots of Dye Corduroy Mp3s from http://dyecorduroy.4shared.com

For the insolent ones, Dye Corduroy is my baby. And with more than 60 new songs I've yet to lay down, this space shall be the bohemian whorehouse that shall overcome the military masturbation that your life has become. One song at a time.


Last night I saw a Natalie Portman movie Goya's Ghosts. I seriously recommend this movie to any and all who like 19th century an 17th century movies set with the masteries of modern cinema. Natalie Portman in the last 3/4ths of the movie is ravishingly brilliant in her projection of a jaded, paranoid, tormented soul... I won't give away more.