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Jake Mattison // To The Old House (You Return) Our Sunday Best

When it comes to music you can’t fool the ears. They recognize good music when they hear it. The ears bypass the brain and communicate directly with the heart; and together they listen. Each passing the music between them like a shared bottle of the finest ambrosia. Each shedding tears of joy at the sad beauty of it all. Jake Mattison creates music destined to be concealed in the eardrum and lodged permanently in the hallowed chambers of one’s cor caroli; the brightest star in your body’s constellation. Listen to “To The Old House (You Return) and “Sorrow” and know beauty delivered on the fragile wings of song. Despite pain, setbacks and whatever else life has thrown at you. Jake Mattison grabs his guitar, opens his mouth and settles the troubled waters around us. Thus buoying our forbearance and steeling our nerves to breathe the deep breath of hope. His music allows us to swim to safety, giving us resolve. Enough to at least seek peace and approach respite, with our ears attentively cocked and listening, asking nothing more. Peace. Continue reading “Jake Mattison // To The Old House (You Return) Our Sunday Best”

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Carolina Chocolate Drops // Leaving Eden

Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, Adam Matta and multi-instrumentalist Hubby Jenkins are the North Carolina–based Carolina Chocolate Drops and they are just as organic and original as they are talented and modest. The music they make is like hot buttered Cracklin’ Bread and red-eye gravy for your ears. And with their latest release Leaving Eden, follow-up to their critically lauded label debut—2010′s Grammy Award–winning Genuine Negro Jig, they’re in right fine form. The album is out now on Nonesuch Records, I highly recommend the vinyl format by the way. You can also cop their music HERE and on iTunes. Forgive me, I’m crushing so hard on their song, “Pretty Girl”. Peace. Continue reading “Carolina Chocolate Drops // Leaving Eden”

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lambchop | gone tomorrow


 
I cannot think of another singer/songwriter/guitarist with a more tranquil voice as that belonging to Kurt Wagner of Nashville’s perennial country band Lambchop. His vocals are at once old-timey speakeasy and by turns possess a mellow dangerous magic. On the bands 11th release Mr. M you get treated to more of what you expect from this subtle powerhouse of strings and twang. And with beautiful songs like, “If Not I’ll Just Die” and “Gone Tomorrow,” I think it’ll be hard not to want this for yourself. Also, you can stream the Mr. M album release for a limited time at Merge Records. Enjoy. Peace. Continue reading “lambchop | gone tomorrow”

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Night Beds // Even If We Try

I knew a woman, lovely in her bones, When small birds sighed, she would sigh back at them … -Theodore Roethke

I am going to take liberty with Theodore Roethke’s opening line of his poem “I Knew A Woman” and offer this, “I know a song, lovely in its bones, when small birds sighed, song would sigh back at them…” The song “Even If We Try” by the Night Beds make me sigh. I’m sure I am not the only one. I am moved by the music of Night Beds, and this song, like so many others they’ve penned, positions me into introspective poses. The music is every thing it makes of a listener: regretful, forlorn, bitter, sad or joyful because you’ve skirted romantic disaster this lifetime. But for those of us who’ve suffered and learned through heartache, this song is a whiskey-soaked barb beneath the skin covering a bruised heart. I’ve think you’ll like this song, and I hope you find your way through it, but don’t rush. Take all the time you need, for its beauty is amplified with each and every listen. Go to the band’s website at nightbeds.org where you can get two FREE downloads from the Night Beds forthcoming album Country Sleep. Peace. Continue reading “Night Beds // Even If We Try”