Roadside Graves continue to impress

The wonderful folk over at Hear Ya have another stellar Live Session available for your enjoyment. The raspy foot-stomping album My Son’s Home by the Roadside Graves has been a firm favourite here at It All Started this year and it’s fantastic to check out some vision of them doing their thing in the intimate atmosphere of the studio.

Watch the video for ‘Ruby’ below, then head over to Hear Ya to check out the rest of the session. Make sure you come back here over the next few weeks though as I begin to count down my pick for this year’s Festive 50. ‘Ruby’ makes an appearance somewhere in the countdown, but you’ll have to wait til later to find out just exactly where it ended up!

And thanks to the wonders of Twitter, I discovered last night that Roadside Graves are currently locked away in a lakeside cabin recording a 6+ track EP titled You Won’t Be Happy With Me. I’m sure the less than cheerful title won’t take anything away from what’s sure to be another stunning collection of alt-country goodness.

Ruby (Live Session) – Roadside Graves

Come tomorrow, this will all be gone

When I heard ‘Oslo Novelist’ by Grand Archives for the first time a few days ago, I loved it immediately – so much so, that it became a late entry in my Festive 50, actually barging its way into the top 10. I’d heard of Grand Archives before but it wasn’t until this week I found out they’re led by Mat Brooke, ex-Carissa’s Wierd and Band Of Horses guitarist. I can certainly hear the Carissa’s Wierd influence on this track, and so it’s no bloody wonder I love them.

‘Oslo Novelist’, from the recently released Keep In Mind Frankenstein is a gorgeous track featuring shimmering pedal steel (I worship pedal steel), lovely backing vocals and delicate sleighbells at just the right moments. I dare you not to love it.

Oslo Novelist – Grand Archives

A quick Daytrotter visit also netted this gem from their May 2008 session:

Louis Riel (Daytrotter Session) – Grand Archives

And because I can never miss an opportunity to post a Carissa’s Wierd tune:

The Color That Your Eyes Changed With The Color Of Your Hair – Carissa’s Wierd

Bonus coverage:

Chelsea Hotel No. 2 (Leonard Cohen Cover) – Carissa’s Wierd & Sam Beam

And let’s round it off with a video of ‘Torn Blue Foam Couch’ from their debut self-titled 2008 release:

Image from the Grand Archives myspace.

You know I’m such a fool for you

Edinburgh, Scotland: May 2009

I’m lingering (read: agonising!) over my Festive 50 list at the moment and so I’m afraid I won’t be much help to you tonight when it comes to recommending my latest and greatest discoveries, but my word, what a treat you’re in for over the next week or so, providing I can come up with adequate words to describe what’s been doing it for me these last few days…

In addition to the random photo above, I leave you with a slice of unplugged 90’s goodness:

Linger (Live) – The Cranberries

Trawlin’ The Blogroll

Blakeney, England: May 2009

Muzzle Of Bees: Video: The Antlers – “Kettering”

Thanks Captain Obvious: The Covers Mixtape XXI

Music Is Art: Best Albums Of Fall 2009

Letters Have No Arms: Words

And to accompany your reading…

Oto The Bear – Bombadil

Slow Motion – Forest Fires

Mushaboom – Feist

So Much Pain – Star & Micey (Featuring Luther Dickinson)

The Silent Years: a worthy evening soundtrack

Hi, I’m Agnes, and I’m an addict – mainly TV shows on DVD like Weeds and The Office and Scrubs, and more recently CSI NY. I blame Gary Sinise.

Tonight however I made the monumental decision to turn off the TV and give my ipod some extra attention. I’ve been meaning to post about The Silent Years for weeks now and I’ve been listening to a few tracks off their 2009 EP Let Go on repeat as I’ve cleaned my kitchen, hung some photos and measured my couch for new covers. Just another rockin’ Monday night.

I’ll begin with ‘Forest Fire’, which features a tinkly melody and great lines like your favorite day might just have been a part of someone’s worst weekend. ‘Taking Drugs At The Amusement Park’ has some edgy guitar action and I love the sporadic high pitched keys and the ‘hey hey hey’ bits near the end.

‘Madame Shocking’ is by far my favourite of the bunch though and it’s mostly due to one thing: strings. Yep, here I go again… just listen to them. Gorgeous. The first couple of verses match the floating nature of the opening string melody featuring lyrics like:

I own all of my failures and pleasures though some
of my trash might be somebody’s treasure and I know
how it feels, I was born in the 80’s, and spent the past
seven years hoping you’d take me away

I got lonely for whatever reason
it must have had something to do with the season
her body was warm and corroded from liquor
but blood carries everything–that’s why it’s thicker than water

Take note of the beautiful piano, catchy xylophone riff and the occasional falsetto also. And how can you not love that tempo change just before the one minute mark?

Madame Shocking – The Silent Years

The band is The Silent Years: check out their website, haunt their myspace and head to SideCho Records for CD purchases, lyric info and more.

There ain’t nothin’ gloomy about this Monday morning

Most of my mornings lately have involved me getting up at 6.30 for a run before getting organised for work. Yesterday I competed in a 5k run though so I treated myself to a bit of a sleep in this morning. I was quite happy to skip my usual half-dead “come on, you know you’ll love it once you hit that footpath” pep talk and roll over for another quick snooze. Definitely a nice way to kick off the week.

The Black Hollies know what it’s like to dread that Monday morning wake up call – their reason for dragging themselves up seems to be the chance to drive past a hot girl on the way to work. Whatever gets you out of bed fellas…

Gloomy Monday Morning – The Black Hollies

Bonus track, and my first taste of their retro energetic sound:

Paisley Pattern Ground – The Black Hollies

Coverage: Ben Lee – MGMT’s ‘Kids’

Shoot The Player is run by a Sydney duo who shoot videos of (mostly) local Aussie acts performing in various areas around the city. Artists include Dead Letter Chorus, An Horse, Sarah Blasko, Kaki King, Port O’Brien, Vivian Girls, Andrew Bird, Amanda Palmer and more. It’s a fantastic site, and the films they make are high quality snapshots of artists performing in a casual setting, giving them a really personal feel.

The above Shoot The Player video is Ben Lee performing his version of MGMT’s ‘Kids’ in Rushcutter’s Bay Park, Sydney. Don’t expect to hear anything like the original though – Ben’s simple delivery gives it a totally different feel and while I like MGMT’s version, in many ways his cover is better because he gives it his own spin without diverting too far away from the original. I also like how the people in the park just go about their business, as if seeing Ben Lee wandering along playing his guitar is a normal everyday occurence.

I couldn’t find an mp3 of it, but I do have this version for you:

Kids (MGMT Cover) – The Kooks

As well as the original:

Kids – MGMT

And some bonus Ben Lee:

Catch My Disease – Ben Lee

UPDATE: Head to the comments to download the Ben Lee version of ‘Kids’, a link provided by a very kind reader. Thanks Vasanth!

Bowerbirds take two

Part of the problem with being a music freak is that I’m constantly on the lookout for the next best thing. I don’t mean that in a trendy way – I certainly don’t have any grand ambitions to be the blogger who introduces the world to the next big star or anything, but I am always on the hunt for performers who produce the kind of music that stops me in my tracks. You know the sort of thing, when you hear an artist for the first time and you’re like “Fuck yes! This is what I’ve been looking for!” And, if you’re like me, you’ll play the track or album over and over again and you’ll glory in those magical moments where the drums crash in or that riff takes over or the singer somehow stumbles upon those exact words that make your eyes mist over and your breath catch.

The problem with this neverending quest is just that – it’s neverending. I listen to so much music that quite often I don’t give it the attention it deserves. I’m so in love with those first few moments of discovery that I’m constantly on the hunt for more. That’s not a bad thing, but it does mean that I often overlook bands and don’t give them enough time to impress me. I don’t think I’m the only blogger that has this problem either.

The wonderful thing about this new digital age that we live in though, is that you can just leave tracks sitting on your computer or ipod until you’re ready to appreciate them properly. This track by the Bowerbirds came up on shuffle today and while I remember loving it months ago, I think I listened to it two or three times before it inevitably got lost in all the other music I was sampling at the time. I even posted it but neglected to write anything about it other than the fact it’s from their album Upper Air.

The track I refer to is ‘Northern Lights’ by US folk outfit Bowerbirds, and it’s simply beautiful. Gorgeous piano, lovely vocals and a smooth meandering melody.

I don’t need from you a waterfall of careless praise
And I don’t need a trophy for all the games I’ve played

But all I want is your eyes
In the morning as we wake
For a short while

Northern Lights – Bowerbirds

Image by Alissa Anderson, from the Bowerbirds website.

8 In A Row

Nessun Dorma – Antony & the Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra

I Am The President Of Your Fan Club (And Last Night I Followed You Home) – Cancel The Astronauts

In The Morning Before Work – Owen

She Comes To Me – Adam Arcuragi

I’ve Been Asleep For A Long, Long Time – Hey Rosetta!

Goods (All In Your Head) – Mates Of State

A Time To Be So Small – Interpol

Aisle 13 – Built To Spill

Image from ffffound.com

The National in my mailbox

Want one of your own? Head to The National shop and check out the current sale items. Wish I’d waited a little longer to buy mine – I shelled out top dollar two weeks ago, and I coulda saved myself some big bickies! But then I wouldn’t have the shirt now would I?

My first taste of The National was a random download of ‘All The Wine’. Back in January 2008 I wrote about listening to it for the first time as I walked down the street to the shops:

I think a couple of people mistook me for a crazy person as I ambled along the footpath grinning like an idiot and chuckling to myself, but what did I care? I had just discovered The National.

All The Wine – The National

And another one of my favourites:

You’re all humming live wires under your killing clothes.
Get over here, I wanna kiss your skinny throat
You’re a wasp nest, you’re a wasp nest

Wasp Nest – The National