"Point A to Point B" Mason Proper

How about 100 words on this song? There's snow on the ground and I still haven't had any coffee. And lets not forget the extraordinarily heart crushing loss to Texas last night...

This has been background music for several weeks, but this is the song that always grabs my attention. The chorus is a fantastic rise and call with a catchy riff hanging around in the background. There's an ethereal piano/guitar line slip sliding around and the almost-falsetto vocals hit just right. The song wanders around, sauntering and meandering, walking without much purpose, and yet it never seems to lose sight of where it's going. There's also a touch of the sinister hidden somewhere between that eerie guitar line and the kid voices at the start. It's eerie and fantastic and perfect.

"Point A to Point B" Mason Proper

Official MySpace Buy

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"Hold It In" Jukebox the Ghost

Welcome to the newly redesigned ThaBombShelter, all fresh and clean for the new year. If any of you read my attempt at NaNoWriMo (Pat), you'll recognize the design from that blog. I really liked the cleanliness and simplicity of the black and white, so there you have it.

Anyway, let's get on with our first review of the year. I bring you, Jukebox the Ghost. I discovered this band very late in the year, after I had already posted my best albums, which is a shame, because the more I listen to "Live and Let Ghosts" the better and better it gets. They have a youthful energy, a popping and bouncing in their sound that's like a barely contained chaos at times, but it's got piano and guitars and fun and excitement. I could have written about any number of the tracks on here, but I've decided on "Hold It In" for no real reason in particular. It's a great song among great songs, and let me tell you why.

I read somewhere when I first started listening to Jukebox the Ghost, that they do piano rock right. And I absolutely agree with that. With the handclaps and the pounding piano, it's pop music to the max, without that saccharine Jonas Brothers bullshit. There's a breathless line that has a great syncopation, not breathless in the airy, "ohmygosh" voice, but rather, breathless like the end of a long trombone solo. The sound is youthful, fun, and fresh. It sounds true without being emo or overbearing. There's a sincerity in the vibe of the song, in the vocals and the piano and even in the handclaps.

This album may get an asterisk on the 09 Best Of list here at ThaBombShelter. It's just incredible.

"Hold It In" Jukebox the Ghost

MySpace Wiki Buy

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ThaBombShelter's Top Photos/Top Live Tracks of Two-Thousand Eight

As we wind down this wonderful year, I'd love to share some Exclusive ThaBombShelter content with you all. Starting back in January of last year (it was the Black Swans/Megan Palmer concert at Andyman's), I finally perfected the art of extracting live tracks from the YouTube videos I was uploading. So here, in addition to the best live photos from the year, is a collection of the best live tracks I've gotten this year. I didn't bother ranking them, because, really, these are all unique and all special. Enjoy!

First up, The Best Photos of Two Thousand Eight, in alphabetical order:

BRMC Live at Skully's
(this also happens to be my Favorite Photo of the Year)

BRMC

BRMC

BRMC

British Sea Power Live at The Basement
"Carrion and Extended Encore" British Sea Power (Live)

British Sea Power
"True Adventures" British Sea Power (Live)

Cameron Sharp Live at the Mean Bean
"Alone in a Crowded Room" Cameron Sharp Live

Editors Live at the Newport

Editors

Editors

Editors

Hot Hot Heat Live at the Newport

Louis XIV Live at the Newport

Okkervil River Live at the Newport
"John Allyn Smith Sails" Okkervil River Live

Silver Mt. Zion Live at Skullys

This is My Suitcase Live at Comfest 2008
"Fish and Dishes" This is My Suitcase Live

This is My Suitcase

1900s Live at the Basement

Artsy Shot from Louis XIV/Hot Hot Heat/Editors at the Newport

Artsy Shot from Steven Shanks/Megan Palmer/Black Swans at Andyman's Treehouse

Artsy Shot from Steven Shanks/Megan Palmer/Black Swans at Andyman's Treehouse

And here are the other Live tracks for your enjoyment:

"Minas de Cobre (For Better Metal)" Calexico Live at the World Music Festival
"Quattro (World Drifts In)" Calexico Live at the World Music Festival
"It's Alright if you Love Me" Chicago Farmer Live at the Black Box
"Live for Today (Cover)" Los Caminos Live at Comfest 2008
"The Rain, The Guns, and the Blood" Los Caminos Live at Comfest 2008
"The Ballad of John Henry" Seth Pfannenschmidt Live at the Lost Weekend Hootenanny

Zip file of all the best live tracks

Well, that wraps it up. We'll be back to business as usual at the turn of the year!

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ThaBombShelter's Top Fifteen Songs of Two Thousand Eight

Here we are again, this time with a list of the fifteen best songs released in 2008. Enjoy!


#1- "Freeze and Explode" Cassettes Won't Listen

I discovered this band via Subterranean a few months ago. I immediately downloaded the EP and have been in love ever since. This song is like an icier Postal Service, and given the dormant status of that band, this is an incredible substitute. So good, so beautiful.

Official MySpace Buy

#2- "Undone" Devotchka

The album, "A Mad and Faithful Telling" was more of the same for Devotchka, but that is very far from a bad thing. It was as solid as any other albums they've released, and this song was an early favorite of mine. The album itself was in the running for the Top Eleven list, but it was narrowly squeaked out. This particular song is a fantastic example of Devotchka's deft touch with lush instrumentation and heartbreaking woe.

Official MySpace Buy

#3- "Broadripple is Burning" Margot and the Nuclear So and So's

There are a few songs I hear every year that stand out for one line, or even one word. This song was the highlight of the double-disc effort by Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, "Animal/Not Animal". The line that gets me every fucking time, every. single. time is, "She was bombing east Japan/and don't fucking move/cuz everything you thought you have will go to shit." Just the way he says, "fucking" is awesome. I know it sounds weird, but it's incredible, trust me.

Official MySpace Buy

#4- "Sex on Fire" Kings of Leon

This album is terrible. I mean, just God awful. I don't know why I keep coming back to Kings of Leon, but I do. They went and cut their hair, and we all know how bad that is for bands...But this song is just great. Much like "Fans" last year, I can't help but enjoy this song. It's almost like the song is great if you forget it's Kings of Leon, but once you remember how raw and rootsy they can be, you realize that this is an odd departure indeed.

Official MySpace
Buy (although, you probably shouldn't...it's terrible)

#5- "Papa Echo" The Bees

I will always love the Bees. They're phenomenal. But in a year when the only album they released was a compilation they curated, "The Sound Selection", I was grateful for this limited edition split 7" with The Mother Hips. I have the vinyl sitting in my record collection, but the band were generous enough to offer a download code for anyone that purchased the disc. The song is ethnic and fun, sunny and dusty and Iberian. Fantastic.

Official MySpace Buy

#6- "Lights Out for Darker Skies" British Sea Power

Probably my favorite track from one of my favorite albums of the year. I just love the point in the song where it all drops to nothing and it sounds like the song is almost over, but then it all comes back with that epic slow build that ends in an incredibly cacophonous crash.

Official MySpace Buy

#7- "Mirrorball" Elbow

Here's another one of those songs that just has a line that sends chills up my spine, "When we make the moon our mirrorball/The street's an empty stage/The city siren's violins/Everything has changed". Combine that line with some of the most loving and touching lyrics of the year, and what you get is just beautiful.

Official MySpace Buy

#8- "Bottom of the Lake" The Builders and the Butchers

This song is raucus, crazy, and off the hinges. This band is absolutely phenomenal and this song is a highlight on their great album.

Official MySpace Buy

#9- "Old Five and Dimers Like Me" Emmylou Harris

As I mentioned in the Top Eleven entry for Ms. Harris, this was the song that hooked me on her latest album. It was probably that switch when the awesomely old Billy Joe Shaver comes in for the duet that sucked me in. Just great.

Official Wiki Buy

#10- "Effington" Ben Folds

As I said in my review of the album, "Way to Normal", I have a special spot in my heart for this song. To hear the name of your new town dropped in a Ben Folds song is pretty fucking rad. And it still makes me happy whenever I hear that line, "Making my way to Normal, Illinois." I just can't help it.

Official MySpace Buy

#11- "Carolina Drama" The Raconteurs

I knew that this was my favorite track from the new Raconteurs album as soon as I heard it. Since that moment, I've spent far more time than is healthy dissecting the narrative and trying to piece together the arc of the tale. I'm awfully close, I think, but I keep telling myself that the next time I listen I'll get another bit.

Official MySpace Buy

#12- "Holland, 1945" Canoe

It might seem cheap to have a cover on the best songs list, but this is the song that initially blew my mind and spearheaded, "Places' " charge to the top spot in the Top Eleven Albums list.

Official MySpace Facebook Buy

#13- "Easy Does It" Bonnie "Prince" Billy

The lead track from "Lie Down in the Light" is one of the most fun tracks I've ever heard from Mr. Oldham. It's got a brightness that just lifts you up the instant you hear the guitar and fiddle.

Official MySpace Buy

#14- "Rebel in You" Supergrass

I was a little disappointed in "Diamond Hoo Ha Man", but then, it's hard for me given how much time I spent with "Life on Other Planets" back in college. It was one of those albums that helped lay the foundation for my current love of music. Given that information, I've come to very much enjoy "Road to Rouen" and I imagine in time I'll come to enjoy this latest disc as well. In the meantime, however, this song is pretty damn good.

Official MySpace Buy

#15- "Leviathan, Bound" Shearwater

I was drawn into Shearwater's music slowly, but what a rewarding journey it's been. His songs are gorgeous soundscapes with an energy and a tension that I don't think I've heard in any other music, and "Leviathan, Bound" is a perfect example of that.

Official MySpace Buy

Well, there you have it. My favorite tracks of the year. Stay tuned for a few more lists before the end of the year, including Best Live Tracks and Best Concert Photos.

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Amendment to the Top Eleven Albums of Two Thousand Eight

I just wanted to let everyone know that since I originally posted my Top Eleven Albums of Two Thousand Eight I have altered the order slightly. Originally I had Anathallo's "Canopy Glow" ranked at number three, but over the weekend, I decided that the number three spot belonged to Builders and the Butchers. I've edited the list accordingly, and I feel a lot better about the order now.

That is all.

-Harry

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ThaBombShelter's Top Eleven Albums of Two Thousand Eight

After several weeks and too many days on hiatus, I'm finally ready to unveil ThaBombShelter's Top Eleven Albums of Two Thousand Eight. And it's fitting that this marks my 500th Post here at ThaBombShelter. So, huzzah for that!

Now then, on with the show!

#1- "Places" Canoe

This is an album that hooked me immediately. I put it on in September and instantly fell in love. From track one to track seventeen, I just couldn't stop listening to it. When I heard the cover of "Holland 1945" in the car, I was blown away. This was a special CD and I knew immediately that it would be my number one. Over the last few weeks, re-listening to some other albums from the year, I've been waiting for another album to usurp this one, but every time those first notes from, "Places" and "Sweet Deyanira" come through my headphones, I'm reminded once more how great this album is.

"Holland, 1945" Canoe
"Journal" Canoe

***DISCLOSURE*** I recently discovered that the mp3 version of this album was released in Late 2007, but according to the CanoeMusic official site, the CD version was released in January 2008.

Official MySpace Facebook Buy

#2- "Alas I Cannot Swim", Laura Marling

This one came out of nowhere, much like Canoe. I first heard, "Ghosts" on Subterranean in late September and had to hear more. On first listen, "Alas I Cannot Swim" was good. On second, third, fifth, twelfth, twentieth, it was great. Marling has an incredible voice, and the songs are just so damn good! At times her singing reminds me of "Exile in Guyville" era Liz Phair in style and sound, if not really in content...and I love that album. I had this album deeper in the list when I first started, but after comparing it to the others, it quickly rose in the ranks.

"Crawled Out of the Sea (Interlude)" Laura Marling
"You're No God" Laura Marling

Official MySpace Buy

#3- "The Builders and the Butchers", The Builders and the Butchers

After listening through this album over the weekend after I posted this list, I've decided that it should be firmly at number three. This album is dark dark dark, but it doesn't feel depressing, for whatever reason. Maybe it's the junk-drawer assortment of instruments, or the urgency of the vocals, or maybe it's something else entirely. This disc is just fun and dark and great.

"Find Me In The Air" The Builders and the Butchers (probably the least dark song on the album!)

Official MySpace Buy

#4- "Do You Like Rock Music?", British Sea Power

Literally ten minutes ago, this album was not at number 4. But upon going over the track list once more, I was reminded just how many great great songs are on this album. I mean, jesus, the first three tracks are some of the best of the year, "Lights Out for Darker Skies," "No Lucifer," "Waving Flags," are fucking phenomenal. Then you get songs like "Down on the Ground," "The Great Skua," and "Atom" and this album is definitely one of the best. I was very surprised, too, given how much I didn't like the teaser EP, "Krankenhaus". When I heard those few songs, I was very worried. Would we have more of the "Open Season" BSP or would they return to the unbridled energy of "The Decline of British Sea Power". I'm glad that they went back to their roots, at least in part.

And all of this without mentioning their absolutely insane live show. Definitely one of the top concerts of the year, hands down.

"Waving Flags" British Sea Power
"The Great Skua" British Sea Power

Official MySpace Buy

#5- "House With No Name", Horse Feathers

This is the album that nearly bumped British Sea Power down, which should give you an indication of the quality of this record. I still want to listen to, "House With No Name" all the time, and it still satisfies. With it's spare arrangements, rich sound, and creaking character, it just hits me in all the right places.

"A Burden" Horse Feathers
"Curs in the Weeds" Horse Feathers

Official MySpace Buy

#6- "Canopy Glow", Anathallo

The follow up to, "Floating World," ThaBombShelter's #1 album of 2006, had a distinct advantage over some of other albums in the running this year. I had very high hopes for the disc before I even heard it, and after the preliminary taste we all got with, "Engine Glow", any doubts or reservations I may have had were immediately assuaged. With the final mix bumping the volume up and I'm sure making other changes (none of which I have immediately noticed), "Canopy Glow" fulfilled all of the expectations I may have had for this band. I love their sound and I cannot wait to see them live once more.

"The River" Anathallo
"Noni's Field" Anathallo

Official MySpace Buy

#7- "Lie Down in the Light", Bonnie "Prince" Billy

I knew this would be in my Top Eleven list back when I first heard the title track. It's stood the test of these last seven months or so, and even if it's not super high on the list, this album is solid and surprising and gets better with each listen, I promise. It may be difficult at times, but it's incredibly rewarding.

"Lie Down in the Light" Bonnie "Prince" Billy

Official MySpace Buy

#8- "All I Intended to Be", Emmylou Harris

I've always loved Emmylou Harris, at least as long as I've been familiar with her work. "Luxury Liner" was one of the first albums I ever purchased from iTunes, and it's been a great go-to record ever since. This album was another late comer, I didn't really discover it until about two months ago, and even then, I wasn't immediately hooked. But then, "Old Five and Dimers Like Me" came on while I was raking the leaves one afternoon and it just clicked. Such a beautiful, gentle, graceful album.

"Old Five and Dimers Like Me" Emmylou Harris

Official Wiki Buy

#9- "Seldom Seen Kid", Elbow

I don't think a more deserving band has ever won the Mercury Prize, and they are firmly in my Top Ten Artists ever, but a somewhat weak second half of the album brought this one down a few notches in my list.

"Mirrorball" Elbow

Official MySpace Buy

#10- "Neptune", The Duke Spirit

Much like "Baby 81" last year, this album rose in prominence after seeing the Duke Spirit in concert (coincidentally, opening for BRMC at Skullys), I was hooked on this album. It seems like I've been listening to it for ages, and I almost forgot that it had only come out in April!

"Neptune's Call" The Duke Spirit

Official MySpace Buy

#11- "Bury the Cynics", The Lovely Sparrows

I bought this album based on the fantastic video for "Year of the Dog" and their excellent name. I figured, if they make such a snazzy album and have such a snazzy name, how could they be bad? I was rewarded for my shrewd assessment with this fantastic disc.

"Department of Foreseeable Outcomes" The Lovely Sparrows

Official MySpace Buy

Well, there you have it. Another years worth of albums distilled into a handy list. I'm sure I missed a ton of stuff, but of the countless albums I heard this year, this represents the best of the best. Let me know if there is an album out there that you think I missed.

Also, check back soon for my list of the Top Songs of the year, as well as some miscellaneous lists that may or may not include a collection of the Best Album art of the year among others.

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Welcome Back (and a small John Lennon tribute)

Well, we're back. If you've been following along with my progress on NaNoWriMo, you're probably already aware that I was unable to finish again this year. I made it to approximately 35,000 words, which I think is pretty damn amazing. The actual file on my hard drive is 75 pages of single-spaced text, which is impressive. I was going quite strong and rounding the bend of 25,000 words when I received sad news. On Wednesday November 19th, my step-mom Ann passed away. To say that single event threw a wrench into the works would be putting it mildly. I found it impossible to get back into the flow of things, and then to have the Thanksgiving holiday follow so closely on it's heels, well, the novel had to take a backseat.

I'm still planning on finishing it, I'm sure Ann would have been incredibly proud of me. I've got the final arc all planned out, and our heroes are on their way to Phoenix for the final showdown. I've made a promise to myself to have it completed by the end of the year, and by god, I'm going to do it!

I guess with that bit out of the way, I would like to thank all four or five of you that managed to stick around for my month+ hiatus. It felt good to work solely on a novel, but in the last few days, I've been getting antsy to return to blogging. I haven't been completely idle over here either, I've spent the past two weeks or so putting together my Year End Lists, so look for those in the coming days/weeks. I'm about 95% done with the albums, songs are another story entirely, and Emily is working on her specialty of Top Album Art. I expect to have a few more Top X lists, so keep your eyes peeled.

In the meantime, though, I thought I would share my all-time favorite John Lennon song with all of you, seeing as how it is the twenty-eighth anniversary of his untimely death. When Emily and I went to New York City in 2006, we actually paid a visit to the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park, and even stopped at the Dakota. I'd post pictures of our visit, but they're all on film and sadly haven't been scanned in yet.

I'll do my best to get back to regular posting, but as I'm sure many of you know by now, we'll see how it goes :-D

Again, I'm glad to be back and I'm really excited about the upcoming lists, so stay tuned!

"Happy XMas (War is Over)" John Lennon

John Lennon Wiki

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Tomorrow is Election Day! Don't Forget To Vote!

As anyone who knows me, or really anyone who even reads this blog regularly knows, I'm not really one to talk about politics. I don't follow it closely enough to feel confident in arguing with anyone who knows more than I do. I don't read DailyKos, and the Huffington Post isn't in my Google Reader. I do, however, value my right to cast my ballot every four years (and in the interim elections, of course), and I value my right to choose our next president. I know the internet has been saturated with countless posts about this candidate or that, and I don't plan on adding anything more to that cauldron of punditry. What I do hope to do is remind all of you to excercise your right to vote in this upcoming election. I don't care who you vote for, and I imagine, deep down, you don't really care who I vote for either, but the important thing is to get out there and VOTE! I'm reminded of the Simpsons Episode where Bart runs for Class President against Martin, and even with the incredible popular support of all of his classmates, he manages to lose the election because none of those supportive classmates bothered to vote. And so it ended up that Martin won the election with a whopping two votes.

I don't want our next president, whoever it might be, to win this election because of voter apathy. There is no reason that someone who is over the age of 18 shouldn't be at the polls at some point tomorrow (or have voted early or vote absentee or however you want to do it). There's just no excuse to pass up this right, this priveledge, this duty, to your country and to your fellow citizens. We're lucky that we, as a country, get to vote for our leaders, however flawed our system might be, and to take the right for granted is tantamount to treason.

I love being an American, I love America, even if it's been awful hard lately, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. And that's why I cast my vote two weeks ago at the McClean County Government Center, just to alleviate any kind of registration shenanigans as a result of moving two states away. I cast my vote, now it's your turn America. Go out there, cast your ballot, punch your chad, touch your Diebold Machine (be sure it ends up on the right candidate), do whatever you have to do to make sure your voice is heard.

Now for some fucking music. America, FUCK YEAH!

"A Few Honest Words" Ben Sollee
"A Change is Gonna Come" Ben Sollee
"Citizen Erased" Muse
"High Hopes" Pink Floyd
"Electioneering" Radiohead
"The Man Don't Give A Fuck" Super Furry Animals




ps- I took the two photos that accompany this post, if you want to see more, check out my photoset here.

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My Obsessions: Chicago Farmer

Last night I was finally able to make my way to the Black Box theater to see Central Illinois' own Chicago Farmer. His real name is Cody Diekhoff, and he is a man with an incredible talent for sincere, funny, raucous, warm, intimate, mellow folk music. He plays the guitar with the skill and speed of an accomplished banjo picker, but he strums and coos like the true folk guitarist that he is. It was autumnal and cozy, familiar, new, and perfect.

The venue contributed to a good portion of the sentiment I felt last night as I lounged on a couch and sipped a Diet Coke and nibbled on Wild Berry Skittles. The Black Box is a converted studio storefront with a small stage and risers with couches and recliners. It was a perfect setting for the acoustic sounds of Chicago Farmer.

There were so many great aspects of Diekhoff's music. His seamless ability to segue from song to song, short story poetry connecting one to the other. His excellent guitar playing, his great sense of humor, his touching tales of love. His fantastic stage presence, a calm, collected, confident performer, sure of himself and his ability.

I was surprised at one particular moment, not with anything in particular that was happening around me, but rather, I was surprised at the feeling I was having during the song, "River Down". I had a bizarre sense of comforting, musical deja vu. I know I'd heard it before (he has it on his myspace page), but there was an immediate connectedness I felt with this song in particular that was unlike anything I've ever felt. It was almost like the song was part of some great cultural subconsciousness, it felt like it was part of something I have known forever, so familiar and comforting. It felt like a warm quilt, my grandma's couch and a pot roast simmering in the kitchen.

I think it's impossible to pick a favorite moment of last night's show, but I think it might have been during his song about the Illinois surfer boy, a tale of revenge, friendship, hilarity and crowd singalong. It was a magical moment and I felt like I truly belonged, I felt like an Illinois-an as we all shouted along, "It's not Florida, Not California, It's Illinois!"

I hope to keep in contact with Cody and maybe sometime in the near future I may be able to arrange an interview or something special for you all. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, enjoy some songs, videos and photos from last night's show.

I know all but one of these songs are mislabeled, but hopefully either Cody or his wife Kymberly (or maybe one of his fans) can help me out with the titles. I took a guess on all but "Postcards". When I hear any info, I'll fix the files (and the YouTube clips)

"I'm Gettin' Into You" Chicago Farmer Live at the Black Box
"It's Alright if You Love Me " Chicago Farmer Live at the Black Box
"Love Song" Chicago Farmer Live at the Black Box
"New Song (Big House Now?)" Chicago Farmer Live at the Black Box
"Postcards" Chicago Farmer Live at the Black Box
"Princess to Lonely with Bloomington Interlude" Chicago Farmer Live at the Black Box
"Acoustic Encore 1" Chicago Farmer Live at the Black Box
"Acoustic Encore 2" Chicago Farmer Live at the Black Box

Chicago Farmer Live at the Black Box zip file

Check out a few more photos on Flickr

Official MySpace Buy

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My Obsessions: "Spanish Death Song" The Builders and the Butchers

Given the Hieronymus Bosch-ian cover art, it stands to reason that the Portland, OR band, The Builders and the Butchers, have a decidedly dark thematic element running it's course throughout their eponymous album. I first stumbled upon this band back in my run-up (and subsequent run-past) SXSW this year. And while they didn't strike me right then and there, it wasn't until last month that I realized that the one song I had, "In The Rain", was something I just had to have more of. It's like the song and I organically grew together over the course of six months or so. Everytime it came up on my iPod I had to check to see who this awesome band was. I finally bought the album on iTunes and have loved it ever since.

I knew immediately that I would love a track called, "Spanish Death Song", there was just no question. It is the height of this dark element (or maybe the depth?) that I was talking about earlier, and it's got all of the right pieces to fit together just beautifully. The Iberian-flavored intro and the tale-telling with drums and tambourines and a magnificent arc of song all combine to sweep you up. The song is almost too literal a tale for me to really extrapolate an image, but I would say that the darkness is full of filth and muck, a dank alleyway festering with decomposing bodies. The flu is rampant and the rats are fat and happy. Entire towns disappear under the crushing weight of the infection, rotting and slipping into history with no words to pass on. I don't know much about the Spanish Influenza, but from the tone of this song, I can only guess that it was a horrific zombie-apocalypse, carriers stumbling across the countryside with their friends and family, unaware of the destruction in their wake. A desperate existence of isolation and loathing, flagellation and repentance. A sad way to go, coughing up your insides, chest wracked with painful wheezes, blood in everything. Sad and dark, and inexplicably upbeat in a way that songs about world wide pandemics rarely are.

"Spanish Death Song" The Builders and the Butchers

Official MySpace Buy

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My Obsessions: "Everything is Okay" The Everybodyfields

The great thing about running my own blog is that if I want to take a few weeks off, I can. Another great thing is that if I want to indulge my own personal obsessions, I'm more than welcome to. There is no editorial panel, no committee that must approve my whims, just me, and the cat, and occasionally my wife and the dog.

As such, I have an announcement to make. Starting November 1st, ThaBombShelter as we know it will officially be on a one month hiatus. Fear not, dear reader, there is a very valid excuse. If you've been reading since the beginning (hi, Pat), you probably know that each of the past two years I've tried to participate in NaNoWriMo. Each of these attempts has ended in failure in pretty short order. But this year, with an almost non-existent social circle and a tiny, ultraportable laptop at my disposal, I'm going to go whole-hog and try my best to complete the 50,000 word challenge. In order to do this, I'm going to focus all of my writerly energy on my novel. I'll be posting periodic updates to both ThaBombShelter's NaNoWriMo blog as well as to this site, but the music criticism/ruminations as we know them will resume on December 1st.


Anyway, I've decided that this last week before the hiatus I'll spend sharing some of my current music obsessions. I think music bloggers (and music nerds in general) are unique in their ability to find a new band and then firmly believe with all their heart, that this new band is pretty much the greatest thing since sliced bread. It comes a surprise then, when we realize that not everyone feels this way, despite how much we try. Hopefully some of you will enjoy this track from a band I recently discovered, The Everybodyfields.

I found out about them last month when I picked up the September issue of Paste Magazine, which had a large section of Up and Coming Artists (I think it was the September issue, but it could very well have been the August issue). They profiled a ton of bands and several of them had me intrigued. After some MySpace searching and some refining of the list, I was left with probably eight or so bands that were new to me, and good to boot. The Everybodyfields were one of the best that I found.

They've got a twang and a charm and a sincerity that matches well with the mood of autumn and cooling off and leaves falling. There are fiddles and harmonies, countrification and soul. The band alternates vocal duties, often from song to song, and I must admit, those tracks fronted by Jill Andrews have an incredible amount of power. Not to say that Sam Quinn is a slouch, but I am immediately drawn to Andrews' clear, heartfelt, beautiful voice.

This particular track is indicative of the whole album, with driving choruses and a great mix of Americana and dusty fiddles. I just love the whole rich tapestry of their sound. It reminds me of the now defunct eastmountainsouth, in an incredibly good way (I love their only album everytime it comes on).

Tune in tomorrow for more of my indulgence and more of my obsessions. Hopefully, something will strike you and you'll come away with one more band in your repetoire, whether you become obsessed or not, my job will be done.

"Everything is Okay" The Everybodyfields

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I'm Waking Up to This: "Cafetorium" Anathallo

I'm assuming most of you haven't heard the news. Apparently on Monday the new Anathallo album leaked to the world wide webbertubes. While this is interesting or news on it's own, as I love Anathallo, what's more interesting is the reaction of the band.

You see, this isn't the retail of the album due out on Autocon on November 18th. This is not "Canopy Glow" as we're meant to hear it. Actually, this album would be better called, "Engine Glow", as it is the first mix of the final product, mixed by Neil Strauch at Engine Studios. I know this because the band knows this. I'm posting this because the band was planning on leaking this version anyway, just so the work of Strauch could be heard, which, as it's a preliminary mix, it probably never would have were it not for the internet.

The band found out about this whole thing on Monday and after some discussion posted the following information on their blog:

Well! Where to start? FIRST, this leaked today. And go ahead and click! Why not? But the next part is tricky because I don't want it to sound like a gimmick. I received both an e-mail (thanks Marah) and a facebook message (thanks Grant) letting me know that the record had found an internet home. I will admit - I was pretty excited by the news. I'm past ready for everyone to hear the thing. But! I also have to be honest. What you've been excitedly listening to is "Engine Glow." The first version of the final thing, masterfully mixed by Neil Strauch of Engine Studios. At least if you have your copy of the cd from the link above... well, first! We were planning on leaking it anyways. Matt and I talked about this tonight and we both agreed - Neil is too smart and too talented for his version of things not to have seen the light of day. We were thinking of it as a Christmas present. So consider this an early Christmas? And secondly - fortunately or unfortunately - what you have isn't the cd that will be coming out on Anticon.

Same tracks, different sound.

I promise promise promise we didn't plan it like this. And I'll also say, I fully expect the real "Canopy Glow" to leak between now and November 18th. That's how these things work, right? And when it does, I hope you listen to it! And that you pass it on to your friends. And hopefully you like it and they like it and you all decide to come see us between now and next spring. That's a fair deal, right?

Did you notice that little bit dropped in there, the fact that they're okay with this leak? The fact that, despite the leak, they are more interested in as many people as possible listening to their music? The fact that rather than fighting the protean, slippery internet, they'd rather work with it and have a free distribution channel for their work?

This attitude falls right in line with what Andrew Dost told me back in 2006 on their tour behind "Floating World". He told me, "As an artist the best thing you can hope for is that people listen to your music, and downloading lets people listen to your music, and ain't nothin' wrong with that." He went on to mention that the majority of their income was from touring anyway, so hey, if you listen to this album, pass it around, and come to a show if you can. Trust me, you won't be disappointed by an Anathallo live show. It's an absolutely incredible experience. I'm seriously going to try to see them play at Schuba's in Chicago on November 8th.

I'll leave you with my thoughts on this song, "Cafetorium".

The song starts well off in the distance, quiet from the spaces between and quiet from the mix. The familiar elements are all there, arranged in a slightly different order. Like a bookshelf reorganized by color, the entire alphabet suddenly thrown into disarray. They're all still there, you're sure of that, you can see everything, but it's no longer what you recognize, what you've known these past two years. It's still beautiful though. You can't tell just yet if it's more or less beautiful, but you're sure that is beautiful. No worries, soon you'll be used to this new arrangement, and hell, if not, just wait a few months and it'll be different anyway.

"Cafetorium" Anathallo

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I'm Waking Up to This: "Curs in the Weeds" Horse Feathers

I'm not sure if other people feel the same way, but sometimes when I get a hold of an album, all I want to do is listen to it. When I'm out driving, I'm wishing I had put it on the Car iPod; when I'm doing the dishes, I wish I could turn the volume up loud enough to hear it; when I'm listening to "Battleflag" by Lo Fidelity Allstars, I'm wishing I was listening to this album. That's what happened when I got the mail yesterday and found this gem in a bubble mailer, sent with love from Wendy at Toolshed.biz. I've mentioned Wendy before, and she is officially my new favorite person evar.

Horse Feathers has a sparse Americana sound, it's got just enough and not too much. Rich fiddles and thick drums, guitars and soulful, raspy vocals. From what I understand, Horse Feathers is pretty much only four folks, which is incredibly impressive, given the depth of their sound, sparse as it may be in parts. Anyway, I'll be listening to this album all day, at a volume that Emily would cringe at. Hopefully the neighbors can hear. Hopefully they love it as much as I do.

The album opener, "Curs in the Weeds" is a gentle easing into the cool river waters. The trees are hanging low, a viridian arch filtering the summer sunlight into dappled, gem-colored shafts. Your clothes are hanging on a branch on the banks, all but your boxers. The small hairs on the back of your neck stand up with the temperature change, trying in vain to capture warmth. Goose pimples sprout across your forearms and legs; too late, you're already in up to your waist. Leaning back, your feet leave the pebbled riverbed, the water supports you and your filled lungs, the leaves fill your vision just before you close your eyes. Summer.

"Curs in the Weeds" Horse Feathers

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I'm Waking Up to This: "Elephant" Page France

Consider this an experiment that may turn into a regular posting. In this experiment, I'll post the first song that comes on iTunes each morning, then I'll write a little something with it. Let's see how this goes.

The drums and tambourine are marching down the street, the elephant ambles slowly down the center of the two yellow lines. No passing, even if you could. The psychedelics are taking hold and it's difficult to tell what is real and what isn't. The free-association of words stumble out of a mouth in the crowd. Squelching guitars and glockenspiels come from nowhere and everywhere and then, in the center of it all, a rainbow, beautiful and huge, bursts into the sky. It's like a commercial, but instead it's harmony and it's real this time. Singing in the round always sounds like a rainbow, and with clapping, the raindrops drip drip clap clap on to the roof. A trumpet and it's all done.

"Elephant" Page France

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