José González's Covers

Sometimes you discover an artist and cannot believe they haven't been with you for the past few years. Such is the case with José González, whose music would have perfectly suited many personal moments since he released his debut LP, Veneer, in 2003 (though it didn't come stateside until a few years after).

And, sometimes you become so familiar with a particular song that you cannot believe it when you discover it's a cover...or, a song you love takes on an entirely different meaning when placed in the hands and voice of another musician. Therein lies some of José González's magic (side-note, he also sings for the band Junip, though it's his Elliott Smith-esque solo work that really strikes something deep). Somehow, José -- who is Argentinian but grew up in Sweden -- can take electronica tunes and soften their sharp edges, while still retaining their potency. On Veneer, he transformed fellow Swedish band The Knife's oh-so catchy "Heartbeats," and on his second solo album, In Our Nature, he took on Massive Attack's most well-known tune: the moody and sensual "Teardrop."

I am already a bit obsessed with good cover songs, which are actually pretty hard to come by, and I only wish I'd known José González when I made this list of best covers in 2010. The wonderful thing about his versions of "Heartbeats" and "Teardrop" is that they are in no way comparable to the originals, so both versions can exist separately, in harmony. It's as if he swallowed these songs, digested them for awhile, and then spat them out acoustic-style with parts of his musical soul firmly attached. And that voice...oh what a voice.

Another new discovery is José's song "Down the Line" from In Our Nature...a song which I had actually attributed to The Gutter Twins, as it appears on their first album, Adorata. But how wrong I was! Here, The Gutter Twins covered José, and while they certainly worked their own hard-rock magic on the track, the original version wins the beauty contest.

So now, compare...and then do the same with "Teardrop":

-a.d.

Christopher Paul Stelling

In case you missed it, I'm calling your attention to a recent feature I wrote and designed on  Brooklyn musician Christopher Paul Stelling (also known as CPS). After catching him live a couple of times, the two of us met up in his favorite neighborhood bar to talk music, poetry, and even religion. Click on the picture below for the BRM feature (perhaps best viewed using Internet Explorer; make sure you can see the +/- on the text boxes to fully view all photos). And I'd personally love any and all feedback on both the writing and the design!

Now, here's some brand new CPS info...his official debut album, Songs of Praise and Scorn, will be coming out on 2/21/12 on the label DL/CD/LP. There wll be a record release show on February 18th on Stage 2 of Rockwood Music Hall in NYC. Here is the FB INVITE.

And there's a freeee MP3 download of the first single, "Mourning Train to Memphis," which you should most definitely download.

And just in case you're more of a visual person, CPS just did three lovely videos with the blog Sleepover Shows in Boston: observe them.

Mix Tape: Vibes.

Another quick and dirty 8tracks.com mix from yrs truly. This one here is inspired by bare feet, rainy summer days, torn pages, long hair, seaweed, tire tracks, and blowing bubbles. In other words, it's my folksy, hippie side! I snapped that photo too, at the Gathering of the Vibes last summer...it seemed fitting. 

"The Wild Hunt" -- Tallest Man on Earth / "My Eyes Won't Shut" -- Port O'Brien / "We Are the People" -- Empire of the Sun / "Eugene" -- Spencer Bell / "Colours" -- Group Love / "Bury Me" -- The Kissing Club / "The Pusher" -- Blind Melon / "Smoke Like Ribbons" -- Ugly Casanova

lv,

amydee. 

New Artist/ New Album: Paleo

Due to the suggestive sharing of one Christopher Paul Stelling, an incredibly talented songwriter/ musician in his own right whom I will return to at a later date, I came across Paleo, aka David Strackany.

According to good 'ol Wiki, David is notable for writing a song every single day for one year using a "half-size children's guitar" while living out of his car and being essentially homeless. He did this while touring the United States and driving more than 50,000 miles from April 16, 2006 to April 15, 2007, playing more than 200 concerts along the way. He even received a nod from Dick Cheney for doing so! David plays acoustic and sings all folky-like and has procured a deal with indie music label Partisan Records for his new album...Paste Magazine is featuring Paleo and streaming that record, Fruit of the Spirit, and let me just tell you, I am completely in love! Of course, it doesn't have all 365 songs, but you can download those here.

Wonderful music aside, I'm in love with the notions of a) recording a song every day for a year like keeping a diary in a more abstract and public manner, b) embarking on an artistically inspired expedition and abandoning all conventions of society while doing so, thus living off the grid and subjecting yourself to the whims of your own creativity, as well as the whims of those you encounter, c) having the guts to do b, and d) playing on a children's guitar! David, excuse me Paleo, alludes to this during "Over the Hill and Back Again" where he sings, "We wanna be young when we grow up."

The album does indeed boast a sense of unfettered, haphazard youthfulness, and that colorful cover adds a certain indie charm, but the songs also seethe wisdom --- perhaps a result of such a journey. "Favorite Places," for example, is slower than most and a drop melancholic, though "Holly Would," just following, is uplifting and jovial. Then in "Buddy, Buddy," David lets loose some seemingly painful howls, his already raggedy voice dragging across the width of his words. These songs are sweet and sour, loosely constructed and tightly melodic, and altogether filtered with sunshine and specks of real-world grit like bits of sand between your teeth.

For me, Paleo is a descendent of Daniel Johnston and Darcy Clay with a bit more musical accompaniment. He's got a Beatles sense of melody ("Honey Be Reckless"), a Velvet Underground sense of deconstructing that  melody ("Poet"), and a Bob Dylan aesthetic ("Lighthouse"). But don't take it from me, ya know? Give it a listen and let me know if you're as hooked as I am!

LISTEN! 

-a.dupcak