Wednesday, June 07, 2006
The first time I ever heard Shearwater, I was driving to an old friend’s house, after a night filled with affection and hot tea and keen observances. I found them entirely irresistible, peering into the juniper-ridden roadsite under the overcast sky. I think this is the way they were meant to be heard, when you’re tired and rosy and all you want to do is spend the rest of the night with one other person; if nothing else, Shearwater is the perfect soundtrack to both comfort and heighten anticipation. If that makes any sense.
First a side project of Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff of Okkervil River fame, Shearwater specializes in heartening instrumentals and sometimes fuzzy vocals. Charming and rollicking, these tracks make you want to bellow and sing at a world so bright. Buy at their website.
mountain laurel - shearwater.mp3
red sea, black sea - shearwater.mp3
sing, little birdie - shearwater.mp3
the ice covered everything - shearwater.mp3
I’ve been sitting here for a while now, trying to describe Diane Cluck. However, the same words keep popping into my head - honest, haunting, glorious, magnetic. These things are really all you can say. This woman is occupied with simple guitar and lingering lyrics. You can buy albums from here. Travel Light, the track from Anti-Folk New York Vol. 1 is more upbeat, less harmonious, but still fantastic. It features Jeffrey Lewis, whose recordings were pushed into view by Adam Green and Kimya Dawson in 2001 to Rough Trade Records. If you don’t have any Jeffrey Lewis by now, find some this very second.
Diane Cluck is also featured on the 2004 compilation Golden Apples of the Sun, curated by Devendra Banhart: the track Heat From Every Corner rests alongside songs from Joanna Newsom, Vashti Bunyan, Josephine Foster, and Little Wings. Viking Moses, who appeared in Meagan's last entry, also adds to the compilation! You can buy this album from Arthur Magazine.
monte carlo - diane cluck.mp3
my teacher died - diane cluck.mp3
heat from every corner - diane cluck.mp3
travel light - diane cluck and jeffrey lewis.mp3
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I suggest an update guys. Come one. Psh.
god torey, we suck at keeping this up to date..
Hi, you two. I just found through gorilla vs. bear. I live in Santa Fe! And have a radio show here, the Anthologist's Cabinet of Musical Marvels (Thursday nights at 9 on 90.7 FM). Please update! Our humble little burg needs its mp3 blog!