Make Phosphorescent your Summer Jam.
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Phosphorescent is the vehicle of songwriter Mark Houck, formally of Athens, Georgia and now based in Brooklyn. Houck’s Phosphorescent seems to strike a amazing balance in all regards–at first coming across as simple southern-twinged pop rock but soon revealing a beautifully complex mix of sound and vocals and thoughtful, soulful lyrics. Particularly noteworthy is the pedal steel work that beautifully envelopes Phosphorescent’s new record like the flower John wrote about in the last blog post here. Please make Phosphorescent’s Here’s To Taking it Easy your summer jam.
Benji Hughes = Magnetic Baby Cakes
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Somewhere between the high-browness of Stephin Merritt’s Magnetic Fields and the endearing inanity of Brad Neely’s Baby Cakes, there’s a brilliant songwriter named Benji Hughes. Hughes’ 2008 album A Love Extreme is some true, cool stuff.
Fallin’ & Flyin’ by Jeff Bridges and Colin Ferrell (from Crazy Heart)
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In the movie Crazy Heart, actor Jeff Bridges does an impressive job of singing country. Fallin’ & Flyin’ is arguably the best example. There are two versions of the song on the OST, and this one features the harmonies of Colin Ferrell. Fallin’ & Flyin’ was written by Stephen Bruton (RIP) and Gary Nicholson.
I’ve Been Lonely for So Long (B’Ham Rhythm Section v. Lambchop)
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The original I’ve Been Lonely for So Long, performed by the B’Ham Rhythm Section, can be found on a compilation called The Burmingham Sound: the Soul of Neal Hemphill Vol. I. Lambchop’s version appears on What Another Man Spills from 1998, arguably the band’s most soulful and beautiful recording. Got Lamchop?
Top 10 Songs of 2009 from Earshot Presents
2009 was a really great year for music. There was an outstanding release every week, it seemed. Maybe it was the glut of tasty new stuff, our shitty economy, or just the way things are working these days, but 2009 was also a year that saw a crazy proliferation of illegal downloading & file sharing and the continued demise of the recording industry. It will be very interesting to see where things go from here. While EP and its editors don’t claim to be 100% piracy free, we encourage the legit purchase of music as much as possible.
The tracks below are not downloadable from this page, but they are hyperlinked either to the iTunes Music Store or to their source. You can listen to the Top 10 Songs below or heer the ten songs (and a few extra tracks) from a streaming feed here: http://bit.ly/8IKQd6. Hopefully you’ll hear something you like or a new sound to check out when one of these acts is passing through your area.
While EP’s Best Songs of 2009 might at first appear to be just another year-end hit parade of indie rock, we’d like to make one point that clearly differentiates Earshot Presents from all those hipster magazine Top 10 lists dotting the blogosphere. EP’s Top 10 includes absolutely no Monsters of Folk songs. So if you’re looking for that kinda thing, well…
Slow Down Jo – M. Ward
Slow Down Jo is M. Ward at his finest. Reminiscent of the waltzish Fuel for Fire from 2005′s Transistor Radio, the noticeable difference here is that M. Ward has found a few friends to back him up instead of overdubbing his own vocals. Good for M.
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Chirstmas Island – LAKE
In November, EP called LAKE’s Chirstmas Island “the perfect golden oldie circa 2009″. This encahnting, timeless track is from the Olympia, WA band’s 12th album called Let’s Build a Roof, which is all pretty solid. Purchase it at the K Records website.
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Backwards Down the Number Line – Phish
Backwards Down the Number Line appears on Joy, the 14th studio album from the gotta-see-’em-live rock band Phish. John of EP is proud to have rediscovered his love and respect for the band over a very special festival weekend in Indio, CA earlier this year. Chances are good that you’ve heard all about it…and still don’t give a shit. But I’m telling ya
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The Giant of Illinois – Andrew Bird
The Giant of Illinois is part of Dark Was the Night, the twentieth compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS. This song, written by the Handsome Family, was inspired by the life and death of Robert Waldow, aka The Giant of Illinois.
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There May Be Ten or Twelve – A.C. Newman
Another brilliant tune on the Dark Was the Night comp was one by the New Portnographers called Hey, Snow White. It would have been included here on this list as well, but A.C. Newman (lead man of the NPs) also had a solo release this year and we wouldn’t want to double up on a list of ten. We’ll go with There May Be Ten or Twelve, the lead track from A.C.’s Get Guilty. Kickin big ass from its first notes.
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I and Love and You – Avett Brothers
Another great lead track from 2009 is the Avett Brothers’ I and Love and You. The tune captures the beauty of the Avettt’s acoustic songwriting and serious attention to close harmony. It was great to see this deserving act get a ton of attention in 2009. I and Love and You comes from the Avett’s album of the same name.
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The Commute – I Come to Shanghai
The Commute is from the self-titled debut of Oakland-based duo I Come to Shanghai. The album is available for pay-what-you-can from the band’s website. It’s outstanding, so don’t be a cheapass.
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Don’t Wanna Talk – Brendan Benson
Brendan Benson is writing some of the best powerpop tunes of contemporary rock. They have the same energy and spirit as The Cars, but kick a lot more ass. The Raconteur’s solo release from 2009 was called My Old, Familiar Friend. Don’t Wanna Talk has Brendan Benson written all over it.
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Armistice – Phoenix
The French rock band Phoenix dropped a rock bomb called Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix in May. There was a ton of buzz, which wasn’t 100% deserved. Their Grammy-nomination was probably deserved, however.
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Rolling Sea – Vetiver
Several 2009 albums were less impressive than would be expected. They included Wilco’s Wilco the Album, Deer Tick’s Born on Flag Day, Yo La Tengo’s Popular Songs, and Vetiver’s Tight Knit. Vetiver’s fourth release had a few noteworth exceptions, and Rolling Sea is one.
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2008 songs that skipped EP’s radar until 2009:
Old Enough by The Raconteurs
Make You Crazy by Brett Dennen
Sometimes the Wheels from Neil Halstead’s Oh! Mighty Engine
Great songs from albums EP wouldn’t recommend:
I Just Can’t Take it Anymore (G. Parsons) from the Lemonhead’s cover album called Varshons
Please share this top 10 with others via the Share This button below and remember to also link to the live stream from http://bit.ly/8IKQd6. Here’s some twitter-friendly text to share the stream in yer tweets and fb updates:
Hey @earshot posted the Earshot Presents Top 10 Songs of 2009. At http://earshotpresents.com and streaming from http://bit.ly/8IKQd6. (120 characters).
If you have some more time to kill, you may also be interested in checking out the Top 10 Videos of 2008 from Earshot Presents .
Damien Dempsey’s Kilburn Stroll
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Damien Dempsey’s Kilburn Stroll is taken from the Irish singer/songwriter’s 2007 release, To Hell or Barbados.
Ken Lee tulibu dibu douchoo
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Ken Lee (“Can’t Live”) is a phonetic interpretation of Mariah Carey’s 1993 cover single and Badfinger’s classic love song “Without You” performed by Valentina Hasan, a contestant who auditioned for the Bulgarian TV show Music Idol in February 2008. Watch the famous video at KnowYourMeme.
Backwards Down the Number Line
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It’s come to our attention that some people still have no respect for the rock band Phish. Pray for those haters and do your best to convince them to come to Indio, CA next year. They’ll see the light yet.
Lake’s Christmas Island: a perfect song
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Christmas Island: the perfect golden oldie circa 2009. LAKE are an Olympia, WA band that’s built to spill. The rotating cast of characters has been around since 2005, but 12 albums later, they’ve hit the nail on the head with Let’s Build a Roof. Buy it at the K Records website.
David “Fathead” Newman’s Hard Times
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The talented David Newman, who alternates on this album between tenor and alto, made his debut as a leader at this session. Since he was in Ray Charles’ band at the time, Newman was able to use Charles on piano along with Hank Crawford on baritone, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, bassist Edgar Willis, and drummer Milt Turner.
Hans Reichel’s daxophone
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“The daxophone, invented by Hans Reichel, is a experimental musical instrument of the friction idiophones category. It consists of a thin wooden blade fixed in a wooden block (often attached to a tripod), which holds one or more contact microphones. Normally, it is played by bowing the free end…
NRBQ: Captain Lou (Captain Lou Albano, 1933-2009)
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Captain Lou Albano, professional wrestler, actor, rock singer, and all-around legend, has died. He was 76. Here’s a song NRBQ wrote for Lou, on which he’s featured.
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