Song of the Week: Gambles- "So I Cry Out"

There may not be an artist's music that has touched me more this year than the work of Matthew Daniel Siskin, Aka Gambles. His 'Far From Your Arms' EP has been on constant repeat with it's stripped back raw sound and emotional lyrics cutting right through me.
Gambles also has a debut full length on the way called Trust, and it hits shelves this Oct.1. The LP features the heart-breaker of a track "So I Cry Out" which premiered yesterday on Stereogum.  


GAMBLES- "SO I CRY OUT"

so here we are
in the final stand
kids grown up
by the hardest
of circumstance
its sad to blame
when things
go from good
to dark
we tried a very
long time to start
so I cry out
and I cry out
and you
hide your eyes
so I cry out
and I cry out
our world
we can not
recognize
but if we had
made
what we tried
to have
that boy or girl
would have
been
so loved
had a dad
so I'll cry out
and I cry out
and you just
hold my hand
so I'll cry out
and I cry out
but you
cannot look
in my eyes
and love
has hands
while the moon
holds the tiniest
eye
but whose to choose
who will grow
who will laugh
who will die
so I cry out
and I cry out
and you
cannot look at me
so I cry out
and I cry out
I wish that I felt
differently
so here we are
in the final stand
kids grown up
by the hardest
of circumstance

find more at http://www.gmbls.com/

Song of the Week: The National- "Heavenfaced"

With the release of The National's new album, Trouble Will Find Me just around the corner, I've been like a kid waiting for Christmas morning to come. Luckily the album has been streaming this week over on iTunes so that can hold me over momentarily. After many many listens it's too early for me to say if it's my favorite LP from the band, but I do know that it clearly surpassed the high expectations I had already set out in my head. One of the standouts for me has been the hypnotic and slow building, "Heavenfaced." I've always been taken with frontman Matt Berninger's lyrics but this album he seems to be on a whole other level.


The National- "Heavenfaced"
I could walk out, but I won’t,
In my mind I am in your arms.
I wish someone would take my place,
Can’t face heaven all heavenfaced.
No one’s careful all the time,
If you lose me, I’m gonna die.

How completely high was I?
I was off by a thousand miles.
Hit the ceiling, then you fall,
Things are tougher than we are.
I could walk out, but I won’t,
In my mind I am in your arms.
I wish someone would take my place,
Can’t face heaven all heavenfaced.

Let’s go wait out in the fields with the ones we love.
Let’s go wait out in the fields with the ones we love.
Let’s go wait out in the fields with the ones we love.
Let’s go wait out in the fields with the ones we love.

She’s a griever, my believer
It’s not a fever, it’s a freezer
I believe her, I`m a griever now
She’s a griever, my believer
It’s not a fever, it’s a freezer
I believe her, I`m a griever now

Because we’ll all arrive in heaven alive
We’ll all arrive
Because we’ll all arrive in heaven alive
We’ll all arrive

Song of the Week: Gregory Alan Isakov- "Saint Valentine"

Boulder, Colorado's Gregory Alan Isakov is readying his third full length album, The Weatherman. He recently gave fans a first taste of the upcoming LP with a new song titled "Saint Valentine."
Isakov had this to say about his forthcoming release ... "I wanted to make something that felt genuine. We recorded everything with analogue gear and mixed it on tape, which gave the songs a raw and vulnerable feeling." ... "The idea of a weatherman is really powerful. There's this guy on television or on the radio telling us the future, and nobody cares. It's this daily mundane miracle, and I think the songs I chose are about noticing the beauty in normal, everyday life."
The Weatherman hits store shelves this July 9th, and be sure to check his website for the latest tour information HERE.

Song of the Week: Little Green Cars- "The John Wayne"

I've been admittedly slow coming around on the Irish 5 piece, Little Green Cars. I had heard their name mentioned quite a bit around SXSW but never took the time to check them out. Since getting my hands on their debut disc, Absolute Zero I'm now feeling like a fool because it's all sorts of awesome. Check out the lead single, "The John Wayne" below and grab their album which is out now via Glassnote (Daughter, Chvrches, Phoenix).


http://littlegreencars.co.uk/

Song of the Week: Float Fall-"Someday"

I don't know much about this weeks 'Song of the Week' other than it comes from a duo out of Leuven, Belgium, Rozanne Descheemaekers and Ruben Lefever. What I do know is that this delicate piano led track with it's layers of simple beats has been lodged in my head for the past week. Give it a spin below, and stay tuned for more details hopefully soon.


http://www.floatfall.com

Song of the Week: Frank Smith- "Chewing Glass"

Frank Smith is a band not a man, and somehow with 10 releases already under their belt I managed to miss them all. Luckily they just released a brand new album this week that I did catch called, Nineties. As you might have guessed it features some nice guitar driven nineties inspired tracks, but it's actually the slow burning piano tinged ballad, "Chewing Glass" that I keep returning to.
Give it a try below & check out more of Frank Smith's new LP over on their website HERE.


http://franksmithmusic.com/

Song of the Week: Torres- "Honey"

Because I attended my first SXSW several weeks ago and because I'm a bit of a music geek, I've been reading a lot of post-SXSW coverage. Inevitably there's always picks of the 'big winners' & 'bands to watch' that come out of the week of mayhem & musical overload. One name that keeps reappearing though is the name Torres, which is the project of Nashville singer Mackenzie Scott. She released her self-titled debut LP last month and upon my first few spins I can most definitely see what all the fuss was about. There's been quite a few Sharon Van Etten & PJ Harvey references which I can see a little of, but I think you just need to give her a listen and hear for yourself either way.
A good start is the intense slow building track, "Honey"which you can stream below.



http://torrestorrestorres.com/

Song of the Week: Bird Courage- "Mayshower"

A new discovery that I'm quite happy about finding is the three piece Brooklyn band, Bird Courage. The group originally started as a duo with founders Erik Meier (Vocals, Guitar, Ukelele) & Samuel Saffery (Vocals, Xylophone), who interestingly enough met through constantly crossing paths with each other while out busking in the NYC subways. The pair recently brought on board a new member Sean McMahon (Vocals, Bass, Percussion) to round things out and they just released a brand new single titled, "Mayshower" with the new unit. According to the band the new single is from an upcoming full length release called 'Maia Manu' that is in the process of being completed. They're hoping to launch a kickstarter campaign soon and raise funds to finish mixing and mastering in the next month.
Listen to "Mayshower" below and check out the bands site for more info and current tour dates HERE.

MAYSHOWER from jimjims on Vimeo.

http://birdcourage.com/

Song of the Week: Small Houses- "Oh, Hiding Out"

I gotta give a little love to fellow blogger's Songsfortheday and Slowcoustic for turning me onto the work of Jeremy Quentin and his indie/folk project Small Houses. A Michigan native, Quentin is now based out of Philadelphia and his latest album Exactly Where You Wanted To Be hits outlets today via Yer Bird Records. There's something about this album that has a classic old nostalgic feel to it, and for me it's highlighted by the simple harmonica filled track, "Oh Hiding Out."
Small Houses is out on tour now in support of the new disc, and I'm pretty stoked to find out that he'll be making an appearance down at SXSW on March 17th. For more info and to keep up with all the latest tour info you can visit his website HERE.



Small Houses- "Oh, Hiding Out"
Well I'm staying with a friend down on 20,
where the yelling ain't that hard,
and the yelling ain't that hard.

And the boys they're gonna shout with the living,
and stay just where they are,
stay just where they are.

I got a year to miss with every town I'm in,
and a girl just to break my heart.

And on the weekends we can drive into the city,
where the leavings left and far,
the leavings left and far.

Well St. Louis isn't gone, no it's hidden,
and waiting in my voice,
waiting in my voice.

And the boys, they hear my block when they listen,
and sing with every noise,
sing with every noise.

I got a year to miss with every town I'm in,
and a girl just to break my heart.

And although I said I meant it when I didn't,
let's dream of Illinois,
dream of illinois.

I got a year to miss with every town I'm in,
and a girl just to break my heart.
Well Sarah I can't lift just too much more than this,
there's my head, this town, and arms.

So, I'm staying with a friend down on twenty,
where the yelling ain't that hard,
and the yelling ain't that hard.


more at http://www.smallhousessing.com/

Song of the Week: Douglas Firs- "Pretty Legs and Things To Do"

I recently had the chance to go back and visit Belgium, a place where I briefly lived from 2007 to 2009. I discovered a lot of excellent artists during that period and I've tried to stay in touch with the musical scene there since. On this most recent trip I go turned onto the tunes of Douglas Firs, which is the work of Gertjan Van Hellemont. Funny enough I found out that Van Hellemont apparently used to be the guitar player for fellow Belgian, The Bony King of Nowhere an old favorite here on the blog. In any event this past fall Gertjan under the moniker Douglas Firs released his very own debut LP called Shimmer & Glow which features this standout track "Pretty Legs and Things to Do."
Here's a video for the song that was filmed live at the top floor of the 'Boekentoren' in the city of Ghent.
I especially love around  the 1:25 mark when the tuba and the full chorus of backing vocals kick in, watch and get familiar below. 

http://douglasfirs.be/

'Song of the Week': Frightened Rabbit- "Dead Now"

Frightened Rabbit's fourth studio album, Pedestrian Verse hits stores across the US today. I have to admit I'm a big fan of these guys but when I first started hearing previews of the new LP back in the fall that I was a little underwhelmed. Fast forward a few months and this is an album that has not only grown on me, but one that I've truly fallen hard for. One such track that I completely missed the boat on was "Dead Now' which could be one of the best and catchiest thing the band has done. From the slinky bass line to the dark and somber lyrics mixed with the upbeat tempo, this has been my go-to song on Pedestrian Verse the last week or so.
Give a listen and read along below.


Frightened Rabbit- "Dead Now"
I'm not myself, I am
A broken boxer stuffed with glass and sand
This is not how health should feel
Songs sung from the lungs of the elderly

I'm dead now, check my chest and you'll see
The life has been mined from me, burned for the heat, oh
I'm dead now, can you hear the relief
As life's belligerent symphony's finally ceased, oh

I put my heart where my mouth is
Now I can't thumb it down again
I've gone deviled my kidneys
Now he's living inside of me
If we can't bring an exorcist
I'll settle for one of your stiffest drinks
We'll scream hell towards heaven's door
And now I'll piss on your front porch

I'm dead now, check my chest and you'll see
The life has been mined from me, burned for the heat, oh
I'm dead now, can you hear the relief
As life's belligerent symphony's finally ceased, oh
We're all dead now, join hands and we'll sing
To the glory of hell and the virtue of sin

There's something wrong with me
There's something wrong with me

There's something wrong with me
And there is nothing like poetry
So there you rob me in spite of these tics and inconsistencies
There is something wrong with me
Oh, there's something wrong with me
Oh, there's nothing like poetry
Oh you rob me in spite of these tics and inconsistencies
There is something wrong with me

http://frightenedrabbit.com/

'Song of the Week' : Local Natives- "Heavy Feet"

I've been hot onto LA band Local Natives since their stunning 2010 debut, Gorilla Manor. The album received a lot of buzz and the band went on to subsequently tour with bands like The National. Being big fans of both I was pretty excited to learn that The National's Aaron Dessner would be producing and collaborating on the bands second LP, Hummingbird which sees it's release today via Frenchkiss.
The group takes a big leap forward on the new disc, with a much more subtle, mature, and even refined approach, where you can make the connection that it's not dissimilar to The National's jump from their albums Alligator to Boxer. You can hear it most evident on tracks like the lead single "Breakers" the slow and haunting "Columbia" and the enchanting "Heavy Feet" which gets this weeks (Song of the Week) honors.

http://www.thelocalnatives.com/

'Song of the Week': The Saint Johns- "Your Head and Your Heart"

Actually found this one quite randomly via iTunes recently and it's been completely blowing my mind for the past week. The duo of Louis Johnson and Jordan Meredith apparently have been together for 5 years now and they have two self produced bedroom ep's under their old name 'Augustine.' The pair has recently been down in Nashville, TN. writing & recording a full length that hopefully features this gorgeous track, "Your Head and Your Heart." 
You can grab it now for free via their website as part of a 4 song live sessions EP.  I highly suggest you jump on it.

http://www.thesaintjohns.com/

'Song of the Week': The Falls- "Hey"

I just recently discovered this Australian duo, The Falls. Their 6 track Hollywood EP came out during the Summer and it features fantastic harmonies and emotional songwriting, detailing the pairs relationship & break-up. Give a listen to the track "Hey" below and here's a little description from the bands website: "At a time when for most it would be the end of a relationship, for The Falls this feels like it is just the beginning... Almost subconsciously they have documented their whole relationship in their songs. The love, the betrayal, the heartbreak. While at times it is hard for them to wear their hearts so openly on their sleeve, for The Falls, it has been a huge part of their songwriting. As Stevie Nicks said "devastation leads to writing good things". In the fallout from Valentines Day, The Falls decided that rather than wallowing in self pity they would put their heartbreak to tape. So they pulled out their little tascam 4-track portastudio, which, with all its tape wobbles and noise, aptly captured the fragility of their hearts. These fledgling recordings were just the beginning of what has become their debut EP Hollywood.
 


http://www.musicfromthefalls.com/
http://www.facebook.com/musicfromthefalls

Song of the Week: Bootstraps- "Sleeping Giant"

The self titled debut from Los Angeles outfit,
Bootstraps has been on heavy repeat the past several weeks for me, in my iPod, in my car, at home, you name it. The disc is so rock steady that it's been one of those albums that with each new listen I think I have a new favorite track. This week it's the shuffling beauty of, "Sleeping Giant" that's been working it's magic. Give it a spin below and stream the whole album over on the bands Souncloud page here if you like what you here.



http://bootstrapsmusic.com/
https://twitter.com/bootstrapsmusic

'Song of the Week': The Bony King of Nowhere-"Travelling Man"

Not entirely that well known here in the States yet, Bram Vanparys aka The Bony King of Nowhere is a gifted singer & songwriter hailing from Ghent, Belgium. While living overseas briefly from '07-'09 I had the chance to get to know the man and his music, and he was as open and sincere as his voice is pure. His first two LP's earned him critical success across Europe and now he's readying his third album, a self titled effort which is said to have been recorded in one long creative night. It comes out in Belgium on Oct. 22nd and it should be available digitally through his website or online retailers.

The first taste off the new LP is the stripped back stunner "Travelling Man" which you can get familiar with below.



http://thebonykingofnowhere.be/ 

Song of the Week: Evening Hymns-"Asleep in the Pews"

I know this track has been out since 2011, but it's been blowing me away for the past few weeks and I wanted to share. I just only recently got turned onto Evening Hymns after seeing that they were opening some dates for fellow Ontario band, The Wooden Sky, and decided to give them a listen. The first two tracks I heard from the band, "Dead Deer" off their first LP, Spirit Guides, and "Asleep in the Pews" instantly had me hooked. Both tracks floored me, in the arrangements and lyrics, falling right into my sweet spot of music I love. The latter of the two tracks, "Asleep in the Pews" hails from the bands forthcoming LP, Spectral Dusk that has seen a delay in it's release from early Spring 2012 to a later date of this Summer, August sometime according to frontman Jonas Bonnetta. The new disc is said to be very personal and it was recorded in a remote log cabin in the woods of Ontario with some of the bands close friends (The Wooden Sky, Ohbijou, and City and Colour) who all make guest appearances on the disc. Get familiar with "Asleep in the Pews" below and head over to the bands website to check out their first LP, Spirit Guides & more.
 


Evening Hymns- "Asleep In the Pews"
I put my head on a hymn book and fell asleep
In the nosebleed pews it was too dark to speak
There was a man spitting fire whose words were familiar to me
He said "friends drag me out of here, pull this feeling from me"

So I spent some time in the woods, they were dark, they were deep
Long to come home to you, lay my lips down to sleep
But I got lost or was it found? I was running down a dream
Oh it was hard to explain all the pain that was running through me

This is something I am sure will be so hard to endure
And how that whispered breath would grow and get so loud
I try to work as hard as you hoping that it will cut through
To make you feel so loved and so proud

But now I'm waiting for some strength, something remarkable to change
Just like those leaves that turn to gold are then set free
Oh it was hard to explain all the pain that was running through me
Yes it was hard to explain all the pain that was running through me

Yes it was hard to explain all the pain that was running through me
On those nights in the woods, they were dark, they were deep

http://www.facebook.com/eveninghymns

Isbells- "Illusion"

Belgian band, Isbells came out with their second album, Stoalin this past March that features the hauntingly beautiful single, "Illusion." The new LP sees the Gaëtan Vandewoude led project expanding their sounds from their well received self titled debut. Here's some of what Vandewoude had to say on the new disc and it's cryptic title ..."While I’m tinkering with a new song, I tend to hum phonetic sounds or half-sentences which, at a later stage, will be replaced with sensible lyrics. But in the case of ‘Stoalin’’ I found myself unable to come up with an alterative way to express the feeling I was trying to convey. So I decided to keep the original word in, even though it’s a neologism. But as the meaning lies hidden in the emotion, I’m pretty confident the listener will get the idea.”   

Stoalin is out now via Zeal Records.


http://www.isbells.be/
http://www.facebook.com/isbells

Song of the Week: Cold Specks- "Winter Solstice"

A few weeks back I spoke about Cold Specks, the project of Canadian singer, Al Spx and her upcoming album, I Predict a Graceful Explosion. The new LP comes out this May 22nd via Mute Records/Arts & Crafts, and listening to the music of Cold Specks I can't help but think how aptly titled the new album truly is. Armed with a powerful and intimately soulful voice Spx's tunes have a beautiful slow building quality about them that just draws you in. She recently premiered the first single off the upcoming LP, a song titled, "Winter Solstice."
Here's a little blurb about the new track (Via The Globe and Mail): The album’s first single, Winter Solstice, is a graceful, stirring sort of field holler, concerning mortality and the passing of torches to a younger generation. Spx names Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Sam Cooke as influences. “Doom soul is how describe my music to people,” she says. “It seems to make sense to them.” 



http://www.coldspecks.com/

Song of the Week: Victor Olston-"Wars"

      

I've been getting real familiar with Victor Olston and his most recent 'Heritage" demos. Though only a 3 song effort, the demos are a preview of things to come from this 5 piece Americana band based out of Shreveport, Louisiana. The group is putting the finishing touches on their new full length record down in Muscle Shoals, Alabama  this month with engineer Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, Band of Horses, Dylan LeBlanc). 
You can check out the 'Heritage' demos below and if you head over to their bandcamp you can also find their 2010 EP, Hunters Traps, which is equally as good.




http://victorolston.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/victorolston