Playlist Pulse: Slowies.....

Haven't done one of these in a while. i've been pretty short on time this week, so no in-depth posts requiring a lot of thought are in the works. That's why i started this Playlist Pulse thing anyway - to get some songs out to the people in a simple way.

Today, i'm pulling from my Slowies playlist. It's simply a collection of soothing, slow-paced songs that i often use to fall asleep to. That's not to say that the songs are uninteresting, just very calming. In fact, i often end up staying awake thoroughly examining the words - as simple, quiet instrumentation paves the way for lyrically driven songs.

1. Iron & Wine - The Sea & The Rhythm
   buy The Sea & The Rhythm [EP]
   Sam Beam comprises about 20 percent of this playlist. His fluid vocals could calm a cat in a swimming pool. This song wouldn't be near as magnificent if it weren't for the shockingly simple banjo solos.
2. The Wood Brothers - That's What Angels Can Do
   buy Ways Not To Lose
   The Wood Brothers momentarily drop their heavy groove and show us a beautiful song in which Oliver decides that the only explanation for his love's power of him is that she must be an angel. Listen close and you'll hear trickling water in the background....
3. Band of Horses - Part One
   buy Everything All The Same
4. Okkervil River - Savannah Smiles
   buy The Stage Names
   The xylophone is a perfect touch for a song about your little girl.
5. Todd Snider - All My Life
   buy Happy To Be Here
   Simply beautiful.

check out more playlist pulse....

i'm hungry.........

It's almost been a week since my last post. i've been back and forth between here and there. Mostly i've been back home letting my mother take care of me cause i just got my wisdom teeth yanked out of my face.

i'm really not in too much pain (i ain't skimpin' on the hydrocodone, though); the worst part is......... i'm hungry as shit. i'm tired of soup and jello.


So to end this blogging hiatus and to make me even hungrier, here are some good food-related tunes:

mp3: Stoney LaRue - Texas Cookin' (live - Guy Clark cover)

mp3: Cody Canada - Juicy Fruit (live - Jimmy Buffett cover)

mp3: Old Crow Medicine Show - Chicken Pie (unreleased)

mp3: The Band of Heathens - Cornbread
buy Band of Heathens (2008)

mp3: Ray Wylie Hubbard - Heartaches and Grease
buy Snake Farm (2006)

mp3: The Wood Brothers - Chocolate On My Tongue
buy Ways Not To Lose (2006)

mp3: Robert Johnson - Come On In My Kitchen
buy The Complete Recordings (1990)

mp3: Slaid Cleaves - Breakfast in Hell
buy Broke Down (2000)

mp3: The Felice Brothers - Take This Bread
buy The Felice Brothers (2008)

The Wood Brothers: Loaded

The Wood Brothers' sophomore effort, Loaded, is a soothing, groovy record much like their debut. Bluesy songs that bump along with the beat created by Chris Wood and his big bass. Oliver wood provides soulful vocals and resonator guitar. The main difference in the second album, however, is the additional help from some other great artists in the folk scene.

Amos Lee, whom i caught on ACL the other day, provides backup vocals on Pray Enough. He also shares the lead vocals with Oliver on Angel - a cover of the Hendrix tune. The choppy guitar in the song kinda gives it a reggae feel, of which i think Hendrix himself would approve.

mp3: The Wood Brothers - Angel

mp3: Amos Lee - Sweet Pea ~ from Supply and Demand (2006)
You might recognize this song from one of those AT&T more bars commercials.

The other guest appearnace on Loaded comes in the form of female backup vocals. Frazey Ford of The Be Good Tanyas beautifully adds to the soul in Oliver's voice on the track Don't Look Back.

mp3: The Wood Brothers - Don't Look Back

mp3: The Be Good Tanyas - Light Enough To Travel ~ from Blue Horse (2000)
From this inovative female folk trio from Canada's first album.

Other standouts on the album include Loaded (posted a while back), Postcards From Hell, Twisted, and an almost unrecognizable cover of Dylan's Buckets of Rain.

Buy Loaded here (iTunes) or here (Amazon).

The Wood Brothers - New Album in the Works

The Wood Brothers was one of the first bands outside of 'Texas Music' that i really enjoyed hearing. They are Oliver and Chris Wood, two brothers that bring together two different styles to create some of the most soulful blues/folk music. They grew up in Boulder, CO but split ways to follow their own musical tastes. Oliver took his jazzy guitar to Atlanta and helped form King Johnson, a relatively successful southern rock band. Chris headed north to Manhattan playing stand-up bass in Medeski Martin & Wood, an internationally acclaimed instrumental trio.




The brothers decided in 2006 to reunite for Ways Not To Lose. They blend bluesy, southern vocal and guitar with a big bass that often carries the song along. Their sound is one of the most unique styles i've heard.



mp3: The Luckiest Man

mp3: Atlas


I was afraid that maybe Oliver and Chris had decided on just a one-time-only collaboration, but just yesterday, through the wires came news of Loaded, the sophomore effort from the brothers.

Due out April 1st, we won't have to wait long. And look, they gave us a couple samples.......


mp3: Loaded

mp3: Lovin' Arms