The Lists: Best Videos of 2009

Here's an unranked group of some of the best music videos from 2009. I didn't scour the internet (or god-forbid watch MTV/CMT) for every video made this year. They are basically taken from those artists in my Top 20 Albums list (coming soon) that happened to make videos this year.

These United States - Everything Touches Everything


The Low Anthem - Charlie Darwin


The Avett Brothers - Slight Figure of Speech


Bombadil - So Many Ways To Die


Dan Auerbach - Heartbroken, In Disrepair


Middle Distance Runner - The Unbeliever


Sea Wolf - Wicked Blood


Brendan Benson - A Whole Lot Better

Prisencolinensinainciusol... Oll Raight!!

This may just be the strangest music ever posted on this site, but damn if doesn't groove!

Adriano Celentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol

If you wondering what it is you're hearing, you're not alone. It's gibberish. Gibberish posing as English, set to a funky 70's disco beat. Adriano Celentano is an Italian entertainment renaissance man who wrote the tune in 1972 as a bit of commentary on the lack of communication in the world. Prisencolinensinainciusol is said to mean Universal Love.

I found the video and although I had no clue what I was watching... I couldn't stop watching. It's dangerously infectious with an old-school, Dylan-esque vibe that pulls from just about every genre of music. If you check out some of the comments on the various versions posted on YouTube, you'll see that a lot of folks felt the same. The song is also said to be one of the earliest precursors of rap music. Just more proof of the overwhelming power of music to transcend all language and culture barriers.

The Medders' Gunslinger Video....

I shared a track from Nashville based band-of-brothers, The Medders, a while back. Since then, 'Gunslinger' has been on a heavy rotation in my player. It's the only track to be released from their upcoming self-titled debut (September 1), although you can stream some more tracks on their MySpace.

Found a link in my inbox today to the official video for Gunslinger. Enjoy.



The Medders: [Website][Facebook][MySpace]

Viva la Vinyl: Deer Tick Goes Tejano....

A couple Thursdays ago, I shot over to Austin just in time to catch Deer Tick tear down Emo's. The Providence boys were obviously not accustomed to Texas heat, and thus were all shirtless by song number 2. That helped open the door for what would turn out to be a no-holds-barred, raucous evening complete with flying beer, John McCauley on the drums, and even a little crowd surfing (see below). I managed to keep my new camera safe and even snagged a few shots worth keeping.

I had a quick conversation with John after the show, in which he mentioned that he had been by This Mornin'... before. Pretty cool. So, John, if you're reading this, leave a shout out down below. I then saw someone walking by with a white cardboard sleeve just about 7 inches square. Checking with the merch table, my suspicions were confirmed. So here you are, folks, the newest Deer Tick track to hit the web. A seven-inch vinyl-only single, exclusively at www.ThisMornin.com:

Deer Tick - La Bamba (vinyl rip)

Wikipedia says:
'La Bamba' is a Mexican folk song that was made popular in 1958 by the late Ritchie Valens. The la bamba is a traditional Mexican dance performed at weddings (along with the song). Valens' version infused rock 'n roll with traditional Mexican instruments and rhythms. 'La Bamba' is the only non-English song to make Rolling Stones' list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (#345).

The boys split this 7" with The Shivers - a NYC based rock/experimental group, and I have to say I rather enjoy the groove.

The Shivers - Shallow Water (vinyl rip)


In other Deer Tick news, a slew of live sets were linked from their twitter today. They recently did a 'LaundroMatinee' set for MyOldKentuckyBlog. The set features Houston, TX, These Old Shoes, The Dance of Love, Dirty Dishes, and Dead Flowers. You can download the mp3's here. My personal favorite from the collection:



Check out a brand new song John and Dennis debuted at their Waterloo Records in-store performance the day of their show at Emo's:



---------------------------
More Viva la Vinyl at This Mornin'....

Whiskeytown's Record Store Day 7" - 4.30.09
Viva la Vinyl: Ryan Adams Set - 4.15.09
Whiskeytown's Theme For A Trucker - 2.20.09

Avett Brothers New Single

So I really wanted to wait to post this until I found the album art, seeing as that's the only lacking bit of album detail, but I just couldn't wait anymore. All the goodies found here have been posted all around the blog world already, but in case ThisMornin.com (nice, huh?) is the only one you read, I figured I'd re-hash the info here.

The Avett Brothers' 2009 album, I And Love And You, won't be available until September 29, but the guys have unleashed upon us the tracklist as well as a sneak peek at the title track.

1. I and Love and You
2. January Wedding
3. Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise
4. And it Spread
5. The Perfect Space
6. Ten Thousand Words
7. Kick Drum Heart
8. Laundry Room
9. Ill with Want
10. Tin Man
11. Slight Figure of Speech
12. It Goes On and On
13. Incomplete and Insecure

It's gonna be a tough 3 months of waiting, but to wet your thirst for banjo-plunkin' goodness, check out this video of a 3-song set The Avetts recorded for NPR. It features track 8 from the above album, an even newer song, and Bella Donna from their most recent Gleam EP.



Just because I'm feeling generous, here's a couple more videos - complete with ripped mp3s - of Avett Brothers Covers.



The Avett Brothers - Glory Days (Springsteen)


Scott Avett - Ramblin' Fever (Haggard)

Brian Williams - Deer Tick Interview

Think I was lying about NBC Newscaster Brian Williams' fanhood of Deer Tick??

Pre-Order Born On Flag Day (6/23/09): Vinyl/CD.

Links, News, and Videos for April...

The beginning of the year is generally a slow time for music news. Bands are working to prepare the year's album, keeping much of the details in-house. But with spring comes new beginnings. Summer releases are beginning to take shape, festivals are gearing up, and tours are being booked. I've recently shared news on a new Deer Tick album, Samantha Crain's new one, and I've reviewed The Felice Brothers' 2009 effort.

Leftover are some news snippets that didn't warrant a full post, so here goes:


First, Band Breakups:

• Simone Felice came forward on a MySpace bulletin to announce that he will be leaving the fraternal group to form another band, The Duke & The King. The new group has been signed to Loose Records and put out their debut single 'If You Ever Get Famous' in the UK in March. They plan to release an 7" EP here in The States in May.
• Austin electric-folk group The Dedringers have taken a mutual hiatus to form two new bands. Sean Faires recorded a few songs as a solo-show (here) before he began playing with some new folks in a band called The Happen-Ins. Jonny Burke, the other half of The Dedringers, has a solo MySpace page with a couple songs up as well. Both groups have been playing in and around the Austin area - often together.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sean Faires - The Kids Don't Dance

• The Everybodyfields' Sam Quinn has started a side-project entitled Sam Quinn & Japan Ten. Check out their MySpce page for a couple tracks. Here's a sweet video:
  
  
  
  Not to be outdone, the stunningly gorgeous Jill Andrews of the Everybodyfields has created a solo MySpace and Website. No Songs posted yet, but in an update she says she has been recording and plans for a 2009 solo release.

New Album News:

• Our old friends Bombadil released the details on their new album. The North Carolina folk group have put together another stunning album of inventive, albeit very busy, folk-pop. Here's a small doc on the making of the new one, Tarpits and Canyonlands, due out July 7, 2009. The song playing, 'Honeymoon,' is available for download beneath. With more than five distinctive melodies in this one song, I don't know how they're gonna have any left over for the rest of the album, but I have faith.
  
  
  
  
  Bombadil - Honeymoon

• Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band have finished recording their second album together. Outer South (Merge Records) is due out May 5th, but on Wednesday (April 15th), the band will release "One of My Kind" - a documentary of the complete history of this young band. Check out Conor and band performing 'Nikorette' on Conan a while back and then download another tune from the upcoming album.
  
  
  
  Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band - Ten Women
  
  Pre-order Outer South on either CD or Vinyl.

And last, but certainly not least:

• Don't know if anyone noticed, but about a month ago we had a celebrity sighting here at This Mornin'... Good 'ol Max Stalling stopped by to give praise for my artist spotlight on him, and he also cleared up an important aesthetic fact.
  

Ryan Adams: Music In High Places....

In the summer of 2002 riding the wave created from Gold, Ryan was asked to go to Jamaica and film some live acoustic recordings. Music In High Places is a recurring DVD/Television program that features bands playing live in exotic places - others included are bands like Goo Goo Dolls, Deftones, and Unwritten Law.

Firecracker:


The Rescue Blues:


Touch Feel & Lose:


The DVD was released in 2003, and yes, I have a copy. There are some limited behind the scenes shots that I especially enjoyed - Ryan shopping in Jamaican markets, meeting Toots Hibbert, and teaching some locals to sing harmony. Ryan performed Firecracker, You Will Always Be The Same, The Rescue Blues, Touch Feel & Lose, New York New York, Hard Time Situation (with Toots), and Answering Bell. The special also aired on MTV on in August of 2002.

Firecracker (live in Jamaica)
The Rescue Blues (live in Jamaica)
Touch Feel & Lose (live in Jamaica)

More Todd Snider.....

Got a link to this in my inbox this morning.
check out more videos at MyDamnChannel.com

It's Todd's newest song, America's Favorite Pastime - about Dock Ellis who, to the envy of many, once threw a NO HITTER on LSD. Amazing.

The song is from Todd's forthcoming album, Peace Queer - out August 19th. It will carry a theme that he is well-accustomed to - the modern-day protest song. He includes a cover of CCR's Fortunate Son, and the lead-off track is entitled Mission Accomplished - we all know what that's in reference to.

i've thrown up a couple Todd Snider songs here and there, but not enough has been said about this wordsmith. Like John Prine before him, Todd has a way with words that is not initially super-impressive. At times, their lyrics are so corny that they are are downright mindblowing. And listening to people like Townes Van Zandt, Elliot Smith, and Ryan Adams - whose austere phrases are often difficult to decode, we tend to forget the value of a little humor and levity in music. While Todd may not shoot for the most intellectual phrase to come up with, his timing and syllabic choices are perfect. He has a superb sense of melody that shines through in his solo acoustic work.

You Got Away With It ~ from The Devil You Know (2006)
A tongue-in-cheek song about the most powerful frat-boy of them all.
"You got the run of this place.... unbelievable!"

Here's another humor-driven tune from Todd:
Iron Mike's Main Man's Last Request
buy East Nashville Skyline (2004)