I understand this this post may come off as hyperbole and seem a bit histrionic, but in all honesty I feel as though this song were custom made for me. As should be pretty obvious with this blog I have a deep fascination and love of folk music. I love the original versions of older folk songs just as much as I like the songs that build upon them.

I have also already stated my love for Tom Waits and Keith Richards. Keith is my favorite Stone and I’ve made it pretty clear in my About section that The Stones have been incredibly influential in the shaping of my musical tastes. Tom Waits, well, I have devoted a whole series of posts to his music. So I was incredibly excited to see that Waits and Richards had collaborated on an interpretation of an old hymn sung by flatboatmen on the Missouri River.

This song is simplistic and swelling, mournful and beautiful. The disjointed and discordant chorus is everything that I love in this type of music. It makes my heart swell to hear the depth and breadth of the voices that sound so harmonious while not all jiving together perfectly.

I’ll be the first to admit that I sing in the shower. And I almost always sing along to a group of pretty lowbrow songs. If it’s catchy and in the top 40, I’ve probably sung along to it. There are a few songs, however, that seem to be standing the test of time and have become a regular part of the lineup.

Well, today wraps up a pretty productive weekend and music played a large part in it. For  some reason doing chores, running errands, and getting work done always brings random songs to the front of my brain. Being productive also means that I listen to the one song guaranteed to get me up and out of bed. I’ve posted about it before, and it still is the best motivator around. I have absolutely no idea why.

Thanks to the start of a new semester I have gone from waking up at a civilized 8:00 to the less civilized 6:15. Ouch. My walk to and from the gym is currently done in the dark and I like to listen to some music on my way home. I’m too chickenshit (read: smart) to listen to music while walking down the street on the way to the gym, but on the way back it feels safe/busy enough. I own my cowardliness and I’m pretty sure it lets parents breathe a big sigh of relief.

Anyway, I have found two songs that I really like in the morning. One, by Fanfarlo, has been on the this blog before and is muted and sweet. The second is courtesy of a co-worker and combines that sweetness with a really interesting chorus that includes a pretty great bass line. Both seem to suit the darkness pretty well.

I first heard this song in one of my classes in my freshman year of college. In the days before Shazam, I wrote down the lyrics instead of taking notes and went home and found the song. I’ve kept this song with me ever since.

I really love the guitar in this song and I really love Reverend F.D. Kirkpatrick. The rest of what I can find of Rev. F.D. Kirkpatrick and Jim Collier is much more blues-based. This song, especially the guitar in the intro bit, is so beautiful and flowing and folky. The lyrics too are especially powerful.

I can’t believe it has taken me so long to share this song, especially because I found it right at the start of my more intense interest in folk music. Regardless, here it is. Enjoy.

I saw the movie Hanna last winter and remember searching is vain for the remix of one of the main songs but coming up empty. Then, a couple of months later I found the remixed version I had been searching for. I didn’t think of posting these two songs until August but felt they belong in a winter post. So I wrote this post in August and set it aside, hoping and praying that I remember to post it. And here it is (whew!).

I really enjoy the kitschy but dark mood that the original version evokes. The second remixed dubstep-y version I love for how violent it becomes. To me, both have really dark undertones but only the second version really brings that to the surface. They are perfect for walking home at night in the middle of winter.

It’s finally snowing in earnest in New York City and there are several songs that I listen to in order to enhance that crisp coldness of wintery weather. These songs all remind me of winter in Vermont when it would be freezing in the morning and frost had formed on my window overnight. Also, my Mom never left the heat on at night.

I did a post on the same subject last year and these songs apply just as much now and they did then.

Just as with last year, wintertime seems to coincide with my interest in more electronic-based music. This year, Grimes has become my new obsession. Two songs in particular have captured my attention and I find myself listening to them constantly.

The first, Genesis, has this great almost syncopated beat that allows the song to remain upbeat and kicky rather than plodding. The second, Beast Infection, uses these electronic grating noises to prevent Grimes’ voice from sounding to sweet. Genius.

I’m listening to it for the first time as I type. In fact, I haven’t even listened to this song all the way through but I’m in love. I have always liked Bruce Springsteen but have never sat down and listened to him in earnest. Until now. And I really didn’t get too far before I had to stop and chronicle some of it.

Between the beat, the violin/accordion bit, and just his voice make this a great song. Worth a listen. And more Springsteen to come for sure.

I’ve posted about Hasil Adkins before. In fact, it is the blog post most searched for via keyword search online. Strange. I don’t know who you are, person who searches for “hasil adkins” and “hasil adkins psychobilly” and ends up here, but I hope you’ve been finding what you’re looking for. If not, maybe this will help.

This song has become one of my new favorite Hasil Adkins songs. I love the sound, I love the random addition of the tambourine, and I love its simplicity. It doesn’t hurt that its a one-man-band jobber. Have you noticed that I like those yet?