Nick Jaina recently visited us in studio for a HearYa Live Session and his latest release, A Bird In The Opera House, is the most pleasant surprise of 2010. It’s outstanding.
Jaina is in NY this weekend with performances scheduled tonight and tomorrow night. A full list of dates follows:
5/29 – Brooklyn, NY – Bar Four
5/30 – New York, NY – Rockwood Music Hall
6/2 – Louisville, KY – Skull Alley
6/3 – Springfield, MO – Front Porch
6/4 – Witchita, KS – Fisch Haus
6/5 – Omaha, NE‚ – Barley Street
6/6 – Lincoln, NE‚ – Clawfoot House
6/8 – Creede, CO – Kip’s Grill
6/9 – Salt Lake City, UT – Slowtrain Records
6/10 – Pocatello, ID – Flipside Lounge
6/12 – Nampa, ID – Flying M Coffeegarage
We first premiered the video for “Days In My Room” in March and we now have a first look at his new video for “Another Kay Song.”
Joe Pug is one classy dude. He’s giving away one of the best songs of 2010 in honor of Memorial Day. I’ll let him explain:
Often songs are difficult to write but, once written, easy to release,” explains Pug.‚ “That was certainly not the case with ‘Bury Me Far (From My Uniform).’‚ The song nearly wrote itself and yet I released it with great reluctance.‚ There is a certain reverence that any decent person affords soldiers and their sacrifices.‚ I was, and remain still, troubled that this song might violate that decency.‚ Having never served myself I’m not always sure whether it is inspiring or insulting.‚ I’ve certainly gotten my fair share of both reactions.‚ In the end, the song stands on its own, and the distinction is yours to make.
I was fallen dead in battle,
must have been Tuesday,
I don’t know the date.
I gave everything everyone asked for,
But I say where I’ll be laid.
The many dead of my comrades,
All look the same in this place.
Won’t you bury me far from my uniform,
So God might remember my face.
Do not bother with Congress,
With the rich,
Or with the rest.
I fought their battles in this world,
But I will not fight for them in the next.
Do not find me justice,
Just find me a grave.
And then bury me far from my uniform,
So that God might remember my face.
Oh my mother,
You’ll weep and you’ll crumble,
Take me out of your dreams that I’m in.
I can’t take another what’s not,
I’m sick to hear what could have been.
I’ll not return to your table,
So don’t save me a place.
Just bury me far from my uniform,
So God might remember my face
I’m not a cause, not a Christ, not a ransom.
I’m not a reason, I’m not a debate.
And I swear that I’m no one’s example.
I’m not a number,
I’m not a crusade.
War is older than mankind,
But it’s younger than grace.
Won’t you bury me far from my uniform?
From the iron cross medals I would have worn.
From the statues that sisters and widows mourn.
From the newspaper clippings and microform,
From Geneva, the Hague and Nuremberg
From the sex of this world that I’ll no longer taste.
Won’t you bury me far from my uniform?
So God might remember my face.
I know God will remember my face.
Merciful God, please remember my face.
Seattle’s Moondoggies have wrapped up their new album, Tidelands, due out in September via Hardly Art. They’ve also released a limited EP of the tracks that didn’t make the cut for the full length. You can buy it at their shows or via Hardly Art’s store. Here’s a track from the EP. Catch them on tour with Blitzen Trapper.
We were able to hear some new material from these guys at SxSW and I expect this album to be spectacular. Here’s a great video session from Yours Truly, featuring the lead off song from the upcoming LP called “It’s a Shame, It’s a Pity.” The harmonies are heartbreaking and jaw dropping.
05.20.10 – Seattle, WA – Neumos %
06.02.10 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory Concert House #
06.03.10 – Missoula, MT – The Palace #
06.04.10 – Bozeman, MT – The Filling Station #
06.06.10 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium #
06.07.10 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown #
06.09.10 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse #
06.10.10 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo #
06.13.10 – Charlotte, NC – Casbah at Tremont Music Hall #
06.14.10 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club #
06.15.10 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero Theatre #
06.16.10 – New York, NY – Webster Hall #
06.18.10 – Lancaster, PA – Chameleon Club #
06.19.10 – Pittsburgh, PA – Diesel Club #
06.20.10 – Newport, KY – The Southgate House #
06.21.10 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway #
06.22.10 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar #
06.24.10 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen #
06.25.10 – Denver, CO – Hi Dive
06.26.10 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Wine Festival #
06.27.10 – Albuquerque, NM – Low Spirits
06.28.10 – Tempe, AZ – The Clubhouse #
06.29.10 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre #
07.02.10 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
07.10.10 – Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg Folk Festival
07.11.10 – Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg Folk Festival
Hurray for the Riff Raff. You don’t run across band names like that every day.
For those of you that have followed our site for some period of time, you’ve probably gathered that I have a real affinity towards any artist that can put pen to paper. Growing up, I purchased tapes/CD’s and, if the liner notes didn’t include lyrics, I was hugely disappointed. After buying a new album, I’d plop down on my bed and listen to the music with my finger following every printed word.
I suppose that’s what draws me to folk music. Folk music aficionados are forgiving when it comes to vocals and we don’t require a backing band, but we refuse to compromise when it comes to songwriting. Hurray for the Riff Raff has it all – songwriting, a great vocalist and a subtle backing band. This New Orleans based band led by Alynda Lee, a banjo accompanied songstress who by all accounts is a folkie at heart. She’s a runaway that hopped freight trains across the States, which is very cool for young artists and musicians. For anyone else out there reading from a cubicle, it would make you a smelly hobo.
Hurray for the Riff Raff’s music is sparse and delicate, giving adequate space for the Alynda’s words to hit home.‚ Their tour dates are few and far between right now, but I’m willing to guess you could invite them to play a campfire if the weather, food, spirits, and company are good.
Standing right in front of a speaker tower twice my size I struggled to convert my cocktail napkin into earplugs. I’d left my protective ear wear at home assuming that Nashville supergroup, The Dead Weather, would be playing a venue 5 times the size of the one I was standing in. Not on this night. [...]
Have you seen the 2011 Ford Fiesta commercial? In our ongoing quest to celebrate licensing deals that (hopefully) earn bands a living, here’s our latest Bands + Brands. The commercial features the song “Janglin” by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Tweet
Fresh of announcing their signing to Domino Records, Chief announces the upcoming release of On Modern Rituals, their debut LP. The album is due out on August 17th. And it’s about damn time. We’ve been waiting for well over a year and I highly recommend buying their EP, The Castle Is Gone. In addition to [...]
Don’t you love it when you stumble upon a myspace music page where the songs have only been listen to a couple hundred times? You never know what you’re going to get. 90% of the time it’s complete crap, 5% of the time it’s great, and the other 5% of the time it shows promise [...]
I am far from well-spoken on The New Pornographers, but I always seem to enjoy every album they release. They are the kind of band I like from afar; never devoting much energy toward or checking out live, yet I always like listening to their indie power pop sound. It’s the perfect music for a [...]
Delta Spirit’s new album, History From Below, is set to release on June 8th. It seems like FOREVER since they released Ode to Sunshine, and I think we’re all pretty excited to hear something new from these guys. They made a new song‚ available from the new record via Brooklyn Vegan. It’s called “Bushwick Blues,” and [...]
