...Volume 2

The second volume of our wonderful and dependable "Weekly" Musical Extravaganza is going to cover several bands and artists. These artists prove that the guitar isn't just an instrument for hard rock riffs. The guitar can be used as a serene background. And, some of 'em prove that the piano itself isn't just for classical music. We're covering the young, independent "singer/songwriters" of today...


First off, Damien Rice. If you guys saw Closer, you'd recognize his song "The Blower's Daughter." This song comes from his 2003 album "O."

Damien Rice - The Blower's Daughter

There's no way you can't love this song. His smokey, deep voice is perfect. It's not great by any means, but it fits with the guitars and violins in the background. In most of his songs, he can usually adjust his voice to match the emotion his lyrics hold.

As for the lyrics...
And so it is
Just like you said it would be
Life goes easy on me
Most of the time
And so it is
The shorter story
No love, no glory
No hero in her sky

I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes...

And so it is
Just like you said it should be
We'll both forget the breeze
Most of the time
And so it is
The colder water
The blower's daughter
The pupil in denial

I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off of you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes off you
I can't take my eyes...

Did I say that I loathe you?
Did I say that I want to
Leave it all behind?

I can't take my mind off of you
I can't take my mind off you
I can't take my mind off of you
I can't take my mind off you
I can't take my mind off you
I can't take my mind...
My mind... my mind...
'Til I find somebody new

If you like this song, try the following two:

Damien Rice - Cannonball
Damien Rice - Delicate


Bright Eyes is the brainchild of Conor Oberst. makeshift idolizes it. But, it's pretty good. Check out the following song, "We Are Nowhere and It's Now" to see just how good it is. For emo, it's upbeat and isn't as tiring or noisy as some of the other artists. Oberst has a low voice that nears dead-pan style. But, the light drum beat and guitar in the background make it more melodic. Other songs on his latest album (er...one of them. He released two on the same weekend this year), "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning," are darker, but most keep the same style of music. It's the kind of "emo" that one doesn't have to feel guilty about listening to...

Bright Eyes - We Are Nowhere and It's Now

The lyrics:
If you hate the taste of wine
Why do you drink it until you’re blind?
And if you swear that there’s no truth and who cares
How come you say it like you’re right?
Why are you scared to dream of god
When it’s salvation that you want?
You see stars that clear have been dead for years
But the idea just lives on

In our wheels that roll around
As we move over the ground
And all day it seems we’ve been in between the past and future town

We are nowhere, and it’s now
We are nowhere, and it’s now
You took a ten-minute dream in the passengers seat
While the world it was flying by
I haven’t been gone very long
But it feels like a lifetime

I’ve been sleeping so strange at night
Side effects they don’t advertise
I’ve been sleeping so strange
With a head full of pesticide

I got no plans and too much time
I feel to restless to unwind
I’m always lost in thought
As I walk a block to my favourite neon sign
Where the waitress looks concerned
But she never says a word
Just turns the jukebox on
And we hum along
And I smile back at her

And my friend comes after work
When the features start to blur
She says these bars are filled with things that kill
And you probably should have learned

Did you forget that yellow bird?
How could you forget that yellow bird?

She took a small silver wreathe and pinned it onto me
She said this one will bring you love
I don’t know if it’s true but I keep it for good luck

And, finally, I'm just gonna throw some names out at you.

Aimee Mann - That's Just What You Are
Ani DiFranco - 32 Flavors
Bright Eyes - A New Arrangement
Bright Eyes - Lua
Death Cab For Cutie - Blacking Out The Friction
Lou Barlow - Legendary
Lou Barlow - Mary

Also check out Leonard Cohen, David Gray, Ben Kweller, The Decemberists, The Postal Service, and Ryan Adams.

first of all, is that mp3 of blower's daughter a messy file, or is that me?

second of all, lm not a huge fan of bright eyes, though ''im wide awke its morning'' is very solid. l listen to ''at the bottom of everything'' like...all the time...(just for that little story thing at the opening )

finally, l havent heard much of the other stuff listed, but the decemberists is one of my new favorite bands. so, theres my 2 sense...

What do you mean by messy? I had to rip it from my own CD, and it might be a little scratched (actually, all the Damien Rice ones have slight skips) but it should work..

I'm not a a huge Decemberists fan. I think that's a band that cares more about sounding intelligent than they care about writing meaningful lyrics. I just listed them among the others (whom I love!) because they're hot right now and it fits in the genre we're covering...I like "Los Angeles, I'm Yours" though.

I love the blower's daughter. I heard it three times today Cant wait to listen to the other two songs.

Damian Rice is a really good musician and thus far I've enjoyed all the song's I've heard. Torrino the two you posted are great, are they also from "O"? I've got Blower's Daughter from iTunes, but that CD may be on my next trip to Target.

I'm getting to the others now.

nah, it works...just scratchy, l guess...

l dont know that their lyrics are incredibly meaningful, or even intelligent sounding (though l do enjoy their lyrics, usually). and really l'm not sure l care. but pretty much every one of their songs is extremely catchy, fun and refreshing. listening to "a cautionary song" or "here i dreamt i was an architecht" amongst all the...well, other stuff on my comp/player, just makes me smile.

maybe l just need new music.

Heh. I just think there's times when the Decemberists put in advanced vocabulary just to come across as intelligent. There's times where there's a synonym that fits better musically, a synonym that might not be as "advanced" sounding.

Sorry about the scratches. Most of these are either mp3s from my CD's or makeshift's CD's. You can tell who keeps better care... :razz:

Both of the Bright Eyes sonfs are also good, but musically I don't like them as much as Rice. Just my personal taste, but nonetheless good picks this week Torrino.

I'm slowly liking more and more Bright Eyes... I will admit that I had never heard of him (them?) until this year, but the material from these 2 albums seems pretty good to me. I've been listening to a couple songs I downloaded: Another Travelin' Song, Lua, Gold Mine Gutted and Take It Easy (Love Nothing). I may get the I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning album. Just let me check those 2 extra songs I haven't heard yet.

I also got Ryan Adams' new album, Cold Roses, though I haven't heard it yet. I do enjoy Let It Ride and have been an Adams fan for a while. He's got 2 more releases coming out later this year!


As for what I've been listening to and enjoying lately, here goes:

The Books
M.I.A.
Of Montreal
Feist
Nikka Costa

Feist's album is amazing! Her cover of Inside And Out is the sexiest thing I've heard in a long time.

Nikka Costa's album was just released this week. It's called Can'tneverdidnothin' and while not as good as Everybody Got Their Something, it's still a good album. It's just that having heard these songs performed live makes the record versions of them seem subpar. Nikka is such a goddess on stage, when she's up there singing, with that voice... She's a demon with the voice of an angel.

junio, "A New Arrangement" isn't from I'm Wide Awake It's Morning. "We are nowhere..." is. Another good track from I'm Wide Awake is "First Day of my Life."

I don't know Nikka Costa, but there's a chance we'll cover "vocal music" (is that what she is?) in a future week (month, year, whatever).

What'd you think of 'em?