Music is a large part of my life, I am most content when I’m listening to voice and instrument, narrative driven folk. The joy to be derived from a link to some unheard indie folk artist is possibly the only thing that gives me goose pimples anymore. I found out later in life that the really good music is the stuff you need to look for, search un-turned in your quest for, mail for and spend time and money arranging to buy from obscure gmail accounts (as I prefer the cd or vinyl) or download from Bandcamp et al. Why did it take me so long ? Nothing I want to listen to is sold in Musica or on Amazon. Your teenaged years should be filled with lyrics that burn like a bloody graze, raw, angst filled times listening to music that lets you glimpse who you might become. Music should touch you intensely, mix up your convictions, make you rethink priorities, perplex and depress. The person you become is more textured, more complex and much better at life. To waste these years on subpar lyrics and hooks is to squander life, is this why most of the crowd is either getting drinks or bringing them back to the front at most big name concerts. I going to list five artist that have given me unending pleasure, I’ve played the cd’s so that the print is wearing off the disc.
The Antlers – Pete Silberman and co, the album Hospice getting them their place in folk circle but I personally like Burst Apart – listen to “I don’t want Love”. NY based Indie folk at its best.
John Grant – The Queen of Denmark, “Marz” is the most beautiful, painful expression of alienation perhaps only exceeded by the title track.
Alela Diane – “Alela & Alina” is the ep, she covers Towns van Zants’ masterpiece Rake. Only her voice can make van Zandts’ desolate introspection bearable, the lyrics driving the song on like watching a car accident happen.
Conor Oberst – the god of folk, I still love “I’m wide awake it’s morning” the seminal 2005 album from Bright Eyes that contains my favourite song “Lua” the first time I played it for my girlfriend we both sat there crying.
Noah Gunderson - “family” is the album and the title track or “David” probably best , deadly accurate lyric writing delivered in a single blow of raw pain.
As an end I want to share a song with the guy who took so much oblique in the comments section for admiring Lady GaGa, Conor Obersts’ song Poison Oak about his Gay cousin is in my opinion what you should be listening to rather than “Born this way”.
I haven’t checked but all of these can be found on Youtube or Bandcamp.
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