songs (worthy) of praise

gillian welch - elvis presley blues 

perfect. this is a perfect, heartbreaking song from a perfect, heartbreaking record, time (the revelator).

that “and he shook it…” bit is…well, perfect and heartbreaking. 

press play, stare into the middle distance and enjoy. 

the soul stirrers – peace in the valley

so i’m an avowed atheist, but it’s shit like this that makes me occasionally wish i was on the other team.

this is a glorious combination of gospel and doo-wop that conspires to make the notion of eternal life sound pretty fucking sweet. the track was originally written and recorded in 1937 and has been covered by a range of artists, including one elvis presley. the soul stirrers were a legendary gospel group that at one point counted sam cooke amongst their number and the quintet are in blistering form here.

the passion and joy that shines through this a capella piece hits you right between the eyes like a bullet, as they do in so many early examples of soul. the harmonies are impossible tight, the improvisatory lead vocal mind-blowing. the whole thing slowly builds to a glorious wail at the midway-point and chuggs along at such a driving pace that one is convinced one would be perfectly happy if the song were to carry on for hours and hours.

from a technical and artistic perspective, this is two minutes and forty-four seconds of something very special indeed. plus sometimes it’s nice to have a think about places in the future where everything is going to be great and there’ll be “no sadness or sorrow”. 

fred astereo – sleepytown

i can remember first hearing this song on local abc radio whilst driving in the car with my dad. upon hearing it i knew i would have to find out more about the artist and most likely purchase the full album.

my dad said i was a “funny boy”.

fred astero hails from the lost and lonesome (formerly candle records) family, sitting alongside the likes of darren hanlon and the lucksmiths on what i imagine is a bloody comfy couch made entirely of indie twee. he likes ukuleles and rainy days and quirkiness and things of that nature.

and good on him for that, i say.

sleepytown comes from his 2005 record i love you and everything about it is adorable. astereo sounds like he’s having the time of his life here and the grainy effects placed over the guitar and piano provide the perfect bed for the warm, clear backing vocals. it’s somehow the cheesiest cheese song that ever cheesed, yet still retains a legitimate emotional core.

you can find out more about fred on thelost and lonesome website here. 

eric bibb - tall cotton 

an inspirational bit of gospel wrapped up in some impressive acoustic guitar-playing, anyone? 

eric bibb’s got you covered.

another artist i came across from my frequenting of the port fairy folk festival, this guy is a virtuoso on the ol’ six-strings and has an impressive voice to boot. this tune just builds and builds, swelling with endorsements of optimism, affirmations of better times to come and gorgeous backing vocals from an intimate gospel choir.

this song is perfect for driving (particularly if one is driving through cotton fields) or for simply staring out across a natural vista of some kind. i hope you like it and indeed, may you be walking in tall cotton all of your days. 

gavin osborn - how dolphins rescued me from sharks

my favourite comedian of all time is daniel kitson. he is brilliant and his brilliance deserves a tumblr all of its own.

that’s right, people - a whole tumblr all of its own. 

music forms a big part of what daniel does and in 2008 he performed a show at the melbourne comedy festival called the ballad of roger and grace, a combination of storytelling and music, with his good friend gavin osborn. it was brilliant (see above) and one of the best things about it was the fact that it introduced me to the charming, heart-wrenching music of this unique singer-songwriter. 

gavin osborn is funny and smart and assuredly quirky without being annoying. he tells stories, paints pictures, makes jokes, commits to silly little ideas and writes killer melodies. his songs have that classic bob dylan/beatles/bruce springsteen quality: the sense that they havealways been, always existed somehow and now this guy’s just cranking them out as if they were covers.

this tune is from his 2007 live record in the twee small hours, and i consider it a classic. a beautiful illustration of somehow feeling lost and depressed and alone, unable to enjoy or think about anything except the person they’re in love with, this is pure melancholy, “happy and sad at the same time”. its lines like “desperate conversations / and kisses that don’t quite connect” and “human kind is everywhere / but man, it’s lonely in here” that hit you right between the eyes and threaten to pop a lump in your throat, yet simultaneously comfort you with the knowledge that everyone’s fundamentally alone together.

if you enjoy this tune, please seek out gavin’s other stuff on itunes. you won’t regret it and you’ll be supporting a genuinely talented fella who works hard to make really good stuff.   

turin brakes - above the clouds

not only are london folk-pop duo turin brakes very nice looking, they are extremely good at churning out soul-tingling, heart-swelling, awe-inspiring ditties like this one.

from their 2004 record jackinabox, above the clouds is probably sappy and overdone and schmaltzy, but i fucking love it with all my little being. screw you, radiohead - this is exit music for a film.

well; a nice film that ends nicely, anyway.

the glorious affirmation throughout the song (“when all is said and done / i’ll still love you”) just seems so perfectly certain, so unquestionable; it’s just what you need to hear when you’re having doubts about all that bullshit, i reckon. the gorgeous violin part, the soft tinkling piano, the gentle harmonies, the plodding pace and the overwhelming sense that really, in the end, everything’s quite nice and is going to be okay, make this song a slice of something really special. 

this tune first came into my ears when i was riding my bike and my ipod was on shuffle. my eyes proceeded to glisten like a pair of motherfuckers. i hope yours do, too.

product - hard to believe

the reasoning behind having a photo of a kitty cat at a piano for this entry is twofold: firstly, because there is a great piano part rocking out in this particular song.

secondly, because i couldn’t find any pictures of the bandproduct on the internet.

in fact, i couldn’t really find out anything about these guys after a couple of cursory searches. all i know is this little song of theirs is heaps catchy and heaps fun.

i remember my brother playing this song repeatedly when he was 16. it, alongside thousands of other tunes in his winamp (lol!) playlist, provided the soundtrack to hundreds of games of pool we’d play in our living area. it is certainly reminiscent of the piano/bass/drums rock of ben folds five that we all love so much and is just as clever, but hard to believe also possesses a silly, cheesy quality that really makes it a winner. the backing vocals, the lyrics being spat out with good humour, the “ba!-ba!-ba!-baba-ba!-ba!-ba!” breakdown and, of course, that catchy vocal hook all form a big fat 3 minutes and 36 seconds conglomeration of enjoyable pop. Whoever is playing the piano is doing a damn fine job of it, too.

my favourite line? “[the doctor] took his cash / slapped my ass / then ran away with the nurse / (that hurts!)”. of course.  

lucy wainwright roche - awhile 

folk enthusiasts will no doubt be familiar with the freakishly talented wainwright/roche clan, comprising of loudon wainwright iii, kate mcgarrigle, rufus wainwright, martha wainwright, suzzy, maggie and terre roche and, last but by no means least, the adorable lucy wainwright roche.

i first saw lucy performing with her dad at the port fairy folk festival a couple of years back and i just couldn’t decide what i liked more: her music or her broad, infectious smile. she was just so genuine and her voice so crystal clear, her performance really hit me with a tremendous force. lucy can belt out a traditional folk ballad and make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, only to then crank out a pop tune so clever and modern it makes your mouth beam and your eyes glisten.

basically, i really like her, you guys.

this song, from her 2008 ep 8 more (as in, 8 more songs), is a heartbreaker. the harmonies on this are so tight and shiny i wouldn’t be surprised if they ripped your balls off, to be honest. simultaneously depressing and uplifting, awhile is a portrait of a shy daughter leaving home, setting out to do something new, something more. i’m sure i’m not the only one who can relate to being a “window watcher” or to having a part of me “that only loves the winter” - that’s the kind of kick-ass lyricism that roche is capable of.

bravo, lucy - this is a brilliant way to begin a collection of songs. i highly recommend you check out the rest of her work on itunes post haste.