(A) Call Seattle home
(B) Played with Band of Horses on their spectacular 2006 debut "Everything All The Time,"
(C) Have since started your own band and signed with Sub Pop Records
and
(D) Released an album in the month of March
THEN YOU ARE OUR PICK FOR MARCH ALBUM OF THE MONTH.
What's that you say? There are two of you.
OK. We'll take both.
March had a lot of good music. (Sun Kil Moon, The Dodo's, Retribution Gospel Choir, add your favorite here...)
But, at least for now, our favorites were:
Sera Cahoone Only As The Day Is Long.Sera was the drummer for the Band of Horses on their debut. This album, her second solo, picks up on BoH's slight country leaning and leaves behind the reverb indie rock bit. Solid Americana, great choruses, great harmony. Her voice reminds me of Hope Sandoval (remember Mazzy Star) a bit. The first 3 tracks are particularly good. May be interesting to fans of Iron and Wine, Band of Horses, and old pick up trucks. If you're only going to listen to one of these two albums, this is it.
Grand Archives, The Grand Archives.Grand Archives frontman Matt Brooke was the Band of Horses lead guitarist. This is an indie pop album. More Southern California than Seattle, Washington. There are lots of instruments and big guitars. It's really all over the place style wise. Sometimes I hear Division Bell era Pink Floyd (on Sleepdriving.) Sometimes I hear Weezer (the guitar solo on Index Moon.) There are a bunch of Crosby, Stills, Nash-esque harmonies, particularly on the opening track. There is whistling. There's even an awkward singalong track. The kind you expect to hear on every Saddle Creek or Team Love release. But it seems a bit out of place here. Even with it's slight missteps, the album is worth a listen. (Bonus points for Matt Brooke's awesome beard. The beardspell continues...)
The songs George Kaminski, Louis Reil, and Orange Juice are favorites. Thanks Hendu for the recommendation.
And that's it. March's album(s) of the month.
Ashley is waiting for me to finish. She is starting a new book, and trying not to fall asleep.
"Almost done?" she just asked, hopefully. She's kind, even when she's tired. Once we are in bed though, she'll be noticeably less tired. She'll start talking- telling these crazy stories of what the kids did today. How Sophie wore her dance outfit, with sunglasses, to the grocery store and Parker ate spoonfuls of sand or whatever, and somewhere in the middle of it all I will fall asleep.
Then wake up to, "...aren't you?" and know, "you're asleep..." started the sentence.
and I'll say "yes" and she'll say "goodnight."
It's just about the best part of my day, most days. Falling asleep next to her.
So I'm off to do that.
21 comments:
BofH, Sera Cahoone, Grand Archives...long live Sea-town!
You should really try and make the block party this summer. The Dodos, Vampire Weekend, Les Savy Fav, Jay Reatard and The Hold Steady for $18? Come on, dude, this is a must.
Hendu, The Hold Steady put on the best concert I saw last year. I really can't oversell how sweet they were live. And the Dodo's have a song called "Ashley." I was about to buy a plane ticket when you sent the first text, but, if it is the weekend on the 25th I have a schedule conflict.
How sweet is Seattle though? For my neighborhood block party we had a a soup bar. (good soup though.)
Maybe I'm just not trying hard enough. This year I'll see if I can book the Hold Steady too.
I am anxious to sample these artists. You've never let us down. We have 60 or so amazing un-named songs on our itunes because of downloading custom burned John Connors cd's. It has the same mystique as the tomb of the unknown soldier. We call it the "JC unamed treasure chest of sound."
Turns out we have excellent taste even though we don't know band names. The other day my friend was raving about some band and I said I'd never heard of them. Turns out I've been listening to them for quite a while out of the "chest".
I suppose I could track down all the bands and songs but for some reason I kind of don't like knowing the names.
It keeps things simple.
Though I like your music picks I love the little tribute to Ashley at the end. I think it should have been bold instead of shrunk. Too cute!
You are very much enriching my music-listening experiences. And, by the way, it takes some talent to make falling asleep mid-conversation with you wife romantic, but you did.
Thank you for the music selections! (but you know me I am way slow to catch on to new music-unless you make me a CD- hint hint. But i too enjoyed your short and small post script about the little moments in our days that make them tender and memorable! love you both!
Okay, so the music part for me was just blah, blah this and blah, blah that - just because I'm too old now to get that stuff anymore. And, I usually can't find it on the radio.
Fast forward to the p.s. part. John, you can wrap up any tiny insignificant moment, put a poetic bow on it, and joila! you have us all in tears. You rock!
I agree with the split decision, but song of the month goes to sera cahoons "Baker lake" that song is perfect.
John Connors,
You were close. So close.
You even had the right idea: 2 albums that had ton of connections to each other.
But you failed.
Your butter-softening italicized text almost saved you. Almost.
The correct answer was:
Sun Kil Moon/April
Retribution Gospel Choir/s/t
PS: Dear Scott, song of the month is the version of Breaker as heard on the RGC album. You are forgiven.
Paul,
Yet another connection between those two great and unfairly snubbed albums is Yo Gabba Gabba. Both Kozelek and Sparhawk have had songs on the show.
soon enough you and Leo can share a father/son music geek moment, thanks to that spectacularly odd show.
Love the music choices, as always. I actually felt cool because just a couple weeks ago (maybe revealing the date makes me un-cool), I "found" the Dodos (usually I need the Connors' help for all things cool in music).
And Ashley, we're on for Strawberry Shortcake. Name the day and it's done. Also, Travis and I had a "Connors moment" the other day when we saw your salmon tacos and remembered how you would make them for us at your Provo house.
K, well, I like music and I like good songwriting and I like hearing what you like...but the thing I like most is hearing how much you love falling asleep next to the woman who is the mother of two of my favorite little people in the UNIVERSE! That is music to my ears...March, April, May...and every other month of every year.
My pick for March would have been the Tokyo Police Club album, though that was more by default than anything since nothing really excited me this month (I did like Grand Archives, but I bought it in February).
I'm still on the lookout for the first great album of '08 as nothing has been terribly engaging. I have the feeling it's hiding among Hercules & Love Affair, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Los Campesinos! or The Black Keys. Unfortunately, I don't have the funds to find out right now.
Mostly just listening to '07 holdovers because nothing has really grabbed me in '08. Actually listening to the Burial record right now. Totally kick ass.
As for Sun Kil Moon, I own one album and probably won't be buying another.
EDITORS NOTE AND OFFICIAL RETRACTION: Sorry Grand Archive, but Hendu speaks painful truth. Grand Archives official release date, FEB 19. The Hendu giveth and the Hendu taketh away. He recommendeth and now he dethroneth.
Congrats Sera Cahoone, you are now sole posessor of album of march as Grand Archives does not meet requirement(D)as listed.
GA you will not be sharing Feb's title with Bon Iver as his album is so much better.
Buck up though, little campers, you've got a bright future ahead.
So the requirement for consideration is proper release date and not when you purchased and started listening to the album? I didn't realize that was the official rule.
Then you should feel good you didn't miss the mark as Paul suggested since only one of the album's in his proposed combo was released in March. The Sun Kill Moon album was, appropriately, released in April.
I just listened to another March album that I downloaded today while I was bored: Street Horrrsing by the F*** Buttons. Man, that is a strange record. Not a lot of desire to go back and listen to that one.
I got [and anyone else could have gotten] the Sun Kil Moon & Retribution Gospel Choir albums in March, for what it's worth.
I'm feeling nervous to intrude on the favorite albums of March releasedom wars, but I was going to sympathize with Travis (i'm assuming the voice behind treidi) that I am just content to listen to whatever the jc un-named treasure chest of sound feeds me. I have also had similar experiences where I discover I have excellent taste when someone mentions some cool band that I swear I have never heard of and then discover I have been listening to them for years.
There is one downside though: This morning I have been playing my new favorite game of "Name that Tune" on my itunes trying to put a name, band and album with my untitled track and discovered that I have really like Okkervil River for several years now, yet when they came to Seattle I opted not to go to their concert because I only recognized their name, but didn't think I knew any of their songs! Shoot. Ignorance can truly be a terrible thing. (sorry to do a post on your comments J & A) But thanks JC for keeping us hip with all your cd mixes for us.
boy you get a lot of comments!!! you're so popular. :)I'm so lucky to be in your family.
See, Paul, that's why I'm seeking a clarification from Connors. Should it be done by offical release date? When the album is actually purchased? Or when it becomes accesible via download or other avenue? I listed TPC as my March record and that still doesn't even come out for another week or so.
Brandi, here, watch Okkervil River live from the comfort of your own home: http://www.fabchannel.com/
Clarification as sought-
taken from the Johnandashleyconnors.blogspot.com handbook of instruction, pg 8.
"The Album of the month is a self indulgent monthly feature skimmed through or skipped entirely by most readers.
The goal is to pick and promote a record whose official release date was in that calender month. It can also be an official major indie (oxymoron?)re-release of a self promoted album (like Bon Iver.)"
i thought sun kil moon was a march album as well, (hence the parenthetical mention of it in the original post) but google says April 1st is the official release date. (giving it hope to possibly win April...)RGC was released March 18. And it is awesome too.
Paul and Hendu, of the 20 comments on this post the three of us have made 10. Thank you for your music geekery.
this one goes to 11
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