(Sad Songs & Waltzes is a recurring feature on Muzzle of Bees, where artists share their favorite sad songs. Previous contributors include Megafaun, Delta Spirit, Damien Jurado, Conrad Plymouth, Frontier Ruckus, Ben Weaver, and Roadside Graves.)
I’ve spent the winter thus far with my ears wrapped around Dolorean’s forthcoming Partisan Records release, The Unfazed. It’s brought warmth courtesy of the heartbreaking vocals delivered by Al James. I firmly believe anyone who visits this site on the regular will love this record
. Who better to contribute to our continuing feature of artists sharing their favorite sad songs.
By Al James
When it comes to music, I’m a huge fan of crying if the moment calls for it. It’s such an awesome feeling of release. To me it’s has very little to do with sadness, it’s an acknowledgment of our shared condition – the joy and sorrow all at once. I’m a sap though. I’ll choke up in the car listening to a story on public radio or at an NFL game during the national anthem. I love live music and I when I feel the urge, I’m not afraid to just let go completely and let the waterworks begin.
Damien Jurado – “Cloudy Shoes” (Listen) [Buy
]
This is hard because I cry nearly every time I see Damien perform. This can get exhausting when you tour together a lot like we have. His song “Medication” will always do it for me. My most recent Jurado crying session took place last year when he came through town. His Portland performance on the 2010 Saint Bartlett tour was easily my favorite Jurado show of all time. I cried during much of the set, mostly because I was so happy for him. The band sounded so amazing and he seemed to be in such a good spot personally. I love the line on the opening bittersweet track “Cloudy Shoes” where he says “Magic will do what Magic does…” the line hangs for a moment and he completes the image, “…living in your eyes.” For some reason I always just focus on the first part of the line and imagine Magic Johnson driving through the lane dishing an around-the-back pass to James Worthy. So I’m laughing a little with tears in the corners of my eyes thinking about the L.A. Lakers while Jurado pleas to anyone who will listen over and over at the end of the song, “Still trying to fix my mind! Still trying to fix my mind!” He’s easily my favorite songwriter.
Nina Nastasia – “All Your Life” (Listen) [Buy
]
Nina has never made a bad record over the last decade. They are dense and gut-wrenching and undeniably beautiful. Back in 2004 we opened up for her and she played the song “All Your Life” from her first album Dogs. I was familiar with the album she was touring (her second called The Blackened Air
) but I didn’t know about her first. I was completely blindsided by every element of the “All Your Life” when she played it – the lyrics, the arrangement, her voice. The chorus is what really did it. Just as the cello enters she begins the refrain, “She’s never coming back. She’s never coming back and all of this waiting is bringing you down.” I heard her sing it like I was the only one in the room and I wept. I couldn’t stop. Nina is one of the best out songwriters out there. Another line from this song, “All your life you couldn’t win. You couldn’t win” became the inspiration for Dolorean’s third album You Can’t Win
.
Mary Gauthier – “Mercy Now” (Listen) [Buy
]
With Mary’s music it’s hard to choose just one crier. When I saw her last year I cried through much of her set. To place Mary musically you have to think of her as Lucinda Williams’s older sister whose uncle was Townes Van Zant. She’s got a little sense of humor like Townes, but she’s sadder and darker than Lucinda. So yeah, she’s incredible. One of her most well known songs “Mercy Now” is probably the one that got me the best. I was a pool the entire night. Along with “Mercy Now” a whole mess of tunes from her latest The Foundling
are gorgeous, conflicted songs about her growing up an orphan.
Pre-Order: Dolorean – The Unfazed
.
. Specifically interesting was “the standout contributions came from El Paso musician Denny Brewer, a sixtysomething biker and New Age shaman Oberst met while recording in Texas — and who adds mind-bending spoken-word passages.”
, due next month (2/22) on 
, arrives on February 15th, from which the song below appears.
comes out next week on 
, which arrives 2/15 on 
, out January 25th on 
.
arrives January 25 on 
for only $3.99. As always, load up on 
. It’s available as a full album stream at