We had the pleasure of seeing Dawes play a quiet acoustic set in celebration of their fantastic new record Nothing is Wrong a few nights ago at Vintage Vinyl in St. Louis. We couldn’t be more proud of Taylor, Wylie, Tay, and Griffin and wish them luck in their coming tour and burgeoning success. Enjoy this performance (shot that night) of one of the album stand outs, the beautiful “So Well.”

Buy: Dawes – Nothing is Wrong

(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, Sharon Van Etten, Over The Rhine, Conrad Plymouth, Frontier Ruckus, Strand of Oaks, and Roadside Graves.)

This feature has been one of my favorite accomplishments while running this site. The selections shared have opened musical doors previously closed to me. For that I’m very appreciative. I’m very excited to share with you Phil Cook’s contributions to this ongoing feature. Many of you are familiar with Megafaun, the band Phil shares with his brother Brad and friend Joe Westerlund. Recently, Phil Cook released a beautiful album called Hungry Mother Blues, which has rightfully drawn praise from Pitchfork and Aquarium Drunkard. It’s a beautiful listen that ends almost as soon as it begins and you find yourself playing it again and again. I could go on at length, but instead let’s get to Phil’s favorite sad songs…

Sad Songs & Waltzes by Phil Cook:

I struggle with writing lyrics. I start to think of something and all of a sudden it becomes everything. I love to sing, especially in harmony, but writing my own words is tough. I’ve always found sanctuary in playing instruments. Right near the end of college, I took my tax return and I spontaneously bought a banjo. I had been studying the piano through lessons, gigs, combos, and rock bands since I was old enough to sit up straight. I don’t regret majoring in music at all, but I have struggled with the institutionalization it left in me. My favorite musicians were English and Philosophy majors back then. I admired their instincts, for I had become somewhat numb to my own.

One day I was in a music shop in River Falls, WI and I randomly pulled a banjo off the wall, never having played one, and within 45 minutes it was bought and paid for and sitting happily in my back seat. It felt bold and new in my hands. Uncharted. Instinctual, even! I found my brother Brad. He was sitting in his room listening to music, as always, and as I showed my new prize off to him I became distracted by the stereo. “Good lord, what is this?” He had a promo of the new record from a group called The Tin Hat Trio from San Francisco. The Rodeo Eroded. Formed in A trio of New York-bred musicians who straddled the ties between many of the city’s underground scenes for years. Combining Carla Kihlsted’s violin with Rob Burger’s odd assortment of accordions, prepared pianos, Chamberlins, and other keyboards, the trio was rounded out by composer Mark Orton. Mark brought the earth into their chamber, using the dobro, the banjo, and the guitar. They seemingly ignored any genres or trends and played with a lot of integrity. I needed to follow instinct at this point in my life and he had it in spades. Always tasteful and patient, his voice was consistent no matter which instrument he used. I dove in hard. I played banjo everyday, eventually settling into a clawhammer style. The simplicity of melody rather than chords. I went back to basics but I had a lot more to say.

In the late summer of 2004, The Tin Hat Trio released their next record titled Book of Silk. The record begins with “The Longest Night,” which remains the most haunting melody I’ve heard. I came to learn that just before the record was made, Mark Orton’s wife Lauren had drowned in a tragic rafting accident. They had been married just a year or two. My heart breaks every time I hear this song. I think about Mark. I think about the title. I’m humbled by the amount of empathy in Rob and Carla’s accompaniment. Without words, this is the saddest song I’ve experienced.

Tin Hat Trio – “The Longest Night” (Listen)

“The Longest Night” is bookended by another waltz at the end of the record named “Lauren’s Lullaby.” Mark plays with such beautiful strength on this song. He lets us know that despite his sadness he still has hope. Breathtaking. That solo. I’ve listened to this song hundreds of times and teared up every time.

Tin Hat Trio – “Lauren’s Lullaby” (Listen)

These songs pull me into a realm where I feel life’s inevitable dark endings, but rest in the community and friendship I’ve found in music. I’m so grateful to be able to do this and share it with others. I know I’ll get better at writing lyrics as time goes on. It’s also important to remember that words are just words. If you’ve got something to say, you’ll find a way to say it.

Dedicated to Mark Orton

MP3: Phil Cook & His Feat – “Ballad of a Hungry Mother”
++
Buy: Phil Cook & His Feet – Hungry Mother Blues

[Photo by Graham Tolbert]

By Ross Pedersen

For an outfit like The Antlers, who gained popularity at an alarming rate with their first release on Frenchkiss Records, 2009’s Hospice, I would imagine that the pressure to deliver with a seriously good follow-up is pretty high. Luckily for us, the Antlers have risen to the challenge beautifully with their new album Burst Apart.

Burst Apart has a lot going for it. While most of the songs aren’t particularly exciting individually, taken as a whole, they provide contextual relevance. The instrumentation throughout the record has a cool, messy feel to it, tying it together. The lyrics, while sometimes difficult to decipher through Peter Silberman’s falsetto, are well-written and are peppered with figurative language. In the album’s closer, “Putting the Dog To Sleep,” Silberman howls out the line “My trust in you is a dog with a broken leg/ Tendons too torn to beg for you to let me back in.” The metaphor might be a little over the top, but it certainly paints a painfully vivid picture, and it had what I assumed was the desired affect on me. Through it’s cohesion, instrumentation, and lyrics, Burst Apart proves itself to be a great record.

My personal favorite of the album is the track “Every Night my Teeth Are Falling Out.” The track opens with Silberman dropping a soothing vocal line and wastes no time building to a powerful and jammin’ climax, driven by a catchy little guitar riff. This song stands out from others on the album because it deviates from the somewhat formulaic layering of the other tracks. The lack of diversity is about the only complaint I have about the record: after a while, you will find yourself starting to expect a slow, quiet start used as a base, with more complex and dynamic guitar and synthesizer lines to be laid on top. This formula makes for some great tracks, but it’s the songs that break the trend that shine for me.

Overall, Burst Apart is a great listen. Writing a second album with this much power is a testament to Silberman’s songwriting abilities. It’s that talent that makes The Antlers a group worth following.

MP3: The Antlers – “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out”
++
Buy: The Antlers – Burst Apart

By Jon Stone

I’m driving out to Bonnaroo on Wednesday to participate again in the great outdoor music fesitval paradox. I mean, of course, the incredible experience of seeing band after band that you love paired with hour after hour of high temperatures, humidity, sun exposure and standing fatigue.  I’ve packed my sunscreen though, as well as a nice wide-rimmed hat, and am even growing a little hipster mustache so as to fit in with the natives. All in all, I’m really excited to be in Tennessee with my brother for the weekend and have here a list of my most anticipated acts. I’m still looking for recommendations, though, so feel free to chime in with the bands that I should give my attention to.

Headliners:
My Morning Jacket tops my list here as I’ve never seen them live before (tragedy, right?) but I’m also excited to see the reunited Buffalo Springfield. I Really hope that one lives up to the hype, but it will be a pleasure to see Neil Young — oh, ok, and you too Steven Stills and Richie Furay. Additionally, I’m excited to see Iron & Wine, Ray LaMontangne, the Decemberists, and of course, a little band called Arcade Fire.

Roots music:
If you’re familiar with my grass|roots series, it won’t surprise you to hear that I’m most looking forward to roots and bluegrass artists. We will be just outside of Nashville, after all. The shows always feel a little more intimate and real. This year’s acoustic music offering is going to be amazing: I’m planning on seeing Old Crow Medicine Show, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Justin Townes Earle, Abigail Washburn, and Ben Sollee, among others.

Smaller acts:
Among those others is a little band called Mathew and the Atlas — an English acoustic band that will be touring with Mumford & Sons. They play during the first half of Eminem’s set, which is just fine with me. I’m also going to try to check out The David Mayfield Parade, Hayes Carle, Freelance Whales, and the not-so-small (as far as acts go) Sharon Van Etten (blast the conflict with Jessica Lea Mayfield, though!), Best Coast (who, judging from some late-night performances I’ve heard, is a lot more interesting live), and Phosphorescent.

As usual, conflicts abound. I’m hoping to get an earful of Dr. John and Bootsy Collins, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and others if I can steal away from competing agendas. I’m also going to do my best to see Henry Rollins’s spoken word/comedy act. He had a little spoken-word piece in the 90s that is the stuff of legend: “And I’ll tell you things you already know, so you can say: ‘I really identify with you, so much.’”

Are you going to Bonnaroo this year? What am I missing? Drop a comment with your most anticipated acts and I’ll do my best to check them out. As possible, I’ll be posting daily updates and tweets from the festival. Follow me on twitter at @jwstone and I’ll see you there!

Live from Dublin. Yesterday. Beautiful.

Buy: The Tallest Man On Earth – Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird

Stream The Rosebuds album, Loud Planes Fly Low right now at Spin! | Pre-order the album from Merge Records.

The Wall-Street Journal profiles My Morning Jacket.

Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes shares his songwriting process.

We highly recommend the Caveman and Porcelain Raft Daytrotter sessions.

Live Download: Gil Scott-Heron :: Live @ The Bottom Line 1977