The audio of this recording isn’t the best, but Vic makes the song his own at the end. Powerful stuff.

MP3: Vic Chesnutt – “Everybody Hurts” (R.E.M. cover)

(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 first heard Judson Clairborne when they opened one of our shows at the Cactus Club last year. Since then, I’ve taken to their 2010 release, Time And Temperature. I’ve always thought you could learn a lot about artists by taking a look at who’s records are in their collections. In this case, anyone that selects Vic Chesnutt is fine by me.

By Chris Salveter

Ricky Nelson – “Lonesome Town” [listen]

When I was a cub, Ricky Nelson, Elvis, The Everly Brothers, and Roy Orbison howled through the radio in my bedroom at night. I listened with my whole being and felt what they were transcending.

Lisa Gerrard – “Sanvean (I Am Your Shadow)” [listen]

I’ve been going through a Dead Can Dance phase for a year now. The progression of this band and what they’ve gone on to do after is very admirable. There’s always so much soul in their music, especially this track of Lisa Gerrard’s. It’s what drowning must feel like.

Low – “Point of Disgust” [listen]

Sad songs can and will make you cry. By shedding tears we make space for new ideas and emotions. New life brings happiness, curiosity, and wonder. Sad songs can and will play an important role in your life, if you let them. Low is one of the finest bands around in my opinion.

Vic Chesnutt – “Flirted With You All My Life” [listen]

Perhaps most of us there in Chicago that night could tell this may be the last time we saw Vic in the flesh. I could barely feel him there, but the love for him and the reverence for his struggle was so present in his band and the audience. He was a man who fought hard and told it straight, hilarious, and gorgeous like no one else.

Feelings – Nina Simone – “Feelings” [listen]

To let thousands of people into your house all at once isn’t an easy thing to do. It’s a sacrificial act and must come from a place of compassion and love. There should be soup and bread. The truth must be framed or scribbled on the walls. You should ask strangers to dance.

Buy: Judson Clairborne – Time And Temperature
++
MP3: Judson Clairborne – Song For Dreaming (Good Ol’ Wobbly Version)

Brute is the collaborative output of Vic Chesnutt and Widespread Panic. Their shared Athens, GA roots allowed for a beautiful concoction. Vic’s lyrics absolutely burst to life out in front of Widespread Panic’s musical prowess.

Their first recording together, Nine High A Pallet (1995) has been almost all I’ve listened to since receiving from a friend while rounding out my Vic Chesnutt discography. It’s that good. It would be over seven years before Chesnutt would again team with Panic under the Brute moniker. The result being 2002′s Co-Balt, we haven’t made it to that release yet. In the meantime, do check out a few choice selections below from Nine High A Pallet.

MP3: Brute – “Westport Ferry”
MP3: Brute – “Let’s Get Down To Business”
++
Buy: Brute – Nine High A Pallet

Sufjan Stevens announced his first full-length record in five years this week. Above is the cover art. Love it. The album is called The Age Of Adz and arrives October 12th. Head over to You Ain’t No Picasso for a download of “I Walked” from the forthcoming record.

Listen to Phosphorescent on World Cafe.

LCD Soundsystem also has a World Cafe session up for listen.

My Old Kentucky Blog offers an MP3 of The Acorn’s “Kindling To Cremation” remixed by Megafaun.

Justin Vernon of Bon Iver joins Kathleen Edwards on “Mercury” in Massachusetts, which has been covered previously by Bon Iver.

Elf Power’s Andrew Rieger reflects on his relationship with the music of the late Vic Chesnutt at Aquarium Drunkard.

The Collect has a beautiful video of the Heartless Bastards‘ Erika Wennerstrom playing a selection of acoustic tracks.

Amazon has “over 1,000 Albums $5 Each Through August.”

Discuss: Drop a comment with anything noteworthy you came across this week.

By Daniel Brielmaier

I first heard Vic Chesnutt in the early 90′s. His music was immediately engaging, his lyrics somewhat cryptic, often funny, sad, and unquestionably sincere. His early work had a level of humor and irony that evolved into something deeper and certainly darker. One thing that never changed was his honesty and wit. His music has always been very personal and always from the heart.

There was no one like him. Vic was in his own league, and lived in a world of his own rules. He once was scheduled to perform at Shank Hall in Milwaukee around 1996. The crowd packed in, and the opening band, Scud Mountain Boys (Joe Pernice) were ready to go. Problem was, Vic was nowhere to be seen. He went AWOL. Somewhere between Milwaukee and Chicago, Vic decided he had enough of the tour, and bailed. The good thing was that Scud Mountain Boys played an entire set, and made immediate fans of everyone in attendance. Vic did eventually make good on a Milwaukee appearance a few years later, sharing the stage with his pal Kristin Hersh, playing a legendary show at Shank Hall. It remains one of my favorite concerts to date.

For those who are unfamiliar with the music of Vic Chesnutt, I encourage you to listen to his albums “Is the Actor Happy?“, “Drunk“, or “West of Rome“, and then move to his more recent work. His 2009 album “At the Cut” will certainly be seen in a similar light as Elliott Smith’s “Figure 8″, or Nirvana’s “In Utero”, with all of the warning signs eerily present. I hope it remains listenable, because it’s really an excellent album, his best in years. The standout track “Flirted With You All My Life” is as insightful as it is heartbreaking.

Chesnutt, was wheelchair-bound since the age of 18, and through the years incurred huge amounts of medical debt which caused him much distress, threatened his very home, and one could argue, his life. You have to wonder what his life would have been like had he been covered with some decent health insurance.

Vic is survived by his wife Tina, and many friends; including Kristin Hersh, Patti Smith, Michael Stipe, and many others. Hersh has set up a donation page here.

Video: Vic Chesnutt Interview
++
MP3: Vic Chsenutt – “Flirted With You All My Life”
MP3: Vic Chesnutt – “You Are Never Alone”
MP3: Vic Chesnutt – “Chain”
MP3: Vic Chesnutt – “Warm”

This winter I’ve had the Cowboy Junkies Trinity Revisited on heavy rotation. Recorded at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto (2006), the album features a healthy dose of Cowboy Junkies with additional support from the likes of Ryan Adams, Natalie Merchant, and Vic Chesnutt.

It’s essential listening as far as I’m concerned. Watch the video above, and grab a taste of the album below. You won’t be disappointed.

Download:
MP3: Cowboy Junkies + Ryan Adams – “200 More Miles”

Find MP3′s at The Hype Machine or buy from Amazon