Showing posts with label helplessness blues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label helplessness blues. Show all posts

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Fleet Foxes "Lorelai"

Ultimately, there is no way to be objective.

I try really, really hard, but I'm not made of stone.

I don't know that the Fleet Foxes record "Helplessness Blues" will be the top album of the year on mvyradio.

But if you were to listen to me or to Barbara or to Jess talk about it on the air, you wouldn't be blamed for thinking it was the number one album of 2011.

I can't totally explain why either.

But I know it's real.

I have my playlist of songs that we are considering adding to the station's rotation. And the new Fleet Foxes song "Lorelai" is on that list.

I had some ear buds in doing some writing and letting the iTunes list role.

"Lorelai" came up, and my eyes filled up with tears.

To be caught off-guard, even though I've heard the song before . . . it was just so beautiful . . .

How can we not play it? Hopefully it moves you as much as it does me.


Hear the song on Youtube.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Fleet Foxes "Helplessness Blues"

Jess Phaneuf did a Hot Seat last night, featuring songs with a Winter feel. Not necessarily songs about Winter, but songs that have that kind of cold, melancholy spirit.

My thoughts turned to "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes, and really, to pretty much everything I'd heard from that band.

The go-to comparative point, whenever you read about this band, is Crosby Still & Nash. And for sure, you can draw a straight line between the Melodies, Harmonies and Chemistry** of the two bands.

But the one thing I hadn't really felt from Fleet Foxes was the Joy.

CSN could be grave, and even over-self-serious. But they also excelled at making songs like "Our House" and "Southern Cross" that were gorgeous and fun.

I hadn't felt that way about Fleet Foxes.

Until now.

Shortly after I left Jess behind to work on her show, I got word that Fleet Foxes has a new songs up for free download.

And yes, it's joyous. A little missing piece for me, that makes a great band, beloved.





** Can't "Chemistrys" be a word? Or "Chemistries"? Blogger spellcheck is not allowing it.