Half Gone 2013 (or maybe ...lost but not forgotten)

[Davey]

So, this isn't really done yet, I'm still putting it together, and it may have some turns to take before it gets where it's going. And some of you will undoubtedly influence the place where it ends up. So I will chronicle it in song at my song of the day link in sig, and hopefully finish it some place along the way. But it starts here ...

The song I have listened to most this year comes at number two on the CocoRosie Tales of a GrassWidow CD. I'd heard of CocoRosie before this, but never listened to any of their music. Not even sure why I did this time, the album cover is striking and may in hindsight offer some clue to the music, but nothing straightforward. I probably read some little blurb that had a catchall line like "experimental freak-folk", or to that effect. Who even knows what something like that means anymore? But it must've meant enough to me, because I did listen, and I did fall in love with Bianca's child-like sing-song-raps, and Sierra's beautiful background vocals, the otherwordly beats and rhythms, fragmented dream-like lyrics, woven of a timeless and feminist social consciousness that embodies all of their music. Anthony Hegarty lends support and his amazing vocal talents on the opening track of the Half Gone 2013 comp, "Tears for Animals".

Heart strings broken, wearily tuned to the moon
Bastard widows born marooned
(Do you have love for humankind?)
Nameless, faceless black-eyed soul
Slave to sorrow, find your way home

Do you have love for humankind?

[Davey]

Every time I see you in the world,
You always step to my girl

I tend to like when a band is open and honest about how they got where they are, and Vampire Weekend has a lot of obvious (and some not so obvious) influences. This one reworks an old school rap song from Souls of Mischief, "Step To My Girl", and in doing so they make the borrowed chorus above a celebration of all their musical influences, at least that seems the intent. And it's a fun song. The original is pretty fun too, though I'd never heard it before. Fortunately for us all, Ezra Koenig & Co. haven't started rapping on this one, but sounds like they are having fun too. Sounds kinda like they are making fun of themselves too, following up what sounds like an intentional wordsmithing reference to their first album in the chorus with the off-center "What you on about?".

So song number 2 is "Step" by Vampire Weekend from Modern Vampires of the City, this one ripped from the vinyl to pick up some much needed dynamics.

And coming next will be an assortment from Laura Marling and Kurt Vile and Low. Probably Hookworms and The National too. And a couple others. Hopefully not all too predictable.

[Davey]

To be honest, I don't know much about Laura Marling beyond the first bio paragraph. I haven't been following her since she was a teenager, I didn't really pay attention when she was nominated for the Mercury Prize, I don't have any of her earlier records, and I didn't anticipate paying much attention to her latest record either. But that has changed now.

Song number 3 is "Master Hunter" by Laura Marling from Once I Was An Eagle. One obvious reference when you first hear it is Led Zeppelin III with the acoustic guitar and pounding drums, sounding something like "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp". And then before you get over that, she is quoting Dylan's fuckoff chorus from "It Ain't Me Babe"...

You want a woman cause you wanna be saved
Well I’ll tell you that I got a little alot on my plate
You want a woman who will call your name
It ain’t me babe
No, no, no, it ain’t me babe

I like it. The record is kind of up and down, and not quite sure yet how I feel about the whole thing. Probably be awhile. Nice sound, a bit like the Fiona Apple record last year that sounds really good too. Some of that same quirky attitude that Fiona brings, so probably be disliked by a lot of the same people... in other words, listen to the whole thing before reaching for your credit card.

[Davey]

Number 4 spot on Half Gone 2013 goes to Kurt Vile, with "Girl Called Alex" from Wakin on a Pretty Daze.

Not sure if this would be any better if Kurt hired someone else to sing his songs, as our buddy Slosh suggested recently, but his style works fine for me here, kinda the same way that Lou Reed and countless others have managed to get their words out. But then again, I guess it's kind of a stretch to call it singing, and in Kurt's case, it's probably more about the guitars anyway.

In the dawn's early light
I recall a girl named Alex
She and Mark, they were happily wed
At least in my head

I think about them all the time...

So I had no idea what this song was about, and still don't really, but I like the feeling I get from it, and it's kind of like a dream. Of course, the whole record is kind of that way too. But this song has a mysterious girl named Alex, and every verse talks about fantasy and illusion, and thinking about her and Mark all the time. So I did a little search to see if there was any interviews talking about it, and did find a little light at The Rumpus ... The Rumpus Interview With Kurt Vile - The Rumpus.net ...

Rumpus: One of my favorites on the album is “Girl Called Alex.”

Vile: Yeah. Me too.

Rumpus: Is there a story behind that? A real-life Alex?

Vile: I’m not gonna tell you the whole story, but basically it’s about my friend Alex, who’s an amazing girl, and she deserves a song written about her. She’s a good friend. It got mistaken as like a jealous love thing, which was so annoying, but what can you do? I wrote it when I was feeling pretty low on the road. It gets lonely on the road sometimes. You can catch long-distance melancholy once in a while. I never was straight literal and put somebody I actually knew in a song, with the name and everything. But I showed it to her recently, I finally saw her, and she was happy.

Rumpus: She didn’t know about it until the album was out?

Vile: No, which is why she’s awesome, she had no idea. I kind of got paranoid that maybe she would have heard it and been like, “That’s weird.” But she hadn’t even heard it. It’s not like everybody is always listening, you know? [Laughs.]

Next up is probably "Just Make it Stop" by Low, which will close out the opening block, but I'll probably let this first part settle in a little first before posting that.

[noddin0ff]

Oh hey. How did I miss this thread? Great way to comment on the year so far.

I picked up that Laura Marling album. Definitely falls in the 'your mileage may vary" category. I really like it, however. The first tracks are interesting and arresting. A bit much to take in but grows on my with repeated listening.

The other 3 tracks, I'm looking forward to listening to. Thanks for the comments.

[dean_martin]

The other 3 tracks, I'm looking forward to listening to. Thanks for the comments.

Hey, Noddin. I sent you that Kurt Vile track (Girl Called Alex) by pm back in May when you were soliciting tracks for a comp. Have you abandoned that project or did I miss it?

Davey - keep it going. I recently picked up "Haw" which you mentioned in another thread. The opening track is outstanding and the rest is starting to grow on me. Thanks.

[Davey]

Oh hey. How did I miss this thread? Great way to comment on the year so far... The other 3 tracks, I'm looking forward to listening to. Thanks for the comments.

Davey - keep it going. I recently picked up "Haw" which you mentioned in another thread. The opening track is outstanding and the rest is starting to grow on me. Thanks.

Thanks guys. Not sure there's enough interest to continue commenting on every song, but the other ones are uploading now, and it went together something like this ...

Half Gone 2013
1. CocoRosie - Tears for Animals
2. Vampire Weekend - Step
3. Laura Marling - Master Hunter
4. Kurt Vile - Girl Called Alex
5. Low - Just Make It Stop
6. Hookworms - Since We Have Changed
7. Youth Lagoon - Dropla
8. The National - Humiliation
9. Hiss Golden Messenger - Sufferer (Love My Conqueror)
10. Patty Griffin - Ohio
11. Ed Harcourt - Murmur In My Heart
12. CocoRosie - Poison

Like past Half Gone comps, not necessarily the best songs from the best albums of the year, but a fun comp to put together, and there are some good ones that I really like.

[jonnyhambone]

nice list, haven't hit your link for a listen yet but I do have a handful of those albums. That Low is most excellent. The new Nick Cave is very worth checking out - love at least half of it and prob. the best thing he's done since Lyre of Orpheus/Abbatoir Blues.

This whole Half-Gone thing may prompt me to post my version, outstanding year for new music I think!

[Davey]

My bad for not reading all of the posts, I was anxious to get to the music : )

That's OK, I'm not exactly recognized around these parts for my communication skills, and I didn't actually explain who Antony Hegarty is in my post either. I pretty much love that whole CocoRosie record, but the reviews were very much mixed, which just proves there are a lot of idiots reviewing music

This whole Half-Gone thing may prompt me to post my version, outstanding year for new music I think!

Please do. Anyone still remember the first one? From a time long time ago and a place far away .... though looking at it now, maybe not all that far away ... and I may have had better taste in music back then too

[Jim Clark]

Still have it!

[Snowbunny]

That's OK, I'm not exactly recognized around these parts for my communication skills, and I didn't actually explain who Antony Hegarty is in my post either. I pretty much love that whole CocoRosie record, but the reviews were very much mixed, which just proves there are a lot of idiots reviewing music

Please do. Anyone still remember the first one? From a time long time ago and a place far away .... though looking at it now, maybe not all that far away ... and I may have had better taste in music back then too

Yeah, still one of the best comps in my collection. That was a good year and it still holds up well (yikes!) 12 years later! I'm forever in your debt for my musical indoctrination.

[Snowbunny]

Holy sh*t, listening to Ricky Lee Jones' remake of Just Walk Away Rene! Blown away . . .

SB

[Snowbunny]

All apologies for spamming this thread, but I'm on a bit of a listening binge atm.

LOVING the band, Hiss Golden Messenger.

But feels like a guilty pleasure somehow. Am I listening to Christian Rock? I see they're from N. Carolina, is that a bible belt state?

Whatever! The lead singer's voice is deep and growlie and how can I not like a song called, "Jesus Shot Me In the Head"?

[Davey]

Holy sh*t, listening to Ricky Lee Jones' remake of Just Walk Away Rene! Blown away . . .

SB

Yea, that's a good one. As long as we're firing up the wayback machine, that Rickie Lee Jones remake also goes back to a Rave Recs golden moldie oldie thread from about the same time as that Half Gone comp ... AudioReview.com's Forum Archives

Just got the new Califone "Stitches" and the new Julia Holter "Loud City Song", and both sound pretty alright to me. Might just be sneaking up on a pretty alright year. The Califone is not officially out until Sep 3, but the vinyl preorder comes with download. And the new Richard Buckner "Surrounded" comes out that same day. And he is touring the eastern part of the US with Califone, should be some good shows out near our buddy Swish Daddy.

we're a long time
winter out the war
we are a payphone ... waiting