Unpiano | Music Blog

//photo by kit mcleod

Every time I think my submissions inbox is useless and filled with PR mailers, someone sends in something utterly incredible and proves me wrong yet again. I think the last time this happened was with Toro Y Moi almost two years ago and to be honest, this is what having a music blog is all about – getting musicians who deserve it instant exposure and then seeing it come to fruition when they are playing a huge venue the very next year.

When I first heard Joel Robert Melton, I spent days trying to figure out which of my friend’s had sent me his album, only to come up flat and eventually discover his email sitting calmly in the mailbox. The album itself is overly honest and humble, choosing each note wisely and sneaking up on you from songs that you’d least expect it. It also lends itself well to staying up in the early hours working on a project – a fact to which I can personally attest. I think I must have played the whole thing back to back for hours before I even realized what I was listening to. Joel had previously referred to his work as lo-fi, but I could only hear lush instrumentation and the signs of what I have recently come to know as orchestral folk. Anyways, this should ease you nice and gently in your week so that you can take a leisurely stretch and remember what’s right in the world. Get the full album here

Joel Robert Melton – Venus
Joel Robert Melton – Ghost
Joel Robert Melton – Staircase

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Bonus:
Joel Robert Melton – Shadowfingers Pt. 1 (video)

These are the projects that make me happy in a small place just under my heart. When musicians get together and make EPs just for fun, as friends. Owen Holmes, bassist from Black Kids invited different friends over to his place in Jacksonville to record some duets, and the result just emanates good feeling. Owen’s lo-key marble-mouth singing goes really well with regular vocalists like SoKo and Cassie Ramone. Note to all musicians, after you have a successful record, get together and make songs like this..

Gospel Music – Are Your Parents Still Together (ft. Cassie Ramone)
Gospel Music – I Miss The Shit Out Of You (ft. SoKo)
Gospel Music – Gamophobia (ft. Shirley Simms)

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We posted about Marissa a while back, but this song was too good to pass up. I grabbed it off her Kickstarter post where she was trying to raise money for the new album (which raised like $6,000 over the goal by the way). In case you didn’t know, Kickstarter is where you can now have your favorite band come play at your house if you have a spare $1,000 or so. Anyways, make sure you find the new album when it comes out – you’ll probably like it if you like this song.

Marissa Nadler – Mary Come Alive

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Sure Sharon has been around for a while and has now embarked on a very impressive European tour, but how awesome is this video of her floating around Central Park? Not to mention the electrified amp in her boat with water all around her.. total tough town. Anyways, the album version of this song (below) is beautiful as well and if you can find her episode of the Take Away Show, it will blow you away.

Sharon Van Etten – For You

I can’t wake up this week. My eyes won’t open and my heart won’t start. What I really need is a love song to gently lull me back into the world and Jean Marie had one hiding up her sleeve all along. This song is off her album Golden Cherries from earlier this year and while the album is full of love songs that make me happy-in-a very-sad sort of way, this is the one that walks me around the block an extra time. I really like how her voice warbles to the edge of breaking and almost whispers the words in my ear. If all songwriters were this vulnerable, people would stop skimming albums and actually listen to them.

Jean Marie – My Love, He Comes ‘Round

I know that everyone is all about the Roky Erickson and Okkervil River version of this song, but to be honest I’m not too sure they made anything better than the original. Granted the new version is a pretty gorgeous ode to all that’s good in the world, but it’s too clean and lacks that spur of the moment passion that I got off the eighties version. I loved the warble, the hiss and the rambling nature of what he was trying to say. I know it’s somewhat blasphemous to criticize Roky, but I’ve always found Okkervil River pretty annoying and bland so I feel like someone’s got to say it. Anyways, I put both below so you can figure it out for yourself..

Roky Erickson – True Love Cast Out All Evil
Roky Erickson with Okkervil River – True Love Cast Out All Evil

Bonus:
Roky Erickson with Okkervil River – Devotional Number One

God damn it.. this song is so intense that even a year after it’s release, I get a lump in my throat every time it comes on. It’s like a warm blanket, or a sweet kiss, or maybe free-falling from a building, or maybe just sinking to the bottom of the sea while the bubbles float from your lungs up to the surface. It’s all of those things and probably none of them, but it’s a damn good song none-the-less and perhaps that’s all that needs to be said about it.

Bill Callahan – All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast
Bill Callahan – Jim Cain

Family band finally had their amazing album Miller Path mastered and released on vinyl. The new cello is perfect and the songs sound pretty incredible (see for yourself down below). The album is limited to 500 so go order one right now before they’re gone. Also, Stereo Gum premiered their new video last week and you can watch it above.

Family Band – Children (Final Version)

//photo by by tom platten-higgins

Peter Broderick released this set of old 4-track recordings last year and while I’m still not sure if I can stand his voice, I do very much enjoy the tape clicking and other noises from the instrumental tracks. There are about twenty-five introspective tracks in all and I found many of the them to be the same, so these three represent a good cross section of the material on there. I can’t really find too much to say about this stuff which may be indicative of the songs themselves, but jeeez.. they’re 4 track recordings so they can get a little slack.

Peter Broderick – Walking (Thinking)
Peter Broderick – Looking (Thinking)
Peter Broderick – Listening (Thinking)

I’ve watched Jonny Ollsin shred the stage for some time now. First it was with the Vancouver thrash-metal band S.T.R.E.E.T.S. with whom he played guitar, and then after they broke up, it was with his band Children which enlisted Early Man drummer Adam Bennati to make it extra heavy. Whenever I see his name pop up I always give a listen, and luckily Jonny has been recording music recently with his wife and vocalist Kim Krans. Their music as Family Band is a much turned down sound from those earlier days and has been described as “heavy mellow”. And indeed while it is much quieter, you can hear Jonny’s intricate metal riffs making their way back into each melody and culminate in a very distinctive sound. I’ve heard the comparisons that they have inevitably drawn (you can figure them out on your own) and I’m not going to argue. But I can safely say that after listening to their new album Miller Path, which is due out soon, they have carved a small place out for themselves. A comforting, warm place filled with longing and beautiful sadness that can be such a sweet gift in the depths of winter.

Family Band – Hatred
Family Band – No Sound
Family Band – Fantasy

Bonus:
Family Band – Blessed (video/live)
You can see more videos including some great footage of their recording sessions during Miller Path by clicking here.