The Decemberists - "Don't Carry It All"

With this final post of 2011, I will be taking a sabbatical from the Friday song-of-the-weekend.

The New Pornographers - "Joseph, Who Understood"

How about a beautiful, original Christmas song you've never heard for today's song of the weekend? OK then, we can do that.  Credit for today's selection goes out to my sister Deb who posted this on her facebook page yesterday in the spirit of Christmas (apparently she HAS heard this one). From their 2007 EP 'The Spirit of Giving' this is Vancouver's New Pornographers with "Joseph, Who Understood."

Can't say I know too much about this band, but it seems I should! I like what I hear and I have such a fondness for Vancouver that they get points just for that.

Background on the band comes from Wikipedia (and yes, they explain the name):

The band's first four albums each ranked in the top 40 on The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a solo album from one of the band's members ranked in the top 40 on the list each year. In 2007, Blender magazine ranked The New Pornographers' first album, Mass Romantic, the 24th best indie album of all time. It is the second-highest Canadian album on the list, behind Arcade Fire's Funeral (which came in sixth). In 2009, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the band's second studio album, Electric Version, #79 in the "100 Best Albums of the Decade".
The name of the band was chosen by Carl Newman, who has said that he came up with it after watching a Japanese film called The Pornographers. Many writers have assumed that the name was a reference to Jimmy Swaggart's reputed claim that rock and roll was "the new pornography." The band has released five albums to date: Mass Romantic (2000), Electric Version (2003), Twin Cinema (2005), Challengers (2007), and Together (2010). A live album recorded on their 2006 tour is available only at concerts and on the band's website.

By the way...let me know if you DO know this song already. I want to know who's in the know.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Everything!
Peace.

Listen to "Joseph, Who Understood"
From the EP 'The Spirit of Giving'

Click here to watch a video of the New Pornographers on Letterman.

Uncle Tupelo - "Give Back the Key to My Heart"

Going back to 1993 for our song-of-the-weekend selection today. "Give Me Back the Key to My Heart" comes from 'Anodyne,' the fourth and final album from alt-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo.  The band broke up after this record and Jeff Tweedy left to form Wilco and Jeff Farrar formed Son Volt.

Background from Wikipedia:
Shortly after the release of the band's major label debut album Anodyne, Farrar announced his decision to leave the band due to a soured relationship with his co-songwriter Tweedy. Uncle Tupelo split on May 1, 1994, after completing a farewell tour. Following the breakup, Farrar formed Son Volt with Heidorn, while the remaining members continued as Wilco.
Although Uncle Tupelo broke up before it achieved commercial success, the band is renowned for its impact on the alternative country music scene. The group's first album, No Depression, became a byword for the genre and was widely influential. Uncle Tupelo's sound was unlike popular country music of the time, drawing inspiration from styles as diverse as the hardcore punk of The Minutemen and the country instrumentation and harmony of the Carter Family and Hank Williams. Farrar and Tweedy lyrics frequently referred to Middle America and the working class of Belleville, IL.

The fiddle carries this one....ENJOY!

Listen to "Give Back the Key to My Heart"
From the album 'Anodyne'

Click here to see a video of Uncle Tupelo live on Conan from 1994.

Deer Tick - "Axe Is Forever"

Last week's post from Middle Brother featured the singer-songwriting talents of Deer Tick frontman John McCauley. Although I knew of Deer Tick I had never really explored their material until this week. Perhaps it was the name that scared me away, Deer Tick, really?  But I can now say I am a fan of the band, if not their name.  Right up my alley with the roots rock sound and, as an added bonus, they're from good old Rhode Island, home to my alma mater.

Their Pandora bio focuses mainly on their front man:
McCauley started recording his own compositions and touring the area while still in high school, and he widened his circle after graduation by touring the entire country. Although he'd often perform solo, the young musician also began piecing together a proper band, occasionally playing as a duo with drummer Dennis Ryan or with a small group. His music fit loosely into the alt-country category, but his vocals -- rough, raw, and ragged -- brought a wealth of rock and grunge influences to the sound. Following the September 2007 release of his first CD, War Elephant, McCauley's Deer Tick project began earning comparisons to Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse, and Uncle Tupelo.

Today's song-of-the-weekend selection comes form a 2009 EP entitled 'More Fuel For The Fire.' "Axe Is Forever" is a kind of bouncy, straight-forward rock tune with McCauley's signature gruff vocal sound.  ENJOY!

 Listen to "Axe Is Forever"
From the EP 'More Fuel for the Fire"

Click here to view a video of Deer Tick live on Letterman.

Middle Brother - "Middle Brother"

Stumbled a cross another "keeper" this week. Found this band called Middle Brother and bought their debut self-titled album which was just released in March of this year.  I'd say every song on the record has redeeming qualities and it ranks up there as one of my favorites of 2011.


For some background we check their iTunes bio:
After chance collaborations over the years, folk-rock super-group Middle Brother officially came together in 2009. A trio of frontmen consisting of Deer Tick's John McCauley, Dawes' John Goldsmith, and Delta Spirit's Matthew Vasquez, Middle Brother have a sound that's dreamy and plaintive, pulling together aspects of the bandmembers' other work to create a unified sonic vision.  Once the three songwriters realized how much they liked being pushed by each other, things came together quickly for Middle Brother.  In early 2010, they went into the studio in Nashville to record their debut, and made their first stage appearance at SXSW just a few months later...

Today we're serving up the song "Middle Brother" from the album 'Middle Brother' by the band Middle Brother....a song-of-the-weekend first!

Turn it up, tap your foot and ENJOY!

Listen to "Middle Brother"
From their self-titled album

Click to view a live video of Middle Brother performing "Middle Brother."