Lost Coastlines: discovering Okkervil River

Recently, I have (after quite a prolonged period of time), dived (head-first) into the music of Okkervil River. As the number of listens increase, so does my affection for the band. Much like the Decemberists, Okkervil River is a band not afraid of using multi-syllable words in run-on sentences. Much like the Hold Steady (and the Decemberists), Okkervil River tells the story of specific characters in their songs (for example, "Starry Stairs," my favorite of the Stand Ins, is a sequel to "Savannah Smiles" off The Stage Names, both of which eulogize actress Shannon "Savannah" Wilsey).

Musically, Okkervil River never ceases to impress. The theme that seems to run through most of their songs is a wonderful use of horns. On "A Girl in Port," off Stage Names, OR does a terrific job of blending horns with the slow croon of pedal steel alongside Will Sheff's vocals. On "Savannah Smiles," OR slows the pace as Will Sheff expresses a slow ballad, revealing his fatherly tenderness. "On Lost Coastlines" (the first full song off Stand Ins), the band picks it up, wonderfully blending banjo and guitar as they tell of their tumultuous times as a band. In fact, you can get Lost Coastlines for free here. So to all you out there, I recommend (as the summer dawns upon us) you pick up Stage Names first and, then, (if not at the same time) obtain a copy of the Stand Ins. Stage Names, while criticizing pop glory and the limelight, gives way to its sequel, Stand Ins, which highlights those working behind the scene to make pop stars what they are. My favorite songs (if you're one of those "song" people) are "Lost Coastlines," "Starry Stairs," "A Girl in Port," and "You Can't Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man." Finally, for you fans of the Arcade Fire out there, please, please, please check out this band. While the Arcade Fire tries to be "epic" and fails, Okkervil River succeeds in almost every area the Arcade Fire fails.

Flying with Amanda Palmer in an Aeroplane over the Sea

It's always refreshing when a musical artist is actually working for art. In other words, instead of singing about the next boyfriend or girlfriend to be dumped or the fact that love just isn't working out, an artist puts his or her soul into a lasting work of genius. A work that makes you shiver in the spine or just simply start to cry. A work that leaves you with a lot to think about. A work that leaves you disturbed. But, most importantly, a work that is ultimately redemptive.

Amanda Palmer is (simply put) one of these artists. After embarking on an incredible solo project with the help of Ben Folds (Who Killed Amanda Palmer) as well as touring the record, Amanda returned to her former high school (Lexington High School) to work with the play/musical director there, Steve Bogart, on a musical adaptation of Neutral Milk Hotel's CD In an Aeroplane Over the Sea. An album I often ignored, In an Aeroplane deals heavily with Jeff Magnum's (the lead singer's) pondering on the Diary of Anne Frank. The musical (entitled With the Needle that Sings in Her Heart--a line from the song, Two Headed Boy) is basically the story of Anne Frank and deals with many of the harsh realities of the Holocaust, but ultimately holds out hope and redemptive themes. Although I have not seen it, I look forward to purchasing the DVD version as it is simply one of the most interesting, thought-provoking musicals I have ever heard of.

To read more:
a highlight of the story from npr
a sweet article on the musical/play

Heart-carved tree trunk, Yankee bayonet

A sweetheart left behind
Far from the hills of the sea-swelled Carolinas
That's where my true love lies.

None write stories the was Colin Meloy and his buddies do it. Whether it be the messed up family dynamics of a man in love with the daughter of a mob boss (O Valencia), a shipwrecked sailor finding the heartless man who murdered his mother (The Mariner's Revenge Song), or the love song between a woman and her lover, taken down as a casualty of war (Yankee Bayonet--whic is partially quote above), the Decemberists write some of the most imaginative stories and, consequently, lyrics.

So what happens when Colin cannot fit a full story in one song (even a nearly 10 minute song)? He writes a 17-track album (Hazards of Love) that covers one fleshed-out story. As Paste Magazine says, "Hazards, the Decemberists Capitol follow-up [to Crane Wife] is both the most daring and logical leap of the band's career." The saga includes guest voices, such as Shara Worden of my Brightest Diamond, to cover the four main characters (William, Margaret, the Rake, and the Queen). As the album builds, pivotal songs include The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid (where Shona, as the Queen, enters to debate with William, sung by Colin), Annan Water (where William begs for the water to calm so he can pursue his lover, Margaret), and The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned). I encourage everyone to procure a copy as Hazards of Love, next to Neko Case's Middle Cyclone is arguably the best album of 2009 thus far. In addition, to follow along with the story, the Decemberists have made the cd jacket available for free digitally on their website.