Scott Bradlee: Official Website | Facebook | Youtube

no man is a hero every day
and even a champion loses the day before the race
try not to be sleeping when you’re wide awake
and when your chance comes, have fun, don’t be afraid

Ben Taylor: Official Site | Facebook | Twitter

Here are my top 11 choices of Albums I Actually Got Around to Listening To and Enjoying this year, posted in alphabetical order.

Anais Mitchell – Young Man in America

Mitchell followed up her 2010 mythology-themed folk rock opera project Hadestown with Young Man in America, an album which honestly took some time to grow on me, for no real reason, because it’s a superb release.   Mitchell has an interesting voice which she uses to full effect here.  This is a very modern folk album, firmly rooted in the world today.  Her songwriting is divine and she manages to find a very emotional center for her works which may pass you by if you’re not listening carefully.

Young Man in America was released February 28 on Thirty Tigers.

Anais Mitchell: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself 

With each release, Andrew Bird edges closer to mainstream music, but never quite loses the eclectic charm that’s been gathering him fans since the mid-90′s.  His lyrics are slightly less cryptic, but he hasn’t stopped making up words, either.   ”Danse Caribe” manages to seamlessly fuse traditional Irish fiddle with African themes he’s been playing with.  Annie Clark (St. Vincent) provides vocals on “Lusitania”, a song about relationships and conflict (and also history and electricity: this is an Andrew Bird album after all). “Fatal Shore” is both an extension of the Orpheus myth and a riff on an old Charley Patton song.  A friend described Bird’s last album, Noble Beast, as “a breakup album about nature”, which sounds absurd but is true.  Break It Yourself is the logical extension of that album: it’s about coming through on the other side, finding joy again.

Break It Yourself was released March 6 on Mom+Pop

Andrew Bird – Hands of Glory

Shameful admission time: it actually took me a very long time to listen to and fully appreciate Hands of Glory.  This is dumb, and I know it’s dumb, because a) Andrew Bird superfan b) folksy sort-of-alt-country-sort-of-bluegrass album c) come on seriously why wouldn’t I like it. But I needed to be in the right mindset to appreciate it, and even then, there was still something missing.  Until Birdmas this past week, I was on the fence here — I liked Hands of Glory, but I didn’t love it.  I wanted it to be fleshed out more, to exist as a full album rather than something just slightly longer than an EP.  But now… now I get it, and I wonder what I was missing. If you’re looking for the true, authentic Andrew Bird, the performer who exists when the stage lights are off and the curtains are drawn, this is as close as we’re going to get. These simple, unadorned folk-tinged songs are what have been driving Bird’s music for 15+ years now, only he’s never put them down on an album in this pure a form. He has now, though, and I hope every Bird fan out there gets to come around to loving this album as much as I do.

Hands of Glory was released October 30 on Mom+Pop

Andrew Bird: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Father John Misty – Fear Fun

Father John Misty is the newest project from former Fleet Foxes drummer J. (Josh) Tillman, although the album for the most part doesn’t sound particularly Fleet Fox-y, which is probably the sound that Tillman was going for.  The album bounces between several different sounds — dreamy, high harmonies; straight up country rock; your stereotypical jangly indie rock — and seems to be struggling for an identity just as much as Tillman is.  Fear Fun is an album with meandering, tortured beginnings; in press for the album, Tillman talks about sinking into a deep depression, doing lots of drugs, driving aimlessly down the west coast, and holing up in a California house to make some demos.  It’s an interesting twist on the standard indie rock narrative of “sensitive guy holes up in cabin to write sensitive songs”, and the album is better for it.  The lyrics can be a bit too precious at times, but the overall sound is good even if the words sometimes struggle.

Fear Fun was released May 1 on Sub Pop.

Father John Misty: Official Website | Facebook | Store

First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar

Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg return with their second full-length album, a collection of simple indie-folk songs which feature their well-matched vocals above all else.  Beyond the lyrics and the songwriting — none of the lyrics are particularly groundbreaking — their voices are the real draw on this album.  They’ve been previously compared to a female version of Fleet Foxes, which is understandable, given their tight harmonies and simple backing music. Most of the tracks fit that model of gentle but mostly upbeat folk-rock songs. “Emmylou”, a sweet tribute to country greats like Emmylou Harris and Johnny Cash, is heavy on lap steel and could easily be mistaken as a track from any of the current Americana-inspired US bands rather than a pair of Swedes. “Dance to Another Tune” starts off slower and more moody than the rest of the tracks, if you need something a little less uptempo. “King of the World” features a guest appearance on vocals by Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes).

The Lion’s Roar was released January 24 on Wichita.

First Aid Kit: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Kathleen Edwards – Voyageur

Canadian alt-country singer Kathleen Edwards returns with her first album since 2008.  Voyageur was co-produced by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and features guest appearances by numerous other artists, including Norah Jones, Phil Cook (Megafaun), Sean Carey (Bon Iver), Brian Moen (Peter Wolf Crier), and, of course, Justin Vernon.  Voyageur is less rootsy-sounding than her previous releases, a result of Edwards working and cowriting with many others.  There’s not a single bad song on the album, and only a hint of country twang, if you’re twang averse.  “Going to Hell” is mostly a full-on rock song, with some jangly guitar riffs that aren’t usually found on alt-country albums.  RIYL: Neko Case, Sharon Van Etten, Gillian Welch

Voyageur was released January 17 on Zoe/Rounder.

Kathleen Edwards: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music

This one is a bit of an unorthodox choice for a best-of list which is otherwise full of alt-folk and indie rock picks. I got turned on to R.A.P. Music when it made its way into rotation over at CHIRP, and I was impressed with how smart and savvy the lyrics are.  Rap music (the genre) isn’t something I feel I’m well versed enough in to talk about at length, but this album has been one which I’ve kept in constant play since first discovering it.Anyone who says that all rap music is dumb and unsophisticated and [insert other stereotypes here] needs to pull up this album, stat.

R.A.P. Music was released May 15 on Williams Street

Killer Mike: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter

The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth

Let’s be honest here, John Darnielle could put out an album where he is singing lines from the phone book and I’d like it. But Transcendental Youth is more than that, and we are better off for it.  Darnielle consistently writes about people who don’t always get voices in popular music – his subjects are people who are broken, damaged, moderately self aware, and trying to come out through clean on the other side.  There are few artists who can reduce me to ugly sobbing upon the opening track of an album, and fewer artists still who I feel it is a privilege to be in the presence of.  Darnielle manages both of those, and my life somehow feels more full whenever his music is in it.  Let’s also not forget the contributions of the other 2/3 of the Mountain Goats: bassist and all-around dapper dresser Peter Hughes, and Jon Wurster, one of the best drummers in the business.  Darnielle might write the words, but Hughes and Wurster help bring those words to life.

Transcendental Youth was released October 2 on Merge.

The Mountain Goats: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Mumford & Sons – Babel

Look, if you like Mumford & Sons, you’ll probably like Babel.  If you don’t like them, you are probably rolling your eyes and muttering something about inauthentic hipster sell-outs or something.  I don’t know. I love it, I can’t help it. I have a sort of hipster music snob fondness for them, the I liked them when they were still playing itty bitty rooms thing, and now they’re selling out stadiums.  Yes, the songs are all very samey-samey; the band has a formula and the formula works well and so they do it for most of their songs.  I think their lyrics are top-notch, and I enjoyed watching the songs of Babel grow and take shape over the past few years.  Haters to the left, I loved this album.

Babel was released September 25 on Glass Note.

Mumford & Sons: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Murder By Death – Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon

This is a fairly upbeat-sounding album from the Bloomington, IN-based band, all things considered.  Their sixth album finds them on a new label home, Chicago’s Bloodshot Records, and it’s a perfect fit for their brand of moody alt-country.  Despite being a bit less overtly morose than in the past, the songs are still modern day murder ballads, soaked in alcohol and dread.  The tracks don’t linger or meander, instead moving steadily forward thanks to some high-energy, driving percussion. Songs are frequently punctuated with horns, cello, and accordion   RIYL: The Handsome Family, The Waco Brothers, O’Death

Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon was released September 25 on Bloodshot

Murder By Death: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Sera Cahoone – Deer Creek Canyon

Sera Cahoone’s third album is a bittersweet collection of stories about growing up and moving on.  There’s something deep in here, past the twang and the heartbreak.  It’s about wondering what home is whenever you’ve left the place you grew up in; it’s about wondering if you can ever go back again. The album is titled for the area in which she grew up, and the title track is very evocative of those central themes.  The songs are built on Americana and roots music, with a bit of banjo and fiddle running throughout, although there are hints of more modern pop sensibilities every so often.  The best songs, for me, are the ones where she doesn’t stray too far from her roots.  RIYL: Kathleen Edwards, Kelly Hogan, Gillian Welch

Deer Creek Canyon was released September 25 on Sub Pop

Sera Cahoone: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Well, the Mayan Apocalypse is upon us, and you would think people would be in a hurry to create magnum opuses and release them to the masses before the end of the world, but alas, they didn’t. I’ve listened to a lot of stuff this year thanks to The Spotify, but a lot of bands that I regularly listen to did not have the presence that they did last year. Nevertheless here are the:

Seven Albums That Came Out in 2012 That Mike Listened To and Enjoyed the Most

Hot Chip – In Our Heads
I’m pretty sure I listened to How Do You Do and Night and Day as many times as Sarah listened to Andrew Bird this year. So that tells you how much I dig that song. The rest of the album is great too. It’s an eclectic mix of dancey electronica beats and British….well Britishness.

In Our Heads was released on June 12 by Domino.

Hot Chip: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Miike Snow – Happy to You
This was my first pick for album of the year, however it came out so early in the year that it was soon beat out by Hot Chip for thing I listened to the most. This album has a sound that is very different from Miike Snow’s debut, but is still excellent.

Happy to You was released on March 26 by Republic.

Miike Snow: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Of Montreal – Daughter of Cloud
I love me some weird music from time to time, and boy does Of Montreal Deliver. Of Montreal does a fantastic job on this album of making weird music listenable. Just like Talking Heads and King Crimson of the past.

Daughter of Cloud was released on October 22 by Polyvinyl.

Of Montreal: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

K’Naan – Country, God or The Girl
I don’t really listen to that much rap music normally, but ever since I saw K’Naan at Lollapalooza in ’08, I’ve been hooked on his music. His third album has actually garnered commercial airplay. So that’s pretty cool.

Country, God or the Girl was released on October 16 by Octone.

K’Naan: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Paper Route – The Peace of Wild Things
Glass Heart Hymn is easily my pick for track of the year. Beating out even those two Hot Chip songs I mentioned up there. I thought the departure of Andy Smith would have affected Paper Route negatively, but JT, Gavin, and Chad put together an album even better than Absence  (I featured that on this list a while ago and got Sarah mucho site hitos.)

The Peace of Wild things was released on September 11 by Tree of Hearts.

Paper Route: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

The Vaccines – Come of Age
Both The Soft Pack and The Vaccines released albums this year, which made it tough to pick one surf rock album to add to the list. I really liked The Soft Pack’s offering, especially Captain Ace, but The Vaccines sophomore album is just better top to bottom. Which is what you want from surf music.

Come of Age was released on September 11 by Columbia.

The Vaccines: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Rein[Forced] – X Amount of Stab Wounds in the Back
This is my local shout out this year. Jim is this dude from Pittsburgh that used to be in a band called Forced, and then the other guy in the band died. And then Jim got pancreatic cancer. He survived, and managed to write some really good powernoise as Rein[Forced]. He finally released an album and it is awesome.

X Amount of Stab Wounds in the Back was released on August 14 by WTII.

Rein[Forced]: Official Website | Facebook

Honorable Mentions

Die Antwoord – Ten$ion
The South African rap duo put out an interesting album, but it just didn’t make it onto the list.

Celldweller – Wish on a Black Star
I can’t really count this as an album released this year, since its been released over the past few years in sections.

And of course the Worst album of the year.

Wiz Khalifa – O.N.I.F.C.
Maybe it’s because I don’t feel the need to smoke weed, let alone tell everyone I know that I am smoking weed, or maybe it’s because I really don’t care to listen to 17 songs talking about how much money you have or are spending, but I just don’t get Wiz Khalifa. I get it, you smoke weed and have a lot of money. Did you really have to spend 17 songs telling me this? Yeah, you’re a guy who was from Pittsburgh and happened to get popular and now have a lot of money. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT. Rap about something substantial!

Andrew Bird, Hideout Block Party, September 24, 2011

Well, the final night of this year’s round of Gezellegheid concerts is upon us.  This show happened to fall upon the day of that alleged end of the world business, which was acknowledged by Bird in his typical sly way at the end of the set, when he treated the audience to a more stripped down version of “Tables  & Chairs”, the most cheerful song about the apocalypse that there ever was.

This night had a very similar setlist as the prior nights, but again, some of the songs are still being tinkered with. The new song, with the repeated line of “Pulaski at night”, is still a work in progress — he’s got all the parts but is still trying to put them in order.  It’s a very powerful song which seems to resonate with the crowd.  I remember the melody getting stuck in my head after hearing him perform it at last year’s MCA shows, and it still holds true — days later I’ve still got it stuck in my head.

These shows are some of Bird’s favorites to perform, and he clearly loves the chance to do them at home.  He mentioned that while he does the shows in other cities, the ones in Chicago work the best.  It’s the perfect environment for a show — and as one of those curmudgeonly people who is becoming less and less able to tolerate people chit-chatting through shows, I appreciate the hushed, somewhat solemn nature, as it keeps people from talking the whole time.

The freedom of these shows is what I really appreciate.  After the show, Mel and I had a conversation about Bird and his physical performance, and while that’s her story to tell, not mine, I can say that these concerts have seen Bird be more physically animated than he has in a while now.  Years and years of jumping up and down on stage takes a toll on the body, something that Bird’s alluded to a handful of times, so his physical performance has been a bit more low-key lately.  He makes up for it in smaller movements — the curling of fingers, grasping for something — and with his voice.  His voice has always been a fine instrument, especially over the past six or so years as he’s really grown into the style of music that suits him best. (Listen, I love Thrills and it is in fact one of my favorites but there are songs on there that are so clearly a very young man literally trying to find his voice; listen to his discography in order and you can hear him mature.)  But in these “old timey” sections, where everything is so exposed, there’s a new boldness, a hint of an edge that is exciting to me.  Bird’s voice has always excelled at conveying fragility, but hearing the strength that he brings to tracks like “Something Biblical”, “Railroad Bill”, and “Three White Horses” has me excited for what the next steps in his musical career will bring.

Setlist

Set One

1. Instrumental
2. Hole in the Ocean Floor
3. Ethiobirds / Naming of Things
4. Carrion Suite
5. Instrumental (Skin Is My)
6. Meet Me Here at Dawn (Cass McCombs cover)
7. New song (Untitled – “A minor”)
8. Trimmed & Burning
9. Plasticities

Set Two

1. MX Missiles
2. Give It Away
3. Lusitania
4. Some Happy Day
5. Three White Horses
6. Something Biblical
7. If I Needed You
8. The Sad Milkman
9. Orpheo
10. Eyeoneye
11. New song (untitled – “Pulaski at night”)
12. Tables and Chairs

Encore

1. Oh Sister
2. Goin’ Home

Andrew Bird – Museum of Contemporary Art, December 2011

For the second day of what I have tentatively dubbed Birdmas — stop judging me, I’m tired — we had a setlist that was mostly similar to the first night’s, with only a few deviations, including an acoustic, folk-tinged rendition of “MX Missiles” which had both Mel, our sometimes-blogger and full-time fellow Bird fan, and myself making some pretty impressive flappy hands in our seats.  I’d just remarked earlier that day that I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one before in concert, and to both hear it and have it done as part of the “old-timey” set, where Bird and company unplug and cluster around a single mic, was mostly more than I could have ever asked for.

Bird continues to use these shows as playgrounds to flesh out ideas, both new and olds.  There are certain instrumental pieces which he always works into his shows which stay the same, mostly, but there are always tweaks to his phrasings that help modify the pieces.  I’m fascinated by what he’s doing with the somewhat reimagined “Naming of Things” — the original is one of my favorites, but watching him slow it down and rearrange the words to fit into the slightly more meditative version he’s been doing has been a neat look at a work in progress.  ”Carrion Suite” is another instrumental piece that he’s been playing for years, before it even showed up on Useless Creatures, and while it hasn’t altered much from its original form, I’m curious to see if it ever turns into something else.  He continues to tease the audience with “Skin, Is My”, except he never quite gets to the vocal part — it’s an interesting choice of a song to play as an instrumental, as the opening riff is immediately recognizable to seasoned fans.  ”Trimmed and Burning”, a song which Bird has been playing in one form or another for years but never committed to an album, continues to morph, with Bird choosing different phrases to hold out and repeat each night.  He keeps tinkering with it, lately adding a bit more ornamentation and inflection into his voice, complementing the trills and runs he picks out on the violin.  I love what this song is doing, and the addition of Alan Hampton on upright bass has given it an extra flair.

What Bird calls the “old timey” section of the show has never shone quite as brightly as it does here at these concerts.  With Bird, Hampton, and Nora O’Connor clustered around a single microphone, you can almost imagine that they’re singing in your living room.  It’s shockingly intimate, with the mic picking up every stray breath, every beat against the body of a guitar, every tap against the floor.  The highs and lows of the music are emphasized in this more natural setting, the crescendos grander, the hushes making you hold your breath so you don’t miss a beat.  I’ve never connected more with the songs off of Hand of Glory than I have at these Gezellegheid shows, but now, I feel like I get them in a way I didn’t, just listening to the album in my own home.  The songs — particularly ”Something Biblical” — resonate with me on a different level after seeing Bird strip them all back down to basics.

And in the end, that’s what these shows are about.  They give Bird a chance to experiment in front of a curious audience.  Particularly with the unplugged songs, he’s getting the chance to show the public some of the music that he’s been playing for twenty years or more now, but which has before now always been sidelined for the bigger, the more experimental, the bombastic.  There will always be a place in my heart for the theatrics of show-stoppers like “Fake Palindromes” (oh, will there ever), but the quiet moments mean just as much to me, maybe even more these days.

Set List

Set One

1. Instrumental
2. Hole in the Ocean Floor
3. Ethiobirds > Naming of Things lyrics
4. Instrumental
5. Carrion Suite
6. The Giant of Illinois (Handsome Family cover)
7. Instrumental
8. Instrumental (Skin Is My)
9. New Song (Untitled – “A Minor”)
10. Trimmed and Burning
11. Plasticities

Set Two

1. MX Missiles
2. Orpheo
3. Give It Away
4. Three White Horses
5. Lusitania
6. If I Needed You
7. Something Biblical
8. Railroad Bill
9. Eyeoneye
10. New Song (Untitled – “Pulaski at Night”)
11. Danse Caribe

Encore

1. Oh Sister (Bob Dylan cover)
2. Some Happy Day (Charley Patton cover)

Andrew Bird – Atlanta, GA, 3/17/12

Things you learn at a Gezellegheid show: Andrew Bird’s broken his nose five, maybe now six times.  Trivia, for those of you who like those things.  There’s a context for this, but you almost had to be there, and I’ve also sworn not to make any bird puns over the topic.

Potential medical complications aside, these shows — Bird’s mostly annual holiday-time tradition in Chicago and other major cities — are Bird’s playground, his chance to really dig into music, experiment with new melodies, and figure out what direction he’s taking his music to next.  The Gezellegheid shows are where some of the earliest incarnations of songs that wound up comprising Break It Yourself were shown off, and he revisited some of those ideas last night at Fourth Presbyterian Church.  ”Eyeoneye”, the lead single from the new album, had its roots as an instrumental song called “Oh Baltimore”.  It took a while for the much louder, more typically-indie-rock revamped album version to grow on me, as I loved the stripped down instrumental version I’d been hearing.  Having the chance to hear it in its original form once more was a huge bit of excitement for me.

We’re continuing to see the deconstruction of Bird’s older songs as he takes them apart and makes something new out of them.  He also debuted a few new songs, one which is just a melody with no words yet, and one based on a melody that he was playing with at last year’s MCA shows (they took the place of the Gezellegheid shows in Chicago) and has now gone back and set words to.

While these shows have been traditionally solo affairs in the past, this year, Bird brought some help. He was accompanied by bassist Alan Hampton for much of the show (on upright bass and guitar), and frequent collaborator Nora O’Connor on vocals and guitar for much of the second set.

The first night of Bird’s three night stint at Fourth Presbyterian was exquisite.  I remarked after the show that usually the first night is more uneven, like Bird’s still finding his footing.  Based on this, he’s already got it down; I can only hope this means the next two nights will take us to even more transcendent places.

Setlist

Set One

1. Instrumental
2. Hole in the Ocean Floor
3. Instrumental > Naming of Things lyrics
4. Carrion Suite
5. Three White Horses (instrumental version)
6. Giant of Illinois (the Handsome Family cover)
7. Instrumental (Skin Is My riff)
8. New Song (untitled, w/ AH)
9. Fatal Shore (w/ AH)
10. Trimmed and Burning (w/AH)
11. Plasticities (w/AH)

Set Two

1. Give It Away (w/ NO, AH)
2. Three White Horses (w/ NO, AH)
3. Lusitania (w/ NO, AH)
4. If I Needed You (Townes Van Zandt cover, w/ NO, AH)
5. Something Biblical (w/ NO, AH)
6. The Sad Milkman (Handsome Family cover, w/ NO, AH)
7. Some Happy Day (Charley Patton cover, w/AH)
8. Orpheo (w/ AH)
9. Eyeoneye (w/AH)
10. New Song (untitled – “Pulaski at Night”) (w/ AH)
11. Danse Caribe (w/ AH)

Encore

1. Oh Sister (Bob Dylan cover, w/ NO, AH)
2. Goin’ Home (Charley Patton cover, w/NO, AH)

So, no, Andrew Bird might not be a Twin Cities guy, but that didn’t matter to the crowd.  Bird, who isn’t really touring in support of any particular album — the Hands of Glory not-quite-EP-not-quite-LP came out in October, but Bird just tours non-stop no matter what he’s really got going on.  The setlist was heavy on tracks from Break It Yourself, but as always, Bird peppered the show with tracks from his back catalog, both in their original forms and slightly altered ones.

The first half of the show seemed a bit sluggish.  Not sluggish in the way that a casual fan or infrequent concert-goer would necessarily recognize, but one that a repeat customer (this was Bird show #25 for yours truly, by my count) would be more apt to pick up on.  The tempos seemed to lag a bit behind their normal speeds, both on the record and live.  It wasn’t bad — I’ve yet to see a bad show from Bird and am kind of convinced at this point that he’s such a consummate performer as to be incapable of it — but it just felt… too easy.  It didn’t feel like there were risks being taken.  It felt safe, which is an unfamiliar feeling for an Andrew Bird show.

Not to say that there weren’t any surprises during that first part of the show.  An extended instrumental segment after the “Hole in the Ocean Floor” incorporated some of the lyrics to “The Naming of Things”, turning it from a brief little indie rock song into something more meditative.  ”Fiery Crash”, always a favorite, was accompanied by very appropriate  stage lighting, bathing the back screen in reds, yellows, and oranges.  (Bird’s lighting design for live shows is always spectacular, and this show was no exception.  Kudos to you, lighting designer.)  The breakdown section in “Danse Caribe” — where it turns into a near hoedown for a verse, then something more African influenced — is always a highlight, with Bird’s more traditional violin work contrasting nicely with Ylvisaker’s space-y guitar work.

A little after the halfway point, Bird, Ylvisaker, and Alan Hampton on bass crowded around a solo mic at the edge of the stage for the “old timey” segment that’s become tradition for Bird concerts.  The band unplugs and performs acoustically, sound being picked up solely by that one microphone.  It’s always a highlight for me because it helps show that these men are all phenomenally talented musicians.  The looping and effects pedals make for an interesting, technologically challenging show, but stripping away the gear leaves just voices and instruments, and it’s there that Bird and company soar.  (Bird pun only slightly intended.)

The acoustic set featured two covers: “When That Helicopter Come”, originally by the Handsome Family, and “Meet Me Here at Dawn”, by Cass McCombs.  Both were fairly stunning performances, particularly the Handsome Family cover — Bird always tends to give their songs a very emotional resonance which may not always hit listeners of the original versions.  ”Meet Me Here at Dawn” has been done by Bird solo at shows, but never as a full band; for it being the first time they played it as a group, it sounded pretty solid to me.  But the true highlight of that acoustic set – and perhaps my entire tenure as That Weird Lady Who Basically Goes To See Every Andrew Bird Show In The Midwest – was hearing “Sovay”.  It’s one of my earliest favorite songs of Bird’s, and I’d despaired of ever hearing it live.  I mean, come on, twenty-plus shows and it still hadn’t made an appearance, even in shows where he more heavily mined his back catalog than usual?  I’d given up.  My grin couldn’t possibly have gotten any wider for that entire song.  Look, the rest of the show could have been a flop (it wasn’t) and that one song would have left me floating the whole night.

Bird returned to the full band set-up for the final few songs, alternating between upbeat (“Plasticities”, “Tables and Chairs”), laid-back (“Fatal Shore”) and, well, kind of foreboding in its own special way (“Three White Horses”).  I’ve been following “Three White Horses” for a while, since it began popping up in a few shows earlier this year, and it’s become a song which I can listen to on repeat for a very long time, so I was very pleased to finally get to hear it live.

After the typical closer of “Tables and Chairs,” Bird and company returned to the stage for their encore, gathering once more around the old-timey mic for two more songs.  ”If I Needed You” is a Townes Van Zandt cover which Bird has been playing live for a while now, and “Some Happy Day” is a cover of a Charley Patton tune.  (Look up the original some time, it’s drastically different in speed.)  ”Some Happy Day” in particular gives Bird the always-welcome opportunity to let loose with his traditional fiddle chops, digging in and soaring on the solos.

There wasn’t any new ground broken at this show, but that’s not what we were after.  Overall, the show was a laid-back affair, perfect for a cold Minnesota evening: just enough to get your blood pumping before easing you back into a gentle sort of lull.

Setlist

1. Instrumental
2. Hole in the Ocean Floor
3. Instrumental > The Naming of Things riff
4. Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left
5. Desperation Breeds
6. Fiery Crash
7. Danse Caribe
8. Lazy Projector
9. Orpheo Looks Back
10. Eyeoneye
11. Give It Away (acoustic)
12. When That Helicopter Comes (acoustic; the Handsome Family cover)
13. Sovay (acoustic)
14. Meet Me Here at Dawn (acoustic; Cass McCombs cover)
15. Railroad Bill (acoustic)
16. Three White Horses
17. Plasticities
18. Fatal Shore
19. Tables & ChairsEncore
20. If I Needed You (acoustic; Townes Van Zandt cover)
21. Some Happy Day (acoustic; Charley Patton cover)

Winslow-King’s a young guy who has a timeless sound.  He pulls together elements of dixieland jazz, gospel, and country and makes something beautiful.  He was very recently signed to Chicago’s Bloodshot Records, who will be re-releasing his most recent album, The Coming Tide, in March 2013.  Look forward to much more great music from Winslow-King.

For fans of: Justin Townes Earle, Robbie Fulks, Thrills-era Andrew Bird, Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Luke Winslow-King: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter

I don’t have much, but I am a rich man.

Like all of Whitehorse’s music, this song is sexy.  I don’t know how they do it, but you put Luke and Melissa together and oof, sign me up.  Their most recent album,  The Fate of the World Depends on this Kiss, is out now on Six Shooter Records.  Catch them at Schubas on October 13th.  I’ve seen them several times now and they always put on an amazing show.

Whitehorse: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Shop