PT: Pat's Tunes

Hey Everybody,

My name's Pat Taylor and I'll leave DK to the social commentary, Jerry to the poetry and Shauna to the friends. Those of you who know me know that I love a few things: Laying treats, wearing the same thing for days on end, and music. I figure I'll devote my posts to mostly music related things, so I figured that I would start off by posting videos from my favorite artists. The first is Elliott Smith, a singer/songwriter who started off in the 90's up until his death in 2003. The video from him is a song called "Angeles" off of the 1997 album Either/Or (A Soren Kierkegaard reference, but I digress). His live performances were sometimes hit or miss because of his drug addictions and alcoholism, but this show from 2000 he was spot on, and it's the best version of "Angeles" I've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvaToTPrHFE

The second artist is an Englishman named Nick Drake. He was making music from the late 60's until his death in 1974 from an overdose. His most famous album is Pink Moon, a crictically acclaimed album that consists primarily of just Drake and his guitar, with the exception of the overdubbed piano on the title track. Nick Drake's previous two albums, Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter, consisted of lush sound and instrumentation behind his hushed vocals. The song I'm posting is called "One of These Things First" from Bryter Layter, and was featured on the soundtrack for Garden State. I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0S2xe_CWzE

The third is from Jeff Buckley, or, as most of the world knows him, the "Hallelujah guy." His 1994 debut, Grace, is seen as one of the greatest debuts of all time. It consists of classic Jeff Buckley songs like "Grace", "Hallelujah" and "Last Goodbye." However, there's one song of the album that i feel doesn't get it's due respect, and it's the first track. "Mojo Pin" is a phenomenal way to start off Grace, and it really shows off Buckley's skill on guitar and his vocal range. From 3:57 on, the song sends shivers, starting with Buckley's ability to carry a note. Lyrically, the song is a masterpiece and one that deserves attention. Quick note, there should be a lot more from Buckley but his life was cut short in 1997 after drowning in a tributary of the Mississippi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBeP6drdNuw

The fourth is from a band from the Big Star, which consisted of Alex Chilton, Andy Hummel, Jody Stephens and Chris Bell. The first album, #1 Record, was released in June, 1972, and is home to some breathtaking tracks. No track on the album is more profound or simple than the ballad "Thirteen." Thirteen is considered to be one of, if not the, greatest Big Star songs of all time, and is also listed on Rolling Stone's top 500 songs of all time. It has been covered countless times, most notably by Elliott Smith, but the original is a small piece of heaven.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pte3Jg-2Ax4

The fifth and final video post from me comes from a relativle new group known as Bon Iver. Bon Iver consists of Justin Vernon, Michael Noyce, Sean Carey and Matthew McCaughan. Bon Iver released their first album, For Emma: Forever Ago, in the UK and Europe through 4AD in 2008, and the album was a major hit in the indie music scene. The album consists of songs that cut to the core and could spark emotion out of Gob Bluth (for those of you out there who watch Arrested Development). Vernon's voice is beautifully raw and his melodic guitar is enough to leave you thinking of lost love and opportunities. The song "Re: Stacks" is the standout for me on the album, though most would contest that the real gems are "Skinny Love" and "Flume." However, there's a feel to "Stacks" that I just can't put my finger on, and it always works as a sedative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?vePatjIwB-sI

I hope you enjoy these songs from these great artists and I'll be back real soon with more musical suggestions.