First Listen: Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs

Eddie Vedder, the Pearl Jam singer, and man-you’d-have-least-expected-to-release-a-ukulele-album-in-1993, has, in fact, released a new album called Ukulele Songs – and now you can hear the whole thing on NPR’s First Listen series. The album marks Vedder’s second solo effort after the exquisite soundtrack to the film Into the Wild, and features guests from Glen Hansard (The Frames, Swell Season) to Chan Marshall (Cat Power), and has a decidedly warm, intimate feel.  Vedder has observed that the ukulele is particularly good at bringing people together, and that its simplicity allowed for a more immediate and personal writing process.  Ukulele Songs is dedicated to Eddie’s wife and children, and is considerably warmer in mood than you’d expect.

So, head on over to NPR to listen to Ukulele Songs, and also consider reading the Rolling Stone interview.  There are videos below… enjoy!

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Music for a Rainy Day: The Low Anthem

Founded in 2006 by Ben Knox Miller and Jeff Prystowsky, The Low Anthem are an indie-folk band from Providence, RI who use an amazing collection of traditional instruments (clarinet, saw (my personal favorite), and dulcimer) in combination with a rock setup to achieve a truly stirring sound.  The band – which now includes one-time NASA tech Jocie Adams and multi-instrumentalist Mat Davidson – also use multi-part harmonies that attest to their shared interest in gospel, blues, and folk.  The result is a sound that is simultaneously engages both our shared sense of Americana and our desire to hear something fresh.

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Mix-Tape Monday: Still Raining in New England…

In most of the past ten years, we haven’t really had Spring in New England.  This year, I think, is the year that Mother Nature intends to make up for all that, as we’re having buckets and buckets of rain.  And so, while walking in the woods, today, I thought it was only fit to throw together a mix of things that feel Spring-like to me.  There are songs by Chris Kiehne, Fleet Foxes, Cowboy Junkies, and more.  I hope you’ll enjoy…

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First Listen: New Death Cab For Cutie, Joseph Arthur

It’s Monday, and that means those loveable scamps over at NPR have some fresh delights for us!  As part of their First Listen series, you can hear new albums by Death Cab For Cutie, Joseph Arthur, and Thurston Moore.  So, why wait?  Head on over, and have a listen!

Mailbag: Chris Kiehne – Pray for Daylight

Chris Kiehne’s Pray For Daylight is a mesmerizing, almost-lost album full of exquisite harmonies (provided by the excellent Sonya Cotton) and wispy threads of literate, Americana-tinged folk.  It’s an album that – despite its hard-luck history – has a freshness that speaks volumes about its talented creators and their passion for this project.  At least, that’s my take.  Here’s what Chris has to say: “It’s about zombies and love and other gross stuff, and Sonya sings harmony through its entirety.”  Of course, there’s more to that story…but how can you pass up zombies?

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