Recommended: Black Prairie

Admittedly, I’m a little late to the party on Black Prairie.  But boy, what a party!  The band, which is comprised of 3/5 of the Decemberists, as well as two other folk musicians from Portland, OR, works with an amazing combination of musical styles (string band, folk, bluegrass, etc.) to produce something that just gushes out atmosphere.  What becomes clear, right away, is that the band’s songs (which are heavily weighted towards the instrumental) are born out of a love of genre, authenticity, and antiquity.  Watching them perform on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic (which you can see below), you see a seriousness and a joyfulness that makes for some excellent music.

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R.E.M. Announce New Album: “Collapse Into Now”

The gang over at R.E.M. have announced that Collapse Into Now – the follow-up to 2008’s Accelerate – will be released in Spring 2011.  The album features guest stars like Eddie Vedder, Patti Smith, and Peaches.  (Yes, you read that right).  You can read interviews with Mike Mills over on Spin and Rolling Stone for more info.

The Decemberists: “Down by the Water”

The Decemberists’ new album – The King is Dead – will be out in mid-January, and here’s the first track: “Down by the Water!”  The track features some excellent guitar work from R.E.M’s Peter Buck and Gillian Welch, and is a remarkable return to form after the sometime-excellent, oft-bewildering Hazards of Love.  Have a listen, and then go grab the track in exchange for your soul e-mail address.

[audio:https://www.shh-listen.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/The-Decemberists-Down-By-The-Water.mp3|titles=The Decemberists – Down By The Water]

So, that happened…

Behold!  The Mark of the Beast!  Well, not really.  But it is the reason that I’ve been away from you for so long… What you’re looking at is the printer’s mark of England’s first printer – William Caxton.  Caxton has been the focus of my doctoral thesis for the last four years… and, so, it’s really his fault when I don’t update.

But no more!  As of Friday, the thesis is out of my hands.  And while I wait for my exam, I can finally get back to business here.  First of all, let me say that I’m terribly sorry for not responding to all of the lovely people who have come to inquire about the site.  I will definitely get in touch, but I wanted to say that it was nothing personal.  The dissertation has been consuming my life all Summer long, and has left me scant room for anything good or fun.

Well, that’s all about to change.  In the next day or two, updates will begin anew.  Woo!