Archive for the 'josh garrels' Category

Josh Garrels

Published
by
billy
on February 20, 2008
in folk, hip hop, indie, josh garrels, mp3 and music
. 4 Comments

I thought it was only fair to post about a rather obscure artist I referenced during yesterday’s post about Alexi Murdoch. I first met Josh Garrels back when I was trundling through school on my way to a degree in architecture. Back then {in the early 2000’s} Josh was known for his intensely personal live shows that seemed to have a warmth that transcended mere musical performance. He played shows all around the Mid West and found a passionate following wherever he went, with some fans logging hours and miles in the car just to catch another concert. What I remember most about those shows is how unassuming Josh’s stage presence was. He was the epitome of the everyman; that is until he opened his mouth to sing and took to plucking his guitar. It was then that you realized you were truly witnessing something special, something that would keep you warm on many cold nights to come. His live performance felt less like we were watching someone perform and more like you were witnessing a sacred celebration of music.

Josh Garrels never signed a record deal, although he was rumoured to have been offered a few, choosing instead to take his time and release albums when he wanted. Taking a few years between studio sets to refine his live shows, start a family, and generally be best friends with everyone he met. {The most delicious rumour I’ve heard yet is that he’s working on a new disc}. In 2002 he self released Stone Tree, and it is a solid album that rambles from pure acoustic folk to an eclectic blend of hip hop based soundscapes. He later recorded a live album, Underquiet, and in 2006 he released his second proper full length with Over Oceans (iTunes). What I remember most, though, were the easy smiles, friendly hugs, and gregarious attitude that permeated the before and after of each of his songs. I truly hope he gets the music bug again, Josh Garrels really is something special.

mp3 : Josh Garrels - Fire by Night
mp3 : Josh Garrels - Going Home
mp3 : Josh Garrels - Restless Ones

Fire by Night hails from his most recent LP, Over Oceans, while the other two tracks are taken from his debut full length Stone Tree. I must note that it was largely Josh’s live shows {I must’ve seen him play at least a dozen times during my college days} that led me to pick up the guitar and begin playing myself {well, that and my endless pursuit of the ladies}.

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EA Mix vol 8 - Fix Me Now

Published
by
admin
on December 1, 2006
in ea mix, elefant, gary jules, get set go, gnarls barkley, joseph arthur, josh garrels, jude, killers, lindsey czechowicz, matt costa, mix, mp3, music, smashing pumpkins, snow patrol, weepies and zach wililams
. 3 Comments


I’m still not sure why I titled this mix “fix me now” although maybe at the time I was working on this slice of music it was a cry for help. I’ve been dealing with a lot lately. I think that’s all that needs to be vomited here.

So below is the mix. Bowing to popular opinion I have decided to upload the mix as a single file download. The individual songs are still available here, but if you want to just snag them all at one time I’ve supplied that link as well.

download : EA Mix vol 8 - Fix Me Now

01 : Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars (Acoustic) : This song is great in any format. Their last two albums have both been solid efforts and it’s always refreshing to hear a band present their material in a new way. This version is raw, one take, maybe even one track. However it was recorded it’s a great way to start mix 8.

02 : Jude - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley Cover) : This cover reminds me a bit of JD Natasha’s cover of Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya’ just without the backing orchestra. It’s bouncy, it doesn’t really take itself seriously, and Jude comes across like a better version of Jason Mraz. Maybe that’s because he actually has talent.

03 : Zach Williams - Push : Yes, I might have a slight infatuation with Zach Williams. I think the man is brilliant and just waiting for his turn to play for a larger audience. This song starts slow and rapidly develops into something amazing. I simply love the line “I was wondering how long, how long it’d take for you to notice, I can’t look you dead in the eye without losing time.” Danceable.

04 : Get Set Go : I Hate Everyone : Just to clarify, I don’t hate everyone. Most people I actually like, or can at least get along with. But apparently Get Set Go has some anger issues, maybe a bit of latent bitterness towards something. This song reminds me a bit of Weezer a la the Pinkerton era. A tad silly, a dash of melancholy, and catchy licks.

05 : The Weepies : World Spins Madly On : “I woke up, and wished that I was dead, with an aching in my head. Thought of you, and where you’d gone, and the world spins madly on.” The process of the end has never been something easy to swallow, but it’s also never been this beautifully told either.

06 : Josh Garrels - Answer in Love (Live) : So much of this song comforts my heart at times when all I can do is try not to think. Josh is again in the studio attempting to what amounts to copious loads of new music. His hope is that at the end of the day he’ll have written so many songs that he can hand pick only the best for his new album. If there’s even one as great as this song he’ll have no problem moving the merchandise.

07 : Elefant - Why : I can’t decide if this group fits into a genre like ska/punk or eighties revival. Maybe they’re more a ska/punk band who’s only one keytar away from achieving pure eighties glory. No matter what type of sound or genre they were attempting to hit in this song it’s still a good pop song. Straight forward, it is what it is, and it’s worth hearing.

08 : Gary Jules - Something Else : It seems as if Gary Jules is back in the spotlight after his biggest song [his cover of Tears for Fears' - Mad World] was used in a tv ad for Gears of War. This is original Jules writing, and the man has some talent, even if the sound behind the words is a bit oldschool.

09 : Matt Costa - Astair : I need to do a feature just on Matt Costa. His latest album is easily worth downloading from allofmp3, or maybe even from some other overpriced proprietary garbage software program that will remain unnamed. All hateration aside this song is good acoustic folk, which is Matt Costa’s bread’n'butter.

10 : Lindsey Czechowicz - Escape : Probably the hardest name ever to type on a keyboard. I hereby move to change her stage name to LC. It’s hip, the letters actually stand for her name, and it’s easier for the kids to say. I think I have something against musical acts that use difficult to pronounce, spell, file, or remember, names.

11 : The Killers - Why Do I Keep Counting : Yes, the second song I’ve featured off of Sam’s Town. And I know many people out there are still sad that The Killers deviated from their original glam pop sound. But listen to this entire song. It’s larger than life, it’s [gasp] a new direction for them, and it’s definitely heavily influenced by The Boss. “Help me get down, I can make it, help me get down.” “And if all our days are numbered then why do I keep counting?”

12 : Joseph Arthur - Enough to Get Away : On this song it feels as if Joseph Arthur is actually mashing up his older material with the best of Belle and Sebastian. Basically it’s any indie kids dream. All of his newest album, Nuclear Daydream, is worth a listen. Mr. Arthur continually makes impressive indie pop music, and he’s a, how should I say this, dedicated painter as well.

13 : Smashing Pumpkins - 1979 (Acoustic) : Yes it’s official, according to Billy Corgan and Myspace at least, the Pumpkins are back together and are recording a new album which is due out summer of ‘07. It just felt natural to end this mix on a classic from one of the greatest rock bands that the States have ever produced. Here’s to hoping that Billy and crew stick together, get along, and keep away from drugs.

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EA Mix vol. 5 - Going Home

Published
by
billy
on June 8, 2006
in ben gibbard, ben kweller, boyz ii men, brendan losch, bruce springsteen, david gray, dntel, ea mix, josh garrels, mix, mp3, music, neil diamond, phantom planet, primitive radio gods, simon and garfunkel, stars, supertones, walkmen, weakerthans and zach williams
. 1 Comment

EA Mix vol. 5 - Going Home

This mix was prepared while I was living overseas this past year. It wraps up the EA Mix volumes for this school year [vols. 1-5, EA standing for East Asia]. I put a lot of thought into these songs, the order they are arranged in, and especially the lyrics they contain. It’s always good to be going home.

download the full mix in .zip format
yousendit : here
megaupload : here

[click on the song titles below for individual mp3 downloads]

01 : Neil Diamond - America : The line, “They’re coming to America,” is repeated again and again in this classic by the former sequined wonderboy of Vegas. This song comes from his glory days and kicks off the album with the appropriate flair.

02 : Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA : Ok, ok, I know that this song is about a guy, born in the USA, who is figthing in Vietnam. But I grew up with Mellancamp and Springsteen on the radio and it came down to a Born in the USA versus Smalltown battle. The boss just wins that fight my friends, and this song proves that the old guys know [or knew] how to rock.

03 : Simon and Garfunkel - Homeward Bound : Some of these songs are so ridciulously obvious that I feel a bit embarassed having to explain their inclusion. I mean, honestly, if they line “I wish I was homeward bound” doesn’t scream “put me on this mix, then I don’t know where to find lyrics more appropriate to this collection.

04 : Boyz II Men - It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday : Again, blast from the past songs battled it out for inclusion here on the mix. This time it was Boyz II Men against Michael W. Smith’s Friends are Friends Forever. I know this song is cliched, overplayed, trite, etc., yet it still fits perfectly with the overall mood of the mix. And it serves to transition from the older kings of music into the new kids on the block [of course, figuratively speaking]

05 : The Weakerthans - Left and Leaving : “My city’s still breathing, but barely it’s true. Through buildings gone missing like teeth. The sidewalks are watching me think about you, sparkled with broken glass. I’m back with scars to show, back with the streets I know will never take me anywhere but here.” The Weakerthans were the most underrated, overlooked band of the year 2000. Maybe it was all the Y2K buzz, maybe it was mad-cow, or maybe we just missed something great in the process of understanding that 2000 really wasn’t the new millenium [or was it?].

06 : Brendan Losch - You Go You Leave : “Cause you go, you leave, you’ll never come back.” Plaintive is the best word I can think of to describe this song by Mr. Losch. I met, discovered, became efriends with Brendan on myspace and so I don’t mind plugging his musich at each and every turn. And I love this line, half way into the song, “are you even listening to me, cause I feel like you were never there.” I can just imagine that line being spoken aloud to countless of my friends as they drift in and out of conversations this summer back in the states.

07 : Primitive Radio Gods - Standing Outside a Broken Telephone Booth with Change in my Hand : Yes, it’s true, there were bands with obscenely long song titles well before Sufjan came along. And just like Mr. Stevens, when you make gorgeous music, you are allowed to take all the liberties you desire with your song titles. For some reason this song has always reminded me of coming home. Maybe it’s the line “the plane takes off from Baltimore and touches down on Bourbon street,” or maybe it’s the repetitive chorus of “I’ve been downhearted baby, ever since the day you left.” Whatever it is, this song feels like home to me, and I love the lyrics.

08 : Zach Williams & the Ramparts - Hospital Dream : I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, but they need a new name for their band. Sure, Zach is the frontman, maybe even the overall controlling genius, but still, the last band I knew that made it huge with a name like this was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers [or Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg Seven - kudos to Conan]. Maybe it’s the “the” bands fault, but for whatever reason bands with “and the” in their name never seem to make it. And I really want Zach and company to thrive. He’s a great song writer, could easily be signed by Barsuk, and could make a killing if he moved to Chicago, Seattle, or Portland. But enough on that, this song is gorgeous.

09 : Phantom Planet - California : I know, I know, this song is overplayed as well. But as my friends are flying home from East Asia most of them will be landing first in California. And it just made sense to put a song that yells “California, here we come” over and over again on the mix. Not to mention that even though this song almost pushed them into T.V. song jingle embarrassment [see the Remembrants and the Friends theme song for one shining example] Phantom Planet has pressed on to reinvent their sound and their image.

10 : Stars - On Peak Hill : I love Stars, and stars. Both the noun and proper noun. And I felt like this song really had a home time feeling to it. It seems as if it’s a song taken from life in a small little town where you can talk about “the time I was five at the top of Peak Hill, and the wind almost took me away.” I could just imagine flying over oceans and looking out the window, back in time, and thinking about all those little stories and anecdotes that only make sense when you’re back home.

11 : David Gray - Shine : I feel if people besides Dave Matthews fans ever bought into this Brit then this song would be featured on all graduation mixes, goodbye finales, and funeral episodes for the rest of time. I mean really, just listen to the man sing. “And ours is a road that is strewn with goodbyes. But as it unfolds, as it all unwinds, remember your soul is the one thing you can’t compromise.” The whole song is a sad and yet strangely hopeful goodbye, after all “who knows what’s waiting in the wings of time? Dry your eyes, we’re gonna go where we can shine.”

12 : The Walkmen - Hang On, Siobhan : This is a song to a person with quite possibly the best name ever. Siobhan. Pronounce that correctly before listening to the song and you have won a free ticket to my heart. Really. From the first time I heard this song I’ve been in love with both it and the boys that crafted it. The opening line through the last straining lyric, it’s all amazing. “So hang on, Siobhan, we’re coming home soon.”

13 : Ben Kweller - Lizzy : Ben Kweller, or as he references himself in song and print, BK, is one amazingly talented individual. Granted, his early stuff with Radish might have been a little overrated, but when have music magazines [either in print or online] ever really been accurate at predicting the future? Anyway, this little ditty hails off of BK’s debut solo album from about five years ago, titled Sha Sha, and tells the story of two people spending time apart for the first time. “Lizzy I write our scene; telegraph, telegram, telephone, telling you I’ll be home soon.”

14 : Josh Garrels - Going Home : Question, how on earth could I not include a song titled “Going Home” on the going home mix? Question, how could I not continue to promote someone with as much tallent as Josh? I couldn’t find a reasonable response to either of those questoins, so Josh is here. “I’m going home. She’s, she’s going home. We, we’re going home. Going home when we die, we’re going home in the sky. Going home by and by, we’re going home to live with Christ. Hallelujah.” Writing out the lyrics does not do justice to this boys brilliance.

15 : Ben Gibbard - Recycled Air (acoustic) : Taking a music track, created by someone you’ve never met, and writing lyrics for it has to be hard. That alone would have qualified this song, as originally released by the team of The Postal Service, for the mix but Ben Gibbard takes this song to new heights with his solo rendition. Making it ever more melancholy, chill, and sad along the way. And the song is about flying away in an airplane. “I watch the patchwork farms, slow fade into the oceans arms. Calm down, release your cares, the stale taste of recycled air.”

16 : The Supertones - So Great a Salvation : Who would have ever thought I would include a throwback song from a Christian Ska band? Especially when it includes the line “Woke up this morning and I just had to pack up all my life. Just read through James’ book, start to pray and I ask God for a wife.” Doesn’t really seem like my bread and butter, I know, but the chorus is “Why me God? Why should you chosoe me? Your team God, can you use even me?” And I think that’s something we all felt this year, that we all go through, so it made the cut.

17 : Dntel - Last Songs : Such an appropriate ending to a mix album commemorating the end of living overseas for a year. I always have songs that, in my own little world, would fit perfectly in the soundtrack of my life. And this song always reminds me of that wait in the airport for that last flight on your way home. The one wait where you have to sit alone because all your travel friends have caught their flights and it’s just you from this point until you’re actually home. That’s what this song is to me.

And this concludes the broadcast of EA Mix albums for the time being, stay tuned for two new mixes in a new series, SS, coming soon this summer. Be aware, there is so much more good music in this world. Don’t limit yourself.

Check back often.

EA Mix vol. 4 - The End Draws Near

Published
by
billy
on May 26, 2006
in andrew bird, big japan, brendan losch, ea mix, final fantasy, josh garrels, ken michaels, kunek, legends, live, malcolm middleton, mix, mp3, music, nanoo nanoo, peter walker, polyphonic spree, radiohead, sufjan stevens, sunset rubdown, tally hall and venice is sinking
. 0 Comments

EA Mix vol. 4 - The End Draws Near

See the previous post for more info as well as the option to download all tracks in a .zip file. Here they are all made available as single mp3 downloads. Enjoy at your own risk.

01 : Sufjan Stevens - Chicago (Live at KCRW)
02 : Big Japan - Rise and Fall of Bill
03 : Brendan Losch - Hear Me Out
04 : Final Fantasy - Peach Plum Pear (Joanna Newsom Cover)
05 : Andrew Bird - Tables and Chairs
06 : Ken Michaels : The Sun Gets In Your Eyes
07 : Kunek - Good Day
08 : Peter Walker - What Do I Know
09 : Josh Garrels - Joyful Boy
10 : Nanoo Nanoo - 14
11 : The Polyphonic Spree - Move Away and Shine
12 : Malcolm Middleton - A Happy Medium
13 : Tally Hall - Good Day
14 : The Legends - He Knows the Sun
15 : Venice is Sinking - Pulaski Heights
16 : Radiohead - Fog (again) (live)
17 : Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I am Dreaming of a Place Where Lovers Have Wings

Oh there is so much more to come.

EA Mix vol. 4 - The End Draws Near

Published
by
billy
on May 25, 2006
in andrew bird, big japan, brendan losch, compilation, cover, final fantasy, indie, joanna newsom, josh garrels, ken michaels, kunek, legends, live, malcolm middleton, mix, mp3, music, nanoo nanoo, peter walker, polyphonic spree, radiohead, sufjan stevens, sunset rubdown, tally hall and venice is sinking
. 0 Comments

EA Mix vol. 4 - The End Draws Near

download it here, or here

sorry about the lack of individual song downloads, i’ll try to have those up and working soon, but it’s too much work for right now. sorry.

01 : Sufjan Stevens - Chicago (Live at KCRW) : kcrw has some amazing music online. let me just put it out there that this radio station somehow gets amazingly talented artists to come in and record their songs in a brand new way. this version of chicago will make you want to stop listening to anything but christian indie folk music, and in a good way. oh sufjan, you are a master.

02 : Big Japan - Rise and Fall of Bill : few, if any of you, know that big japan is a band that is linked to my favorite high school drama [the o.c.] in it’s own special way. adam brody, who plays character seth cohen as well as making appearances in mr. and mrs. smith and the recent thank you for smoking, is the drummer in this little slice of somewhat awkward indie goodness. but c’mon, you’d have to expect that from adam.

03 : Brendan Losch - Hear Me Out : granted, about half way through i don’t like the break from the acoustic folk that, in my opinion, transitions awkwardly into and out of a little drum driven bridge. but it’s not my job to find a bunch of music that’s all the same drivel you can find at pitchfork or some other pretentious indie publication. no, i bring you good music with a focus on the music being good. hence, brendan losch has made the cut.

04 : Final Fantasy - Peach Plum Pear (Joanna Newsom Cover) : every so often there is a band you discover that you don’t really like [ok, so more often than not this happens]. but, then again, occasionally there’s a band that you realize you don’t like all that much that totally redeems it with a nice little cover. which is the brilliance that is found here. final fantasy on their own kinda drift about, but on their covers they seem to lock it down and find their groove [albeit stolen groove].

05 : Andrew Bird - Tables and Chairs : andrew bird is another of those indie artists that seems to benefit largely from single song downloads. he just cannot seem to but an accessible full length album together. for every lp he puts out at least 1/3 is kind experimental noise driven rubbish. lucky for you, with this mix, you get the cream of his crop.

06 : Ken Michaels : The Sun Gets In Your Eyes : if you haven’t figured it out yet, i was trying to branch out a bit on this mix album. most of the time i get into the rut of singer/songwriter indie kid with a jones for folk tunes music and run it until it’s dead. but on this mix i was looking for a bit more. a bit of eclectic oomph. welcome to ken michaels, a never-quite-gonna-make it indie act. it just sounds too much like other bands, sorry ken.

07 : Kunek - Good Day : “today, it’s gonna be, such a good day. such a good day” these lyrics reads happy, but in the song they sound depressing. ahh, my bread and butter. music that for all intents and purposes should make you feel better, but at the end they still leave you drifting in the melancholy of life. thanks kunek.

08 : Peter Walker - What Do I Know : i met peter on myspace. man i love that little slice of e-music heaven. it’s such a great site to network and discover new talent. and peter walker is definitely on the upswing of acoustic driven power pop. he’ll make it big soon, in fact i wouldn’t be surprised if you heard this song on the radio soon. “oh you couldn’t wait, oh you had to go, oh darling what do i know.”

09 : Josh Garrels - Joyful Boy : if you’ve ever been around me you know that east central indiana native j.g. is a must see, must hear. and this little rendition of joyful boy is a rare b-side only available from his website. josh is a great guy who gives great hugs. and his music is like that too. it reaches out from some warm, loop driven, folk-hop roots and gives your life a nice long lingering hug.

10 : Nanoo Nanoo - 14 : every mix album deserves at least one instrumental piece and it’s even doubly warranted when that band [one member] references mork and mindy with his name, is from relatively close to your parents house, and puts out delicious tracks on myspace regularly. on top of that he’s a nice guy who likes to talk music, make recommendations, and has a lot of honest opinions.

11 : The Polyphonic Spree - Move Away and Shine : i first heard of this band about three years ago when their single appeared in a volkswagen ad. that thirty second slice of a song inspired me enough to buy two of their albums and also go see them live when they came through louisville. and. they. are. awesome. live. anyway, they recently recorded two versions of this song for internet release, and this is by far the better of the two.

12 : Malcolm Middleton - A Happy Medium : ok, this track is truly random. filled with extraneous noise, syncopation, and the line repeated again again of “woke up again today, realized i hate myself, my face is a disease.” it reads about as depressing as an lyric you could write. but true to my musical taste this song sounds incredibly upbeat and happy. a lot of vocal echoing, multiple voice tracks, and distortion. it’s gorgeous when it’s all put together.

13 : Tally Hall - Good Day : discordant harmony, piano, clapping, words spoke-sung too fast. what more do you want? and rumor has it my roomie scotty knows people in this band. the song is about as random as they come. moving from acapella to pop driven piano rock, even ending in this kind yellow-submarine era beatles like mash up of sounds, voices, and guitar.

14 : The Legends - He Knows the Sun : smooth is the best word to describe their sound. if you took a bassline and stretched all the notes together, dripped a nice electric melody over the top, and then poured your voice through a standard early ’80s distortion machine you’d have this sound. not that it’s formulaic, but that’s what it boils down to. and it’s chill, and laid back, and beautiful. overall smooth pop.

15 : Venice is Sinking - Pulaski Heights : they might have the greatest indie name i’ve heard in quite awhile. and on top of choosing a great name they make some solid tunes. a bit like the wallflowers early material, a bit like a symphony layered with fuzzy indie tracks, a bit like soaring melodies trapped like lightning bugs and made to dance for our enjoyment.

16 : Radiohead - Fog (again) (live) : i put this song up on my music blog awhile back, but it’s so brilliant that it deserves more attention than that site generates. radiohead is one of my favorite bands. ever. and seeing them live blew me away. hands down the best show i’ve ever seen. ever. and this song as recorded in the studio is ok. but here, stripped down to just thom on a piano, blows me away with every listen. “some things will never wash away. did you go bad?”

17 : Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I am Dreaming of a Place Where Lovers Have Wings : when your song clocks in at over seven full minutes then you’re allowed to have any length of song title that you want. even if it is a full sentence. and here, with sunset rubdown [a great little band name], they’ve created a great song that stretches your ears and your mind and takes you to a place where you actually begin to believe that lovers really do have wings.