Favorite Downloads, April–June

I'll wrap the week up with some of my favorite songs discovered (or re-discovered, in a couple cases) via rampant downloading in the last three months. As you may know I also began contributing to Star Maker Machine recently, and not only do four of the eleven tracks below come from SMM, but another four come from my fellow contributors' own blogs. Apparently my current tastes are being shaped by an elite group.

• The Hollies, Carrie-Anne (from Epic Anthology: From the Original  Master Tapes!, 1967) [via Star Maker Machine]
  The chorus is my earworm of the year. It plays on perpetual loop in my head all day long. 
• Silver Apples, Lovefingers (from Silver Apples, 1968) [via The Rising Storm]
  The Silver Apples are one of those groups that I've had opportunities hear at various periods in my life and I just... didn't. So, the kicking myself thing has begun. This shit is brilliant, all the more so for coming from '68. Here I'm saying the United States of America were ahead of their time? Check the Silver Apples.  
• Annuals, Sore (from Wet Zoo, 2008) [via Speed of Dark]
  The reverbed acoustic, the strings, the emo vocals in the second verse: there is a lot about this song that is transparently calculated to push some emotional buttons. But what can I say? It came along at a time when I was susceptible to having my buttons pushed.
• Them, I Can Only Give You Everything (from Them Again, 1966) [via Star Maker Machine]
  I feel like someone snuck vegetables into my dinner: I've finally found a way to take Van Morrisson!
• John Hartford, Back in the Goodle Days (from Aereo-Plain, 1971) [via Setting the Woods on Fire]
  I mentioned a month or so back that I was hitting a country music phase, and this just scratches the surface of all the twangy tunes I've downloaded in the last few months. I just love the easy nature of this one.  
• Michael Nesmith, Roll with the Flow (from And the Hits Just Keep On Comin', 1972) [via Jesse Jarnow]
  After hearing Nesmith's name thrown around as someone who might be up my alley, I finally heard some of his solo material just recently. If the rest of it is like this then I'll be picking up a full length soon enough.
• The Flatlanders, Dallas (from More a Legend Than a Band, 1972) [via For the Sake of the Song]
  More country; it was a binge, I tell ya. Take a poke around FTSOTS and you might find yourself a couple more Flatlanders tunes.
• The Rosewood Thieves, Lonesome Road (from From the Decker House, 2006) [via Setting the Woods on Fire]
  Paul wrote up a rare twenty-first-century post for the Rosewood Thieves, and I'm glad he did. Apparently these guys are from New York, though they hardly sound like it. They also have an album out this year, which Paul points to (along with a couple other mp3s)—I just liked this one the most.
• Gerry and the Pacemakers, Ferry Cross the Mersey [via Star Maker Machine]
  I've heard this song a million times in my life—it's one of those hits that's just perpetually in the air—but I've never truly sat down and honed in on it. What a classic.
• Scott Walker, Mathilde (from Scott, 1967) [via Star Maker Machine]
  I love the cinematic drama of this song. It feels like something out a bawdy French musical—I can see the narrator careening through the bar, pointing to the bartender and slapping his fellow drunks on the back as he prepares to see his awful shrew of an ex, whom of course he loves desperately against his better judgement.
• Phil Ochs, I've Had Her (from Pleasures Of The Harbor, 1967) [via The Rising Storm]
  This song could probably be just as good (better?) at half the length, but whatever. It's the chorus that gets me: "I've had her, she's nothing." Has there ever been a crueler line written in a pop song?

Comments

[Richard]

You should get that whole Flatlanders album, if you haven't already downloaded the whole thing. One of my favorite albums of all time.

I really like the Silver Apples record, too...

[Richard]

This isn't relevant to anything in this post, but for some reason it occurs to me to wonder... have you ever listened to Souled American?

[scott pgwp]

Of the songs I've posted here, the Silver Apples and Flatlanders are probably the two full-lengths I'm most eager to pick up. Some the others here I'm probably satisfied just having a song or two.

Haven't heard Souled American (terrible band name, by the way). Good stuff?

[Richard]

People keep saying it's a terrible band name, but it never crossed my mind! Anyway, I love Souled American. How can I describe them... a lot of country, mixed with rock and dub and folk and r&b.... but lots of groups get those labels (maybe not the dub part).

I did a little googling, and came across this MySpace page, which at least has some songs you can hear. They had six albums, the first four of which are available in two 2-cd sets. Aquarius carries their stuff and includes good descriptions and sample audio on their site, if you search for the band. One of my favorite bands ever. (Guitarist Scott Tuma's solo albums are excellent as well.)

[badger]

Setting the Woods on Fire probably already sold you on Hartford's laidback vibe, but it's warming to see his name pop up again, as i've been on a bit of a Hartford jag this summer, as i used to listen to him on 8-track in the summers when i was a kid. The only one that i never warmed up to was All in the Name of Love, but otherwise you cannot go wrong with him, if you enjoy Hartford's style, full band or one man clogging on plywood with a fiddle.

[scott pgwp]

Yeah, I'm really digging Hartford, who I'd never even heard of before seeing him at STWOF. Now I'm seeing his name pop up in a few different places which makes me think maybe's he's been there all along.

Anyway, I've got three or four songs and I think they're all great. Keeping my out for the full-lengths next time I'm in the record store.

Richard - thanks for the links. I haven't listened yet but I definitely will.

[jeremy]

My niece stars in the rosewood thieves' "honey stay a while" video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3LLMhAnNsxs

her digging skills are through the roof!!