Weekend Mix: 04.08.11

Well faithful readers, to celebrate my recent engagement to the most amazing girl in the world I have compiled a weekend mix of songs dealing with love, weddings, and the like.  I hope that you enjoy it and yes, the wedding will be in January.

Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys

Lover's Waltz - A.A. Bondy

Just To Have You - Vetiver

January Wedding - The Avett Brothers

Under The Covers With The Avett Brothers

Check out the video of The Avett Brothers doing Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days" and download the track below.  Also, check out an older post of the Avetts doing a fantastic version of Jessica Lea Mayfield's "For Today" HERE.

Glory Days

Up & Comers: The David Mayfield Parade

From his role as guitarist for Cadillac Sky to his Grammy nominated production/engineering studio work, David Mayfield has been plenty busy in a supporting role.  At the insistence of the Avett brothers, he decided to take center stage with the release of The David Mayfield Parade's self-titled debut.  His sister, Jessica Lea Mayfield, and both Avetts lend their talents to the LP.  It is worth a listen.  Sample the tracks below then do yourself a favor by picking it up HERE.

I Just Might Pray
Udine

Beale St. Music Festival to announce best lineup ever?

Rumors are swirling around the 2011 lineup of Beale St. Music Festival here in Memphis, but I have it on good authority that there will be some great bands gracing this year's stages.  The festival usually draws only one or two good bands each year so this would be a huge step forward.  The dates are April 29 - May 1 and the official lineup will be announce on March 3.  But for now, the rumored bands are:

Wilco, The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, MGMT, Cee-Lo Green, The Flaming Lips, The New Pornographers, Lucero, Manchester Orchestra, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gregg Allman, Amos Lee, and more...

Come on up to Memphis for the festival and enjoy a fun weekend of good music, food, and friends.

Wilco - Shot in the Arm (Alt. Version)

The Avett Brothers - Denouncing November Blues

Mumford & Sons - Roll Away Your Stone

The Head and the Heart, Self-Titled

EB and I went to see Dr. Dog at Minglewood Hall here in Memphis this month and I decided to give the two opening bands a preview before we went to the show.  What I discovered was that Dr. Dog chooses great openers.  Buried Beds was the first opener and they were pretty entertaining.  The Head and the Heart followed them and they were really good.  They had more fans in the crowd singing every word than I would have ever imagined.  I was sick as a dog and they even had me getting into their show.  They call Seattle home and are making a name for themselves with a sound full of harmonies, bouncy pianos, downhill drums, and sing-a-longs a plenty.  This would appeal to those that enjoy The Avetts, Blind Pilot, Dawes and any sounds that are easy on the ears.  I strongly recommend the entire album available for download by clicking here.  I had a difficult time deciding on just two tracks to post as a preview below, but here they are...

Rivers and Roads

Ghosts

Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine

An A-list of indie and alt-country artists have come together to lend their versions of some of John Prine's favorite songs for the tribute album Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows, due out on June 22nd.  Artists featured are Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver), Conor Oberst, My Morning Jacket, Josh Ritter, Justin Townes Earle, The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Drive-By Truckers Deer Tick and Those Darlins.  Pretty strong line-up, don't you think?  It is a worthy tribute album for the legendary singer/songwriter.  Check out two of my favorite tracks below and go ahead and pick this one up on the 22nd.

The Avett Brothers - Spanish Pipedream

My Morning Jacket - All The Best

Pre-order the album here

Ben's Best Albums of 2009: Number 2

2. The Avett Brothers, I and Love and You

This was a tough one because I really love this album and it could've easily held the number 1 spot, but here it is at 2.

The Avett Brothers hold a special place in my heart and my father’s, mother’s, sister’s, best friend’s, girlfriend’s and...well, you get the point.  We have all seen them live and that is all it took to get us hooked.  Even if you haven’t heard a single song from this Concord, North Carolina band, go see their energetic romp of a live show and you will quickly be on a mad dash to collect their entire catalogue. 

The band consists of brothers, Seth (guitar, vocals) and Scott (banjo, vocals) Avett, Bob Crawford (bass) and the most recent addition, Joe Kwon (cello).  The main focus of The Avett Brothers is their harmonies.  The siblings were blessed with some pipes and they display a range that goes from tender ballads to screaming rockers.  I and Love and You is their first major label release and was overseen by super-producer, Rick Rubin.  This album sees the Avetts abandoning their traditional banjo, guitar and standup bass to explore more unchartered territory.  Pianos, guitars, drums and rock bass are strong presences on their 12th album (there are 2 live discs and a few EPs included in that number). 

What makes the Avetts impossible to dislike are their straightforward, emotionally packed lyrics.  These guys wear their hearts on their sleeves and I love them all the more for it.  While I and Love and You may stray from their usual sound, the emotions are present in full force.  Listening to this album makes you feel something and isn’t that why we love music?  We want the artist to take us to another place or make us feel a certain emotion. The Avetts take us to this other place and evoke emotions of love gone wrong, belonging, regret and newfound hope in 13 songs.  The title track “I and Love and You” is the best song of the year and The Avett Brothers are my band of the year.  This is an album that you listen to in its entirety and then you do the same thing again and again because the ride is so worth it.

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You

Sound Opinions Podcast

Sound Opinions is the "World's only rock and roll talkshow."  Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times and Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune preside over this enjoyable hour long radio show.  These guys know their stuff about all kinds of music.  I don't always agree with them on their "Buy It - Burn It - Trash It" scale of new music, but they are really interesting to listen to.  I definitely think that this is a must listen for the music buffs out there.

This post wasn't very exciting so I'll throw you all a bone with a song and an excellent video.  The track is from the young and talented Jessica Lea Mayfield entitled "For Today."  The video features The Avett Brothers performing an INCREDIBLE live cover of the song.  I know that makes two Avett videos very close together, but this one is just too good to pass up. 

Sound Opinions Podcast - click the link to go to the podcast on iTunes

Jessica Lea Mayfield - For Today

The Avett Brothers live in Telluride

Back in August of this year, my family came to visit me in Telluride.  We were all in for a treat when The Avett Brothers took the stage right in the middle of Mountain Village for the Sunset Concert Series - for free.  Someone taped the show, or at least four songs, and above is "Please Pardon Yourself."  I have to credit my dad for this find on YouTube.

As an added bonus, my mother comes into view at the 52 second mark.  You really know how to find the camera, ma.  I also think that my arm and shoulder make a cameo at that time, too.  You can't miss it.  My arm is the super-ripped one in the white shirt that takes up the entire right side of the screen...because it is so ripped, that is.  Did you see it?  No?  Really?  Awww, man.