In my experience recording music, one of the foremost challenges has been making each instrument sound forceful and present, each harmonic line distinguishable from the others. Too often a song is heard as the sum of its parts when it is more than that. Calexico succeeds in overcoming this challenge. Each instrument comes together to underscore the severity of the 3/4 time. As soon as we are given respite from the monotony of the waltz - the acoustic guitar breaking out of the bass-marshalled parade with a bright and piercing run -- the electric guitar puts an end to anything but the strictest adherence.
Eat it Liszt, your time is over! [Buy]
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My Morning Jacket - "If All Else Fails"
"If All Else Fails" is a simple folk song that travels an unexpected course. Whenever you think that the song has reached a dead end, realize that you're wrong and prepare to have your heart broken.
FYI As I write this, my editor, Max Maki sings along like a sad, pajama-clad, home-sick alien/Siren. [Buy]
Posted by Jordan at May 20, 2005 12:57 PMThose are really nice. I liked the first a lot, and will look into buying.
:)
Posted by: Kaitlyn at May 20, 2005 6:45 PMCalexico's pretty great. It's time for me to take the plunge as well.
Posted by: Tuwa at May 20, 2005 8:05 PMlove calexico. that was the first track i ever heard from them, and it's still one of my favorites.
Posted by: bethany at May 21, 2005 2:48 AMcalexico is amazing, but "feast of wire" is lacking compared to "hot rail" and "black light".
Posted by: yoni at May 21, 2005 10:26 AMI'm not a huge My Morning Jacket fan, but that's really one of my favorite songs by them. Just beautiful. Thanks for letting me listen to it again, because I got rid of all my MMJ a while ago, but this song really is the bee's knees.
Posted by: Eric Rojas at May 21, 2005 11:17 PMJust found your site today -- I'm really enjoying it. Had never heard of most of these musicians. I particularly like the My Morning Jacket song. Thank you!
Posted by: tricia at May 27, 2005 9:27 AM