You Will Pay For Your Excessive Charm
by Dan
Please note: MP3s are only kept online for a short time, and if this entry is from more than a couple of weeks ago, the music probably won't be available to download any more.


 

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth"

this song is 5 minutes and 43 seconds long. the more prepared you are, the better.

It starts off normal enough, but you don't realise what kind of voice is waiting to stretch its legs. Striding alongside, pretending to catch up but being perfectly capable of running circles around the music, the vocals and the melody play like two brothers.

What's so great about it is how normal it is. It sounds like so many bands, but just way better.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - "Details of the War"

This has that restrained, rumbling power that gives me tingles when I'm walking down the street/trying to not be me. It stands behind you and puts its hand on your shoulder; you and the song can wait together for the awful things that are just up ahead. You can both watch trouble tie its laces.

[Buy]
I wanted to post 3 songs from this band, because there are three amazing songs on this record, and bunch of other great ones, but I thought better of it. Just get the album, it's very worth it.

and if you live in New York City (and you know it) you should go to their cd release party tonight.

Posted by Dan at June 9, 2005 12:17 AM
Comments

Well there goes another $12, "The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth" is an amazing song despite the dancy drum beat intro. What a voice. They have nice looking T-shirts too!

Posted by jay at June 9, 2005 1:39 AM

They have possibly the worst singer since Conor Oberst, but me likey.

Posted by Ian at June 9, 2005 3:03 AM

check out their website and download the very talking heads-ish tune over and over again - amazing!

Posted by josh at June 9, 2005 12:43 PM

I bought the CD cos these tracks sounded fantastic. Thankyou!

(Although "The Skin..." is definitely, as you suggest, at least two and a half minutes too long.)

Posted by Sean at June 9, 2005 3:14 PM

"Talking Heads-ish" is right on, Josh. The singer sounds like a self-consciously drunk David Byrne; trying to present himself as wound up tight but continually betraying his looseness. But it's this proximity to the Talking Heads that forces me to repudiate your claim, Dan, that "It sounds like so many bands, but just way better." They sound like the Talking Heads, but way worse. That said, I do like the singer, just wish the band was more interesting.

Posted by Jordan Michael Himelfarb at June 9, 2005 6:07 PM

Dropped in as usual, found great music as usual. Thank-you so much, this stuff is on the top of the list to purchase. I'm going to drive swiftly around the corners of country roads to this music, and there will be big skies overhead. Love it.

Posted by Je Suis Saves at June 10, 2005 12:29 AM

I was thinking of a drunk Neil Young (after the goldrush period)...
"just way better" though just way too long.
thank you.

Posted by herve at June 10, 2005 12:15 PM

"That said, I do like the singer, just wish the band was more interesting."

I feel the opposite. I'm not big on cracking voices. That said, I love the song (and his voice) in "In This Home On Ice".

Posted by Aaron at June 10, 2005 2:04 PM

Good good good. Good.

Posted by Sam at June 10, 2005 4:23 PM

Excellent find. THANK YOU.

Posted by Lisa at June 11, 2005 1:47 PM

must...stop...listening..to.. "Country Teeth". At this rate, I'll be sick of both tracks by Tuesday. Loving them right now, though. so thanks!

Posted by Audrey at June 12, 2005 4:42 PM

guitar is fine and dandy but the voice is well magnificent,,,cracked up like a pair of dirty [trainers left out in a snowstorm,,,,,thank god the music industry dont have it all their own way

Posted by countrygrrl at June 18, 2005 8:11 PM

I never heard of saidthegramophone nor pitchforkmedia until this evening (I am clearly in good company with the likes of Ounsworth). Oh and I never heard of Ounsworth either. Who IS he?

I listened to the NPR story then did the links and listened to lost & found then tidal wave then all the iTunes clips. I like the title track best ... oh well ... their music has something going. But what is the name about? I clapped my hands and said yes and absolutely nothing happened. Except I DO know who Ounsworth is now. So I suppose that happened.

I don't post to blogs either. But I do think it's cool that this stuff is on iTunes already. It's good the way this speed of light stuff works. And I know where edinburgh is.

Posted by Mr. Greaves at November 29, 2005 8:11 PM

It’s good to see that a band van still create a buzz without the aid of compromising themselves in order to make themselves "accessible."

Posted by Me at December 1, 2005 11:56 AM

the LP would be a great addition.

Posted by ANGEL. at December 2, 2005 8:32 PM

Everybody's talking about how similar to David Byrne the singer sounds. Well, that's true! But I also hear bits of Tom Yorke all over the record. Especially on "In This Home On Ice".

Posted by Roderick at December 12, 2005 8:40 PM

Everything about this album is enticing....the name is weirdly attractive...the graphics are strange and like a kid's artwork...the music is just wonderful and I think EVERYONE has been waiting for music that wasn't some whining mtv yawn of post grunge. Clap your hands did it. And the fact that they did it without a stupid giant label makes it better. I am personally attracted to the innocence of their album, which would probably have been destroyed or left to rot by a big label.
Clap your hands and say yeah for the internet.

Posted by Xtruthlovex at January 2, 2006 9:42 AM

Wow. the first time I heard this disc was a week ago while I was washing dishes at work. I instantly started tapping my feet and smiling uncontrollably. I've now listened to it more times in a week sonce any other record ever. The first thing I thought of was Talking Heads because of his voice but I refuse to classify music. The beats are simple and the lyrics are great. So glad that mainstream bullshit music industry didn't get their hands on clap your hands.

Posted by Marcus Sabini at January 7, 2006 2:35 AM

If you love these guys you should hear the Hackensaw Boys from Charlottesville VA. We would love to hear from you about our new cd "Love What you do"

You can find us on iTunes.

namaste

Posted by david at February 22, 2006 9:51 PM

I like CYHSY. It may have something to do with Alec Ounsworth being my nephew. But I play their songs on my radio show in Fairfax County, VA. We were talking about which song they would play on Letterman over the christmas holiday. I said I really liked "Is This Love". Whether or not that's why they played it, I don't know. But I enjoyed it just the same. Alec is an amazing guy. Always very mellow and loves playing with Opal. The springer spaniel that his dad takes care of. Unfornately the other springer spaniel, Reba passed away . Bummer I remember Reba since she was a puppy. I'm really happy that Alec is doing well with CYHSY.

Posted by Fitz at March 12, 2006 1:43 AM

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