[Buried in Bandcamp] The Great American Canyon Band - Tumbleweed

"Tumbleweed" is the first single released off of The Great American Canyon Band's debut LP due out next year. I spent a solid portion of 2011 being obsessed with their Wild Heart EP which is still available on bandcamp on a name your price basis. Their music is earnest, endearing, a little bit folky, and made by a married couple, Paul and Krystal Jean Masson, just playing the music they love.

[Video] Moses Luster & The Hollywood Lights - Lover

This video is a bit intense and NSFW, but it is perfect for a weird Saturday night. The email I got for this was short and sweet saying only: "Part Johnny Cash, Part Nick Cave and part something completely different" and you can hear those parts when you listen. A little more research showed that Moses Luster has been making music for decades. His album, I'm the Lion, is available on a name your price basis on bandcamp and is full of dark and moody tracks that are deeply satisfying. Have a listen.

Moses Luster & The Hollywood Lights - I'm the Lion

Moses Luster & The Hollywood Lights - Lover 

Moses Luster & the Hollywood Lights - "LOVER" from Shane McLafferty

Bombadil - One Whole Year

Awkward is my favorite emotion. It rattles you, takes you out of any complacency you might have settled in to, humbles you, and leaves you feeling uncomfortable to your very core. Sure happy is great but a good emotional challenge does a better job as showcasing who you really are. So it's no surprise that I got all squirmy and excited over the delightfully awkward song "A Question" and then proceeded to send terribly awkward and embarrassing text messages true to form. Waiting to ask a girl out at the laundromat is pretty awkward too and there's a song about that on this album as well. Above all (and I hate to use the 'f' word but this record) is the epitome of fun. It's goofy, a bit scrappy and offers a variety ensuring that the fun never leads to boredom. Durham based Bombadil recently released the new album, All The Rain Promises, in the begining of November. It's a strong album chock full of stand out tracks. You can stream the entire album on bandcamp and check out their website too.

Bombadil - One Whole Year

[Video] Slow Club - If We're Still Alive

Love. It's no secret that this album will be one of my top ten of the year.
Moshi Moshi - Slow Club - If We're Still Alive on MUZU.

Sharon Van Etten - Serpents

Sharon Van Etten is one of those 2012 albums we can all start counting down for, her last album left me and plenty of others wanting more. Her new album, Tramp, will be released on February 7th on Jagjaguar. This first single from it, "Serpents", has every bit of what you could hope for from Sharon Van Etten with her voice wrangling your every thought until you are completely immersed in the song. Have a listen.

Sharon Van Etten - Serpents

[Video] Hey Marseilles - Elegy

Yeah 2011 was great and there are so many albums to choose from for a year end list blah, blah, blah...What if I told you that I'm just really excited for First Aid Kit, Pickwick, Anna Ternheim and the ever wonderful Hey Marseilles albums coming out in 2012? Because that's all I can think about these days. Here's a fantastic video session with Hey Marseilles performing "Elegy" off their just released 7" which you should definitely buy because the B side might be even better. Is is too early to say cheers to 2012?

"Elegy" by Hey Marseilles from Look Sessions on Vimeo.

Thank You.

It was just a month ago that I was at a rest stop on the side of I-90 at 2 a.m. playing frisbee and passing around a bottle of rum with one of my favorite bands who was kindly letting me hitch a ride to New York for CMJ. If someone told me that's where music blogging would lead me when I started exactly two years ago to the day (yes it is the blog's birthday today), I never would have believed them. Lots of other exciting things have happened in the past month too; we threw a wildly successful and fun house show and finally started the beer and music blog I always wanted to have. It just keeps getting better and it's all thanks to the people I've met through this adventure that extends way past the confines of a computer with an internet connection. It's crazy to think that I wouldn't have this life or made some of these amazing friends, if it weren't for music blogging. 

I am incredibly grateful for everything that has come my way and I can't say thank you enough to the readers and supporters of the blog, it really is what keeps it going. None of this could be done without the bands who make the music we love, so make sure you give them the support they deserve. Thank you to everyone for making this the best hobby a girl could have. I dedicate this song to you:

Breakbot - Baby I'm Yours

I started this blog like many others have, not realizing that thousands of others "music blogged" and not expecting more than a few friends to read it. Over two years that all changed, but my reasons have stayed the same. I just want to share the music I like in hopes that people will listen, learn about new bands, and hopefully buy some music. That's it.

Love,
Jessica

P.S. You might have seen the new site, Brewery Sessions, and while I'm writing for that four days a week, NMC will still be here with different content from that of Brewery Sessions. Thanks to those that sent concerned emails about it, you're the best.

Damien Jurado - Nothing is the News

Damien Jurado has released his first single from his forthcoming album, Maraqopa, due out February 21st. There's not much else to say because it's new Damien Jurado and it's insanely good but probably not what you're expecting to hear. He's one of the few that has taken the mundane "folk" genre and pulled it and stretched it in every possible direction. He continues to evolve starting with this song.

Damien Jurado - Nothing is the News

Ohbijou - Niagara

Ohbijou, a Tornoto based band, released their sophomore album, Metal Meets, last month and has been getting a lot of spins around here. Part of the allure is lead singer Casey Mecija's youthful voice that you can't quite be described by words. I am certainly not the first, nor will I be the last, to say that this is a perfect fall album. It's cozy, warm, and something about the strong presence of strings feels autumnal. It's completely enchanting and worth checking out. Watch the beautiful black and white video for Niagara here.

Ohbijou - Niagara

Ohbijou - Anser

The Belle Game - Sleep to Grow

Definition of LYRICISM

1. the quality or state of being lyric : songfulness

2. a: an intense personal quality expressive of feeling or emotion in an art (as poetry or music)

    b: exuberance

Started off with a word of the day because lyricism is the foundation of all The Belle Game's songs (and I'm tired of seeing the word misused). When you really listen you'll hear an unrestrained joyfulness and that's what makes their music so potent. The Belle Game, a 7 piece band from Vancouver, is one of those indie-folk-rock-orchestral pop type bands that melt my heart. Think Hey Marseilles, Typhoon, Lost in the Trees kind of goodness. Layered instrumentation, musical saws, belting choruses all come together in "Sleep to Grow" and will have you playing the song on repeat if you're anything like me.

The Belle Game - Sleep to Grow

"You take a pull of the whiskey, lay your head back and say, “that sounds grand. Where will you take me now?” We’ll find dry land, with more people, we tell you. We’ll set up our instruments, make music and watch you all move to it.We’ll imagine some of you naked and loving it. Then we’ll pile back into our boat and do it all over again. Over and over…Because we love you." (from their website)

soundcloud // bandcamp // book of face