2006-05-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

Arkansas Music Part 2/7

Jason Morphew : Arkansas :: Simon Joyner : Omaha.

Jason Morphew > Simon Joyner

You know when you get done listening to a stripped down, lo-fi, acoustic album and before you have time to digest the thing, you've picked up a guitar, screwed with the thing, then put it right back down because there's no way you could ever touch what you just heard? I'm looking at you, Phil Elvrum, Jonathan Richman, Simon Joyner, and, mostly, Jason Morphew, The Reason I Don't Record Music. Morphew and ADD. Mostly Morphew, though.

Now, I know it's a terrible music writing sin and cliche to say that "blabber froth squeal they make it sound so seamless and natural blabber," but I'll eat my shoe if this isn't true in Morphew's case. It's real and refreshing. Don't get me wrong, it's not the prettiest stuff in the world. In fact, some stuff is almost outsider. But the idea that people are creating music--good music--with simple elements because they just, you know, friggin want to sling some notes at a microphone. (Not because someone told them "hey, you have a really pretty voice, you should sing," or whatever Taylor Hicks bullcrap is the catalyst for the amount of crap that I have to withstand before I put the golf tees back into my ears.)

Now, I'll be the first to admit, alot of his stuff is tres hit-or-miss, but so is Robert "laud laud laud" Pollard. And when one of Morphew's songs slaps you in the head, it's great.

This song, "Marta," is Little Rock to the roots, referencing I-30 and Markham Street. Also, it's one of the most heartbreaking songs ever. In fact, I think I'm posting it just for the lyric "I borrowed my father's Jeep/It was a graduation gift to me." Gah! It's like that episode of Full House where everyone forgot Kimmy's birthday, so Uncle Joey gave her a rented copy of Hockey Bloopers and told her to return it to Blockbuster by Thursday.

Jason Morphew - "Marta" (SendSpace link)

Go to Jason Morphew's webside
Buy his music at Insound

PS-Too lo-fi for you? Check out the video for "Life's A Nightmare," a killer, comparatively upbeat song which samples my favorite Lou Reed song, "Street Hassle."

Jason Morphew - "Life's A Nightmare" (Quicktime video)

2006-05-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

I'LL GO THE SHIT OUT OF IT, SARGE!

Inspiring. So I'm going this shit out of this defunct blog again.

Okay. So it's summer, I'm in rural-ass Arkansas, it's sticky and hot, and I'm spending alot of time playing tennis, swimming, and gwawkin' mad Kee-Kee Huebos. It's nice, getting in touch with my deeply repressed Arkansan.

Therefore, as a "welcome back" to everyone and a tribute to the great(ish) state of Arkansas, I'm posting Arkansas and Arkansas-related bands for a week. It's a marathon, y'all!

Today's song is from what may be the most well loved 45 in my collection. I bought it on a whim and I lurved it ever since.
Amen Booze Rooster, a band from Philadelphia with a Little Rock transplant, released this on the locally iconic Max Recordings is a more bluegrassy Violent Femmes with half the angst and no Gano-ey after taste. I don't know anything about the band or when this song was recorded/released, but it's really fantastic and provides an apt soundtrack to rolling 8 half-drunks deep in a 5 person car (ahem...Jeep). Goes well with fine dining establishments and Ye Old Drinkinge Hol

Amen Booze Rooster - "Lemon Ice Box Pie" (Sendspace link)

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