‘Artists as Fans’- David McMillin (of Fort Frances)

Song: ‘Keep Me In Your Heart’- Warren Zevon

Until a few years ago, the only degree of familiarity I had with Warren Zevon was singing the ‘aaah-ooohs’ of ‘Werewolves of London’ under the fuel of cheap tequila. I never really bothered to dig into his catalog, simply assuming that all of his songs might be best played on jukeboxes in dive bars as a few stragglers – myself included – clamor for last call.

Then, I was introduced to ‘Keep Me In Your Heart’ and the story of the recording of his last record. It’s a brave tale of a songwriter faced with his inevitable demise at the hands of a rare terminal illness. With his fate locked on a steady course, he recorded an album that includes this brilliant song. It’s a 3.5 minute goodbye, a gentle reminder that perhaps the greatest inspiration to live well is to leave something worth remembering once you’ve moved on.

- David McMillin

David McMillin is the frontman of Chicago-based indie rock act Fort Frances. The band is currently working on the follow-up to their superb debut album, The Atlas, and will be playing a few shows around the country this summer, including Denver’s UMS in July. The future is indeed very bright for Fort Frances.

‘Artists as Fans’ is an ongoing series that features artists writing about songs that they personally love and connect with. You can find previous entries in the series here. 

‘Float’- KO KO

The office where I work was just about empty today, so I took the opportunity from time to time to stare longingly out the window at the bright blue sky and marshmallow clouds and listen to breezy, catchy summer tunes like ‘Float’ by KO KO while daydreaming about running away to a place far more tropical and exotic than a Chicago suburb. In retrospect, it really wasn’t all that bad of a Tuesday. Enjoy.

‘Only Skin’- The Spring Standards

‘Only Skin’ by The Spring Standards was the one song I heard today that sounded as superb during the soaking wet morning as it did during the sunny, breezy afternoon that emerged. Heather Robb’s voice is at once stunningly gorgeous and wholly haunting, characteristics that are perfectly echoed in the shimmering backing provided by James Cleare and James Smith. This was exactly the song I needed today.

The Spring Standards just released a double EP titled yellow//gold. Enjoy.

(Thanks, Bre!)

Monday Links

On Twitter I share links each day to various stuff that I think is great and/or worth people’s time. But not everyone that comes here is on Twitter, so I gather up the best of those links each Monday and post them here so everyone can get in on the fun. If you’ve missed any of the past Monday links (or just want to waste some time), check the archive of posts here. Enjoy.

Hospitality, makers of lovely, lovely music and also one of my favorite albums so far this year, stopped by NPR recently to play a Tiny Desk Concert. It’s as wonderful as you would expect.

Speaking of NPR, they are streaming the new albums from Beach House and Best Coast (among others). You can also stream the new S.Carey EP, which comes out tomorrow.

As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve been on a bit of a Tallest Man On Earth kick lately. This alternate version (played on a banjo instead of a piano) of ‘Kids on the Run’ has been in heavy rotation.

Ben Nichols (of Lucero) recently met up with Sleepover Shows and recorded a set in a tattoo parlor. It’s extremely fitting, and extremely good. Check out ‘Shelter’ below and then head over to Sleepover Shows to listen to/watch the other two songs he played for them.

The amazing young adults of Lawrence’s Room 125 Productions recently had The Loom in for what I think is their first plugged-in, fully rocking Classroom Session. It, like all the others, is fantastic, and the below video of a brilliant new song titled ‘Like Lampglow’ has quickly become one of my favorites that they’ve produced.

Kelli Schaefer put out one of my favorite albums of 2011, Ghost of the Beast, and last week she released a gorgeous 4-song EP from an intimate set she played for those that helped her make that record happen. Take a listen to the stunning ‘Better Idea’ below and then go buy it and the rest of Live at Ripcord Studio here.

I mentioned a few days ago how much I love that new Hoots and Hellmouth album, but seriously friends, it’s ridiculously good. In an effort to further convince you of its fantasticness (and also in an effort to post just about every song from the album on this site), here’s the gorgeous video for ‘Why Would You Not Want To Go There?’ Enjoy.

‘My Journey To The Sky (Sister Rosetta Tharpe cover)’- The Tallest Man on Earth

Perhaps it’s because it’s Sunday, or perhaps it’s because I’ve been on a bit of a Tallest Man on Earth kick, but Kristian Matsson’s sparse take on Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s ‘My Journey to the Sky’ is really hitting the spot today. A small Swedish man with a distinctive singing voice covering an old gospel song doesn’t seem like something that would work, but I’d say it more than does. Enjoy.

 

Bonus: Also, here’s Matsson’s cover of Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland,’ because I can’t believe I haven’t posted it here yet. It’s among my favorite covers ever.

‘A Pearl’- You Me and Apollo

I’m just going to go ahead and point out a few of the things in ‘A Pearl’ by You Me and Apollo that I think are awesome, okay? Good, because paragraphs aren’t working for me today.

:03- Soaring ‘Ahhs’ and ‘Ohhs’ to open are a quick way to make me like any song.

:18- Cutting everything out and leaving just Brent Cowles’ sneakily soulful voice and some finger snaps with a ‘Shoop’ mixed in here & there was an exceptional idea.

1:08- Also an exceptional idea: combining jangly rock and roll with barbershop doo-wop.

2:11- Again with the cutting everything out thing that I dig. Also, seriously, Brent Cowles’ voice is just some kind of fantastic.

3:04- Love that quick build to a loud ending.

That, friends, is one quality little rock number. You Me and Apollo is currently working on a brand new album, but in the meantime take a listen/go ahead and buy to the album from which ‘A Pearl,’ come, Cards with Cheats. Oh, and make sure to check out/download the mix from my buddy Tim that introduced me to this jam in the first place, 4. Enjoy.

‘Lay Low’/'Ocean, Open Wide’/'Being Borned Again’- Hoots & Hellmouth

Guys and girls: this new Hoots & Hellmouth album, Salt, is ridiculously, unbelievably good. It stomps, it claps, it finger-snaps. It croons, it wails and it harmonizes. It’s a lot of different things all at once, but most of all it’s fantastic and something you need to be sure to listen to and soak in. Start with ‘Lay Low,’ ‘Ocean, Open Wide’ and ‘Being Borned Again’ below, but please don’t stop there- all 10 tracks are worth your time (and your money). Enjoy.