Woodkid-Ghost Lights

"Ghost Lights" could sound right at home on a rainy day or as the marching song for an army of Lannisters. Both gloomy yet inspiring, "Ghost Lights" is cinematic above all. Created by Woodkid, a former music video director who decided to try his luck on the other side of the camera, this jamandahalf is immense yet extremely personal. Speaking of lost love, these ghost lights seems to mean memories of someone, someone who he lost yet promises to never forget saying "no matter what it takes, I'll try to save the ghost lights". Check this jam below and the rest of his great debut album The Golden Age. 

Beirut-A Candle's Fire

Excuse the lack of posts lately. A combination of the internet cutting in Ghana, Vodafone's terrible customer service (I ended up driving the technician to my family's house and back) and a move to Madrid caused the jams to take a back burner. Well like always, it's back to the jams.

Beirut's newest album has been the official album of the move in, and what an album it is. A great combination of experimenting with expansive sounds while still sounding deeply personal, The Rip Tide has quickly shot up my list of best albums (so far) of 2011. "A Candle's Fire" is the perfect intro song. Sonically it's gorgeous, a delicate intertwining of horns, organs, and a tuba along with the strong yet bravado free voice of Zach Condon. This jamandahalf seems to be about love overcoming self doubt, about a man who has always lived within boundaries stepping out of them with the help of someone. Enjoy the jam and thanks for coming back.

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Beirut

The Tallest Man on Earth-Weather of a Killing Kind

Each new Tallest Man on Earth song sounds like another Tallest Man on Earth song. Is that a bad thing? Depends. After two albums, a few EPs, and a new random song every now and then, the TMOE has built a comfortable familiarity for fans of his music. While this jamandahalf does not break any boundaries for the young Swede, it continues in the same vein of beautiful storytelling and forceful picking which made him one of my favorites. A tale of a coming cold, the arrival of something unknown, there is a sense of foreboding in this track. Sung with a voice which gets stronger with each release, this track is a true showcase of his writing ability and the lyrics teem with subtle wordplay. Enjoy this track and stay tuned for his upcoming movie soundtrack with Idiot Wind.

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The Tallest Man on Earth Weather of a Killing Kind

Alexander feat. RZA-Truth

I knew when I heard Alexander's first single way back last October that his "sideproject" was going to be a little more than just a mental break from the merry band of Ed Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. That it was going to be Alexander pursuing music that he probably couldn't make with the Zeroes, that it was going to be a personal challenge. Featuring him pseudo rapping on a somehow eerie beat, Alexander killed the original with a look back at his past shadows mixed while continuing to challenge the eternal John Lennon as the greatest whistler of all time. Recently featured during an episode of Breaking Bad, this song and the artist continue to get the respect they deserve.

Recently released, this remix gives the original a welcome twist. The Abbot himself, RZA, hops on the track and like always, drops knowledge. A surprising collabo, but a very very welcome one.

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Alexander TRUTH Feat. The RZA

The Red River

With an album filled with some songs big enough to fill a large concert hall and others that have the feeling of a campfire jam session, The Red River bring a sound that, above all, feels authentic. Sporting a revolving cast of up to ten members, anchored by lead Bill Roberts (the least rockstar name out there), each song on their terrific Little Songs About The Big Picture album is about things which are beautiful in their simplicity. I had the hardest time choosing standouts from it because so many are unique. Two favorites now include the forth song on the album, "I Will Give Thanks," which starts with a simple drum loop but immediately livens up with a rambunctious horn section that punctuates the song at various points and ends in the best sax solo this side of Slick Willy Clinton. The jam would sound right at home in a Baptist church with the brash brass reaching the farthest recesses of the steeple. "Grand Fasse" on the other hand has a sublimely raw feeling. Whether an actual live recording or not, it sways its way through life with a melancholy two-step. Both a look back on "those nights when everything felt right," and a reminder to enjoy those nights while you can, "Grand Fasse" seems almost prematurely nostalgic, which is a feeling that we all have had. While the two jams may give you a taste of the band, it's impossible to capture the entire feeling of the album through any partial number of songs I talk about. The best thing, like always, is to pick it up and give it a chance. I think the motley band from Long Beach will treat you just right. 

Buy Little Songs About The Big Picture  here

Click here to download "Give Thanks"

The Red River I Will Give Thanks

Click here to download "Grand Fasse"

The Red River Grand Fasse

Lykke Li-I Know Places

The Swedish singer Lykke Li  has created the perfect wasted Sunday mellow jam on her new album, Wounded Rhymes. And not wasted from too many brews, but wasted as my Sundays usually are-wasted from a lack of any substance. Not to say that's necessarily a bad thing, but you catch my drift. 

"I Know Places" is a simple song, one that moves at its own pace, and that pace is just perfect for a day like this. There is not one ounce of hurry in the six minutes of this jam. The rolling verse, repeating each time with slight changes, keeps you engaged while not demanding too much attention. A chorus joins in, giving Li some backing, a backing she doesn't necessarily need because her voice is the star in this song. With little to shield it, it really shines, almost sounding bluesy as she croons. At around the 4:06 mark, the song completely changes, easing into an instrumental that will hopefully have your Sunday cruise along as mellow river as mine has. 

 08 I Know Places (Jamandahalf.com) by jammininthenameof 

Wintersleep-Miasmal Smoke & The Yellow Bellied Freaks

Ride with this one. Wintersleep's "Miasmal Smoke & The Yellow Bellied Freaks" is an odyssey of a song. Starting off with a haunting guitar loop it builds and builds and builds, sometimes dropping out, sometimes teasing you with a glimpse of a guitar roar, but all the time building. Quickly prefaced with a short breather, at 2:26 all hell seems to break out, and the song takes on a completely different feel. With a new loop setting the pace, this jam finally hits a crescendo and truly comes alive, exploding in euphoric energy. When the energy tsunami finally stops, it comes at the perfect moment-anymore and your speakers/headphones/neighbor would have likely burst. An incredible rich sonical experience, this is a jam that begs to be seen live. While vigorous, it never sounds overly aggressive, instead it takes you on a wild voyage of sounds and movements, and provides the perfect bookend to a great album.

Buy Album

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Wintersleep-Weighty Ghost

There are some songs that make you immediately want to email everyone you know. This is one of them. Originally released over three years ago (a lifetime on the blogosphere), this is a song that I've either slept on something serious or one that hasn't gotten nearly enough due shine.

Great indie rock is coming from all over and this band is no exception, hailing from Nova Scotia of all places. A ghost story pollinated with a bit of a southern Baptist church service, "Weighty Ghost" is defined by its absurdity, but somehow works incredibly well. The song exudes a warmth perfect for the January chill, with the layers of sounds providing a wholesome richness. I picture this song being sung equally well around a small camp fire in the desert or with a full choir clapping and swaying behind the band; I don't know which image is more perfect. The jam really starts to let loose at around the 2:30 mark, amping up the hand-claps and the choir to hit a peak where it turns to a big, goofy singalong, all about the strange story of a lost ghost.

 04 Weighty Ghost (Jamandahalf.com) by jammininthenameof

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros-Fire & Water

©Beaudenon Florian

Ever since I saw Ed Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros at Coachella I've had a mini-crush on Jade Castrinos, my favorite of the "Magnetic Zeros" (although the trumpet guy puts up a mean fight sometimes for the spot). She was just so alive on stage, bouncing around with the biggest smile of the entire polo grounds on her face. Even more than the other Zeros, she just seemed to be ecstatic to be a part of something that had found such a devoted following. That was over sixth months ago, and the group seems to be buckling a little under their growing popularity (breakup rumors are floating around). With Alexander (aka Ed Sharpe) pursuing side projects left and right, one has to wonder, is the motley crew just a flash in the pan band? Are they an almost too good to be true medley of different artists and sounds that happened to come together to make music that has really struck a chord with people the world over?

On their "itunes Sessions" album (released yesterday), The Zeros rework a couple of tracks from their debut while also dropping the studio version of their previously unreleased concert favorite, "Fire & Water." For the first time featuring Jade as the main vocalist, "Fire & Water" proves that the group isn't Alex (Ed Sharpe) +9, that the band is full of extremely talented artists who shine when it is their time. Jade's powerful voice is featured on this track and has a commanding sway on the listener. Her voice has a depth to it which is tough to describe. Laced with soul and gospel, and alternating between triumphant wailing and tender cooing, Jade proves she's got it. This could be a great thing for the Zeros, and might be a signal that their next album will that more rich because of the growth of artists like Jade. Or it could prove that the stage is too small to fit just one Edward and nine Zeros. Only time will tell, but in the meantime enjoy this great jam by my favorite band of the last year and a half. 

Download Here

 Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros-Fire & Water (iTunes Session) (Jamandahalf.com) by jamand1/2 

Bonus Video:

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Yeasayer-O.N.E

They say smell is the strongest scent. I say bullshit. Hearing familiar sounds, comforting voices, music, has the power to instantly take you back to vivid memories, and reminds you of the feelings, the people, and the energy of those memories more than any other scent. This JamandaHalf had that power over my good buddy Kai, who on our long drives through South Africa, was guaranteed to do two things: ball that jack no matter how far our destination while being the best damn driver around, and tell us the same story over and over again when this song came on. The drop of the synth and the cow bell(?) would make Kai’s eyes glaze over and take him back to sweaty dance parties in his living room last year, which always seemed to full of gorgeous woman, few clothes, and this solid gold Jamandahalf by Yeasayer.

Yeasayer is a band from Brooklyn, a hotbed of indie rock with bands like Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, and Dirty Projectors all calling it their home. With their debut album All Hour Cymbals, Yeasayer introduced themselves to the world in 2007, and their second album Odd Blood  followed up in 2010. Odd Blood is a personal favorite, and mixes psychedelic sounds with Middle Eastern leanings into complex sound layers that always hold something more. “ONE” is a song of addiction, whether it be to a woman or to a substance, and is a sonic feast. A horn here, a piano loop there, synth galore, a deep bass, all combine to create something electric and eclectic. For a song with darker undertones, ONE is incredibly jubilant, and ends as a triumph over past battles. Listen to this loud on your headphones or bump it at your next sweaty dance party. It’ll sound different, but no matter your medium, it’s a jamandahalf. 

Download Here

 

Hunting Club-Plaid Album

Andrew "Undeez" Archer is a brother of a friend of ours, Juliet, and is working out in a small town in New Hampshire doing clinical therapy for a Federal program. Lucky for us, in his free time he's finding cool indie rock bands like the Hunting Club from Minneapolis and writing jamandahalfs. Thanks Undeez. The jams keep coming from unexpected places, and we love it.

"Musical Textiles"

Hunting Club’s debut, “Hunting Club (“The Plaid Album”)” can be explained much like the presentation of the opening track; speechless. Rather than being pulled into the music there is a natural magneticism towards this original, idiosyncratic, yet familiar sound. As it opens, slowly the instrumentation intensifies with piano sounds of morning and then abruptly stops, leaving the listener waking to the drum beaten lucid state that “The Coast” transports. A relationship that seemed to burn at both ends, the voice echoes: “started forcing our hands.” The smooth waves of music quickly attach to your long term memory. One cannot help the instant mental attachment the song brings, which fits thematically with the piece; “we were careless in letting it go.”

There is a sense of self blame in the 3rd track, “Real Chance,” which is accompanied by powerful harmonies and tight instrumentation. It stands out from the rest of the songs, but does not seem to fit. That being said, this is the one that repeatedly wakes up the neighbors at 3am. Perhaps a Minnesota connection or nod to the Coen brothers, “Raising Arizona” is a somber, existential tale. Past heartache resurfaces as spilling rumination manifests into an emotionally charged psychotic angst.

As track 5 alludes to, not holding back is exactly what Hunting Club does with “Gold Wheat.” The unification of the instruments, pace and lyrical prose cultivates as the fulcrum to the album. Take note and gather on a second listen (especially if you were texting or on Facebook) to the not so subtle analogical lyrics that stem from the band’s name. There is an eerie start to what appears to be side two of “The Plaid Album”, with distortion that breaks and lends to a sense of starting again or is it starting over? There are more questions than answers, “was it all bad taste?” in “Black Snowflake,” which is a direct contrast from its inverse, “The Coast.” This one offers more confusion and conflict -- “makes no sense.” Still chasing these uncertainties, “Alamo” is a ballad with a lyrical quest for liberation from the pain of losing a complimentary lover that is “the center of my universe.” The record is recharged with “Saucy Banana” being a testimony that rationalizes the shift in perspective that gives Band of Horses something to gallop to. Cocky lines such as “baby I’m on top of your world” declare the past being left behind.

“Sweet Soprano” is a Lo-Fi conversion of sound that is reminiscent of a band like The Black Keys. There is a softer inability for disclaim to the loyalties of a troubled relationship; “I can't leave ya, I can't leave ya.” The tender, wavy ended, “Cactai” begins acoustically before the full band marches to what is a solidification of the diversity that Hunting Club has produced. The song may approximate the concept of the album; acceptance of letting go, but the listener is going to want to hold on to these eleven tracks. 

-Andrew "Undeez" Archer

The album can be bought/downloaded for free here (pay what you want). Check out the album, and if you like what your hear, support this young band.