Miles Nighthawk

"Toothpaste" by Miles Nighthawk
Twee-folk/Outsider Folk Personal Records 2010



Go here to get in contact with somebody about getting your hands on a copy

Oftentimes, songwriters write songs that are emotional and grab your guts and swing them around. Other times, songwriters can write funny songs that are quirky and catchy. Very rarely, musicians like Miles Nighthawk capture both of these simultaneously. This is most apparent in album opener "Asian Girlfriend" where Miles sings about how bad he wants a cute Asian girlfriend, but can't get one because he thinks he's too big of a loser. If only he found an Asian who appreciated young mastery of songcraft.

Miles' songs fall into this great deep valley between singers with untrained, unforgettable delivery like Daniel Johnston and great, passionate songs of The Mountain Goats.

Oh yeah, and did I mention he covers gangsta rap songs too?


For Listeners Of: The Mountain Goats, Oh No! Oh My!, Daniel Johnston, Neutral Milk Hotel, A Weather, NWA

Some links:
Personal Records homepage
Personal Records Myspace with the referenced "Asian Girlfriend" included
Miles Nighthawk's myspace page with more tracks

For Bailey Ewing

Oldest Known Recording Of a Voice
Noise/Drone/Fuzzcore Silber Records 1860



As somebody who loves random noises and production, I love this recording so much. It goes to show you, no matter how old something is, a truly great recording stands the test of time.

For Listeners Of: Sunn O))), Emeralds, Sharamantis, Flying Saucer Attack, Lovesliescrushing

The Dodos

"Visiter" By The Dodos
Folk/Indie/Freak Folk Frenchkiss Records 2008
Look for an awesome Live DVD in the next year or so



Download Visiter

When finding bands, sometimes you are lucky to stumble upon bands who just seem to do everything you love in music and nothing else. The Dodos are one of those bands for me because they write awesome folk songs, have great energy, have an amazing rhythm section and have just plain awesome memorable songs.

Visiter is a tour de force presenting The Dodos great grasp of dynamics and song craftsmanship. Visiter has all the great archetypes of songs in one album. Great intimate songs in "Undeclared" and "Park Song", energetic hype songs like "Fools" and awesome sing-a-longs like "Red And Purple" and "God?".

Another thing this band does a great job of is having a very distinct clear cut sound. Whenever you hear one of their songs, be it familiar or new, you know it is these guys with their crazy drumming, distinct voice and lyrical style. The song "Undeclared" on this album is an example of my favorite type of song. One person singing great intimate lyrics over a catchy finger-picking pattern throughout the whole song.

For Listeners Of: Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, Deerhoof The Decemberists, Akron Family, Wilco, Page France, Belle And Sebastian

Wilco and Billy Bragg

"Mermaid Avenue" By Wilco and Billy Bragg
Folk/Alt-country Elektra Records 1998



Download Mermaid Avenue

When searching for music, you often stumble upon albums that have very cool intrinsic novelty, that you give a few listens because of some little quirk. Many of these albums are interesting conversation points but never really go beyond that. Often times, albums like this have a novel point to them and are also incredibly beautiful pieces of art. This is one of those albums.

Mermaid Avenue is an album of collected unreleased lyrics by the late great Woody Guthrie and re-imagined by the great Billy Bragg and the band Wilco. This album is just another testament as to why Woody Guthrie was one of the best we ever had and why Billy Bragg and Wilco are some of the best we have now.

What caught my immediate attention of this album was hearing the song "One by One" over the summer in my best friend Eric's car. This is one of those songs that was so hauntingly great, hooking and beautiful that I just had to further investigate. I had listened to Wilco before but never really been hooked by them, this song did it for me in ten seconds.

For Listeners Of: Wilco, Billy Bragg, Woody Guthrie, Loose Fur, Uncle Tupelo, Golden Smog, Son Volt, The Dodos, A Weather, Folk music in general