A couple weeks ago, I really delved into the music of Elvis Perkins and I have no idea why it took me so long. The first song I discovered of his was "While You Were Sleeping" and the lyrics coupled with the way they're sung is absolutely beautiful. I've been listening to the albums Ash Wednesday and the self-titled Elvis Perkins in Dearland. Both are highly recommended and here's a track from the self-titled album-- "I Heard Your Voice in Dresden".
Around that same time, I became mildly obsessed with Colin Meloy's live solo album, Colin Meloy Sings Live!. (Meloy is the lead singer of the Decemberists, for those who aren't familiar with his name) While I can go through the album and hardly find a mediocre track, the standout song is "The Engine Driver". I always enjoy seeing lead singers of my favorite bands performing solo. Whether it be Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Josh Ritter, Bruce Springsteen, or others, the concept of a solo show without the comfort of a backing band provides a whole new sense of intimacy that makes for great new interpretations of songs. Not to mention, the storytelling in-between songs can be humorous, insightful, or both. When I saw the Decemberists in February, Colin Meloy came out solo to sing a cover of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You" at the start of the encore. The way the performance stopped the chatty Friday night crowd dead in its tracks was proof of Meloy's talent.
And one last song while on the topic of solo performances. Here's the aforementioned Jeff Tweedy with a new Wilco song "Open Your Mind" . Side note: The man can put on nice clothes, yet he always somehow looks disheveled. I wouldn't have it any other way.
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