Kelly Joe Phelps: Goodbye to Sorrow

I don’t know that I consider myself that religious or spiritual. Though I guess a lot of the poems I write seem to suggest otherwise. I guess this song just caught me at the right time.
I don’t know that I consider myself that religious or spiritual. Though I guess a lot of the poems I write seem to suggest otherwise. I guess this song just caught me at the right time.
I’m introducing things in a kind of non-linear way here. Mostly because I want you to experience the same process I experienced, earlier today. So first up, I’d say watch the video below. It’ll give you a bit of context about the song, and after it dives into the specifics… give a pause. And then keep on reading.
“So call and I’ll get right back
If your intentions are pure
I’m seeking a friend for the end of the world”
I went over to Postmodern Jukebox’s page on YouTube, and they just have a TON of videos at this point. I got lost for a long while, just jumping from song to song.
“Is it too late to live in your heart, too late to burn all your civilian clothes?”
“Who’s that by your front door
We all thought he died
Who’s that man knee deep in sand
Waiting on the tide
With an atlas and a ladder
Undaunted by the height”
I came across this song by The Avett Brothers a week ago, and have had it looping incessantly for a few days. More than just a catchy tune, it’s really been all-consuming. And I can’t help but feel happy/good whenever I hear it.
Debussy Dots: The Snow is Dancing is a fantastic visualization by Alexander Chen. It’s mesmerizing, and absolutely a lovely experience. I’m reminded of one of my favorite musical visualizations: Sonar. As I was looking over other musical visualizations I liked, I realized that I’ve mentioned Chen’s work on here a number of times. He’s also the author of Conductor and…
“My love, you’re the one I want to watch the ship go down with
The future can’t be real, I barely know how long a moment is
Unless we’re naked, getting high on the mattress
While the global market crashes”
The more I listen, the more impressed I am at the range of the song. It spans two-plus octaves, but never really feels like it’s moving that far or fast, as the song is so melodic you don’t really notice the distance being travelled.
I happened across Laura Marling recently on Spotify, and got taken in by her voice. I got hooked first by the bass on Soothing. But it was the above track, Wild Fire, that made me realize I needed to spend some time with this album.
I’ve had this song stuck in my head for a few days, and it’s not leaving. So in an attempt to exorcise it, I’m sharing it in the hopes that it will leave my ears and infect yours.
With that change, right on that word – the whole song takes on more of a somber tone. While the slower pace and Espe’s voice helps remove some of the sugar from the song, it’s that note, that shift on the phrase “come my way” that really made me look at this as an incredibly sad song.
I’m not clear what it is with this song, and with Faux… but they are perfect songs for me to work to. The rise and swell of the song, particularly when put on repeat, seem to sync up really well to my brain.
I’ve watched this video a few times now, and I’m still not sure I understand how Misko gets all these different sounds out of a single instrument.