jacob wright & liam o’brien :: support the vinyl campaign!

Apparently, I only use exclamation points when speaking of vinyl projects (see Eric & Magill).  As such is a noble as all fuck cause, I’m okay with it.  Apparently, I STILL love Jacob Wright and Liam O’Brien, with just a singular jam from the former to back up that love.

Since late last year, jams by both of these men have been in heavy rotation here in the Folk Hive house.  Mix discs gifted to friends and family alike typically contain music from both and on a long car ride, both will undoubtedly be heard over the speakers at some point.  If I had put out a list of the best songs of 2010, both of the following jams would have certainly made that distinguished list.

Jacob and Liam, friends and musical counterparts, have launched their Kickstarter campaign to put out a 7″ that will “soothe your soul” and I strongly urge any and all who can and are willing to donate to the cause.  Drop them a couple bucks.  Contribute to art and the music community.  DON’T BE A SQUARE.

Jacob Wright :: Could It Be [STREAM]

BANDCAMP

Liam O’Brien :: Pyrite [STREAM]

BANDCAMP

FUND the Kickstarter Campaign.  Be cool.

jacob wright :: if i recollect correct.

At times, there is something so very endearing about a small town.  When a building, having stood in the middle of town for the past 100 years, burns people venture from their homes and sit on the stoop, watching and recollecting stories of that structures former glory days.  When it’s deer season, men gather at the local restaurant that caters to their hunting hours, and discuss the almanac’s predictions for the coming winter (among other topics).  When someone dies, children gather to let fly balloons in the park and the elderly of the population, whether having known the person or not, come out despite illnesses and limitations on physical movement, to pay respects.

In the past, here in this small town, men used to come together at the gazebo in the middle of town (not asked nor invited, per say) on the early weekend mornings to play music for those milling about.  This practice is special to me in that my great-uncle was the fiddler of that group and in that my great-grandparents would head that way to dance.  In the middle of town.  In the middle of the day.  For no other reason than camaraderie and a shared existence here.

A few days back I stumbled upon one Jacob Wright.  His banjo and his voice.  His words.  And those three things, combined together so beautifully, reminded me of that time in the history of Small Town, America, when these things meant something to everyone.  And they meant something to the people who were the salt of the earth, those who took nothing for granted, least of all each other, known or unknown.

“Could It Be” sounds just like those days, or what I imagine those old, forgotten days would’ve sounded like.  While it is simply beautiful and has no need for the personal background I’m giving here, it feels historic and inside of that is contained the history of someone, somewhere.    All of us, maybe.  And that should never be forgotten, especially in song.

Mr. Wright has intentions of self-releasing his forthcoming album and I encourage everyone to get behind it.  I encourage you doubly, wholeheartedly to do so.  Don’t be an asshole and buy that overpriced shitty Starbucks coffee tomorrow when you could snag this track and make the world a better place by getting this music out there.  It deserves to be played in bars and venues all across America.  It’s gotten my attention and it deserves yours.  I’ll have my eyes, residing here in Missouri, pointed up toward Wisconsin until Mr. Wright is able to make it happen…

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BUY ‘Could It Be’

PS — Dude likes “huge porches, dark beer, pretending I’m a cat, and reading”.  That should help get your ass in gear…