The National - Graceless

Graceless
Is there a powder to erase this?
Is it dissolvable and tasteless?
You can't imagine how I hate this
Graceless
I'm trying, but I'm graceless
Don't have the sunny side to face this
I am invisible and weightless
You can't imagine how I hate this
Graceless
I'm trying, but I've gone
Through the glass again
Just come and find me
God loves everybody, don't remind me
I took the medicine when I went missing
Just let me hear your voice, just let me listen

It's been ten years since their 5th and breakout album Boxer, and four since their last (Trouble Will Find Me). Earlier this month, The National finally released a new single and announced when their next album, Sleep Well Beast, is coming: September 8th with supporting tour (across western Europe and northern North America). I decided just to include the new song as a bonus - to wait for the fall to add a new National track to our list. Still, with many of their older songs in my heavy rotation it was time to represent on here. 

RIYL: Interpol, Editors, Arcade Fire, Spoon

Piebald - American Hearts

And I said Sir
Well have you heard
That this country is un-equal still?
History continues itself
Continues itself
History
Continues itself
And I did not create the rules
From all I've heard
And all I've seen
This place has broken
My American heart
From all I've heard
And all I've seen
This place has broken
My American heart

We spent the weekend in Boston and it was great. Rainy and colder that we'd have liked, but what can you do? We saw a Red Sox game, checked out Harvard, had some lobster and chowder and met some nice folks. We also spent one of our days at Boston Calling where we saw a few bands on our lists. For me, the highlight was a toss up between PUP and Wolf Parade and I think Kerri's favorite was Weezer, despite my being super annoyed with them. Sorry!

I also got to see Piebald, who I'd seen once before, a long, long time ago, and really enjoyed. They were a lot of fun and I figured I'd get them up here as a Most Important thank you song to Boston for a fun weekend.

RIYL: The Get Up Kids, Braid, Jawbreaker, Sunny Day Real Estate

Upcoming Shows

Joseph - White Flag

Noises closing in from all sides
Warning all the ways to die
They say "you'd better give up
You'd better give up"
I say
"I'll never give up, I'll never give up"

I'll be an army, no you're
Not gonna stop me gettin'
Through
I'll sing a marching song and
Stomp through the halls louder than
You

I could surrender but I'd
Just be pretending, no I'd
Rather be dead than live a lie
Burn the white flag

For Memorial Day, I thought of this song about standing your ground. I'm more of a "stick flowers in your guns" gal generally, but agree there are things we must fight for. For the record, the lyrics aren't meant to be about war anyway. Lead singer/songwriter Natalie Closner says it's actually about not giving in to fear mongering. Joseph is a trio of sisters out of Portland, Oregon. This track is from their 2016 album I'm Alone, No You're Not - their first release on Dave Matthew's label (ATO Records). 

RIYL: The Wind and The Wave, Waxahatchee, Girlpool, Honeyblood

Upcoming Shows

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World

We passed upon the stair
We spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there
He said I was his friend
Which came as some surprise
I spoke into his eyes, "I thought you died alone
A long long time ago"

Oh no, not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world

I laughed and shook his hand
And made my way back home
I searched for form and land
For years and years I roamed
I gazed a gazeless stare, at all the millions here
We must have died alone
A long long time ago

Who knows? not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world

There were a fair number of folks who didn't know this was a Bowie song, when the MTV Unplugged special came out in 1993. It fit Cobain's persona so well and immediately became part of the Nirvana lexicon. But yes, this was written by dear departed David, pre-Ziggy Stardust, in 1970. Fun facts: Bowie told an interviewer in 1995, "it hadn't ever occurred to me that I was truly a part of the American musical landscape" until this cover came out. Bowie also said (in a 2000 interview) that he was sick of kids coming up to him after a show and telling him it was so cool that he covered Nirvana... Ahhhh, poor tortured Kurt taught us much in his short time (like especially: don't do heroin, or date Courtney Love) but where would we be without Bowie?
Bonus vid of him performing this song on SNL in '75.

The Jam - Move On Up

Bite your lip, and take a trip
Though there may be wet road ahead
And you cannot slip
So move on up for peace will find
Into the steeple of beautiful people
Where there's only one kind

Y'all, I could do this covers thing all damn day. Too many good cuts! So, today we're going to go with two legends. Paul Weller and The Jam doing the one and only, The Gentle Genius, Mr. Superfly Curtis Mayfield. "Move On Up" is one of my all-time favorite songs, and if I'm being honest, nothing beats the original. Having said that, I love, love, love this version. Growing up The Jam was one of my favorites and it was through their music, and Weller's later stuff, that I was introduced to greats like Mayfield. I'm pretty sure I heard this version first.

RIYL: Curtis Mayfield, The Style Council, The Housemartins, Squeeze, Crowded House