Graham Smith - Final Battle

Figuring out who Graham Smith is and what he's doing now is pretty difficult. My Yahoo radio station played me some songs from his Final Battle (2003 or 2004, I'm not sure) album, and that's how I found him. I only downloaded album this when Andrew suggested we do an exchange this year and I realized I didn't really have enough of a contribution.

He's apparently the Conner Oberst of a band called Kleenex Girl Wonder and is now making new music? It's hard to tell. Here are three (recently updated [!]) websites with such bad information it'll make you think you're back on the 1995 internet.

When I do find reviews of his music, I see comparisons to Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) or Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices) by people who I assume wanted to be the first to make the comparison, so they can claim they knew he was going to be big one day. As far I as can tell, though, he's not big, and probably won't ever be, but this is a great album.

From what I read (and heard on his kgw.me site), his single solo album tones down the heavy pop (and comedy?) of his KGW stuff. It's catchy as all hell, though. If you don't like this on the first listen, I doubt you'll ever get on board. His voice is raspy and different enough to get a notice all by itself.

Favorite songs? I think any of them would do the trick, but I suppose if you put a gun to my head, I'd pick 3 - Lots of Love..., 10 - The Nondescript I, and 11 - Ushc Brand Men's Jeans

Chuck Ragan and Austin Lucas - Bristle Ridge

More country, this time from a guy (Ragan) who used to sing in a punk band from Gainsville. Lucas hasn't done much, but is apparently into "folk punk," (which is a description I've seen applied to Okkervil River, among others) and known for his collaboration with Ragan and Tim Berry (another former punk singer turned folk fiend - from Richmond, Cameron!).

I can see how this might not be your cup of tea, but before you delete it give the entire album a listen or three (all at once), and see if it hasn't grown on you. It's multi-layered! If that means what I think it means!

Favorite Tracks: 5 - Simple Life, 9 - Sin, and 11 - The Light (if you don't like this one, you have no soul and we can't be friends anymore)

Oh, I also found this (well, Chuck Ragan anyway) when the now-defunct local college station, KTXT, played this song.

Thrift Store Cowboys - The Great American Desert

The TSCs are from Lubbock, in case you hadn't guessed. You have to allow yourself to entertain the possibility of liking country music (it's hard, or was for me, anyway), and you'll get a lot out of it.

I originally heard the 2nd track (Days we Remember) on the radio (KTXT, RIP), and loved it. The blend of latin and country was something that I hadn't ever heard before, and it really sounded like Lubbock. The latin sound is less pronounced on most of the other tracks, but it's all Lubbock. If anyone wonders what it feels like to live here, this album should give you a pretty good idea.

My favorite tracks: 2 - Days we Remember, 4 - Black Blizzard and 14 - So Young.

Everyone's music

So, I've only given the other albums a once-through so far, on the drive to CA (I don't think Marie is going to be "liking" Thrift-Store Cowboys on FB any time soon, sadly, nor would I say she's a lover of twee), but I liked what I heard. I've been catching up on some old podcasts since I've been home, but I'm heading back to the gym tomorrow so I should be able to get back to your picks and give them some serious listening.

Thanks to everyone who contributed. I feel like I got a lot more out of it than I offered, but then that was really my goal heading into it. Hopefully we can let this new year and decade be one of musical discovery and growth and we can go into it with that mindset. Because it's a lot easier for me when you guys just tell me what to listen to.

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Should we have 1 post per album? or 1 per person?

I think that Cloud Cult is a mash-up of Conner Oberst and Modest Mouse, with a little of Beirut thrown in, just so we're absolutely sure it's one of Andrew's picks.