Day: January 13, 2011

Best Song I’ve Heard All Day: Lemonade

(part 978 in a 1001 part series)

Braids is one of those bands that’s getting considerable buzz right now for 2011 and after hearing the opening track from their album Native Speaker, “Lemonade,” it’s easy to hear why. The band seems to have just the right mix of ethereal, often Bjork-like vocals, minimal repeated electronics ala Animal Collective and melodies that are in the indie rock wheel house. This record is quite good and will surely catch on with some people this year.

As a bonus, here’s another stellar song, “Lammicken,” which is just a tad more challenging but just as inventive and transfixing.

Best Song I’ve Heard All Day: Tribute Edition

(part 956 in a 1001 part series)

I sure love a well executed cover song. Case in point: Holly Miranda‘s haunting rendition of Sparklehorse’s “Hundreds Of Sparrows.” Miranda, a member of the Detroit band Jealous Girlfriends, has been playing the song recently in her solo set. But on New Year’s Day, the singer-songwriter gave away a lo-fi recording of the song for free on her site.

What makes this song work so well is how she so skillfully paired away the late Mark Linkous’ trademark production, down to a lone finger-picked guitar, vocal harmonies and the building flourishes of a glockenspiel. It’s easy to load up a song with too many layers, but Miranda shows a lot of restraint. It’s a perfect and loving tribute that finds the both beauty and sadness in Linkous’ words.

Holly Miranda – Hundreds of Sparrows (Sparklehorse Cover) by morrisday

Here’s a video of her performing the song as well:

Holly Miranda- Hundreds of Sparrows (Sparklehorse Cover) from Adrian Vieni (Wood & Wires) on Vimeo.