book of james by we are augustines

(warning: this post is caps heavy.)

so, i have been obsessed--friends, OBSESSED--with we are augustines for the last couple months. i have the steadily developed crushes on one song after another off of their album rise ye sunken ships. anytime somebody asks me, "anybody worth checking out?" i immediately come back with, "OMG, THERE'S THIS BAND CALLED WE ARE AUGUSTINES AND OMG THEY ARE SO GOOD AND OMG, THEIR MUSIC--THEIR MUSIC!!--YOU. MUST. LISTEN!!"

and then i realized, i hadn't yet said those words to you guys, my dear readers.

so, in case you haven't heard, OMG, MUSIC FRIENDS, THERE'S THIS BAND CALLED WE ARE AUGUSTINES AND OMG THEY ARE SO GOOD AND OMG, THEIR MUSIC--THEIR MUSIC!--YOU. MUST. LISTEN!!

you think i kid.

okay, today i'll give you my latest song crush by this great three-piece from brooklyn: book of james. and it's a doozy, friends. while catchy, it's really an ode to guitarist and song writer billy mccarthy's brother who committed suicide after a lengthy struggle with mental illness. oh, doesn't that just fit right in with my ever-lasting attraction to sad songs? but see, this one doesn't sound sad, despite gorgeous, heart-wrenching lyrics. it sounds so . . . springsteen-ish. and that only makes me love it more.

on a related note, i JUST NOW DISCOVERED they're performing in LA TONIGHT!! ARGH!

on a park bench sat a crimson beating heart
and behind him the girls played double dutch in the park
the sun began to burn his snow white skin
i guess you're either headin' somewhere or endin' up somewhere...

storm clouds began to form in his head
and crisscrossed his mind like a restless angry ocean
and the howling of hardship and heartache
kneeled and grinned in his face

he stood there in his boots unable to move
and i came here to tell you that i love you

and here lies, my green eyes
rolled back in my head, but they're alive
and all these words can all get spoken
just know we tried
and you're forgiven

he made his way down the boulevard
near the 99 cent stores and garbage in the yards
and he began sing
about the crickets and the backroads where we used to play

i guess your either headin' somewhere or endin' up somewhere...
cause i tried the bible, tried the bottle, tried the needle, tried to
love people
and in the end, there ain't much to say
and in the end, there ain't much to say, anyway
and i stand here in my shoes, unable to move
my hat in my hands, at the bottom of the ocean.

and here lies, my green eyes
rolled back in my head, but they're alive
and all the words can all get spoken
just know we tried
and you're forgiven

you're forgiven



go HERE to by rise ye sunken ships, the album book of james is off of. be prepared to put it on heavy rotation as you crush on each song.

words by doves

so, a quickie for today - a song that i inevitably will put on repeat with the volume up high anytime it comes up on the ol' ipod.

'cause, c'mon. who doesn't love some xylophone?

serious swoonage goes out to the guitar lines here, too.

and another thing!! by kid canaveral

so, woe is this blog, friends. how lonely it's been, without my attention. my inbox has been filling up with songs and every time i saw one of those emails, i would think, "i ought to be blogging about music," but then one of my characters would whisper in my ear, "stupid, do you want to get our book done or what?"

obvs, the characters won.

however! today song is actually one i've been writing to. and . . . i like it so much, it must be shared.

i've blogged in the past about how cool scotland's kid canaveral is. in fact, i think it was two years ago that i pegged one of their songs (left and right) as one of my 10 favorite songs of the year. it was off a very excellent album entitled shouting at wildlife which i still find myself listening to.

and another thing!! is off of that same album. first off, let's talk about how adorbs it is that there are two exclamation points after the title. as somebody who uses probably way too many exclamation points in emails, facebook status updates, and tweets, i can only find this endearing.

now, as for the song - it does have an endearing quality to it, but it is, in no way, the cheerful song it would initially lead you to believe. i remember the first time i'd heard it after a long spell of not hearing it - i had my ipod on in the background, and i instantly felt all cheery and boppy. it wasn't until midway through the song i remembered, "oh yeah. this isn't happy! why am i bopping?" but damn, if and another thing!! doesn't try to fool you into believing it is.

couldn't be so happy now i'm seeing the back of it
another thing, another thing
busy doing nothing, there's no skill in the knack of it
another thing, another thing
this stops right now
another thing, another thing
we stop right now
another thing, another thing

let's go wash our faces in the sun
and let's go clean your arms

and sometimes, sometimes i need you more
than other times, other times
so let go, let go
i'm all right

couldn't have done it better if i knew at the start of it
another thing, another thing
if i'd known it better i'd avoided the half of it
another thing, another thing
this stops right now
another thing, another thing
we stop right now
another thing, another thing

let's go wash our faces in the sun
and let's go and clean your arms

and sometimes, sometimes i need you more
than other times, other times
so let go, let go
i'm all right

and sometimes, sometimes i need you more
than other times, other times
oh, let go, let go
i'm all right

profuse apologies if i butchered any of those lyrics above. i have this very large feeling i have.

ANYWAY! stream the song below:



the band did an excellent session for song by toad; grab the mp3 below:

(mp3) and another thing!! (live toad session) by kid canaveral (via song by toad - go HERE to see/listen to more from the session)

and here's a live performance of and another thing!!:


And Another Thing!! by Kid Canaveral (Live) from Straight to Video Records on Vimeo.

go HERE to buy shouting at wildlife, the album and another thing!! is off of.