Basically everything Ben Sollee does makes me happy. Right now, I’m specifically happy about the new song he’s offering for download on his website.
Because what’s cooler than a cellist-singer-songwriter? A cellist-singer-songwriter who not only covers a song from the 1920s, but samples a Fletcher Hendersonrecording of that song! My inner musicologist is freaking out with excitement right now.
“Then I’ll Be Happy” is Sollee’s “new” track that will be on his new LP out in the fall — after a live recording he’s releasing in the spring!
thanks for all of your support! enjoy a new song from my full-length release due in the fall. hope it makes you happy! http://t.co/EkRkdbPa
My love affair with the cello began the first time I ever heard Bach’s Prelude, from Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. I was 13 and I decided I would learn to play it someday.
I had ceased six years of classical violin lessons when I was 11 – partially because I didn’t like my new teacher and partially because all I really wanted to do was play folk music with my sister, a pianist and hammered dulcimer player. When she moved away to college, I joined a choir and started teaching myself how to play the piano. My dad bought me the sheet music to the Bach suites from a used book store when I was about 14 and since I didn’t have a cello, I learned the Prelude on piano as a way to practice reading the bass clef. Eight years have gone by and I still haven’t learned to play the cello, but I am re-inspired every time I hear Ben Sollee live.
In January 2009, I heard Sollee for the first time on NPR’s World Café Next podcast and my love for the cello reached a whole new level. Not only was he a great songwriter with soulful vocal chops, but his cello was the focal point of it all. I thought that was just the coolest, most creative thing ever and I was also inspired by what he did with genres. With my own classical training, a repertoire of Appalachian fiddle tunes and a growing devotion to indie singer-songwriters that spurred me to start writing a bit myself, I couldn’t have been more pleased to find a musician culling from his own diverse musical background and doing it so well.
And so we finally come to the point of this post…
Two weeks ago, Sollee released his second solo album, Inclusions, three years after his Learning to Bend LP debut and one year after his Dear Companion collaboration with Daniel Martin Moore. He has written on his website that Inclusions is a collection of songs embodying the people, places and things in his life. It’s an appropriate summation of how much diversity continues to course through his work from a banjo-picked rumination on memory complete with an air of mystery (“Cluttered Mind“) to a swaying R&B song that defiantly confronts with expectations and rules (“Bible Belt“) and a driving rock/pop cross that presents hope within the hopeless (“Captivity“).
The album in general has more of a rock quality that definitely manifests itself in his live shows where Sollee and fiddler Phoebe Hunt just go to town riffing off each other on songs like “Close To You” and “Captivity” via their bowed instruments. And the bass you feel pounding through your feet and straight to your heart isn’t generated by a guitar but by the cello.
I had the opportunity to see Sollee twice at the end of his tour promoting Inclusions – once on May 20th at Evanston SPACE in Evanston, IL and the following evening at Schubas in Chicago. I know it was a bit absurd to see him two nights in a row but one of my close friends couldn’t make it to the Friday night show so I joined her on Saturday night. Also, it was totally worth it.
I’d seen Sollee live twice before but once was as Vienna Teng‘s opener and the other was sharing the stage with Moore. It was exciting to see a whole show that was just him and his music (and his two bandmates Hunt and Jordon Ellis). Ellis on drums and Hunt on fiddle, bass and backing vocals were excellent compliments to Sollee’s music. I tend to prefer the live show to Sollee’s recorded work because it’s stripped back to its essentials and the cello can really shine through. The set-up for this tour was perfect and although Hunt did steal the show a few times, she humbly and promptly returned it to Sollee.
The most enjoyable part of both shows was that all three musicians were spontaneously playing off each other and clearly having a good time. Two nights in a row, I felt like I was attending a party where some people happened to be jamming instead part of an audience watching a concert. And I think that was the ultimate goal of this record.
At the close of the SPACE show, the last song Sollee played (before the encore, of course) was the danceable “Electrified” which he unexpectedly segued into Bach’s Prelude. When I realized what he was doing, I grabbed my friend’s arm, slightly overwhelmed with emotion. Not only was this a fitting conclusion to a terrific performance that boldly crossed the boundaries of musical genres, it was a piece that held tremendous personal significance for me. Since first hearing it at 13, it had become my talisman against despair: it was the track I played on repeat when my grandmother died, when my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and when I was struggling with Depression during my first semester at college. I wasn’t in need of the piece’s cathartic power when Sollee played it but it still felt damn good to hear. If I hadn’t felt included before, I did then.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Whether you’re spending time with your loved one, pining after someone, or feeling cynical about the whole thing, there’s a song or two in this playlist for you!
“Zorbing” – Stornoway
“Love That Girl” – Raphael Saadiq
“Money Box” – Eliza Doolittle
“Such Great Heights”” – Iron & Wine
“Home” – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
“You Make My Dreams Come True” – Hall & Oates
“My Love” – jj
“Fight For This Love” – Cheryl Cole
“Dear Companion” – Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore
“Empire” – Jukebox The Ghost
“In These Arms” – The Swell Season
“Anything To Say You’re Mine” – Etta James
“I Don’t Worry” – Bess Rogers
“Please Don’t Let Me Go” – Olly Murs
“What I Wouldn’t Do” – A Fine Frenzy
“July Flame” – Laura Veirs
“She’s So Lovely” – Scouting For Girls
“Winter Winds” – Mumford & Sons
“One and Only” – Adele
“Hang With Me” – Robyn
“Movie Loves a Screen” – April Smith and the Great Picture Show
“True Love Will Find You In The End” – Basia Bulat
So sorry for the wee hiatus, everybody. Lots of things fell by the wayside for the last half of my school term but it’s over now, I’m back home in America celebrating Christmas with my family and I’m ready to get this show back on the road! I have a very very very long list of music to tell you all about but I’m going to start off with a Christmas / December playlist that seems appropriate for the day.
First up, it’s Vampire Weekend with “Horchata” but simply because I can finally say I’ve worn a balaclava, and yes I do looks psychotic. In November, I climbed two Munros and the higher we climbed, the colder we got, prompting everyone to wear every article of clothing possible. After the balaclavas went on, “Horchata” was playing on repeat in my head:
Next, here’s a fun reinterpretation of Judy Garland classic “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. It’s Illinois singer-songwriter Andrew Ripp. Listen to the song on Last.FM or download Ripp’s “Christmas Tunes” album on NoiseTrade.
While not exactly a Christmas song, Kris Drever‘s “Mark The Hard Earth” seems appropriately wintry: God put me here in this field full of snow, dark sky above me and the hard earth below. It always feels cold, it’s always the same. I made my choices so I’ll shoulder the blame. The song is one of my current favorites. I know it’s a bit melancholy but that’s alright because it’s just so beautiful and touching. Drever is a musician from the Orkney Islands and my friends and I bought his album while in Kirkwall three weeks ago. I suppose this song also reminds me of winter because this was the weekend I was stranded in Orkney because of a crazy snow storm across Scotland.
Here to liven things up a bit is Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run”. I got this song from MOJO‘s Festive Fifteen CD.
Sharon Jones is always brilliant. Her Christmas song “Ain’t No Chimneys In The Projects” is definitely keeping with her past record. I feel like this song would make a great soundtrack for The Wire.
OK, I admit that this next one is a bit odd but it’s actually pretty sweet and I wanted to get the indie vibe going. It’s Sea of Bees‘ version of “Feliz Navidad”.
Next I have another slightly depressing one called “Following The Wrong Star” by Billy Bragg. I’ve included a live version of it on YouTube but you can also download the studio recording featuring Ben Sollee for free on Bragg’s website.
We’re gonna have a merry Christmas, baby, very merry Christmas, baby. You can download Dave Barnes‘ “Very Merry Christmas” for free right now on Amazon.
And another free Amazon download for you… the very entertaining and unfortunately true “Toy Packaging” by Sara Groves. I expect quite a few of us will be relating to this song today.
Ain’t nothing like Christmas, baby, with carols and good cheer. I’ve got a bit country on you here with “Ain’t nothing like Christmas” by Shelby Lynn.
Little & Ashley‘s “Winter Night” is another sweet wintry-themed song: underneath the starry sky, dream with me this winter night.
Oh Superchunk, I never thought you’d be on a Christmas playlist but here you are. It never snows no more, only freezing dirty rain. Oh no it never snows but it gets that smell like it might just the same.
It’s a “Cold December” with Matt Costa. I discovered this song last year in Best Buy with my dad. We were picking out speakers as a present for my mom and this song played on one of the sets we tested. I actually blogged about this event last year. I know, my life is so exciting isn’t it?
It’s time to get old-school on you now with “Rebel Jesus” by Jackson Browne. I love this song and I love the message of it.
And you know it’s not Christmas without some Otis Redding.
Following in the snow theme, it’s Matt Pond PA with “Snow Day”.
Almost there, folks! It’s “Christmas Is For Children” by The Feeling of “Fill My Little World” fame. It’s not a great song but I’m including it because of the line “Oh it hardly snowed when I was young though I prayed so hard for it to come. Now I’m just complaining about the trains that never run.” That line has been the story of my life for the last month while living in Scotland so I cracked up when I heard it.
Next up is the gorgeous new Coldplay song “Christmas Lights”. Those Christmas lights light up the street down where the sea and city meet. May all your troubles soon be gone. Oh, Christmas lights, keep shining on. The band was in the Live Lounge on BBC Radio 1 a week ago to play “Christmas Lights”. Apparently when writing the song, they made list of all the things that tip a song from being a great Christmas song into being a cheesy Christmas song and that they would not put into a christmas song. So “Christmas Lights” has no reindeer, no sleigh bells and no children’s choir but it sure is a great timeless song for the holiday:
Last but not least, it’s “Auld Lang Syne“. It may seem cheesy to end with this but remember, I have been living in Scotland for the last four months. I can’t not end with “Auld Land Syne” so deal with it. At least this is the traditional Scottish version and not the anglicised one!
I know, I know, I post about Ben Sollee a lot. But today I just had this craving to hear some songs off the Dear Companion album. So here’s “Something, Somewhere, Sometime.” Enjoy!
I discovered Zoe Blank last month when I came across her cover of Ben Sollee’s “Prettiest Tree On The Mountain“. I was really impressed by this girl’s husky voice, impressive finger picking on the guitar, and fiddle abilities!
Anyway, she posted a new original song a week ago called “Where the Treetops Sway”. I’ve fallen in love with it and I think it’s the perfect song for spring. Check it out here and then head over to her YouTube channel to sample her other work.
As you may know, Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore released an album called Dear Companion together back in February. I’m a huge Ben Sollee fan so I got it as soon as it came out but I didn’t want to discuss it on my blog until after I’d heard them in concert. I’ll admit that I was a little disappointed by the album when I first heard it but some music is just better live so I wanted to them a chance at wowing me live.
Ben’s songs on the album and the collaborations are just incredible. The songs by Daniel are pretty boring. The concert only reinforced these. Daniel has a great voice and he’s a talented musician but I just don’t hear the songwriting spark in him. Ben never ceases to amaze me: the voice, the cello, the songwriting, the stage presence … I strongly recommend seeing him live if you ever get the chance.
Despite some of the my qualms with Dear Companion, I really enjoy it. Sure, the entertainment factor is great but the songs also deal with issues of Central Appalachia in the awareness-raising spirit for which the project was created. It just makes for a more interesting listen. Anyway, I recommend it.
“Dear Companion” is an incredible song to begin with the story behind it adds so much more weight to it
So Ben Sollee is one of my favorite artists of all time because his lyrics and melodies are fantastic, he’s got an awesome voice, and he’s a cellist. What more could you want? Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore’s new album Dear Companion is released today. I’ll get back to you with I “review” of it eventually but in the meantime, here’s some awesome live videos of Ben Sollee!
Paste Magazine has launched an opportunity to donate money to charities helping in Haiti and as a thank you, they allow you access to their download vault with over 400 songs. I donated last week and I’ve been listening to these songs and I’ve found some that I really like. I’m going to share my favorites with you and encourage you to donate whatever you can to any charity you support. Thank you.
The Sound Snack 