The Love of the Iceberg

Oh bring me the love that can sweeten a sword
A boat that can love the rocks or the shore
The love of the iceberg reaching out for a wreck
Can you love me like the crosses love the nape of the neck?
- Josh Ritter, To the Dogs or Whoever

At the end of October we are headed to San Francisco for a wedding of a friend of ours. My wife, being the amazing woman she is, realized that one of my favorite artists was performing out there at the same time. To be clear, it took her one minute to look and realize this during my 15 minute rant that Josh Ritter was not coming any where near Lafayette, La. That said, we booked our flight one day earlier and are headed to see Josh Ritter at Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco on October 24th.
I was "introduced" to Josh Ritter via my friend Cool Hand Luke and consider myself in his debt for this recommendation. Luke's brother posted the video below on his blog a while back and that's probably what got me thinking that I really wanted to see Josh live. I have a sense from watching this that I'll be in debt for the inspiration from that post as well. I can't help but watch this video and use the word "joyful" to describe his performance.

So yeah, pretty excited about the trip to San Francisco. You can stream Josh Ritter's new album at his website. Check out the lyrics page if you have time - his lyrics are pretty amazing.

Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter

I'm such a big fan of Josh Ritter's music that I was worried about reading his first novel (Bright's Passage) quite a bit. Turns out that was totally unfounded. The same story telling craft that Ritter has in his music carries really well into his first book. The story of Henry Bright, his angel, coping with the horrors of World War I, and the birth of his first son is all weaved into multiple timelines with ease. It was literally like taking a Josh Ritter song and turning it into a novel.

Josh Ritter - Long Shadows Video

Guess I am on a Ritter kick right now. He just released a homemade video for their song Long Shadows - apparently filmed while on tour last August on one of their days off. Pretty cool transition right around 1:45 in.

"Long Shadows" Video Contest! from Josh Ritter on Vimeo.

...the plot that you passed

Another round of the Monthly Mix is now available and ready for distribution. Enjoy.

1. Lake Michigan - Rogue Wave
2. Down The Line - Jose Gonzalez
3. Mind's Eye - Josh Ritter
4. Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe - Okkervil River
5. St. Andrews - Bedouin Soundclash
6. Daughter - Loudon Wainwright III
7. Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen
8. How Low - Jose Gonzalez
9. Oh Mary Don't You Weep - Mike Farris
10. Fool for a Lonesome Train - Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
11. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
12. Better People - Xavier Rudd
13. Steeple Full Of Swallows - The Gourds
14. Hard Sun (Main) - Eddie Vedder
15. Killing for Love - Jose Gonzalez
16. A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene - Okkervil River
17. Boy With A Coin - Iron & Wine
18. Right Moves - Josh Ritter
19. Wet And Rusting - Menomena
20. Walls Fall Down - Bedouin Soundclash
21. Trouble - Over The Rhine

Josh Ritter - Peter Killed The Dragon

I've been listening to this Josh Ritter tune lately, Peter Killed the Dragon. Thought you would enjoy it. You can download it from eMusic or iTunes off of the Live at the Record Exchange EP.

"Wish I could hold you in my arms like I hold you in my mind
...
I'm looking over rooftops hoping it ain't true
God can give or take away well who would make such an awful rule?"

Smokin' Guns and Other Clues

1.      New Lover  ~  Josh Ritter

2.      Day Dreams  ~  Midi Matilda

3.      From California  ~  The New Amsterdams

4.      Red Hands  ~  Walk Off the Earth

5.      Green Garden  ~  Laura Mvula

6.      Fur Coat Blues  ~  Jamestown Revival

7.     Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz)  ~  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

8.      Iron  ~  Woodkid

9.      Grace for Saints and Ramblers  ~  Iron & Wine

10.   Trouble Town  ~  Jake Bugg

11.   You Should've Seen the Other Guy  ~  Nathaniel Rateliff

12.   Ordinary Fool  ~  Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis

13.   Chez Keith Et Anita  ~  Carla Bruni

14.   Heart's Ease  ~  Josh Ritter

15.   Two Fingers  ~  Jake Bugg

16.   What Would I Do Without You  ~  Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors

17.   How'm I Gonna Get Back Home  ~  He's My Brother She's My Sister

18.   Safety Rope  ~  Mick Flannery

19.   Trojans  ~  Atlas Genius

20.   She  ~  Laura Mvula

21.   Bleeding Out  ~  Imagine Dragons

22.   Can't Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton)  ~  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Lights Will Guide You Home

Lights Will Guide You Home (12/2006)

1. Pancho & Lefty ﻼ Delbert McClinton
2. My Ramblin' Heart ﻼ The Redstick Ramblers
3. Skipping Stones ﻼ Amos Lee
4. Fix You ﻼ Coldplay
5. Sunshine (Album Version) ﻼ Matt Costa
6. Nothing Left To Lose ﻼ Mat Kearney
7. God's Gonna Cut You Down ﻼ Johnny Cash
8. Soy Campesino ﻼ Ska Cubano
9. Lived in Bars ﻼ Cat Power
10. Slung-Lo ﻼ Erin McKeown
11. Float On ﻼ Modest Mouse
12. Tiger Fan ﻼ Drew Landry
13. Way Down the Old Plank Road ﻼ The Mammals
14. Bright Smile ﻼ Josh Ritter
15. 9 Crimes ﻼ Damien Rice
16. Sons & Daughters ﻼ The Decemberists
17. Chicago (Acoustic) ﻼ Mat Kearney
18. Around And Around ﻼ Mark Kozelek And Rachel Goswell
19. Decatur, Or, Round Of Applause For Your Stepmother! ﻼ Sufjan Stevens
20. Snow Is Gone ﻼ Josh Ritter
21. Origin Of Species ﻼ Chris Smither
22. That's What I Like About The South ﻼ The Redstick Ramblers

December's Mix was made for Nancy - hope you find something you like on it! Thanks for all of your awesome hospitality during the holidays. This is a mix of some old and new songs that I put together as a Christmas gift for her. For the observant folks out there, I skipped posting November's mix. It was made, just not posted, and consisted of a focus on world music. I might post the cover and track listing later this week while I take a break from the list of fun.

Josh Ritter - The Temptation of Adam, live at Paste Studios

If you like the Temptation of Adam song by Josh Ritter, you can see a great version of it at Paste Magazine this month. You will also see an interview with Jason Schwatrzman (Coconut Records). Check it out.

I Found It

1. The Temptation Of Adam - Josh Ritter
2. Fiery Crash - Andrew Bird
3. West Coast - Coconut Records
4. Where's the Music - Medeski Martin & Wood
5. Hoppípolla - Sigur Rós
6. Apartment Story - The National
7. Ghost - Rogue Wave
8. My Moon My Man - Feist
9. Jacksonville - Sufjan Stevens
10. Kanske Ar Jag Kar i Dig - Jens Lekman
11. Radio Song - The Felice Brothers
12. Pilette Breakdown - Lost Bayou Ramblers
13. Kathleen - Josh Ritter
14. Ada - The National
15. Penelope - Pinback
16. Twice - Little Dragon
17. If One of Us Should Fall - The Slip
18. Adlai Stevenson - Sufjan Stevens
19. To The Stars! To The Night! - Le Loup
20. Selective Periphera - Ben Benjamin

The Monthly Mix

Customer: Do you have Soul?
Rob: That all depends.
- High Fidelity (2000)

Each month I make a mix cd. It takes a fair amount of time to make these. Finding new music, in the quantity that you need, each month, in order to make a quality mix is no simple task. February's mix is in "production". These essentially replace the radio for me. It's nice because I can look at my back catalogue over the year and I have 12 discs that make up what I listened to in 2005. I have just started the 2006 catalogue.

January's mix was entitled:

above is a dragon

The track list is as follows.

1. This Year - The Mountain Goats
2. Girl In The War - Josh Ritter
3. Off The Record - My Morning Jacket
4. Bed Is For Sleeping - Bonnie 'Prince' Billy/Matt Sweeney
5. Mornings Eleven - The Magic Numbers
6. Star Bodies - The New Pornographers
7. All I'm Thinkin' About - Bruce Springsteen
8. Joy! Joy! Joy! - Sufjan Stevens
9. Stream Running Over - Apples In Stereo
10. Hurt - Johnny Cash
11. Love's Lost Guarantee - Rogue Wave
12. Time Bomb - Goldspot
13. You Are the Rake - Sufjan Stevens
14. In the Sun (Featuring Joseph Arthur) - Michael Stipe
15. The Salt Islands - Cub Country
16. Tristan and Iseult - Tarkio
17. Snow Is Gone - Josh Ritter
18. Upside Down - Jack Johnson
19. Gold Lion - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

A Little Boot Heel Down

Latest BOB Monthly Mix has couple of instant classics (in my book at least) from Rogue Wave, Vedder, and Ritter. This one is getting a lot of air time around the house these days.

1. Solitary Gun * Rogue Wave
2. Starting * matt pond PA
3. Great Big Mind * Josh Ritter
4. Moth's Wings * Passion Pit
5. Lisztomania * Phoenix
6. My City of Ruins [Live from the Kennedy Center Honors] * Eddie Vedder
7. I Will Live on Islands * Josh Rouse
8. Symphonies * Dan Black
9. Cornbread and Butterbeans * Carolina Chocolate Drops
10. Give it up * Diamond Rings
11. Something In Common * Free Energy
12. Last Song * Clogs
13. Rain Keeps Falling On You * One-Eyed Mule
14. I'll Never Leave You * Rogue Wave
15. Howl * Florence + the Machine
16. Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo) [feat. Jim Jones & Mos Def] * BlakRoc
17. This Too Shall Pass * OK Go
18. Take It In * Hot Chip
19. Radio * Hackensaw Boys
20. Red Lights * Vib Gyor
21. Another Whiskey * Turley

Long Day, Live Ritter

Getting a little live Josh Ritter on today - downloaded about 10 live tracks that are available on his website last night and just hit play as I stare down the length of a long late afternoon following a morning that started at 6 AM. Long day is still ahead. Go get the tracks here.

destined for the screen

1. Riptide  `  Vance Joy

2. Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams)  `  Daft Punk

3. San Francisco  `  The Mowgli's

4. The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?)  `  Snow Patrol

5. Take Me to Tomorrow  `  Dave Matthews

6. Chain Gang  `  Freshlyground

7. Come Around  `  Transplants

8. Sun up Sun Down (feat. Christian Campbell)  `  Brooke White

9. Darcy Farrow  `  Josh Ritter & Barnstar!

10. The Moorings  `  Andrew Duhon

11. Leeward Side  `  Josh Pyke

12. Paradise  `  City and Colour

13. Young Fathers  `  Typhoon

14. Something Missing (feat. The Mowgli's)  `  Jensen Reed

15. You & I  `  Crystal Fighters

16. I Don’t Mind  `  Sebadoh

17. Fall At Your Feet  `  Boy & Bear

18. From Afar  `  Vance Joy

19. Jolene  `  Ewert and the Two Dragons

20. The Hurry and the Harm  `  City and Colour

21. St. Louis Gal  `  Cécile McLorin Salvant

Thieving Irons (ex-Pela Guitarist Nate Martinez)

Streaming a bunch of tunes from a band called Thieving Irons tonight who is on tour with Josh Ritter these days. The band is the first solo effort of ex-Pela guitarist Nate Martinez. Here's a video and a couple links if you are interested.

Go stream a slew of songs from the Thieving Irons at Sound Cloud.
Official web site

silvery, silvery citibank lights

I'm not sure why many of you would be excited about the release of a long overdue Monthly Mix...seeing as I still have a pile of envelopes and boxes with your names on them, all filled with "...the plot that you passed." But still, here she is. And I'll head to the post office before I head out of town for Thanksgiving. I promise.

1. Bread & Water «» Ryan Bingham
2. Down Together «» The Refreshments
3. Australia «» The Shins
4. The Opposite of Hallelujah «» Jens Lekman
5. The General Specific «» Band of Horses
6. Images «» The Selmanaires
7. Livin' In the Future «» Bruce Springsteen
8. Black «» Okkervil River
9. The River «» Josh Ritter
10. Incredibly Drunk On Whiskey «» Memphis
11. Breakdown «» Jack Johnson
12. The Other Side «» Ryan Bingham
13. God and Money «» The Ike Reilly Assassination
14. Mistaken For Strangers «» The National
15. Cigarettes, Wedding Bands «» Band of Horses
16. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere «» Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
17. Guyamas Sonora «» Beirut
18. Time Is A Lion «» Joe Henry
19. Blue Collar Suicide «» The Refreshments
20. I Predict A Riot «» Kaiser Chiefs

it's the good ones that will last

It was not easy for me and my wife to pick or favorite tracks from all of the monthly mixes made in 2008, but we eventually settled on this list. And I would be lying to you if I told you we didn't have new contenders occasionally popping up in conversation when we listen to some of the mixes over again. Take it for leave it, here are the top 20.

1. Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur ~ Sigur Rós
2. The Ballad of the RAA ~ The Rural Alberta Advantage
3. Plus Ones ~ Okkervil River
4. Stay Positive ~ The Hold Steady
5. A Sunday Smile ~ Beirut
6. The Girl ~ City And Colour
7. Radio Song ~ The Felice Brothers
8. Flume ~ Bon Iver
9. Rocky Took A Lover ~ BellX1
10. Latitudes ~ Pela
11. Apartment Story ~ The National
12. Walcott ~ Vampire Weekend
13. Anytown Graffiti ~ Pela
14. Despite What You've Been Told ~ Two Gallants
15. She Wakes When She Dreams ~ Lucero
16. Backwards with Time ~ The Avett Brothers
17. High Heeled Stomp ~ The Figs
18. The Temptation Of Adam ~ Josh Ritter
19. Southern Comfort ~ Arrah and the Ferns
20. Heima (Studio Version) ~ Sigur Rós

dry spells, hard times

I am sure you will agree that this is a fitting title. Enjoy.

1. Silent Sigh ** Badly Drawn Boy
2. Good Man ** Josh Ritter
3. Consequence ** The Notwist
4. Glue Girls ** Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
5. Skylark ** Arrah and the Ferns
6. I Am John ** Loney, Dear
7. Closer ** Joshua Radin
8. The Girl ** City And Colour
9. Steady Rollin' ** Two Gallants
10. Night Mantra ** Renee & Jeremy
11. Your Arms Around Me ** Jens Lekman
12. Sinister In A State Of Hope ** Loney, Dear
13. Frankie's Gun! ** The Felice Brothers
14. Drawing Board ** Danny Schmidt
15. Country Caravan ** Blitzen Trapper
16. For Emma ** Bon Iver
17. Body In A Box ** City And Colour
18. Southern Comfort ** Arrah and the Ferns
19. Whiskey In My Whiskey ** The Felice Brothers
20. Cliff Song ** Danny Schmidt

Joe Pug - Hymn 101

Just picked up tickets to see Joe Pug open up for Josh Ritter in New Orleans. Very excited. Video of Mr. Pug found below, courtesy of BOB friend Cool Hand Luke.

Bon Iver - Lump Sum

Bon Iver has been on two monthly mixes in the past (dry spells, hard times and ...the plot that you passed). I am just wrapping up the latest mix and his song Flume is definitely on it. I guess this means that he is one of the better finds I have come across recently. The other bands that have made three appearances or more include the likes of Rogue Wave, Josh Ritter and the National. There are probably some others but those three come to mind easily. Enjoy this mellow tune with your late Sunday evening.

Vincible

I promised myself that I wouldn't post about the next mix I made until I finally got to the post office to mail some out. In about 30 minutes or less, I am headed to the post office on my way to the airport so I figure I am safe at this point...

1. You & Me * Dave Matthews Band
2. Last Time * The Jones Street Boys
3. Satellite * TV On The Radio
4. Daylight * Matt and Kim
5. The Runaway * The National
6. One Red Thread * Blind Pilot
7. Your Ex-Lover Is Dead * Stars
8. I'll Fight * Wilco
9. Don't Wanna Cry * Pete Yorn
10. Sanitarium * PT Walkley
11. A Lot of Moving * The Avett Brothers
12. Buildings & Mountains * Republic Tigers
13. Oh Night * The Jones Street Boys
14. Autumn Beds * Modest Mouse
15. So Far Around The Bend * The National
16. Nights Like These * Lucero
17. Quiet Little Voices * We Were Promised Jetpacks
18. Off I Go * Greg Laswell
19. Daydreaming * PT Walkley
20. Girl in the War (with String Quartet) * Josh Ritter
21. Hurt Feelings * Flight of the Conchords