Músicas que irão te acalmar, farão o tempo passar feliz.

Faixas do álbum:

1. Chariot

2. Jesus

3. Dogs

4. Elephant

5. Junkyard

6. Bush

7. Windy

8. Grass

9. Glue

10. Up

11. Finders

12. Trampoline

13. Goodness

14. Feather

LINK – Hello, Dear Wind

Parece com? Pedro The Lion, Sufjan Stevens.

Vídeo com a música Chariot.

Enjoy o/

I took my dog for a walk … all the way from New York to Florida … I said to him, “There. Now you’re done.”

- Steven Wright

Fetch, Finn! Now sit, Sunny! Stay. Good pups!

That’s right, in a deliberate attempt to boost our Arbitron ratings Great River Radio has turned the show over to our dogs. Well, not the entire show. Our “Confluence” segment this week has a canine theme. We’ll have dog-related songs from Big Mama Thornton, Page France, Josh Ritter, Uncle Tupelo and Louis Armstrong. And as always we’ll mix in a few listener requests, including selections from Patty Griffin and John Hiatt. But despite their best efforts, Finn and Sunny won’t run the entire show.

There’s a Great River Radio tradition of digging through mountains of MP3s to bring you some of the best new music around. We’ve been working extra hard this week to unearth new tracks from Richmond Faintaine, The Avett Brothers, Brandi Carlile, Dirty Projectors, Tom Waits, Sharon Jones, Har Mar Superstar, Martha Wainwright, Girls, Echo & The Bunnymen and the Raveonettes. Haven’t heard of some of these artists? That’s OK. Give us a listen, and you might discover a new musician to add to your own heavy rotation.

Great River Radio will be “live” today from 4-6 p.m. (CST).

Brian/Dan

P.S. Great River Radio will be off next week for Thanksgiving. Give thanks and have a great holiday with family and friends!

Playlist

Maybe-Ingrid Michaelson
Crown of Ages-The Ettes
Ten Thousand Words-The Avett Brothers
Green Grass-Tom Waits
Stranded In Your Love-Sharon Jones and Lee Fields
So Hard-Martha Wainwrights
Lust For Life-Girls
8th Wonder-The Gossip
Tall Boy-Har Mar Superstore
Take It In-Hot Chip
Hound Dog-Big Mama Thornton
My Dog & Me-John Hiatt
I Wanna Be Your Dog-Uncle Tupelo
Dogs-Page France
Feed The Dog-Honey Is Cool
To The Dogs Or Whoever-Josh Ritter
Yellow Dog Blues-Louis Armstrong
Heavenly Day-Patty Griffin
I Will-Brandi Carlile
The Underdog-Spoon
The Preacher-Brother Ali
The Chosen One-The Raveonettes
I Think I Need It Too-Echo & The Bunnymen
Wild Girl-Rickie Lee Jones
Island, IS-Volcano Choir
Stillness Is The Move-Dirty Projectors

A banda começou como um projeto solo de Michael Nau em 2oo4, mas logo muitos membros entraram aos poucos até fechar a formação atual para tocaram seu som meio pop, meio fofinho <3 rs. já lançaram três cds em apenas tão pouco tempo ativas e contam muito com a internet para sua divulgação, fora os EPs e os singles. Na época que eu fui atrás de baxar, foi bem difícil achar um link que não fosse torrent ou recorrer ao soulseek, então espero que apreciem o que trago.

Aqui para download o álbum … And the Family Telephone      Download

1 – The Ruby Ring Man

By Brad East

WHEN: 2004-2008

CULPRITS: Michael Nau (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Whitney McGraw (vocals, glockenspiel, keyboard), Clinton Jones (drums), Jasen Reeder (bass) / Miscellaneous: B.J. Lewis, Bryan Martin, Chris Morris, Matt Smith, David Tracy

ALBUMS: Come, I’m a Lion (2004); Hello, Dear Wind (2005); Pear / Sister Pinecone EP (2006); Tomato Morning EP (2006); …and the Family Telephone (2007)

HOW: I was introduced to Page France in the most dramatic and immediate of ways. In the fall of 2006, I randomly bumped into my old freshman roommate, Kyle, on campus and, he being one musically in the know, asked him what he was listening to at the moment. He gave two bands: Horse Feathers and Page France. I took (and take) Kyle’s word on music as gospel truth, so the moment I got back to my apartment, I found Page France on iTunes, and upon listening to a single 30-second clip, I immediately ordered the entire album. This was back in my antiquated days of valuing the tangible CD, so after waiting a few days I held in my hands Page France’s sophomore work, Hello, Dear Wind.

Put simply, it was a masterpiece.

WHY: As I continued playing the album, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and more, how no one had told me about them. It was sincere astonishment. The lyrics, the consistency, the fun, the thematic arc, the power and swells and climactic outros — everything was perfect!

My favorite story about the power of Hello, Dear Wind is from later that fall, when visiting home in Austin. I was at my friend Heath’s house, and we were heading over to my house across town in separate cars. I was dying for him to hear the album, but in the glory of its fullness, so I gave him the CD with the explicit instructions to listen to it in its entirety, with no distractions, the whole way over. As I got out of my car 40 minutes later, having arrived at my house, I walked over to his car only to see the windows down, the gentle, closing chords of the last song filling the quiet air, as Michael Nau’s laconic, hopeful voice faded away. Heath’s face said it all: he’d been had. And he was hooked.

SONGS: For a while I wasn’t interested in doing a list for Page France, because I didn’t feel like the rest of their catalogue matched the singular achievement of Hello, Dear Wind. Their first album is a healthy step in the right direction, and the later EPs and third (and, prematurely, last) album went in different, more goofy, less substantive directions. I even considered just making the 80MFL mix the whole of Hello, Dear Wind and leaving it at that.

However, as I listen to the 26-song mix, it is actually exactly the sort of eclectic, oddly representative experience of encountering the music of Page France that a newcomer needs. It is unapologetically all over the place, intimating obsessions with odd and mundane and transcendent themes, acoustic and experimental and bursting with life — all rooted in the fantastic worlds woven by the poetry and thin but numinous voice of Michael Nau.

All I can say for this mix is: hang in there; it’s a wild ride.

THERE’S MORE: Though the band called it quits early, Nau and McGraw have formed a new collaboration called Cotton Jones, which has already released one full-length album. I have no doubt this is not the last we will be hearing from them!

LINK: Click on the list below to view the 80MFL iMix or go listen to Page France for free on Lala.com!

SAMPLE SONGS:

“Goodness” from Hello, Dear Wind

“Chariot” from Hello, Dear Wind

“Mr. Violin and Dancing Bear” from …and the Family Telephone

______________________________

Brad East is co-creator and editor of 80 Minutes For Life, and blogs at Resident Theology. He is currently in the middle of his Master’s of Divinity at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and loves Wilco, Mexican food, the San Antonio Spurs, and attending midnight showings at the Alamo Drafthouse with his wife. Also, he is from Texas.

I’ve always wanted to make a list of all the bands I can think of that would be amazing to see in concert. I’ve finally got around to doing this. This of course will be a wonderful growing list as I go on in life but here is what I have so far. I open to suggestions so feel free to leave any.

There is one or two I have seen already but would be happy to re-live the experience.

Manchester Orchestra
Iron and wine
Sufjan Stevens
Mewithoutyou
David Crowder
Becoming The Archetype
Coldplay
Copeland
Daft Punk
Death Cab For Cutie
Family Force Five
Fly Leaf
Foo Fighters
The Gabe Dixon Band
House of Heroes
The Glorious Unseen
Imogen Heap
Jack Johnson
Jason Upton
Linkin Park
John Reuben
The Mars Volta
Mute Math
Motion City Soundtrack
Page France
Phil Wickham
The Raconteurs
Underoath
Regina Spektor

http://www.mediafire.com/?umdjmojmqdd

*What words do you live by?*
MN: Wake up. – full thing here

http://www.mediafire.com/?midwjyyqyk5

i guess these songs are unreleased.

http://www.mediafire.com/?jgzg4ozmnem

Page France was an American indie folk-pop music band that played melodic and emotional music. – from wikipedia

http://www.mediafire.com/?znjvd14hkjk

it’s a hopeful wish, but you can sense the weight of loss and helplessness behind it. – from a review

Michael Nau of Page France

here’s a telephone
here’s a window
here’s a little dove to tell you how the wind blows

i’ve got a black heart
i’ve got a shadow
i’ve got a little dove that drags me off the ladder

you got a halo
a heart of gravel
little worms come out my darling rotten apple

i plucked the harp strings
until my hands bleed
but when that eye blinks ill be buried in the tree leaves

here’s a plague to you
my darling soldiers
here’s a little dove to land upon your shoulder

my precious children
you know i love you
but i’ve got news we’re gonna have to get rid of you

you thought you knew me
i thought i knew you
the little dove came down and ride away through you

i’ve got a black heart
i’ve got a shadow
i sent a little dove to push you down the ladder

little bell
don’t you get so worked up with all the
fire in hell
is waiting just to burn us we can
jump and yell
no ones looking for us
you can ring your bell but everyone ignores it

Goodness – Page France

Talvez o melhor.
Nem sei, só sei que é gigante.
Muita atenção a partir do minuto 1:40
Enjoy.

Este imeem é miseravel mas é o unico sitio onde encontro o som. Provavelmente não vao conseguir ouvir o som todo ao carregarem no Play. Portanto se quiserem, cliquem no link e curtam. Não liguem á panaleirada da pagina

Som – Windy

O imeem deu problema por isso mudei.

Oiçam Feather que não consigo encontrar.

Mas volto a dizer que considero estes gajos muito parecidos com The Shins, e que para mim, são das melhores coisas que tem aparecido.

Cotton Jones have a new Daytrotter session check it out and download the 3 songs there…

Cotton Jones: By A Garden Of Beleaguered Thorniness And Cool Skin Ripples recorded May 27, 2009.

Ah, summer. After searching around Aquarium Drunkard, I found the perfect summer record: Paranoid Cocoon by Cotton Jones (sometimes referred to as Cotton Jones Basket Ride). Former Page France members Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw teamed up to make this seasonal offering. Summer just got a new soundtrack, everybody.

Opening track, “Up a Tree (Went This Heart I Have),” would go great with a countryside drive in July. The catchy guitars complement Nau and McGraw’s smooth, Southern harmonies (interesting, considering Cotton Jones is based out of Maryland).

“Gotta Cheer Up,” with haunting harmonies, seems like the dark drive back on a deserted stretch of road. 

Backed by Nau and McGraw’s distant echoes, the breezy “Some Strange Rain” is the track I’d play if I were gazing out the window at the rain. The album’s perfect pondering-jam, it makes boredom sound really melodic.

“Gone the Bells” inspires urges to go for a sunny, lazy stroll. How can you resist when Nau gently sings, “I was looking for your heart through the flowers in the park.”

One thought comes to mind after listening to the instrumental “Photo Summerlude:” So this is what summer in the ’60s sounded like.

“By Morning Light” is another “summer’s doldrums” track. The laid-back whistles throughout make you want to relax on a quiet porch as the sun sets.

Wavy, meditative imagery such as “ships in the evening sun” in “Cotton & Velvet” justifies the lyric, “There was no sadness / No, nothing was wrong.” 

The band switches things up with the chugging “Little Ashtray In Sun.” It’s a song a cool ’60s kid would play on an 8-track on his or her way to a beach party.

“Blood Red Sentimental Blues,” Paranoid Cocoon’s staple campfire-sing-a-long, is built around a simple rhythm. But, simplicity is all we want during our carefree time in the sun. Its tap-worthy groove is among the standouts on the album.

The closer, “I Am the Changer,” has a somber tone to it. It plays like the end of a great summer you don’t want to end.

Why can’t summer get here, man?

~ Mike Estabrook

enjoying friends, community of people who care and are just as messed up as i am. and to remember what that cost, and why i am free to love and love. i find good friday to be the great reminder of why i am alive, and where i pray to be going. God drives me forward and makes me grateful for where ive come from. i think i can some it all up in this song

chariot by page france
last night, me and good friends got together for “make-your-own-sushi night”. good food, good friends, good coffee, good cake, good friday! harhar. it was a good day.

learning to make sushi!!

neutral milk hotel frontman jeff magnum once said “my love for christ has more to do with what christ said and believed in.  the church put this bullshit around it and made it this at-times really evil thing.  if you attach man to anything, he’s gonna fuck it up somehow.  you think that’s too cynical?”  in the past twenty or so years there have been many indie rock musicians who either have expressed faith in christ through their music, or whose personal faith has been an obviously major influence on their songwriting, though not explicitly being overtly “spiritual”.  in my humble opinion no singer/songwriter has made more meaningful and introspective music then david bazan.  as pedro the lion he crafted my own personal favorite album of all time, it’s hard to find a friend, and followed that and the 2 ep’s he’d released prior to it with 3 indie acclaimed albums – winners never quit, control and achille’s heel, all on the jade tree label, a hub for some of today’s best indie artists.  bazan’s songs were like a crazy mixture of flannery o’connor’s dark tales and soren kierkegaard’s existential philosophy set to music.  but, somewhere along the way bazan apparently lost his faith.  that being what it is, he still made it well known in the indie crowd that one can be a person of sincere faith and still an incredible musician.  and, dare i say, “hip” and/or “cool”.  some of these artists came before bazan, some are friends, and some have come since.  here are 10 videos by indie rockers down with the jesus (side note:  this is NOT “christian rock”, which applies to crappy CCM – aka contemporary christian music – knock offs who take 5 year old riffs and add christianese lyrics to it, adding further embarrassment to all of christendom – as if we needed more!).  these people are the real deal.

sufjan stevens is clearly at the head of the pack.  soof had been making music, both as a solo artist and also as part of the danielson famile, for a while before he crafted the hipster album of the year in 2005 with the amazing illinois.  my personal favorite is seven swans, but everything he touches is gold as far as i’m concerned (maybe with the exception of enjoy your rabbit).  here is “for the widows in paradise, for the fatherless in ypsilanti”.

daniel smith is a quirky genius from jersey.  he and his siblings began making very eccentric spiritually themed music in the early to mid 90’s and signed with the infamous tooth & nail records as the danielson famile.  i highly recommend the danielson documentary , it’s amazing.  here’s “did i step on your trumpet?”.

denison witmer is a friend of soof and co-collaborator who comes from philly and has been making records since 1995.  witmer was well known in his local indie scene and amongst the “cool christian” crowd via philly label burnt toast vinyl, but had an indie scene break through in 2005 with are you a dreamer?, which featured a lot of soof.  denison is also a close friend & co-collaborator with rosie thomas.  there were many better quality videos online then this one, but this is my favorite song by witmer.  here is “breathe in this life”.

the aforementioned rosie thomas began playing with velour 100, and on tour met david bazan and damien jurado.  following this she relocated to seattle (home of both musicians) and appeared on jurado’s ghost of david album.  jurado’s label at the time, the acclaimed sub pop records, signed her after this and she released 3 albums on the label.  her most recent work, these friends of mine, was self released and featured bazan, jurado, witmer and soof, and included a cover of r.e.m.’s “the one i love”.  rosie also crafted a wonderful christmas album last year.  from her 3rd album, here’s “pretty dress”.

damien jurado needs to be much more well known.  a close friend of david bazan (his 2000 album ghost of david was named after bazan and the cover features a polaroid of bazan’s wife).  jurado released his debut in 1997 on sub pop, and has been making amazing albums since.  2002’s i break chairs was a more electric band-driven effort (featuring his friends gathered in song) produced by bazan, and along with his sophmore effort rehearsals for departure and last years caught in the trees, i highly recommend you pick it up ASAP.   from caught in the trees, here’s “caskets”.

over the rhine is a husband & wife duo from ohio that my man shane is a huge fan of and is one of those bands that i’ve said i really need to get more into for a long time.  OTR’s debut came in ‘91, and they’ve become critical darlings since, particularly embraced by the wonderful paste magazine (actually, the first issue of paste featured an interview with bazan & jurado).  their catalog is fairly prolific, check them out if you are unfamiliar.  from their 2005 album of the same name, here’s “drunkard’s prayer”.

derek webb began in the CCM market with the band caedmon’s call.  he actually achieved platinum success with them in the 90’s, but left in ‘03 to make solo music.  webb has been active in various ventures, including the non-profit to write love on her arms, co-founding noisetrade and endorsing ron paul in the last presidential election.  webb encouraged readers in patrol magazine to not vote at all if they felt they were voting for the lesser of two evils.  so, needless to say, i think he’s wicked cool   i recommend mockingbird, a nice collection of songs that touch upon faith, social justice & political themes.  here’s “blood of the lamb”.

the vigilantes of love hail from athens, georgia and are fronted by bill mallonee.  the name of the band comes from the new order song “love vigilantes” (wicked cool) and legend has it that at 10 years old, mallonee was hit in the head with a foul ball at a mets game and went to the hospital, where he shared a room with woodie guthrie, who was receiving treatment for huntington’s disease.  VOL achieved some critical acclaim as part of the athens scene and continue to play today.  my personal favorite song of theirs is “she walks on roses”, which i couldn’t find online, so instead here’s “all the mercy we have found”.

page france existed briefly, releasing material on suicide squeeze records, and was led by michael nau who now fronts the cotton jones basket ride.  from their sophmore album  here’s “chariot”.

the innocence mission could very well be considered the original jesus loving indie rockers.  they began in the early 80’s, and had breakthrough success, signed to A&M records and making appearances on shows such as late night with david letterman.  they continue to make new materia, and have a new album scheduled for release soon.  here’s “brotherhood of man”.

p.s. this was a cool site i stumbled upon.  check it out.  bored again christian.

Michael Nau of Page France has formed a new band, Cotton Jones, with Whitney McGraw and their low-key melodies are perfect for a lazy summer afternoon. Cotton Jones’ debut album, Paranoid Cocoon, is full of great tunes like “Gotta Cheer Up,” “Up a Tree (Went This Heart I Have),” and “Blood Red Sentimental Blues.” 

This sunny album is going to get more spins once I emerge from my winter hibernation.

Enjoy this live performance of “Blood Red Sentimental Blues.”

Cotton Jones – Gotta Cheer Up

Stand out track from Cotton Jones’ second full length and first for Suicide Squeeze records, driven by former Page France duo Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw. Paranoid Cocoon may be a collection of “quiet, wooden psychedelia”, but this one is infectious enough to melt away all the usual genre-restricting adjectives.

Buy

MySpace

Photo by Urizen

Who? Cotton Jones, from the previous Cotton Jones Basket Ride, formerly known as Page France

What? Sixties induced folk

Sounds like? The Doors in a folkmood, eh…he reminds me of the M. Ward  sound sometimes (very warm)

I usually not blog about bands who are bit more known, just because i don’t see any use in doing what every blog does. Then again, Page France is maybe not that well known, and his current project Cotton Jones not at all. I think the band name change (the last album was from Cotton Jones Basket Ride) has something to do with that.

That being sad, his newest album ‘Paranoid Cocoon’ is an amazingly warm-sounding folk album. Michel Nau’s sound has evolved from a sort of Death Cab for Cutie-like sound to a more folk-oriented approach. I’ll add one song of the new album, which reminds me of the Doors. And also a song of Page France, which is as warm as well.

Cotton Jones -Up A Tree (Went This Heart I Have)

Page France – Mr. Violin and Dancing Bear

You can order his new album through Paypal (go to his myspace) or his label Suicide Squeeze (although the flash-pages on that site didn’t seem to work with me. So i just assume they have it) . Also take a look at Quite Scientific, who ahs released albums as well.

Originally published at Tone Marrow Reviews.

Growing up in West Tennessee, I knew better than to expect much snow during the fall and winter months because it wasn’t cold enough for it. Instead, we had an endless gray ceiling hanging over our heads from November to March. I’m convinced those days would have been easier to bear if I’d had a record like Paranoid Cocoon on hand. These countrified, psychedelic pop songs roll along like the sleepy ocean waves which were as infrequent in my childhood as snow. Cotton Jones manage to capture a sadness that is deep, but blissful. The tunes seek out the languishing soul, not to aid in wallowing, but to uplift. In that way, the songs on Paranoid Cocoon are not unlike modern day versions of the Old Testament Psalms in their ability to wed lament and hope.

It isn’t a stretch to hunt for biblical allusions in the songs by Cotton Jones (recently shortened from The Cotton Jones Basket Ride) because the group’s songwriter, Michael Nau, also penned songs as the front man of the now defunct indie-folk band, Page France. Their music was known for including interesting theological language and imagery, this was particularly true of their terrific 2005 album, Hello, Dear Wind. When Nau announced in 2007 that Page France was no more and that he would be focusing his creative energy on Cotton Jones, his side project with fellow Page Francer, Whitney McGraw, many fans were worried that the Page France sound would be no more. Shortly thereafter, a string of respectable Cotton Jones’ EPs proved those fears to be reality. So it is fitting that on the opening track, “Up a Tree (Went this Heart I have),” Nau sings out, “Shake me up, Shake me up/I’ve got to get to something new,” because with Cotton Jones he certainly has.

The acoustic guitars form the foundation here while the electric guitars and organs float through the songs applying touches of country, rock, and gospel where needed–a move that would surely make M.Ward proud. The record clearly puts forward a specific atmosphere that make the songs seem to flow together. At times, it’s difficult to recall when one song ended and the next began, but this isn’t a negative because the individual melodies are memorable. You ingest the album as a whole, a fabric that shouldn’t be divided. “Little Ashtray in the Sun” does stand out just a bit as it takes things up a notch in it’s perky mood but it’s perfectly placed near the end of the record, lifting the music up in preparation for it to calmly drift away again.

The voices on Paranoid Cocoon often sound like they are being sung through a tin can or being delivered from some kind of, well, cocoon. This slight distance doesn’t alienate the listener, but bids them to lean in closer. They sing about love lost and love longed for and in one of the saddest songs in the set, Nau tells himself that he’s “Gotta Cheer Up Now.” Yet, the songs never come across as mopey or schmaltzy, they seem genuinely heartfelt and carefully level-headed. Nau has left behind the tenor yelp of Page France and sings in a much lower register here and it really works. The lower tones fit these tunes perfectly and help to further remove Nau from the plethora of nasally, male indie singers out there. Nau has matured in his songwriting since his days of leading Page France as well. Previously, his lyrics were full of imagery and were emotionally touching, yet, they were a little thin both musically and lyrically. His words are more subdued now, freed up from some of the heavy-handed imagery on previous records.

Nau’s skill for writing simple songs that pack an emotional punch has only increased in the last couple years and his vocal harmonies with McGraw have never sounded better. While groups like Fleet Foxes and She & Him garnered critical accolades last year by crafting beautiful songs using ’60s and ’70s folk/pop conventions, Cotton Jones tap into the hazy, druggy vibes of the hippie movement from the same era. They have created a gorgeous blend of folk, rock, gospel, and country, all the while maintaining a light psychedelic edge helped by the presence of the Rhodes organ which at times is brings The Doors to mind. The songs feel fresh and altogether outside of time. Paranoid Cocoon has a palpable sadness, but it’s a kind of resurrection sadness that leaves you feeling renewed afterward. Cotton Jones have crafted a record that, true to it’s title, is soaked in sorrow and paranoia with an undeniable hope just under the surface from which a simple, dreamy beauty emerges.

Grade: A-

Growing up in West Tennessee, I knew better than to expect much snow during the fall and winter months because it wasn’t cold enough for it. Instead, we had an endless gray ceiling hanging over our heads from November to March. I’m convinced those days would have been easier to bear if I’d had a record like Paranoid Cocoon on hand. These countrified, psychedelic pop songs roll along like the sleepy ocean waves which were as infrequent in my childhood as snow. Cotton Jones manage to capture a sadness that is deep, but blissful. The tunes seek out the languishing soul, not to aid in wallowing, but to uplift. In that way, the songs on Paranoid Cocoon are not unlike modern day versions of the Old Testament Psalms in their ability to wed lament and hope.

It isn’t a stretch to hunt for biblical allusions in the songs by Cotton Jones (recently shortened from The Cotton Jones Basket Ride) because the group’s songwriter, Michael Nau, also penned songs as the front man of the now defunct indie-folk band, Page France. Their music was known for including interesting theological language and imagery, this was particularly true of their terrific 2005 album, Hello, Dear Wind. When Nau announced in 2007 that Page France was no more and that he would be focusing his creative energy on Cotton Jones, his side project with fellow Page Francer, Whitney McGraw, many fans were worried that the Page France sound would be no more. Shortly thereafter, a string of respectable Cotton Jones’ EPs proved those fears to be reality. So it is fitting that on the opening track, “Up a Tree (Went this Heart I have),” Nau sings out, “Shake me up, Shake me up/I’ve got to get to something new,” because with Cotton Jones he certainly has.

The acoustic guitars form the foundation here while the electric guitars and organs float through the songs applying touches of country, rock, and gospel where needed–a move that would surely make M.Ward proud. The record clearly puts forward a specific atmosphere that make the songs seem to flow together. At times, it’s difficult to recall when one song ended and the next began, but this isn’t a negative because the individual melodies are memorable. You ingest the album as a whole, a fabric that shouldn’t be divided. “Little Ashtray in the Sun” does stand out just a bit as it takes things up a notch in it’s perky mood but it’s perfectly placed near the end of the record, lifting the music up in preparation for it to calmly drift away again.

The voices on Paranoid Cocoon often sound like they are being sung through a tin can or being delivered from some kind of, well, cocoon. This slight distance doesn’t alienate the listener, but bids them to lean in closer. They sing about love lost and love longed for and in one of the saddest songs in the set, Nau tells himself that he’s “Gotta Cheer Up Now.” Yet, the songs never come across as mopey or schmaltzy, they seem genuinely heartfelt and carefully level-headed. Nau has left behind the tenor yelp of Page France and sings in a much lower register here and it really works. The lower tones fit these tunes perfectly and help to further remove Nau from the plethora of nasally, male indie singers out there. Nau has matured in his songwriting since his days of leading Page France as well. Previously, his lyrics were full of imagery and were emotionally touching, yet, they were a little thin both musically and lyrically. His words are more subdued now, freed up from some of the heavy-handed imagery on previous records.

Nau’s skill for writing simple songs that pack an emotional punch has only increased in the last couple years and his vocal harmonies with McGraw have never sounded better. While groups like Fleet Foxes and She & Him garnered critical accolades last year by crafting beautiful songs using ’60s and ’70s folk/pop conventions, Cotton Jones tap into the hazy, druggy vibes of the hippie movement from the same era. They have created a gorgeous blend of folk, rock, gospel, and country, all the while maintaining a light psychedelic edge helped by the presence of the Rhodes organ which at times is brings The Doors to mind. The songs feel fresh and altogether outside of time. Paranoid Cocoon has a palpable sadness, but it’s a kind of resurrection sadness that leaves you feeling renewed afterward. Cotton Jones have crafted a record that, true to it’s title, is soaked in sorrow and paranoia with an undeniable hope just under the surface from which a simple, dreamy beauty emerges.

Stream the album while you can.

Cotton Jones
Paranoid Cocoon
Suicide Squeeze, 2009
Rating: 4.0/5.0

Loving, Sweet, Cathartic, Celebratory, Tender

Page France on Myspace

Click To Buy 'Hello Dear Wind' From Amazon

Just a quick one today, this time from the recently defunct band Page France.

Chariot

(Low Quality D/L)

(High Quality Stream)

I found this band on www.daytrotter.com, which is a great site by the way. If you’re into Okkervil River, Billy Vision and the Dancers, Page France, or similar bands then you’ll want to check these guys out. The Envy Corps are a little darker and a little heavier but in the best ways possible. They have one album out now called, “Dwell” that was released in 2007. I guess I’m a little late with this album but trust me, it’s nice. You can get the album on itunes right now.

The Envy Corps – Rhinemaiden

Their Myspace
Their Homepage