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Frida Hyvönen - "Jesus Was A Crossmaker"
Judee Sill died of a drug overdose in 1979 at the age of 35 after releasing two classic collections, Judee Sill and Heart Food. Frida Hyvönen offers a gorgeous take on the California folkie's '71 track "Jesus Was A Crossmaker" for Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill (9/22, American Dust). We asked her about it.
What's your history with Judee Sill? I was introduced to her music by music writer Andres Lokko, who brought me her CD's as a gift, on the release night of my first album. Fell in love, madly.
How did you decide to cover "Jesus Was A Crossmaker"? I like the anxiously soothing almost-believing prayer that is repeated over and over in the song: "Sweet Silver Angels over the sea, / Please come down flying low for me..." It's one of those songs that do you good when you sing it. You can play it forever. Last week I performed it with a symphony orchestra, which was glamorous, but somehow didn't feel right. I think I prefer to play this song at home -- it's so internal, not like a story you want to declare loudly to someone, but a story you tell your self into. I think that's the case with most of Judee's songs. They are intimate.
What's the song mean to you To me the song tells of looking for something beyond a good/evil duality, looking for a ... third thing. It's telling a story in order to understand something.
Wild Beasts - "We Still Got The Taste Dancin On Our Tongues" Video
Wild Beats' previous Two Dancers video for "All The King's Men" was set in a mystical forest peopled with various fair maidens (and the band). Luke Seomore and Joseph Bull, aka Institute For Eyes, pilot us toward some actual wild... (more)
The Thermals - "Canada"
This week the world turns its attention to our northernly neighbor for Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics. Not everyone's enthused. While the Thermals' one-off ode to Canada has no direct relation or reference to the world's most celebrated international pissing contest,... (more)
YACHT - "Holiday" (Weezer Cover)
Fun fact: according to Jona Bechtolt, his YACHT partner Claire L. Evans "...used to run the #2 most-popular Weezer fansite." Consider this cover a fan tribute then. "Holiday" is available on YACHT's recent iTunes Session EP, but you can listen... (more)
Bright Eyes/Neva Dinova Reissue Gets Four New Tracks
The original collaboration record One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels came out back in 2004, but the groups reunited last fall to write and record new songs at Mike Mogis's Omaha studio. The ten-track album will be out March 23.... (more)
