brazos | Hooves on the Turf

secret garden video series October 10, 2011

Bedroom songs with Brazos

Brazos is Martin Crane—and your next favorite “new” band. They’ve got a full-length from 2009 (Phosphorescent Blues) and two EPs, that I know of, from 2007 (Feeding Frenzy and A City Just As Tall). All three are really really good. The opposite of dull and a foe to the generic, you know what I mean? You can look up the full-length on Spotify (since you’re all spoiled by now), and get the EPs on iTunes (listen to the Daytrotter version of “Mrs. Virginia” and tell me if it isn’t just hilarious).

The 18-minute video, filmed in Bushwick, Brooklyn, features five songs, three of which are new. I’ve included a little about each at the end of this post.

posted by sarahana

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Monday Mix July 19, 2010

Monday Mix, Vol 6

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Sun-soaked new music* for making your Monday Morning smell like salt.

“When They Fight They Fight” by Generationals
“Lifted” by Lemonade
“Bigg Boy” by Quiet Hooves
“Endless Spring” by Houses
“Real Love” by Delorean
“Grip” by Hume
“Tea Lights” by Lower Dens
“Long Long Time To Go” by Wet Dog
“Tell” by Brazos
“All That Shit Again” by Squirrelhouse

*and the occasional old

posted by sarahana

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i'm crushing on July 9, 2010

Brazos, good old indie rock

Now that lo-fi twee pop is destined to hit ad spots and television shows before you can say Death By Audio, prepare for the inevitable return of unpretentious indie rock in the murky waters of Short Attention Span Music Industry 2014 (maybe).

For a break from “cool music” to “good music”, I’ve been revisiting 2009; the album is Phosphorescent Blues by Austin’s Brazos, mostly the work of singer Martin Crane. As a singer, Martin is comfortable swinging between weeps last wept by Jeff Buckley and wails last wailed by Andrew Bird, without staying in those territories for too long before frolicking in clearly what’s his own. As a band leader, he’s recruited musicians who can dress his songs the way he wants for their marching out in the parade. I assume the album was self-produced, but whatever the case, the production is pretty perfect (restrained, precise, cliche-free), and a whole lot mature than the misfortune some professional producers have bestowed upon several otherwise fine indie bands (however, a band must be held responsible for picking a bad producer).

A point of irreversible bedazzlement for me is the take on Adrienne Rich’s poem, “The Observer”. As it is, giving lyrics a rhythm that feels like its own flesh is a true achievement. But to take a beautiful poem, already immersed in its own rhythm, and to give it new hair, new nails, new blood, new legs, and still have it be the same girl turned into a certain kind of woman, is an extra achievement.

I hear new album is in the works, and I hope it’s more of the goodness, without the suffering of the second album syndrome. For now, I really recommend you add Phospherescent Blues (available in vinyl!) to your collection.

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Download “The Observer“, “Day Glo“

posted by sarahana

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Monday Mix June 21, 2010