This tune off Damien Jurado’s new album, Maraqopa, contains perhaps my favorite lyrics in the set. Collected within a simple folk structure, wordless hummed hook, and a deceptively upbeat feel are verses capped off with a number of cutting couplets. It’s unclear who the poor sap is that let Jurado down despite being formerly “more like a hero,” but let’s hope they can handle hearing Elliott Smith-worthy bites like this: “So fed up still you’re starving on paper / You are no him, but he’s you, only better.” Then again, as Smith used to say, songs should never be assumed to be autobiographical; they’re more like dreams. So when this Seattle songwriter adds that he’s “only seen photos of Washington,” it’s safe to presume we’re merely scratching the surface. Whatever specific story, if any, might be lurking within this dark undercurrent, it sure sounds pretty here. Watch Jurado perform an inspired solo-acoustic version at a restaurant in Amsterdam for FaceCulture below:
Third Man Records Unveil Tom Jones & Jack White Single
Sir Tom Jones returns with perhaps his most entertaining turn in the spotlight since that Carlton Banks duet on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Here’s the official stream, thanks to Third Man Records.
Hear The Rosebuds Cover Talking Heads
In which another indie band shares their impressive tribute to the über-influential New York outfit.