Mailbag: Hip Hatchet – Men Who Share My Name

These past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Hip Hatchet‘s Men Who Share My Name album.  Hip Hatchet hails from Vermont, and is the work of Philippe Bronchtein (vocals, guitar, clarinet, saxophone, piano) and several of his friends.  The songs are acoustic, featuring traditional instruments like clarinet, bassoon, and violin, and are built with delicate harmonies and spacious arrangements.  Indeed, the album reminds me of the wide-open Vermont spaces that I’ve so often wandered – especially those moments when the Sun finally fades, and one is left only with conversation to hold the night back.  To me, the sound of this album seems imprinted by Winter and woodland, and carries all the warmth and determination of a soul that has passed through those things time and again.

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Things I Should’ve Mentioned…

Hey, everyone!  Back from France and Luxembourg, and ready to get down to action.  Lots of stuff piling up in the mailbag, and lots more in the semi-permanent, “temporary” bookmarks folder… So, let’s get down to business.  Here are some of the news stories that I’m about to get all Lewis Black on:

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On Vacation!

Hi, everyone!  Sorry for the lack of updates around here… I’m on vacation (again) in France, and will be back on Tuesday.  I’ve got lots of great stuff waiting to go from the mailbag, and the usual other bits and pieces.  So, hang in there, and have a great week!

Mailbag: He and Him – At the Foot of Mount Tabor

Honestly, is there anything better than getting great, free music in the mail?  Such is the question I’ve been asking all evening, as I sit and listen to He and Him‘s delightful At the Foot of Mount Tabor.  He and Him is a recent collaboration between Douglas Jenkins (Portland Cello Project) and David Shultz (David Shultz and the Skyline).  The music is a rich combination of acoustic guitar, cello, and a warm baritone vocal.  The kind of sound that reminds you of Summer evenings – those simpler times, perhaps out on the porch, with friends and fireflies.  In a nutshell, if you’re feeling a little out of place, it’s almost certainly “just what the doctor ordered.”

Follow me to read more, and hear the music:

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News: Billy Bragg Covers Joanna Newsom for The Voice Project

We’ve mentioned The Voice Project before, and I’d really suggest you check out our previous post or visit their site.  That said, we’ve shown you videos from Peter Gabriel, Joseph Arthur, and Mike Mills.  In that Mike Mills video, we were treated to a cover of Billy Bragg’s “Sing Their Souls Back Home.”

And now, it’s Bragg’s turn to give us a cover of Joanna Newsom’s “On a Good Day.”  It’s a lovely, intimate version, and I won’t waste any more time by trying to render it in prose.  So, follow me, check it out, and then go visit the fine folks of The Voice Project:

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