Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: Youniverse

November 29, 2015

Watch This: Vol. 103

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to the nature of these upcoming posts, a truncated version of this introductory paragraph will be appearing over the next several installments of this series.] It’s been quite some time since the 100th edition of Watch This went up on this site. There have been a lot of factors going into the extended interim but, as usual, a focal point of that absence was to make sure the preparation work was kept up to date. Full sessions, single song performances, DIY videos, and impressive turn-ins from radio stations abound. So, as always, sit back, adjust the setting, crank the volume, focus up, and Watch This.

1. Soul Low – Always Watchin’ Out (Radio K)

Soul Low have slowly been building up an impressive discography and staking out a respectable spot in Wisconsin’s music scene. “Always Watchin’ Out”, the lead-off track from this year’s Sweet Pea EP, is their finest moment to date. Radio K recently had the band swing by their studio to deliver a blistering take on the song, which packs even more punch live than it does on record.

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2. Mikaela Davis (Consequence of Sound)

One of the most unexpected sets I saw over the course of 2015 came from harpist Mikaela Davis, who was part of Johanna Warren’s NYC release show for nūmūn. It was also one of the most beautiful. In the basement, it was just Davis– apart from a few songs she shared with Warren– playing solo. Consequence of Sound invited Davis and her full band into their treehouse for a captivating two song session that showcases the emerging songwriter’s prestigious talents.

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3. PUJOL (WKNC)

Every now and then, it’s necessary to just cut loose and blow off some steam. In those moments, there are few acts who seem more naturally suited to be the soundtrack than Pujol. No-frills rock n’ roll at its finest, it’s the musical equivalent of the kind of party that doesn’t leave a trace of bitter aftertaste. In this three song spree for WKNC, the trio rips through a few highlights that are surprisingly substantial for how light and airy they appear at first glance.

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4. Timeshares – Heavy Hangs (Little Elephant)

When Timeshares at their absolute best, they recall the finest moments of bands like Lucero and The Drive-By Truckers. They’ve never been better than “Heavy Hangs”, an impassioned cut from 2015’s Already Dead, the strongest record of their career. Shedding any hints of Fat Wreck influence in favor of a Southern drawl served them well on record but it works even better in performance.

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5. Day Wave (KEXP)

Just as Pujol seemed perfectly suited to those perfect kind of parties, Day Wave’s locked into breezy, consequence-free days. KEXP had the band come in for a session and the young quartet capitalized in full. Here, they deliver a five song showcase of their latest material that feels as comfortably lived-in as it feels refreshing. There’s not a weak track or performance here, just an emerging act intent on making the most of any opportunity that comes their way.

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November 9, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 54

With another week of predictably great live outings behind us, it’s time to look back on some of the best videos to surface in that stretch. It’s also another week were limiting the selections to five can be frustrating, as it means excluding things like S’ gorgeous KEXP session and an equally stunning set from She Keeps Bees for bandwidth. That said, the fact that those aren’t in the featured five is a particularly strong indicator for this week’s overwhelming strength. Full sets made a sizable impression and secured three spots in this series’ 54 installment while Watch This returns to Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ Austin City Limits session and pays a visit to a soul legend. There’s a lot of memorable material on display, all of it worthy of a serious amount of admiration. So, as always, sit back, mute the world, let all of the distractions dissolve, adjust the volume to appropriately blistering levels, relax, and Watch This.

1. PUJOL (KEXP)

PUJOL’s The United States of Being was the kind of quiet career-making record that had the potential to push the band onto the radar’s of some influential people. However, any time that happens it also heavily increases the levels of expectation for a follow-up. A contract with Saddle Creek and one excellent record later, PUJOL’s doing their best to put those doubts to rest. One thing that’s never been in doubt? The band’s ability to deliver a killer live performance, which is exactly what they turn in via this blistering (and absurdly fun) four-song set for the unfailingly great KEXP.

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2. Lee Fields – Don’t Leave Me This Way (La Blogotheque)

There are few things more reassuring to see than a person being celebrated for doing something they both excel at and clearly love. In their most recent video for their acclaimed Take Away series, La Blogotheque turned their lenses on soul legend Lee Cooks delivering a powerful performance of “Don’t Leave Me This Way” to a group of appreciative bystanders, accompanied only by a guitarist. It’s a staggeringly beautiful reminder of Fields’ natural prowess as a performer and an incredible moment that was lovingly captured for everyone to visit (and revisit) for years to come.

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3. Ex Hex (WNYC)

Rips was one of 2014’s best reminders of classic rock’s curious longevity. The Mary Timony-led Ex Hex specializes in creating the kind of timeless earworms that aren’t tied down to any particular scene or movement, just the band’s commitment to the project.  Here, they confidently make their way through three songs from one the year’s most carefree records for WNYC, seeming as poised as ever. Timony’s a naturally gifted leader and a charismatic vocalist, all of which ensures that no Ex Hex performance is worth overlooking.

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4. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (Austin City Limits)

“Jubilee Street” was one of the most mesmerizing moments on Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ latest career highlight, Push the Sky Away. Live, it takes on new life and breathes a new kind of fire with a surging outro that progressively increases the tempo. Easily one of the band’s most impressively massive live songs, the performance they delivered for Austin City Limits was predictably inspired, with Cave flying from the mic to the piano, becoming as frantic as the song itself over repeated cries of “I’m transforming; I’m flying; I’m vibrating; look at me now!”- directions that become impossible to ignore as one of the greatest bandleaders in the history of music sheds all traces of inhibition as his band urges him forward and lets him sink his teeth into yet another transcendental performance.

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5. Saintseneca (KEXP)

Watch This‘ 38th entry included one of the most beautiful videos this series has ever had the pleasure of featuring; Saintseneca’s Tiny Desk Session. Unsurprisingly, the band hasn’t lost an ounce of their touch and deliver yet another brilliant performance for KEXP. Easily one of the most intriguing bands to carve out a name for themselves in 2014, their brand of subtly punk-influenced Appalachian folk helped turn Dark Arc into a very real candidate for Album of the Year. Here, the band runs through four songs and hit a series of impressive grace notes, making room for standout takes of the painfully gorgeous “Fed Up With Hunger” and the driving “Happy Alone”. All told, it’s a perfectly timed reminder of a band and record worth their acclaim.

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