Americana

By: timmyg | May 6th, 2009

There’s another great video by the Great Lake Swimmers out now. If you haven’t ever heard of this band, I highly recommend them. Here’s a sample:

They, like several other neo-folk/Americana bands, are gems. On top of the enjoyable hip(ster) electronic tunes, my playlist often carries a rotation of, well, Great Lake Swimmers, the Everybodyfields, the Low Anthem, Caleb Stine, (older) Okkervil River, Fleet Foxes, Shearwater, George Jones and others.

I’ll admit it — I am a sucker for dobros, pedal steels and fiddles. Even the simple and occasionally obnoxious Honky Tonk channel is a preset on my XM.

Yet I still can’t fully figure out why.

Is it because the twang and imagery in the songs hark back to simpler days, before this 24/7 technological twitter world? You know, where we stare at screens for 14, 15 hours at day? Or where people say they can email you the answer to your question from their phone by checking wikipedia on the same device.

Or because there’s some level of palpability when George Jones or Jill Andrews sing of heart break induced alcoholism that doesn’t sound phony or disturbing but, oddly, genuine? Or maybe its the simple act of narratives, something all but lost in most music now — unless you consider going to a club or typical teenage angst a story.

Take this Low Anthem song that tells a simple, straightforward story without reducing it to bubble gum.

I left Louisiana on the rail line
I left Louisiana on the rail line

Lost my love before her time
Lost my love before her time

I was trying to get to Ohio
Trying to get to Ohio

Now every new love is just a shadow
Every new love is just a shadow

‘Cause once you’ve known love you don’t know how to find love
Yeah once you’ve found love you don’t know how to find new love

All the way to Ohio
All the way to Ohio

Heard her voice coming through the pines of Ohio
I heard her voice singing in the pines in Ohio

She sang bless your soul you crossed that line to Ohio
Bless your soul you crossed that line

All the way to Ohio
All the way to Ohio