So, Does Everyone Hate Cass McCombs?

hmm, cover not showing?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OjfST998zjM/T1aAs4wDjAI/AAAAAAAAAg0/hmKmBSoeWko/s640/artworks-000017586003-kchx9l-original.jpg

I keep listening to the new Grizzly Bear record and liking it musically but it's reminiscent enough of McCombs' stuff that when I start trying to get anything out of the words, I just put on Catacombs instead. Cass is unparalleled as a lyrics writer right now imo.

Catacombs is really, really great. i've kind of been obsessed with "you saved my life" lately. it's such a spacious song, and the lyrics kind of sink into the open spaces after they're delivered and flood them with afterthought. yeah, a much more genuine and less laboured performer than the likes of Grizzly Bear.

Underrated dude. Those last three albums are just beautiful.

he's opening for John Cale on the West Coast next month
I saw him a couple of weeks ago in a tiny bar in brooklyn, apparently taking a break from recording to play some new tunes. Angel Blood sounds like the best to me, but this was my favorite of those I hadn't heard before
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZgTvERl2b4&feature=plcp

I played "County Line" a hundred times a week in January and February.

new song
http://theskateboardmag.com/videos/?__mr_id=67587

also this recent live clip has a cool Tinariwen groove
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_HNep_A8q8

huge double album coming out in October

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/img/bp/cass-mccombs-lp.jpg

Big Wheel and Others

Disc 1:
01. Sean I
02. Big Wheel
03. Angel Blood
04. Morning Star
05. The Burning Of The Temple, 2012
06. Brighter!
07. There Can Be Only One
08. Name Written in Water
09. Joe Murder
10. Everything Has To Be Just-So

Disc 2:
01. It Means A Lot To Know You Care
02. Dealing
03. Sooner Cheat Death Than Fool Love
04. Satan Is My Toy
05. Sean II
06. Home On The Range
07. Brighter! (Featuring Karen Black)
08. Untitled Spain Song
09. Sean III
10. Honesty Is No Excuse
11. Aeon Of Aquarius Blues
12. Unearthed

damn, that's a lot of cass

I just impulsively pre-ordered it. The more Cass the better.

Where is the pre-order link? This is the best news I've heard all day!

Got it. Pre-ordered vinyl. Psyched!

Ah, sorry! Followed stories back to the website myself.

To many records to buy... they never stop.

The new album sounds good on first listen but it's goddamn long.

it will take me months to get through this thing

he was so fucking great at Basilica Sound Scape, damn

I met the guy who draws the cover art and he was really cool too

all in all, thumbs way up

the new songs sounded great live, and lotsa hits from Wit's End, Humor Risk too

"County Line" is one of the classics of the new decade imo.

i was on the fence about seeing him (it's on a monday) but i just checked and he's got an excellent (and non-obvious, pairing-wise) opener in arbouretum so i guess i'm there

Aw I was going to go to Bascilica but decided it was too much to figure out in the short term. Saw him at Maxwell's a while ago and it was magical.

Haven't heard the album yet, but "Brighter!" is lovely.

http://www.npr.org/2013/10/06/228850503/first-listen-cass-mccombs-big-wheel-and-others

Oh man... what a great year it's been for music.

It's an okay album, dabbling freely in western tropes. Karen Black steals the thing. Also: it's long.

Just okay, huh? I'm three tracks in and already having a great time with it.

wait till you get to the nine-minute one in which he murmurs "They say Indians are for India" over and over.

"Classic Cass!"

The player keeps locking up for me, this last time everything went back to 0:00 so I'm not going to bother.

yeah at Basilica there was a full moon in the sky and it lined up beautifully with the highest window and right when Cass was singing "County Line" I looked up and saw him and the moon and it was pretty heart-melting, frankly

one of those moments of performance that sticks with you

"Classic Cass!"

― Evan, Monday,

"classic my ass!"

"County Line" is one of the classics of the new decade imo.

otm

Liking what I'm hearing from this album so far but not expecting any song to top 'County Line'.

It might be unfair to expect a new song to top that!

so far nothing as good as County Line (or You Saved My Life) but lots of good stuff on here. The jazzy instrumental is my surprise early fave

there's one instrumental that sounded like McCombs doing Manassas.

i've listened to 40 cass songs today. via youtube playlist. cass kinda day.

he is a very mood-dependent artist to me.
sometimes it could be a cass kinda day, but sometimes he is boring as fuck.

I feel that way about his less accessible stuff, though "Dropping the Writ" is a top 15-20 all time record for me so it is not so dependent.

listening to the new album on the npr stream. don't like the stream sound on my computer though. stuff i was hearing on youtube sounded better.

he sounds like he's been listening to my hero Lawrence on "There Can Be Only One". lyrically and inflection-wise, sounds like Felt-era Lawrence. to me.

which is, you know, third-gen Lou, but whatever.

Couldn't get further than four tracks before the stream failed multiple times for me. That's OK though because I just got an email from Domino with the full download. Apparently because vinyl production got delayed. Oh well.

i switched to the guardian stream of the album.

Angel Blood- Morning Star- Burning of the Temple- Brighter- There can be only One is an amazing sequence of songs.
Disc two hasn't sounded good to me, but might just be due to fatigue. I should try listening to it first.

I love the whole thing! I'm fighting the lukewarmish current here and declaring this to be another great record. Very happy with it.

yeah, i'm digging this a bunch too! especially the run of songs that mizzell mentions. might have to delete the "Sean" interludes from the playlist soon. i also need to start a listening session on the second half, because it's true that by the time i get there i'm usually focused on another activity and they just drift by.

Though "It Means a Lot To Know You Care" I'm afraid is making my co-workers think I'm taking an elevator to the produce section.

There's a great string of songs at the end too - Untitled Spain Song, Honesty Is No Excuse, Aeon of Aquarius Blues

Keepers: "There Can Be Only One," both versions of "Brighter" (but prefer Black's), "Honesty is No Excuse," "Dealing," "Morning Star."

didnt realize that "Honesty is No Excuse" is a thin lizzy cover