Songs for Wednesday // Swear and Shake, Hip Hatchet and more

'Suddenly'- Swear and Shake
One mighty fine, sadly sweet gem of a song.
Website: http://swearandshake.com/

'Rotary'- Sam Moss
A perfect song to daydream while listening to.
Website: http://sammoss.net/

'Pain Love'- Typhoon
Things that will improve any day: a new jam from Typhoon.
Website: http://wearetyphoon.com/

'Child's Hand In Dirt'- Hip Hatchet
Seriously- go get this album. It's perfect for rainy spring days and
long, thinking nights.
Website: http://hiphatchet.tumblr.com/

'Son of a Gun'- Brendan Losch
A little bit of M.Ward, a little bit of Lord Huron and a whole lot of fantastic. One of the better songs I've heard the last few months.
Website: http://brendanlosch.blogspot.com/

Brendan Losch - Son of a Gun

'Halls of Columbia (Live on KEXP)'- Pickwick
We've been over this before, but it bears repeating: you should be very, very into Pickwick.
Website: http://www.pickwickmusic.com/

VV's Favorite EPs of 2011

#10.Crystal Stilts - Radiant Door (Buy)

 

#9. Kingsley Flood - Colder Still (Buy)

 

#8. Typhoon - A New Kind Of House (Buy)

   

#7. Conrad Plymouth - Comrade Plymouth (Buy)

   

 
#6. Pickwick - Myths (Buy)

 

#5. Milo Greene - The Hello Sessions (Buy)

 #4. Ivan & Alyosha - Fathers Be Kind (Buy)

#3. The Wooden Sky - City of Light (Buy)
 

#2. Spirit Family Reunion - Self-Titled (Buy at a show)

 

#1. Alabama Shakes - Alabama Shakes EP (Buy)

 

Get to know Typhoon

Words // Adam Sharp

You’d be hard pressed to find another band like Typhoon. They are 13 (or so) members strong, and, while lead singer Kyle Morton writes startlingly dark lyrics, they produce some of the most infectious, triumphant and intense music you’ll find. Their sound is a study in contrasts: between deathly quiet and riotous crescendos, between lyrics that cut deep and rhythms that make you want to stomp your feet and clap your hands, and between the delicate melodies and blaring horns and yelled choruses.  Whether you know it or not, you need to be listening to Typhoon.

There’s a point around the 2:10 mark of ‘The Honest Truth’ where I find it impossible to stop myself from stomping and yelling along, no matter the setting I find myself in. I’m inclined to believe that you may not be alive if you can keep still from that point on in the song.

I feel as though ‘Summer Home’ is a pretty perfect example of what makes Typhoon so special. The words are heavy, a rumination on those childhood memories we can’t relive and the struggle to let go of it all, but, like all Typhoon songs, there’s a sense of redemption and hope underlying it all (this time in the form of handclaps and that age old question: can you wait for summer?).

Typhoon - Summer Home

‘Common Sentiment,’ an unreleased song they played as part of their recently released debut Daytrotter session, proves that the best is yet to come for this band. There’s just something about this song that causes me to hit the repeat button each time it’s done.

Typhoon - Common Sentiment