Tribute to a Friend and a Few of the Best Sad Songs I Found This Year

    Ah, bad news, folks, as one of my favorite places in the whole blog world has called it a day. We are fading has decided to end his blog. This makes me very sad, for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that he provided such an honest, welcoming place to go, a refuge of sorts where I and a lot of other folks could take off our masks and say just about whatever we wanted, knowing that he would always listen.
    Another reason I'm sorry to see him go is because he was the source of so much excellent music. Music that spoke directly to me, sometimes scarily so (in that "how could someone else know what I'm feeling or exactly what I need to hear?" kind of way).
    So as a tribute to all the goodness that came from we are fading, I've decided to dedicate a few of the "best sad songs I found this year" to him. Several of these came from him, you should know, but I don't think he ever got on The Hype Machine, so you may have missed them the first time out. I hope he doesn't mind if I repost them.
Eastern Conference Champions--"Hollywood (featuring Maura Davis)" mp3 off The Southampton Collection EP (buy). Aw, geeze, this one just kills. Listen to the opening strains and tell me your heart isn't breaking already. I can't get this out of my head.
Ensemble--"Disown, Delete (featuring Cat Power)" mp3 off Ensemble (buy) Around the 1:47 mark, something incredible happens in this song. Give it time to unfold, you won't be sorry.
Luka Bloom--"Don't Be So Hard On Yourself" mp3 off Amsterdam: Live (buy) Wiser words were never said. Following this advice is harder than it sounds, unfortunately (she said kindly to herself).
Barzin--"Let's Go Driving" mp3 off My Life in Rooms (buy) This is ever-so-quiet and laconic, but really beautiful the way he asks her, "let's go driving away, just for today."
Cinerama--"Maniac" mp3 off John Peel Sessions, but you can find it on Va Va Voom (buy) Finally, one that's not quite as much of a downer, in that it has a bit of humor even as he begs her to come back home.
    And then there's this one. I think he would've liked it.
Cerys Matthews--"Open Roads" mp3 off Never Said Goodbye (buy)
    Can I just say that I think there is such a thing as too much loss?

tags: eastern conference champions  ensemble  cat power  luka bloom  cerys matthews  

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