^wow that is a lot of music to listen to.... great act for sure..
I been listening to a lot of Silver Jews the past few days..I'm amazed that being such huge pavement fan I kind of slept on these guys.. i mean i been listening to them for years now but I definitely was late to the party. .. glad I saw their black cat show..
I wasn't feeling it with the silver jews
maybe I wasn't steeped in the catalog, but snoore
well the albums are fairly different...the only constant is Berman's kind of Lou Reed-ish slacker speak sing delivery of some great lyrics..the personnel alternates on the albums.... American Water is very Pavement...did you try that one? But then again I don't even think you're much of a Pavement fan so... the last one they put out something called Lookout Sea Lookout Mountain I think is pretty cool ..also a lot of Pavement vibe but Berman's wife Cassie Berman is so good on the backing vocals...
Berman's lyrics can be pretty astounding stuff...
I'd be shocked if you heard something like the first track on American Water- Random Rules- and didn't like it..its pretty frickin' great.... I'm talking as good as it gets:
In 1984 I was hospitalized for approaching perfection.
Slowly screwing my way across Europe, they had to make a correction.
Broken and smokin' where the infrared deer plunge in the digital snake.
I tell you, they make it so you can't shake hands when they make your hands shake.
I know you like to line dance, everything so democratic and cool,
But baby there's no guidance when random rules.
I know that a lot of what I say has been lifted off of men's room walls.
Maybe I've crossed the wrong rivers and walked down all the wrong halls.
But nothing can change the fact that we used to share a bed
and that's why it scared me so when you turned to me and said:
"Yeah, you look like someone
Yeah you look like someone who up and left me low.
Boy, you look like somene I used to know."
I asked the painter why the roads are colored black.
He said, "Steve, it's because people leave
and no highway will bring them back."
So if you don't want me I promise not to linger,
But before I go I gotta ask you dear about the tan line on your ring finger.
No one should have two lives,
now you know my middle names are wrong and right.
Honey we've got two lives to give tonight.