| Monday, May 28, 2007 |
| MOTW #15: Lakes - White Flag |
Hey all... I have recently been commissioned by Phil to help out with writing the MOTW, and this is my first time posting, so I thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Jill, and I have been a faithful (read: obsessive) switchFeed reader since waaay back in the day (you know, a whopping five months ago ;)). I run a podcast called Ears to Hear, which plays some amazing independent music, and I'm very excited to be helping out with this column, because it gives me the perfect opportunity to share with you some of my favorite indie artists. So without further ado, let's get into the music talk...
For my first MOTW, I have chosen a band that I just found out about a couple weeks ago and that I haven't been able to stop listening to since. The band is called Lakes and is led by former Watashi Wa frontman Seth Roberts. The band formed in June of 2006, signed to Militia Group, and released their first EP, Photographs, in September of last year. The album is a clean, upbeat one; the songs are written in a catchy, melodic form of indie rock that just begs you to keep the album on repeat. But Lakes doesn't sacrifice intelligent lyrics for catchy hooks; this EP is full of lyrics that are honest, insightful, and generally poetic in nature.
The song I want to share with you today is the last track on the EP and is called "White Flag". While the rhythms and melody lines of this song make it appealing, it is the subtle details of the instrumentation that make it addicting. The verses are dominated by Roberts' vocals, backed by sparse guitars, drums, and banjo (gotta love the banjo), before being joined by a full band for the chorus. I love the fact that you can hear each instrument clearly throughout the song, so there's something fresh to hear with each listen. The lyrics are strong throughout the song, culminating with the heartfelt plea of the bridge:
And if I'm lost and alone,
If I'm empty and dry,
If I have nothing to give,
Could you bring me inside?
Would you bring me inside?
I'm a sucker for songs with great drums, so my favorite part of this track is definitely the chorus that picks up after the bridge, which features the perfect mix of drums, group vocals, banjo, and hints of acoustic guitars. It's an excellent ending to a song that will both catch your ear and make you think. I hope you enjoy it!
A side note: While it's not a prominent part of the song, it is interesting to note that Mike Herrera of MXPX contributed background vocals to this track.
If you like this song, I encourage you to also listen to "Indian Lover", which is up on Lake's MySpace page. And then you might as well pick up a copy of the EP, and make your ears happy. :) Enjoy!
Lakes - White Flag
Official Website | MySpace | Buy the Photographs EP | Download Photographs on iTunes | About This Column | RSS
Lyrics:
I'll be coming home by the end of this song.
I'll read you what I wrote
And let you have what you own.
If I could find a flag, could you please make it white?
I know this is right, I know this is right,
And I'm beginning to see
I always thought that I had to change the world,
But my world came down tonight.
I thought that I had to win the war,
But I'm so lost in the fight.
And so I'm letting this be, and I'm beginning to see.
I've got to let this be.
Feed me to the birds if it helps them grow strong.
Or take this all away, if it's part of the song.
Or feed me what I need, if you'd like me to fight.
I know this is right, I know this is right,
And I'm beginning to see
I always thought that I had to change the world,
But my world came down tonight.
I thought that I had to win the war,
But I'm so lost in the fight.
And so I'm letting this be, and I'm beginning to see.
I've got to let this be.
I've got to let this be.
And if I'm lost and alone,
If I'm empty and dry,
If I have nothing to give,
Could you bring me inside?
Would you bring me inside?
I always thought that I had to change the world,
But my world came down tonight.
I thought that I had to win the war,
But I'm so lost in the fight.
And so I'm letting this be, and I'm beginning to see.
Labels: mp3 of the week |
posted by Jill @ 7:00 PM  
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| 17 Comments: |
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I was shocked to see another post when I checked back tonight, but I'm glad there is one of course.
On first listening I quite like that song, definately worth a few more listenings. I particularly like the second half, I think the drums were more dominant, or maybe I just got more into the song. Good MOTW! :)
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Hey Hey people! www.myspace.com/tmgnashville
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Good post, Jill. I look forward to hearing more from you in the future. Glad your on our team :)
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I like that MOTW. Good choice Jill!
The vocals are a little rough but that actually adds to the overall sound instead of detracting.
I found this part of the lyrics interesting "Feed me to the birds if it helps them grow strong.
Or take this all away, if it's part of the song."
Those are two lines are very creative and paint a strong imagery.
Nice!
And the last 50 second are RAD. I love that
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Great post Jill!! Okay this made me uber excited...a band I haven't heard of WOOT!!!
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LOVE this song. the ear-candy instrumentation and clean production make for an incredible mix. great start, jill.
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oh and the lyrics are awesome. reminds me of the saying "you won the battle (fight) but lost the war". I so identify with it, how I can get lost in the fight, losing sight of the war i.e. the bigger picture.
but i'm beginning to see.
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hooray for jill! the only person who can make motw better than it already is! RealMusic expert and indie rock extrodinaire. So glad you're here!
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welcome jill!
I like the motw. I look forward to future ones.
:D
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I feel so loved. :)
@ nat - I'm glad you like it. It's definitely worth a bunch of listens... I like it more every time I hear it. :)
@ vicky - ha, the militia group is by far my favorite label, and I'm moving to Nashville in 3 months, so your shameless plug was perfect for me. :) and thanks for the welcome! I'm also glad to be part of the team.
@ Jeanna - Thanks! I like the rawness of his vocals - it gets away from the overproducedness of most mainstream music, and creates a sound that is much more honest and accessible, in my opinion. and I agree, the end of the song is super-sweet!
@ Brittany - haha, I also love finding new bands... it's one of my great joys in life. :)
@ Phil - you're my hero. that's all. ;)
@ Rose - hmmm, thanks??
@ Sarah - well, thanks. I'm glad to be here!
@ x3beccamariex3 - Glad you like it! and I look forward to posting future ones!
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I like it!
Wow. Awesome lyrics...
Jill, you definitely have me into looking forward to future MOTW comming from you!
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OMG! I bought this cd off of emusic a while back. emusic gives away one free song everyday and I think white flag was it.
Another band you should look into is Mending Point. Although they broke up in 2005? they are really good :)
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Wow I love this MOTW. Thanks Jill. You came with the right song!
And yeah - gotta love the banjo in this one!
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I really liked the song. I love the MOTW. It helps me become a little bit poorer every week. =P Great job Jill!
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Thanks for the MP3. I really like the sound.
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@ rinni - agreed. this song has great lyrics. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I look forward to sharing more music with you in the future!
@ siera - haha, awesome. eMusic is a sweet site - I've also found a bunch of great artists on there. I'll definitely check out Mending Point. Thanks for the rec!
@ emily - yes, banjos are wonderful and probably every band should use them... :) I'm glad you enjoyed it... thanks for the kind words!
@ melissa - thanks! I also have a sick music-buying obsession that eats away more of my paycheck than I would like. but I guess it's worth it for good music. :D
@ jennifer - you're welcome. :) glad you like it!
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I was shocked to see another post when I checked back tonight, but I'm glad there is one of course.
On first listening I quite like that song, definately worth a few more listenings. I particularly like the second half, I think the drums were more dominant, or maybe I just got more into the song. Good MOTW! :)