Today’s feature is a wonderfully simple and poised song, composed and performed by Conor.  Released from the I’m Wide Awake and It’s Morning album in 2004, the song depicts the daily struggle of two people facing depression.  The title of the song comes from the Portuguese word for moon, and possibly a number of Hawaiian language references made throughout the verses.

Enjoy the song, and remember to quote the Flaming Lips;

“It’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning round“

d

I know that it is freezing, but I think we have to walk
I keep waving at the taxis, they keep turning their lights off
But Julie knows a party at some actor’s West side loft
Supplies are endless in the evening by the morning they’ll be gone

When everything is lonely I can be my own best friend
I’ll get a coffee and the paper, have my own conversations
with the sidewalk and the pigeons and my window reflection
The mask I polish in the evening by the morning looks like shit

And I know you have a heavy heart, I can feel it when we kiss
So many men stronger than me have thrown their backs out trying to lift it
But me I’m not a gamble, you can count on me to split
The love I sell you in the evening by the morning won’t exist

You’re looking skinny like a model with your eyes all painted black
Just keep going to the bathroom, always say you’ll be right back
Well, it takes one to know one, kid, I think you’ve got it bad
But what’s so easy in the evening by the morning’s such a drag

I got a flask inside my pocket, we can share it on the train
And if you promise to stay conscious I will try and do the same
We might die from medication, but we sure killed all the pain
But what was normal in the evening by the morning seems insane

And I’m not sure what the trouble was that started all of this
The reasons all have run away, but the feeling never did
It’s not something I would recommend, but it is one way to live
Cause what is simple in the moonlight by the morning never is

It was so simple in the moonlight now it’s so complicated
It was so simple in the moonlight, so simple in the moonlight
So simple in the moonlight…

For those of you who have never attended, imagine Glastonbury as a smelly field, but imagine it too as a place that weird moments can just lift you up and take you somewhere you never imagined. I’ll admit I’d had a few beers (and nothing else), but when Moby played his final tune of the night… the sun was setting directly opposite the stage. The crowd weren’t lively, they were stood watching in amazement at the beautiful melody that Moby creates again and again. Repeating himself, but seemingly never repeating himself.

Not the biggest hit of all, but I’d heartily recommend you put this on your alarm clock, and let it wake you up for a week. You’ll feel truly alive.

Regards as always,
d

The rest of the Ten album is masterful too, an almost perfect debut pitched against a 90’s teenage youth full of angst with the world. They met it head on, and clashed beautifully with its raw power and force. Ultimately it would propel Pearl Jam into the limelight, hitting the top 20 in six countries. If you had an older brother in the nineties, this is what he listened to.

It would be easy for me to select a song from Ten, they are all wonderful. But you should buy it, play it endlessly, and wonder how you lived without it.

I’m choosing Do the Evolution, track 9 from the 5th Jam album Yield.

Enjoy
d

McAlmont and Butler formed in 1994 with both Butler and McAlmont having already experienced success in the music industry. Butler was the guitarist in the indie band Suede, until his departure during recording of their second album. McAlmont, a soul singer with a 3-octave range, had been part of the duo Thieves with Saul Freeman, who released a few singles and had opened for Morrissey during their career. An album of their sessions was subsequently released under the name McAlmont in 1994.

McAlmont and Butler’s first single, “Yes”, was released in May 1995, and reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart. A second single, “You Do”, reached number 17 in October. They made a handful of television appearances, but before they could tour, the band had an acrimonious breakup. Their recording sessions had produced enough material for an album: The Sound of McAlmont and Butler was released early in 1996 and made number 33 in the UK Albums Chart.

After pursuing solo careers for several years, Butler approached McAlmont about working together again, and the duo resolved their issues. The first single of their new collaboration was Falling, released in 2002, which reached number 23 in the UK singles chart. The second single, Bring it Back, and an album, Bring it Back, were released later that year. They also contributed a cover of Take That’s “Back for Good” to the NME’s charity compilation War Child.

Several additional songs were written and recorded with the idea for a third album, but this project was put on hold when Butler joined his former Suede bandmate Brett Anderson to form a new band, The Tears.

I for one hope they return together, and reach the wonderful highs of “Yes”

d