Judee Sill

She wrote so poetically and hopefully about spiritual longing, that I can’t help but think about her life. This is another profound song from her debut. I love the melody and hopefulness — this prayer for Lady-O, whoever she is. I love those beautiful strings a 1:18 that tee up a perfect chorus. And somehow Henry Lewy hits the reverb just enough so it feels otherworldly yet still human.

Judee was recording her third record in ‘79 when she died of a drug overdose at just 35. 💔

Judee Sill

I love the emotion in her songwriting — an overwhelming sense of hope drives it, even though the imagery and ideas are esoteric, dramatic. Another two and a half minute jewel of a song — I love this guitar and Judee’s melodic vocals are magical. You can hear that beautiful 70’s analog in Henry’s masterful recording. And I love the little touches — those “ooo’s” at 1:15, 1:50 are so perfectly realized.

I coulda sworn I heard my spirit soarin'
Guess I'm always chasin' the sun

Judee Sill

Watching these intros and then Judy perform gives me the chills. What a talent. These rising vocals against that Bach-esque piano are gorgeous, addictive. And just knowing Henry Lewy produced her first two records, I know he gave her tremendous freedom — which was uncommon back then. No doubt Henry created a safe, studio environment for her to write, sing and perform — a place for her to manifest beauty. And this beauty — what we see and feel in this live performance — was preserved on these studio recordings. Just listen to Henry’s tracks on her self-titled debut JUDEE SILL and her follow up HEARTFOOD. ❤️

Judee Sill

Songwriting doesn’t get much better than this — a perfect little two and a half minute gem.

Today I was thinking about Judee’s voice and this one in particular as it reminded me of Flannery singing along with it when she was nine. I love the song’s innocence, but also the poetry and how the philosophy runs deep.

This is the opener to Judee’s overlooked self-title debut back in 1971. Listening to it now, I’m stunned it was not a commercial success. So love the way she sings and articulates. And the entire record holds up — Henry Lewy’s analog recording and mixing in the studio are incredible.

Crayon Angel songs are slightly out of tune
But I'm sure I'm not to blame
Nothing's happened, but I think it will soon
So I sit here waiting for God and a train
To the Astral plane

Mark Kozelek

The first time I heard this song I was living in a cheap Klamath Falls hotel room making a film called Phoenix, Oregon. Something about this song inspires a lazy, care-free feeling in me. It’s another story song and I love how Kozelek tells it — and it’s a long one with some crazy, uncensored details. It almost gives you a sense of what it feels like to live in Kozelek’s head. The contradictions. The happiness and sadness. The happy days and the worries. All of it is taken out in the hot sun, by dancing around in his backyard with a cathartic weed whacking session. Very cool video too, worth a look at the creative animation. The Spotify quip is priceless and you gotta love the anecdote of him hearing his own music playing in the town coffee shop and having a surreal conversation about it. 😊❤️

Sun Kil Moon

I think of Theresa every now and then — and her two daughters. I imagine her playing Cat Stevens in her Ohio living room. I hope she is alive and doing well. But in this song, she’s sick and Kozelek is visiting her and her kids in their hometown.

Kozelek has these songs where he’s weeping about friends or reaching out to them. There’s a side to him in these stories where he expresses his love for his mom, his dad, his sister — random friends. It would be fun to compile all these in a playlist.

And this song just rocks with a Neil Young Crazy Horse guitar riff and some of Kozelek’s best vocals — heart wrenching stuff as he longs for his childhood in Ohio and feels the anger of the sickness that could be taking down Theresa. 💔

Mark Kozelek & Jimmy LaValle

There is a palpable, melancholy ache in this love song. I love the pace and stream of consciousness of the wordy verses vs this simple, beautiful chorus.

Caroline
You're always in my heart
Caroline
Though I've lied before and I don't deserve your —
Caroline
I don't deserve your kindness
Caroline

Kozelek seems to be coming clean — not just about some of his dark demons but also his deep love and devotion to his girlfriend Caroline. There are sweet little moments of intimacy he reveals and longs for. And I always dig his boxing references.

Mark Kozelek & Jimmy LaValle

This track is from an underrated collaboration called PERILS FROM THE SEA. Alas, it was not the huge success that The Postal Service was. Still, it’s terrific and it’s a record I go back to a lot.

Love this song and it makes me think about friends I knew, loved, admired and lost. It’s worth reading the comments below the video on YouTube. It’s a track that has moved a lot of people to comment.

Amason

Today I was in a strange mood after being out of state filming…and I wanted to break my current pattern. I wasn’t feeling 2022 this morning and so I decided to take the time machine back to 2014. I found my top 60 songs of that year and hit shuffle. I know very little about Amason, except they are a Swedish super group who I played a lot in 2015 when their debut LP SKY CITY came out.

I am mostly Swedish but can’t speak it — so I love hearing these amazing vocals from Hajen (!) in the language my ancestors spoke. This song jumped out and I’m now remembering certain Amason songs I will revisit. It’s been awhile and she can really sing. What a melody. I get why they are called a super group — you can feel it. Love the bass and choir-humming chorus. Great tune that surprised me this morning since it’s the last track on their Flygplatsen EP that came out quietly after their major release. By the way, Ålen means Eel in English and I had no idea what the song’s about, until I found this live version on YouTube. So great, worth a watch! You can follow along with translated English burned-in captions.

Random Rab

Long way to say this song brings to mind that idea. Each day, small moves towards what we desire. If we can be even just a little more free? Then it’s a victory. Love Rab’s subdued, melancholy, deep register vocals in this. This is one of those tunes that gets stuck in my head. ❤️

I don’t want to fall / I think I might want it all / I just need to be / A little more free

Random Rab

This was the first Rab song that hit me: this guy is really good. And I mean amazing-good and allwhile living right here in Ashland. Mind blowing — because I’m hearing Depeche Mode and Lou Barlow and something new, fresh and original. It was this particular single that brought me in. It felt almost post-punk, electronic. Melodic with a groove. Great vocals. A masterful single that still sounds really amazing. Just put it on my weekend travel playlist. ❤️🔥🎬

Random Rab

Often score and needle drop music play a big part in creating powerful subtext in good filmmaking. And this Random Rab song was always about the Aliens in our film Phoenix, Oregon — just the simple idea that maybe they are on our side instead of against us. I love the little bit of sampled dialogue in the track at 3:35 —

These instruments detect the unseen forces that swirl around these distant worlds.

I love this groove — the danceability, the mix, the electronic instrumentation. It’s a little melancholy, like Bobby is, but mostly it just makes you feel good. I’m so grateful that Rab allowed us to use it in the film. For me it’s a perfect bit of song casting.

Random Rab

This song is so beautiful and perfect. The final “I’ll be letting go now” refrain is an all timer for me that I go back to often. It can be so healthy and empowering. Whether its an opportunity or expectation, or letting go of a painful thought or memory.

It’s a song I’ve played so many times over the years. It’s landed on dozens of playlists. If there’s one good thing about artists working under the radar like Rab, it’s that so many people out there can still discover this song and his numerous records.

Benjamin Gibbard

I often think of this song which is about F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda’s correspondence detailed in their book of letters called DEAR SCOTT, DEAR ZELDA. It’s a book I became very excited to read at one point, but now we have this incredible song. And I think it’s enough for me. This back and forth with Aimee Mann is devastating and paints quite a picture of their doomed relationship. The story’s right here in five minutes and it still moves me — sad, beautiful, tragic.

It's bigger than love
Brighter than all the stars combined
It's dwarfing the sun
Burning within my heart and mind

Sioux Falls

I sense a kind of fearlessness to their songwriting and record making. I own ROT FOREVER on cassette and often play it LOUD in my car. They seem like good people too and were generous enough to let me license this amazing track for my fourth feature Phoenix, Oregon. So love this song and have sung along with it too many times. ❤️ the na-na-na-na-na-na’s and the oo-oooo-ooo’s and that great bass line taking us out.