solace Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 a bulk of both records were recorded at the exact same studio in San Fran and Mark produced both himself, so sonically they don't sound very different at all to me. Both have a fair amount of layering going on on a handful of tracks. now i could see if it had oodles of pointless overdubs, tacky faux-strings added on, etc. then i'd definitely agree. nothing I hate worse than when someone adds strings just because they can, or have the budget. and i know production is a totally personal preference, but i MIGHT even prefer the overall sound of April by a small margin... next time i listen to Ghosts i'll have to contrast a bit more closely. both are absolutely stunning sounding records imo, regardless of which anyone prefers sound-wise. ironically, a common complaint i heard about Ghosts was that many people didn't really like the heavier songs on there (Lily & Parrots, Salvador Sanchez, etc.), and this record, save for Tonight The Sky and the end of Lost Verses, has even less of the heavy bits than Ghosts. re: the vocal mix on April, you may be right on that, i'd have to do a more visual comparison i guess. i've always felt Mark has his vocals just above the fold, especially with RHP, so maybe that's why. like i said above, i can understand why some might not love it or be disappointed some. it was a LONG 5 years between proper full lengths, and after finding Tiny Cities intereseting yet overall a fairly dull affair, i honestly was kinda shocked I enjoyed April as much as I do myself. i didn't IMMEDIATELY take to April like I did Ghosts, but by the time it came to double digit listens i was certainly blown away by it. late night listens are a huge reason I love it so much, i won't deny that. but I also tend to spin it a lot towards the end of my work day, tends to let my mind drift away for a good hour + . i wouldn't assume that anyone who loved Ghosts or even got into him w/ that record are disappointed with the record though, even if there's some examples of that on Via. one quick glance over at Sad Reminders would prove that to be false . critically it's doing about the same as Ghosts: 81 on Metacritic, vs. 83 for Ghosts, but April has 24 reviews factored in compared to Ghosts' 18. it's poised to crack the top 15 the Sound Ops annual EOY poll too from the looks of things. now i definitely still prefer Ghosts, let me be frank about that... that album is still in my top 5 post '00, whereas April is probably closer to top 25-30. but the two albums to me are like the difference between an A+ and an A- at best. have you heard the April bonus disc? that has demo/early versions/alt takes of a good chunk of the record that's definitely MUCH more raw than April or Ghosts for that matter. if not, sounds like you might dig it. i will say that Like The River on the record definitely benefits a lot from Will Oldham's presence for me. Trevor is OTM though... regardless if people were disappointed with April or not, he's still proven he's on the top of his game 20 years later, not many artists can say that. re: your comments about YHF & Ghosts... not sure what you mean exactly? edit: jeez, sorry that was so long... can you tell I love Kozelek a bit? my man crush on Koz isn't quite to the level of the one I have on M. Ward, but it's close Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 This thread inspired me to check out Sun Kil Moon. I had never heard them (him?) before. I just listened to Lost Verses and I need to go pick my jaw up off the floor. Holy crap. Thanks VC. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 First time I heard Sun Kil Moon was on my "Son Volt" station on Pandora. Intrigued me enough to check out more. So far Ghosts is preferred. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trevor Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 ironically, a common complaint i heard about Ghosts was that many people didn't really like the heavier songs on there (Lily & Parrots, Salvador Sanchez, etc.), and this record, save for Tonight The Sky and the end of Lost Verses, has even less of the heavy bits than Ghosts. I'm a huge fan of "Salvador Sanchez," but "Lily & Parrots" is probably one of the weaker tracks on the album. It serves its role by anchoring the back half with the obligatory rocker, but still...doesn't do a whole lot for me. And Solace, I agree, Ghosts is in my top 5 of this decade. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
solace Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I'm a huge fan of "Salvador Sanchez," but "Lily & Parrots" is probably one of the weaker tracks on the album. It serves its role by anchoring the back half with the obligatory rocker, but still...doesn't do a whole lot for me. And Solace, I agree, Ghosts is in my top 5 of this decade. ah... I absolutely adore Lily myself. the guitar riff is awesome and that chorus is SO f'n catchy. plus i just think it's a great batch of lyrics: you are my love i hold you above everything and everyone yeah everyone everyone This thread inspired me to check out Sun Kil Moon. I had never heard them (him?) before. I just listened to Lost Verses and I need to go pick my jaw up off the floor. Holy crap. Thanks VC. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sureshot Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 "Ghosts" is kind of my default album to listen to in the early morning during the commute on the train. ", Gentle Moon, Pancho Villa, and the 14 minute "Duk Koo Kim" are all masterpieces I don't care if its all basically the same song rearranged 10 different ways...the album is brilliant I like April, but it dosent really grab me the same way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sureshot Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 This thread inspired me to check out Sun Kil Moon. I had never heard them (him?) before. I just listened to Lost Verses and I need to go pick my jaw up off the floor. Holy crap. Thanks VC. Mark Kozelek is the driving force behind the band. They used to be known as the Red House Painters before "rebranding" as Sun Kil Moon. Koz also has a pretty extensive solo output as well...oftentimes centered around covering other bands in his signature style. For instance, Whats Next To the Moon is a collection of AC/DC covers done acoustically. If You Want Blood You get the idea. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Golden Smoghead Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Sorry for necro'ing this old thread about this old album.... But almost a year later, April finally clicks for me. Lost Verses is probably the first 9:00+ song that I have ever really, truly, 100%, liked (sorry, Shine On You Crazy Diamond and everything live by the Dead). Do you guys have any good starting points for Red House Painters albums? I've poked at a couple songs here and there but none of them really grabbed me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trevor Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Songs for a Blue Guitar is the best place to start, I think. It's the closest to his Sun Kil Moon material, and maybe the most consistent of his RHP releases, although that's highly debatable. anyway, that's where i'd turn to first. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
deepseacatfish Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Old Ramon is where I first got into them, but it's all good stuff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cooperissup3r Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 he was in Red House Painters wasn't he? Have You Forgotten is an excellent song. Do you guys have any good starting points for Red House Painters albums? I've poked at a couple songs here and there but none of them really grabbed me. Have You Forgotten Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Golden Smoghead Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Thanks for the ideas! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 New Mark Kozelek live album coming out on May 12. Details here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Calexico Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Ghosts took me a long time to get into, a really long time. I have no idea why that is but I am glad I stuck with it. Sometimes albums just don't ring bells for me but a lot of the time those are the ones that, if you hang in there, are the most rewarding. As for Damien Jurado....OMG, as the little girls say, he is so bloody great. Not a day goes by here without me playing something from his collection. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lodestar Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 As for Damien Jurado....OMG, as the little girls say, he is so bloody great. Not a day goes by here without me playing something from his collection. I'm a huge Kozelek fan and have been wanting for a while to give Jurado a try... Any suggestions where to start? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Calexico Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I'm a huge Kozelek fan and have been wanting for a while to give Jurado a try... Any suggestions where to start? I can see the similarities between the two artists and as a fan of both, the differences too. For the quieter side I would recommend Ghost Of David which has my favourite Jurado song on it, Medication. For something a little bit more "instrumented" I would possibly recommend I Break Chairs or perhaps his newest one called Caught In The Trees. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Saw Kozelek solo last night in Cambridge (MA). It was a very good show. It was in a church and he had the lights all turned off and he had a large candle in front of him, which provided the only light. I don't know if it was a mood thing or he just doesn't like having photos taken, but it was an odd environment. He played for about two hours and his set included a bunch of new songs, most of which were really good. For the encore he asked someone in the front row what she wanted to hear and after a minute of awkwardness where it seemed like she didn't know any of his songs, she said Duk Koo Kim. He stumbled around for a while since he wasn't planning on playing it and couldn't remember many of the words. But then he pulled it together and it was fantastic. Between songs he was his usual funny, dry, and a little bit obnoxious self. He managed to insult not only his fans but all of Canada. My only disappointment is that he didn't play either of my two favorite songs of his (Carry Me Ohio and Tiny Cities), both of which are among my favorite songs by anyone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 i wish he would pull a band together and tour a tight show like his albums are. i saw him solo once. i will say nothing more. Ghosts of the Great Highway is one of the best albums of the last decade. have yet to dive into Admiral Fell Promises. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 i wish he would pull a band together and tour a tight show like his albums are. i saw him solo once. i will say nothing more. Ghosts of the Great Highway is one of the best albums of the last decade. have yet to dive into Admiral Fell Promises. It's really good. Really good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
welch79 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 It's really good. Really good. well said, and i agree totally. saying that, though...and in light of the previous post: it is a different sound. it is a very sparse, haunting beauty of an album. where ghosts is a full band sound, electric in places, admiral is mainly mark and his guitar, yet it makes you forget that fact more often than not. he is one of my favorites. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 New album is out in May.http://www.caldoverderecords.com/ Among The Leaves is the 5th full length album by Mark Kozelek under the Sun Kil Moon moniker. Played almost entirely on nylon string guitar, this 17-song all original album was recorded between October 2011 and January 2012 in San Francisco. Among The Leaves - words which caught Mark’s attention from a John Connolly novel - finds Mark relaxed, singing playfully about his life as a musician while retaining the melancholic spirit of his 20 year catalog. Mark’s love for San Francisco and Northern California are at the heart of this new album. “My first album (Down Colorful Hill) was released in 1992” says Kozelek, “but creatively, I feel like I’m just beginning. The new album was written and recorded impulsively, without second guessing. I didn’t have that kind of confidence in the past.” Unlike Red House Painters’ epic Rollercoaster, described by Rolling Stone as “the slowest and mopiest self revelations ever put to tape” or Sun Kil Moon’s Ghosts of the Great Highway, which Billboard Magazine called “heartbreaking,” Among The Leaves displays a more raw and humorous side of Mark’s songwriting. Aaron Prellwitz, recording engineer of Red House Painters and all 5 Sun Kil Moon albums describes the latest effort as “wonderfully direct." Kozelek curiously ties together legends Joe Frazier, Bobby Fischer and Ed Gein in ‘The Winery’, ‘‘Song for Richard Collopy’ is a touching tribute to the late San Francisco guitar repairman, and ‘Sunshine In Chicago’ – written just before taking the stage at a Chicago venue last year – is a funny, self deprecating poke at life on the road. Though Among The Leaves is mostly in the solo, nylon string style of Admiral Fell Promises, a new ensemble of players joined Mark for a portion of the record, recalling the same spirit as April and Tiny Cities, but with a fresh, new sound. The album will be released on CD, vinyl, and digitally, with bonus tracks to be announced. More information soon at www.caldoverderecords.com TRACK LISTING:1. I Know It’s Pathetic But That Was The Greatest Night Of My Life2. Sunshine In Chicago3. The Moderately Talented Yet Attractive Young Woman vs. The Exceptionally Talented Yet Not So Attractive Middle Aged Man4. That Bird Has A Broken Wing5. Elaine6. The Winery7. Young Love8. Song For Richard Collopy9. Among The Leaves10. Red Poison11. Track Number 812. Not Much Rhymes With Everything’s Awesome At All Times13. King Fish14. Lonely Mountain15. UK Blues16. UK Blues 217. Black Kite Quote Link to post Share on other sites
welch79 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 hey, thanks for sharing this info! looking forward to it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 there is so much stuff over at http://www.caldoverderecords.com/. i'd love to see that tour dvd. he also puts out a bunch of live stuff every few months. that's not to mention the other RHP type bands on the label. i can't keep up. i still have to get Tiny Cities! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 You can download a track from the forthcoming album here: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13208-sunshine-in-chicago/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 The always-great Bradley's Almanac blog has a long posting about Kozelek with info, links, pictures, set lists, and a giveaway. Check it out: http://www.bradleysalmanac.com/2012/03/lp-previewdvd-reviewep-giveaway-mark.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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