I am sure you, like myself, often pass your commute or jog thinking of best of lists that you are likely to never share with anyone, unless maybe you get that List ‘Em Carefully assignment that you’ve been dreaming of.
You don’t? Top ten songs about natural disasters? Top ten songs with a girls name in the title? Not even top ten songs about cities where you have lived? The one I am always working on, perhaps the list to end all lists, is top ten individual moments of songs. From a note to a sound to a whole line, ten moments that make you love music. Sure to be in mine is Xiu Xiu, who in “I Luv The Valley, OH” let’s out the blood curdling scream that screams were invented for. Play this song loudly with someone that has never heard it, and they will jump at this moment, or at least make a “holy shit” face. Look up the lyrics and the “OH” of the song’s title will contain at least three exclamation marks when this moment arrives.
Yes, Jamie Stewart has a captivating voice, enough so to warrant a paragraph on one note he sang in one song, but he has his work cut out for him as he teams with one of contemporary music’s other top vocal talents, Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater and formerly of Okkervil River (Meisberg might make my top ten duets of all time for the perfectly timed departure song “Lost Coastlines”). Calling the project Blue Water White Death (wtf?), the duo will release a self-titled album of original material on October 12th on Graveface Records. Just how original? Apparently the two singers arrived to the studio completely empty-handed, with just a mutual admiration to guide them through the recording process that can take bands months or even decades (GNR). Well, these pros wrote and cut the album in a week. Yeah, we’re impressed, too.
Fun fact name explanation: Blue Water White Death is a 1971 shark-seeking documentary in which the explorers increase their recklessness throughout. But, the two artists chose the title because their music is “ominous and serene,” like the ocean, and they delve ”boldly into new sonic territories,” Like sharks. Or the explorers? Yeah, I don’t get the correlation either. I get really distracted by mentions of sharks. Is there a band called Shark Attack yet?
Blue Water White Death will be a must-listen for fan of either singer, and if you are not a fan you have all Sunday to get better acquainted. Start with Rook. Track listing is below and I have to admit, “The End Of Sex”, “Nerd Future” and personal favorite “Death For Christmas” deliver the ominous vibe with their titles, big time.
Blue Water White Death Tracklist:
01. This is the Scrunchyface of My Dreams
02. Song for the Greater Jihad
03. Grunt Tube
04. Nerd Future
05. The End of Sex
06. Death for Christmas
07. Gall
08. Rendering the Juggalos
