For our feature Nice Playlist, Brah, we ask some of our favorite musicians to make a themed Spotify playlist for us. You know, Songs to Make-out To, The Worst Bands I Have Ever Heard, Songs Your Mom Would Like, we just ask them to be creative, and then we post them to The Ardent Music Blog and share them with you. When you’re looking for a good Spotify playlist, now you know where to look. This week we invited Jason Goldberg of the post-metal Beak to put one together for us. We invite you to take listen to the playlist while you read why the musician included each song in their Spotify playlist. Enjoy!
I know people like happy or funny themes, especially when it comes to mix tapes or Spotify playlists or whatnot, but there have been some songs throughout my life that I thought, if I was gonna do it – I mean really do it…I would play one of these songs.
1. “Avalanche” / Songs of Love and Hate / Leonard Cohen
Some guys just knew how to say it all in one song. Wrap up all the world’s bullshit with one fine poem and some string instruments. Done.
2. “On Ships of Gold” / Three / The Black Heart Procession
There’s something about a weak, distant voice through a megaphone on top of a howling wind musical saw, creaking floor and that nails on chalkboard rusty lantern sound; just creeps into your bones like the flu and there ain’t no remedies in the house and your feet have been hobbled.
3. “Chalice” / Black Light District / Coil
Angelic voices ascending and sweeping as only Coil knew how, with swirling Doppler vacuum noises being flushed down black holes. Profound audiophilic music that should have been illegal or demanded that you be over 21 to hear.
4. “Sinnerman” / Pastel Blues / Nina Simone
One need only throw a blind dart at the great Nina’s catalog to land somewhere in her vast, grey area of hope and despair.
5. “Where Did The Night Go” / I’m New Here / Gil Scott-Heron
An eloquent passage, if not (an entire record that is) an epitaph, as spoken from a journeyed man who knew this record was an absolution before his quickly approaching demise.
6. “A Ship Named Despair” / The Last Man To Fly / Tear Garden
An epic song despite it’s brevity, but leave it to Edward Ka-Spel to make you feel like you’re the only one out there and only half way to your final resting place.
7. “Messenger” / Misery Is A Butterfly / Blonde Redhead
What happened to these folks when they were young, that the fluidity of their eerie brand washes over you as easily as those awful, unstoppable events did you as a child, be it what they were. How do they know?
8. “Yesterdays” / The Commodore Recordings / Billie Holiday
An armchair, dim lamp, melting ice clinking in your bourbon on the rocks, blurred vision, fading memories. Get it?
9. “Jesse” / The Drift / Scott Walker
An impeccable personification of Elvis Presley crying out to his stillborn brother in the middle of the prairie under the Memphis moonlight. Valid crossings over come no clearer than this.
10. “Kaimadalthas’ Nedstigning” / Belus / Burzum
There’s something about the womb like comfort of enveloping darkness, and the quality of an undeniable trance, that makes you wanna just curl up and leave peacefully. I’m pretty sure this is an accurate interpretation of this dude’s intention, knowing what I know. With just the slightest hint of retribution, to boot.
There you go! Or, I can just go ahead and tell you about my first record, ‘Breakdance’ on K-tel records.
Beak, the post-metal quartet formed by local Chicago luminaries Chris Eichenseer and Jason Goldberg previously of The Timeout Drawer, release Eyrie, the band’s début album was released on Apr. 3 via Someoddpilot Records. Recorded and mixed in late-2011 at Engine Studios by Neil Strauch (Sage Francis, Bonnie Prince Billy), the five-track release highlights the band’s adept combination of blistering heaviness and melodic prog-rock. “Metal for the sake of it just doesn’t interest us. We need more than heavy riffage and the trappings of the genre,” explained Eichenseer. “I wish we could call it something else, because to me it’s more. We’re not afraid to carry influence from our roots in post to punk rock. We’re very aware of storytelling and depth. We’re not interested in skulls.”
Vocalist Jon Slusher discussed the conceptual aspect of the début album: “Eyrie is the nest of a bird of prey built in a high, inaccessible place. The album is conceptual. It’s the path of ruin, the crumbling of empires and the marching of time. “
Beak is Andy Bosnak (Guitar), Chris Eichenseer (Drums), Jason Goldberg (Bass, Vocals) and Jon Slusher (Guitar, Lead Vocals).
Check out all of our Spotify playlists on The Ardent Music Blog! Thanks to Michael The Blind for contributing!
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