For I am an Engine...

Another fun, productive day of hanging out and making music, and a visit from Mandola playing buddy Liam Markham has left me with two new tracks to post up here. I'm going to embed a Neutral Milk Hotel song we've done today. 'Engine' was a B-Side on the 'Holland 1945' 7"single. If you're unfamiliar with Neutral Milk Hotel, you should probably jump on their geeky, underground band wagon. 'In the Aeroplane Over The Sea' is actually my favourite record of all time. I know that I'm prone to making superlative statements like this, but it has held that position unwaveringly for three or four years.

Its their second album and everyone agrees its the more accessible of the two. The songwriting is incredibly idiosyncratic, occasionally pretty messed up and lyrically very Jungian in its use of free-associated imagery. A lot of the Lyrics were inspired by the lead singer, Jeff Mangum's recurring dreams about belonging to a Jewish family in Europe during the second world war after being profoundly affected by reading Anne Frank's diary (although I don't know how much that story has been exaggerated or distorted through lazy journalism). Sonically its one of the most inventive records of the past few decades, albeit in a very understated, subtle kind of way.

The other track is a new one of mine. I'll post it on the blog in the week at some point.

The Zanzithophone , Mandola and lower harmony were done by Liam. I did the main vocal, played the guitar and also the electric guitar through the supersonic fuzz gun. We mixed it together but, as always, Liam saved the day with his possession of all the technical knowledge needed to make mixes not sound like a total piece of shit.

Engine (Neutral Milk Hotel Cover) feat. Liam Markham by Jo Rose

Jo
xo