If I could redo my “Southern Twang” Regional Mix, I would include this song. Simple, heartbreaking Americana.

mp3: Gillian Welch - Revelator

I’m afraid my “Southern Twang” Regional Mix failed to convey just how obsessed I am with The Acorn. Despite hailing from Canada, the band made the mix because their music transports me to a simpler time. You know, the whole thing about sitting on the front porch watching the sunset.

I stumbled upon The Acorn thanks to cokemachineglow’s often spectacular “No Big Hair” review section, which spotlights lesser known bands and serves up several mp3’s for consumption (this is also how I found out about Deer Tick).

Working backwards through The Acorn’s catalog has actually benefited me; over the course of two albums (The Pink Ghosts and Glory Hope Mountain) and two EPs (Blankets! and Tin Fist), the band grew exponentially. The songs posted below sample each recording (except Blankets!), with emphasis on their recent pinnacle Glory Hope Mountain.

The band’s music has an organic quality that makes it immediately engaging. The intros to “Glory” and “Heirlooms” alone inspire a sense of warmth and comfort. And then there are the actual songs, which feature gorgeous acoustics, innovative (almost tribal) percussion, and Rolf Klausener’s mesmerizing vocals.

Expect to hear about this band again at the end of the year.

mp3: The Acorn - Blue Light
mp3: The Acorn - Heirlooms
mp3: The Acorn - Glory
mp3: The Acorn - Oh Napoleon

If anyone has yet to listen to Radiohead’s new album In Rainbows, I strongly recommend making your way over here where you can download it for free (if you so choose). It’s nothing short of amazing. Along with the Acorn’s Glory Hope Mountain, it’s been the only thing I’ve listened to for the last 3 weeks.

Which is why I’m worried. Whenever I find an album I really like, I listen to it so much that it loses its impact. Songs that initially moved me to tears (or ecstasy) become stripped of emotion after repeated listens. I can’t tell whether this is inevitable or purely my fault.

The true test, however, is whether you come back to the album after the obsession has subsided. Bands like My Morning Jacket, Okkervil River, and Built to Spill have definitely benefited from this treatment.

A band that’s currently riding this wave of re-obsession is Sigur Rós. Diehard MWW fans may recall that I put a song of theirs on my first podcast. Sadly, I haven’t mentioned them since, which in my opinion is unacceptable.

So in an attempt to amend the situation, I’ve decided to post the closing track from Sigur Rós’ untitled album (). The song, which approaches the 12-minute mark, sounds like an epic struggle between good and evil. Don’t let the made-up lyrics distract you, instead think of the vocals as another instrument in the song.

A new Sigur Rós compilation arrives November 6th, with their next studio album currently in the works.

mp3: Sigur Rós - Untitled 8