Almost Something

Quiet Life – “Old Flame” (live)

SXSW 2016 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 3

Pairs Well With…My Morning Jacket, Justin Townes Earle, Shakey Graves

Portland alt country band Quiet Life shared a few new tunes in 2015 by way of a live EP (Quiet Life on Audiotree Live) featuring three unreleased additions to the band ramblers and traditional ballads.  We’ll take a minute to feature one of the latter (though dig into the band’s catalog for plenty of stompin’ rock moments) in “Old Flame”, a timeless number that proves the power of harmonized vocals with a couple of passionate couple guitars.

2014 Review: Quiet Life is rootsy, alt country with just enough weird to make you break out of recollections of Americana past.  Their latest release is 2014’s Housebroken Man EP, a collection of tracks that range from the sweeping, personal ballad “Shaky Hand” to Jim James-assisted, space-blues song “Waiting Around To Die”.  Quiet Life’s blend of acoustic roots and explorative songwriting gives their songs a needed edge, a twist of psychedelia under a shaded brush.  The spare “Reckless Kind” and “Housebroken Man”, assisted by Shovel and Ropes’ Cary Ann Hearst, are reflective lyrically and musically, taking opposite tempos to the same emotional goal.  Quiet Life have a couple rock-leaning full-lengths and a debut EP to their credit already, so it’s nice to see this fulfilling maturation hit the spot five years in.

Milky Chance - Stolen Dance

I’ve been away from Germany for about two weeks now and it’s a little strange frankly.  I’m on the last stop of my trip which is London and in just a handful of days, I’ll be heading home.  I’m not gonna lie to you: I do miss Germany a bit.

Milky Chance was one of the artists that my housemate in Kassel told me about.  He also gave me a full list of German artists to listen to.  I figured that this would be a good chance to share it with all of you.

The song itself is mellow and calming.  There’s a quiet electronic backing to the song itself and Clemens Rehbein’s voice accompanies it quite well.

Milky Chance is actually a duo of Rehbein and Philipp Dausch, a DJ.  They are from Kassel (YAY!) and have been around since 2012.  The album Sadnecessary came out in 2013.

Hope you all have a great Saturday!