If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Kevin Freeney Dublin based duo Saint Sister have teamed with Lisa Hannigan for their latest single. The resulting song is "The Place That I Work," a nearly a capella Irish ballad. It's a modern version of a very traditional song, with the only instruments being strings, synthesizers, and birdsong nearly hidden in the background. This keeps the traditional feeling of the song intact while helping it sound modern and current. The result is an impossibly beautiful song you're going to become quietly obsessed with. Saint Sister's Morgan MacIntyre explains the story behing "The Place That I Work": “I wrote this song while I was working as a Christmas temp in Dublin’s oldest book shop, Hodges Figgis. One day a friend, who I hadn’t seen since we had a misunderstanding, came in and caught me completely off guard. I was, all at once, angry that we hadn’t talked for months and that they had chosen now, to come to where I worked to make peace, but also und...

Here's the rest for this week! Artist : Lydia Loveless Album : Real Quick Description : Fourth album from a blog favorite. Why You Should Listen : Lydia Loveless is a must listen around these parts. Overall Thoughts : I'll be the one to say it - this doesn't do much for me. Both Ken and I loved her last album, Somewhere Else , but for me, this is a continuing trend against a more polished and less rootsy sound that isn't what I'm looking for from Loveless (or, really, anyone else). It's shocking in its sterility, especially from an artist who wasn't afraid to push the envelope content-wise. I asked Ken what he thought, and it sounds like he likes it more than I but isn't fond of the pop skew either, so it's a definite "meh" from these parts. Too bad, too. Recommendation : Not essential, but might be in your wheelhouse. Artist : The Minus Five Album : Of Monkees and Men Quick Description : Scott McCaughey's love letter t...