The Kissaway Trail

One of my favorite discoveries from doing this blog was “Smother + Evil = Hurt”, a magnificent track from The Kissaway Trail, a band that was at the time (early 2007) unknown outside of their native Denmark. The band released a self-titled album that same year, but unfortunately the album never made it to the States and the band sort-of disappeared for a while. It seems that the band spent those last three years crafting their new album, which went through many incarnations till it reached the hands of famed producer American producer Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, Fanfarlo). The sessions proved extremely fruitful and they make up the new album, Sleep Mountain, which will be the band’s U.S. debut. The band takes the outpouring of emotion and beauty that made their their early work so fantastic, and matches with a newfound confidence and vitality.

Their first single, “SDP” is orchestral bombast at it’s best; opening with the clanging of church bells that seems to tear open the sonic landscape. The instrumentation will sound very familiar with those who are well-versed in modern indie rock, ringing guitars, melodic keys, and dramatic percussion with some occasional strings for good measure. The songwriting is passionate and overwhelmingly anthemic and the production is well-polished to match the jubilant compositions. Although you won’t be handing The Kissaway Trail any awards for originality, there is a sense of wonder and spectacle in their music that’s hard to get a grasp of, which is perhaps why easy comparisons to Arcade Fire and Polyphonic Spree are so common with this band. In addition to the inescapably grand first single, “Friendly Fires” is a track I’ve been continuously coming back to on their new album. The song has a lovely arrangement and I love the combination of aggressive drumming with the more restrained, but yet suitably epic composition. Sleep Mountain will be released April 20, 2010 on Bella Union.

MP3 The Kissaway Trail – SDP
MP3 The Kissaway Trail – Friendly Fires

Top 50 Awesomest Songs of 2007

I had so many songs that I loved this year that I had to upgrade my top songs list this year from 30 to 50. If you’ve been reading this site or generally listen to awesome music, many of these songs will be familiar to you, and if you find one you don’t know you can guarantee that I give it my full endorsement (there’s a link by each song choice where you can download/hear the song). I selected songs based on what songs I’ve experienced this year that have been the most memorable, most listened to, most enjoyed, and as a rule I didn’t choose more than one song per artist. I had a lot of fun re-listening to these songs and I hope you enjoy this list (as always, I would ask that you leave a comment if you do). Don’t forget to click the read more… link for the top 25 with reviews for each song. Thanks for stopping by!

50. Georgie James – Need Your Needs MP3
49. Immaculate Machine – Dear Confessor MP3
48. The Broken West – Brass Ring MP3
47. The Manchester Orchestra – Wolves at Night MP3
46. The Clientele – Isn’t Life Strange? MP3
45. Windmill – Asthmatic MP3
44. Parts & Labor – Fractured Skies MP3
43. Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew – Lucky Ones MP3
42. M.I.A. – Jimmy Youtube
41. Twilight Sad – That Summer At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy MP3

40. Page France – Mr. Violin and Dancing Bear MP3
39. Rogue Wave – Lake Michigan MP3
38. Noah & The Whale – Five Years Gone MP3
37. Laura Veirs – Don’t Lose Yourself Youtube
36. The New Pornographers – My Rights Versus Yours MP3
35. The Snake The Cross The Crown – The Great American Smokeout MP3
34. Office – Wound Up MP3
33. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Emily Jean Stock MP3
32. Feist – I Feel It All Youtube (live on a bus)
31. Loney, Dear – The City, The Airport MP3

30. Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend Youtube
29. Okkervil River – Unless It’s Kicks Youtube
28. Blonde Redhead – 23 MP3
27. The White Stripes – You Don’t Know What Love Is Youtube
26. Ola Podrida – Cindy MP3

CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE TOP 25

Smother + Evil = Hurt

Sometimes a song comes along that’s so freakin’ good that nothing else really matters about the band, everytime you think of them you’re automatically linked to that one song. Think “Young Folks”, “Hey Now Now”, “Oh Mandy” or even “Crazy”. I think Danish band The Kissaway Trail have a chance of reaching indie greatness (and beyond?) with “Smother + Evil = Hurt”. Like the aforementioned songs it jumps at you and is immediately recognizable, but the ante is sufficiently upped with this powerful number.

The opening swell of violins, synths, and bells sets an absolutely stunning pace for the song and the first verse makes good on that opening promise. Søren’s B. Corneliussen’s recognizably Scandanavian vocals tell us “We put our favorite tracks on repeat” while guitars chime in the background. Then that majestic orchestral crescendo comes in again as the track phrase is repeated. The next verse adds a violin to the mix and builds the energy till the next choral climax. The ending is what takes the song to a different level though, the whole band joins in the vocals and the guitars flood you with sound and the drums pound out a marching beat. Freakin’ mind-blowing stuff? Definitely. The best 3:24 you could spend with your stereo today? Most likely. Forgive my best song ever hyperbole, but this just might be the best song ever.

MP3 The Kissaway Trail – Smother + Evil = Hurt (<–Download immediately)

Knowing full well that it'd be nearly impossible to give you another song of that level from the band, here's the only other song I have from The Kissaway Trail. It's called "Eloquence and Elixir" and while it meanders a bit in the verses it has a fantastic chorus. I'm greatly anticipating their debut album which should be out on Bella Union sometime soon.

MP3 The Kissaway Trail – Eloquence and Elixir

Watch the Smother + Evil = Hurt Music Video
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