Mark Kozelek | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Best known as leader of acclaimed indie rock bands Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon, Mark Kozelek has built a career out of his evocative, impressionistic songwriting and rich, emotive vocals. Initially signed to 4AD in the early 90s, Red House Painters issued a series of poetic, deeply melancholic albums that ranked among the labels most beloved releases. As the group began to dissolve during the beginning of the 2000s, Kozelek started releasing solo recordings that contained stripped-down, radically altered covers of AC/DC songs. He then founded Sun Kil Moon with some of his former bandmates, initially continuing with the Red House Painters sound before gradually venturing into more literal, autobiographical songwriting and storytelling during the 2010s. This resulted in some of his most acclaimed work since the Red House Painters days, although it also shone a spotlight on his notoriously crabby onstage behavior. Kozelek also released additional solo recordings of covers as well as original and spoken word material, in addition to collaborations with musicians such as Justin Broadrick, Jimmy LaValle, and Jim White. Kozelek was born in Massillon, Ohio on January 24, 1967. As a teenager, he led a band called God Forbid, but his musical career really began to take shape when he moved to Atlanta, Georgia and met fellow aspiring musician Anthony Koutsos. Kozelek and Koutsos formed the first edition of Red House Painters, and before long they relocated to San Francisco, California in hopes of finding an audience. After Red House Painters were championed by Mark Eitzel of American Music Club, whose dour but beautiful songs suggested the two songwriters were kindred spirits, the group scored a record deal with 4AD, and earned enthusiastic reviews and a loyal cult following for albums like Down Colorful Hill and Songs for a Blue Guitar. However, Red House Painters relationship with 4AD became strained, particularly after the label refused to release their album Old Ramon and Kozelek and his bandmates refused to change it. With a two-year-old record sitting on the shelf unable to find release due to legal ramifications, Kozelek broke four years of recorded silence with the Rock n Roll Singer EP. Released in 2000 under his own name, the half-hour disc featured interpretations of three Bon Scott-era AC/DC covers, a John Denver cover, and a couple new songs of his own. The EP seemed to divide longtime fans and critics into two camps. Some felt that the long period of no new material shouldnt have resulted in a batch of covers, while others were impressed with Kozeleks straight-faced reinterpretations that revealed a surprising amount of depth at the heart of AC/DCs songs. Kozelek also spent a fair amount of time during 1999 and 2000 arranging Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver and two benefit compilations for the Shanti Project, a San Francisco-based AIDS relief organization. He was also cast in the role of a bass player with a predilection for high-school females in Cameron Crowes critically acclaimed Almost Famous, which hit theaters in 2000. Meanwhile, Kozelek bought back the rights for Red House Painters unreleased record, Old Ramon. A full-length solo record, Whats Next to the Moon, was released by Badman (the outlet for his previous EP and compilation involvements mentioned above) in early 2001. This time, the album consisted entirely of AC/DC renderings, featuring Kozeleks own arrangements and further polarizing fans and critics. Sub Pop eventually released Old Ramon a couple months after Whats Next to the Moon, and they also offered White Christmas Live by the years end. A Yuletide-inspired disc of live material recorded the previous year in Scandinavia, Sub Pop made it available through mail-order only. Little Drummer Boy Live arrived in winter 2006, followed in 2008 by Nights LP: 12 Songs by Mark Kozelek (Live & Rare Versions: 1996-2007) and The Finally LP, a collection of covers recorded for childrens albums and tribute records that had since gone out of print. Kozelek issued a trio of live albums, On Tour, Live at Phoenix Public House Melbourne, and Like Rats, through his own Caldo Verde label in 2013. In that same remarkably busy year he also issued Perils from the Sea, a collaboration with Album Leaf multi-instrumentalist Jimmy LaValle, and Mark Kozelek & Desertshore, a collection of new songs recorded with former Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon members. The year 2014 saw another live release from Kozelek, Live at Biko, recorded during a performance in Milan, and also a new album of Yuletide music, Sings Christmas Carols. The fall of 2014 also found Kozelek engaging in a curious war of words in the music press and via social networking with Adam Granofsky of the War on Drugs, after Kozelek found himself playing a solo set at a festival while the War on Drugs were playing on another stage. The War on Drugs stage volume led Kozelek to call the groups music "beer commercial lead-guitar shit," and for several weeks, Kozelek and Granofsky tossed verbal volleys at one another, with Kozelek going so far as to write two songs about the semi-scandal that he posted online, "War on Drugs: Suck My C--k" and "Adam Granofsky Blues." After scoring a major critical success with Sun Kil Moons sixth LP, Benji, Kozelek followed up in 2015 with another release from that project, Universal Themes. Later that year he delivered a spoken word collaboration called Dreams of Childhood, on which he and Argentinian actor Nicolás Pauls read translations of poems by Argentinian street kids. It was announced that proceeds from the album would go to Argentinian nonprofit La Casa de la Cultura de la Calla, an organization dedicated to helping homeless children. Capping off yet another prolific year, Kozelek delivered the eclectic solo EP Down in the Willow Garden, which featured two different renditions of a traditional Appalachian tune, a Led Zeppelin cover, and a reading from crime writer John Connollys novel A Song of Shadows. In 2016, Kozelek released Jesu/Sun Kil Moon, his long-promised collaboration with Justin Broadrick, as well as Mark Kozelek Sings Favorites, a solo effort of straightforward piano-backed covers of songs by David Bowie, Waylon Jennings, Bob Seger, and others. Kozelek had an even more prolific year in 2017. Sun Kil Moons double album Common as Light and Love Are Red Valley of Blood appeared in February, and Kozeleks solo EP Night Talks followed in April. A second Jesu/Sun Kil Moon album, 30 Seconds to the Decline of Planet Earth, appeared in May. The next month saw the release of Yellow Kitchen, a collaboration with Parquet Courts Sean Yeaton. In October, Kozelek released a collaborative album with Ben Boye, who contributed to 30 Seconds, and Dirty Three drummer Jim White. The following May, Kozelek released a self-titled double album, which he primarily recorded by himself in hotel rooms in San Francisco. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 31 Title: Rock n Roll Singer Released: 2000 Tracks: 7 Duration: 28:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Find Me, Ruben Olivares (03:57) 2 Rock n Roll Singer (04:24) 3 You Aint Got a Hold on Me (03:14) 4 Metropol 47 (03:12) 5 Around and Around (02:22) 6 Bad Boy Boogie (05:14) 7 Ruth Marie (06:10) |
 | Album: 2 of 31 Title: Whats Next to the Moon Released: 2001-01-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 30:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Up to My Neck in You (02:39) 2 Love at First Feel (02:12) 3 Love Hungry Man (01:40) 4 Bad Boy Boogie (04:48) 5 Whats Next to the Moon (03:34) 6 Walk All Over You (02:58) 7 You Aint Got a Hold on Me (03:14) 8 If You Want Blood (02:37) 9 Riff Raff (02:48) 10 Rock n Roll Singer (03:30) |
| What's Next to the Moon : Allmusic album Review : Like his solo debut, Rock N Roll Singer, Mark Kozeleks second album sounds at times like it could be channeling the spirit of Nick Drake. That would typically be a less than surprising depiction considering the terrain, both sonic and emotional, that he has tread throughout his career. But it is an absolutely bewildering discovery when you stop to consider that Whats Next to the Moon consists entirely of covers of the heavy, raw riffage of Bon Scott-era AC/DC, for whom "subtlety" didnt even exist as a word. Kozelek, on the other hand, has made an art form of it, and he does nothing less than that on this mesmerizing transmogrification. He is no stranger to idiosyncratic covers, reworking tunes in the past from sources as far afield as Yes, Kiss, and the Cars alongside more like-minded artists such as Neil Young and Simon & Garfunkel. And Rock N Roll Singer already included three AC/DC songs stripped down to their acoustic bones. A whole album of them, however, is startling. Armed with a guitar and his voice alone, Kozelek essentially turns Whats Next to the Moon into an acoustic folk/blues album. If you knew nothing of the songs geneses, they could easily be mistaken for Blind Lemon Jefferson or Leadbelly covers, or perhaps something from the folk revival, Fred Neil or Leonard Cohen (a KCRW radio executive, in fact, insisted the title track was a Cohen song when Kozelek played it first during a live appearance, several years before). But in no way do they recall their creators. It sometimes takes dozens of listens, even if you know the bands oeuvre well, before the connection clicks and the ingenious logic of Kozeleks arrangements reveals itself. Then again, AC/DC was blues-based, so the concept behind the album isnt as off the wall as first appearances would have you believe. The transformation, though, is dramatic, and not the novelty-ish one that it easily could have turned into. Kozelek literally turns the melodies inside out, and extracts a poignancy that even Angus and Malcolm Young and Bon Scott probably had no idea existed in them. When he began, Kozelek might not even have realized. The album was a happy accident, songs remembered from his youth that evolved, sometimes over several years, to the form they take on the album. And there is not a hint of irony to be found throughout. It can momentarily seem eerily perverse when you consider the source -- when you realize, for instance, that the shimmering, downhearted folk tune you are listening to is actually "Bad Boy Boogie." Otherwise it is a spellbinding tribute, with a commanding presence and sustained intensity that most songwriters cant manage even with their own material. Like a reverse version of Bob Dylan and the Bands The Basement Tapes, Whats Next to the Moon turns songs that were loose, irreverent, and even silly or one-note in their original readings into songs of timeless beauty and depth, their passions, pains, and torments made agonizingly palpable. The album is probably not the spot in Kozeleks catalog at which to dive in, simply because it doesnt represent his own exceptional songwriting skill, but it is nevertheless another sublime album that offers a curious window into both his musical foundation and inventiveness. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 31 Title: If You Want Blood Released: 2001-12-03 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:07:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Find Me Ruben Olivares (03:59) 2 Rock n Roll Singer (electric) (04:26) 3 You Aint Got a Hold on Me (Mix 1) (03:16) 4 Metropol 47 (03:14) 5 Around and Around (02:24) 6 Bad Boy Boogie (v1) (05:16) 7 Ruth Marie (06:21) 8 Up to My Neck in You (02:40) 9 Love at First Feel (02:14) 10 Love Hungry Man (01:42) 11 Bad Boy Boogie (04:50) 12 Whats Next to the Moon (03:36) 13 Walk All Over You (03:00) 14 You Aint Got a Hold on Me (03:17) 15 If You Want Blood (02:39) 16 Riff Raff (02:50) 17 Rock n Roll Singer (03:33) 18 Rock n Roll Singer (live) (04:12) 19 Up to My Neck in You (live) (03:25) |
 | Album: 4 of 31 Title: White Christmas Live Released: 2001-12-11 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:02:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Rock n Roll Singer (04:11) 2 Cruiser (05:01) 3 Up to My Neck in You (05:20) 4 White Christmas (01:22) 5 Whats Next to the Moon (03:48) 6 Admiral Fell Promises (07:35) 7 Wop-A-Din-Din (06:28) 8 Shadows (07:30) 9 Evil (07:38) 10 Dragonflies (02:25) 11 Things Mean a Lot (03:36) 12 Three Legged Cat (07:14) |
 | Album: 5 of 31 Title: Little Drummer Boy Live Released: 2006-11-28 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:39:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Truckers Atlas (03:54) 2 Salvador Sanchez (04:27) 3 Cruiser (05:54) 4 Katy Song (04:29) 5 Little Drummer Boy (02:26) 6 All Mixed Up (04:54) 7 Moorestown (04:16) 8 Unlit Hallway (03:49) 9 Duk Koo Kim (12:19) 10 Four Fingered Fisherman (03:36) 11 Lily and Parrots (06:21) 12 Carry Me Ohio (06:43) 13 Bubble (04:05) 14 Mistress (05:10) 1 Michigan (05:27) 2 Void (05:20) 3 Down Colorful Hill (05:43) 4 Rock n Roll Singer (03:14) 5 Glenn Tipton (03:41) 6 Tiny Cities (03:44) |
| Little Drummer Boy Live : Allmusic album Review : This limited-edition collection of live recordings from Red House Painter Mark Kozelek spans the laconic singer/songwriter and occasional actors entire career. Culled from various European and North American shows between 2003 and 2006, Little Drummer Boy Live is a sparse (hes joined on occasion by longtime guitarist/collaborator Phil Carney) but completely engrossing scrapbook of solo works and RHP and Sun Kil Moon classics such as "Mistress," "Down Colorful Hill" and "Glenn Tipton." | ||
 | Album: 6 of 31 Title: White Christmas & Little Drummer Boy Live Released: 2007-10-02 Tracks: 33 Duration: 2:48:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rock n Roll Singer (04:11) 2 Cruiser (05:01) 3 Up to My Neck in You (05:20) 4 White Christmas (01:22) 5 Whats Next to the Moon (03:48) 6 Admiral Fell Promises (07:35) 7 Wop-A-Din-Din (06:28) 8 Shadows (07:30) 1 Evil (07:38) 2 Dragonflies (02:25) 3 Things Mean a Lot (03:36) 4 Three Legged Cat (07:14) 5 Truckers Atlas (03:54) 6 Salvador Sanchez (04:27) 7 Cruiser (05:54) 8 Katy Song (04:29) 9 Little Drummer Boy (02:26) 1 All Mixed Up (04:54) 2 Moorestown (04:16) 3 Unlit Hallway (03:49) 4 Duk Koo Kim (12:19) 5 Four Fingered Fisherman (03:36) 6 Lily and Parrots (06:21) 7 Carry Me Ohio (06:43) 8 Bubble (04:05) 1 Mistress (05:10) 2 Michigan (05:27) 3 Void (05:20) 4 Down Colorful Hill (05:43) 5 Rock n Roll Singer (03:14) 6 Glenn Tipton (03:41) 7 Tiny Cities (03:44) 8 Have You Forgotten (06:35) |
 | Album: 7 of 31 Title: Nights LP Released: 2008 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:10:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Michigan (Live At Union Chapel, 2007) (04:49) 2 Drop (Live At Union Chapel, 2007) (05:48) 3 Heron Blue (Drum Version, 2007) (05:20) 4 Leo And Luna (Only Version, 2006) (02:10) 5 Carry Me Ohio (Jam Version, 2002) (09:45) 6 Gentle Moon (Live At Fnac, 2002) (05:01) 7 Duk Koo Kim (10 Version, 2001) (10:32) 8 Wop-A-Din-Din (Live At Lisbon, 2001) (06:00) 9 Metropol 47 (Demo Version, 1999) (02:36) 10 Cruiser (Malmö Version, 1999) (04:51) 11 Smokey (Demo Version, 1997) (04:59) 12 River (KCRW Version, 1996) (08:35) |
| Nights LP : Allmusic album Review : Available for purchase only with the lyrics collection Nights of Passed Over, Nights LP is exactly what its subtitle labels it: "Twelve Songs by Mark Kozelek (Live & Rare Versions: 1996-2007)." It goes without saying that only die-hard Kozelek fans need apply, as most of the tracks are live, demo, or stripped-down acoustic versions of songs released under his own name, with Sun Kil Moon, or with Red House Painters. Four of the Red House Painters songs featured in different form here originally appeared on the somewhat maligned Old Ramon, the other on Ocean Beach. Fans who might not appreciate the heavy rock vibes and distorted guitars of Old Ramon will likely find these stripped-down versions more touching and rich, though the first two tracks here dont see Kozelek at his most emotive. Kozelek is notorious for sometimes performing live with a wide emotional disconnect from his audience. "Leo and Luna" is the only track that might considered new, though it was compiled on See You on the Moon: Songs for Kids of All Ages. Like the sweet Old Ramon song "Wop-A-Din-Din," featured in a nice, somber live version here, "Leo and Luna" concerns itself with the felines in Kozeleks life. This "malmo version" of "Cruiser" and demo version of Rock n Roll Singers "Metropol 47" fare much better than their original versions, the former a breezier take that reveals nuance obscured by Old Ramons busy production, the latter a delicately picked and more satisfying take on a song that once grated a bit with its dissonance and intentionally sloppy guitar work. It would have been nice to see a broader range of Red House Painters albums covered. Nights LP isnt any kind of revelation for Kozelek fans, but its an interesting way to hear his songs in a new light without the sometimes noisy studio tricks that colored the album versions. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 31 Title: 7 Songs Belfast Released: 2008-06-10 Tracks: 7 Duration: 39:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Michigan (05:09) 2 Around and Around (02:18) 3 River (06:20) 4 Gentle Moon (04:55) 5 Carry Me Ohio (05:46) 6 San Geronimo (05:27) 7 Tonight in Bilbao (09:45) |
 | Album: 9 of 31 Title: The Finally LP Released: 2008-12-09 Tracks: 10 Duration: 30:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Piano Song (01:46) 2 Finally (02:13) 3 New Partner (03:36) 4 Send in the Clowns (02:57) 5 Lazy (03:32) 6 Bedtime Lullaby (01:33) 7 Celebrated Summer (03:39) 8 My Friend Bob (03:01) 9 If You Want Blood (03:13) 10 Gaping Mouth (05:12) |
| The Finally LP : Allmusic album Review : Red House Painters Mark Kozelek has contributed to many compilations, indie soundtracks, dance troupe theater pieces, and tribute albums, as well as recorded prodigiously, even if plenty remains in the can. As such, it can be difficult for less than absolutely fanatical fans to keep straight. The Finally LP is an attempt to organize some of this loose material into some sort of coherent whole. These ten tracks clock in at just over half an hour, their sole unifying factor is Kozeleks approach: his mournful monotone singing voice, his open, high-ended, fingerpicked guitar style, his willingness to double track his voice without using harmonies, and a general airiness in the mix. These tracks are almost all covers with two exceptions: "Piano Song," a previously unreleased cut from 2006, and the gorgeous title track to the short film Gaping Mouth. The rest are covers, such as the title cut, written by outsider singer/songwriter Kath Bloom off a tribute album to her called Loving Takes Its Course, which may be among the finest things here. There are absurd covers, as well, such as his reading of Stephen Sondheims "Send in the Clowns," contributed to the Musicians for Minneapolis: 57 Songs for the I-35 Bridge Disaster Relief Effort album. His reading of the tune is so sophomoric, it makes Frank Sinatras seem humorous by comparison. Lows "Lazy" is here from their tribute album, Kozeleks version is recorded on a 12-string and is almost uptempo -- certainly more so than the original. The other absurdity on this compilation is the oft-bootlegged, dreadful cover of AC/DCs "If You Want Blood" recorded in 2002, live on Antena 3 Radio in Lisbon (in part supporting his own album of covers by the band). It doesnt add anything to the wonderfully anthemic, rage-fueled rocker. Instead it detracts, and caters to all the downtrodden, living-in-their-bedroom, overly emotional punters who live for this kind of maudlin nonsense disguised as sensitivity. Other cuts fare far better, especially when they arent too far afield from Kozeleks own ethos: Will Oldhams "New Partner," which originally appeared on I Am a Cold Rock, I Am Dull Grass (you guessed it: a tribute to Oldham). There is another amazing bootlegged track here: Kozeleks version of Bob Moulds "Celebrated Summer," which originally appeared on Hüsker Düs New Day Rising album. In this case, given Moulds own deeply introspective bent -- despite the power chords and overdriven punk ethos -- Kozelek gets at something hidden by the bombast in the original. He uncovers Moulds real tenderness, something the latter has done himself on many subsequent albums. Kozelek gets at the nostalgia without an unnecessary romanticism and brings out the genuine empathy and sense of gentle irony in the lyric, as well as offering a dead-on view of the melodic sensibility of Mould. The bottom line here, of course, is if you are a fan, youll need this and wont debate its merit one way or another. If youre new to Kozelek, youll no doubt be wowed by some of this and bored by the rest. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 31 Title: Lost Verses - Live Released: 2009-05-12 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:11:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Unlit Hallway (04:42) 2 Carry Me Ohio (05:14) 3 Four Fingered Fisherman (03:14) 4 Moorestown (05:10) 5 Salvador Sanchez (03:40) 6 Heron Blue (07:10) 7 Lost Verses (07:11) 8 Tiny Cities (02:49) 9 Lucky Man (06:10) 10 Send in the Clowns (03:02) 11 Harper Road (04:41) 12 Tonight in Bilbao (08:30) 13 Blue Orchids (06:01) 14 Katy Song (04:21) |
| Lost Verses - Live : Allmusic album Review : LOST VERSES LIVE is one of two live albums released in the spring of 2009 by Sun Kil Moon/former Red House Painters main man Mark Kozelek. The first, FIND ME, RUBEN OLIVARES, was recorded in Spain, and shares several tracks with this album, which was recorded in various cities across the U.S. In this characteristically all-acoustic collection, Kozelek mostly tackles material from his Sun Kill Moon repertoire, but also tosses in covers of two Modest Mouse songs and Steven Sondheims "Send in the Clowns," closing things out on a poignant note by reaching back to his Red House Painters days for "Katys Song." | ||
 | Album: 11 of 31 Title: Live At Union Chapel & Södra Teatern Released: 2011-02 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:18:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Third and Seneca (08:02) 2 Moorestown (04:40) 3 Katy Song (04:22) 4 Australian Winter (04:48) 5 Heron Blue (07:36) 6 Blue Orchids (06:05) 7 Bay of Skulls (05:47) 8 Cruiser (04:35) 9 Like the River (02:29) 10 Half Moon Bay (07:23) 11 Get Along Home Cindy (02:28) 12 You Are My Sun (04:49) 13 Church of the Pines (06:49) 14 The Leaning Tree (08:10) |
 | Album: 12 of 31 Title: Live At Lincoln Hall Released: 2012 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:18:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 13 (02:15) 2 New Partner (02:38) 3 Half Moon Bay (06:40) 4 Sunshine in Chicago (04:06) 5 3rd and Seneca (07:00) 6 Young Love (06:24) 7 Australian Winter (05:34) 8 Up to My Neck in You (03:12) 9 All Mixed Up (04:55) 10 Carry Me Ohio (05:19) 11 Like the River (02:30) 12 Church of the Pines (05:31) 13 Heron Blue (07:09) 14 Summer Dress (04:13) 15 Duk Koo Kim (10:51) |
 | Album: 13 of 31 Title: Live In Copenhagen Released: 2012 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:02:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Third and Seneca (07:43) 2 Australian Winter (05:24) 3 Follow You, Follow Me (02:50) 4 Mistress (04:21) 5 Church of the Pines (06:00) 6 You Aint Got a Hold on Me (02:46) 7 Void (05:23) 8 You Are My Sun (04:41) 9 Randolphs Tango (03:14) 10 Jesus Christ Was an Only Child (02:23) 11 Brockwell Park (02:12) 12 Get Along Home Cindy (02:39) 13 Rock n Roll Singer (04:28) 14 Natural Light (02:04) 15 Ålesund (06:23) |
 | Album: 14 of 31 Title: On Tour: A Documentary (The Soundtrack) Released: 2012-11-13 Tracks: 33 Duration: 2:16:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sam Wong Hotel (05:10) 2 Ålesund (06:26) 3 Void (live in Sweden) (05:24) 4 Bologna Piece (00:41) 5 Katy Song (live in Italy) (04:32) 6 Koko (01:17) 7 Half Moon Bay (live in Switzerland) (07:00) 8 Ålesund (live in Belgium) (06:18) 9 Australian Winter (live in France) (04:33) 10 Logroño Piece (02:04) 11 Tonight in Bilbao (08:30) 12 Lucky Man (hotel performance) (05:40) 13 Seville Piece (01:44) 14 Trailways (live in Spain) (03:40) 15 Four Fingered Fisherman (03:36) 16 Like the River (live in Spain) (02:54) 1 Lost Verses (07:11) 2 Australian Winter (airport scene) (02:00) 3 Vigo Piece (01:19) 4 Blue Orchids (live in Spain) (05:30) 5 Third and Seneca (hotel performance) (07:17) 6 Carry Me Ohio (05:14) 7 You Are My Sun (04:53) 8 First Unitarian Piece (01:20) 9 Backstage Unitarian Piece (01:17) 10 Natural Light (live in USA) (02:10) 11 Moorestown (live in USA) (04:15) 12 Heron Blue (live in Canada) (06:58) 13 Sintra Hotel Performance (02:22) 14 Take Me Out (live in Italy) (03:17) 15 Cruiser (live in USA) (04:54) 16 Mistress (live in USA) (04:18) 17 Things Mean a Lot (live in France) (02:31) |
| On Tour: A Documentary (The Soundtrack) : Allmusic album Review : When Mark Kozeleks Caldo Verde label released the documentary DVD On Tour in 2011, many fans wished for a standalone soundtrack to the simply yet elegantly shot black-and-white film. They got their wish. Recorded on his European and North American tours in 2010 and 2011, which took place in churches, hotels, clubs, and concert halls, these performances all feature the singer and songwriter accompanied only by a nylon-string guitar. These are the full versions of all the songs in the documentary, plus four bonus tracks that bring the sum total to 33. Beautifully recorded, the material is centered on Kozeleks recordings with Sun Kil Moon. That said, among the bonus cuts are gorgeous versions of "Take Me Out," "Mistress," and "Things Mean a Lot" off the self-titled Red House Painters debut recording, and "Cruiser" from the bands Old Ramon effort. Other highlights include lovely versions of "Blue Orchids," "Moorestown," and "Lucky Man," all of which originally appeared on 2008s SKM album April; an acoustic cover of Modest Mouses "Four Fingered Fisherman" (its studio version appeared on Tiny Cities -- an entire SKM album devoted to MM covers), "Carry Me Ohio," and "Heron Blue." While its reasonable think this is for fans only, On Tour actually provides a very solid introduction to Kozelek as a songwriter. His melancholic view of the world is well and abundantly articulated here, but it is in that view that he finds beauty. In this intimate setting, he imparts it gently and tenderly to the listener. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 31 Title: Live At Mao Livehouse Shanghai & Beijing Released: 2013-02-19 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:13:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Glenn Tipton (04:25) 2 Summer Dress (02:31) 3 Carry Me Ohio (05:24) 4 The Moderately Talented Young Woman (04:03) 5 Sunshine in Chicago (02:51) 6 That Bird Has a Broken Wing (03:11) 7 You Missed My Heart (06:04) 8 Duk Koo Kim (12:22) 9 Rock N Roll Singer (03:46) 10 Track Number 8 (06:52) 11 UK Blues (06:03) 12 Elaine (05:25) 13 Mistress (04:19) 14 Australian Winter (05:41) |
 | Album: 16 of 31 Title: Like Rats Released: 2013-02-19 Tracks: 16 Duration: 38:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I (02:12) 2 Like Rats (02:26) 3 Free-For-All (02:16) 4 Young Girls (02:58) 5 Right Back Where We Started From (02:23) 6 Time Is Love (01:41) 7 Silly Girl (02:07) 8 Onward (02:10) 9 Carpet Crawlers (04:22) 10 13 (01:58) 11 Green Hell (03:08) 12 I Killed Mommy (01:23) 13 I Got You Babe (03:17) 14 Silly Girl (live) (02:08) 15 I Killed Mommy (live) (01:41) 16 Young Girls (live) (02:37) |
 | Album: 17 of 31 Title: Live at Phoenix Public House Melbourne Released: 2013-02-19 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:02:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Know Its Pathetic but That Was the Greatest Night of My Life (01:47) 2 Sunshine in Chicago (05:22) 3 The Moderately Talented Young Woman (04:22) 4 That Bird Has a Broken Wing (05:17) 5 Glenn Tipton (05:05) 6 Track Number 8 (05:50) 7 UK Blues (06:13) 8 Heron Blue (06:10) 9 Mistress (05:38) 10 Church of the Pines (05:40) 11 You Missed My Heart (06:11) 12 Black Kite (05:15) |
 | Album: 18 of 31 Title: Perils From the Sea Released: 2013-04-30 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:17:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 What Happened to My Brother (05:15) 2 1936 (05:10) 3 Gustavo (06:58) 4 Baby in Death Can I Rest Next to Your Grave (08:12) 5 Ceiling Gazing (08:09) 6 You Missed My Heart (05:40) 7 Caroline (06:17) 8 He Always Felt Like Dancing (07:56) 9 By the Time That I Awoke (07:26) 10 Here Come More Perils From the Sea (05:52) 11 Somehow the Wonder of Life Prevails (10:32) |
| Perils From the Sea : Allmusic album Review : Perils from the Sea, a surprisingly absorbing collaboration between Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon frontman Mark Kozelek and Album Leaf mastermind Jimmy LaValle, sounds exactly as one might imagine. Kozeleks richly detailed, impressionistic lyrics and laconic delivery, when paired with LaValles bare-bones bedroom electropop, are as engaging as they are impossibly lonesome, sounding on occasion like Kid A filtered through a Pacific Northwest skylight. Released on Kozeleks own Caldo Verde label and credited to Sun Kil Moon and the Album Leaf, the ten-track collection feels less like a product and more like an accidently overheard musical conversation between two of indie rocks most enigmatic personas. Opener "What Happened to My Brother," the track that initiated the project, is indicative of much of what is to follow, with LaValles minimalist, Postal Service-inspired, 8-bit-sounding synth lines and antiquated drum machine patches falling effortlessly in step with Kozeleks evocative, Bay Area-inspired wordplay. At its best ("Baby in Death Can I Rest Next to Your Grave," "Here Come More Perils from the Sea," "Caroline," "Somehow the Wonder of Life Prevails"), Perils from the Sea skillfully bridges the gap between Kozeleks most recent offerings, which favored classical guitar and vocal over full-band arrangements, with the fuller sound of his Red House Painters and early Sun Kil Moon years, resulting in a listening experience that trades in the distant, narrative-driven opaqueness of Admiral Fell Promises and Among the Leaves for a newfound inclusiveness that suits both parties. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 31 Title: Live At Palladium in Malmö Released: 2013-05-07 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:01:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 [clapping/intro] (00:42) 2 Up to My Neck in You (03:13) 3 The Moderately Talented Young Woman (04:05) 4 That Bird Has a Broken Wing (02:55) 5 Among the Leaves (07:19) 6 Caroline (05:15) 7 Green Hell (03:19) 8 The Winery (06:41) 9 Silly Girl (02:03) 10 Young Girls (05:05) 11 Moorestown (03:42) 12 Summer Dress (05:04) 13 Ceiling Gazing (06:06) 14 Katy Song (05:30) |
 | Album: 20 of 31 Title: Mark Kozelek & Desertshore Released: 2013-08-20 Tracks: 10 Duration: 44:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mariette (03:01) 2 Livingstone Bramble (05:00) 3 Hey You Bastards Im Still Here (04:03) 4 Katowice or Cologne (03:44) 5 Seal Rock Hotel (02:58) 6 Tavoris Cloud (03:33) 7 You Are Not of My Blood (05:58) 8 Sometimes I Cant Stop (06:41) 9 Dont Ask About My Husband (02:27) 10 Brothers (06:56) |
| Mark Kozelek & Desertshore : Allmusic album Review : With 2013 shaping up to be one of his most prolific years, singer/songwriter Mark Kozelek followed a series of live albums with a collaborative studio album with Album Leafs Jimmy LaValle and now Mark Kozelek and Desertshore, a collection of new songs made with members of his former bands Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon. In his earlier days with those bands, Kozeleks songs were dreamy and wistful, sadhearted but luxurious slowcore rooted to reality with his painfully honest autobiographical lyrics. In his numerous live solo albums, Kozeleks focus on the naked storytelling aspect of his music has come more into focus, with the chord changes from a spare guitar sometimes feeling like little more than an obligatory musical backdrop for his wordy, diary entry-like lyrics about the loneliness of traveling and growing older as an indie rock lifer. Made up of former Red House Painters guitarist Phil Carney, drummer Mike Stevens, and pianist Chris Connolly, Desertshore returns Kozeleks often raw lyrics to a rich bedding of narcotic folk-rock not unlike his work in the mid-90s. What feels different is just how much he has to say, and the amount of direct details that make it into his songs. "Livingstone Bramble" manages to include scenes of talking with a panhandling crackhead, watching a boxing match on ESPN next to a sleeping girlfriend, and even buying a bottle of water at the corner deli before getting into a list of which guitarists make the grade and which the narrator dislikes. While Kozelek recites what could be a boring laundry list of what he did minute to minute over a Crazy Horse rhythm, the delivery somehow renders every mundane detail essential to the song. "Katowice or Cologne" fades out with him still spitting out lyrics about what hes daydreaming about doing on his vacation. He sometimes pulls the rug out from under himself with a stark dose of heaviness, jumping from lines about what he had for dinner to sad laments about the passing of friends like American Music Clubs Tim Mooney and Magnolia Electric Co.s Jason Molina. The country & western bounce of "Dont Ask About My Husband" offers a lighthearted tale of devious infidelity, switching up the narration from Kozeleks sometimes uncomfortably specific songs about his own life to that of a possibly fictitious character running around the world behind her spouses back. Finding a midpoint between the lushness of the full-band arrangements and Kozeleks increasingly intricate and plainspoken songwriting approach, the album changes moods and colors song to song but offers so much emotional insight, both musically and lyrically, that the shifts are almost necessary to punctuate each overflowing statement. Nuanced, dark, funny, harrowing, but also amiable, Mark Kozelek and Desertshore is one of the more digestible and entertaining documents of what could stand as the most prolific writing period of Kozeleks already inspired career. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 31 Title: Live at Victoria Teatern and Stenhammarsalen Released: 2014-01-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:12:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 You Missed My Heart (06:21) 2 Katowice or Cologne (04:55) 3 Elaine (07:38) 4 Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes (05:26) 5 Micheline (08:02) 6 Caroline (06:36) 7 Half Moon Bay (10:52) 8 I Love My Dad (05:37) 9 All Mixed Up (04:46) 10 Gustavo (06:23) 11 Cruiser (05:23) |
 | Album: 22 of 31 Title: Live at Biko Released: 2014-06-11 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:19:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gustavo (06:48) 2 I Watched the Film the Song Remains the Same (07:08) 3 I Love My Dad (03:13) 4 Dogs (07:18) 5 Micheline (07:42) 6 Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes (04:38) 7 Ålesund (08:09) 8 Hey You Bastards Im Still Here (03:40) 9 Sunshine in Chicago (02:59) 10 Carissa (07:03) 11 Caroline (05:36) 12 Tavoris Cloud (03:14) 13 Ceiling Gazing (06:52) 14 Elaine (05:23) |
 | Album: 23 of 31 Title: The Kids: Live in London Released: 2014-10-15 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:07:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Caroline Says (03:15) 2 You Missed My Heart (07:50) 3 I Love My Dad (05:54) 4 Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes (06:36) 5 Micheline (07:18) 6 Gustavo (06:34) 7 Tavoris Cloud (09:16) 8 Ålesund (05:55) 9 Ceiling Gaze (09:29) 10 The Kids (05:48) |
 | Album: 24 of 31 Title: Sings Christmas Carols Released: 2014-11-04 Tracks: 14 Duration: 41:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Christmas Time Is Here (03:57) 2 Do You Hear What I Hear (02:45) 3 2,000 Miles (02:49) 4 O Come, All Ye Faithful (02:06) 5 O Christmas Tree (02:55) 6 Away in a Manger (01:58) 7 O Little Town of Bethlehem (02:54) 8 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (03:10) 9 Silent Night (02:58) 10 The First Noel (04:52) 11 I Believe in Father Christmas (02:45) 12 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (02:06) 13 What Child Is This? (02:44) 14 The Christmas Song (03:48) |
 | Album: 25 of 31 Title: Down in the Willow Garden Released: 2015-10-07 Tracks: 4 Duration: 20:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Down in the Willow Garden (version 1) (01:51) 2 Sick Again (05:26) 3 Chapter 8 of John Connollys "A Song of Shadows" (10:32) 4 Down in the Willow Garden (version 2) (02:40) |
 | Album: 26 of 31 Title: Dreams of Childhood Released: 2015-10-27 Tracks: 24 Duration: 18:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Castle (01:28) 2 My Love Will Protect You (01:02) 3 Dreams of Childhood (00:35) 4 Go to Your Bed (00:27) 5 If I Wrote About You Id Write a Book (01:31) 6 Anticipation (01:18) 7 I Dreamed of My Sister (00:31) 8 Close to Me (00:38) 9 My Sweet Heart (00:23) 10 Beautiful Letter Dreams (00:26) 11 Cotton Cloud (00:52) 12 The Value of Charm (00:45) 13 Castillo (01:08) 14 Mi amor te protegerá (01:01) 15 Sueños de niñez (00:34) 16 Andá a la cama (00:23) 17 De escribir por ti escribiría un libro (01:23) 18 Esperanza (01:19) 19 Sueño con mi hermana (00:21) 20 Cerca mío (00:26) 21 Mi dulce corazón (00:21) 22 Sueño lindo en letras (00:29) 23 Nube de algodón (00:38) 24 El valor del encanto (00:24) |
 | Album: 27 of 31 Title: Mark Kozelek Sings Favorites Released: 2016-05-27 Tracks: 12 Duration: 37:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Send in the Clowns (03:56) 2 Moon River (03:14) 3 Im Not in Love (04:28) 4 Win (02:43) 5 Mainstreet (03:24) 6 Another Day (03:12) 7 Somewhere over the Rainbow (02:29) 8 Amanda (02:40) 9 Get Along Home Cindy (02:58) 10 O Holy Night (02:42) 11 Something Stupid (02:52) 12 Float On (03:13) |
| Mark Kozelek Sings Favorites : Allmusic album Review : Following a series of increasingly autobiographical (not to mention self-referential) Sun Kil Moon albums, as well as spoken word collection Dreams of Childhood, Mark Kozelek went back to basics with the aptly titled Sings Favorites. Covers have always been an integral part of Kozeleks career, ranging from the deconstructed classic rock songs that dotted Red House Painters albums during the 90s to his full-length tributes to AC/DC and Modest Mouse to his long-promised album of Christmas carols, which finally arrived in 2014. Sings Favorites mostly consists of familiar oldies sung plainly and accompanied by piano, as well as occasional backing vocals from Will Oldham, Lows Mimi Parker, Slowdives Rachel Goswell, and a few other guests. As stripped down as this album seems, some of the recordings are actually somewhat of an upgrade from the a cappella renditions he had been performing in concert prior to the albums release, when hed set down his guitar, stand up and pace around the stage, and sing eerie, unaccompanied takes on "Send in the Clowns" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Aside from these standards, there are also versions of songs by David Bowie (Young Americans cut "Win," which features backup vocals by an unrecognizably normal-sounding Mike Patton), Waylon Jennings ("Amanda"), and Bob Seger ("Mainstreet"). Minnie Driver plays Nancy to Kozeleks Frank Sinatra on their version of the always delightful "Something Stupid." "O Holy Night" was absent from Sings Christmas Carols, so it appears here; similarly, "Float On" missed the cut for Sun Kil Moons Modest Mouse songbook Tiny Cities, and it closes out this album. Somehow it ends up sounding closest to the types of covers he recorded during the RHP days, thanks to the additional reverb as well as the way he turns a perky song into a depressing lament. As with anything Kozelek does, the album is highly personal, even if hes simply interpreting music that means a lot to him rather than recounting his own experiences. By its very nature, this album doesnt seem like its meant to be a grand statement, and it certainly isnt essential Kozelek by any means. Fans of the ever-prolific artist might enjoy it simply because it is unmistakably a Mark Kozelek album, but his dry, straightforward readings wont do anything to convince listeners who dont share the same sentiments for these tunes. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 31 Title: Night Talks Released: 2017-03-22 Tracks: 5 Duration: 29:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Night Talks (05:54) 2 I Love Portugal (acoustic) (07:24) 3 Astronomy (06:18) 4 Pretty Little Flowers (04:46) 5 Famous Blue Raincoat (05:21) |
 | Album: 29 of 31 Title: Yellow Kitchen Released: 2017-06-30 Tracks: 6 Duration: 41:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Time to Destination (06:06) 2 No Christmas Like This (07:29) 3 Im Still in Love With You (04:49) 4 Somebodys Favorite Song (07:25) 5 The Reasons I Love You (03:28) 6 Daffodils (11:59) |
| Yellow Kitchen : Allmusic album Review : For his third full-length release of 2017, and fourth overall counting a solo EP -- seriously, slow down, man! -- Sun Kil Moons Mark Kozelek collaborated with Sean Yeaton, a musician and writer best known for playing bass in Brooklyn garage punks Parquet Courts. Yellow Kitchen doesnt come close to sounding like that group, however. Instead of frantic, noisy post-punk, the music is cold and abstract, serving as a dreamlike, sometimes distant background for Kozeleks autobiographical rants. The album opens with a bit of creeping Philip Glass-inspired minimalism, filled with rumbling pianos and set to a metronomic pulse. Subsequent tracks switch between avant-garde keyboard passages and ragged lo-fi indie rock, particularly "No Christmas Like This." Lyrically, Kozelek is treading the same territory as his other 2016-2017 releases. Hes concerned about the results of the 2016 election and the state of society, but more concerned about his own health and aging process. He addresses why he doesnt write the way he used to back in the 90s, and references celebrity deaths, movies hes watched, and restaurants hes eaten at. He also continues to break the fourth wall on "Somebodys Favorite Song," during which he basically documents the songwriting process, stating that hes not really sure what the songs going to be about. He decides that its going to end up being exactly four minutes long, but after a few seconds of silence it starts again, and he continues rambling about conversations hes had with people. Breaking from all of this is clear highlight "The Reasons I Love You," an awkward but cute ditty directed at Kozeleks girlfriend, set to a click track, a whistling kettle, and a comforting acoustic guitar riff. At only 41 minutes, the release is short and succinct compared to many of Kozeleks prior non-covers albums, which might come as a relief to some listeners. Even though the music is a bit more experimental, the effect is much the same. Its worth a listen if you enjoyed any of those releases, but otherwise it wont change your mind about Kozelek and the direction his music has taken. | ||
 | Album: 30 of 31 Title: Mark Kozelek with Ben Boye and Jim White Released: 2017-10-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:27:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 House Cat (06:47) 2 Topo Gigio (14:42) 3 Fur Balls (05:31) 4 Los Margaritos (05:07) 5 Astronomy (07:32) 1 Blood Test (12:00) 2 Ashes (04:42) 3 February Rain (08:19) 4 The Black Butterfly (06:23) 5 The Robin Williams Tunnel (16:22) |
| Mark Kozelek with Ben Boye and Jim White : Allmusic album Review : Mark Kozeleks fifth release in 2017 was created with keyboardist Ben Boye (who appeared on both of the years Sun Kil Moon albums in addition to numerous recordings by Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Ryley Walker, among others) and Dirty Three drummer Jim White. Almost immediately, Boye and White seem like a much better, more fitting match for Kozelek than some of the musicians hed previously collaborated with during the preceding few years. The albums with Jesu clearly sound like Kozelek singing/speaking on top of Justin Broadricks electronic backing tracks, and Steve Shelleys drums on Common as Light and Love were highly repetitive loops. Here, the three musicians clearly seem like theyre all in the same room, feeding off of each others creative energies. This is most readily apparent during the 15-minute "Topo Gigio" (about Kozeleks childhood stuffed pig, named after the mouse puppet from The Ed Sullivan Show), during which he pauses from his observational rambling to let the music take over. At the end of the piece, the music becomes more furious, and Kozelek becomes more enraged and imitates missiles being launched, crying out "The tension is escalating!" On other tracks, the musicians seem to flow in an ambling, abstract groove, switching things up when Kozelek changes thoughts or moods. Typical of his post-Benji style, Kozeleks lyrics are a mixture of hopefulness, disgust with the state of the world, reflections on his daily life, remembrances of friends and acquaintances, and moments of goofiness and levity. He also really adores and envies cats. "House Cat" is told from the point of view of a fat, lazy house cat who wonders why all the humans keep arguing so much, or what that orange guy on the television screen is yelling about. At least half of the other songs mention felines in one way or another. Elsewhere, he reflects on everyones differences during "Blood Test," eventually encouraging people to reject hate culture and "rise above." On "Los Margaritos," he apologizes to family members for the foul mood he was in while they took him out for dinner the previous night. "The Black Butterfly" is a surrealist tale recalling a dream where Elliott Smith was still alive and had a kid who was in danger of failing the third grade, and he invited Kozelek to tour with him. Inevitably, the nearly 90-minute album goes on longer than it needs to, with the slow, boring "February Rain" being the most skippable track. Even still, the albums best moments are insightful and touching, and for anyone following the strange path his music has taken, its still worth hearing. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 31 Title: Mark Kozelek Released: 2018-05-11 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:28:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 This is My Town (07:16) 2 Live in Chicago (06:03) 3 The Mark Kozelek Museum (10:26) 4 My Love for You is Undying (13:08) 5 Weed Whacker (08:03) 6 Sublime (05:08) 1 Good Nostalgia (04:41) 2 666 Post (06:06) 3 The Banjo Song (12:42) 4 Young Riddick Bowe (05:42) 5 I Cried During Wall Street (08:54) |
| Mark Kozelek : Allmusic album Review : Mark Kozelek recorded his self-titled 2018 full-length primarily at hotel rooms in his home city of San Francisco. Accompanied by an engineer, he looped and layered guitar parts and came up with the bulk of the lyrics on the spot. The tone is set by opener "This Is My Town," which details his experiences wandering around town, going out for dim sum, novels hes read, and how he can pick up any guitar and feel comfortable playing it -- pretty typical of the lyrical content for much of his work during the 2010s. During the course of the album, he continues discussing the comforts of home as well as the loneliness of being on tour and being apart from his girlfriend. He spends very little time socializing with other people, but when he does, it usually makes for some interesting stories. "My Love for You Is Undying" recalls an awkward encounter with a fan who claims that shes listened to Kozeleks music more than shes slept, and another with a bookstore clerk who claimed to be a huge fan but was then unnecessarily rude to him. He manages to balance absurd humor with self-deprecation on songs like "Weed Whacker," where a barista doesnt realize hes talking to Kozelek while a Sun Kil Moon album is playing in the background, and Kozelek later tells someone that he just makes music for the streaming services. Theres also the ever self-referential, introspective "The Mark Kozelek Museum," which suggests that Ariel Pink wouldve been as famous as David Bowie if he was around in 1975, then somehow drifts into a multi-tracked chant of the word "diarrhea." On "666 Post," his loneliness leads to dementia, leading him to imagine having unusual pets and Satan being his neighbor. Much more relaxed is the unhurried "The Banjo Song," which does not contain any banjos, but a soothing back-and-forth nylon-string guitar pattern, atop which Kozelek lists his comfort movies and favorite possessions. As on this song, the albums guitar work is typically pretty and atmospheric, sometimes switching into darker chords for certain verses, but generally maintaining a light, nostalgic tone. The only guest musician is Steve Shelley, who plays drums on "Sublime," which of course mentions the fact that Brad Nowell died in San Francisco, not far from where Kozelek lives. Mark Kozelek is as long and rambling as one would expect from the singer/songwriter, but his mixture of poignancy, humanity, and levity continues to make his music worth hearing. | ||