Sun Kil Moon | ||
| Allmusic Biography : After dissolving his previous band Red House Painters, singer/songwriter Mark Kozelek resurfaced with Sun Kil Moon, refining and expanding the luminous acoustic balladry and harrowingly intimate lyricism that were the hallmarks of his career to date. He debuted Sun Kil Moon with 2002s Ghosts of the Great Highway, an extension of Red House Painters melancholic dream pop sound. Following 2010s sparse yet exquisitely crafted Admiral Fell Promises, Kozeleks songwriting became much more direct, literal, and even humorous starting with 2012s Among the Leaves. Released in 2014, the particularly confessional Benji proved to be one of the most popular and critically acclaimed releases of Kozeleks entire career. Kozelek continued to explore a diary-like, self-referential songwriting style on subsequent releases such as 2015s Universal Themes and two collaborations with Jesu. Born in Massillon, Ohio, in 1967, Kozelek formed his first band, God Forbid, while in his teens. Upon relocating to Atlanta, he struck up a friendship with drummer Anthony Koutsos, and together they formed the first incarnation of Red House Painters. A move to San Francisco followed, where guitarist Gorden Mack and bassist Jerry Vessel rounded out the groups roster. While performing on the Bay Area club circuit, the quartet came to the attention of American Music Club frontman Mark Eitzel, who often cited Red House Painters as his favorite band. Through Eitzel, RHPs demo tape made its way to the London offices of 4AD Records, which signed the group and in 1992 issued the unvarnished demos -- a striking collection of Spartan, atmospheric melodies lurking behind Kozeleks ghostly vocals -- as the LP Down Colorful Hill. Subsequent efforts, highlighted by a pair of eponymous albums released back to back in 1993, established Kozelek as a writer of stunning emotional depth, unflinchingly detailing his erratic, abusive nature and troubled background. But relations with 4AD grew strained, and when Kozelek began work on a long-rumored solo album in the wake of 1995s radiant Ocean Beach, the label terminated Red House Painters contract. Although none of Kozeleks bandmates appeared on the completed LP, the solo disc Songs for a Blue Guitar was instead issued under the RHP banner when it appeared on Islands Supreme imprint in 1996. The group reunited in late 1997 for one final album, Old Ramon, but the Polygram/Universal merger spelled Supremes end, and the completed LP was indefinitely shelved. Kozelek soon began work assembling and producing Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver, an all-star cover record celebrating the life and music of the late folkie, and in 2000 issued his first proper solo effort, Rock n Roll Singer, a curious yet compelling patchwork highlighted by three Bon Scott-era AC/DC covers. Perhaps most surprising, Kozelek also co-starred in filmmaker Cameron Crowes 2000 release Almost Famous, playing Larry Fellows, bassist for the fictional 70s hard rock band Stillwater. After securing the rights to Old Ramon, Kozelek licensed the album to Sub Pop for release in the spring of 2001. Later that same year, the label also issued his limited-edition solo set White Christmas Live. In early 2002, Kozelek assembled Sun Kil Moon with former Red House Painter Anthony Koutsos, Black Lab bassist Geoff Stanfield, and erstwhile American Music Club drummer Tim Mooney. Their debut LP, Ghosts of the Great Highway, appeared to wide critical acclaim in late 2003, and Kozelek assembled a new touring band to support its release, spending the better part of 2004 on the road. He also continued his film career, again playing a fictional musician in the 2005 big-screen adaptation of Steve Martins comedic novella Shopgirl. That summer, Kozelek joined with Lows Alan Sparhawk in the classic rock cover band the Retribution Gospel Choir, issuing a tour-only EP in advance of the second Sun Kil Moon album, the much maligned Tiny Cities, a collection of covers by indie rock band Modest Mouse. The album was the first released on Kozeleks own Caldo Verde label. April, featuring guest vocals from Will Oldham and Ben Gibbard, followed in 2008. Kozelek switched it up again for 2010s Admiral Fell Promises; he recorded ten new songs accompanied only by a nylon-stringed guitar. The like-minded Among the Leaves, Kozeleks fifth outing under the moniker, arrived in 2012. An especially direct collection of songs titled Benji was issued in February of 2014. The album was an unexpected critical and commercial success, hitting number 75 in the Billboard 200 album chart and ranking in year-end lists from numerous publications, including FACT, which named it the best album of 2014. Kozeleks sudden increase in media attention also spotlighted his infamously crabby on-stage behavior, which sometimes threatened to overshadow his music; a one-sided feud with the War on Drugs was particularly well-publicized. Kozelek ended 2014 with the long-promised release of Sings Christmas Carols, his solo album of holiday standards. Sun Kil Moons seventh album, Universal Themes, arrived in June of 2015. Sun Kil Moons long-rumored collaboration with Justin Broadricks project Jesu was announced that year, with a pre-release track, "Americas Most Wanted Mark Kozelek and John Dillinger," offered to websites in October. The album, simply titled Jesu/Sun Kil Moon, appeared on Caldo Verde in January of 2016. Kozelek then released an album of cover tunes simply titled Sings Favorites. Sun Kil Moons ambitious double-album Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood was released in February of 2017. This was followed by a second Jesu collaboration, 30 Seconds to the Decline of Planet Earth. Following three releases under his own name (a collaboration with Sean Yeaton, one with Ben Boye and Jim White, and an eponymous solo effort), Kozelek resumed work as Sun Kil Moon with 2018s This Is My Dinner. The next year another lengthy album materialized in the form of I Also Want to Die in New Orleans. The albums jazz-inflected instrumentals again featured contributions from drummer Jim White as well as saxophonist Donny McCaslin. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 14 Title: Ghosts of the Great Highway Released: 2003-11-04 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:02:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Glenn Tipton (04:16) 2 Carry Me Ohio (06:17) 3 Salvador Sanchez (06:29) 4 Last Tide (02:55) 5 Floating (03:15) 6 Gentle Moon (05:18) 7 Lily and Parrots (04:18) 1 Duk Koo Kim (14:23) 2 Sí, Paloma (05:32) 3 Pancho Villa (05:10) 4 Gentle Moon (acoustic) (05:00) |
| Ghosts of the Great Highway : Allmusic album Review : Sun Kil Moon is a new band project fronted by Mark Kozelek of the Red House Painters. Given the composition of Ghosts of the Great Highway, its difficult to see how it will all turn out in the end, given that Kozelek takes on the roles of singer, songwriter, guitarist and who knows what else, while the band sports two drummers in Anthony Koutsos (also formerly of RHP), and Tim Mooney (from American Music Club and the Toiling Midgets), as well as bassist Geoff Stanfield, who came from the ruins of Black Lab. Theres a string trio present on the album, as well as some minimal use of keyboards, but the propulsive sounds here are guitars, drums, and Kozeleks haunted, Neil Young-inflected voice. Fans of RHPs later work, such as Songs for a Blue Guitar, may be prepared for the material here -- but then again, maybe not. There is a decidedly languid pace here that is not as mopey as RHP, and the melodies are more pronounced and out front, purposefully intertwining with the layers of guitars and strings. Lyrically, Kozelek is as obsessed with memory and the romance of it as ever. In "Glenn Tipton," the opening track, Kozelek compares the blows received by Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay to the debated preference by fans for one Judas Priest guitarist (K.K. Downing) over another (Glenn Tipton), and Jim Nabors over Bobby Vinton, and contrasts them with his own memories of his father watching late-night movies on TV, as he observes himself doing the same thing, and finally, with the death of a friend who owned a donut shop. An acoustic guitar is the sole accompaniment that this tune full of non sequiturs needs through its verses, before a 12-string, organic percussion and bass enter the middle. The lyrics may not add up, but they evoke the notion of nostalgia, the ache of times passage, and the dreams of what might have been. "Carry Me Ohio," with its slowly rung electric guitars, dual tap kits, and stripped-to-the-bone bassline, is a lexicon. Side by side narratives of broken lovers and Kozeleks boyhood years in Ohio turn in on one another, and into the shimmering drift guitars and a limpid pulse. There are two versions of "Salvador Sanchez": one is straight from the Crazy Horse riff book. Kozelek tells a heroic and heartbreaking story of the champion featherweight boxer, the "magic matador," who died at the age of 23 in an auto accident. The guitar solos open and wind, and the drums usher in the great textured feedback in the bridge. "Duk Koo Kim" appeared in a different version from Cameron Crowes Vinyl Records label earlier this year. Here its over 14 minutes long; its a swirling, kaleidoscopic, instrumental with strings, xylophones, guitars, and drums everywhere. Its a dream cycle that has its roots in the most brilliant and dynamic psychedelia, and charts a panoramic vista of lush textures and towering sonic waves. "Si Paloma," with its acoustic guitars piled on top of one another, and mandolins thrown in for good measure, is its mirror image, all bright, sprightly, and shiny, like a full-on mariachi band playing Big Star. The disc closes with another bout of mirror logic in "Pancho Villa." The cut is simply a gorgeous acoustic read of "Salvador Sanchez," given the different arrangement and the placement of Kozeleks voice in the mix -- not to mention his changing accents in the lyrics; its a different song, hunted and haunted by its predecessor, sending the record off in a mist of myths and legends, where memory is as present as the moment one lives in, and as distant as whatever it took to get there. The bottom line here is that Kozeleks aesthetic with Sun Kil Moon may not be radically different than his RHP project, but it is moving, graceful, and consciously beautiful. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 14 Title: Tiny Cities Released: 2005-10-31 Tracks: 11 Duration: 30:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Exit Does Not Exist (01:24) 2 Tiny Cities Made of Ashes (03:13) 3 Neverending Math Equation (02:53) 4 Space Travel Is Boring (03:42) 5 Dramamine (02:44) 6 Jesus Christ Was an Only Child (01:59) 7 Four Fingered Fisherman (02:41) 8 Grey Ice Water (02:32) 9 Convenient Parking (01:56) 10 Truckers Atlas (02:49) 11 Ocean Breathes Salty (04:36) |
| Tiny Cities : Allmusic album Review : The curious sophomore effort from Mark Kozeleks Sun Kil Moon -- with both Geoff Stanfield and Anthony Koutsos returning from Ghosts of the Great Highway -- is a tribute album to indie rockers Modest Mouse and is entirely made up of songs from their catalogue. That said, Kozelek treats these tunes as if he wrote them himself. The same blend of acoustic and electric guitars exist here as they did on the bands debut, but Kozeleks voice is mixed way up in an otherwise sparse production. Shimmering acoustic rock and country meld and wind together on "Neverending Math Equation," and "Space Travel Is Boring." The slow, off-waltz time of "Jesus Christ Was an Only Child" is, in a way, the hinge piece of a recording that deals with memory, childhood, and the emerging of a fragmented person built from these experiences. The allegorical tone of the tune suggests affinity, difference, and the small ways in which what we were taught when we were young opens up spaces in us where we can encounter the world. "Four Fingered Fishermen" acknowledges this with its small strolling blend of acoustic guitars and Kozeleks iteration of his witness of those different than himself. The beautiful and moving "Grey Ice Water," done mariachi style with backing vocals from Michi Aceret and Emily Herron, is the full articulation of seeing people and the world as somehow interconnected, no matter how random the encounter with them. Tiny Cities is so aptly titled, a recording of motion, the passing of distances, and the sometimes too-close experience of intersection, connection, and disconnection that happens in both open and claustrophobic environments -- check "Truckers Atlas" for the rootless awareness of caged-in restlessness no matter how wide the terrain is to run and move. How it comes off is a seemingly original work, which makes it more extraordinary considering that these arent his songs. This is a gorgeous recording, one that in a very intimate way opens up an entire universe of possibility for understanding, integration, and brokenness. A fitting tribute indeed. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 14 Title: April Released: 2008-04-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:13:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Lost Verses (09:43) 2 The Light (07:49) 3 Lucky Man (05:47) 4 Unlit Hallway (04:18) 5 Heron Blue (07:38) 1 Moorestown (04:40) 2 Harper Road (03:56) 3 Tonight the Sky (10:21) 4 Like the River (04:09) 5 Tonight in Bilbao (09:27) 6 Blue Orchids (05:56) |
| April : Allmusic album Review : Despite the change in his bands name from Red House Painters to Sun Kil Moon, songwriter Mark Kozelek has changed very little in the past decade-and-a-half. Sure there was a left turn when he did a rather unorthodox (to say the least) album of covers of Modest Mouse tunes, but he recorded those songs as if they were his own and performed them like that as well. There are forces at work in Kozeleks own songs that follow like a ghost train from one destination to the next. April is no different. Memory is the fossil fuel that drives his creativity unhurriedly along a rather labyrinthine maze to the same place: wherever he is, he wishes he were somewhere else. But its also the acceptance of that fact that makes these songs what they are. His touch on the guitar varies. In its trademark loping, ever-so-slowly unfolding of a ten-minute narrative like "Lost Verses," its a blend of acoustic and electric guitars, and he hovers around the same three chords like its a mantra as his words come from some place caught between the depths and instructional truth revealed over time, and the immediate wince of powerful emotions. Its a tension, but one that is not unbearable or taut. "The Light," evokes Neil Young at his most languid. Layers of distorted, warm-toned, countrified 4/4 time, with a single trance-like snare, hi-hat and bass drum, and four-note bassline to pace the words along their great length. There are other times, though, where Kozelek just lets it rip, as on "Tonight the Sky" that touches on Youngs riff from "Ohio," as well as "Like a Hurricane." The volume level varies, the droning drums and bassline walk a line and make so much space for the guitar overdubs that at first, the lyrics are almost superficial -- but anyone who has listened to Kozelek for any period of time knows that this is a mistake. They are clear enough to hear, but feel like an afterthought to that druggy loose vibe coming up from the garaged out instrumental mix. At some point -- and its different in each tune -- the vocal cracks open with some nearly unbearable truth, so personal, so ultimately gut-wrenching that the listener catches her breath, caught between empathy and embarrassment for the singer. The release that takes place at about the six-minute mark, where the vocals are all but swallowed by the guitars, is liberating for moment, but it also swallows the protagonist whole. Kozelek handles all the guitar chores, and has a wonderfully empathic rhythm section in Geoff Stanfield and Anthony Koustsos. Bonnie "Prince" Billy appears on "Unlit Hallway," while Ben Gibbard and Eric Pollard also guest. And those choruses, those backing vocals that seem to float up to where they can be heard, but just barely? They are among the most glorious elements of the sound -- on this record in particular. Kozelek is simply continuing on his way here, but that said, to stand apart from all the superlatives and just get lost in his creation here, he has made the best record of his career. This is as perfect an entry point, as it is a summation -- no easy feat -- of where hes been thus far; which is to say, hes always back at the guitar, writing and playing from that haunted center and trying to make sense of the weight, the grief, and the love both expressed and received along his lonesome road. Early versions of April also contain a bonus disc with four alternate versions of album tracks. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 14 Title: Admiral Fell Promises Released: 2010-07-13 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:00:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ålesund (06:26) 2 Half Moon Bay (06:53) 3 Sam Wong Hotel (05:10) 4 Third and Seneca (07:14) 5 You Are My Sun (04:53) 6 Admiral Fell Promises (03:51) 7 The Leaning Tree (07:54) 8 Australian Winter (04:40) 9 Church of the Pines (06:05) 10 Bay of Skulls (07:36) |
| Admiral Fell Promises : Allmusic album Review : Admiral Fell Promises is the fourth full-length by Mark Kozeleks alter ego Sun Kil Moon -- the name hes used since 2003. All of his records, whether they be full-band outings or completely solo like this one, carry his signature warm, slow, nocturnal vocal delivery, lending his songs an unhurried, often melancholy feel, even when he exercises his wry and ready sense of humor. Admiral Fell Promises features Kozelek accompanied only by a fingerpicked, nylon-string Spanish guitar and his voice. While he often double-tracks his vocals, the effect it creates is one of spaciousness inside his songs. Its sound is crystalline without being at all icy. These songs, no matter their musical tempo, change their interior shapes dreamily but in something akin to stop-motion photography. Given the intimacy of the presentation, they invite you into their various worlds, with guitar as both rhythmic and melodic components, and they evolve at a glacial pace: the guitar work here is especially notable. Kozelek is no small talent when it comes to playing disciplined flamenco sketches, employing them as melodies, bridges, or intros and outros in his tunes. The latter of these which closes "Half Moon Bay," is striking for how it seemingly changes up the musical frame of the tune. Check the guitar work on "Sam Wong Hotel" which acts as another storytelling device, speaking in sharp contrast to his vocal; it signals each musical shift in this sadder-than-sad love song. Alternately, his playing also lends a sweetness that enters the stark musical landscape of his words. If songs like "Third and Seneca," the title cut, or "Church of the Pines" (with its hints of "Norwegian Wood") were simply strummed chord changes accompanying his lyrics, theyd be dull and depressing. Instead, they are long, moody landscape shots that eventually close in on his lyrics concerns, offering portraits of ambiguous complexity in seemingly easy-to-define emotional transactions. "The Learning Tree" is a clear standout, because it traverses not only the interiority of the human heart, but equates its conflicting feelings with the physical landscape around it. The guitar drives the songs protagonist ever forward in search of someone and something he may not find, even as he pushes through the rubble of the past and the desolation of his physical surroundings, and blurs into a yearning but uncertain future. Its a love song that aches with the sincerity and confusion of prayer; especially as it changes its entire musical direction about two minutes in. Admiral Fell Promises is the simplest Sun Kil Moon album in terms of production and presentation, but the richest in terms of structural complexity, and poetic and emotional power. [The vinyl version includes liner notes and two bonus tracks recorded live in St. Malo, France. All purchases through the Caldo Verde website will receive a free, limited-edition, four-song Sun Kil Moon EP entitled Ill Be There. The EP includes covers of Stereolab, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, and the Jackson 5.] | ||
 | Album: 5 of 14 Title: Ill Be There Released: 2010-07-13 Tracks: 4 Duration: 13:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Third and Seneca (alt. version) (07:40) 2 Tomorrow Is Already Here (02:09) 3 Natural Light (01:38) 4 Ill Be There (02:20) |
 | Album: 6 of 14 Title: Among the Leaves Released: 2012-05-29 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:13:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Know Its Pathetic but That Was the Greatest Night of My Life (01:47) 2 Sunshine in Chicago (02:34) 3 The Moderately Talented Yet Attractive Young Woman vs. The Exceptionally Talented Yet Not So Attractive Middle Aged Man (03:43) 4 That Bird Has a Broken Wing (02:30) 5 Elaine (05:15) 6 The Winery (04:25) 7 Young Love (06:42) 8 Song for Richard Collopy (03:29) 9 Among the Leaves (03:31) 10 Red Poison (01:51) 11 Track Number 8 (05:15) 12 Not Much Rhymes With Everythings Awesome at All Times (03:14) 13 King Fish (06:39) 14 Lonely Mountain (05:29) 15 UK Blues (06:16) 16 UK Blues 2 (04:57) 17 Black Kite (05:34) |
| Among the Leaves : Allmusic album Review : The fifth outing for Mark Kozelek under the Sun Kil Moon moniker follows in the quiet footsteps of 2010s excellent Admiral Fell Promises. Looser and less polished than its predecessor, Among the Leaves finds Kozelek in a mercilessly nostalgic mood, especially on the first three tracks, which play out like a post-rock & roll Lothario trilogy, looking back on a life spent in transit, full of missed connections ("I Know Its Pathetic But That Was the Greatest Night of My Life ") and disparate places ("Sunshine in Chicago") that trigger powerful emotional cues ("Moderately Talented Yet Attractive Young Woman vs. the Exceptionally Talented Yet Not so Attractive Middle Aged Man") that grow dimmer with each year. Among the Leaves retains AFPs strict adherence to the use of nylon-string guitar as its foundation, though Kozelek isn’t opposed to fleshing out the occasional song with drums, bass, and other subtle textures, as evidenced by the easy Velvet Underground shimmy of the title cut and the dense, brooding "Kingfish," the latter of which finds the former Red House Painter picking at a distorted electric with the same deftness he applies to his beloved acoustic. At its best, Among the Leaves echoes the quiet simplicity of Pink Moon-era Nick Drake, and Kozeleks masterful guitar work suggests what the young British folk icon might have become had he not fallen so soon, but at 17 tracks/diary entries, some of which feel like cast-offs from previous sessions, it feels a little bit indulgent, but maybe, considering the subject matter, that was the intention after all. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 14 Title: Benji Released: 2014-02-11 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:28:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Carissa (06:56) 2 I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love (03:59) 3 Truck Driver (03:56) 4 Dogs (05:37) 5 Pray for Newtown (04:08) 6 Jim Wise (03:34) 7 I Love My Dad (06:16) 8 I Watched the Film The Song Remains the Same (10:31) 1 Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes (05:35) 2 Micheline (06:07) 3 Ben’s My Friend (05:17) 4 Micheline (live in Aveiro) (07:17) 5 Richard Ramirez (live in Goteborg) (04:55) 6 I Love You Dad (live in Copenhagen) (06:04) 7 I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love (live in London) (04:19) 8 Truck Driver (live in Leamington Spa) (04:10) |
| Benji : Allmusic album Review : If ever there was an album for Mark Kozeleks true cult of admirers, Benji is it. Despite the trademark intimacy in his songs, Kozelek has usually concealed himself behind them. Not here. These nakedly confessional songs are adorned by his voice, nylon-string guitar, and sundry instruments and voices. The record is haunted by the ghosts of his native Ohio. Named for a 1974 kids film he liked as a child, Benji is exceptionally wordy. Once Kozelek begins unspinning his life, he cant stop. Lines collide and mundane details combine with memories and shift quickly, making songs sometimes difficult to track. In opener "Carissa," he returns to Ohio for the funeral of a second cousin who perished at 35 in a freak accident involving an aerosol can. Its a eulogy, though he cannot come to grips with what happened. Will Oldhams backing vocal provides support for his bewilderment. "Truck Driver" spookily reflects on the life and death of an uncle (her grandfather) killed on his birthday in an eerily similar accident. On "Dogs," Kozelek details his early sexual history with tenderness, embarrassment, and bravado. When referencing cultural incidents -- "Pray for Newtown" and "Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes" -- Kozelek turns them back on themselves to reflect him. The latter features a strident, monotone spoken delivery and relentless guitar playing. The serial killer is cyclically referenced, but the narrative ironically juxtaposes other culturally significant deaths -- James Gandolfini, Elvis -- as Kozelek walks through his old neighborhood, remembering its residents, bearing honorable and even generous witness to their lives -- and deaths. A lyrical Rhodes piano introduces "Jim Wise," a song about one of his fathers friends who helped his wife commit suicide, then attempted to kill himself but failed. Awaiting a prison sentence, Kozelek and his father visit to bring him food from Panera. "I Watched the Film The Song Remains the Same" -- over ten minutes long -- languidly unfolds, disclosing his youthful experience being thrilled by the film, balanced by more personal experiences with mortality as a way of explaining that his well-known melancholy has been there since childhood. Two songs celebrate his parents, the delicate "I Cant Live Without My Mothers Love" and the semi-boogie of "I Love My Dad" (wherein he takes a humorous dig at Nels Cline). The lovely, tragic "Micheline" pays tribute to a girl who lived next door and to a childhood friend. It marks his grandmothers long illness and passing, and his shame in not being able to bear being near her during it. Kozelek, now middle-aged, is speaking into a mirror on Benji. Its so intimate, the listener is, by definition, a voyeur. His hardcore following will no doubt celebrate it abundantly. Given its willful indulgence, however, others may find it a tipping point in the other direction. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 14 Title: Universal Themes Released: 2015-06-02 Tracks: 8 Duration: 1:10:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Possum (08:59) 2 Birds of Flims (09:04) 3 With a Sort of Grace I Walked to the Bathroom to Cry (09:46) 4 Cry Me a River Williamsburg Sleeve Tattoo Blues (07:28) 5 Little Rascals (07:47) 6 Garden of Lavender (10:12) 7 Ali/Spinks 2 (06:45) 8 This Is My First Day and Im Indian and I Work at a Gas Station (10:09) |
| Universal Themes : Allmusic album Review : Universal Themes is the follow-up to Sun Kil Moons 2014 album Benji, which unexpectedly became one of the most critically acclaimed albums of that year. Like that album, Universal Themes is extremely autobiographical, with songwriter Mark Kozelek spinning yarns about friends, family, his childhood, and other life experiences, with frequent references to boxing, music, films, television, and food. Lyrically, Universal Themes isnt as heavily fixated on death as Benji; instead, there are more songs like "Bens My Friend," wherein Kozelek sings about his experiences traveling and playing shows. Opener "The Possum" does both, intertwining a story about an old dying possum with an anecdote about hanging out with Justin Broadrick before witnessing an incredible concert by his band Godflesh. "Little Rascals" and "Garden of Lavender" reference previous Kozelek songs by name, as well as fans reactions to his lyrics, such as a heckler who asks if he really hates Nels Cline (he doesnt; his name just happened to rhyme). The album doesnt contain any references to Kozeleks notorious one-sided media feud with the War on Drugs, but it does include "Cry Me a River Williamsburg Sleeve Tattoo Blues" (complete with text message notification sounds), which starts out from the point of view of a jaded fan who complains that Kozelek wont play his old material, before going into several grim short stories about early deaths and tortures, in order to drive home the first-world-problems message. Theres also plenty of lighter, more joyous recollections, such as Kozeleks memory of receiving his first guitar, and a multitude of stories about the best times of his life spent with family and friends. Most of the albums eight songs hover around nine or ten minutes in length, and there are stretches of spoken monologue rather than singing. Musically, Kozelek plays almost all of the instruments himself, other than drums from Steve Shelley and guest appearances by bassist Alex Schwartz and keyboards by Chris Connolly on one track each. A few of the songs rock out more aggressively than any of Kozeleks previous work, and he practically barks out "With a Sort of Grace I Walked to the Bathroom to Cry." As with all Sun Kil Moon albums, Kozelek produced the album himself, and his arrangements remain inventive and gorgeous; the lengthy songs are layered, multi-part suites that frequently switch tempos, drifting off into ethereal passages or graceful tarantellas before snapping back to the driving rhythm framing the story at hand. Like Benji, Universal Themes is a challenging listen, and some might view it as Kozeleks most indulgent album yet. But his brilliant musicianship and guitar playing combined with his fascinating storytelling skills ensure that his music is as poignant and life-affirming as ever, and the album is yet another success in his remarkable catalog. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 14 Title: Jesu / Sun Kil Moon Released: 2016-01-21 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:19:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Good Morning My Love (07:03) 2 Carondelet (08:35) 3 A Song of Shadows (06:18) 4 Last Night I Rocked the Room Like Elvis and Had Them Laughing Like Richard Pryor (08:02) 5 Fragile (05:56) 6 Fathers Day (06:11) 7 Sally (06:27) 8 Americas Most Wanted Mark Kozelek and John Dillinger (07:14) 9 Exodus (09:44) 10 Beautiful You (14:00) |
| Jesu / Sun Kil Moon : Allmusic album Review : Justin Broadrick and Mark Kozelek had been hinting at a collaboration for a long time before Jesu/Sun Kil Moon appeared on Kozeleks Caldo Verde Records in early 2016. Kozelek released Jesus 2009 EP Opiate Sun and 2011 full-length Ascension, he covered Godfleshs "Like Rats" in 2013, and the opening track from Sun Kil Moons 2015 album Universal Themes was centered around a story of Kozelek hanging out with Broadrick in San Francisco before witnessing an amazing Godflesh concert. The long-gestating collaboration finds Kozelek continuing the diary-like storytelling of his previous albums, recalling stories from his youth, reflecting on his family, and spending a lot of time remarking about the reception of his work from critics and fans. Broadricks backing tracks range from heavy, lumbering shoegaze guitars to atmospheric synthesizers and trip-hop drum loops, and several guests contribute backing vocals, including Will Oldham, Slowdives Rachel Goswell, and Modest Mouses Isaac Brock. But even though Jesu appears on the marquee first, the album is undoubtedly dominated by Kozeleks lyrics and personality. He spits out his autobiographical lyrics more furiously than ever, and at 80 minutes, the album is easily his wordiest release yet. The very fact that one of the songs is titled "Last Night I Rocked the Room Like Elvis and Had Them Laughing Like Richard Pryor" indicates how his live performances have morphed into some sort of weird musical performance art spectacle. He vents his frustration with hipsters who only talk to him to ask about rare vinyl pressings of his albums while all he can think about is problems with relationships and friendships, returning to the phrase "what does rekindle mean?" during opener "Good Morning My Love." Theres plenty of other heartfelt ponderings and remembrances, such as the recollection of listening to Yes with a friend who was battling leukemia during the lovely, lush "Fragile," and the solemn piano and drum machine lament "Exodus," during which Kozelek describes his reaction to the news of Nick Caves sons death. He recalls the time he met Cave and his son, and admits that he doesnt know what its like to be a parent whos lost a child, but he understands that it must be the most painful experience imaginable, and he sends out his love to all who face this tragedy. Other moments on the album get even more self-referential (and self-congratulatory), with the 14-minute closing track "Beautiful You" finding Kozelek actually reading from his diary, and not one but two songs including passages where he reads touching letters from fans about how much his work means to them (and he trips over his words and seems humbled while reading them). In particular, the aforementioned "Last Night..." ends with a letter from a fan in Singapore who says that he appreciates how Kozeleks work is getting increasingly more personal, and that what hes doing is intended for his fans who have been following him for years and share his sense of humor, not for all the trend-hoppers who only pay attention to him because of the hype surrounding his acclaimed 2014 album Benji. This sums up Jesu/Sun Kil Moon better than any review could; while Kozelek remains an incredible storyteller, and the album is fascinating as ever to his faithful followers, its likely to be exhausting, infuriating, or simply head-scratching to anyone who isnt already a fan of his. And as wonderful as Broadricks musical contributions are, they recede into the background and arent nearly as distinctive as his own work. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 14 Title: Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood Released: 2017-02-17 Tracks: 16 Duration: 2:09:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 God Bless Ohio (10:37) 2 Chili Lemon Peanuts (08:58) 3 Philadelphia Cop (10:47) 4 The Highway Song (07:55) 1 Lone Star (09:14) 2 Window Sash Weights (06:30) 3 Sarah Lawrence College Song (05:13) 4 Butch Lullaby (08:33) 1 Stranger Than Paradise (12:24) 2 Early June Blues (07:17) 3 Bergen to Trondheim (07:59) 4 I Love Portugal (07:58) 1 Bastille Day (05:38) 2 Vague Rock Song (07:09) 3 Seventies TV Show Theme Song (07:30) 4 I Love You Forever and Beyond Eternity (06:13) |
| Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood : Allmusic album Review : Following a full-length collaboration with Jesu (and directly preceding a second by a few months), Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood is the first album credited solely to Sun Kil Moon since 2015s excellent Universal Themes. At over two hours long, its easily one of Mark Kozeleks most ambitious undertakings yet -- or one of the most self-indulgent, depending on the listeners perspective. The album was edited from improvisations with former Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, and other than a few bass or keyboard parts and saxophone on one song, Kozelek played all of the other instruments on the album. Its far less guitar-centric than usual for him, and considering that guitar has always been his main instrument, the album is quite a diversion for his sound. Some fans have even remarked that its the closest thing hes come to writing a hip-hop album so far. Hes the first to admit that hes a stranger to playing bass guitar and keyboards, but hes intrigued at what hes come up with. The music on this album tends to be quite repetitive and the rhythms are often similar, and since none of the songs really have hooks, it can be hard to tell when songs end if youre listening to the album all the way through. As with the last two SKM albums, there are many spoken word breaks and detours, making the release seem more like an opera than a conventional album. Lyrically, only a few tracks (particularly opener "God Bless Ohio") come close to the fond reminiscences of Benji. He does still occasionally mourn the passing of friends and celebrities, but many of the songs comment on specific news items, and the album is easily his most explicitly political work yet. Among other things, he supports transgender rights, wishes an end to gun violence, and blames Trumps presidency on societys obsession with social media, as well as its lack of attention span or concern with important issues. He also continues to ruthlessly make fun of hipsters, particularly during the scathing "Philadelphia Cop," and he directly jabs at anyone who doesnt like the direction hes taking with his music. "Vague Rock Song" is his biggest piece of audio trollery yet, starting out as an attempt to write a simple, catchy tune, but interrupting it with an unexpected Zappa-inspired part and faux Afro-pop section, and eventually he cant help going back to commenting about his daily activities and the injustice of the world. More so than ever, Kozeleks writing style is literal yet roundabout, and it almost seems like hes more of a social critic or satirist than a musician at this point. However, there is (usually) a point to his rambling -- for all of his bluster, he is truly a humanist, and wishes the best for the world, even if it seems like its falling apart. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 14 Title: 30 Seconds to the Decline of Planet Earth Released: 2017-05-05 Tracks: 9 Duration: 1:17:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Are Me and I Am You (05:00) 2 Wheat Bread (17:01) 3 Needles Disney (06:31) 4 The Greatest Conversation Ever in the History of the Universe (09:44) 5 He’s Bad (06:39) 6 Bombs (12:57) 7 Twenty Something (06:32) 8 Hello Chicago (08:07) 9 A Dream of Winter? (04:38) |
| 30 Seconds to the Decline of Planet Earth : Allmusic album Review : Mark Kozelek has been pumping out albums in an increasingly rapid succession during the 2010s, and by this point, fans should be pretty certain what theyre getting into when they hit play. His songs have become increasingly literal and observational, and while he generally sings his thoughts, sometimes forcing them into rhymes, hes prone to slip into extended spoken monologues. Judging by its title, 30 Seconds to the Decline of Planet Earth (his second collaboration with Jesu in little over a year) seems like its going to be an excessively bleak, overtly political album. He does express his frustration with the way the world is going on a few occasions, and as on his previous album, he blames society for not paying attention to important issues and letting things like a Trump presidency become reality. Overall, though, Kozelek generally seems much calmer and more content on this album than on his previous few releases. Unlike Jesu/Sun Kil Moon or Universal Themes, there arent any heavy, grungy guitars on this one, and he doesnt seem to be barking out his lyrics. He does let out some aggression in strange ways, though, particularly on the baffling "Hes Bad," during which he bluntly states that hes glad Michael Jackson is dead. Kozelek has no problem with anyone enjoying Jacksons music, and even acknowledges that he once covered the Jackson 5s "Ill Be There," but he doesnt trust anyone who doesnt view Jackson as a creep and a pedophile. While its the most structured song on the album, the lyrics sound like they were jotted down in three minutes. More than anything, it poses the question of why Kozelek decided to release this song in 2017, considering how many of his songs touch on current events. He seems to deliver more touching stories when he writes about unforgettable encounters with friends and fans. "Twenty Something" is a salute to Johnny Saint-Lethal, an aspiring novelist and indie rock singer who gave Kozelek an autographed copy of his paperback novel at a show in Philadelphia. Kozelek is impressed by Saint-Lethals ambition (not to mention his badass name), but warns him that the mystery of life will fade before he knows it. Still, he sends Saint-Lethal off with a chorus of well-wishers recorded during a trip to Austin. While tracks such as those are more thematically focused, Kozelek seems to ramble on more than ever on "Wheat Bread" and "Bombs," which cumulatively take up half-an-hour. He pokes fun at this during the final minutes of "Bombs," wondering aloud if the song is going on too long before an engineer kindly tells him to wrap it up. As with other SKM albums, it seems like asking Kozelek to hire an editor is beside the point. Hes turning his life and his thoughts into art, and youre either along for the ride or you arent. For those who are, this album contains plenty of fascinating moments, along with some more questionable ones. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 14 Title: Live in Chicago Released: 2018-01-15 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:19:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Somehow the Wonder of Life Prevails (11:23) 2 You Are Me and I Am You (05:45) 3 Astronomy (13:55) 4 Here Comes My Girl (04:02) 5 The Black Butterfly (07:24) 6 Chili Lemon Peanuts (04:05) 7 Needles Disney (05:58) 8 Window Sash Weights (10:20) 9 Exodus (11:46) 10 I Cant Live Without My Mothers Love (05:06) |
 | Album: 13 of 14 Title: This Is My Dinner Released: 2018-11-01 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:29:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 This Is Not Possible (09:12) 2 This Is My Dinner (12:36) 3 Linda Blair (11:49) 4 Copenhagen (10:04) 5 Candles (13:40) 1 David Cassidy (04:18) 2 Come On Get Happy (01:05) 3 Rock N Roll Singer (06:46) 4 Soap For Joyful Hands (13:11) 5 Chapter 87 of He (06:48) |
 | Album: 14 of 14 Title: I Also Want to Die in New Orleans Released: 2019-03-01 Tracks: 7 Duration: 1:29:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Coyote (12:31) 2 Day in America (15:06) 3 L-48 (04:51) 4 Cows (09:58) 5 Im Not Laughing at You (11:38) 6 Couch Potato (11:44) 1 Bay of Kotor (23:14) |