Never News: Music

Bright Eyes - Motion Sickness

Motion Sickness



I recently got my copy of Bright Eyes' live album, Motion Sickness, out on Team Love. I know, I know, it's a late purchase—but I've, of late, been lacking the funds to explore music in anyway not blog-related or .torrent related.

First off, if you're not one for live albums, don't be discouraged. I've been downloading bootlegs of Bright Eyes shows for years (since discovering the wonderful world live communities, .flac, and, of course, bit torrent), and they have been a heavy stable in my BE listening. This set, though, only features a few points that put it above any of those flac downloads: one, the sound quality is fantastic—being pro-recorded at a sound board helps on that—and two, we get a Feist cover that we haven't heard before.

But, I've realized, the album isn't worth the purchase for those who just want new music. It's not even nessecary for people who love Bright Eyes (unless, like me, you are a completist).

What makes this release special is the liner notes by one Jason Boesel (of Rilo Kiley fame), who details the tour for Wide Awake (for which he was the drummer) with such Kerouacian clarity that I couldn't put it down. He gives us examples of the rigorous routine of road life (which I, myself, have only briefly sampled), complete from beginning to end; the trappings of rehearsal to the final goodbye. He gives us insight to the whole of the Bright Eyes/Omaha/Saddle Creek mentality of companionship—from his hard found decision of which bus to ride during the European leg of the tour (which had Rilo opening and riding in another bus) to the odd moments off stage, where he and Conor “walked out into the festival and were visited by an angel in the sunglasses tent” at a festival in Byron Bay (Australia), or when they “ended up at a 'We're not getting our deposit back” moving party where we stood around and were encouraged to burn the carpet by the loud exciting tenant”. This prose, linked to the perfect recordings of songs that have (I say modestly) linked themselves to the very fiber of my life, make it a great purchase for me. If you'd like to experience it, buy it here.

posted by Colin Reed Moon @ 2:13 PM