Welcome to Monday Threesome, a series of posts in which we tell you about three bands with similar vibes in hopes that if you like one, you’ll like them all! This week we’re focusing on projects with passionate, cracked vocals. Whether through exuberance, righteous anger or desperation, the singers of these groups are able to channel sounds that are deeply intense and personal.
Edinburgh’s Withered Hand (@witheredhand) are reminiscent of a collaboration between Fleet Foxes and Megafaun, trafficking in beautiful indie-rock/folk with a slight experimental bent. Though technically a solo project, Dan Wilson is generally accompanied by various additional musicians to create an incredibly full sound (accordion, banjo, drums, cello, etc.). Wilson, though, is the not-so-secret weapon — his passionate, just this side of cracking, vocals are what elevates the musical backing from good to great. His lyrics are intensely personal, infused with a great sense of humor and a restless, wandering spirit. Signed to Absolutely Kosher and earning rave reviews in institutions like Rolling Stone, he seems poised to break through in a big way.
It Starts Here – Billy Liar // Buy
Fellow Edinburghian Billy Liar is a brilliant example of one of my favorite mixed genres of music, folk-punk. Most of these songs are built on the foundation of rapidly strummed acoustic guitar, a bit like fellow British folk-punk arist Billy Bragg. He keeps his arrangements simple, though, usually employing only bass and drums as backing tracks. Liar also has a melodic sense that brings a real beauty to his vocal lines, which deal with issues ranging from alcohol, integrity, self-destruction, just trying to get by and, of course, love. His punk-informed vocals bring that passion into the forefront, as his delivery is constantly breaking with emotion. Billy Liar is a fine modern equivalent of the romantic folk singer, traveling the world with a battered acoustic guitar and writing about everything he observes.
The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah // Buy
Satan Said Dance – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah // Buy
Same Mistake – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah // Buy
Quite possibly one of the most famous sounds in indie-rock, Ounsworth’s hysterical, nasal, cracked, beautiful vocals are the centerpiece for this wonderful Brooklyn band. After a four year hiatus following one of the more famous stories of indie success, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (@cyhsyband) returned with their third album, appropriately titled Hysterical. Working in a more subdued mode than their previous releases, the beauty of Ounsworth’s songwriting comes through. His sad lyrics are served well by his slightly more restrained vocals, passionately cracking them at more selective times. In addition to streaming and downloading the tracks above, you can get a feel for their live experience by heading to their NPR page, which features an amazing concert from 2006.