On Friday, Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons will be at Off Broadway in Saint Louis, along with Derek Hoke and local songwriter Tim Gebauer (purchase tickets here). Chisel’s latest album, Old Believers, is one of our favorites of 2012, and we interviewed the songwriter from Wisconsin earlier this year — you can read that here.
Before we get to Chisel’s 10 to Spin playlist, let’s have a listen to “Laura” from Old Believers.
We’re delighted that Chisel recently took part in our 10 to Spin series. Enjoy his playlist below, and see him tomorrow in Saint Louis!
“10 Songs to Help Pass Winter”
Being from Wisconsin I’ve learned that the key to pass a long winter… is having the right play list …. Here are a few that are always top spins. –Cory Chisel
1. Fairytale of New York: The Pogues
This band has been one of my favorites since my early teens. This song is as raw as it is beautifully nostalgic. That’s a fairly hard thing to accomplish with a song… and this band should teach a master
class on the subject.
2. Flume: Bon Iver
This song instantly transports me… It’s an impressionistic heartbreak masterpiece.
3. Winter’s Come and Gone: Gillian Welch
When you start staring down about six months of the frozen tunnel… I love a song like this to start the day. You can feel the thaw in the ghost of her voice. “Dark as trouble in this heart of mine.” … indeed.
4. Way to Blue: Nick Drake
Another way to pass the cold is to climb all the way into records that seem to embody the introspection and beauty of the isolated season. I can think of no song better than this song of Nick Drake’s… His voice set against the strings sounds as frozen as the music is lush.
5. Avalanche: Leonard Cohen
The story of this song feels like an unwelcome guest who blows into your door. The confidence in the lyrical delivery is both sexy and sinister. I’ve worn a needle hole through this song.
6. Messenger: Blonde Redhead
This song (this band for that matter) is so exciting to me in its creativity. Very few bands can navigate the straights of art rock and still land with unforgettable melodic hooks. I always love this song and seem to reach for it this time of year.
7. Not Dark Yet: Bob Dylan
Well there cannot be a list of any kind without the musical Poet for our time. This is without a question one of my favorite songs. I could write a book explaining how each line resonates with some
undiscovered part of myself. This song has been teaching me since I was about thirteen… and I imagine it will until I’m a very old man.
8. Young Bride: Midlake
This song has all the gripping elements that draw me to a song. An amazing opening line… imagery that takes me right to the scene, and all the way through the song. Also makes you wanna dance your icy little ass off.
9. Dinner at Eight: Rufus Wainwright
Rufus’s voice is on par with the greats… Nat King, Sinatra, and Dean Martin … This story is extremely brave… I can’t help but be in awe of this kind of brutal honesty. This time of year confronting our experience with family is as much a part of the deal as fruit cake. He does that here and lands another classic to the canon.
10. Built for Comfort: Howlin’ Wolf
Pack on the pounds cuz it’s cold out side… If winter has still got you by the throat after listening to this song. You’re gonna need more help than my playlist can bring ya.