We have written repeatedly about the great up-and-coming Portland band Hosannas and their inventive songs and delivery (listing them in our top albums, songs and  concerts of 2010) and interviewed Brandon Laws of the band last year by e-mail.  And, courtesy of Club Mercy, Hosannas are returning to Muddy Waters on Monday on their way to SXSW.  The Independent’s Aly Comingore gives a well-done intro/reminder on Hosannas that you can read here.

Hosannas have recently completed a new E.P. (entitled “Thug Life Nicole”) produced by John Askew as a follow-on to their phenomenal Askew-produced record, “Together” released last fall.  We anxiously await the release of the new E.P. and the Muddy Waters show on Monday.

With respect to “Together,” we had to shake this epoch’s ever-devolving descent into synapses-lapses and let this record slowly ADD up for us.  And after many listens, we can tell you that your patience and attentiveness will eventually be rewarded with the love of deep music.  On first listen, a few of the tracks (When We Were Young in particular) are such shameless hussies that they will immediately grab you by the feet and hips and get you moving.   But the remainder of the tracks will play it more coolly with a longer courtship, sending you chocolates and flowers (maybe even a haiku or two) before they propose a more-meaningful, longer-term relationship.  Such has been the case with many of our most valued records (amongst many, all of Radiohead’s post-“Bends” recordings fall into this category, and more recently, Grizzly Bear’s “Veckatimest,” took time to sink in).

Amongst our favorites is Open Your Doors, which opens with Satie-like piano notes that also echo Debussy’s “Preludes.”  And then the direct, haiku-like lyrics and the Laws brothers’ harmonies are added.  And then the glorious horns enter.  And finally Pinback-like guitar work is added to the mix.  A beauty, with lyrics set forth below.

“There’ve been days in your life
that you’d give anything to feel alright
Oh to be dead, weightless and light

Hold on to this.
It ‘s easy now, you’ve already fallen

Open your doors, open your doors
And open your heart, open your heart

Now I am sure
Our future here requires you endure
I have always been inspired by your never-ceasing fire

Don’t let it go, don’t let it go.
And open your heart, open your heart.

Hosannas–Open Your Doors

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/08-Open-Your-Doors.mp3|titles=08 Open Your Doors]

Other highlights from “Together” are Hello Moon, John Pilgrim, Multi-Chamber American Future and the phenomenal The People I Know. The latter song is so great that the band put out a compendium of remixes by great mixologists that you can download for free at http://www.hosannasmusic.com/.  A few of our favorite mixes are set forth below.  Come on down and check out Hosannas on Monday night at Muddy Waters.

Hosannas–The People I Know (Copy Mix)

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/6.-The-People-I-Know-Copy.mp3|titles=6. The People I Know (Copy)]

Hosannas–The People I Know (Christopher Francis Mix)

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/4.-The-People-I-Know-Christopher-Francis.mp3|titles=4. The People I Know ( Christopher Francis)]

Hosannas–The People I Know (Ocean Age Mix)

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/1.-The-People-I-Know-Ocean-Age.mp3|titles=1. The People I Know (Ocean Age)]

We wrote about the great Tom Waits and provided a great number of  Tom Waits videos a while back here.

He is a national treasure and one of our finest lyricists.  Below (in bold at the bottom) are his words of wisdom for our times from his song, Get Behind the Mule, off of “Mule Variations.”  Always keep a sapphire in your minds.

“Molly be damned smote Jimmy the Harp
With a horrid little pistol and a lariat
She’s goin to the bottom
And she’s goin down the drain
Said she wasn’t big enough to carry it

She got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
She got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
She got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
She got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow

Choppity chop goes the axe in the woods
You gotta meet me by the fall down tree
Shovel of dirt upon a coffin lid
And I know they’ll come lookin for me boys
And I know they’ll come a-lookin for me

Got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
Got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
Got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
Got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow

Big Jack Earl was 8’1
He stood in the road and he cried
He couldn’t make her love him
Couldn’t make her stay
But tell the good Lord that he tried
(Chorus)

Dusty trail from Atchison to Placerville
On the wreck of the Weaverville stage
Beaula fired on Beatty for a lemonade
I was stirring my brandy with a nail boys
Stirring my brandy with a nail

(Chorus)

Well the rampaging sons of the widow James
Jack the cutter and the pock marked kid
Had to stand naked at the bottom
Of the cross
And tell the good lord what they did
Tell the good lord what they did

(Chorus)

Punctuated birds on the power line
In a Studebaker with the Birdie Joe Joaks
I’m diggin all the way to China
With a silver spoon
While the hangman fumbles with the noose, boys
The hangman fumbles with the noose

(Chorus)

Pin your ear to the wisdom post
Pin your eye to the line
Never let the weeds get higher
Than the garden
Always keep a sapphire in your mind
Always keep a diamond in your mind

Got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow”