Sam Beam and his “band” of merriment known as “Iron & Wine” have delivered many of this generation’s best ballads, rockers and lullabies.  Recently, Beam decided to back-fill his tremendous discography by releasing a previously-unreleased collection of songs entitled Archive Series Volume No. 1.   The album consists of unheralded, great songs (all killer, no filler) that Beam put down on tape circa-2002’s semi-shocking smash debut on Sub Pop, The Creek Drank The Cradle.  One of the many great songs from this tremendous Archive is Everyone’s Summer Of ’95.  This track has now been imagined as a video featuring some dude (sorry) by the name of David Dastmalchian (evidently featured in a bunch of productions that YOU, dear person, CARE about immensely–us, not so much).  The video is a bit of anxious daring-do in which the D-Dude jumps in briefly with some of his (imagined?) WWE bros (where is John Darnielle when you need him?) and escapes to who knows what?  Still: the song.  You know?

Regardless, there’s never been a song written by Sam Beam that isn’t worthy of your strictest attention.  He’s amongst our very best songwriters and lyricists, and the Archive Series proves this theorem yet again.  Check out Eden, opener Slow Black River and all the rest of these salvaged beauties.  And go HERE to pick it up.

Next up in the Archive Volumes:  the Covers, which Sam Beam does so well.

Check the video below.