MC Taylor makes an appearance on NPR's World Cafe to talk and perform a few songs with his band, Hiss Golden Messenger.
HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER INTERVIEW & PERFORMANCE ON NPR WORLD CAFE
HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER "SOUTHERN GRAMMAR" ON NPR WORLD CAFE
The band opens up with "Lucia," which is also the song that starts off their newest album Lateness of Dancers. It is a smooth, melodic, and upbeat country jam.
After "Lucia," host David Dye backtracks with Taylor to the writing of Messenger's first album, Bad Debt. That record was written in Taylor's kitchen in 2010 when he was living in Pittsboro, North Carolina. There, he was enrolled in a master's program in folklore at University of North Carolina. Taylor was tasked with going to rural communities to record and document traditional music. Seeing people playing music with their family and friends for pleasure really changed his perspective. He saw music outside the influence of the industry.
Next, the band went on to play "Southern Grammar," which you can watch above as a YouTube video. This song had more of a bluesy feeling than the previous one. Taylor's vocals have a Bob Dylan quality to them, as his raspy voice moans and wails along with the band. Dye asks Taylor about how the song relates to family and being a father. Taylor responds by discussing how he put a recording of his son on the album as well as other "outside" sounds such as crickets. He explains that these sounds help establish an atmosphere which allows the record to reveal more, the longer one spends with it.
"Day O Day" was the next song played, which served as a change of pace. Things got slower, and a soft piano laid the foundation for the tune. Compared to the album version, this live performance has a fuller sound with the way the instruments blend together.
Before finishing up, Taylor discussed the importance of music in his life. He talked about how music has a revitalizing quality in that it's an interaction with something that carries an emotional resonance. After this, Hiss Golden Messenger closed the program with "Mahogany Dread." With the faster tempo, the song had more of rock feeling than the previous two. Overall, this is an interview that really allows one do delve into the musical philosophy of MC Taylor.
Hiss Golden Messenger’s newest album, Lateness of Dancers, can be bought on Amazon (vinyl, CD, MP3), iTunes, and streamed on Spotify right here on Zumic.
For more new music, videos, news, and tour dates, check out the Hiss Golden Messenger’s Zumic artist page.
Source: NPR
