Strand Of Oaks, the Timothy Showalter fronted band from Indiana, has released "JM" - the third single from their upcoming album Heal. The song is a tribute to Jason Molina, who passed away in 2013. Listen above, via Dead Oceans' YouTube account.
As Bob Boilen pointed out on NPR's All Songs Considered podcast, "JM" has an uncanny resemblance to Neil Young's 1975 classic jam "Cortez The Killer." The songs have a nearly identical chord progression, rhythmic pattern, and overall dark vibe. The biggest difference between the two songs is that Strand of Oaks' "JM" has a bigger, crunchier distorted guitar and heavier bass sounds. "JM" is also more dynamic, as the song opens very quietly and then at 1:35 everything opens up and the song kicks into a higher gear. The lyrics are also quite touching. Check out the hand-written page posted to the band's website and Instagram:
Strand of Oaks "JM" Lyrics:
I was an Indiana kid, gettin no one in my bed
I had your sweet tunes to play
I was staring at the map, feeling fire in my head
I had your sweet tunes to play
I was mean to my dad, cause I was mean to myself
I had your sweet tunes to play
Stealing smokes in my car, with the windows way down
I had your sweet tunes to playI was sittin in the bath, cleaning off the ash
But I had your sweet tunes to play
And I hated all my friends, I wouldn't let them in
I had your sweet tunes to play
On a long desert train, and a knife in my bag
I had your sweet tunes to play
Under the Market Street Bridge, burning one in my hand
I had your sweet tunes to play
Your sweet tunes to playNow it's hard to hear you sing, the crow has lost its wings
I got your sweet tunes to play
I'm getting older every day, still making the same mistakes
I got your sweet tunes to play
Either get out or stay in, I won't let these dark times win
We got your sweet tuens to play
Your sweet tunes to play
Yeah
Heal is due out on June 24th. Order the album through Strand of Oaks' website, Amazon, and iTunes.
Source: Dead Oceans YouTube