The Tallest Man on Earth is no stranger to the Eleventy Million Dollar Blog.  Some time ago, I featured an animated video featuring the music of Swedish folksinger/songwriter Kristian Matsson.  At the time, I didn’t know that he was the Tallest Man on Earth, I thought it was this guy.

THIS IS A WHITE LINE OF TEXT THAT IS MEANINGLESS
Matsson wrote the theme song (“A Field Full of Birds”) for the Yellow Bird Project , but since then, I have found several songs that grab me by the collar and kick me in the throat whistle.  Those songs are “I Won’t Be Found,” “The Wild Hunt” and “Honey Won’t You Let Me In.”

…and in case you missed it, below is the video for the Yellow Bird Project.

Clutchy Hopkins is a bit of a mystery.  He is shrouded in curiosity, and no one really knows much about him/her/them.  In fact, it is so peculiar, you should just go to the website and read all about the story.
What I do know is this — the grooves and beats and rhythms of Clutchy are the sounds that can make your life feel more awesome than it really is.
I am just being real here.
You know just as well as I that there are times we are entertaining or have someone in our vehicle, and we want to put on the right mood music for just relaxing.
This is the music.  No words.  No lyrics — just magnificent tunes.
This stuff taps into the pretentious feelings we get when we are in a bookstore and feeling better than everyone else because the coffee in our hand has 5 words in its name and we are browsing in the cutting edge social commentary non-fiction reality aisle.  And when we are at the height of our own awesomeness, this music is playing in the background.
I know this photo makes him/her/them look like a sweaty-toothed madman, but the music is amazing.  A few pieces of ear candy I recommend are 3:06, 3:24, Sound of a Ghost, The Old Spot and Lord Kenj featuring Jim McComas (some of you who have known me or been around me might recognize the last two).

Am I alone in my moments of pretentiousness at a bookstore?
Are you out there?

In recognition of all of you that are trying to stick to the rule of No-Shave November (the simple rule that states: don’t shave your beard), I have a couple bits of ear candy that focuses on our follicles and also tickles our ears (like our beard hairs oft times do).

Clem Snide is described as being somewhat of an alt-country band.  I honestly don’t hear it.  What I do hear is a serene and a melodic stream of music that flows like a newly discovered creek that runs through a dense forest.
I adore their song of stubble called Beard of Bees. It is a gentle love song.  Burn the Light is another amazing offering by Clem Snide .

Neil Halstead also has a song for those with fuzzy faces.  In Baby, I Grew You a Beard, the British folk singer creates an ethereal tune focusing on growing his beard for the girl he loves.  What a lucky gal, yes?
Yes.
He also has another great tune called Elevenses. I loved it for the title.  I bought it and it gets a lot of play on my trusty iPod.

So, how is No-Shave November coming for those of you participating?
Maybe you are a dude that wants November to go all year long…
Maybe you are a lady reaping the enormous benefits of having a man with a sweet beard…  Maybe you are a lady ready for December…
Whatever the case — let your beard bashing/blazoning begin!

There must be something in the water in Seattle, Washington.  Maybe there is something in the coffee.  Either way, the city has produced yet another band that never intended to fall into a resurgence of a Folk Movement.  The Cave Singers released their album Invitation Songs in 2007.This is a place where I needed to add space so I used white text.

This album is most certainly an invitation into a world of music that is earthy with lingering tones that are born out of those deep places we long to know.
Places where our fondest memories are stored.
Places where the scars of our past adorn the walls of our being.
My go-to song by The Cave Singers is Cold Eye. It is simple and profound.  It is also a great song to have play in the quiet morning as you are getting your head together, as you are making your coffee and as you are slowly waking up to new thoughts of the day.
Some other great tracks are Seeds of Night, Royal Lawns and Elephant Clouds.
I could not think of a better album to kick off No Shave November.  You better believe there will be some beard entries this month.

Here is a group that has been flying under the radar for many years.  The Rosewood Thieves have offered only a handful of albums since 1996, but their root-rock/earthy sound would make you think they have been making music since the late 60′s.
Today I offer you one song.  One little song called Honey, Stay Awhile, from their album Lonesome. It is an acoustic treat that is like a glass of wine on a warm summer evening.  There are hints and flavours that strike you at different times as you imbibe your ears with their tune.  The Rosewood Thieves accent their soft lyrics with a light and delicate electric guitar that floats along the roof of your mouth as you roll the song around your palette.
Does anybody want a glass of wine?
I think I do.
But it is 8 AM — much too early for wine.
When’s lunch?

Also, click here to offer your feedback on some zombies I drew.

I came upon Vetiver while listening to Devendra Banhart.  Andy Cabic, of Vetiver operates a record label with Banhart, the often dubbed “Father of the Freaky Folk Movement.”
I just like Devendra.
And I really like Vetiver.
Their sound is definitely early 70′s, but there is still something very contemporary about it.  They are a bit Mungo Jerry and a bit Jackson Browne. Their recordings are clean but it would be hard to escape listening to their music without gaining an appreciation for the colour caterpillar yellow, shag carpet and paisley-print pants.
I have found that most of my descriptions evoke some kind of imagery with sun, friends, road trips and good times.  Vetiver definitely fits the bill.  If you have a problem with my descriptions, forgive me if I don’t care for music that evokes imagery of the moon, enemies, staying at home and horrific times.
I like music and I like good things.
Some of my highly recommended bits of ear candy are as follows:  Roll On Babe, Before the Sun Goes Down, Just to Have You and Everyday.
In addition to great music, I love their album art which is also important to me.  I mean, just look at that girl holding that LP.  That is amazing.  That should have been my senior picture.  But a guy version.

Forgive me if you already know them.
I will forgive you if you’ve not heard of them until now.
Let’s just agree to forgive one another, shall we?
They are called The White Stripes.
Birthed in Detroit, the band is comprised of Jack White (vocals, guitar, piano, etc.) and Meg White (percussion), former husband and wife.
The White Stripes use a “low-fidelity, do-it-yourself approach” to their music and their writing.  You can hear it in their albums — sometimes it’s an almost silent hiss under the track.  Sometimes Jack’s voice cracks, but it makes the song all the more visceral and almost vulnerable.  Sometimes you hear Jack play the wrong key, but he grabs it and slams it against the floor and makes it work.  Sometimes Meg’s voice lingers just above or just below the right note or her beat wavers slightly.  What you hear in their music is the sound of two people wrestling with their art.
I heard an interview with Jack where he said that while performing, if it takes him two steps to get to the piano to play during a song — he moves it three steps away, just so he can struggle with the music.  I have also heard him say that he likes using old guitars or plastic guitars — whatever instrument that strains to remain tuned, again, to struggle with the music.
While their sound has been heavily influenced by early blues and various formative stages of rock and roll, it is their raw desire to continually mold their craft that sets them apart.  It also makes it possible for them to produce a sound that, astoundingly, is created by a two person band.
Some of my personal favourites include, Screwdriver, Honey We Can’t Afford to Look This Cheap, I’m Bound to Pack it Up, I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart, Little Ghost, We’re Going to Be Friends…to name a few.
I have included a video for a bold taste of their live performances.  This song also allows for some blazing air guitar.

There is no denying that the Traveling Wilburys are the all-star band for America.  If they had made up the American Olympic basketball team, they would have been called the “Dream Team” and then gone on to destroy England with all of their pop-synth techno mess.
This band has a unique history (I can’t even begin to do it justice – visit their page for the story).  Not only is the history of the Wilburys amazing, but their roster is unbelievable:  Bob Dylan (of… Bob Dylan), Jeff Lynne (ELO), Tom Petty (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), George Harrison (a little-known band called the Beatles), and Roy Orbison (of… Roy Orbison).
Their music is a culmination of an era (late 80′s, early 90′s) and a blending of musical history that will never again be recorded.  They only released two albums, but that may be a factor in their musical legacy.  They came together, did what they loved and left us all wanting more.
A few of my favourite bits of their ear candy are Like a Ship, End of the Line, Handle with Care, Inside Out and Poor House.

Sidenote:  Traveling Wilburys were one of the first musical groups on the lips of my children, though they pronounced is as “Traveeng Weeburries.”  That makes this group extra special to me.

If you could make a musical all-star band, who would be in it and why?
I would suggest Carman (the holy-rolling Christian artist), Ozzy Osbourne, Ravi Shankar and Prince — just for my own jollies, not for any musical gain.

I realize that most of the musical artists I have featured on Music is for Mondays have been dudes.
It is not that I don’t care for female vocalists.
It is coincidence.
In fact, I have several female artists in my goto list on my iPod — enter today’s artist, Joanna Newsom.

If Devendra Banhart is the father of the Freaky Folk movement, Joanna Newsom is one of the left-of-center offspring.
When was the last time you were moved by a sweet harp solo?
If you can’t remember, you need to get Newsom’s Sprout and the Bean.
It is most definitely a rainy day song, best experienced with a hot cup of coffee and a bear claw.  Maybe even hot chocolate (just so you don’t think I am girling-out on you, go ahead and smash some glass into your hot beverage and drink up just like I do on rainy days).
It is not, however, the song you want blasting from your car when you pull up to meet a group of your fellow dudes for Man Night.  If you should forget to change the song when your buddies hop in your car, be sure to lay rubber as you are leaving.

Next charity: water update will be Wednesday with Keiglet Experiment results

Maybe you discovered Iron & Wine by hearing their incredible and simplistic cover of The Postal Service’s song, Such Great Heights.  Maybe you heard the amazing ballad, Flightless Bird, American Mouth, in the painfully unfortunate film Twilight.  Maybe you discovered their CD that was left in the bathroom stall of a rest area just outside Springfield, Ohio — it’s possible.
No matter how you first laid ears on Iron & Wine, there is no mistaking the cathartic vocals of Sam Beam.  Once he gets in your head, he carves his name on the interior of your psyche — unforgettable.
Iron & Wine is not your pre-game pump-up band that will cause you to shoot the ball through the hoop with success.  Nor will it allow you to pass the ball to the man as he runs into the zone for a touch score.  Nor will it enable you to smack the ball any harder so you can get to the bases to win the match.
Beam’s voice and his evocative lyrics have made Iron & Wine a must-have for when I am feeling a bit blue, feeling a little lonely and sometime maybe even feeling a little sleepy.  Don’t pass on this ear candy.