The Jayhawks: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
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- čas přidán 27. 06. 2024
- August 8, 2016 by TOM HUIZENGA • The last song in this set from The Jayhawks is called "Comeback Kids." Although it's ostensibly a breezy portrait of a lovers' reunion, the title could be the motto for a band that's been through so many breakups, re-formations and personnel changes in the past 30 years that Wikipedia resorted to an infographic timeline to capture the myriad details.
Yet the essential Jayhawks sound - jangly, country-tinged rock with exquisitely crafted hooks and close harmonies - remains solid, due largely to founding member Gary Louris, who continues to dominate the singing and songwriting. The band's new album Paging Mr. Proust, from which they chose four songs for this Tiny Desk concert, sounds like vintage Jayhawks.
"Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces," with its carefree, sing-along chorus, may sound lightweight, but it's actually a plea to live more in the moment ("In the end, there's no waiting redemption"). It could fit perfectly into the lineup on Rainy Day Music, the band's impeccable 2003 album.
Summer heat is palpable in "Lovers Of The Sun." The dreamy, '60s-tinged number is all California laid-back - but also brushed with a tint of melancholy, thanks in part to the colors that guitarist Kraig Johnson conjures with his EBow. With its silken harmonies, the song is reminiscent of tracks like "It's Up To You" from The Jayhawks' 1997 album Sound Of Lies.
Although "Leaving The Monsters Behind" was collaboratively written by most of the band members, one can't help making a direct connection to Louris, who has been frank about his recent, and successful, stint in rehab for opiate addiction. Again, a jaunty refrain, delivered in polished three-part harmony, belies darker lyrics: "If I move fast, maybe I'll outrun my past." The song could also be just another reflection of the ups and downs of a beloved band whose singular career began in Minneapolis in 1985. In any case, The Jayhawks has outrun the past and steps into a fourth decade sounding vital as ever.
Paging Mr. Proust is available now:
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/album/pag...
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Paging-Mr-Prou...
Set List:
"Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces"
"Lovers Of The Sun"
"Leaving The Monsters Behind"
"Comeback Kids"
Credits:
Producers: Bob Boilen, Tom Huizenga, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Claire Hannah Collins, Morgan McCloy; Production Assistant: Sophie Kemp; Photo: Ruby Wallau/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/ti... - Hudba
Accidental bought a CD "Hollywood Town Hall" 31 years ago and loved their music since then!
one of the most unique original and simply outstanding groups ever... They should be proud of themselves and I would like to thank them for making some of the best music I have ever heard... Always a pleasure to listen to them.. never gets old
Completely agree with you Peter, I love them since the biginning, still my favorite band!!!!
Peter; so well said, my man! The best bands are still the ones that hardly anybody knows about!
uh this is a one man band... Gary and whoever is playing with him
What Peter said. Absolutely one of the great American bands ever.
Well put, very proud of themselves; of their wonderfull musical taste, artistic commitment and consistency.
Great songs, sound mix, harmonies. This band deserve far more recognition than they get..
PAGING MR. PROUST is a masterpiece... and this is such a great performance. Not another group like them, nor a songwriter like Gary Louris.
First time I've ever listened to this band. My son called to tell me he was going to their concert in Detroit this Sunday. Had to call him back for 2 extra tickets (for me and the wife), even before the first song was finished !! These guys are GREAT !!!!
Amazing how Gary Louris pulls off an amazing CD so late in his music career I was even surprised as long time JayHawks fan.
Listening it for 30 seconds was enough to fall in love.
Amazing how consistently good the Jayhawks have been over the last 3 decades. I became a fan in the 1990s. Still writing and performing great songs. This is one the best Tiny Desk performances.
God, Gary, you're really a beautiful song writer. The melodies are so lovely.
"Hollywood Town Hall" is an album I turned absolutely grey on my old cassette recorder in my shop for many years. I am actually discovering their full body of work now, and what great work that is. Just the opening on this take... what a breath of fresh air. "Craftsmanship" is a word that comes to my mind.
It was 1993 when I discovered The Jayhawks and their music, I had just finished my military service a few months ago and I was back to civilian life. I remember that I bought "Hollywood Town Hall" and "Fuzzy", the Grant Lee Buffalo's album. What a beautiful music, typical of the early 90's. Thanks you guys, greetings from Italy.
Two great records.
Man, those who haven't listened to the Jayhawks just don't know what they are missing!
that is exactly what I used to say about the kinks in the 60's and 50+ years nothing has changed I still say that, and yes The Jayhawks too are like a hidden treasure that if you know them you feel privileged and feel sorry for those who don't
True to that! Love this band ❤️
My brother and his volunteer friends got them to come play their roots/Americana festival "Twangfest" this past weekend in St. Louis. What a way to welcome back live music!
Those harmonies.
Phenomenal! I jammed through my twenties on these guys! They just get better with time! Thank you for sharing your God given gift! Much Love!!
It's all about talent, chemistry, friendship and simply nice people. Great sound. Love this band!! Waiting for an acoustic 'best of' album.
No freaking way! I love the Jayhawks! Thank you so much for having them on, NPR! And thanks to the Jayhawks for making some of the best music I have ever heard!
I grew up listening to my mom and dad's Jayhawks records. Love them!! thanks as always : )
I have loved these guys since the early 90's
One of my favorites of theirs is haywire
Brilliant playing by the band
Great venue and they look at home
Gary in fine voice, harmonies wonderful and the playing in full effect
Wonderful band in all their guises and the new album gets better the more you listen - classic Jayhawks
Gary's voice has a neon glow. If six bands were playing at the same time, his voice would cut thru it all.
Got turned onto the Jayhawks 10 years or so ago, right after Rainy Day came out. They have reminded me in some ways of the Beatles the tightness of the music and the amazing lyrics keeps them on the top of most of my play and I have covered at least 3 of their songs. Love these guys. Gary if you read this just saying you guys have touched soul thank you so much.
The Jayhawks just keep getting better... Just saw them here in the UK at Moseley Folk Festival on the weekend.. got to meet them all as well, such nice folks...
I got to see them live at at Folk festival in Vancouver. After being a fan for so many years it was to amazing to finally get to see them live. Fan for life :)
There are literally not enough words to say how much I love The Jayhawks ♥♥♥
I love when a performance makes me smile. Love The Jayhawks. Smoother and smoother each gig. You can tell the details to sounds to get the finished pieces. Love Karen having fun with the gegaws! Just was a very fun and comfortable time watching. Great stuff. Thanks to who posted this!
Kind of interesting that smile is the name of a song of theirs on the album of the same name
Sunshine,
I'd be honored if you gave my music a listen to.
Thanks kindly.
auriemma.bandcamp.com
long time fan. Forever.
Saw them a few days ago in Antwerp (Belgium). Pure magic: 100% quality songs performed by thru artists for 2 hours. Enjoyed every second of it.
it's like Crowded House meets Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Love the music they are generating here 👍
vikramjit banerjee That is a good way to put it.
Yes that's it. Maybe with a bit of Eagles here and there.
Reminds me of a mix of Dylan / America / REM.
Neil Young has always been my first thought with the Jayhawks. Mostly because of the timbre of the singer’s voice I guess...
Absolutely wonderful. excellent harmonies, my favorite band ever. Thanks for posting this
Sounds fantastic! I've been a Jayhawks fan for a long time. Such a sweet sounds..great harmonies. After seeing this I just purchased tickets for their performance at the Narrows in Fall River, MA on April 19th 2017. Looking forward to seeing them live for the first time. Thanks NPR for posting this!
Hey I live in fall river! What a crazy random happenstance!
I have been waiting for the world to catch up and discover the Jayhawks since the 80s. They are singular - no one else sounds like them. And they are easy to find. I think "Tomorrow the Green Grass" is their most accessible record - lots of hooks and melodies - or just find a playlist on here and listen to them all from the start in 85 to present day.
One of my favorite tiny desk shows so far!!
Agree and Wilco has a good one also.
This was incredible! What a fantastic band!
Amazing how relevant this band sounds after all these years. Just goes to prove that great songwriting will never go out of style
the Jayhwks are so awesome some of my favorite music
Literally found about the Jayhawks in 2020...I had no idea what I was missing. I am absolutely hooked on their whole catalog but Paging Mr. Proust is probably my favorite album of them all. I hope once this pandemic is over that I can see them live. I could listen to music like this all day...oh wait lol
The mix on this is superb. Using hi-rez headphones and on 1080p, I feel like I`m hearing an extremely full, high dynamic range sound. So gooood.
Of course, these tunes would sound fantastic out of crappy AM radio, but for those into audio this mix is very satisfying.
Huge thanks for posting these . . .
It´s MAGIC
Did they get the eBow in the mix?!
ebow the letter?
i can hear every instrument with apple earbuds, this is amazing mixing.
It does sound great. Still a great band. The songs would sound great on an overused Maxell C60.
Man, I just love Gary's voice.
Awesome band have loved them since the first Sweet Relief disc heard that song and hunted down Hollywood Town Hall. Think I've bought every album since. :)
I started smiling when the video started. Then I realised my smile was still there at the end
Didn't know they were releasing a new album. Nice to see they're still active.
I wish I could give it more thumbs up. Sadly haven't thought of the Jayhawks since the 90's, but man they are still making great music!!!
one of my favorite bands , in my top 10 bands ever in my 50 years of loving sounds
Them vocals are on point!
This is a treasure
Man, that first song gives me some serious R.E.M. vibes. Surprised I never heard of this group before. I'll have to give their stuff a once over for sure.
That'll be a lot of stuff! They've been around for 30 years off and on!
peter buck was actually one of the producers for the album☺
honestly.... listen to "tomorrow the green grass" its a perfect album. from start to finish! its so good i'm not even kidding.
Hey brother,you're preaching to the choir here,i've been loving that album hugely since about 2 weeks after it was released☺☺☺ fantastic album! i love all their albums,but green grass and hollywood town hall are phenomenal!!have a good one☺
haha sorry about that. I replied to the wrong person!
A big fan since Tomorrow The Green Grass and the 13th I'll get to see them again, this time in Gothenburh. I can't wait!
Every single day I listen to this
I´m still here
maybe I´m little obssesed
I luckily found this very fine group by flipping thru the NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts . What good fortune . These are wonderful musician who do some fine songs . Very pleasing to listen to them . Once again, thanks to the marvelous technical staff of these gems of concerts ; they manage to get everything just right . I'd known NPR for decades , but was lucky enough to find the TDC only very recently . What a feast !
George Lewis, Sr
goes back to the first time i heard Blue off Tomorrow The Green Grass album.... love the Jhawks ever since i still have that CD - then i heard it in a supermarket in baltimore... a classic. Garys voice is so infectious, Karens piano pulls it togther, the harmonies are perfect, not overdone... the songwriting is personal yet universal.
Gary Louris is a brilliant singer-songwriter who is also a musical genius!
I keep coming back to this band, beautiful songs and harmonies - thank you, Gary et al. One of the best NPR concerts on YT, together with the Freddie Gibbs/Madlib one.
Stellar. One of my favorite bands.
Love this band 🖤
Songwriting! Singing in tune!
Absolutely beautiful!
I remember the first time I heard the Jayhawks; about halfway through "Blue" (track one on Tomorrow the Green Grass) I was singing along to to that incredible, beautiful vocal melody and I thought it was about the best thing I'd ever heard. That was about 25 years ago and it still is.
Thanks for this! WOW! I've been a big fan for a while now. This is a great treat on the new album. The sound and mix is great! Love your songs! So unique...
sounds fantastic !
First saw the JayHawks at the Kerrville folk festival years ago. Still in love with them today.
One of my favorite bands of all time. They sound every bit as good live as they do on their best produced albums, i.e. Town Hall. Which cannot be said for many bands.
4 hit songs! I especially love the lyrics to Lovers Of The Sun. Amazing.
Beautiful!
I really love the songs and performances on this one. Three thumbs up.
Great stuff...harmonies, yeah!
I live in Canada.... I listened to the Jayhawks for the first time (I'm certain) this afternoon on our local publicly funded radio station... mesmerized, the harmonies!... and song craft! Stunned to learn they have been around for decades, what a find !
Love this song so much. I have always liked the Jayhawks
Spectacles and the Bass!
Thank you. Great music !
Brilliant, thank you Jayhawks & thank you Tiny Desk. Rock on!
Wow! I have no idea they're still around. Wonderful mixing too. Great job NPR!
I can't figure out how I never heard of this band until a week ago.
I bet you’ve discovered more of the Jayhawks in the last year. Rainy Day Music is another absolute classic. Great songs on the 2 albums since this Tiny Desk recording, too.
Not going to say the 'Hawks ain't shit without...'. - they've too much poise. But Olsen had soul. The tin-shed philosopher of a hunch-shouldered sincerity.
One of the best folk rock bands ever!
I am about their age and I'd have to say that the drummer is aging quite well. Mmmmm...
Que preciosidad de directo. Una de las bandas que me animan los días grises
My favorite pandemic band. Pre-and post as well. :o)
This band is amazing ! Great sound, tight, they really got it together !
Love the Jayhawks! Diggin' the new tunes.
Woke up and suddenly wanted to hear this band
They got the Ebow in the mix!
*the jayhawks is a national treasure. preserve while you can.*
I 💜 Jayhawks
WOW! So much talent.
MADRE MIA, IMPRESIONANTE !!!!!!!!!!!
Is really amazing songs you give us here Jayhawks !! Perfect !
These guys are just sooooo good; I got my wife to marry me while we were listening to 'Rainy Day' !! and they are perfect music for long drives in the car.....
Love this gem!
Beautiful music and lyrics. One of the most under recognized bands in American music
God I love The Jayhawks ...
Gary sounds so, so good. The new album is beautiful.
Thanks for your music, see you tonight in Madrid
amazing!!
Great music.
Wonderful. I believe the group is peerless.
Great session
Such an underrated band
Love it!
This band has restored my faith in music, they are to the present what Ray Davies is to the present and what the kinks were to the past - God save the Jayhawks !
Saw them multiple times in Minneapolis and thought they were great!
I stopped listening Schmilco(Wilco) to dive into this new album of Jayhawks and never returned. And that there seems to "Schmilco version" of the repertoire of Paging Mr. Proust. :) Acoustic and superb.
Thrilled these guys are back and coming to Cleveland (Kent 11-2)....its been to long since i saw them in DC at the 9:30 Club about 15 years ago.