Watch: The Tallest Man on Earth - Bob Dylan Covers

The Tallest Man on Earth has long been compared to Bob Dylan. At a show in Lincoln Hall, Chicago on May 28th, he didn't help himself move away from those comparisons. In fact, he's moved even closer, as he played a cover of Bob Dylan's 'I'll Keep it With Mine'. Not only that, he then followed it up with his take on 'The Man in Me' with Nathan Rathlieff.

You can catch the Tallest Man on Earth in Whelan's on June 10th.

Watch The Tallest Man on Earth - 'I'll Keep it With Mine':


Watch The Tallest Man on Earth - 'The Man in Me':

Album Review: The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

Every year some young singer-songwriter is pronounced the new Bob Dylan. They come out with an encouraging debut album and then sort of disappear into obscurity. In 2008, Kristian Matsson released Shallow Grave to much acclaim, a 8.3 Pitchfork review, and those inevitable Dylan comparisons.

Second albums are always difficult. It's become a clichéd phrase in music criticism, but it's still apt. There's a few options, you can do an MGMT and try something different, you can branch out here and there, or else you can do what the Tallest Man on Earth has done and taken the initial blueprint and made it better in every way.

The Wild Hunt is better than Shallow Grave - it's even decimally 2% better according to some sources. Plus, those Dylan comparisons aren't going away. It's unfair to compare the two. It's apt, but unfair.

The lead single for the album, 'King of Spain' was made available as a free mp3 download, and is one of the best songs on here. However, there's not one dud on what is an excellent album. Matsson performed everything himself, and his vocals have even improved from the full-length debut.

That's the one thing that may have held him back before. His vocals are croaky which some may find hard to bear, but when the lyrics and melody are so beautiful, how can anyone resist?

At just under 35 minutes, it's a short album, and never outstays its welcome. It's a collection of beautiful songs, of which there are many highlights: 'A Lion's Heart', 'Burden of Tomorrow', and 'Troubles Will Be Gone' to name a few.

Each time you play it, you'll have a new favourite, and it's an album that I can't help coming back to again and again. Gorgeous.

Download: Tallest Man on Earth - Burden of Tomorrow

Many of you may already have downloaded 'King of Spain' from the new Tallest Man on Earth album The Wild Hunt, but now I'm giving you the chance to hear another one of the album's ten tracks - all for the astonishing price of free. You can download the mp3 of 'Burden of Tomorrow' below, and whet your appetite even more for The Wild Hunt, which is due on April 9th in Ireland on Dead Oceans. He will also be playing Ireland this summer to promote the record - at Whelan's on June 10th.

Tracklist:
01 The Wild Hunt
02 Burden of Tomorrow
03 Troubles Will be Gone
04 You're Going Back
05 The Drying of the Lawns
06 King of Spain
07 Love Is All
08 Thousand Ways
09 A Lion's Heart
10 Kids on the Run


Download:
The Tallest Man on Earth - 'Burden of Tomorrow'
The Tallest Man on Earth - 'King of Spain'

Album News: The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

The first Tallest Man on Earth album, Shallow Grave was absolutely fantastic, and he's signed to US label Dead Oceans to release the follow-up The Wild Hunt. He'll be releasing it on April 13th, and has made lead single 'The King of Spain' a free mp3 download.

Tracklist:
01 The Wild Hunt
02 Burden of Tomorrow
03 Troubles Will be Gone
04 You're Going Back
05 The Drying of the Lawns
06 King of Spain
07 Love Is All
08 Thousand Ways
09 A Lion's Heart
10 Kids on the Run

Download:
The Tallest Man on Earth - 'The King of Spain'

Download: Tallest Man on Earth - A Field of Birds

'A Field of Birds' is the theme tune for the Yellow Bird Project and is written and performed by the excellent Tallest Man on Earth. There are loads of other great acts involved (like the National, Grizzly Bear, Bloc Party), but here's what YBP had to say about this gorgeous tune:
"We wanted Kristian to create something which would embody the Yellow Bird Project, something which is in any way inspired by YBP - whether that be lyrically, melodically, or thematically... So, in true DIY fashion, we contacted him and we asked nicely... And in true DIY fashion he wrote, and recorded a song - just for us. Two demos later, here we are."

Stream:


Download:
http://soundcloud.com/stayloose/tallest-man-on-earth-a-field-of-birds-yellow-bird-project-theme

More info:
http://www.yellowbirdproject.com/

List: Best Albums of the Decade 60-51

Part Six of my countdown of the top 110 albums of the decade. You can find 110-101 here, 100-91 here, 90-81 here, 80-71 here, and 70-61 here. But for now, here's 60-51...

60. The Libertines - Up the Bracket (2002)

Up the Bracket was the record that launched Pete Doherty on the world, and especially on the Great British tabloids. It's a deep down and dirty rock album. The perfect antithesis to Britpop, heralding in a new direction for British music. Without this there would be no Franz Ferdinand, no Sun headlines, but no self-titled album. But what a dress rehearsal for the big event.

59. Paul Simon - Surprise (2006)

Next year sees the return of Peter Gabriel, but he'd be hard pressed to match this: the phenomenal return to form of Paul Simon. Forget about that closing track from the kids' film, this album was filled with surprises. (See what I did there?) Super-producer Brian Eno brought a whole new dimension to Paul Simon's music, infusing the ballads with a fantastic electro backing. One of the three songs the two penned together, 'Outrageous' is one of the best things Simon has ever done, and that includes his S&G years.

58. The Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (2008)

With an album cover featuring legendary French elephant Babar (at least it looks like him), this was Silver Jews most fun album. Absolutely fantastic lyrically as well as musically, Berman has never written (and sadly never will write in the future) better songs than 'San Francisco BC', 'Party Barge', and 'What Is Not But Could be If'. Stunning.

57. The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave (2008)

Kristian Matsson should be better known around the world than Bon Iver. He makes similar downtempo folk, but sadly he forgot the backstory. If he had a log cabin in the woods of Sweden then he may have got the attention he deserves. Each song on this is wonderful, with not a note wasted. He did get to tour with Bon Iver, so if you saw an opening act who outdid the headliner, the Tallest Man on Earth was probably that opener.

56. Neil Young - Greendale (2003)

One of the best concept albums of the decade, this album probably would have garnered more praise if it wasn't for the fact it's about a fictional family in a fictional town. There was also a tie-in movie which worked in conjunction but the lyrics, but forget all about that. The music itself was the selling point. Reunited with Crazy Horse, this is a fantastic Young album, filled with gorgeous stories and interesting characters.

55. Bell x1 - Neither Am I (2000)

The breakup of Juniper could well be the best thing to happen to Irish music this decade. Instead of one great artist, we got two. Damien Rice, and these boys from Celbridge. Bell x1's debut featured two of those Juniper songs: 'Volcano' and 'Face' ('Volcano' also appeared on Rice's own debut), but it was the rest of the album that was truly glorious. Not as radio-friendly as any of their other albums, this was a sombre break-up record of a different kind.

54. Jon Brion - Meaningless (2001)

Jon Brion is better known for his work on movie soundtracks and his production work, but this is solo debut is as good as any pop album released in the noughties. More in-depth and instrumental than most pop albums, Brion performed, arranged, and produced everything on here. A fantastic one-man work. His masterpiece.

53. Common - Be (2005)

Produced by Kanye West, this was Common's finest effort of the decade. More radio-friendly than Like Water for Chocolate and a million times better than the misunderstood Electric Circus, this was Common's breakout record. It featured excellent guests, such as John Mayer on 'Go' and John Legend on 'Faithful', but the choices of samples were even far more inspired: Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Sam Cooke. Amazing.

52. Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood (2003)

Forget about those radio hits and those terrible second and third albums, there once was a time when Caleb Followill and family were so radio-unfriendly that they sported long grizzly beards and sang lyrics that required interpretation via the Rosetta Stone. It was filled with short bursts of hard rock such as the glowing 'Red Morning Light' and the brilliant 'Molly's Chambers'. It's still their best ever song.

51. Badly Drawn Boy - About a Boy (2002)

An album based on a film based on a book, well kinda. This is the soundtrack to the 2002 film adaptation of Nick Hornby's About a Boy. The entire soundtrack was written and performed by Damon Gough himself, including the short instrumental interludes and the longer songs with their enchanting lyrics. Regardless of its soundtrack status, this is a beautiful album in its own right.

The Countdown continues tomorrow...

Live: Tallest Man on Earth at Whelan's

Someone is not doing a good PR job. Because I only heard about this today. Bad form, bad form. I've a night out with my former uni mates planned, if I had've heard before now that Tallest Man on Earth was playing Whelan's upstairs tonight, then I probably would've postponed for this!

Tickets will be available at the door, and will be priced €13.50. Bargain. It'll be fantastic. A perfect Friday night.

Watch 'I Will Follow the Rain':