Tarkio: Keeping Me Awake

Tarkio...wait, isn't that the guy from the Decemberists? OH MY GOD IT IS! Active from 1996-1999, the band was a pleasant alternative-country set, with enhancement from Colin Meloy's creative writing. Like anyone who's gone to college, Colin was once a frustrated college student, too.

"Leaving this behind was my first mistake
and I’m not so strong
to be satisfied by all the things I’ve done
by all the things it threw away."

Sufjan Stevens: Casimir Pulaski Day

Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter, born in Detroit, Michigan. Drawing freely from the Bible and other sources of traditional beliefs, he incorporates them into his work. This allows for a cult following, as well as a die-hard opposition. He utilizes interesting sounds, and various time signatures, which was one of the hardest things things for me to do as a musician. The song is a gorgeous rendition of a terrible subject, which you hardly even notice: the death of a friend on a holiday.

In case you guys were wondering what Casimir Pulaski Day is, it's a holiday in Illinois, apparently. This holiday commemorates an American Revolutionary War hero who aided American cavalry. This holiday is celebrated in areas where there is a large Polish-American population, such as in Chicago.

"And he takes and he takes and he takes."

Band of Horses: Monsters

Band of Horses is a fluid being, evolving and incorporating new members often. Currently, it is based in Charleston, South Carolina. The band originated in Seattle, Washington and through copious line-up changes, has conglomerated into a being that has an electic sound, blending banjo with rock.