Discovering J. Tillman

The other night I was at the Damien Jurado show (which I should and probably will write a review of), and met a lovely young couple (Scott & April - hope you're reading!).  Anyway, we were talking a lot about music, and Scott asked me if I had heard J. Tillman.  I scoffed at the name... "Isn't he the guy from the Fleet Foxes? Ugh, yeah, I can't deal."  And it's true, Fleet Foxes are one of my mortal enemies.  I simply. can't. deal.

Well, last night I was overcome with curiosity about this J. Tillman guy so I went out on the internet and listened to some tracks.  I did not recognize the voice as the lead singer of the Fleet Foxes.  Hmm.  Seeing as how I always thought that Sera Cahoone was the drummer for Band of Horses and that they are from Seattle (I was wrong on both counts, mostly - they're from South Carolina), I figured I had got it all wrong somehow... again.  I looked at the Fleet Foxes lineup, and apparently J. is merely a member of the band, not the lead singer.  I was overjoyed, because I really really liked what I was hearing from J.

I acquired some music, and listened this morning on the way to work.  I really just like the voice.  He's not whiney or pretentious, but very warm and very real.  He reminds me of Lou Barlow when he goes acoustic, with maybe a touch of Mark Kozelek... and really, just himself.  I started with a "Year in the Kingdom" and was digging it... until... I realized I was listening to Christian music.  Oh man, not again.  Despite the Italian Catholic environment I grew up in, I somehow managed to escape baptism, and I'm just not the slightest bit religious.  My adverseness to hearing this music is a funny thing though, because I have no problems with hearing Ralph & Carter Stanley croon their gospel... or a repenting Mississippi Fred McDowell... or Mary Lou Williams pounding her piano in holy rapture... and so on. I mean, I even wrote a gospel song once, of sorts (which speaks more to the gospel of Emmylou, but anyway). GOOD MUSIC IS SIMPLY GOOD MUSIC, and that's just the way it is.  So with that in mind, I'm going to give this Tillman guy a chance.  I mean, he's a namesake of Floyd, so I owe him that much at least.  Maybe there is a GOSPELCAST in the SnoozeCast future.

Here's some stuff: