Sparklehorse

Mark Linkous. What can you say about his guy? Well, if you don't know he almost killed himself on some crazy drug binge where he passed out on his legs for fourteen hours. When he was lifted up the potassium release made his heart stop for a few minutes. THEN the surgeries he had afterwards almost claimed both of his legs and left him in a wheelchair for half a year. JESUS. That will make a dude go sober real quick... or need another drink.. one or the other. Apparently almost dying and then suffering for a year or so makes you write awesome music. Maybe I should try that.... hmmmmm... no. However, you can tell that he was deeply affected by this horrendous experience (no shit eh?) through his sad and fatalistic lyrics. Wanting to be reborn as an beautiful and ignorant idiot, exploding astrological bodies, flaming horses... good god this guy's lyrics are amazing as they are depressing. Most of the time the music is fairly simple (and when it's not that's when he's at his best)... but really Linkous is a poet stuck in a musicians body. Every song of his begs to not only be heard but really LISTENED to. So, pay attention... he has something devastatingly beautiful to tell you. 

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Good Morning Spider

It's a Wonderful Life

Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain

P.S.  These are all his LPs. My personal favorites (if you care) are Good Morning Spider and It's a Wonderful Life.