Daily Jam - Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye

Let's end the work week with a track from one of my favorites, the one and only Leonard Cohen.  Here's a song from his debut.  Listen to "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Last Year's Man

I have long opined that Leonard Cohen is a lyricist unparalleled, his words conjuring all manner of philosophical thought, metaphorical imagery, and emotional art, and every time I go back to his catalog, I’m reminded why. So many of the man’s songs will strike a chord within me, often making me feel or relate before I’ve even had a chance to grasp at what the lyrics are intending. “Last Year’s Man” from the 1971 album Songs of Love and Hate is one of those songs. Something about it hits me deep, down to my very bones, though I still struggle with deciphering what the song actually means.

The song is open to eternal and varied interpretation, as maybe art should be, but it’s still a puzzle to me. Maybe it’s about art, or more specifically a kind of writer’s block. Or maybe it’s about unrequited love, or it’s about finding love and then discovering that that love is not the idealized entity originally perceived. Or maybe it’s about God, or it’s about becoming some sort of theoretical deity as the creator of one’s artistic works and endeavors. Or maybe it’s about solitude.

Maybe it’s about all of these things…or none at all.

Regardless of any intended or unintended significance found within the song, there is a weight of emotion underneath. And it think ultimately that’s what I’m feeling when I listen to it. And that’s probably good enough. Tone can transcend theme as a way to cross boundaries or borders, either culturally, linguistically, and so on. It can serve as a way to relate to each other. Great art is the art that, above all else, makes us feel.

Or maybe I’m just not smart enough to get the gist of things.

Listen below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Sisters of Mercy

Better late than never, here's Leonard Cohen with "Sisters of Mercy," our Daily Jam.

Fotocrime Covers Leonard Cohen

Post punk artist Fotocrime has announced a new EP of covers called "Alcoves."  The artist will drop a new cover every week until the album is released, and the first is an adequately dark version of Leonard Cohen's "Avalanche."  Check it out below, and be on the lookout for the album's release.

Daily Jam - So Long, Marianne

It's always a good time for the songs of Leonard Cohen.  Don't ever let anyone tell you different.  Here's the classic "So Long, Marianne," our Daily Jam.

Father John Misty Covers Leonard Cohen

Father John Misty released an EP of cover songs on Friday benefiting a couple of charities in the LA area.  One of those covers happens to be a take on one of my favorite Leonard Cohen songs.  Check out "Anthem" below and download the "Anthem +3" EP here via Sub Pop.

Daily Jam - Anthem

Been playing Leonard Cohen in my head ever since hearing that Bill Callahan cover yesterday.  Here's "Anthem," our Daily Jam.  Ring the bells.

Bill Callahan covers Leonard Cohen

Bill Callahan just released a couple of lovely covers for our listening pleasure, Lee Clayton's "If You Could Ever Touch Her," and Leonard Cohen's "So Long, Marianne."  I'm a total Stan for Cohen, so i always enjoy different artists' interpretations of his work.  Check out Callahan's alt-country leaning, Americana take on the classic song below, and then get both songs here via Drag City.

Daily Jam (Covers Week 2) - Suzanne

For our Daily Jam today, Francoise Hardy (one of my favorites) covers Leonard Cohen (another one of my favorites).  Check out her beautiful French language version of "Suzanne" below.

RIP Leonard Cohen

Having a bad week?  Me too.  And now some news to make it even worse since the universe just loves to pile it on.  Singer/songwriter/poet Leonard Cohen, one of the greatest lyricists of our time, passed away today at the age of 82.  He's been an inspiration on me for a long time, and even if i spent a thousand years writing a song, i'd never come anywhere close to writing anything as good as he ever did.

Listen to two of my favorites below, "Last Year's Man," and "Anthem."  I love you guys.  Goodnight.

Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker

He may be 83 years old, but Leonard Cohen still kills it with every release.  His new album "You Want It Darker" carries the same heaviness his previous records have had, Cohen's low and gravelly vocals sounding like dark omens or mystic storytelling from some old sage.  Listen to the title track below.