Iron & Wine
 

My latest musical obsession is a one-man act called Iron & Wine. The man behind the music is one Samuel Beam, a cinematography teacher at a small Miami college. He recorded his full-length album The Creek Drank the Cradle and the EP The Sea and the Rhythm in his bedroom with a 4 track recorder. The album features his metallic, hushed vocals, an acoustic guitar and occasional banjo and slide guitar fills. Any fan of Nick Drake, Elliot Smith or Lou Barlow will definitely appreciate this amazing music. It's lo-fi and slow enough to play while you're just laying around the house, and yet his stunning, intelligent vocals are more than enough to keep you awake. I recommend these albums to anyone looking for good, chill, poetic music.

I've sampled several songs of his, and so far I really like it. In small doses. "Weary Memory" and "Faded From The Winter" are two I especially like. But I'm not really sure I'd enjoy listening to an album full of like songs. Perhaps I could get into the shorter EP.

I've only heard a few songs. I haven't yet given them a thorough listen yet though. I was unaware that this was a solo act.

Hmm, reads interesting. I'm gonna look out for that; thanks for the hot tip <b>Spektr</b>.

I picked up Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days a little more than a month ago knowing only what I had read in Harp and Paste Magazine's short blurbs about in in their year end best albums lists. It's quickly become one of my favorites. I tried to pick up The Creek Drank the Cradle tonight but couldn't find it in the store I was in.

Good stuff, I liked the Postal Service "Such Great Heights" cover better than the original. When i first heard it I actually though the Postal Service were the ones who had covered it.

I've been noticing Iron & Wine a bit on Padio Paradise. No idea it was a one man show though. I'll pay more attention in the future.

Same here.

That is a seriously awesome name...I wonder if I could kill him and usurp it...or I guess I could try to buy it legally...nevertheless. *Shifty Eyes*

I absolutely adore The Creek Drank The Cradle, but could never get into Our Endless Numbered Days. His voice just sounds so much different on the newer album, it's not nearly as mushy and soft sounding.

I totally agree. Our Endless Numbered Days is such a shift from the style and recording technique that made Creek Drank the Cradle so damn good. I dig his sister's vocals, but it's nowhere near as good as his early lo-fi recordings

Hadn't heard of him until Garden State. After that I went out and got his album, he has some solid vocals.

So far, all I've heard is the version of Such Great Heights (came across it accidentally, as I'm a huge Postal Service fan) and I'm just waiting to get a decent paycheck so I can pick up some more! What I've heard is mind-blowing.

i totally dig iron and wine. mostly just because it satisfies my fix for more nick drake.

So I've heard he changed the production values for his latest album, more of a 'produced' sound this time around. Judging from the song "Grey Stables", this was a good move. At least for that song, it didn't hurt his style of music like I'd expect it to and actually made it better instead.

wow! i thought the iron and wine phenomena had already come and passed! that is, until the next album.
my copy of our endless numbered days is warped from listening to it every night when i go to bed for the past... 7 or 8 months.

but my reccomendation, as far as the genius sam bean goes, is to pick up woman king. it only has 6 or 7 songs on it, but they're all excellent and a good variation compared to his other albums. "jezabelle" completely enthralls me.


[ps> either his wife or sister records with him too!
im very jealous of her... whoever she is.]

When Our Endless Numbered Days first came out, I bought it and probably didn't listen to anything else for 4-5 months.

On my top 10 cd's of last year, this one hit #1.

Since my last post in here, I was given a copy of Our Endless Numbered Days for Christmas, and I must say it's absolutely one of the best things I've ever listened to. I've only heard certain tracks off other albums (specifically Such Great Heights and Jezabelle), and everything is rock solid. I've seen a lot of complaints that his newer releases lost the intimacy of the earlier stuff (due to the very slick production values), and in this way, I'm glad that I was introduced to Mr. Beam's work mainly through Our Endless Numbered Days, so that I can appreciate the earlier stuff now without feeling that they "sold out".

Between Iron & Wine, The Shins, and new Death Cab my iPod's been getting quite a workout!

i'm gonna throw out some other recommendations for you, just for kicks.
i went through my shins and death cab phases well over a year ago.

but if you like them you'll probably like:

the dears
akron/family
wilco
tv on the radio
the magnetic fields
stephen malkmus
the microphones
aaand my morning jacket.

Check out his work with Calexico. That version of A History of Lovers is great.

Partly because of this thread and partly because I've been hearing of this "group" through other people on other boards, I went out and bought Calexico/Iron & Wine - In The Reins and Woman King yesterday. I would've purchased more, but that's all I could find in the one shop I looked in. I'm very impressed, but now I really want to find the others!

Damn good two year old thread!