the avett brothers :: the second gleam

normally we don't pay too much more than passing attention to when bands skip around from one label to the next, but we'd just received a note from the good folks at ramseur records in north carolina about a forthcoming 6 song ep by the avett brothers, called the second gleam - follow-up to the gleam I - when word came down that the brothers had signed to columbia. (ramseur will continue to represent the band.) now, we don't presume to know what's best for bands, and we're sure it'll be swell with major label money & resources behind them, but neither can we say we share the enthusiasm of the many commentators on the band's announcement page. (of course, that could be because of our general feelings about rick rubin's plan to makeover the music business.)

all of this remains - for now - extraneous to the actual music, which is, after all, what we're most interested here. so have a listen to the finely wrought "murder in the city" ("if i get murdered in the city, go read the letter in my desk, don't bother with all my belongings, pay attention to the list, make sure my sister knows i loved her, make sure my mother knows the same"), one good song among six good songs on the second gleam:

the avett brothers - murder in the city


the avett brothers know how to put on a show, as the picture above testifies, and, as luck would have it, they're out on tour now, though the strawberry music festival in camp mather is the closest they come to our fair city, unfortunately.