Willy Mason – If The Ocean Gets Rough

To start off this post, I am going to answer an FAQ (asked 19,391 times to be precise):

Readers: Dude, where have you been? I mean seriously, where the **** have you been?

Me: Wow, I didn’t think you guys would notice. I was keeping on top of things so well too. I don’t really know where I have been. I’m sorry. I’ve been spending a lot of my free time working on an exciting music site that I will be able to tell you more about if everything works out. It’s one of these… what do they call it, web 2.0 sites? It’s still in the early development stages so I’m not getting my hopes up too high yet. Anyway, I’ll try, no WILL, do better.

Update: I know, I know. I said I would do better. Right after I put this post up, I came down with a bad case of the flu which I’m still fighting off. Thanks for sticking around, I will be updating the site soon.

___________________________________________________________________________________

 willymason.jpg

Recently, I have had a new obsession, and assuming you’ve read the post title, you’ve already figured it out. Willy Mason is an underrated (mainly by Pitchfork) artist, who is quite talented musically and lyrically. His music videos are great as well. I’ve always liked Willy Mason, but for some reason haven’t listened to him as much as he’s deserved to be listened to. That’s all changed after I saw him open for Sondre Lerche in NYC.  I think he has done a lot of his touring in the past solo, but has been playing with three band members, including his brother on drums. He wasn’t the most engaging artist in the world on the stage, but hey, ipso facto–the music speaks for itself. 

Willy Mason is 22 years old and from Martha’s Vinyard, MA. He started making a name for himself at the young age of 19, and hasn’t stopped since. He currently has two main releases, 2004’s Where The Humans Eat, and this years release, If the Ocean Gets Rough. Both of his parents are folk songwriters, and Mason has implented their style of music with thougtful lyrics, making for some great music from all aspects. He has already toured with Radiohead, Ben Kweller, Beth Orton, and Death Cab, to name a few. My friends at Boston University said they saw Mason perform for about 20 students, and also his mother. Afterwards, they talked with him for a while and he talked to them about the time he jammed with Pete Townshend before a Radiohead show (he is huge in the UK), and how when he was on break, he would walk into classes at Columbia University just for fun. Willy Mason loves playing small shows because he is genuinely interested in getting to know individuals and has an appreciation for nature and the world that greatly enhances his music.

If The Ocean Gets Rough:

Willy Mason – Save Myself

Willy Mason – Simple Town (love this song)

To hear album in its entirety and see his music videos, check out Mason’s Myspace page.

Bonus:

Where The Humans Eat:

Willy Mason – Oxygen

Site | Amazon

8 thoughts on “Willy Mason – If The Ocean Gets Rough

  1. FANTASTIC!!

    thank you David. He’s too cute I can’t stand it! Just recently came upon Willy via one of my cableTV digital music channels. OH if I only were 30 years younger…..

    (Hey – you kinda remind me of Willy!!)

    When I hear artists like Willy, I think all is not lost in the music world.

  2. Oh my you’re kidding me. Willy Mason opening for Sondre Lerche? That makes me pine more than the two Texas shows where Wintersleep opened for Tragically Hip. Willy looks different than I thought he would’ve though… I was picturing a dude in his mide 30’s avec beard and maybe a newspaper boy hat. But this is better. He looks real friendly. I don’t know if you’ve seen Dead Poets Society, but he reminds me of Josh Charles when he was in that. He was the guy who played Knox Overstreet.

    P.S. Any chance you’re gonna do a review of Phantom Punch? I’m curious as to your thoughts on the more amplified Lerche. I’m personally liking it quite a bit.

    Anyway, glad to see you’ve posted again. I was checking here everytime I did my mp3blog rounds. I seriously love this site. I’ll say it again: your taste is impeccable. And wow these Mason tunes are great.

    [And I’m sorry. I always blab away on your site]

  3. Hey Jerseycynic (if that’s your REAL name:), thanks for your nice comments! I remind you of Willy Mason? Really? I take that as a high compliment. I’m happy you like the site, that makes me feel good. By the way, sorry for not responding sooner, I came down with the flu, and am just starting to feel better.

  4. Haha, Alie you’re hilarious! I pictured Willy the exact same way! And yes, I have seen (and love) Dead Poets Society. That’s definitely a good call–they do look alike. About Phantom Punch, I’m probably not going to review it. I love Sondre’s older more lo-fi stuff, but I don’t especially care for his newer music (Duper Sessions and Phantom Punch). Am I crazy? Maybe something is wrong with me. His more amplified songs just doesn’t do much for me. I wrote about it in this Sondre post a while back: http://indiemuse.com/2006/10/03/sondre-lerche/

    I love hearing from you Alie, you always crack me up, so please, “blab on” to your hearts content.

  5. I guess we visualize the same way, eh?

    And about Sondre’s newer stuff, I can see how somebody would be put off by it. He went… maybe more commercial is the word, with his newer stuff, Phantom Punch especially. I think for me Sondre is just one of those artists who can do no wrong, and there are so few of those musicians out there, so I cling to them with the loyalty of a soccer mom. But there’s really nothing like listening to older Sondre Lerche. The first time I saw him he was co-hosting The Wedge [which is a show on Much Music, which is a Canadian station so I don’t know if you’ve seen it?] and he was just way too cool. They played the videos for Days That Are Over and You Know So Well and it I knew it was love. I do quite enjoy his post-Two Way Monologue stuff, but there’s something so organic and lovely about his older tunes. So in short, no, you aren’t crazy.

    And I think your Sondre post was the first Indiemuse bit of gold that I read. By the way, I just downloaded Mr. Tambourine Man [which I hadn’t heard before now] and I am digging it. I’ve been listening to quite a bit of Dylan lately and I’m liking it.

    One last thing, how’d you like this past week’s Office episode? If you saw it, that is. I found it completely hilarious, it made me actually laugh out loud… which is always cool. And I think I’ve run out of things to say for -this-, onto the Sea Wolf post.

  6. Last weeks office was superb! The sumo wrestler bit was hilarious. Stanley vs. Jim, haha. The Dwight vs. Andy match was funny as well, but the Stanley vs. Jim was classic. And then Angela when Andy fell in the lake in his sumo costume:

    Andy: Angela, oh thank God, go tell somebody.

    Angela:What Andy?? Andy, What should I tell them?

    Andy: Go tell them that I’m floating away, obviously.

    Angela: I don’t understand what you want from me.

    Andy: Angela, it’s pretty simple. Look what I’m doing and go tell somebody it.

    –onto the Sea Wolf comment:)

  7. Pingback: Buy lexapro.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *