Oh Mama: Wouldn't Mama Be Proud

Elliott Smith: Wouldn't Mama Be Proud

[purchase]

I'm still learning about Elliott Smith, a task made that much harder by the recent closure of Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands, whose great work and mentorship I touted here during our Blog Names theme. And it's high-risk behavior to post Elliott Smith on blogger, so grab this one while you can.

But in the name of giving other genres a fighting chance this week, here's a catchy poprocker that was discovered lurking among the country and blues in my list of mamasongs. A deceptively deep soul-searcher from an artist who was never truly comfortable with his role as rising popstar, it's eminently worth grabbing.

Adjective Noun: Big Nothing

Elliott Smith: Big Nothing

[suicide prevention]

Straight from the lips of the artist: "...do what you want to - there's no-one to stop you... though it doesn't mean a thing..."

Uh-huh. I agree.

Blog Names: Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands

Elliott Smith: Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands

[live bootleg; more Elliott Smith here]

I wasn't going to post this one after a kerfluffle last week involving an Elliott Smith song I posted here. But the above cover is audience-recorded, perfectly legal, originally released on archive.org. I know, because I picked it up from a blog of the same name -- and when Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands posts a song, it's safe to assume that it's perfectly legit.

More than anything, Chad of Everbody Cares, Everybody Understands offers authenticity and a sense of humility along with well-chosen tracks. He only posts legally acquired songs, and was up front and apologetic about his need to bring in some tasteful-as-possible ads to the site last year; his writing is honest and earnest, like the songs of namesake Elliott Smith, and he prefers music that is the same, regardless of genre, whether that means older cuts from Smith, Lou Reed or Dionne Warwick or newer work from Nickel Creek, Okkervil River and Bon Iver. People Playing Songs I Love, a series which collects multiple amateur youtube covers of the same song, gives me hope for the human race; he's just started a series on old scratchy vinyl transfers from the 1920s and 1930s which promises to be great. Even his well-chosen site quote, from fellow truthsayer and bared soul Kurt Vonnegut, speaks to art as a practice that grows the soul.

Good music, creative ideas, and an exceptional attitude speak for themselves. But I'm also choosing to write about Everybody Cares this week because, like Craig and The Duke, Chad has been one of my greatest influences and mentors as a blogger, modeling cool, offering support and advice, and leaving the occasional comment to remind me he's reading. It is an honor to know he cares, and an honor to recommend him to others.