#18 on the 2012 Musical Bacon Calendar
There’s No Leaving Now by The Tallest Man On Earth
Kristian Matsson, from Sweden, sounds like he grew up in Everytown, USA. He doesn’t have a lick of accent from his native country. Billing himself as The Tallest Man On Earth, he produces some of the most spare, moving folk music you’ll ever hear.
The Tallest Man On Earth appeared on the 2010 Bacon Calendar. Looking back, I unfairly ranked The Wild Hunt at #25 that year. I wonder if I’ll regret putting his new album, the every-bit-as-good There’s No Leaving Now, here at #18.
If you have ever liked any Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie songs, you will like The Tallest Man On Earth. Guaranteed. If you despise those artists, you can equally count on despising this album, too. Just a man, his guitar, and little bit of backing instrumentation, raw and unplugged.
He even has what I consider to be a trademark of Jeff Mangum on this album: at the end of the last song, the deeply moving “On Every Page,” after the music has ended, you hear Matsson stand up from what sounds like an old creaky whicker chair. It’s a nice touch, and I hope it truly is a nod to the best album of all time. Unfortunately there were no music videos made for the new album (from what I can tell), so the video above is instead a live performance from the KEXP studios. One of the many reasons I donate regularly to my favorite radio station.
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19. Transcendental Youth by The Mountain Goats
20. A Church That Fits Our Needs by Lost In The Trees
21. Hospitality by Hospitality
22. Free Dimensional by Diamond Rings
23. History Speaks by Deep Sea Diver
24. A Different Ship by Here We Go Magic
25. Negotiations by the Helio Sequence
26. Moms by Menomena
27. The Sound of the Life of the Mind by Ben Folds Five
28. Shields by Grizzly Bear
29. Every Child A Daughter, Every Moon A Sun by The Wooden Sky
30. Fragrant World by Yeasayer
31. Reign of Terror by Sleigh Bells
2011 Musical Bacon Calendar
2010 Musical Bacon Calendar
2009 Musical Bacon Calendar