My Morning Jacket - One Big Holiday

Every good mix should begin with something fast and upbeat. Oh yeah, sure, you can be all artsy and put a slow song first and show off to people "Oh look at how artsy and hip I am, I started a mix Nora Jones!" But be honest, it's not really as satisfying. Deep down we all want something loud and fast to start out. Something that makes us want to roll down the windows and drive 90mph. That's why I'm starting with "One Big Holiday" from My Morning Jacket. Because not only is it an all out rock'n'roll song, but because all out rock'n'roll songs are just better when they're performed by big bearded Kentuckians! I love this song for a number of reasons. 1) I love My Morning Jacket. They are a really really weird band, but they rock just enough to get away with it. I love how they combine country, alternative, blues, funk, reggae and just about every other style known to man (and probably a few that aren't). This is a cut from "It Still Moves" but "Z" is probably my favorite of their records. It's very diverse but all the songs sort of fit together. "It Still Moves" is more guitar and roots driven and doesn't have some of the more out there moments of "Z". Some people (cough, rolling stone, cough) will try to tell you that "Evil Urges" is their masterpiece, and yes, it is a very brave record filled with some interesting and daring songs, but it just isn't as solid as "Z" or as fun as "It Still Moves". But back to the song: 2) I love the song's structure. It's a big bold guitar song that starts off with a killer intro. The opening lick is deceptively fast. There's an urgency to it that makes the song feel like a jailbreak more so than a weekend getaway. It lightens up a little in the verses but the chorus brings it back to that initial rush of the opening and closing jams. There's a nice balance between the joy in the verses and the urgency of the solos and chorus. It's a near perfect driving song. 3) Lyrically, well it almost doesn't matter. It seems to be about the band getting out of Louisville, but who knows. I think it's an escape song, about getting away from whatever it is you want to get away from. That feeling of joy when you leave something behind. It's more about just raw emotion than anything specific. There's a feeling you get from listening to it that has almost nothing to do with the words. It's all about the notes, the beat and chords. Click here to watch a live performance. I want to have videos embedded in the blog, but it's going to take some time for me to figure out how to do that.