NPR: Thank You, Shearwater

All Songs Considered: Fall in Love with New Music Every Week

Thank You, Shearwater

by Robin Hilton

If I could only have one band to listen to for the rest of my life, at this moment in time that band would be Shearwater.

Frontman Jonathan Meiburg has the finest voice of anyone making music today and his songs are absolutely magical. They quake and tremble with a remarkable range of emotion. One moment they're delicate and sad, with Meiburg's heartbreakingly pure falsetto soaring above it all... the next moment they're erupting with something akin to rage.

I had the pleasure of seeing Shearwater for the first time at about 1:30 this morning. Fellow NPR Music producer Stephen Thompson and I headed over to Austin's Club de Ville for the all-too-short performance. The stage was shut down and everyone shooed out promptly at 2, but it was enough time to convince me that Shearwater belongs among the ranks of music's most revered rock and art-folk bands.

Here's a short video clip I shot of Meiburg performing last night:

Tags: shearwater | sxsw

11:16 AM ET | 03-13-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Wow, y'all are amazing. Every time I think I can't possibly love All Songs Considered any more than I already do, you prove me wrong. I'm thoroughly unsurprised (but ecstatic anyway!) to hear how awesome the Shearwater show was. Have fun broadcasting at the Paste party tomorrow (how I wish I was going to be there)! Oh, and P.S. The video doesn't seem to be working correctly...

Hey, Sara. You on a Mac? We've been having intermittent issues with Macs and these vids. Try clearing your cache and reloading the page. Sorry about that. - rh

Sent by Sara | 7:08 PM ET | 03-13-2008

Hello again, Robin...yes, I am on a Mac. Just switched to Firefox (instead of Safari) and now the video's working normally. Thanks! (And hooray for banjo!)

Sent by Sara | 9:12 PM ET | 03-13-2008

Looks interesting, going to check-out more of their music. Reminds me of 16 Horsepower. Thanks, and nice steady hand with the camera for 1:30am.

Sent by Craig in NJ | 5:33 AM ET | 03-14-2008

Their new single from their upcoming album is out!
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/49126-shearwater-rooks-mp3stream

Sent by Tony | 4:33 PM ET | 03-26-2008

You didn't do the band justice in your recording - I could hear them.
But seriously this is not great music in this clip. And really that may be unfair to the band because it is such a short clip. I do like the facts that they incorporate one non-traditional instrument - banjo.
But for me the closest thing to real music along these genres is the VERY gifted Daisy May out of the Great Lakes area.
If only she would switch to the Post-Bands music side...

Sent by Tom Hendricks | 11:15 PM ET | 03-28-2008

thank god im not the only one...ive been listening to palo santo non stop for the last three months are so. their ep, thieves, has five great songs too (and though Will Sheff was still contributing heavily, it doesnt sound as much like Okkervil as Winged Life does). You guys are always so spot on, I'm glad Shearwater is getting love.

Sent by Josh | 3:34 PM ET | 03-31-2008

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