I drive an average of forty-five miles a day, much less at weekends when I like to stay home and unwind after a busy week! I don’t like driving in silence; listening to the radio or to a good CD makes the time pass much quicker. The CD which has been in my car stereo on repeat for the past few months is the self-titled second album by The Civil Wars, the singer-songwriter duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White. I have mentioned them before on Cultural Life because I absolutely adore their music. They have a wonderful creative chemistry. When I first heard about them and saw videos of their live performances on YouTube, I assumed they were a couple (they’re not) because the atmosphere between them when they performed was so powerful.
The unique blend of different influences – country, alt/indie, Americana – combined with wonderful song lyrics and talented harmonies is a compelling mix. Unfortunately for me and many other fans of their work, they split up in 2012, citing “internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition”. I hope they will one day, perhaps, find a way to reconcile the issues which caused the break-up. I would love to see them release a third album.
Here they are performing the Grammy award-winning song, From This Valley, live in New Orleans. I love listening to this positive, upbeat song!
Do you like The Civil Wars? Can you recommend me some similar bands/singers which I would also enjoy?
Do you like The Lumineers?
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I’ve heard of them but haven’t listened to much of their music. Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll check them out.
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Driving 45 miles a day definitely warrants good music! I can see how you have time to discover awesome bands! I can’t wait to check The Civil Wars out!
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Yeah, it’s my daily commute to campus and back, so I listen to a lot of music. When I find a band I really like I tend to listen to them a lot and after a while, that can become a little tedious!
I hope you like their music. Thanks for commenting! 🙂
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I love The Civil Wars. You might like First Aid Kit, Iron & Wine or The Milk Carton Kids. All a little folky, a little country…..I read recently that The Civil Wars have a new album coming out this year but that it is unlikely they will tour.
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Thanks for the recommendations. I’ve heard some Iron & Wine songs and liked them but I haven’t heard of the other bands you mentioned. A new album? That sounds exciting. I know that they released an EP “Between the Bars” last month, with cover versions of four different songs. But a brand new album would be a treat to listen to.
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They are so awesome. Perfect example of two who are better together than apart. I named thier album the best of 2013 on my blog. I really fell it got lost in all the band’s drama and people missed how good it really was. Here is a link to my review if you want to take a look:
http://www.darianburns.com/2014/01/02/best-music-2013/
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“Perfect example of two who are better together than apart” – absolutely. I keep hoping that they will get back together. A third album would be a real treat. Thanks for the link. I’ll check it out!
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The Humming House is great check them out. Super Fun. Jenny and Tyler is another pretty cool duo.
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Thank you for the recommendation. I’ll definitely check them out!
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Most Definitely happy to help
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I agree with Iron and Wine. Do you know Martin Sexton’s music? He’s local to NYC but I really like his stuff.
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Nope, I’ve never heard of him. Thanks for the recommendation! 🙂
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