Austin’s Okkervil River explore the ideas of history and national tragedy in a great new mp3 download called “The President’s Dead.”
Hey there politico-folksters!
I wanted to bring your attention to one of the most interesting events to take place in the folk universe in 2006. One of my favorite groups, a little band from Austin, Texas called Okkervil River, produced an extraordinary sub-three-minute song that everyone should hear.
It is called, “The President’s Dead.”
This track was released solely as an mp3 download and is widely available through blogs and the normal great black gooey sphere we call the internet. It was also recently featured as an NPR “Song of the Day” for those of you who want a trustworthy source at which to hear this amazing tune.
The track deals with an imaginary presidential assassination, but don’t worry this is not a political song. There is no rousing chorus that chants, “Death to George W. Bush” or anything like that. Instead, it is a story told from a myriad of perspectives: from the newscaster who announces the death to the young man waking up with his girlfriend and hearing the news.
Ultimately, though, the song is about generally feeling helpless in the face of that great collective bipolar disorder of that we call History.
So as you suffer from the post-election season hangover, take a moment to check out this song and Okkervil’s other songs, albums, and downloads. They are a fantastic young band and deserve a listen and your support. Lou Reed even recently endorsed the group as one of his favorites to put on his old iPod. Well, not in so many words, but you get the idea.
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