Joanna Newsom - "On A Good Day" 12/14 Letterman (TheAudioPerv.com)

[NeverEclipsed]

hilarious!

[madeyes4u]

I don't know anything about Joanna Newsom, but this performance was flawless. This song is so badass!!

[TheArtistMaster]

not only do I LOVE her music... but to know she loves peacocks like I do... makes me love her even all the more!

[stefanbenny]

ugh can her and james blake just do a collab already?

[JansRox]

her hands are so beautiful for being an harpist... omg she's gorrgeous

[madeyes4u]

Wow, I shouldn't have overlooked this girl last year. I think I just replayed this video a good 8 times already! The melodies are crazy good!

[notleonard]

that's so cool that she did that. you just get those few moments in there where you can feel the audience holding its breath--how often does that happen on letterman?

[TimothyBIinks]

Surprising, and good solo -- impressive modulation. Nice little variations from the recording in the phrasing. Not a fan of the reverb they've drenched her voice in. I thought hellonearth said "the way she moves her mouth around that unique voice is incredible," and I admit I like my misreading better.

[estrelladembicer]

@orkid682 hipster??? i guess anything that's different from the mainstream is considered hipster now

[estrelladembicer]

@orkid682 hipster???

[WhisperinWeylin]

She had to have the birds in order to feel comfortable on stage. Makes her feel at home, as if she's back in Fern Gully.

[NeverEclipsed]

@WhisperinWeylin bahahaha!

[paprika82]

"Looks like Sarah Palin's den." ahaha

[ISYPan]

I fucking hate letterman

[hellonearth1066]

The way she moves her mouth around to make that unique voice is incredible.

[fancytyme]

came for the peacocks, stayed for the harp solo

[DollyAU]

:) :)

[franksinbeans]

I love how she hits those real sweet notes, I've never heard anything like it.

[stephentime200]

The album version of this song is stunning but this version accomplsihes the not easy task of making it look almost ordinary by comparison. In an age where superlative overusage has made superlatives meaningless I'll nonetheless remark this is something I would accurately say is almost, or could very well be, quite literally heart-stopping.

[01AlanBennett]

@orkid682 lol i don't think I would actually; would make me sound like a dick

[01AlanBennett]

@orkid682 I am against talking about "genres" of music because I think they're normally meaningless. But "hip hop to hipster harp" is probably the best description of anything ever - I think I will use it when people ask what kind of music I like

[citizenkeane]

One of my favourites from the album, beautiful performance.

[usedfuzzbox]

5 people have something against harp solo's?

[illumiere]

Whoaa--I was not expecting that harp solo. A nice surprise. I love her!

[waggawaggaful]

who could POSSIBLY mention Sarah Palin and Joanna Newsom in the same breath?! That is beyond horrific. It stretches the limits of my imagination and tolerance. I've long lost my patience with this country, our empty and parasitic culture that churns out garbage like Lagy Gaga, McDonalds, and Sarah Palins... Joanna is a rare gift and we are lucky beyond measure to have her at a crucial moment like this, as a nation on the precipice of decline and perhaps even collapse.

[tastyfoxman]

@waggawaggaful

shut up, please

[marcsummers]

@waggawaggaful it was a joke. and a hilarious one at that.

[beirney82]

@waggawaggaful Very well said mt friend

[passiveMenis]

Chill inducing

[melissery]

not usually a fan of her (at least not that i remember), but this performance blew me away.

[Kevomcgannor]

chills... again and again

[radscorpion8]

I tried listening to her album Ys. I couldn't stand it!! Its so amelodic, its like it purposely tries not to sound like music of any kind. Its just like animal collective..I will never understand how people find the majority of their songs enjoyable (except fireworks which is awesome :)), or Panda Bears "bros" which goes nowhere. But this song she performs is nice. Maybe if she is slightly easier to get into I will enjoy her "talent" more ??

[LanIost]

She picked a good song to play. It's a pity though at the same time. She had to change it up for time constraints.

I hope this helps get people into her. I'm not one of those people who wants her to remain 'underground' because.. er.. let me put it this way

I'm trying really hard to not sound pretentious here but I'm one of those people who listens to everything. Most people I've talked to who say this will still say stuff like "Ugh, I'll listen to anything except country" or seem to

[LanIost]

seem to think that they will listen to anything. Thats where that is going to sound pretentious. Trust me, I don't think I'm any cooler or better for it. I just found that there were a lot of things in my life (not just with music either) that I absolutely SWORE that I would never like. .. and I KNEW this in the same way that people KNOW they are right about religion or.. whatever.

But.. what do you know, a lot of those things ended up, to a level of disgust for me, becoming something I found

[LanIost]

myself liking more and more. I had to hide a few of them because people judge people SO much based on what they listen to. Even the most open hardened eclectic music listeners do this more than I would have thought.

So after the 3rd or 4th time that this happened to me I got to the point where I decided to just start listening to everything I could. If there was something I wasn't used to.. I forced myself to listen to it. I find that a large part of people liking something is because it is

[LanIost]

similar enough to something else they like, even if it's not immediately apparent. For instance, if you turn to Joanna Newsom after nearly exclusively listening to something like metal your whole life.. You won't even give it a chance, if only subconsciously. But once you find even one song that you start to like and can let yourself swallow your pride.. you will exponentially start to open up to it more and more.

I'm almost done, I promise. Because of this, of course, I went through a phase

[LanIost]

of listening to and thinking that the weirdest music deserved more praise and was better .. somehow inherently because it was weird. I started to feel guilty if there were a pop song on the radio I liked. Over saturation of this sort of music turned me to listening to only pop for a while. And then back to rock..

Over time though it started to balance itself out. I go through phases. I find that almost anything will grow on you if you listen to it enough for it to become imprinted in you.

[LanIost]

You know.. to where you are anticipating what's coming up. Once you can sing along, you are pretty much hooked. I have so much respect for anyone who writes their own music. It doesn't matter to me if it's pop, country, rock, metal, 'indie', or anything. Music like Britney Spears.. you need to be giving her writer credit for.. he somehow writes music (at middle-age) that 14 year old girls can identify with.. heh.

Anyone final part. I got started on a trip to Kentucky and put Milk Eyed Mender

[LanIost]

and YS on my mp3 player. Thanks to my Linux ipod manager thing.. I somehow corrupted the database and ONLY ended up with these two albums.. for a 4 hour drive there, 5 hours of work and a 4 hour drive back. I could not handle it at first (her voice on Milk Eyed Mender) but.. by the way back it was already starting to click. To make a long(er) story short.. She has changed my view on music more than I think any other artist, popular or indie, ever has.

[LanIost]

The fact that I wrote this long ass thing, on this video, is quite intentional. I'm sorry for spamming everyone else off the screen but I'm really curious of anyone else's here experience.

I'm terrified to let anyone else hear her. Not because I don't want them to like her.. but because I _DO_. The four people I have let listen to her.. and explained that it will seem like something you could never like but will have the biggest pay off have told me just that. They will never like her.

[LanIost]

But in EVERY case (after my insistance that they keep giving her a chance) they have came back and thanked me. She is the only artist that anyone has ever thanked me for in the way that.. .. well you know how it feels once she clicks for you. They couldn't believe that I would be right about it.

But, it takes a lot of time and I picked these people specifically. What are your experiences with trying to get other people into her? Also, personal story about it?

And sorry for making this so long.

[iswearnothing]

I really want to like Have One On Me but it's just so different :(

[PreciousEarthquakes2]

@iswearnothing What is wrong with different?

[Chamako87]

@iswearnothing I know, it's been nearly a year and it has not grown on me entirely. With Ys, it took me two days to fall in love with it...

[Miyaatan]

@Chamako87 I constantly miss what the Ys had to offer. But Have One on Me is just as good. It may lack the fantasy and raw poetry that the Ys presented beautifully, but it's still poetic, it's still beautiful music, and it's still Joanna Newsom. I've been following her since Walnut Whales, and, even now, she remains one of my most inspirational artists. But yes, I do miss those sweet things that lulled me into her poetic little world.

[modoloine]

@Miyaatan Well said. I really miss the Milk Eyed Mender & Ys days. but Have One On Me is beautiful too.. I can't wait to see what she creates next, but Ys is such a masterpiece. I think what bothers me is how much she's "polished" herself, as though there was something wrong with her sound, when there really wasn't. I couldn't stand her voice at first, but then fell in love with it, because it's hers. and now she's changed so much! I know though, artists grow and evolve. this song is beautiful

[12345random67890]

@Chamako87 I know what you mean. It probably took me three listens to fall in love with Ys, but the first time I listened to Have One On Me, I had to stop at the end of the second disc: there's just so much! It feels a lot more dry than Ys did (not in a bad way, just texturally). I love parts of it, but I'm still not sure I could listen to the whole thing in one sitting.

[WhoopMQ]

Whoa, I like that new little section.

[daaniellevasconcelos]

Fantastic!

I love Joanna!

[dolly244]

@orkid682 you are so right! Peace

[craigmarshallsmith1]

Dates Andy Samberg. Brilliant. Dave is brilliant. You know,

his days are dog years numbered. He is the best, better than

Carson - egads light years better than Jay, Craig, George,

who are dim bulbs - treasure him. Treasure this night of

a girl and a harp and a joke about "Sarah Palin's Den."

[quietnow]

so beautiful. i love the harp solo in the middle...i wish she didn't have those birds onstage with her tho!

[passiveMenis]

@NoJamOnYourBread

Why does it matter?

[XVLASEVX]

wow wow wow love it classic

[passiveMenis]

@NoJamOnYourBread

If more than 3 people know about anything, it's not cool.

[kevinquinnyo]

holy shit this is so good

[TheBluePhoenix2112]

I know I'll get a lot of backlash for but that has not stopped me before. While I do feel that this song is beautiful, it blows my mind that everything else I've heard by her just sounds terrible.

[greerlovesgovert]

Unique and spectacular

[SrNetsWalker]

Really sad seeing this TAXIDERMIC stuff...

I don't think these nice birds were 'worked' after dying but were killed for being 'a nice object for decoration'... just this: decoration...

I can not understand how she considers this 'beautiful'... I just feel the intro clip scene (she waiting seated on the chair with the two birds for decoration) really sad scene totally unnecessary when you have a so nice harp, a so nice look and a so nice talent...

: (

[adunnmica]

i'm really surprised she hasnt done good intentions on any of her tv appearances, seems like the obvious choice

[gabotheblue]

Creepy,sounded like a cat being raped by Bjork sporting a dildo.

[juliedog464]

@gabotheblue

Yes , but in a good way

[underlinedluke]

"Will you leave me be so that we can stay true to the path that you have chosen?" Enough said...

[craigmarshallsmith1]

Warren Zevon said, "Enjoy every sandwich." I am smitten

by this girl, who dates a comedian. I wish she were under

my Christmas tree, if I had one.

[craigmarshallsmith1]

Hauntingly beautiful is enough, isn't it? Everything

that we see and hear doesn't have to make sense.

I am an Abstract Expressionist painter - what I paint,

what other AbEx painters painted, doesn't seem to

be literal or narrative. Joanna might be talking

about a miscarriage, about a relationship that

ended. Listen to peter Gabriel's "Salsbury Hill."

No one knows exactly what it means - but it's

a great song.

[Empayes]

With the 3LP in its hands, you can see Letterman think: ''Finally not another pathetic hipster band on my show tonight. I'm gonna enjoy this one at home tonight with a well-deserved bottle of booze.''

[craigmarshallsmith1]

Dear Blue Phoenix: Stop making sense. What the

hell makes sense? The Second Amendment? The

Kardashians? For anyone with a brain, a heart,

this is the antidote. Please. Go listen to rap. There

is a reason why it rhymes with crap.

[TheBluePhoenix2112]

@craigmarshallsmith1 - Don’t get me wrong, I like it. It’s hauntingly beautiful. I guess a couple lines do make sense but as a whole the lyrics sound like random thoughts thrown together. This is just one man’s opinion. Of course I may be completely wrong. The lyrics may have been written very deliberately and have great meaning. I just don’t know what that meaning is. I’d be happy to hear anyone’s interpretation of these lyrics.

[Jimbianskivoufet]

@TheBluePhoenix2112 - The lyrics make perfect sense to me and I don't even understand english. She sings about the end of a love affair. Think metaphor.

[Falco98]

non-crappy-resolution version here - watch?v=nfdHy8Vo4Og

[maryel3]

What a Capricorn!

[drmJB23]

your overlays are annoying

[ninaheartsFCM]

SO GLAD I WATCHED LETTERMAN ON MONDAY BC SHES SO BREATHTAKING HER TALENT IS GENUINE!!!!

[craigmarshallsmith1]

The lyrics are breathtaking, heart breaking - and along with

her voice and her harp, it all makes a big impression that

lasts long after the song does (one minute, 48 seconds).

"... I had begun to fill in the lines

Right down to what we'd name her."

[TheBluePhoenix2112]

@craigmarshallsmith1 - While it does sound pretty the lyrics don’t make any sense.

[jakkelyd]

so beautiful

[buddyryan]

This was the first time i heard of this girl. With in two hours I bought 2 of her albums and can't get enough....so beautiful!

[catholicknees]

@buddyryan which ones did you buy? Ys and Have One On Me? Her debut is pretty good (Milk Eyed Mender) but her voice was very untrained and it takes some time getting used to. A lot of people hate it.

[SevenEagles]

You want this song to go on for at least another 3 to 5 more minutes.

[dolly244]

I heard this song on the show last night, IT BLEW ME AWAY! She has the voice of an angel. What a great musician. Peace

[catholicknees]

i love her sooo much

[CharlesSchneiderfilm]

THESE ARE MAGICAL TIMES, indeed!

[dmax801]

Wonderful. Great that she could make it to Dave, and do such a nice job.

[cityunseen]

STFU and listen

[craigmarshallsmith1]

The girl of right-on. Brilliant. Her CD will be a Christmas gift

to me. And Dave. "Looks like Sarah Palin's den." None of the

other late night clods could have come up with that. Craig,

Conan, Jay. I can't watch any of those three.

[Voltasaur]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this song & Joanna! <3

[underlinedluke]

Oh my god.

[jeremologyy]

i was so shocked when i first realized she was playing this of all songs. but it actually became what i think is her best tv performance. so gentle and beautiful, and that new instrumental was amazing. this was such a nice way to end the night last night. :-)

[sedg]

@jeremologyy I was glad that the band didn't try to add in something - You know that old school, "Well, little lady, we'll add some music to fill all the voids in your little harp thing - No, No, it's OK we're seasoned musicians, don't you worry, your little self."

Twnety years ago, that would have happened.

[flowerpowerzz]

Home~town proud ❤ The rivers are singing your name under the winter stars tonight ❤ Sending LOVE

[joshsorrells]

i came.