Words - Song of the Year

Top Song of the Year is Allison Crowe's "Words" on the annual list of Muruch, the passionate and uncompromising culture blog that’s been sharing favourite albums, live performances, films and literature online since 1999.

 

“Words”, from the album “Heavy Graces”, features, for the first time, Allison playing her Great-Grandfather’s fiddle (along with her singing, playing guitar, arranging, engineering, producing and all those things she regularly does!). A trio of songs from her "Newfoundland Vinyl" album, also released this year, are found in the Top 50: "Black Velvet Band" (12); "Men Who Die for a Living" (18); and "Skipper Billy's Wake" (28).

 

Artists joining Allison Crowe in the top ten picks are: Alice Boman; Trent Dabbs; Lorde; Vienna Teng; Foxygen; Imagine Dragons; MS MR; & Janelle Monae (feat. Erykah Badu). Enjoy videos and music – of “Words” and all of Muruch’s 'Top 50 Songs of 2013' @ http://www.muruch.com/2013/12/muruch-2013-top-songs.html 

"Famous Blue Raincoat" mash-up

Concluding “Heavy Graces”, the audio album, and the music-movie mash-up series that accompanies Allison Crowe’s newest release – is this second version of “Famous Blue Raincoat”.

The song’s composer, Leonard Cohen, says, it reflects on the "tyranny" of possession -- of the kind that enslaves us as women and men.

Impressionistic visuals come from director Josef von Sternberg’s 1930/31 film "The Blue Angel" ("Der blaue Engel"). Experience this classic movie in full @ http://archive.org/details/theblueangel1930

Famous Blue Raincoat (choral) - Allison Crowe (Heavy Graces)

"Famous Blue Raincoat", its composer, Leonard Cohen, says, reflects on the "tyranny" of possession -- of the kind that enslaves us as women and men.

It's territory covered here by musician Allison Crowe. (Crowe's previously celebrated the Cohen songbook via renowned interpretations of "Hallelujah", "Joan of Arc" and other tunes from the master songsmith.)

Impressionistic visual accompaniment comes via film scenes from "The Blue Angel" ("Der blaue Engel" first released in Europe in 1930 saw its full North American release the following year.)

This choral rendition of the Leonard Cohen classic is the first of two versions recorded by Allison Crowe for her album "Heavy Graces".