Bob Dylan and Van Morrison wish their songs were this good. Moes Haven is the greatest band in the world.

14 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Acoustic, POP: Folky Pop



Details:
"...the rap-ish, sorta-singing and songwriting is full of images, messages, and mirages of thought"
- Matt Kettmann, THE SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT

Tom Scalzo and Matt Farley of Moes Haven have written some of the most bizarre songs of all time. But before anyone delves into the strangeness of Moes Haven, it's recommended that they listen to OUT WITH THE OLD. It's not bizarre. It's not very strange. It's actually quite beautiful. You see, for every 25 songs like "Pickle Sandwich" and "Papaphobia" that the boys write, they manage to create one song that's just plain nice. Behind their unique view of the world that inspired songs like "There's Something About That Freak" is a love for the kind of song that one might associate with Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Jonathan Richman, Neil Young, and even The Flaming Lips, Radiohead and Tom Waits.

Almost by accident, Moes Haven writes songs that fit right up there in the hallowed halls of classic rock 'n' roll ballads.

But these songs are far from imitations. Just look at the lyrics to the extremely short song, "Life is Beautiful" and you'll see that you're not dealing with some run-of-the-mill sensitive singing/songwriting hacks:

I was reading short stories by a Russian Diplomat
Who, unlike his predescessors, didn't conclude that
Life is nothing but drudgery
And painfulness
And misery.
You know life is beautiful
Sadness comes here never
I don't wanna die
Ever.

These lyrics are simultaneously trite and edgy, inspiring and sardonically funny. The song is less than 30-seconds long and yet it stays with you for days.

Rather than bore the listener with a typical story of lovers seperated by many miles, in "And I Think of You," Farley and Scalzo add little touches that make this story unique and memorable. "Running crabs on a boat," "Tellin' Mr. Henry that the rent won't be late," "Rubbing my hair with brill cream" and "Charlie Patton singing the blues" are phrases that put clear, distinct images in the listner's mind. These are images that will resonate for years to come.

Every song on this disc is a classic that gives you something new each time you listen. After a while, you might wonder whether the stable girl sung about in "Stable Girl" is a farm hand or a woman on the edge of sanity. "Not Dead" morphs from being a simple, wide-eyed love song into the outrageous thoughts of a pathetic man, and then back again.

This album represents the best tracks from more than 5 years worth of recordings. It's your best introduction to Moes Haven. Once you've properly digested, OUT WITH THE OLD, feel free to dig deeper into the rest of Moes Haven's rewarding catelogue of albums.