The Halo Benders

Doug Martsch and Calvin Johnson.  This sentence should be enough to get you excited about whatever it is I am about to write about.  For the purpose of focusing on their collaboration records together I won't write in depth on either of their former bands (Built to Spill and Beat Happening) in this post.  Even though I love listening to the records that both of these bands released I always find myself running back to the Halo Benders records faster.  I think the reason for that is the way the two front men decided to approach the band.  I feel like a lot of the time when there are bands where two formerly known and definitely talented people are involved there is too much pressure to create some type of groundbreaking record or something that outdoes their past.  The reason The Halo Benders appealed to me is because I never perceived them to have any pressure about making something "more" than their former projects.  Basically what you have here is Calvin Johnson and Doug Martsch making songs on top of each other more other than collaborating.  My favorite songs have always been the ones where they sing together throughout, usually not quite at the same moment but enough apart that you can make out each of their lyrics.  Another interesting thing about their process as a band is they write lyrics separately which is obvious once you hear them.  I think the point of this is that neither one of these extremely talented dudes tries to out-do the other.  Even when they are literally playing different songs on top of each other it sounds natural and comfortable.  Not to mention its funny, Johnson has always expressed his good sense of humor through his art and now that I think about it Martsch has a lot of really witty lines as well.  I always loved the title of the first Halo Benders album "God Don't Make No Junk" which I believe was stolen from an old blues song of the same title in true Johnson fashion.  I am going to post a Halo Benders song called "Virginia Reel Around the Fountain" from their record "The Rebels Not In".  I made a mistake earlier and said that it was a cover of the Smiths song "Reel Around the Fountain" but other than the titles the songs have nothing in common.  

The Halo Benders-Virginia Reel Around the Fountain