The song "Five and Dime" by Port O'Brien.
Port O'Brien is an East Bay band that I first came across when
they opened the second night of the Bright Eyes GAMH shows back in March. At that time, I noted that they have "some sort of nautical roots and hence the lead singer wore some kind of captain's hat." At the time I didn't know the half of it. Apparently every summer the band lives in Alaska and works on a salmon fishing boat.
Editor's note: I'm not making this stuff up. On top of the general awesomeness of that story, they blogged this summer's experience. I just stumbled upon
the blog recently, and it is totally riveting. I presume that many of you -- like me -- have become totally obsessed with the Discovery Channel show
Deadliest Catch, which chronicles life on a crab boat. Those people already completely blow my mind, but thinking that they could just waltz right off the boat and craft perfect songs makes my heart burst with optimism. Well, first, it makes me feel completely inferior as a human being. Then, a close second, it makes my heart burst with optimism.
So I have chosen to point your attention to "Five and Dime" because I remember them playing it live and upon hearing it realizing that this was a band that needed to be known and cherished. But. But. I did not realize just how literally the band has lived those lyrics. Read their blog while listening to this song -- I love how it starts off slow and steady and then at 2:55 gets rollicking -- it's all really just spectacular.
Port O'Brien -- Five and Dime -- mp3.
