When someone puts a gun to their head and asks for my favorite band, I always say the Felice Brothers. There’s this very fucking billion dollar musical elephant based on Americana music, and it’s so ridiculously transparent. I’ll just say it: Mumford and all that shit is so obviously fucking fake. I mean, they are not even American. Get out of here! But the Felice Brothers are the real thing. They just run out and humiliate any band that tries to sound like that.
As for lyrics, Ian Felice is one of the people I’m totally scared of. Bill Callahan is another man who, no matter what he does, wants to hear his words. Not that it’s a price question, but every time, I’m just, ‘Damn it. Ian kicked me out again. “There’s one verse in that verse, it’s like [sings]:
Joey and I started a fire on the road just to see it glow
His father did not like it much, gave Joey a black eye
You and I, we did the same damn thing
To fall in love, know the pain it would bring
Now all I do is sing sad songs with red eyes
I mean, get out of town! We set that record as well. After the shit started with Saddle Creek heading south, my manager and I started this label Team Love. We put out the self titled Felice Brothers record, and I think that’s the best thing I’ve ever done for music, because that album is a real masterpiece.
In December 2010, I got married at the Cloisters, located at the top of Manhattan. It was cold, but we had this tent. It was really lovely. Jim James sang us down the aisle, M. Ward sang us off the hallway, and the Felice Brothers played the reception. Our first dance was that song. It’s a wonderful memory: a snowy night in Manhattan, married to the Felice Brothers singing for you. Can’t really beat that.
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