I had just decided to take a break from evaluating what online college classes to take and write a bit about the frustrations of going back to college, when Hem's "Reservoir" came on Radioparadise... which reminded me that I left the CD in the car, which is at work with Emily. Guess I won't be listening to that one today.

I can't accurately describe what Hem's music is - folksy, old-timey, traditional, chamber music overtones? All I know is Hem has been my favorite band for about five years now. I first heard them on NPR, bought their "Rabbit Songs" CD (still my favorite) and visited their website to join their fan list. That list has netted me numerous free MP3s, concert announcements, and advanced ordering of their newer CDs. An autographed copy of "Eveningland" was Fedexed to my doorstep the morning the CD released (talk about service!). I should be receiving an additional CD of material as a reward for ordering their newest release, "Funnel Cloud," in advance.

Emily and I have seen Hem at Iota in Arlington, Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis, and The Birchmere in Alexandria. I've never bothered seeing another band or musician more than once. We bought tickets for a February show in NYC, at the Lincoln Center, with plans to take a couple days off for the show and trip. When Emily's Foreign Service dream job came through, we had to sell the tix on Craigs List. Interestingly enough, the Hem list sent out a link to a bootleg video someone made of the entire show, with a distinctly "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" tone to the message.

I highly recommend any and all of their music, with "Half Acre" from "Rabbit Songs" as my all-time favorite. A few months ago, before we left the States, I heard "Half Acre" as the background music on a Liberty Mutual commercial. For samples, go to the various websites below or Amazon for snippets from the various CDs.

Hem
Hem's MySpace page
"All about hem"