Born the youngest child of two blind parents, William Fitzsimmons was raised in the outskirts of the steel city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Due to the family’s inability to communicate through normal visual means, William’s childhood home was filled with a myriad of sounds to replace what eyes could not see. The house was suffused with pianos, guitars, trombones, talking birds, classical records, family sing-a-longs, bedtime stories, and the bellowing of a pipe organ, which his father built into the house with his own hands. When his father’s orchestral records were not resonating through the walls, his mother would educate him on the folk stylings of James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Simon & Garfunkel. By the completion of his youth and schooling, Fitzsimmons had become well-versed at a variety of instruments, at the minor expense of social standing, and a knowledge of proper shaving technique.The Sparrow & The Crow is out now on Mercer Street/Downtown through Inertia.
Sun Kil Moon / Carry Me Ohio
The first Sun Kil Moon record was actually my initial introduction to Mark Kozelek’s music. His voice is utterly recognizable, calm but very communicative, and the economy of speech in this tune is brilliant. I connect strongly with regret songs, and this one is dripping with it. This song helps me connect pieces from my past I might be tempted to too quickly forget.
Jose Gonzalez / Hand On Your Heart
Jose shares a similar ability to Kozelek in being masterfully adept at pulling the core emotionality out of a song, even if it’s a cover performed originally by Kylie Minogue. Jose’s sense of rhythm in his guitar playing is a rare talent, something I’m drawn to in a guitar player. This arrangement is kept simple enough to highlight how wonderful a singer he is. A great song is a great song, regardless of the genre, and this song displays that principle well.
Frou Frou / Hear Me Out
Imogen’s Details record stands out to me for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is her ability to use electronic elements not to show how evocative and well-written the songs are. This song is a masterpiece of modern production but her performance is always the forefront element. The desperation of the protagonist is something I’ve lived through as well, so it still hits me hard every time I hear it.
Nick Drake / From The Morning
I have a definite Drake obsession and I admit to falling into the deep melancholy of his words, melodies, and story. But I love the innocent positivity of this song. It makes me feel nostalgic for things which can’t return, but I still hope for. I read once that this was his mother Molly’s favorite song, because she could hear and see the hopefulness and brightness in it.
Joanna Newsom / Peach, Plum, Pear
I sincerely think Joanna doesn’t even realize how amazing of a writer she is. I’ve always liked to think of this song as being about change and terminal movement in our closest relationships. One could spend a whole career and never write a line as powerful as ‘I was blue and unwell. Made me bolt like a horse,’ in detailing the run we sometimes make from the one we care about the most, or perhaps once did. If I ever get through this song without breaking down, it’ll be a small miracle.
David Wilcox / (You Were) Going Somewhere
A song about a love never actually fulfilled, Wilcox is easily one of the most criminally under-appreciated artists I’ve ever heard. I learned how to love the potential complexity of guitar performance from listening to his records over and over and over. And he taught me how to always value honesty and forthrightness over cleverness for its own sake in writing. The ambient instrumentation and image laden lyrics make this song play like a movie of something that might have been.
Bob Dylan / Girl From The North Country
Freewheelin’ has always been my favorite Dylan record and this song is the standout for me. It’s so somber but sweet, and it has one of the most engaging chord progressions I’ve ever heard. This song usually makes everything else around me disappear, and sometimes that’s a good thing. This is one of the songs I would listen to my mother listen to and I can’t help but think of being young when I hear it.
Patty Griffin / Not Alone
I remember sitting in a friend’s apartment in college the first time I heard this song, years before I’d ever sit down to write a song for the first time. Which is a very good thing, because if I had been a songwriter when I heard this song, I would have never tried to write again. The story is a clear one, albeit heartbreaking. And nobody can pierce right into your heart like Patty.
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