The Horse’s Ha, comprised of Freakwater and Eleventh Dream Day’s Janet Beveridge Bean and The Zincs‘ James Elkington, will be playing the first of several mini-tours this summer in support of their genre-bending debut album, Of The Cathmawr Yards, out now on Hidden Agenda. Featuring stellar performers from Chicago’s rock and jazz communities, The Horse’s Ha blend an all-acoustic instrumentation with sweetly harmonizing vocals that belie the group’s darkly haunting songs.

The Horse’s Ha recorded a cover of Slapp Happy’s “Slow Moon’s Rose” when they were in the studio for Of The Cathmawr Yards. This track was not released on the album, but is available now as a free download.

The Horse’s Ha – “Slow Moon’s Rose” (Slapp Happy)

At the end of the month, The Horse’s Ha will pass through Philadelphia, stopping to perform cuts from the new record, Of The Cathmawr Yards, at Johnny Brenda’s. They will join Illinois and The Builder and the Butchers on stage at the Fishtown venue. Check out a couple tracks from Of The Cathmawr Yards.

The Horse’s Ha – “Asleep in a Waterfall”

“Asleep in a Waterfall” is an upbeat and mildly jazzy folk number Elkington’s deep, resonant voice intertwining beautifully with Bean’s soft, high vocals. Sinuous strings make for an eerie, mysterious and nuanced cut that is nothing short of beautiful. Be sure to catch the Horse’s Ha along their short East Coast trek, you’re in for a treat.

Tour Dates:
Jul 27 – Thunderbird Cafe / Pittsburgh
Jul 28 – IOTA / Arlington, Va.
*Jul 29 – Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia (w/ Illinois, The Builder and The Butcher)
Jul 30 – Bruar Falls / Brooklyn (w/ Hospitality_
Jul 31 – The Bell House / Brooklyn (w/ The Mekons)
Aug 01 – Mercury Lounge / New York City (w/ The Mekons)
Aug 02 – Beachland Tavern / Cleveland
Sep 19 – Pygmalion Festival / Champaign, IL

The Horse’s Ha: myspace

It’s only appropriate that a show as hip as Showtime’s “Weeds” would feature some of today’s hippest artists on its soundtrack. Boasting talent such as Beirut, the Dresden Dolls, Ween, Illinois and Oh No! Oh My has Weeds: Music from the Series Vol. 3 acting as any indie kid’s dream.

It’s even got the perfect amount of kitsch factor for the hipper than thou, featuring Randy Newman’s rendition of theme song “Little Boxes,” originally by Malvina Reynolds, and a song performed by the hysterically funny Kevin Nealon, who plays hilarious and egocentric CPA Doug Wilson.

Part of “Weeds” underground music tastes have to do with its limited budget: the show can’t necessarily afford hit songs, and are therefore forced to seek out the relatively unknown and obscure. Regardless, “Weeds” music supervisor Christoper Noxon has proven that he’s got his finger on the independent music pulse with an ear for up and coming talent. The show’s writers are constantly swapping mix CD as they plot each season’s story arc and one writer is known for building an entire plotline around a single lyric. The actors on “Weeds” also get into the music mania by playing their favorite songs on set.

Limited resources and the constant search for that perfect song that’s still unknown has lead to many of the cast and crew discovering new favorite music on a constant basis. “Weeds” favorites include Man Man (a favorite of ours, too!), Sufjan Stevens and Page France. These are the only three acts that the show has licensed more than once.

A great deal of thought goes into the placement of each song in every episode and Noxon and crew always manage to hit the nail on the head. The best example of spot on music occurs with Ween’s “You F**cked Up,” appearing in season three’s premiere episode, “Doing the Backstroke.” The song’s ripping riff intro begins as Nancy Botwin (Mary Louise Parker) walks into her backyard to find neighbor Celia Hodes (Elizabeth Perkins). Hodes tells Botwin, “I did this for your own good,” and the camera pans out to show thousands of dollars of weed floating in the pool as Ween front man Mickey Melchiondo screams, “YOU FUCKED UP!” The camera immediately closes in on Botwin’s horrified expression as Melchiondo continues, “You bitch! / You really fucked up!” Absolutely spot on.

Definitely a soundtrack to get your hands on. You can score a copy of this digital-only indie gem on June 3rd, same day as the third season DVD set lands in stores.

Tracklisting:
01. Little Boxes (Randy Newman)
02. Chariot (Page France)
03. Buttmachine (That 1 Guy)
04. Scenic World (Beirut)
05. Girl Anachronism (The Dresden Dolls)
06. You F**cked Up (Ween)
07. Walk In The Park (Oh No! Oh My!)
08. Nosebleed (Illinois)
09. Your Rocky Spine (Great Lake Swimmers)
10. The Earth Keeps Turning On (Mr. Smolin)
11. Just Like The Superdome (Kevin Nealon)
12. Keep Sake (State Radio)
13. Let’s Drive Away (Eleni Mandell)

“Weeds”: website | Music from the Series, vol. 3 | order the soundtrack, season 3 on DVD