Episode 122: The Lightning Bug Situation
July 8, 2008
This week’s featured band is The Lightning Bug Situation, the solo project of San Francisco’s Brian Miller, who you might also know as one-half of local rock duo The Speakers. Miller’s latest Lightning Bug Situation album, A Leaf; A Stream, rightly found a place on many critics’ best-of-2007 lists, with a hushed, skillfully-layered mix of folk-rock, melodic indie pop and compositional instrumental music. Like many great albums, it’s a mesmerizing long-player, as songs frequently bleed into instrumentals and back again. It’s also an album of intense lyrical themes both macro and micro, with Brian confronting the war in Iraq and becoming a new father, as filtered through the lens of family relationships.
In dissecting the meaning of family, Brian conducted interviews with his family members about their thoughts and memories on a variety of personal subjects. Inspired by long drives spent listening to episodes of This American Life, the artist layered portions of these interviews on top of music for a powerful, emotional effect. There’s a startling honesty to these interviews, so it seemed natural that Miller spoke with a sincere honesty when we sat down with him a few weeks ago in our studio. From our conversation, it’s clear that his skills as lyricist and interviewer are both inspired by and the result of a thoughtful process of self-examination. It’s also a process that’s clearly still ongoing, as Brian offered new reflections on the album’s lyrics and themes about a year after its release.
In addition to portions of that interview, we’ve also included three songs from A Leaf; A Stream in this episode. We’re also pleased to debut an exclusive unreleased song written by a unique lyricist; you’ll have to listen to the episode for the details.
Links:
- The Lightning Bug Situation’s (and The Speakers’) web site and MySpace page
- View a Take-Away Show featuring The Lightning Bug Situation at La Blogotheque
- Purchase A Leaf; A Stream from CDBaby and on iTunes
Are you subscribed to the The Bay Bridged weekly podcast? Click here to get each new episode downloaded free to your iTunes the moment it is published!
I’m so glad you’ve finally gotten on the Lightning Bug Situation train. That album is really good.
Good interview–Brian’s great–and you leave us with a new song! Awesome.
This is terrific stuff. I have honestly not heard a record with so much “soul” in years. The interview is so great. AND to leave us with a new song… The icing on the cake.
I can hardly wait until the next record.
Thank you so much.
s
Love, love, love the lightning bug situation :) Thanks!