Sun Kil Moon (aka Mark Kozelek) is really talented at making songs that rip your heart out and stomp on it with the power of a five ton weight. This song doesn’t do that (unless you’re really sensitive I guess). This is a stream-of-consciousness epic that’s overall theme addresses how murder coverage on the evening news can effect the psyche of a child all the way into adulthood. However, given it’s long rambling style, it strays pretty far from the topic and the killer that gives the song its namesake eventually reaching as far away as Kozelek’s prostate issues and his thoughts on the recent death of James Gandolfini. It’s absolutely stunning, one of the best songs of the year. Listen to “Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes” below and check out the new Sun Kil Moon album Benji when it releases next February via Caldo Verde.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgaquGird4w[/youtube]
By: Nathan Kerce