{"title":"Silver Jews","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout Silver Jews\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSilver Jews formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1989 around David Berman (born January 4, 1967, Williamsburg, Virginia), Stephen Malkmus, and Bob Nastanovich. Malkmus and Nastanovich became members of the foundational indie rock band Pavement, while Berman developed Silver Jews as his primary project. The lineup rotated with guest contributions from various Drag City Records-affiliated musicians, with Berman as the constant member. Their 1998 album American Water - recorded with Stephen Malkmus contributing - is widely cited as their creative peak and one of the most important indie rock albums of the late 1990s. Their influence on contemporary indie folk and indie rock has been. The band dissolved in 2009 amid Berman personal struggles. Berman launched the new project Purple Mountains in early 2019 with the self-titled album Purple Mountains (Drag City). He committed suicide on August 7, 2019 at age 52 in his Brooklyn apartment, with public mourning in the American indie rock community. His poetic lyrical content and confessional songwriting has been recognized as one of the most important contributions to contemporary indie rock. He was also recognized as a poet (1999 collection Actual Air, Open City Books).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSound and style\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSilver Jews's sound combines indie rock, indie folk, alt-country, lo-fi indie, slowcore, alternative rock, and singer-songwriter with Berman's distinctive baritone vocal delivery (use of intimate, deadpan phrasing), integration of country, folk, and Americana influences, and lyrical content addressing existential, literary, and confessional themes drawing on American poetic traditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eDiscography highlights\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStarlite Walker (1994, Drag City)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Natural Bridge (1996, Drag City)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmerican Water (1998, Drag City)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBright Flight (2001, Drag City)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTanglewood Numbers (2005, Drag City)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (2008, Drag City) - final Silver Jews\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePurple Mountains (2019, Drag City) - as Purple Mountains, Berman's final\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFor collectors\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrag City Records pressings of the Silver Jews catalog are foundational items in indie rock collecting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhere to start\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eListeners new to Silver Jews typically start with American Water (1998) or Bright Flight (2001). \u003cspan class=\"related-collections\"\u003eExplore more: \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/classic-rock-vinyl-records\"\u003eClassic Rock\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/folk-vinyl-records\"\u003eFolk \u0026amp; Indie Folk\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"silver-jews-tanglewood-numbers-vinyl","title":"Tanglewood Numbers LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Latest from David Berman's Silver Jews retains his signature blend of jubilance and sorrow, but is the most band-oriented rock record he's ever made.\" -Pitchfork\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48540824338615,"sku":"210000018039","price":25.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/5755\/4871\/files\/silverjews.jpg?v=1781154396"},{"product_id":"silver-jews-the-natural-bridge-vinyl","title":"The Natural Bridge LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe second album by the indie rock band the Silver Jews.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48785868816567,"sku":"210000051218","price":25.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/5755\/4871\/files\/silverjews_502d6511-3bca-4b17-81a5-4d541ec02fd3.jpg?v=1783046151"},{"product_id":"silver-jews-bright-flight-vinyl","title":"Bright Flight LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Guardian wrote: \"Fusing gorgeous, tear-sodden country melodies with lyrics that inspire love and anxiety in equal measure, Bright Flight poetically captures a drunken night spent contemplating suicide while staring at the Nashville skyline.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48785911480503,"sku":"210000018037","price":26.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/5755\/4871\/files\/3383991.jpg?v=1783046265"},{"product_id":"silver-jews-american-water-vinyl","title":"American Water LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eDavid Berman was one of the best songwriters ever! American Water is a testament to his beautiful and strangely approachable songwriting\/poetry\/rock\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48785928847543,"sku":"210000018036","price":25.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/5755\/4871\/files\/1090590.jpg?v=1783046314"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.waxtraxrecords.com\/collections\/silver-jews.oembed","provider":"Wax Trax Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}