I was listening to radio paradise yesterday when they played ‘Half Acre’ by HEM. I’ve spent part of my evening (the part not spent listening to Big Head Todd) checking out a couple of their albums and I think they’re great. Perfect music for a quiet evening with a glass of wine and The Dope.
What are you listening to?
Lately I hate everything. Not music, just everything else.
But I love Kaki King.
Half Acre was used a while back in an insurance commercial.
2002 called and wants its OP back? 
Actually, I remember really liking her sound, and I think she did a Springsteen cover that was pretty sweet. Maybe it’s time I finally look up some of her music.
As for me, I’ve been listening to some Little Feat for the first time in a long while. Great stuff.
No, that was The Part Where You Let Go. Unless there was more than one.
There were two Hem songs used in Liberty Mutual commercials; we’ve listed both of them.
I both like & dislike Hem. Each song is individually lovely, but listening to an entire album is difficult because each song is so similar to all the others. See also: Evanescence.
I heard “When I was Drinking” on NPR one night while running errands, took a detour to Amoeba music (a giant music store in Los Angeles) and bought Rabbit Songs. I haven’t really listened to any other album.
I think I have all of Hem’s albums, but I haven’t listened for a while. Thanks for the blast from the past. I got their first one in 2002 because it was talked about on a mailing list I was on then. It’s beautiful stuff, reminiscent in some ways of Cowboy Junkies, The Innocence Mission, a bit of October Project, Penelope Houston, Robin Holcomb and others I’m blanking on at the moment.
My favorite song (at the moment) is “Horsey” (correct spelling) but most of them are very nice indeed.
I love Kaki King as well! I think I also discovered her on radio paradise.
Be nice! 
It was new to ME. I don’t know anyone else that knows them, so hey! I’m blazing my own trail over here!
Thank you for the suggestions! I don’t know Innocence Mission, October Project, Penelope Houston or Robin Holcomb at all.
I would also like to say that I just managed to stumble upon the way to do multi-quote replies. LIKE A BOSS. Damn, that’s handy.
Also - thanks for sharing the commercial. I saw reference to the commercial in some youtube comments, but thankfully didn’t find the band via the advertisements. It just feels so… cheap when it happens that way.
Oh! If I may, a taste…
Innocence Mission:
“Revolving Man”
“Now In This Hush”
“And Hiding Away”
“Every Hour Here”
Just get that album (Umbrella) if you can find it, because every song is great. I am especially fond of their first self-titled album too because it’s the first album I got. Unfortunately none of my favorite songs from the album are on YouTube but here are a couple of good ones.
“Wonder Of Birds”
“Clear To You”
Glow is a great album too. Here’s one song from it.
“Bright As Yellow”
October Project:
“Bury My Lovely” (warning, bring tissues)
Listening now, Penelope Houston doesn’t sound anything like Hem, but you’ve never heard her, so here are a few songs.
“Waiting Room”
“Stoli”
“Qualities of Mercy”
My favorite song on the album, because I’m a sucker for popwaltz:
“Summers of War”
That whole album (Birdboys) is great)
Forget I mentioned Robin Holcomb. Not only is she an acquired taste, nothing on YouTube sounds anything like Hem.
However, Over The Rhine is definitely another band that Hem reminded me of.
I’m not familiar with all their output, but I’m very fond of their first two albums.
I have to check myself or I will positively BURY you in female vocals. For many many years I had a radio show on 2 stations in 2 cities (Kansas City and Chicago) and I played nothing but female vocals. Give me an inch and I’m liable to take several dozen miles. Whatever you do, do not, I repeat, DO NOT ask me about Hy R*s. 
(Ok, everybody can breathe a sigh of relief. I did not provide a bunch of links to Hap songs. Just a link to where there ARE Hap songs.)
Has the video been deleted from there? Actually, when I visit it, there was not video
to be played. Would you like to share it again?
I’ll be thankful to you. regards
It still plays fine for me at that youtube link.
Stop that.
One of my favorite bands of all time! I saw them at a really small show in San Diego after Rabbit Songs came out and they could not have been any lovelier in person. New album this year, I think.
See also: Adele. My husband bought two of her albums, and I can barely get through them because they get so repetitive.
NM