The Minimum Blues

My Favorite Songs of 2013-Part 5 (20-1)

2014-02-04T20:36:00.001-05:00

Think of it this way: I get to make you one CD of music from 2013, and that's all you get from this year. Here's what I'm putting on it:

20. Lorde-Buzzcut Season: At first I thought this sounded a lot like The XX (“VCR”), but now I think it’s more akin to “The Spiderbite Song.” I’ve always been a sucker for a clever line, and she penned one here: “I remember when your head caught flame / it kissed your scalp / and caressed your brain / well you laughed / ‘baby it’s okay / it’s buzzcut season anyway.’” Beyond that, the imagery is strong as well: “we ride the bus with our knees pulled in / people should see how we live.” The arrangement is minimal for the first two minutes of the song, though more production is added as the chorus finally comes in. I like the simple beginning though—sometimes it’s best to know what your strengths are and just let them play.

19. Okkervil River-Pink Slips: On a record filled with memories, this song embraces and bites at nostalgia all at once, in a way we’ve all once realized—“this wish to just go back / hey / when I know / I wasn’t ever / ever happy / show me my best memory / it’s probably super-crappy.” We always remember the best things about certain times as we wish to go back, but Sheff reminds us that it’s a fallacy. He also has a couple of choice lines that just sound great: “my right hand on my heart / while my left hand snaps your necklace,” and “I guess I was just / a dreaming and drifting.” I’m sure pink slips is some sort of metaphor for loss, but everything built around that metaphor is pretty fantastic.

18. Phosphorescent-Terror in the Canyon (The Wounded Master): Matthew Houck’s voice peaking at the beginning of the chorus and the 20 seconds that follow is likely one of the best moments in music this year. His lament?

But now you’re telling me my heart’s sick
And I’m telling you I know
And you’re telling me you’re leaving
And I’m telling you to go
And I’m not so sorry for the heart-wreck
But for each season left unblessed
The new terror in the canyons
The new terror in our chests

17. Vampire Weekend-Diane Young: This song is an all-out assault on your ears, a litmus test of your feelings about Vampire Weekend. You like them, this is your jam. You think they’re privileged no-talent imitators of superior predecessors? You’re going to hate this. Regardless, “Diane Young” is a thinly veiled reference to dying young (OK, very thinly veiled), and the song proceeds at a breakneck pace that either represents the recklessness of youth or the willingness to live life to the fullest. Or, perhaps both. Other than that, the lyrics are pretty much nonsensical, which matters little as the song is over nearly as soon as it begins. Sure, the haters will cite the autotune of the chorus and the number of “baby”’s in the song, but…the song is catchy as hell and fun to listen to.

16. Washed Out-All I Know: Feel-good nearly-instrumental track of the year. It’s like a sonic bath washing away all negative energy.

15. Mikal Cronin-Weight: The first track of MCII is appropriately introductory: “I’ve been starting over for a long time / I’m not ready for another day / I feel like feeling new / time is right / I’m only getting older / I’m not ready for the second wave / the wave of seeing through.” Seconds later, he unleashes the guitar he uses as a blunt instrument for the rest of the record, making music that bands like Weezer should have continued making. There’s nothing too complicated here, verse chorus verse etc., but to do it well is certainly a challenge that few other than Cronin bested this year.

14. Swearin’-Dust in the Gold Sack: A late-riser for me this year (actually, I didn’t hear it until 2014), this song is the female equivalent of Cronin’s “Weight,” but just a tick better. Allison Crutchfield, the sister of Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield, didn’t create an album as consistent as her twin’s but this song hits some sweet spot of grunge, emo, and pop that’s usually hard to find.

13. Vampire Weekend-Finger Back: The insistent percussion of the drums and guitar should sound familiar, but the way Ezra Koenig manipulates his voice in this song seems to be new, and sounds fresh. Everything’s coated in a light reverb, adding a little bit of depth. It’s a tight, catchy Vampire Weekend song, and there’s not a whole lot better than that.

12. The Blow-Make it Up: First track off the record, the percussion is fantastic, and the lyrics are poetry: “I thought I knew what love was / turns out I might have faked it more than once [double entendre!]…we went looking for love / but we might have to make it up.” I think an apt comparison to the vocal gymnastics here is probably the Dirty Projectors’ “Stillness is the Move,” which is about as high of praise as I can give.

11. Bedquilt Ramblers-You’ve Got to Walk: First things first—this songs comes from the soundtrack of a little indie video game called “Kentucky Route Zero,” which is utterly fantastic (the game, that is). There’s a great moment in the game, which I’m trying not to spoil, where this song comes in, and it’s probably my favorite, I don’t, “moment,” of the year. The game is super-cheap, if you have a PC, you should play it. So, back to the song. It’s something that truly sounds like you could hear it on an Appalachian back porch, something I just don’t find in music much these days. The song, with its Appalachian gospel moments, has this awesome message, perhaps cliché, but one I love: “you’ve got to walk / that lonesome valley / you’ve got to walk / it by yourself / there’s no one here / who can go there with you / you’ve got to walk / it by yourself.” Doesn’t sound like anything else I’ve heard this year.

10. Mikal Cronin-Am I Wrong-Cronin starts with the guitar here, and then moves on to this badass piano solo (!) which really just crushes it for me. The chorus is pretty fucking catchy, too.

9. T. Hardy Morris-Lucky: First, there’s one of my favorite lyrics of the year: “she changed the lock on her heart / and with one look / he cut a key.” It would have been so easy to just say something about him opening the lock or turning the key, but the metaphor of cutting a key is just so much more—he knows her so well that even when she changes the figurative lock, he can figure out exactly what to do with one look. So brilliant. Then there’s the immutable chorus—I don’t know if it’s depressing, sweet, or looking back with regret: “you remind me / that we’re not getting any younger” (it sounds better than how it reads).

8. The Minks-Romans: I don’t even like this type of song (80s synth, compressed drum beat), and I like this song. Super-catchy, you’ll find yourself humming the chorus and biting lead-in lines for weeks (“happy birthday / to the worst friend in the world / happy birthday to you…happy birthday / can I poison your drink?”).

7. Cate Le Bon-Are You with Me Now?: Again with the fencing guitars here, but just better. Every single note gets its own space to breathe and flourish, along with her voice. It’s like a miracle in sound engineering, letting each voice find its space to mature and connect with the listener. I’m so overwhelmed by these musical voices, I have no idea what she’s even saying in the song.

6. Okkervil River-It Was My Season: It’s easy to underestimate the difficulty of making something sound both nostalgic and fresh—an accomplishment that few bands have managed. Perhaps this is what makes The Silver Gymnasium, and, in particular, “It Was My Season,” so special. Will Sheff artfully bounces between past and present here, and it’d be a shame to try and reproduce it all here. Just go listen to the song.

5. Vampire Weekend-Hannah Hunt: Maybe the biggest departure on the record, certainly the best story. Also, the opening line, my god: “A gardener told me / some plants move / but I could not believe it.” About 2:45 in, there’s an uplifting piano solo, and Koenig brings it back down, reaching the limits of his voice to exclaim “if I can’t trust you / then dammit Hannah / there’s no future / there’s no answer.” I’d analyze the lyrics more, but you should just go here instead. Or read this.

4. Phosphorescent-Song for Zula: the amount of depth and complexity that this song builds in six minutes is astounding. Matthew Houck starts off in a supremely lonely fashion—warning us:

Some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
Oh but I know love as a fading thing
Just as fickle as a feather in a stream
See, honey, I saw love.
You see, it came to me
It put its face up to my face so I could see
Yeah then I saw love disfigure me
Into something I am not recognizing

His words cascade over the high/low dynamic of violins and bass. In the second verse, Houck vows that “I will not open myself up this away again…I will not lay like this for days now upon end / you will not see me fall / nor see me struggle to stand…I will not open myself up this way again.”

In the third stanza, he gains strength—“see honey / I am not / some broken thing / I do not lay here in the dark / waiting for thee” (love the nod to old English).

For the final act, he has transformed completely: “Oh / but I know love / as a caging thing / just a killer come to call / from some awful dream…but my heart is wild/ and my bones are steam / and I could kill you with my barehands / if I was free.”

This record (Muchacho) has grown on me more than any other record over the course of the year. Sure, others gave me more instantaneous, visceral reactions, but the depth of Houck’s poetry and musicianship is enough to keep listening to. At times triumphant, and at others hauntingly lonesome, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

3. The Blow-Invisible: OK, to hear this song in full effect, you have to have the bass turned up. If you do it correctly, you get that high-low contrast that sounds heavenly, mixing the synth (I assume), the bells, and the bass as the bottom drops out. This song also contains typically fantastic, incredulous poetry: “and if you don’t see me / shouldn’t that mean / I am invisible?” Bonus opening line: “When you walked out / I lost control of my mouth / and now it seems its stuck / in this ambiguous pout.” The Blow’s record is truly fantastic, and this is the capstone of the album.

2. Vampire Weekend-Obvious Bicycle: Maybe it’s a comment on selfies and blogs and Instagram and everything else on the internet, or maybe it’s much less than that (“oh you ought to spare your face the razor / because no one’s gonna spare the time for you”). But, the beauty of great songs is that they ask the ever-present questions and then leave them open for interpretation.

1. Foxygen-No Destruction: There are no perfect songs. There are no perfect songs. There are no perfect songs. I say this, yet, when I try to describe this track, I have difficulty thinking of anything else. Some of the best turns of phrase I’ve heard this year: “Now you think that I don’t know / but I know you two know quite well / that I caught you sipping milkshakes / in the parlor of the hotel.” (and of course “there’s no need to be an asshole / you’re not in Brooklyn anymore”) Imminently listenable, catchy, and a nice mix of the ardently specific and yet nonsensical, it’s my favorite track of the year, and it’s not close.

My Favorite Songs of 2013-Part 4 of 5 (40-21)

2014-01-31T08:24:00.002-05:00

40. Caveman-Chances: The closest thing to a spiritual descendant of 2011’s brilliant “Old Friend.” Only difference being, perhaps, this one is all build and no climax. As it climbs for two minutes, everything grows, the drums, the feedback of the guitars,…and then it just fades, beautifully.

39. Deathfix-Better than Bad: An altogether unlikely 70s guitar-rock song from a DC hardcore band. I feel like this song was my compass in making this list. This is a really, really good song, and to move up the list from here is high praise.

38. Lucius-Hey, Doreen: While there are a lot of “pretty darn good” songs on Wildewoman, this is the one that pushes the needle closest to “great.” The tempo is pushed up a little, and as cliché as it is, they seem to be firing on all cylinders here.

37. Saturday Looks Good to Me-Sunglasses: I’ve been a fan since All Your Summer Songs in 2003 (check out the first “Untitled” track and “Underwater Heartbeat,” to start), but “Sunglasses” is an altogether different story. This moves the group from 60s pop heavily towards R&B, and it’s great. Hard to disagree as they sing “I feel / I feel / I can’t be wrong / in bed / with my sunglasses on.” One of the most instantly and imminently listenable tracks on my list.

36. Okkervil River-White: If you think back to high school (the ostensible subject of The Silver Gymnasium), you invariably think back to your summers. So the chorus, “summer’s here / and I’m gonna crack / crack,” fits well into my pathos. Nah, I don’t remember much about Mrs. Kearney’s geometry class, but I remember every single phone conversation with the girl I had a rush on in 1998, and I remember the ice cream I ate after my first breakup, and I will remember this song, new but echoing in my old memories.

35. Mikal Cronin-See it My Way: The first of 4 Mikal Cronin songs on this list, it’s strange how these things come in waves. Out of Laguna Beach, CA, Cronin has played with Ty Segall, but I think has released a better record than anything the prolific Segall has ever compiled. MCII is one of my favorite records of 2013, polished, melodic, but with a certain sharpness that keeps it fresh. Here the surprise is a violin that fills in after the chorus, providing emotional heft.

34. Lorde-White Teeth Teens: This is my second-favorite Lorde song, I just like the imagery of “white teeth teens” for some reason. It just reminds me of when teeth whitening started being over the counter in high school (I used it—I went through a weird period in middle school where I didn’t brush my teeth much), and it always seemed futuristic like a flying car. The confessional part of this song is the best, as Lorde tells us “I am not a white teeth teen,” though I suspect that given recent events, she could probably find herself a couple of strata above them.

33. David Bowie-The Next Day: Life is strange—Lou Reed died this year and David Bowie released a new record. So when Bowie wails “here I am / not quite dying / my body left to rot / in a hollow tree,” there seems to be some necessary reverence on our part (in addition to that already accorded the man). Plus, the song rocks in a way that was at least somewhat unexpected.

32. Okkervil River-Down the Deep River: Six and a half minutes long, so it better be good. And it is. Great lines, especially this father/son story buried nearly four minutes in:

Shivering from the late fall cold,

I felt like a solid ghost.

I ran and then I couldn't slow.

My father found me though, my father took me home.

He said, Oh, son, I saw you get knocked down,

and I ran out I bet your head was spinning.

With that bright pain you stunned,

when you've only just begun to be only just beginning.

Tossed in the viper pit, all those feelings and fears,

and all that difficult shit in all those tender years.

There was something in the air; something gathered in the air.

Something singing in the wind.

I'll be your fighter and you'll be my mirror.

And you'll be all right because I'll be right here.

Oh kid, now I'm not going anywhere.

I swear I'll try to not be going anywhere.

Though it's not all right. It is so far from all right.

We'll make it into a choice somehow.

I don't know, but you'll have a choice somehow.

31. Phosphorescent-Ride On/Right On: Straightforward rock, but yet not, and so it's fresh.

30. T. Hardy Morris-Hard Stuff: Morris said in an interview with his record label that the record, Audition Tapes, centered on “the way a lot of the friends we had down there slipped away to their vices. Friends that dabbled and then couldn’t quit dabbling.” This is most apparent here—as Morris leads in: “ease up on the hard stuff / you’re going to rot your gut / all the way.”

29. Vampire Weekend-Everlasting Arms: This song is probably the closest thing to what you might call a “traditional” Vampire Weekend song—it sounds the most like their previous records. I’m not sure if that’s a disappointment or not—I certainly think Modern Vampires of the City, as a whole, is an improvement of both of their previous records. Still, I suspect there’s space for an exercise like this, a sharpening of the tools previously exhibited.

28. Rhye-Open: This is the type of song that makes you stop, look up, and ask “what are we listening to?” Also, probably, “this is a dude singing?” Yep. Unlike anything else you heard last year, I’d bet.

27. The Minks-Doomed and Cool: Still, straight out of the 80s, the Cure, or whoever. Then, the chorus: “there’s no better place/ there’s no better way to kill tomorrow / than staying out with us tonight.” The best line, however, is the one that gives the track its name—doomed and cool like every other 80s hero.

26. Mikal Cronin-Peace of Mind: It’s weird to see the violin as the outstanding element on a guitar-heavy record, but that’s exactly what’s going on here. Cronin is able to combine his strong sense of melody with a few longing couplets, and then the violin comes in to really send the message home.

25. The Men-Bird Song: In an interview with the Chicago Reader, singer Mark Perro stated of the unfamiliar sound they found on New Moon: “Well, I don't think any of this is conscious. We don't really ever talk about what kind of direction we want to go in. We just go based on what ideas are floating around. A lot of that comes from what you're listening to at the time or what you're feeling at the time, and for whatever reason with this record we were getting into a lot more power pop and country music.” Me too, Mark, me too.

24. Haim-Honey & I: The breathy hesitation here is what sells the song—it’s something akin to Roger Daltrey trying to find the right timing on “My Generation.”

23. The Avett Brothers-Open-Ended Life: The Magpie and the Dandelion was released to relatively little fanfare in 2013, which is a shame considering it’s a better overall record than 2012’s The Carpenter. On the whole, the record and this song feel like a return to form for the Avetts, an effort closer to their pre-Rick Rubin production days (note: this record was produced by Rick Rubin). There’s a sense of journey here (“pack a change of clothes / and the pillow for the road / for when you drift off”), as well as a fiddle solo at the end. I can’t speak for others, but as someone who’s loved the Avetts for years, this record is an encouraging sign.

22. Lily & Madeline: Devil We Know: This sounds like a folksy version of Little Scream’s “Black Cloud.” There are elements of Gillian Welch in here as well, and the age-old tradition of re-working something timeless (here, the phrase “devil you know). As with all re-imaginings, it must be done well. Here, it is.

21. Neko Case-Night Still Comes: Best song on her 2013 release, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, as Neko finds the perfect chorus to showcase her now infamous voice, admonishing us that “you never held it at the right angle.”

My Favorite Songs of 2013-Part 3 (60-41)

2014-01-29T09:02:00.002-05:00

60. T. Hardy Morris-Disaster Proof: Mr. Morris steps up the pace a bit here, but keeps the pedal steel guitar (if it ain’t broke, etc.). On this track, a drum takes the place of the insistent acoustic guitar of OK Corral, giving a more even and straightforward tune.

59. Cate Le Bon-Duke: The guitar work here is so incandescent, I’m not sure I even hear a word that Cate Le Bon says. But I do, and she has a nice Welsh cadence, and I think it’s cute and precocious when she out-sings her range at the end of the song.

58. Low-Plastic Cup: If I were still making mixtapes and mixed cd’s, I’d probably open each one this year with this song. A slow strum of the guitar and a slew of smart couplets, with a nod to Sergeant Pepper as well: “You could always count on your friends to get you high / that’s right / you could always count on the rents to get you by / you could fly.” It was a great way to start their record, and if you’re still in the habit of making mixes, this is a nice lead track.

57. Lorde-Tennis Court: So…Lorde won a Grammy? Teenagers. Also, this is a good song. She’s getting to be annoyingly successful, but if she makes good music, it’s hard to begrudge her anything.

56. Lucius-Go Home: This song serves as a nice change of pace to much of the rest of the record. The quaint sound it gives from the handclap percussion and the guitar and the way it was recorded—it feels like they’re in a barn—make this a stellar track.

55. The Men-The Seeds: Another un-googleable band in the tradition of The Women and The Blow. They seem to have transitioned some from a punk band to a near alt-country act. I’d say they sound a bit like early Wilco. This song has some fuzz to it, and I don’t think their lyrics are near Tweedy’s level (especially in the 90s), but they have potential.

54. The Avett Brothers-Morning Song: I love the message here, one that’s captured in a few tracks on this list: “because even though I know / there’s hope in every morning song / you have to find that melody alone.” I’m a sucker for this—the idea going through a difficult time, and instead of leaning on other or whining, you just put your head down and find a way to get through it. It’s the kind of personal mecca that is universal yet so difficult to describe, and the Avetts do a damn fine job of it here.

53. Lorde-Royals: Sometimes it takes a precocious teenager to provide the aphorisms we’ve all been looking for. This song reads like “Fortunate Son” and sounds like MIA.

52. Lorde-Team: See previous comment, plus this lyric: “I’m kinda over getting told to throw my hands up in the air / so there.”

51. T. Hardy Morris-Audition Tapes: I love this line: “we always were / the last stop / the back-row kids / the hard knocks.” I’m a sucker for songs about high school, and you can just see him growing up in Augusta, Georgia, going through what would later become valuable fodder for this record.

50. Lucius-Tempest: A nice take on trying to work a relationship out: “sitting in the backseat / who knows where our paths meet / you keep shouting ‘we gotta work it out’ / you gotta believe me when I say I know” and then- “Temper into tempest / washes of the madness / we’re still left figuring shit out.”

49. Palma Violets-Step up for the Cool Cats: Organ, electric guitar, and the clash of cymbals. Yes please.

48. T. Hardy Morris-Quit Diggin’: In no hurry on this track, Morris doesn’t hold back: “you’ve proved you got no control / you’ve got ears / you’ve got eyes / but you smoked up your soul / you’ve shown / you’re giving in / you’ve got ears / you’ve got eyes / but you got thin skin.” Of course, it’s probably acceptable to be this critical when you’re (at least partially) addressing yourself.

47. Vampire Weekend-Step: The appeal of this song is must be ethereal, as Ezra Koenig saying “step to my girl” is more humorous than anything else, and then it’s followed up with a harpsichord/piano combo. Maybe the absurdity of it all is what makes it work, who knows.

46. Cate Le Bon-I Can’t Help You: The first track off of Mug Museum feature a couple guitars that could only be described as fencing (dueling is too harsh). The sound is clean and clear, elegant and simple, something to be cherished in a musical landscape littered with noise pollution (apologies to AC/DC).

45. Okkervil River-On a Balcony: I would describe this track as soaring, raucous, and a pleasure. My partner just likes to pretend she’s Cartman as she sings the chorus. It’s nearly ruined the song for me, but not quite.

44. Sonny & the Sunsets-Path of Orbit: Who knows if Sonny & the Sunsets will ever match the magical innocence of their first record, Tomorrow is Alright, but this is the best track from their 2013 effort, Antenna to the Afterlife. Perhaps, however, Sonny Smith is trying to find that innocence—insisting here that his love has come back around in the orbit—to wit: “my love ain’t dead / it’s back / again.”

43. Phosphorescent-A Charm / A Blade: Phosphorescent is the work of one Matthew Houck, and if I was releasing some sort of album rankings this year, Muchacho would be pretty darn high on that list. A Charm / A Blade starts slow, but really comes into its own about a minute in when he invokes the horns. Much of this record is about layered textures or epic tales, but this one seems simper, as Houck warns, “this can’t be what you want / this can’t be what you want.”

42. The Men-Open the Door: I know I mentioned that they sound a bit like Wilco in the last post, but it’s even more prevalent here, especially with the piano lead-in. The tone of the lyrics treads some similar ground as well: “Won’t you sit on by my side / drive through the countryside / tell your mom ‘not just yet’ / there’s a couple things I don’t want to forget / I wonder if you’re thinking / about the words I am singing.” About two minutes in there’s this beautiful acoustic guitar solo (or maybe it’s a mandolin?) that you may not have seen coming from a punk band.

41. Haim-The Wire: I’m attracted to any song that starts off sounding like Jock Jams. Other people on the internet think it sounds like “Heartache Tonight,” “Man, I feel Like a Woman,” and even the Family Matters theme song. I don’t’ really buy any of these (OK, the intro does sound like “Heartache Tonight”), I think there’s a better comparison out there. Let me know if you find it.

My Favorite Songs of 2013-Part 2 of 5 (80-61)

2014-01-27T20:44:00.002-05:00

80. Bill Callahan-The Sing: Dream River seemed to garner less fanfare than 2011’s Apocalypse, and maybe that’s right. There are some lovely, if not transcendent moments, on the record, and Callahan’s poetry hasn’t suffered a bit. The record, this song, and his emotions sound sparse and lonely: “the only words I’ve said today are ‘beer’ and ‘thank you.’” He goes on to repeat himself, knowing how good the line is, and having the confidence to bask in it.

79. Low-Holy Ghost: Nothing crazy here, just a well-sung ballad, in the style of Jeff Buckley.

78. Daughn Gibson-Into the Sea: The main change from All Hell to Me Moan seemed to be the adding of layers into his music. Sometimes this blunts the emotional heft he gave to his character portraits on All Hell, and sometimes, like on this track, the added production lets Gibson ascend to a higher level. Here we get his piano, synth, and a regretful chorus: “I don’t wanna drink away the day / but it’s so unfair / the way it went last night / it went last night.”

77. Neko Case-Calling Cards: Ah, this is the Neko I love. Whiskey in a dusty glass, rocking chair on the front porch in summer. The minimal arrangement allows her to explore the nuances of her voice, not needing to blast over anything.

76. Waxahatchee-Swan Dive: I think Katie Crutchfield is at her best when she's at her quietest, like on this ballad about the near impossibility of giving up someone you love but aren't in love with any more. It's just a guitar and some soft footstep (?) percussion, but that gives the words more emotional heft.

75. Foxygen-In the Darkness: Sure, it’s a partial rip-off (or tribute) to Sergeant Pepper’s, but it’s an excellent one. Replete with horns, fake crowd noise, and some direct aping (“without further ado / we’d like to introduce you to / the darkness), it would be a disaster if it weren’t so well done. Even if you’ve heard it or Lonely Hearts Club Band 100 times, it’s still fresh, a trick Foxygen seem well-versed in pulling.

74. The Blow-A Kiss: “A kiss was just something to do / with my tongue / until you kissed me.” Brilliant. I mean, with a line like that, I’m not sure you need anything else in the song. Good luck googling it though.

73. Lucius-Wildewoman: Another first track, from Lucius’ debut record, also called Wildewoman. Interestingly enough, nothing on this track (or record) actually gets that “wilde,” but it feels calculated in a way that the Black Keys’ El Camino felt calculated—polished, sweet, and a pleasure to listen to.

72. The Minks-Hold Me Now: The Minks find themselves firmly planted in the 80s, though on this track, a more relaxed but just as synthny version. These small twists keep the music more fresh than most 30 year trips down memory lane.

71. Lorde-Ribs: Less a beat to this song and more of a pulse, a racing thump pulsating through your ribs. Sure, it's tough to hear a 17 year-old lament getting old ("and I've never felt more alone / it feels so scary getting old"), but my parents probably don't like listening to me talk about it either.

70. Lucius-Nothing Ordinary: The gals from Lucius finally get a little more "wilde" on this track, really flexing their vocal talents through a frantic chorus declaring that "there is nothing ordinary."

69. Palma Violets-Best of Friends: I don't know, normally I'm not huge on these shouted drunken raucous things, boy do I sound like an old man right now, but I'm trying to embrace it. What was the point of this comment? Oh, right--this song is great because it reverses the usual trope. Instead of saying he doesn't want to be just friends, he tells us "I want to be your best friend / I don't want you to be my girl." I bet he gets lots of women.

68. Matthew E. White-Signature Move: I'm not sure what attracts me to this song--a laughable attempt by a dorky white dude to groove to smooth R&B, but man, I guess not taking yourself too seriously works sometimes. And while White's Outer Face EP wasn't as refreshing as 2012's Big Inner, it still finds him stretching his talents.

67. Paul McCartney-New: Did you know that one of The Beatles (not Ringo) released a record this year? Totally. This is a pretty good song. Hell, it even sounds Beatles-esque. And I'm not sure what else McCartney should be trying to do at this point. Sounding like anyone else would be going downhill, right?

66. Waxahatchee-Coast to Coast: Good guitar rock, simple, and quick.

65. MGMT-Plenty of Girls in the Sea: The spiritual counterpoint to Animal Collective's My Girls. Sonically, however, they're fairly similar.

64. Of Montreal-Fugitive Air: I remember finding the new Of Montreal record on Spotify and thinking that it would only take me one track to dismiss the record as something I didn't need to listen to. Luckily, Fugitive Air is their seemingly intentional statement that they're back to making good music.

63. Poor Moon-Waiting For: A little of Andrew Bird-esque electric guitar, and a similar bare-bones arrangement.

62. T. Hardy Morris-OK Corral: I really love the rolling acoustic guitar he strums in the chorus, and the slide guitar present elsewhere.

61. Purling Hiss-Mary Bumble Bee: More jangly guitars, please. Thanks!

My Favorite Songs of 2013-Part 1 of 5 (100-81)

2014-01-26T21:05:00.002-05:00

Before we embark on this sonic journey, I feel the need to clarify a couple of things. One, these are my favorite songs, not yours, and I'm not proclaiming them the "best" or anything like that. They're just what I would want to listen to if we were in a car and you asked me "what music did you like last year?" Second, I'm only one person, and getting this list together took a long time (it's nearly February, I seem to have noticed), and it's still imperfect. The rankings are, at best, a guess. A snapshot of what I like at the moment, heavily influenced, I would imagine, by what I've heard most recently. But I figured, better to do this than nothing at all. So, without further ado:

100. Foxygen-Shuggie: Foxygen seemingly got more press for being semi-irresponsible 22 year-olds this year than for their record; a tragedy given how awesome We are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Love and Music is. Despite the fact that they don’t make music together in the same room, Jonathan Rado and Sam France manage to put together opuses straight out of the 60s and 70s. "Shuggie" would slide in comfortable on the Rocky Horror soundtrack, as the song switches gears around a minute in, becoming a soaring sing-along before fading back into its story of unrequited love.

99. The Blow-Like Girls: Thanks to All Songs Considered, I finally found this record (self-titled) at the end of the year. It’s funny, honest, and hypersexual. This track acknowledges, well, some of the advantages of being a girl: “He wants to talk to you / because you’re a girl / he likes girls / we all like girls / I flash my powder-pink passport / and I walk right through.”

98. The Olms-On The Line: I’ve never been too big on Pete Yorn, but if he’s going to imitate The Kinks this well, I’m in.

97. Palma Violets-All The Garden Birds: I’ve always been a sucker for jangly guitars, and while I have no idea what this track is about, it just sounds good. Which is the point, right?

96. Jim James-Know Til Now: Honestly, this solo album (Regions of Light and Sounds of God) was a disappointment on the whole. That said, you can’t fault a guy for wanting to grow and experiment, and you could hear this desire back in 2004 when My Morning Jacket released covers of “Take My Breath Away,” “Tyrone,” and “Rocket Man.” So, while the record doesn't really come off, this song is interesting, eschewing the country/rock MMJ used to be known for, and attempting some more traditional R&B type sound. The song really doesn't peak until five minutes in, as it turns into a 30s jazz single.

95. The Blow-I Tell Myself Everything: Awesome chorus (“I heard a rumor that I was amazing / I tell myself everything I hear about myself”), and hilariously honest fantasies: “Then in walks a nurse from a hot French movie / And she tells me she can do things to me / I like getting things done to me / but then getting wrecked just seemed more fun to me / And pleasure writes fewer good songs / So I kicked out the nurse / but we did some stuff first.” Side note: This record would read a lot differently if these gals were dudes.

94. Lorde-Still Sane: First of a few appearances from the precocious 17 year-old New Zealander. The whole record is a terrifyingly accurate portrayal of being a teenager, albeit with a few wrinkles tossed in. I just dig the chorus, which perfectly befits a teenager’s one-track-mind mentality: “all work and no play / never made me lose it / all business all day / keeps me up a level.” Obviously, her hyper-competitive nature has likely contributed to the success she’s experienced this year.

93. The Blow-Hey: "A" for personification: “You leaned over me / and the V of your cleavage whispered / ‘I believe that you won’t get what you want from me / You won’t get what you want from me / could this not be what you want?’”

92. MGMT-Alien Days: I’m not sure you’d know MGMT released a record this year, and it doesn’t help that they’re being portrayed as a band epitomizing Loud Reed’s Metal Machine Music. Quickly: this song is lovely, it feels like they’re trying to take us down a sonic rabbit hole, and I’m down for the trip. More importantly, anyone who actually listened to Oracular Spectacular and didn’t just dance to “Electric Feel” and “Kids” realized that there’s much more to that record and the band than just indie pop. The best song on that record, “Handshake,” is not danceable. The point being—just because you can’t dance with a bunch of white people to their new record does not make it unlistenable or a failure.

91. Neko Case-Ragtime: On the whole, Neko’s new record doesn’t hold a candle to Middle Cyclone, but not many records do. It’s still a valiant effort, I just think it finds her a bit subdued but with a strange bluntness that she cloaked a bit more on the previous record. This song makes the list because of the horns that come in about two minutes in, and the way that Neko’s voice battles them as the song crescendos.

90. Of Montreal-Colossus: This was perhaps the most surprising record of the year, as Kevin Barnes and his band returned to their roots, in a way. They dropped the electronic bent that served them so well on Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, but not so much on any other record. The result sounds pleasant, but feels a little rusty—the hooks are quite as catchy as anything on Satanic Panic in the Attic or The Gay Parade. Still, it’s an encouraging turn for a band with near limitless potential, even 20 years in.

89. Lucius-Until We Get There: Lucius’s Wildewoman is a solid record and a fantastic first effort. This is one of those whole-is-greater-than-sum-of-its-parts situations, so this list doesn’t do the record justice, as there’s not one bad song on there. Obviously, that includes this understated track.

88. Low-So Blue: Piano gets a lot of love on this list, with the melody building up before Mimi Parker (drummer/vocalist) brings it back down with her voice.

87. Caveman-I See You: Sophomore records notorious for their tendency to disappoint, and while Caveman’s self-titled second record isn’t as consistent as Coco Beware, moments like “I See You” keep the band from the clichéd slump. This song, however, differs sonically from the previous record, favoring a simple acoustic guitar and song over the reverbent layers the band were perhaps known for.

86. Light Heat-Brain to Recorder: I like this song because I like The Walkmen, I like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and I love instruments washed in fuzz but still making simple, beautiful pop music.

85. Of Montreal-Hegira Émigré: Barnes and Of Montreal step up the pace here, and the quips are sharper too: “If you think I’m Caucasian / well I’m actually gray / I was conceived on Ash Wednesday / and stoned on Christmas day.” FYI (thank you, Google), Hegira, or “Hijra,” was the migration of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina. This song is not about Mohammed.

84. The Wild Feathers-Backwoods Company: This is the first track on their self-titled debut record, and I felt pretty excited after I heard it. There’s an Allman-type feel here, a raucous energy non-existent in most of today’s country-rock. Unfortunately, this is the only song they have on the list, with everything that implies.

83. Daughn Gibson-Kissin’ on the Blacktop: All Hell was one of my favorite records released in 2012, and I listened to Gibson’s Sub Pop debut, Me Moan, with much anticipation. While not as textured or visceral as the previous record, Me Moan does have its moments, including this track. Kissin’ on the Blacktop is aptly lurid, getting most of its drive from a nice little guitar line and the chorus: “so hot hot / you left me in the parking lot / oooooh / kissin’ on the blacktop.”

82. Okkervil River-Lido Pier Suicide Car: Someone told me today that literally no one else likes this record (The Silver Gymnasium) as much as I do. This, I admit, is probably true. I think Will Sheff’s voice drips pleasantly with emotion and vulnerability; others think he sounds “emo” and “whiny.” Agree to disagree, I guess. The record, a concept, feels intensely personal and specific, as if Sheff is reading from his old diaries.

81. Devendra Banhart-Never Seen Such Good Things: Oh Devendra, we hardly knew ya! Another case of the only good song on the record making an appearance. Here Devendra hits his sweet spot—somewhere in between being too cute and too creepy—with his trademark plucked guitar and humor (“if we ever make sweet love again / I’m sure it will be quite disgusting).

The Best Thing I Heard This Week: The Black Keys' El Camino

2012-01-31T08:47:00.002-05:00

First, read this. Great. Now that it's out of the way, we should celebrate how magnificent El Camino is. It's nigh unfathomable that the Black Keys would release this already, as the last phenomenal record, Brothers, was released less than a year ago. This record finds the Black Keys both celebrating this winning streak and providing the rustiest, dustiest, and yet cleanest pop record they've ever made.

El Camino was produced by Danger Mouse (Brian Burton), whose production they eschewed when recording last year's epic, Brothers. Whether it's the influence of Burton (who shares composition credit with Auerbach for every song), or just something else within the Keys, this record is tighter, faster, and hits harder than anything they've done before. It's a bit of surprise, given 2008's Attack and Release, in which Burton's production felt heavy-handed at times, drowning the Keys in sound, who for their part sounded unfocused. Producing Brothers by themselves made sense, even if it could have been sharper. But if Brothers was the rough draft, El Camino is the final draft, the masterpiece, a super-slick hook-heavy album of classic rock and roll.

For all the talk of production, it would mean nothing if guitarist and singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney didn't have a helluva hand for writing great guitar hooks and thunderous choruses. The best of these is "Run Right Back," where a warped falsetto guitar hook meets a more chugging one layered over it. The song feels new and old all at once, sounding like something that would be used in a Quentin Tarantino film, a classic yet not stale sound.

El Camino rarely pauses for its listeners, though when it does, it does so well. "Little Black Submarine" is the one reprieve from the breakneck pace. It begins with just Auerbach and an acoustic guitar, while an organ fades in eventually. I'm not sure that part is notable, other than the fact that the listener's ears need said reprieve after the first three tracks on album. Then after two minutes, the Keys remember what they set out to do, steal a Tom Petty guitar lick, and bring the noise.

Auerbach, Carney, and Burton do well to mix their highs and lows. On "Hell of a Season," they mix Auerbach's staccato guitar with Carney's heavy drums, and one can't help but stomp one's foot along with the tune, especially in the chorus. "Dead and Gone" uses a similar technique, this time with Auerbach's guitar providing the bass and the treble. Bells and "nah-nah-nah's" help flesh out the track, which is equally foot-stomp worthy in its own right.

I can't pinpoint it, but mostly this record reminds me of Creedence Clearwater Revival (and not this). El Camino is the closest thing I've heard to a classic rock record that's been released in my lifetime, and the best thing I've heard this week.

The Black Keys are the Sad Keys

2012-01-31T08:46:00.003-05:00

I have no idea what it is like to write, record, and release a piece of music, so I'm starting from a position of ignorance here. That said, if I was to do so, my first objective would be to have as many people hear that music as possible. So I was disappointed to learn last week that the Black Keys would not be allowing their new record, El Camino, to be streamed on music services such as MOG and Spotify.

I'm an unabashed fan of the Black Keys, El Camino included, but it's hard to understand this decision. About a year ago, I heard the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney on NPR's Fresh Air, justifying the licensing of their music to various commercial interests. For me, it needed no justification. Of course the Black Keys should license their music. All of the results were beneficial--the profits made would help subsidize further albums, and more people would be able to hear their music. That's awesome. I want the Black Keys to make more records, I want Auerbach and Carney to live comfortably, and I want more people to hear their music.

Well, that happened. Brothers was a popular and critical sucess, reaching #3 on the Billboard Chart and being named the second best album of the year by Rolling Stone.[1. All of this from the Wikipedia page.]

So hearing that the Black Keys would not allow El Camino to be streamed was a bit of a shock. The first question of any fan, myself included, was likely "is this about money?'[1. Some artists, including Coldplay, have refused to stream their music, claiming that a listener must play a song between 100 and 150 songs to reach the equivalent of one purchase on iTunes.] Do the Black Keys, who will sell hundreds of thousands of copies of El Camino, embark on a nationwide arena tour, and who sold out Madison Square Garden in 15 minutes, really need more money? So much that they cannot let anyone stream their record? We can never answer that question, and I'm not even sure it's the right one. Maybe we should be asking about the logic behind the decision itself.

The discussion on the issue so far assumes that it is a smart financial decision to refuse to allow your record to be streamed. That may, however, not be the case. Most of my friends who listen to music do it almost exclusively through (legal) streaming services. Some of them buy records that they hear in that service if they really like them. I'm guessing that many of them never hear records that aren't available to stream, such as El Camino. These people will not be buying El Camino, much less hearing it. Further, is the next guy or gal in charge of finding music for their company's Kia Sorrento commercial or Justified preview doing the same thing?[1. Justified and the Black Keys are a great match. This needs to happen.] What if he or she misses a fantastic song like "Run Right Back" because they only buys music that they can stream first, and "Run Right Back" isn't available?

In the end, the real tragedy here is that fewer people will hear El Camino, which, rest assured, is a truly fantastic record. It's worth buying at your local record store or on iTunes, I just wish you could stream it (legally) first.

Dan Auerbach by CC Chapman
Patrick Carney by Kate.Gardiner
Black Keys by Stepan Mazurov

The Black Keys are the Sad Keys

2012-01-31T08:46:00.002-05:00

Pop-Conscious: Drake-Take Care

2012-01-31T08:46:00.001-05:00

From our second-favorite Degrassi alum (all praise be to Jake Epstein) comes Drake's second record, Take Care. In a year where we were not graced with Kanye West's presence (Watch the Throne does not count), Drake is an acceptable and at times magnificent substitute. The record is unsurprisingly polarizing (similar to any Ye record), and finds Drake mining his own inner thoughts to produce some of the most self-aware pop/rap/R&B that will invade the public consciousness this year. However, I can't help but be troubled by the thought that while Take Care is technically proficient and creative, it might not be all that much fun to listen to.

The production on Take Care has been lauded for good reason. "Look What You've Done" is emotional and raw but I don't know how many times you could sit through it. [1. "It's like '06 in your backyard, I'm in love with Jade / And I'm still in love, just when it's that real is when it doesn't fade / And my father living in Memphis now -- he can't come this way / Over some minor charges and child support that just wasn't paid / Damn, boo-hoo, sad story, black American dad story".] Still, there are little touches of brilliant production all over Take Care which keep the lengthy record from growing stale. The way producer Noah "40" Shebib kills the piano chord reverberations on "The Real Her" is stunning. Drake's lyrics are up to the task as well, as he tells us: "Live for today / plan for tomorrow / party tonight / party tonight." And while "Shot for Me" is an sigh-inducing traditional track (if only because we know Drake is capable of more), the last 30 seconds are amazing the way the Shebib plays with the synth. Also notable is the Shebib/Drake/The Weeknd combination on "Crew Love" where Drake sets the scene ("smoking weed under star projectors / I guess we'll never know what Harvard gets us") and then the reverberating synths and cymbals (done with meticulous care--you can hear the symbals move up and down a scale) take over.

Whereas Kanye tended to use a sledgehammer to demolish the current pop/rap consciousness, Drake takes a scalpel and extracts what he wants from it. Drake is at his best when he's at his most minimal, taking none of the over-used and bloated traditional rap tropes. So while Ye's sledgehammer resulted in marvelous bombast, Drake's scalpel is nearly silent in its maliciousness. "Marvin's Room" has all of the intimacy of Kanye with none of the cacophony (though at times the song sounds a lot like 808s and Heartbreak). That's not a plus or a minus. Or maybe it's both. Stark production on "Doing it Wrong" highlights Drake's raw emotions but also features 80s synths mixed with harmonica. And, amazingly, it works.

The most disappointing thing about Take Care is that the most energetic moments on the record turn out to be the most boring. "Headlines" sounds like a Kanye B-side with Drake auto-tuning his voice to poor effect. I find myself completely distracted by the end of the song. "Cameras" suffers from a similar fate. Drake's flow is frustratingly lazy and the production fails to hold up its end of the bargain (rare for this record, which is immaculately produced otherwise). Drake's soliloquy on the opening track "Over My Dead Body" rings false at worst and trite at best. These ruts keep Take Care from me entertaining any thoughts of it being some sort of masterstroke.

Luckily, it looks like the next single will be "Make Me Proud," which features Nicki Minaj with a blushingly clever and vulgar verse. Speaking of which, Drake does a better job with his guest stars than Kanye has in the past. While the guest rappers on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy were at best distracting and at worst unlistenable, Drake coaxes a hell of a verse out of Andre 3000 on "The Real Her."[1. "Niggas that are married don't wanna go home / We look up to them, they wish they were us / They want some new trim / We lust for some trust / Now the both of us are colorblind / Cause the other side looks greener...Well, sitting here sad as hell / Listening to Adele, I feel you baby / Someone like you, more like someone unlike you / Or someone that's familiar maybe / And I can tell that she wants a baby / And I can yell "Girl, that shit crazy!".] Drake himself is clever throughout the record, though my favorite is on the title track, where he quips "it's my birthday and I'll get high if I want to." This record is the consequence of that attitude, for good and for bad. It couldn't be any other way.

The Best Thing I Heard This Week: Firehorse

2012-01-31T08:45:00.000-05:00

In all aspects of life--music, movies, sports--the idea of the “next” great thing is thrown around quite indelicately. The “next” Michael Jordan, the “next” Marilyn Monroe, the “next” Radiohead. Tragically, these comparisons usually fall far short because the comparison is made for aesthetic but not qualitative reasons. [1. The other obvious reason, now that I'm editing, is because these things are among the greatest of their time, unique and irreplaceable. There may be another player as good as Michael Jordan someday, and there are certainly bands as talented as Radiohead, but no one could ever perfectly emulate them, at least enough to make us forget.] The next Michael Jordan is anointed because he is tall, bald, and black. The next Marilyn Monroe because she is cute and blonde, and the next Radiohead because a bunch of young white men make music that isn't a 3 chord romp. The reality is that there will be no "next," despite the ESPN Magazine feature. But damn, Firehorse (singer/songwriter Leah Seigel, Steve Elliot on guitar, Tim Luntzel on bass, and Brian Wolfe with the percussion) might give the Radiohead comparison a run for its money. Of course, they'll probably never get there. But the promise that this album carries and the energy it exudes make And So They Ran Faster... the best thing I heard this week.

One of the striking things about And So They Ran Faster... is its sonic range. Much like Radiohead, Siegel and her band move fluidly between pop/rock and more dramatic and theatrical musical moments. Radiohead really comes through in the opening track, "She's a River." ~~Elliot's~~ Siegel's (I stand corrected) pogo-stick guitars on the track stand out, as she sings what sounds like an autobiographical introspection to begin the album: "she's as careless as a river / slowly carving through the ground / only rocks and roots to guide her / til she beats against the dam / don't fight / don't fight what you're made for." After the meditation, Siegel stops fighting what's she made for, and continues with the rest of the record.

The single, "Our Hearts," mines a trope that has been used before, but has at least the courtesy to do it well. Firehorse do not rush through the song, which is nice because they really let the shimmering guitars on the chorus ring through to great effect. In a way, it's a strange choice for a single because of the (lack of) pace. However, it's as feel-good of a moment as you'll get here, as Siegel sings: "be gentle with us / and we'll find our way in the end / our hearts are on fire / and hope is all we know / our hearts are on fire / and it burns in our bones / our hearts are on fire."

Elsewhere, Siegel knowingly apes Jeff Buckley on "If You Don't Want to be Alone." And while it's no "Hallelujah" or "Lilac Wine," it's a pretty good facsimile, and a damn good song. I think, however, that "My Left Eye" is my favorite slower track on the record, mostly as it displays more imagination and ingenuity. Over an anachronistic soundtrack to a sad black and white cartoon, Siegel hoarsely whispers a bard's tale of a left eye that was lost, gets drunk on Coney Island, and falls into the ocean, while its original owner struggles to decide between filling the hole with a dried rosebud or a marble. Awesome.

My personal favorite is "Machete Gang Holiday." I was hooked from the opening lines: "Step outside / dodge the muggers and the stabbers like land mines / the critics' eyes / the dive-bombing drunks / they've been drinking themselves blind / they're all illusions made of sand / we will fear no man / not even the machete gangs!" This track has the most, I don't know, sing-along potential, I guess, of any track here. It's delightfully contrasted between the darkly humorous lyrics and the soaring instrumentation (including Siegel's voice, which is at its most luminous here). Firehorse's bio, which talks mostly of Siegel, is painful to read. It's one thing to talk about your music. It's another to (have your agent?) compare yourself to Jeff Buckly, P.J. Harvey, and Florence and the Machine. With all the name-checking going on (also includes Prince, Nick Drake, the Velvet Underground, Joni Mitchell, and Led Zeppelin!), it's tragic to snub Radiohead here. Still, while Firehorse ain't the next Radiohead, they're still a damn good band with one of the better records I've heard this year, and "Machete Gang Holiday" is the highlight of the record.

Song of the Week: Lana Del Rey's Video Games

2012-01-31T08:44:00.000-05:00

I’m not sure there are many reasons to like Lana Del Rey (nee Elizabeth Grant). A boarding school brat out of NY and CT, she is the daughter of internet domain name investor (profession?) Rob Grant. Her stage name was chosen by her management team after a failed record under “Lizzie Grant.” But...this song is awesome, and thus it is the song of the week. Do yourself a favor and listen to it without the video (which is supremely distracting).

"Video Games" is a terrifyingly accurate assessment of modern domestic life for the suburban set. Del Rey explained this in an interview, stating the song was about:

A boy. I think we came together because we were both outsiders. It was perfect. But I think with that contentment also comes sadness. There was something heavenly about that life – we'd go to work and he'd play his video games - but also it was maybe too regular. At the time I was becoming disillusioned with being a singer and was very happy to settle with a boyfriend who I loved, but in the end we both lost sight of our dreams. Maybe there's something not-so-special about domestic life.

Is Lana Del Rey the one ring that rules them all, uniting indie and pop? A quick listen to the rest of her music says the likely answer is no, but this song has the potential to do something else that is rare. "Video Games" is a strange choice for a single, if only because of the emotional tenor it chooses. Much like many songs by the National, the pop elements are there in the song, but it's probably something that you're more likely to want to listen to alone than with friends. Thus, "Video Games" is a track that you're likely to hear both on top 40 radio and on your too-cool roommate's headphones as he/she works on their master's thesis. That's almost as big of an accomplishment as this song is itself.

Song of the Week: Atlas Sound-Mona Lisa

2012-01-31T08:43:00.002-05:00

Atlas Sound is the solo project of Deerhunter's Bradford Cox, and the releases are often eclectic but threaded with golden bits of pop. Rarely, however, does a whole song come to pop fruition like "Mona Lisa", off of the new-ish Parallax. "Mona Lisa" isn't exactly new--a demo version was released on Bedroom Databank Volume 3--but it's the most candy-sweet thing Cox has ever done solo, and all the better for it. [1. If you like it, both are worth a listen. It's like the difference between the Velvet Underground's Loaded and Fully Loaded. And it sounds a bit like the Velvet Underground as well.] The beginning is Cox doing his best Buddy Holly impression (see the album cover, above), asking "how many fantasies / were interrupted by / a hundred galaxies / that were drifting by?" The chorus, however, is more trademark Cox, with the driving drums, chugging guitar, and obscure lyrics "The Mona Lisa's got you all." The mix of Cox the crooner and Cox the sound experimenter balances perfectly on "Mona Lisa," and it's miles better than anything on that Rihanna album.

The Best Thing I Heard This Week: Caveman's Coco Beware

2012-01-31T08:43:00.001-05:00

My parents have developed a Thanksgiving tradition that tends to ensure an interesting night every year. When I was growing up, it was always a small gathering at my Grandmother's house. After she passed, we spent a few years in limbo before my parents decided to start hosting a gathering. We get the usual smattering of family (aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins), but we also get a few...we'll call them stragglers--all are welcome under my parents' roof that evening. Everyone brings a dish and then can relax while the festivities begin. Bottles of wine are opened, quickly emptied, and then discarded. The din rises slowly over the early evening, coming to a crescendo as the meal is finally ready, and everyone shuts up to eat and maybe sober up, just a little. For my part, I usually take care of the music, but was woefully unprepared this year because of some technical issues with my computer and external hard drive. Regardless, I grabbed a few cd's out of my car when we arrived, including Caveman's new release, Coco Beware. It ended up being the perfect music for a relaxed, informal Thanksgiving dinner.

The best song on Coco Beware is "Old Friend." Comparisons made to the Shins are not far off. It's mid-tempo, as most of the songs on this record are, something that is tough to do well and keep a listener entertained. But everything about this song is near perfect. Matthew Iwanusa's vocals are vulnerable but not whiny, and the story is affecting ("and I sat down / on the lawn / and you tell me that she stayed out / oh oh oh / everyone's around / you stayed in tonight / it was right on time / 'he was just an old friend'"). The synths shimmer but aren't too sweet, and no one sound overwhelms all the rest. This is a great pop song.

The record's opener, "A Country's King of Dreams," has some dreamy, shimmery pop elements to it, a la Deerhunter, but the percussion is more akin to a relaxed version of the Dodos. Indeed, the most upbeat song on the record, "My Time," also has elements of the Dodos sound, with the group "Whoah-ohh" vocals and strident percussion. Coco Beware changes pace well, with songs like "Great Life" slowing the record down a bit without losing focus. "Decide" picks up the pace, and sounds like some of Caribou's Andorra. The tough thing about this record is that it isn't easily defined. It's not slow or upbeat, it's not raucous or subdued. Coco Beware treads a middle-ground that few records effectively do.

So whether it was circumstance or fate that brought Caveman's Coco Beware to our Thanksgiving Dinner, it worked better than I could have imagined. Much like the stragglers we bring in every year (and I mean that in the most endearing way--the stragglers are the best part), the music fit perfectly into the dynamic of the evening. That moment when you sit down to dinner, mostly drunk, appetite subdued from the 7 glasses of Cote du Rhone you had in the past 2 hours, musical choice is of vast importance. Too soft and you're passed out on the dinner table, face awash in a melange of cranberry dressing, mashed potatoes, and tofurkey. Too loud and a headache is induced, the rooms swirls, and you awake the next morning to find the same mix of bastardized fruit, potatoes, and turkey substitute on the back of your head. Cavemna's Coco Beware is not only the best thing I heard this week, but it saved many of us from a Thanksgiving disaster.

Pop-Conscious: Foster The People-Torches

2012-01-31T08:42:00.002-05:00

I somehow missed this band as they fell into a strange gap between popular music and "indie" music. My guess now is that because of the popularity of "Pumped Up Kicks" and the usage of "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" in a Nissan Versa commercial, Foster the People are falling more toward the pop side of things. A small amount of research confirms my hunch: Torches peaked in the top 10 in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. As such, I figured it was time I gave the record a listen.

Early in the record, you can see where the comparisons to MGMT come from. On the opener, "Helena Beat," the falsetto vocals and anthemic chorus are all there. However, after hearing MGMT, this sounds a little color by the numbers for me. The bad news (there's good later), is that at times, the record gets much worse. "I Would do Anything for You" repulsed me a little--it's cloyingly sweet. The record's closer, "Warrant," suffers from a similar affliction. I would also classify "Hustling (Life on the Nickel)" as pretty damn annoying.

However, Torches also has at least three tracks worth your listen. The single, "Pumped Up Kicks" is pretty interesting. At first listen, this being the single is surprising given the distortion of the vocals at the beginning and the medium tempo of the song. However, the chorus clears that up. It's kind of like Peter Bjorn and John with less energy. The vocals sound a bit like a Gorillaz song. Also, there is whistling and handclaps, so that's fun. I think that "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" is a good song, but I can't separate it from the Nissan commercial, so I'm honestly not sure. "Waste," however, I'm sure is pretty good. It's probably the best song on the record. It's also the most dissonant song on the record, something that I don't think is a coincidence.

The telling thing, in the end, is that I'm sitting here having to force myself to listen to Foster the People again so I can write this, when all I really want to do is hear that Fort Lean EP again, or listen to the new Caveman record. Foster the People's Torches isn't a bad record (like Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto), but it isn't a great one either. If MGMT's Oracular Spectacular was a bar of fine dark chocolate with sea salt, Torches is a handful of Hershey Kisses. Torches is not as well formed, not nearly as delicious, and lacks the contrast that made Oracular Spectacular so grand. MGMT's record was finely crafted, with care, while at times Torches feels a bit tossed off, mass-produced, and a little too sweet. Still, there are times when you just need something sweet, and Torches will do that trick just fine.

The Best Thing I Heard This Week: Fort Lean

2012-01-31T08:42:00.001-05:00

Rarely have I been so floored by a four song EP, but Fort Lean's self-titled debut is simply fantastic, and the best thing I heard this week. Fort Lean sound like someone gave them a Walkmen starter-kit and they really just fuckin ran with it. It's all there--the jangly guitars and tomahawk percussion--but with an infectious energy that makes it less derivative and more kinetic than anything I've heard recently. "One Beach Holiday" opens the EP at a breakneck pace, with a guitar line that is simple, catchy, and perfect for a song about a beach holiday (fast forward to 1:13 in the video).

After "Dreams (Never Come True)," which comes off like a more soulful Morning Benders song, "High Definition" picks up the pace once again. The song, and sorry to keep harping on this, recalls the Walkmen's "In the New Year." The guitar opening, the restrained crescendo as the song moves along, and, finally, the release after 3 minutes as singer Keenan Mitchell allows himself the resolution that the song begs for.

More than anything else though, this EP is simply fun to listen to. The EP's closer, "Perfect," is nearly that. When Mitchell tells me "there is a place that we can go / where it will never rain or snow / we go outside / the weather's perfect all the time," I'm ready for that journey and even more ready to hear a full length record from this promising Brooklyn band. I strongly encourage you to go here and listen to the songs and buy the EP, it'll be the best $4 you spend today (unless you really, really needed that coffee this morning).

Music Roundup

2012-01-31T08:41:00.000-05:00

I have listened to a number of records recently which weren't quite good enough to garner the illustrious title of "The Best Thing I Heard This Week."[1. We take ourselves very seriously here at The Minimum Blues. That's the royal "we," for those keeping track.] Nonetheless, they also don't deserve the derision that I sent Coldplay's way last week. In alphabetical order:

Megafaun-Megafaun: I am annoyed by bands releasing self-titled records that are not their first record. This is a gimmick that needs to end, now. There are some good songs in here ("Real Slow," "Resurrection," "Get Right," and "You are the Light"), but there's a lot of other stuff which kind of clogs the record. I respect a band's right to be experimental and try different things, but it really takes away from the "listenability" of this record. This band is ridiculously talented[1. So much so that they could afford to lose Justin Vernon of Bon Iver a few records back and still make great music.] and can write a fucking song, but it's a shame you have to go digging for it on this record.

Real Estate-Days: Is to their first record as Room on Fire was to Is this It.[1. Meaning, at first blush it sounds the same. However, after more listens, you realize that the band has polished their sound and released a better record.] The guy on the OC would have loved this band. Still, the whole thing sounds a bit innocuous--a pleasant listen but not a life-changing one. Best Songs: "Easy," "Green Aisles," "It's Real," "Out of Tune," "Wonder Years," and "All the Same."[1. As you might imagine, looking for "Real Estate" songs on Youtube is pretty tough.]

Unknown Mortal Orchestra-Unknown Mortal Orchestra: A few of my friends love this album. As in, truly love, as in, this band is the next big thing for them. I like the record, but I just don't see that. Some of the songs are good (I like the opener "Ffunny Ffriends") but there is no sustained greatness on this record. Also, I'm kind of over misspelling all of the words in your song titles. The production here is minimal, and everything is under a haze of distortion, which I like. The guitar sounds great. This record sound a little bit like early Dr. Dog, but I don't think the songwriting is quite as strong. Nerve Damage is very good. Maybe a little Nobunny there. So while the record is a quick listen, I was expecting a little more to be honest. Best Songs: "Ffunny Ffriends," "Nerve Damage," "Thought Ballune," and "How Can U Luv Me."

Van Hunt-What Were You Hoping For?: "North Hollywood" sounds weirdly funky/catchy offbeat. Changes pace into more of a rocker: "Watching You Go Crazy is Driving Me Insane." I'd say this is a very LA album, but I've never spent time there, so I can only say it's an album that is at least very LA stereotype. There's even a tongue-in-cheek analysis of "Designer Jeans" tucked in there. The beginning of "Plum" starts out like M. Ward and ends up like a Tribe Called Quest.

Wild Flag-Wild Flag: Feels a little light, more like a hobby and less like a job. Not unpleasant to listen to, but doesn't grab you like anything that Sleater-Kinney used to do. Songs like "Glass Tambourine" seem to lack any real ambition. This record doesn't have the catchiness of Woods or hunger of One Beat. "Electric Band" is a catchy tune, like a lot of the surfer girl pop (Dum Dum Girls). Best Songs: Electric Band, Romance, Short Version.

Youth Lagoon-The Year of Hibernation: This is the best record of this bunch. If the vocals weren't coated in a layer of fuzz rendering them nearly unintelligible, this would have been the best thing I heard this week. The crazy thing is that this was made by a 22 year old kid from Boise, Idaho during his winter break in college. You know what I did over my winter break in college? Yeah, neither do I. Trevor Story's sound is like that of Antlers but not as bone-crunchingly sad. Sometimes, I think it also sounds like a more pleasant Wolf Parade. The Year of Hibernation has a cool melody which keeps mutating and repeating throughout the record. Despite some long songs, it ends up being only a 35 minute record. Recommended Songs: "Afternoon," "Cannons," "Daydream," "Montana," "Posters," and "Seventeen."

Photo by nffcnnr

Pop-Conscious: Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto

2012-01-31T08:40:00.001-05:00

Coldplay is going to sell more records and concert tickets than every other band I've talked about on here, combined.[1. It's science.] Which, in and of itself, is a good reason to take 44.1 minutes[1. According to iTunes. Again, with the science.] and give an impression of Coldplay's new record, Mylo Xyloto. Wow, that is a ridiculous album title. It's their 5th full length record, following 2008's Viva la Vida, which was terrible. Actually, I thought 2005's X&Y was pretty awful as well, so I haven't liked a Coldplay record since 2002's A Rush of Blood to the Head. I was in fucking high school when that came out. But it was good. "The Scientist" and "Clocks" are good songs. Let's see if Coldplay can recapture any of that magic...

Photo by Jeremy M Farmer

1. Mylo Xyloto: It hurts to type that. The opening sounds like the Beatles, which I guess is not weird, as Chris Martin probably feels like he can a must make a record as good as them. This is a huge band. Do they feel the pressure to create something great every time out? Or have they resigned themselves to the fact that they cannot do that? Moreover, would it matter either way?
2. Hurts Like Heaven: This sound isn't awful. There are textures here (it's almost twee in parts), but man, the chorus is bad: "you use your heart as a weapon / and it hurts like heaven"

3. Paradise: Finally the first noticeable piano. A little late for that, no? The bass here is stronger than I would have expected. But hearing Martin sing "she dreamed of para...para...paradise" really isn't pleasant. The piano gets caught under strings after the first verse, which kind of sucks. This chorus is truly unlistenable. Please make it stop.

4. Charlie Brown: Ohh man, bad song title. Nobody could possibly make a good song about Charlie Brown. I should do a song title workshop. Plus, the opening sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks, not Charlie Brown. The song attempts to use that soft loud dynamic perfected by the grunge bands of the late 80s/early 90s, but Martin can't bring himself to be quiet enough to make it work. There are some real production issues here. I wonder if they had someone else doing this if it would/could actually sound better.

5. Us Against the World: Ok so you wrote a ballad, and your voice is nice, but what did you actually say, Mr. Martin?[1. Turns out...not much. The lyrics are so vague I'm having trouble imparting any meaning whatsoever. And unless you're Robert Pollard, that's not a good sign.] Wait, I'm sorry, you wrote a song called "Us Against the World?" Are you serious? In a purely musical sense[1. No politics on this blog. This is the Minimum Blues, not the maximum.] you are the 1%. So...you can't sing a song where you play the underdog. But it would be pretty badass if you wrote a song about being the musical 1%. Now that, that I would listen to happily.

6. M.M.I.X.: So...there are three "transitional" songs on this record, running under a minute, without vocals. That's kind of a new things for Coldplay. This one serves as the intro for the next song, and nothing else. Waste of space.

7. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall: So this is the single, eh? Not really that impressive to start. A synth and acoustic guitar. The electric guitar sounds very Edge/U2-esque. How many times are heaven and heart referenced on this record? Whatever it is, it's too many. This song feels like being really tired but unable to fall asleep because you drank too much caffeine. The video is worse.

8. Major Minus: I actually like the opening guitar lick, but...too soon after that Coldplay feel very focused on becoming the next U2. Everything has to become bombastic within the first minute, it seems. There's no texture here, and it ruins what actually could have been a strong song for the record/band. I mean, I understand that you're going to play in every fucking arena you can fly your private jet near and the song either has to make your fans cry or go crazy, but you can add that all at the live show later, right? No room for solid mid-range tracks on the record? Sighs. Still, this may be the best song on the record.

9. U.F.O.: And on cue, here's another sad acoustic cut. But...U.F.O. is your song title? Come ON guys, we can do better than this. Teenage girls don't want heartfelt ballads called "U.F.O." Couldn't we have called it "A Long Way to Go?" At least that would have been innocuous. The best thing about this song is that it's only 2:18 long.

10. Princess of China: Well hello, Rihanna. You could have picked a better project to collaborate on than this, right? The synth sounds like something Kanye West trashed four years ago.

11. Up in Flames: Another ballad? You have got to be kidding me.

12. A Hopeful Transmission: Why do you give song titles to 30 second instrumentals that serve no purpose? Just make it part of the next song, or leave it out.

13. Don't Let it Break Your Heart: I was really hoping this was going to be Neil Young cover, but it's not. This song is really loud. I guess there's no need to worry about compression of FM radio if you do all your own audio compression in-house.

14. Up With the Birds: Ugh. We're finally here, and we are ending, surprise surprise, with another slow song. How is one supposed to sort through this dreck? Actually, there's a bit of a reprieve about 2 minutes in. The song changes pace some, we get some acoustic guitar, and while the words are insufferable, it's musically interesting on some small level.

Final Verdict: Unless you loved X&Y and Viva La Vida...you're probably going to want to skip this. Coldplay are doing nothing to suggest they may be able to recapture the sound that first made them famous. There are literally hundreds of records in 2011 that are going to be a better listen than this.[1. Again, science.]

Pick-Me-Up Songs (Part 2)

2012-01-31T08:39:00.000-05:00

On to the second disc! You remember the rules from yesterday, no? Ok then!

1. The Shins-Sleeping Lessons: This song truly feels like pulling out of a funk--it's a minute and a half of James Mercer's distorted falsetto and keys before light percussion and acoustic guitar come in, and nearly two and a half before it builds beyond that. When Mercer was writing Wincing the Night Away, he was suffering from insomnia, though a more visceral emotion and reaction are present in the song. While the rest of Wincing the Night Away failed to live up to expectations (save "Australia"), this opener is a fine way to start the record.

2. Wilco-Shot in the Arm: Jeff Tweedy is at his most poetic here, with couplets like: "The ashtray says / you were up all night" and "you finally slept / while the sun caught fire." But what really makes the track are the dual refrains, first Tweedy chanting, louder and louder "Maybe all I need / is a shot in the arm / something in my veins / bloodier than blood." Second, and more mellow, "what you once were / isn't what you want to be / anymore."

3. Ted Leo-Biomusicology: The opening guitar riff is reminiscent of the Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" (or vice versa), which is a good start. Maybe this song is "Wake Up"'s cooler, more thoughtful older brother. If that guitar wasn't enough to get you going, Leo ends the song singing: "all in all / we cannot stop singing / we cannot start sinking/ we swim until it ends / they may kill / and we may be parted / but we will ne'er be broken-hearted."

4. The Velvet Underground-Rock & Roll: Somehow, still, the Velvet Underground are not appreciated to the extent they should be. For four records between 1967-1970, they were as good as any band out there not named the Beatles. Forgive Lou Reed for his latter sins (most recently, Lulu) and enjoy those four records (The Velvet Underground & Nico, White Light/White Heat, The Velvet Underground, and Loaded). My favorite is the 4th, Loaded, which is the most pop-heavy of the quartet. Rock & Roll is one of the stunning tracks off of Loaded, as Reed loosely spins the tale of midwest Jenny, whose life was saved by Rock & Roll! Yeah Rock & Roll!

5. Andrew Bird-Way Out West: No link for this bad boy, you'll have to find it on your own. But it's well worth it.

6. Built to Spill-In the Morning: Is there any other way to feel than "In the morning / feeling half right?" And while Built to Spill and Doug Martsch are known better for their virtuoso guitars than Martsch's off-kilter voice, the lyrics here do capture the feelings of overwhelming mornings: "Today is flat beneath the weight of that / next day next day next day next day."

7. Band of Horses-Funeral: Maybe there's something morbid about the song ("at every occasion / I'm ready for a funeral), but the determination in Ben Bridwell's voice and the strident guitars makes this an uplifting experience as a funeral could be.

8. Paul Simon-50 Ways to Leave Your Lover: Another odd choice, perhaps, but let me explain. Leaving your lover is actually tougher than being left, I'm pretty sure. This song provides (nearly) 50 ways to leave your lover, but also the more comforting realization that it's something that many people must do at some point.

9. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah-The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth: More for the overall feel of the song than anything else. Singer Alec Ounsworth is at his warbly best here on the vocals, carefully intertwined with the call and response guitars used on the song.

10. The Walkmen-Rue the Day: For some reason, this song feels like Christmas to me, more specifically, coming home for Christmas from college. "When we were introduced / we both laughed / cause we've been friends since long ago / and then today / but I never thought of you one single day / but yesterday / I remembered driving with no headlights / we would tiptoe out in the evening / never done such things before / but I have never frowned once / thinking of you since / I'd be lying if / I said your name never came up / as I'd be thinking of just how I'd like to cash my days in now / and all I ever do is think of yesterday / man it's hard to stand up straight all of the time." Hamilton Leithauser's drunken cadence waned a little on later records, but it's at its best here. The coup de grace is the end of the song, as Leithauser's wisdom shines through his inebriated vocals: "oh there's a memory calling / calling way too loud and way to strong / twisting all the bad things into good / I'm a lucky guy now / but I'll never know until its gone / yeah I'll never know it till its gone."

11. MGMT-Weekend Wars: Fight against the need to be productive on your weekends. Crush those plans to paint your walls. It's difficult to win unless you're bored. Easy to remember, hard to do.

12. YACHT-Psychic City: I remember running through the streets and National Mall of downtown DC listening to this song. Five minutes of original bliss, a great song after a move to a new place.

13. Modest Mouse-Float On: If you forgive the opening lines (which ape Alanis Morisette's "Ironic"), you have the centerpiece of the fantastic Good News for People Who Love Bad News, a melody used throughout the record, and a song to pull you out of whatever doldrums you're in at the moment.

14. Micachu-Vulture: Containing one of my favorite lines of all time ("half of my leg is still in my coffee"), this opener to 2009's Jewellery is catchy in a way that this type of experimental pop rarely is. Everything feels sped up to a degree which feels out of control, yet Micah Levi manages to reign it all in, more or less, to a disastrously beautiful effect.

15. Black Lips-Bad Kids: A little punk, but not in pretentious way, a little pop, but not in a cheap way, a little drunk, but not in an out of control way, and a lot of great guitar and humor.

16. Deerhunter-Don't Cry: A distant cousin of "Biomusicology" or "Wake Up," with the guitar catchiness and oh ah whoaaaaaaaa's, but a little off-kilter, just like the rest of their catalogue.

17. Dodos-Red and Purple: It has the resplendent percussion that made Visiter so fantastic, and the emotions-on-sleeve approach that really put the record over the top. It's a heartfelt invitation to the heartbroken: "come and join us in the trenches / red and purple / by our sides."

18. Avett Brothers-Shame: A normal sad sack Avett Brothers song? Um, no. Sure, it starts that way, but man oh man, I still think the end of the song is one of the best things they've ever done. They hit the bridge a little after 2:15, and it's a Beach Boys song from there on out, "the truth the be known / the truth be told / my heart was always fairly cold / posing to be as warm as yours." And yeah, there's boatloads of shame there, but that bridge is uplifting as any words the Avetts have ever spouted.

19. Noah and the Whale-Love of an Orchestra: Sandwiched in the middle of Noah and the Whale's gut-wrenching breakup record The First Days of Spring is "Love of an Orchestra," a moment of bright light in an album otherwise filled with late, lonely nights. The songlover's best refrain: "I know I'll never be lonely / I got songs in my blood / I'm carrying all of the love of an orchestra."

20. Solomon Burke-Everybody Needs Somebody to Love: When the King of Rock & Soul tells us that "if everybody was to sing this song, it would save the whole world," it's hard not to believe him. So when you hear his voice, pulled taut like the string of a guitar, the effect is palatable not just because of his voice, but also because of his convincingly earnest nature. And when he ends it by saying "I need you (you, you, you, you)," the listener is right in step. I'm guessing that when he requests "I just want one woman to stand up and say 'I love you,'" he was overwhelmed by the response. Which is this world as it should be.

21. White Stripes-The Same Boy You've Always Known: Jack White was at his most snarling on White Blood Cells, and ends this song telling the listener "and if there's anything good about me / I'm the only one who knows." The guitar stomps right along with Jack, providing the necessary muscle for the defiant nature of the song.

22. The Kinks-This Time Tomorrow: Nothing more than "this time tomorrow / where will we be / on a spaceship somewhere / sailing over an empty sea..."

Bonus: Suggestions from Steven (in yesterday's comments section):

1. Ryan Adams-Chin Up, Cheer Up

2. Ryan Adams-Halloween: Had not heard this one before. Good pick.

3. Van Morrison-Starting a New Life: Van Morrison's voice alone, especially from that era, is enough to pick you up.

4. Van Morrison-You're My Woman

5. Josh Ritter-Good Man: Steven: " I mean, it admits over and over again how bad it has been and still is out there, but there are these major chords we hold on to, and you just ask a woman to swing up on your horse with you and ride into the sunset b/c despite all the bad, you’re a good man for her…a good man. Damn, I love that song."

Photo by Poppet With a Camera

Pick-Me-Up Songs (Part 1)

2012-01-30T16:02:00.001-05:00

Let's be clear about the qualifications for this list. These are not just upbeat songs, or songs that accentuate a happy mood. This is a more delicate endeavor. Pick-me-up songs must have an element of darkness already in them. For instance, you would not want to hear "Good Day Sunshine" right after you lost your job. It would seem cruel and antithetical. The song must acknowledge the pain, yet not dwell on it. Then, and only then, comes the upbeat or happy conclusion, and often it's only a shade of grey. These are not songs you listen to right before you go out, these are songs that lift you up just enough to face the day. When I started, I thought I'd only find about 20 songs for this list, but now I have over 40, so we'll split this up into two parts. Without further ado...

1. Bob Dylan-Like a Rolling Stone: Too much has likely already been written about this song, and with good reason (Greil Marcus wrote a whole book about it). In 1966, Dylan told Marvin Bronstein of CCBC in Montreal that:

I wrote that after I had quit. I'd literally quit, singing and playing--I found myself writing this song, this story, this long piece of vomit, twenty pages long, and out of it I took "Like a Rolling Stone and made it a single. And I'd never written anything like that before and it suddenly came to me that this is what I should do.

You can hear the "quit" and desperation in Dylan's voice, which is why the song is the perfect one to start off with. It's a song for someone at the bottom of things,[1. You used to / laugh about / everybody that was / hangin' out / now you don't / talk so loud / now you don't / seem so proud / about havin' to be scrounging / for your next meal / how does it feel? / how does it feel? / to be on your own? / to be without a home? / like a complete unknown / like a rolling stone.] a reflection on how they got there,[1. Once upon a time / you dressed so fine / threw the bums a dime / in your prime / didn't you? / People call / say "beware doll you're bound to fall" / you thought they were all / a-kiddin' you.] but also a reminder that things will get better. It's also one of (if not the) greatest recordings ever made.

2. Deer Tick-Dirty Dishes: I guess we're starting a little melancholy here, but worry not, things will get better. Which is, more or less, the message here on "Dirty Dishes." At the end of the song, John McCauley tells us "And that cold wind will blow / tear the skin off your nose / and you got nothing to be grateful for / except your list of wishin' / and some dirty dishes / and you wanted more / and you got left, and it hurts / oh, but it could be worse / yeah / things could be / so much worse."

3. Ryan Adams-To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High): Of course, one way to pick yourself up, in theory, is to self-medicate. Ryan Adams pays tribute to that folly(?) of youth here: "Oh one day when you're looking back / you were young / and man you were sad / when you're young / you get sad / when you're young / you get sad / then you get high / aw man!"

4. The Rolling Stones-Let it Bleed: Ian Stewart's piano on "Let It Bleed" makes the song. The playing ensures an upbeat, honky-tonk vibe that the Stones were known so well for, making it more barroom singalong than ballad, and ensures that we all are aware that we need someone to lean on.

5. Monsters of Folk-Whole Lotta' Losin': The gem off of an up and down collaboration between Jim James, M. Ward, and Colin Oberst, the track is emotionally complex in a surprising way. The "whole lotta' losin'" is the loss of all the good things in life, and acknowledgement of how lucky they've been thus far, and a recognition that it is to be appreciated as it will one day be gone ("one of these days / I'll be left with nothing / but memories and old times").

6. The Shins-Gone for Good (Alternate Version)[1. Yes, this is important. The alternate version is better.]: I don't know, maybe this song is too bitter for this list, but I think the bitterness in "Gone for Good" is found strength. When Mercer sings "You want to jump and dance / but you sat on your hands / and lost your only chance / go back to your hometown / get your feet on the ground / and stop fucking around / I found a fatal flaw / in the logic of love / and went out of my head / you love a sinking stone / that'll never elope / so get used to the lonesome / girl you must atone some / don't leave me your phone number there / it's not as if you care," it's an empowered bitterness.

7. My Morning Jacket-Old September Blues: Pick-me-up, Victorian style: "Put away your corset / put away your shoes / put away the old September blues."

8. Wilco-Hummingbird: Though we're overrun with metaphors for the struggle that can be life, the rapid wing-flap of the hummingbird is an apt one, as Tweedy sings: "remember to remember me / standing still in your past / floating fast like a hummingbird." It's not the lyrics here that act as a pick-me-up, but rather the steady, wing-beat piano and violin combination.

9. Peter Bjorn and John-Objects of By Affection: The opening melody is one of the most uplifting ones you'll hear, but my favorite part is the condemnation of self-loathing nostalgic melancholy: "And the question is / was I more alive then than I am now? / I happily have to disagree / I laugh more often now / I cry more often now / I am more me."

10. Arcade Fire-Wake Up: We have now come to the sing-along portion of the playlist (and my god, that guitar). Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh oh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (etc.).

11. LCD Soundsystem-Dance Yrself Clean: Watch the video (James Murphy really does sound like Kermit):

12. Harlem Shakes-Strictly Game: “Make a little money / take a lot of shit / feel real bad / and get over it / oh, this will be a better year.”

13. Modest Mouse-The Good Times Are Killing Me: The last track off of the brilliant Good News for People who Love Bad News has the ramshackle feel of many of the songs here, a late-night hopped-up tripped-out bleary-eyed chorus.

14. The White Stripes-Hotel Yorba: Sorry that this appears on every mixed cd I've ever made, but it's such versatile, happy song, a sort of modern "Wouldn't it be Nice": "I've been thinking / of a little place down by the lake / they got a dirty old road leading up to the house / I wonder how long it will take / till we're alone / sitting on the front porch of that home / stomping our feet on the wooden board / never gotta worry about lockin' the door."

15. The National-Geese of Beverly Road: Maybe the best song on Alligator, which is saying a lot. The drums here foreshadow the outstanding work on The Boxer, as Matt Berninger sings: "hey love / we'll get away with it / we'll run like we're awesome / and totally genius / we're the heirs to the glimmering world." I'm not sure if we're supposed to laugh or cry when he tells us "our hands are covered in cake / but I swear we didn't have any / I swear we didn't have any." It's a great description of the foreboding transition between childhood and adulthood, and the clumsiness of it all.

16. Wilco-Theologians: It's no wonder that a person who is idolized by many yet longs for a more private life would write such a song. The "theolgians" here may not be actual theologians, but people like myself who think they have some sort of insight into the life of Jeff Tweedy. The song is a reaction to being typecast or defined by others, and a vow to live life without that pressure. Tweedy threatens a retreat at the end, a self-salvation: "I'm going away / where you won't look for me / where I'm going / you cannot come / no one is ever gonna take my life from me / I say it down / a ghost is born."

17. Spoon-I Summon You: The chugging acoustic guitar is great, and remember the formula: 1) acknowledgment of difficulty ("yeah you've got the weight of the world coming down like a mother's eye") and 2) retribution ("how'd we get here / it's too late to break it off / I need a release / the signal's a cough / but that don't get me off / I summon you here, my love").

18. Neil Young-Mellow My Mind: From the bluesy harmonica in the beginning to Young's trademark croon and the appropriately sloppy guitar, this song is (not literally) note perfect. It's a well-executed plea for simpler times, "baby mellow my mind / make me feel / like a schoolboy on good time," as Young mourned the deaths of Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten and friend/roadie Bruce Berry.

19. The Boy Least Likely to-I'm Glad I Hitched My Apple Wagon to Your Star: This song tells the tale of developing a mature appreciation for a failed venture, whether it be musical, love-related, or otherwise. Singer Jof Owen knowingly starts the tale "I was young and I was stupid / I had just turned seventeen," and laments "however hard we tried / it never seemed to be enough," but realizes "we never did get famous but / it made us kind of happy / and it kept me off of drugs." As such, he's glad he hitched his apple wagon to your star, whatever that means.

20. Florence and the Machine-Dog Days Are Over: All Songs Considered did a little show kind of like this blog post, and this was the one song that I felt really deserved to be included. That said, I'm going on record as saying that white-face is nearly as disturbing as black-face. Most bad-ass song with a harp? The drums are really great on this song. And the dog days are over.

21. David Bowie-Five Years: Five years! That's all we've got! We've got five years! Plays better when loud.

22. Kelley Stoltz-Wave Goodbye:

A nice way to close the first disc, with the piano that invades many of these tracks, and the lovely farewell "find a thing / that makes you happy / find a thing that / gets you high / pack your worries / in a suitcase / send them off and / wave goodbye!"

Photo by Looking Glass

The Best Thing I Heard This Week-Feist

2012-01-30T16:01:00.000-05:00

I picked up the new Feist record with some trepidation. While I'd always enjoyed a few singles ("Mushaboom", for sure), she'd never been able to hold my attention for a full album. Worse, her new record, Metals, was being given the dreaded "pretty ok, but not great" review by pretty much every outlet, ensuring a decent but sleepy record by a respected artist. So I was happily surprised when I found Metals to be not only engaging, but my favorite Feist record yet.

I imagine Leslie Feist as a sorceress, especially on "Undiscovered First." When she begins the song ("I had / what I thought / were clear / open eyes"), it sounds like an incantation, and as her voice slowly rises ("you can't unthink / a thought/ either it's there / or not") you can feel the spell (or rather, the chorus....sorry) coming on. The chorus begins the chant, which isn't complete until a convincing yelp at 2:22. Finally, at 3:45, her voice comes in full force, complete with chain-gang percussion, as she sings "Is this the right mountain / for us to climb? / Is this the way to live / for you to be mine?" [1. Normally, I'd embed a youtube video of the song, but looks like her record company has scrubbed all those clean. You can still listen to some it for free here, and it's a record that's worth your hard-earned dollar.]

Amazingly, this transitions to the more folksy "Cicadas and Gulls," vaguely reminiscent of Van Morrison. On "Comfort Me," Feist takes another bluesy turn, yet somehow avoids joining the ineffectual glut of other contemporary pop artists who have tried to do the same. Using her voice and percussion, Feist circumvents the soft rock abyss of FM radio you hear at your dentist's office.

As mentioned in every review of the album out there, there are no danceable tracks a la "1 2 3 4," but there are sing-alongs, most notably the surprisingly un-creepy "Graveyard," where Feist compels us "whoa oh oh oh oh oh / bring them all back to life!" On "A Commotion," Feist builds tension with her falsetto voice and taut strings before the chorus of "A Commotion!!" which is less raucous but plays up because of the control and restraint she employs with her voice. There are no tracks here you would put on at a party, but that does not mean the record is without excitment. Rather Feist uses a slower, bluesier tempo to get the effect.

It's impossible to view Feist's achievments on Metals without looking to some of the other fantastic records released by female performers this year. Metals contains a lot of the same tensions present on Gillian Welch's The Harrow and the Harvest and St. Vincent's Strange Mercy, but resolves them in a different way. Whereas St. Vincent resolved her tensions with stinging guitar solos, and Welch hers with the help of the inimitable David Rawlings and a voice steeped in tradition but unlike any other today, Leslie Feist controls her songs like a puppet master. She moves her stringed instruments with her voice, pushing the ebb and flow of the songs as she pleases, with guitar not as electric (not literally) as David Rawlings, but just as deft. The final vision of the record, however, is more Bob Dylan than anything contemporary. Feist shows an utter disregard for "popular music" or whatever is expected of her, instead opting to create a record which is at times haunting, harrowing, merciful, bluesy, and happy, as it changes on her whim. She is a master of her craft, a fact most visible on "The Bad in Each Other." Importantly, she succeeds in creating her vision, and Metals is nothing short of great.

Feist - The Bad In Each Other (Jools Holland) from DavidWeiszfeld on Vimeo.

Photo by Paul Schreiber

Volume 10: The Whole Love?

2012-01-30T16:00:00.002-05:00

I'm struggling to judge Wilco's new record, The Whole Love, just as I initially struggled with their last two records, Sky Blue Sky and Wilco (The Album). The basic struggle is figuring out if I like the new record less because it is simply not as good, or if the passage of time has changed my perception of Wilco's records. In the end, I think I have two problems with the record: First, the record lacks the dramatic tension that defines the best Wilco records. Second, when the record does attempt to have dramatic tension, the tension feels forced. Additionally, I'm unsure if the record's tension issues stem from it being inauthentic, or if it is just my perception of their (in)authenticity.

So when I decry "Art of Almost" as a poor man's "Misunderstood" or "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," I wonder if the opening track really is worse, or if I've just grown cynical. The lyrical content is less vivid than "Misunderstood," yet not nearly as tantalizing as the more obtuse "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart." After the song effectively builds tension for the four and a half minutes, the crescendo of guitar really does nothing to resolve the song. Instead, it tends to be kind of boring. The old Wilco would have cut the song at 4:30, I think. "I Might" reminds me of "Wilco (The Song)" and "Kamera," but it isn't as good. The organ has this weird Doorsy feel to it that really distracts me instead of enhancing the song. The guitar is great but it's so spotty that it gets overrun by the organ.

"Born Alone" is the best song on the record, and Tweedy's cadence makes the song feel like the Wilco of old. Best of all is the guitar, chugging along in the verses and then coming alive in the choruses. Still, the track, which probably should have ended after 2:30, goes for another minute and a half of guitar soloing. I feel like the old Wilco would have cut the song at 2:30 and saved the guitar for the live show. Do all Wilco guitar solos kind of sound the same now? They didn't used to.

"Born Alone" is evidence that Wilco still know how to craft a great pop song, but their previous albums were also great because of the contrast between these pop gems and slower, darker songs. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot had some great, great pop songs (Kamera, Heavy Metal Drummer, etc), but they were balanced with the dramatic tension and woundedness of "Ashes of American Flags" and "Poor Places." "Sunloathe" is, in theory, a nice breather, and I've always appreciated the sequencing on Wilco albums, but hearing Tweedy tell us "I don't want to lose this fight / I don't want to end this fight" is utterly unconvincing. If there's even tension there, it feels so contrived that I can't listen to the song.

Luckily, The Whole Love rebounds with "Dawned on Me." "Dawned on Me" is an old man's rocker. Everything feels set in the past, and the chorus is about falling in love with your wife...again (presumably). As in "it dawned on me." Not that there's anything wrong with that. But it's not the strangled love present as recently as on A Ghost is Born. It's not a bad song. In fact, it's a pretty damn good song. But it's not the same Wilco I fell in love with.

And so I sit here with what is an OK record, but a below average one in the Wilco canon. A couple of the aforementioned songs are good to great, but I doubt I'll spend any time with the rest of them. Still, pangs of guilt strike me as I say that, and I wonder if the record is actually that bad, or if it's just me. The ultimate issue I have with The Whole Love is the lack of dramatic tension. And even when the poetry regains the dramatic tension on this record, it feels forced. But why does it feel forced? Is it because the tension is forced, and is inauthentic, or is it because I perceive the tension to be inauthentic and therefore hear it that way? And, depending on the way you answer that query, the larger question becomes: Am I capable of liking a new Wilco record, regardless of the quality of that record?

The Best Thing I Heard This Week-Middle Brother

2012-01-30T16:00:00.001-05:00

Rarely are side projects worth listening to, much less the best thing I hear in a given week. By their nature they are secondary to whatever the main project may be, meaning they're done with less stress, less effort, and more fun. Unfortunately, said fun often fails on translate to the actual record, but for Middle Brother, whatever combination they have going works. Middle Brother consists of Deer Tick’s John McCauley, Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith, and Delta Spirit’s Matthew Vasquez.

Middle Brother are at their best when they embrace the ramshackle vulgarness present on the title track. Which makes sense--the middle brother as an attention-starved, crass, obnoxious, red-headed step-child. McCauley fits the part the most easily (having red hair probably helps), as he perfects the role he tried on the hilarious "Friday XIII." When he tells us on "Middle Brother" that "I know my days are numbered / but I'm bad at math / got a dick so hard / that a cat couldn't scratch...regrets, tourette's, I guess it's the same," it sounds natural and despite the vulgarity it's easy to laugh with him.

Somehow, the brazen nature of the record is not too off-putting, probably because most of the comments are tongue-in-cheek. Never is that more present on the raucous sing-along "Someday," written by Delta Spirit's Vasquez. Again, there's the possibly irredeemable self-centered character, this time impressed by his own ability to make a woman love him without loving her back ("How could I say that I love you when I don't / how could I say I'll stay cause I won't / I never said I had a head on my shoulders / I'll just say that I'll love you when were older").

Other times on the record, the character is vulgar but certainly redeemable. "Daydreaming" opens the record with the lines "early in the morning / too hungover to go back to sleep / every sound is amplified / every light so dizzying / listen for a while / to the neighbors having sex / wishing I could lay my aching / hand upon your breast") but ends up being a sweet sentiment (I'm just the kid who gets his drinks from you / who stands around and doesn't have a clue / can't I hold you close to me? / can't I say to you just what I mean?").

None of this would matter much if it weren't so apparent that the band had a great time making this record (listen to the end of "Middle Brother," where someone screams "that's a wrap...we did it motherfuckers!"). Sure, it's crass and vulgar all over, but no one on this record took themselves too seriously. It's a testament to all of their musicianship that a record like this that came together so loosely works so well.

Staples-The Harlem Shakes' Technicolor Dreamcoat

2012-01-30T15:59:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, you get lucky, truly and strangely lucky, and you listen to the right record at the right moment and it'll be with you forever. Granted, some records are so great that they're going to do that anyway, but not every record is Let It Bleed or Abbey Road or Blonde on Blonde, so you gotta appreciate that shit when it happens. I heard the Harlem Shakes' Technicolor Health at the best time possible. The record is hopelessly positive and forward-looking, so much so that it caused critics to wince, yet it was the best thing for me to hear at that moment. I listened to this record on repeat during a six hour drive from the Appalachians to Chapel Hill, and it became a staple of my music collection.

At its core, Technicolor Health is a fun, anthemic album that zooms from start to finish in under 40 minutes. And while it's not on the level of the Stones or the Beatles or Dylan, it's a damn fine indie rock/pop record with at least three defining songs, whereas most records struggle to find one. We'll start from the beginning. I'm a fan of strong opening tracks, and this record surely has one. "Nothing but Change Part II" reminds me of that brilliant guitar-based indie rock that Ted Leo perfected at times. The song also serves as an opening salvo on the theme: one of (obviously) change. The singer is funny and self-depricating ("I wanna sing you a song so plain / that you'll go un-half insane") but also relentlessly forward-looking ("Still I feel that there are changes coming soon / nothing but change"). The chorus is a glorious cymbal and hand-clap filled mess as the whole band chimes in to create a sort of shambolic beauty.

The second song on Technicolor Health, "Strictly Game," does not let the pace slow for a second. Singer Lexy Benaim encapsulates that strange indie-hipster movement towards artisinal farming in four lines: "Up from the basement to my best friend's farm / we'll work so hard we can do no harm / we'll till the lands and duck our debts / underneath soft sun chewing nicorette." And while that paints a clear picture, the best part is the chorus: "Make a little money / take a lot of shit / feel real bad / and get over it / oh, this will be a better year." Damn if that hasn't been true about pretty much every single year for the past ten. "Strictly Game" is the indie rock "Like a Rolling Stone," a reminder that despite a fall from grace, the next year will be a better one (and do watch the video below, it's inspired).

The most anthemic of the first three songs, though, is probably the third, "TFO." While Benaim's vocals feel restrained on the first two songs, he really lets his voice come through on "TFO," nearly screaming "Reel in / your feelings / we got time to waste some time / we got time to waste some time now." Again, the guitar here sounds like some of Ted Leo's best work, though it also drew comparisons to the Walkmen, the Shins, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. I can't find a link to the studio version of the song, and the live versions lack sound quality, so you're going to have to buy the record.

Strangely, Technicolor Health was criticized for being just another derivative Brooklyn hipster band, as Pitchfork wrote:

Anyone put off by the group's privileged nostalgia and self-consciously upbeat lyrics might imagine the cover's rainbow canopy as a multi-hued harbinger of doom, announcing yet another smug Brooklyn band with a savvy appreciation of someone's big brother's hip record collection and a smart way of appropriating and assimilating it into a catchy enough but far from guileless confection.

Man. That is some harsh criticism, and almost funny, given that it's coming from Pitchfork. Let's straighten this out. We're faulting the band for liking certain music and being from Brooklyn? When did we draw the line on which Brooklyn bands are cool and which aren't? Yes, the music is derivative (and what music isn't, I wonder?), but the important question is not whom it is derived from[1. This issue came up in an interview with CokeMachineGlow, where guitarist Todd Goldstein was asked if he thought it was unfair that they were being criticized because their influences were newer, and not, I don't know, Kraftwerk or Can or Joy Division. His response: "it’s like, well, the Arcade Fire album changed my life, I was depressed and I heard and it and it changed me. I love that album. But what really made our record sound like it did was that we are all weened (sic) on classic rock radio. We just love awesome pop songs, harmonized guitars and weird little direction shifts, stuff like that. We just want to make something that feels like that. But I guess everyone wants to make something that feels like the old stuff, but they’re listening to new stuff and being like 'this sounds awesome' too."] (and how cool they are), but is the deriviation any good? Does it bring anything new to the table? Is it worth listening to? And the answer here is, unequivocally, yes. Importantly, two years later, this record sounds just as good, if not better, and it's a damn shame that the band broke up.

Now we'll miss tracks like "Winter Water," a triumphant recollection of the beginning of a relationship: "If we are leaving / we're leaving together...If we are sleeping / we're sleeping together." Or the humor of "Niagara Falls, "I don't even know what I'm in the game for / I don't even get your t-shirt's pun." "Natural Man" recalls earlier Of Montreal (especially in the unusual but affecting vocals), when they weren't too eclectic and strange to listen to.

Technicolor Health is a puzzling title--it's a reference to the novel The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, by Michael Chabon, and ostensibly means a surging yet false/temporary sense of health and happiness. So while most of the record is naively hopeful, there's that sense that even when things do get better, they will cycle around again and tough times will begin anew. But, the record also represents the chance to come out of a depression, a tough situation, bad times, and to be able to know, to KNOW that things will get better in the future. That this will be a better year. And it takes a hell of a band and a hell of a record to be able to sing those words so truly and so convincingly. It was enough then to help allay sadness during a dark year, and it's enough now to get me through a morning filled with the inherent self-doubt of the unemployment blues.

Volume 9: Kids These Days

2012-01-30T15:57:00.001-05:00

Photo by thecountryfan

So the Missus and I got into a conversation last night about the (perceived?) gap between music today that is culturally popular and critically acclaimed. So I decided to spend an hour today watching The Cool TV, a channel that comes in on our antenna and which plays only music videos. We’ve watched it a little bit before, mostly for laughs, but I thought it would be a decent reflection of what an average person listens to during their day. It ended up reminding me of sitting in the dentist’s office and listening to what they tune into every day, only it was more painful. Let’s roll the tape:

11:19 Kid Rock is the first thing I see, alternately “playing” an electric guitar while standing in the middle of a field of crops and on a beach. He looks a lot like Sawyer from Lost. I’m guessing this song is called “Born Free,” considering how often he’s saying it. His voice is pretty damn ragged, and there’s not a beautiful thing about that. This is boring. I am worried for the kids of today. Going to focus on my orange juice and bran muffin for a bit.

Photo by paulswansen

11:23 First commercial is for Bosley Hair “Restoration.” Is this what Wayne Rooney got? Cool TV’s demographic for weekdays is balding men? Hm. Or maybe bloggers, the second commercial is for an online backup service. The best is the third. Universal Technical Institute, or UTI for short. Might want to rethink that acronym, fellas.

11:26 We’re back, and it's 311's "Creatures (For a While)." Wait, 311 is still making music? I really like this band in 7th grade, which was....more than fifteen years ago. How old is this song? (googling) Turns out this is from 2003’s Evolving, though the band did release a record THIS YEAR. From the AllMusic review: “311 are the grizzled greybeards of alternative music.” And that was in 2003. Now...the old folks home of alternative music?

11:30 Coldplay! "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall." From their forthcoming record which has a weird name. I think Chris Martin is having a seizure in this video. Nope, that’s the stop-motion camera they’re using. Now I’m the one about to have a seizure. Must. Stop. Watching. At least this song is new? Technically, at least. People with pacemakers should not be allowed to watch this video. People with any semblance of musical taste should also probably avoid it. This is a cheap U2 ripoff and I don’t even like U2. But seriously, I can’t watch the video for more than 3 seconds without going dizzy. Please stop Cool TV, please stop.

Photo by Joshua Mellin

11:35 Lil Wayne’s How to Love from The Carter IV. I think there was a girl about to get an abortion, and now it’s Lil Wayne without a shirt sitting beside an acoustic guitar, which is magically playing in the background. His voice is furiously autotuned yet still somehow out of tune. The plot to this video is a mess. A girl grows up, is too hot and has no father and then becomes a stripper. This is as musically painful as the Coldplay video was visually. And then, the stripper is told she has HIV! Bombshell. Wildly out of place. I think Lil Wayne is offering words of wisdom, but I can’t understand a word he’s saying. And then the stripper gets married and is in GED classes? Or is this an alternative future? I’m so confused.

11:39 Cool tv quiz, who said: “I’ve never had problems with drugs, I’ve only had problems with the police.” 1999. Probably some washed-up alt rocker. Scott Weiland? Correct Answer: Mick Jagger. Damn.

11:40 Commercial break. Taking deep breaths. These commercials are not made for people with jobs, yet also not made for me.

11:43 Joan Jett "I love Rock ‘N Roll": Weird. I mean they’re really spanning the time spectrum here. Joan Jett is not attractive in any way. She looks like a skinny Roseanne Barr. And sounds like her too. Is this video set in the Cheers Bar? Amazingly, this video is more boring than all the previous ones. It’s like they hadn’t figured out that you need a little more than the band performing the song. I will now go read the internet while it plays.

11:47 Beth Orton’s "Central Reservation." Never heard of her. Plot: she’s dashing down the median of a dirty street. Now she’s taking her clothes off. She gave her dress to an old Latino man, and now they’re dancing together. Now she’s walking with the dress again and gives it to a midget. She’s a little...wider than your average pop star. As in, she looks like a normal person. The song is innocuous. Way too innocuous to be a single. This song is 12 years old, wow! How did they pick this one out? How many closet Beth Orton fans are out there? At least one that works for The Cool TV.

11:50 I’m now halfway through my pledged hour. My orange juice and bran muffin are gone, and Beth Orton is still on TV. I don’t know if I’m going to make it. And just in time, here’s another “UTI” commercial.

Photo by lexmccall

11:54 And we’re back. I can do this.

11:55 Secret Machines’ "Lightning Blue Eyes." I used to listen to these guys. They made a good record once, but this wasn't on it. Let’s see how it is. Video is in black and white. A bunch of people going to a club to see a show. Nope, it’s a pool hall. No discernible characters yet. Some semi-attractive women at a bar, and now we’re following one of them...and there is a show, behind the pool hall. Is this about how when you’re only a semi-successful band, you only get semi-attractive groupies? Also...if you’re having your band perform in front of a crowd on video, wouldn’t you want it to be full? There’s like 15 people in this club. Oh, and this song isnt’ great. Silly that you have a song called “Lightning Blue Eyes” but you cannot show anyone with Blue Eyes because your video is in B&W.

12:00 Michael Jackson’s “Hollywood Tonight” from Michael. A girl gets off of a bus, now she’s in a dance class. No sign of Michael. She wants to bea movie star? “She’s going Hollywood, she’s going Hollywood tonight” is the chorus. This is pretty fucking awful. Oh! There’s Michael, kind of. He’s on a videoscreen billbboard, looks like old footage. Girl heads to many auditions. Now, she’s stripping. Man, these videos love strippers as a plot point. I’m using the word “plot” loosely, mind you. She just saw the Michael Jackson “star” on the Hollywood walk of fame or whatever, and she touched it longingly. Strange. Please make this stop.

12:04 Jason Derulo’s “It Girl.” Another one in B&W. He just told a girl that she meant more to him than a Grammy Award. God help us if this guy ever gets one. No discernible plot here, just him in some fancy clothes. Oooh! There’s a scene in color! With Mimosas! Speaking of which...Two minutes later the song is done and I think I heard the chorus 27 times.

12:07 Mercifully, we’re back to commercials.

12:09 You know it’s bad when the background music for a Peachtree commercial has a better melody than most of your songs.

12:10 Nicole Scherzinger’s “Posion.” This isn’t all that bad, though her lip syncing is noticeably off in the video. She’s some sort of superhero. She’s in a white bodysuit that is not unattractive. Still, the song isn’t good enough from keeping me watching attentively. I think this is loosely based on Batman, she has a weird Catwoman-type suit in addition to the white one.

12:14 We’re nearing the end. It’s Decemberists' "Calamity Song" based on a scene from David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest. Cool book scene. Video? We’ll see. Strange video idea. Kind of misses how high on drugs all of the spectators were, IIRC. Really cool idea for a game though. But...there’s not much fun in actually watching tennis balls hit fake targets. The description by DFW was (of course) better than this video, though I like the director, Dan Harmon. I would have picked a different scene from the book. The Decemberists leadsinger does not make a good Hal Incandenza. Interesting idea, but the execution was off.

12:18 last video! It’s Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire.” Of course it is. Fitting. They made a good record by the way (Youth and Young Manhood) and had another good song once (“Knocked Up”). But this shit is awful. This Sex is on fire? Please. I’m done.

The Best Thing I Heard This Week-Girls

2012-01-30T15:56:00.003-05:00

The best thing I heard this week is a record that is old and new, something we've all heard before but that still feels fresh. Girls’ Father, Son, Holy Ghost is unabashedly derivative, but extremely well done. All over the record are 60s and 70s landmarks, from Pink Floyd to Big Star to Otis Redding. Somehow, Girls manages to make the whole thing sound comfortably familiar yet different enough to be worth repeated listens.

I want to work with singer Christopher Owens on his song titles. Two of my favorite tracks on this record are called “Honey Bunny” and “Vomit,” and the issue is that when you’re trying to get a friend to listen to some songs you like, those titles make it about twice as hard ("Hey, check out this song." "What's it called?" "Um...Vomit.") Make no mistake though, “Honey Bunny” is awesome. It’s 70s guitar rock, and owes much to acts like Big Star. That’s the old. The new is the clever self-consciousness and humorous self-deprication in the song: “I’ve been messing / with so many girls / who could give a damn / about who I am / they don’t like my bony body / they don’t like my curly hair / or the stuff that I say / or the stuff that I’m on."

I may never get anyone to listen to it, but “Vomit” is a great song as well. It starts off sounding a bit like Built to Spill circa Perfect From Now On. It ends up, after a few minutes, transitioning into a Pink Floyd-esque druggy rocker, replete with the bellowing accompanying female vocalist and some lovely organ work. Funniest internet comment I read this week, under the Girls “Vomit” video: “not the first time i’ve searched for girls vomit on youtube [sic].”

There are also tracks on this record that don’t have awful song titles. “My Ma” is a touching ballad that evokes the Moondoggies and Wilco and maybe Band of Horses back when they were good, a few bands who owe much to 70s titans (listen to the organ and the guitar). “Magic” could have been a Buddy Holly song with its strolling pace and lyrical emphases (“Just a look was all it took / suddenly I’m on the hook / it’s ma-ha-ha-gic”).

Girls' songs have an endearing and innocent honesty about them. “Alex” is a forlorn love song, it reminds me a lot of the Shins, except Owens is less oblique, thinly veiling his jealousy until it comes loose in the fourth verse (“Alex has blue eyes / well who cares? / No I don’t...Alex has black hair / well who cares? / well I do...and Alex has a boyfriend / oh well / I’m in hell”):

I realize that it’s not enough to say that a new record sounds like something that was good (and I could keep going here: “Love Like a River” could easily be an Otis Redding song), that record must also bring something to the table. Luckily, Father, Son, Holy Ghost does that, and does it well. Christopher Owens has a great voice--a more velvety and less nasal Jeff Tweedy. His songwriting is earnest and funny in a tragic sort of way. The record has a smart tempo, mixing shorter poppy tunes with longer, slow-burning rockers. So while we've heard it all before, it's still worth another listen.