friday five - 25.09.09 - death death death!

There's been a lot of talk about death recently. For that matter, there's been a lot of death this year period (not that people don't die every year - I'm just saying that there have been a lot more famous people kicking the bucket than usual, or so it seems). Dom DeLuise, Michael Jackson, David Carradine, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays, Ed McMahon, Ted Kennedy, Les Paul, Mollie Sugden, Patrick Swayze, Walter Cronkite, Bea Arthur, John Hughes --

-- oh yeah, and btw we're all going to die in 2012 blah blah blah --

-- the list goes on. Seriously, this has been one of the most morbid years I've had the pleasure of experiencing. Add to that a completely random conversation I had with my supervisor about the afterlife, reincarnation, and the Big Bang, and now you have the reason behind this week's theme. Death death death, life after death, death after death, nothing after death, blah blah death.

So, enjoy celebrating the death of another workweek and the death of this summer (ooh! that would have been a good one! too bad it would have killed my bandwidth! ha ha ha!) by listening to some songs (et cetera) about death. Yippee!



Bat for Lashes - "The Big Sleep" (mp3|4.17MB): If this album doesn't make it as one of my top ten albums of 2009, I will consider the shit to be officially shocked out of me. (Five seconds for you to recover from that mental image. Five, four, three -- PSYCH, you only get three.) Aside from "Daniel," which holds my personal vote for being one of the most moving tracks of the year, the entire album is filled with such lovely, haunting melodies that could either be accused of putting someone to sleep or keeping them awake. On this track, a slightly different feeling of unease overtakes the inherent beauty that lies in this song's simplicity. It's not bad, it's just Scott Walker. My God, that man is creepy.
(from the 2009 album Two Suns)

Carina Round - "For Everything a Reason" (mp3|7.28MB): What the hell is wrong with me? Following up a soft, gorgeous song with another soft, gorgeous song? It's all part of my master plan. No, I don't know what this plan involves, but trust me, it's going to be epic. Like the thought of those who loved before being brought back together. Just trust me.
(from the 2009 album Things You Should Know)

Modest Mouse - "The Parting of the Sensory" (mp3|8.05MB): First off, I want to diss on all you haters (THAT'S RIGHT, I'M DISSING ON HATERS) who expressed even the meagerest form of disapproval to Modest Mouse's 2007 release, calling it "too polished." I was quite pleased with the return to a rougher Mouse, so I don't know what y'all are talking about. Anyway, this song's basically about the fact that we're all going to turn into worm food so it's probably not a good idea to waste your time on Earth hating on an album that was made by a better band than yours with better production equipment than you own. (Oh yeah. I went there.)
(from the 2007 album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank)

The Notwist - "Off the Rails" (mp3|3.17MB): Sometimes simple is better. With repetitive, minimalist lyrics and a feather-light, staccatoed harmonic structure, this song drives home a book's worth of feeling in slightly more words than exist in haiku. In fact, I don't think I need to say any more than that.
(from the 2002 album Neon Golden)

Regina Spektor - "Human of the Year" (mp3|4.57MB): To me, Regina Spektor exists in a realm of artists (mostly female) that seem to make music solely to encourage me to focus on all the details of humanity and my relation thereto that make me emote like a motherfucker. (Please don't try to analyse that sentence. Nothing good can come of it.) Following in the footsteps of the entirety of 2004's Soviet Kitsch, this song takes appreciation of individual reaction and utter humanism to the point where it seems like it could evoke empathy in even the coldest of hearts.
(from the 2009 album Far)

Bonus: Logan Whitehurst - "The Death of Sid Sheinberg" (mp3|6.88MB): Satan is called "Beelzebuddy." There's no way I can justify this song past that.
(from the 1998 album I Would Be a Biggest Octopus)


Okay, I'm done. You can now enter the kingdom of plenty with your seventy-two virgins.

Or, wait. No guarantees. Um. Just forget I said anything.

HEY, LOOK OVER THERE, IT'S A GHOST.



SEND US MORE MAIL, SLACKERS. MY GOLDFISH SENDS ME MORE EMAIL THAN YOU DO AND HE DIED EIGHT YEARS AGO. Ahem. fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Commit it to memory.

friday five - 18.09.09 - gratuitous b-sides and rarities dump #1

First: I want to dispute the legality of me being sick this many times in one month.

Three. Three times. Seriously? Seriously? Oh my god. I'm suing the universe.

Second: I really need to take a class in blog-writing. Other than succeeding at making my posts at least marginally cohesive/intelligible to those whose native languages don't begin with "BLORT" (not to discriminate against you Blortburfians, no really, you're among our most cherished readers), it might enable me to use this blog for homework, with which I have experienced an unfortunate inundation.

Anyway, it's been a while since I've posted something truly pretentious (or anything, period), but prepare to be amazed by my off-the-cuff eloquence and inconsequential fluff nonetheless.



Mew - "Like Paper Cuts" (mp3|3.76MB): There is no reason why this band should not get an award for being the Best Band to Listen To at Night. Almost everything they've done carries with it a very nocturnal sense of being - and while there's absolutely nothing wrong with listening to them in company (especially songs with the atmosphere of "Like Paper Cuts") - it seems a little superficial whenever I listen to them when I'm not alone. Maybe I'm an emo/indie/shoegazing snob, but I take so much out of it when I don't necessarily have to talk about it. (Let's play make-believe. Scene: That last sentence made sense. GO.) Sort of an odd choice for a music blog, but just let the subtle, staccato piano brush over you like fingers tapping on your shoulder. It'll be obvious in a while.
(a b-side from the 2002 UK 7" single Am I Wry? No)

Muse - "Futurism" (mp3|4.75MB): Some songs were created within a studio environment and then tossed because they couldn't be easily played live. This has happened a lot more in recent years due to the improvement of layering technology and synthesizer voices; sometimes, your vision for a piece extends far beyond the capabilities of the number of people in your band. And you know what? That's totally okay. Sure, I'm going to be sad that you can't play it live, but I'll deal. This is a song by Muse that falls into that category, and, for all its gory guitar grinding, has also fallen into my icy hipster heart. (Don't worry, my surgery is next week.)
(a bonus track from the JP release of the 2005 album Origin of Symmetry)

Radiohead - "I Am Citizen Insane" (mp3|3.28MB): There is no excuse for me. (Actually, yes, yes there is. NyQuil. That's my excuse. NyQuil and sleep deprivation.) I don't know why I'm the one who always throws out the trippy instrumentals, but we all have our roles in life. And this trippy instrumental just happens to be awesome. I don't recommend a lot of trance to people, but since Radiohead does no wrong, it might as well be trance by them.
(a b-side from the 2003 album Hail to the Thief)

The Smiths - "Money Changes Everything" (mp3|6.37MB): PREPARE TO FORGET EVERYTHING YOU KNEW ABOUT 1980s NEW-WAVE. Okay, now that you've forgotten, you'll have no idea what I'm talking about. (HA HA OH GOD MAKE IT STOP.) If you've ever heard Bryan Ferry's hit single (one of Bryan Ferry's only hits, period), you'll find that this song sounds quite familiar. It should. The only things Ferry added were words. Still, it doesn't matter if you love it or hate it; just remember, a little lovin' is a dangerous thing.
(a previously unreleased instrumental from the 1993 compilation The World Won't Listen)

Sunset Rubdown - "The Weather Can Turn on You" (mp3|4.37MB): I could go on about this band all day. No, wait. PLEASE let me go on about this band all day. I swear I'll be more informed and educated. I don't sit in the bushes outside their practise space with binoculars. Often. (If only.) Actually, the reason I chose this song was that Spencer Krug's voice actually deviates the most from his trademark shrillness here; the lyrics "and I know / that you'll be looking for the heat when the sun goes down / yes I know / that you'll be kicking yourself when the sun goes down" almost sounds like a completely different person is singing it. Either way, he's come a long way, baby.
(an early release, not from an album)

Yes, yes, you're welcome. And now I shall endeavour to be a good student spinster wino and pretend I'm actually smart enough to explicate Coleridge on a level higher than "dude was old / had a beard / was from the sea / smelled like fish." HEY, d'ya know what Coleridge would sound like if he were a 12-year-old AOL user?

"MET AMBLAMS THAY OF INOCENC3 AND LOV3!!1!!!!!1 LOL"

NEXT WEEK: EVANESCENCE. STAY TUNED.

Send stuff to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com or MEETETH THY DOOMETH. ETH.

friday fffffffff ... psych! (21.08.09)

So. Here's the deal, guys. I worked late tonight, it was 96 degrees, the humidity was something fucked up like 278% (people were boating in the sky), and quite frankly, I'm exhausted. I mean, I've got those crippling yawns that consume every bit of available muscle energy and that you have to take conscious effort to recover from.



In other words, tonight's FFR is going to suck. In fact, it's not even going to be a Five; it's going to be more like a One. The Friday One. I didn't even convert it to mp3. This has to be a record.

This is one of those beautifully introspective songs that you know is completely dangerous, but you listen to it a lot anyway because you're a masochist. Oh, it's also gorgeous.

The Pineapple Thief - "Different World" (m4a|9.95MB)

E-mail us at fridayfiveradio@gmail.com if you want to l ... mnleh ... zzzzzzzzzzzz.

friday five - 14.08.09 - sad songs that make me happy because i'm a horrible person

Do you ever find those songs in your playlist that make you feel a certain way regardless of their emotional intent? I do. For the longest time, I simply chalked the phenomenon up to the fact that I'm unquestionably insane, and left it at that.

However, I'm noticing more and more songs these days that make me feel happy/gleeful/good despite the fact that they're intended to be the most depressing songs in the world. At least for that moment. Now, any normal person would say, "Maybe I'm just getting more abnormal!"

I just think they're doing it on purpose.

And if I come across a mournful piano ballad about birthday cake, new shoes, and smiley faces, I assure you I will be broken for life.



The Hush Sound - "City Traffic Puzzle" (mp3|3.99MB): Nothing says "depressing" or "painfully awkward" like dance-y swing-pop, right? I know, that's what I thought, too! This song was one of those weird "stumble-upon" songs from a couple of years ago. I was obsessed with a video game, and someone else belonging to an online self-help fan group said, "Hey! This reminds me of [insert character here]!" (By the way, did I mention that I'm an incredible nerd?) At first I was like, "oh, but this cannot be so; it seems so happy!" Then I listened to the lyrics. Ha ha, warm fuzzy fail.
(from the 2005 album So Sudden)

The Long Winters - "The Commander Thinks Aloud" (mp3|6.43MB): Despite my undying love for this song (and the future remix thereof), it is not the most substantial Long Winters-related thing in my life. I found out about a year ago that John Roderick is my high-school music teacher's brother, and I'm pretty sure that'll weird me out for the rest of my life considering how obsessive I am with their catalogue. Among numerous other things. Still, though this song isn't really happy-sounding, it has a soaring quality that has a tendency to lift the spirits. If it weren't, you know, about an exploding spaceship, hopelessness, and death.
(from the 2005 album Ultimatum)

Pas/Cal - "What Happened to the Sands" (mp3|4.46MB): Let's put it this way: nothing puts me in a more cheerful mood than demolition. Demolition, and happy memories reduced to a pile of rubble. Actually, that's not true at all. I kind of like happy memories. A lot. Still, you have to admit, this cheerful, poppy relation of an iconic hotel's obituary makes it really difficult to avoid grinning, even with wistful lyrics like, "there is concrete and dirt / where it once stood / and where it once stood, you stood."
(from the 2004 EP with one of the best names ever, "Oh Honey, We're Ridiculous")

Pet Shop Boys - "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" (mp3|4.00MB): If the Pet Shop Boys were masters of any art, it would be the art of making depressing music sound misleadingly like mindless, bouncy 80s pop. However, this is one of those songs that catches you by the title alone, leading you into a strange, conflicting spiral of "wow, I can groove to this," and "oh my God, that poor man" from the very start. If anything, it serves up a sizeable portion of mindfuckery; however, taking into consideration my ever-present state of mind, it should be a natural assumption that I would find this to be an addicting and exemplary piece of music.
(from the 1987 album Actually)

Ra Ra Riot - "Dying is Fine" (mp3|4.88MB): I don't know exactly how to describe this song. It's rife with mixed emotion; one minute, they're talking about the similarities between life and death, and how life sucks, and then they're like, "wait, death sucks too," and then you go to, "hey, maybe life isn't so bad" with an undercurrent of "death might be better." It's kind of like eating cranberries. At first, you're simply admiring how succulent and juicy the fruit appears to be, and then you bite into them and HOLY SHIT they would be so much better as a juice and maybe mixed with apples. Or maybe I'm just horrible at analogies. Either way, this song is so good at being indecisive that it gives me a headache and an existential crisis. It's awesome. Enjoy.
(from the 2008 album The Rhumb Line)

And because it's totally uncool to know how to count:

Voxtrot - "Kid Gloves" (mp3|4.01MB): I fell in love with this song (and this band) based solely on the incredible rhythmic devices they employ. You can't not move when listening to them. They have such a unique sound, and their success is testament to how much it works for them. However, as made out by his online presence, Srivastava seems to be a conflicted person, and this shows in how his lyrics tend to be at least slightly angry and/or depressing. This either makes you wonder why they chose this particular musical form to express them, or perfectly explains it. It's up to you.
(from their 2007 self-titled debut LP, Voxtrot)

I'll leave you alone until next Friday, I promise.<sup>1

1</sup> I am notoriously bad at keeping promises.

Everything except for animal carcasses should be sent to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. It's not that we don't like animal carcasses; we just have nowhere to put them.

the sunday superlative - 8/9/09

This Week: Grab Bag: 80s Pop



As we all know, film director John Hughes died earlier this week. Mr. Hughes was responsible for some of the most popular and memorable comedies of the 80s, including (but not limited to) The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I thought, in the spirit of those films, that it was time to bust out another jovial grab bag of 80s pop. I'll let the songs speak for themselves!

The Hooters - "And We Danced" (mp3|4.43MB)
The harmonica makes yet another appearance, and while it's not quite as essential here as it has proven to be in other songs, it still adds quite a bit of character to what is, dammit, just one of the happiest and most irresistible pop songs of the entire 80s decade. It's so lively and cheerful and upbeat and plain damn memorable that it's no wonder the song was such a rousing success. Unfortunately, The Hooters never again reached the same plateau of musical popularity (fortunately for them, they had the masculine foresight to open a chain of curiously appealing restaurants). Still, every so often this song will creep onto FM radio waves, and every time I'll crank the volume up and bop along. It's joyful.
(from the 1985 album Nervous Night)

Oingo Boingo - "Grey Matter" (mp3|5.37MB)
Ain't nobody gonna deny that Danny Elfman is among the most successful musicians of the last thirty years. It's inarguable. Still, as captivating as his myriad film scores and The Simpsons theme may be, I'm still most partial to his work with the eccentric and often flat-out brilliant Oingo Boingo. My co-DJ is always throwing head-nods my way for introducing her to stuff, but it is to her that I am indebted for Boingo. "Grey Matter" is not one of their best-known songs, but by rights it should be: it has the same jaunty, yet more-than-slightly sinister edge that definies their most popular work. It's catchy, addictive, and purely Elfman. "There's something inside your head," he sings. I know what it is: this song, for the rest of the day. Have fun.
(from the 1982 album Nothing to Fear)

Was (Not Was) - "Walk the Dinosaur" (mp3|4.00MB)
Okay, first of all: dumbest fucking band name ever. We're talking, like, even dumber than Deep Blue Something. It's a good thing "Walk the Dinosaur" is such a groovin' song. I mean, it's dumb as hell, too; maybe not as dumb as the band name, but its lyrics feature at least one instance of eye-gougingly improper grammar (delivered in unison with a head-scratcher of a lyric about roasting pork), and the entire song is just kind of goofy-stupid for goofy-stupidity's sake. The good news? I kinda like goofy-stupid. This song is giddy. It makes me want to dance in the geekiest way, and I guess at the end of the day that means it's done its job right.
(from the 1988 album What Up, Dog? No, seriously, apparently that's actually the title)

All right, folks. That's it for me. Have a good week, and try your best to survive these dog days of summer. Lea's got you for Friday, and I'll be back a week from tonight. Adios!

As always, please send all comments, questions, concerns, and coupon catalogues that neither of us has any clue how the hell we got on the mailing list for to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Keep it real, homies.

friday five - 07.08.09 - that underground sound: (some of) the great alternative influences over the past five decades

First, let me clarify something: it would be impossible to list even the major influences in indie rock in any kind of completist fashion. Rock music as we know it today is as complex as the human genome, drawing from viral and myriad assortments of influences and genres. It's amazing, when you think about it: for centuries, music itself was ridiculously regulated and controlled. Now, we live in a day and age where you can hear Contrapuntus V-style melodics woven around heavy synths and tribal beats, and it's still called "rock." Pretty impressive, huh?

The selection I've chosen for the day was very deliberately intended to be an evolutionary sequence to that classic underground sound - you know, the type of rock that is very obviously rock, but has just enough extraneous cogitation and weirdness to make your typical radio-listener shy away.

"But wait!" you might shriek. "You forgot [insert name of artist]! How dare you!" etc. etc. Chill, yo: I probably didn't forget them: I was simply trying to do this without repeating artists that we've highlighted in the past. Not only that, but it's difficult to fit ten kajillion bands into five slots. I mean, I could do mash-ups, but trust me, that would only result in tears. Lots and lots of painful tears.

With all of that likely-unnecessary disclaiming aside, here's your Friday Five.



1960s:
13th Floor Elevators - "Splash 1" (mp3|5.42MB): There are few true 60s psychedelic bands that I can listen to for extended periods of time without wondering why I torment myself in that manner at all. I mean, I know the style is supposed to "free your mind" and "encourage love" and all that, but honestly? Some of it actually makes me want to punch something. A lot of stuff (and I mean a lot) was put out during this decade that was considered highly artistic and iconic. I'm led to assume that this is due to the fact that it is very difficult for someone to not be impressed by something when they are stoned out of their mind. On the other hand, take the Beatles. They were always on some kind of mind-altering substance, and they gave the world some of the best, soundest music ever released. And this band in particular, though (incidentally one of the pioneers of musical psychedelia), while not being as globally recognised as the Beatles, were also unquestionably high. They also put out some damn good music; you can tell - especially in this track - where they were a little ahead of their time, tinting the tie-dye with little drops of the progressive age to come.
(from the 1966 album The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators)

1970s:
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - "From the Beginning" (mp3|5.83MB): I'm not going to lie. When I first heard ELP, I was in the fifth grade. The song in question was on one of the many poorly labelled two-sided mixtapes in my mom's cassette box. I'm pretty sure that was one of the worst first impressions of a band I've ever had, coming out of the experience with the belief that every song by them was as terrible as "Benny the Bouncer." (Funnier still was the fact that my mom had never actually listened to that particular tape, and she'd had it for four years. I told her she wasn't missing much. This, of course, led to her immediate exploration of the tape's contents, her vociferous approval of every track thereupon, and the subsequent repetition of its songs whenever I was within fifty feet of the house. I think she did it on purpose.) Luckily, I didn't end up going on with my life with an eternal desire to vilify this band, otherwise I never would have stumbled upon gems like this one. Very few songs have come to me at exactly the right time in my life, even fewer by bands I've considered to be simply "meh." The beautiful opening riff from Lake's guitar hit me at a rough spot in high school, and I've long since regarded it as one of the staples of 70s classic rock.
(from the 1972 album Trilogy)

1980s:
The Stone Roses - "I Am the Resurrection" (mp3|14.46MB): 2003 was a very strange year for me, musically. I had just moved out on my own for the first time, I was living in a weird, isolated little hilltop town wherein I knew absolutely no one outside of the people from whom I was renting, and I only went downtown once a week. I went a ridiculous length of time without discovering anything new. Luckily, 2004 marked my move down into the main part of town, and my co-DJ was quick to send me a care package of about ten albums, one of which was the Stone Roses' debut from a decade prior. Let me tell you this: every song on this album marks a cornerstone of modern rock. These guys literally tilled the ground and laid the seeds for almost all the rock I listen to nowadays with this track in particular, utilising the catchiest rhythms, awesome lyrics, and beautifully driven instrumental breaks in order to do so. Not to mention the fact that it's fucking epic.
(from the 1989 album The Stone Roses)

1990s:
Neutral Milk Hotel - "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" (mp3|6.90MB): Admit it. You knew this song was going to be here. You knew it was going to be here from the moment you read the title. You're probably scratching your head right now, trying to figure out why I posted a download link to it at all, considering every self-respecting indie nerd has this album and salivates over it on a regular basis, not to mention can play this song on guitar even if they don't have a guitar. But I'm a sucker for consistency, so there you have it.
(from the 1998 album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea)

2000s:
Broken Social Scene - "Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl" (mp3|4.21MB): Everyone remembers the startled review of this album given by an unnamed music site, and then how BSS literally skyrocketed almost overnight to become one of the most critical indie rock acts of the known universe. It was almost perverse. There's a reason for it, though, just as I like to think there's a reason for everything, and it isn't at all a credit to the media: it really just is a solid, nearly-flawless pop record. This song is one of the mellower, more pretty-for-pretty's sake tracks on what is otherwise an exercise in music professionalism and versatility, but it becomes captivating through the fact that it's completely unassuming and simple. Interesting how that works, yeah?
(from the 2002 album You Forgot it in People)

Well, that's it for this week. Check back Sunday for your weekly dose of superlatives; in the meantime, have a great weekend!

Requests, comments, marriage proposals, pictures of gift baskets, and all other forms of communication to persons living or dead should be sent to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com.

the sunday superlative - 8/2/09

This Week: Bands I Haven't Seen Live I Mean Srsly Wtf



Because I'm all about counterbalancing. And no, The Decemberists are not included. And no, I still haven't seen them. And no, this fact does not lead to me harbor any murderous urges. I have no idea where you might get that notion.

Anyway. I overstepped my limits again and did, like, a lot of songs. But (1) it's been, like, a month and a half, right? And (2) this is a fraction of the bands I want to see. A fraction. It was hard narrowing down by even this much. Srsly.

AFI - "Days of the Phoenix" (mp3|3.17MB)
Oh, AFI. One of those bands I fell for in middle school and, against all odds, I'm still in love with years and years later. I remember hearing "Days of the Phoenix" in 7th grade. 2001. It was the first of their songs I ever heard, and it's still one of my favorite songs ever. I somehow doubt this is ever going to change. But it begs the question: if you hold onto a favorite that long, through all of those tumultuous teenage years, doesn't it stand to reason that at some point one might go out of his way to see a concert by the band in question? Yeah. I'd have thought so, too. Someday. Definitely someday. Or a Blaqk Audio show. I'd settle for one of those, too. Preferably both, though. K, moving on.
(from the 2000 album The Art of Drowning)

Brand New - "Jaws Theme Swimming" (mp3|6.28MB)
I'm beyond denying it: Brand New is one of my favorite bands. I've finally gotten over the fact that they play a style of music I'm usually very adverse to and just come to accept that I really, really fucking love their stuff. And while The Devil and God remains their masterpiece and Daisy remains my #1 most anticipated album for the latter half of 2009, this summer I've also come to realize just how great their 2003 breakthrough Deja Entendu is. It's generally a tad more accessible, but with the same ear for melody and encompassing darkness that makes their 2006 album so brilliant. This, "Jaws Theme Swimming," is my favorite track from it. But of course you'll probably find your own. Oh: and I really, really need to see them live. Really.
(from the 2003 album Deja Entendu)

Daft Punk - "Around the World/Harder Better Faster Stronger" [live] (mp3|7.84MB)
According to literally anyone who has ever seen them live, Daft Punk is one of the greatest concert experiences a person can ever have. Based on the entirety of their Alive 2007 album (in contention for greatest live album ever, and no I am not exaggerating; it's certainly Daft Punk's best release, and one of the finest electronic albums out there) and some eye-popping videos that have cropped up on YouTube, it's easy to see why. Until the day I finally get the opportunity, I'll just sit and drool at this live cut. It mashes up two of their best-known songs into one cohesive piece that makes me wonder why they were ever separate in the first place. It's so amazing.
(from the 2007 album Alive 2007)

Silversun Pickups - "Growing Old Is Getting Old" (mp3|7.04MB)
This song is incredible. That's all there is to it. Far and away one of the best songs of 2009. It starts off as a cool, restrained bass groove, but then at around three minutes undergoes one of the most shattering change-ups I have ever heard and emerges as not only a poignant meditation on life as a whole, but also a complete ass-kicking powerhouse. I can only imagine how it must translate to a concert setting, where the band would be given free reign to just RAWK OUT and tear that second half to shreds. I have no doubt it'd be kind of dazzling, as would hearing most of their discography. Oh man. I don't even want to imagine. I'm going to make myself way too envious.
(from the 2009 album Swoon)

And lastly, so I don't feel completely defeated ...

Apoptygma Berzerk - "Eclipse" (mp3|8.18MB)
Hahahaaaaa. Ha. Ha. HA. Oh, by the way, this is inarguably one of the best electronic songs ever written. Just sayin'. So don't mess with it.
(from the 2000 album Welcome to Earth)

I'll see you guys next week. Yes. Next week! It's time we got this shit back on track!

As always, feel free to send comments, suggestions, requests, or Nigerian bank spam to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. All forms of correspondence are warmly welcomed and possibly even anticipated.

friday five - 31.07.09 - livin' live

WOW, what the hell day is it?

Here's the thing: life is insane. Life, people, stuff, things, mostly people, are all batshit crazy. Dude, I've been to more shows than I can handle (haha well actually maybe I could do a couple more IF YOU INSIST) in the past two weeks than I have the rest of the year, set foot in more locations in the past two weeks than I generally like to see in the span of a decade, and screwed up my sleep schedule forever (not that it was ever very consistent to begin with).

Now it's pouring out, and I'm torn between wanting to dance in it and just, like, sleeping until the end of time.

Instead, I'll use this time to recap a few of the bands I saw live. Three of them aren't really mentioned below, but I can refer you to the special I wrote up on the super-rockin' War Tapes and Chris' external review of the opening bands for Junior Boys for the Full Experience.

Anyway, on with the show. And then I'll sleep until the end of time.



Ayria - "Red Shift" (mp3|7.45MB): The electric pink in Jennifer Parkin's voice is daring you to fuck with her. No, seriously. With lyrics and an aggressive demeanour that would put her microphone in league with Scarface's "little friend" (coupled with raw club beats and enough synth distortion to make me happy for weeks), this group was a very pleasant new discovery for me. They manage to mix the attitude of Garbage with the shameless MDMA-laced Toronto club scene, not only making the dancing unavoidable, but making me wish I still had Barbie dolls. If only so I might be able to give them Sharpie tattoos and cut their hair into mohawks. (Not that I, you know, ever did. I mean, I would have, if I hadn't been afraid of taking them out of the box.)
(from the 2003 album Debris)

VNV Nation - "Beloved" (mp3|6.79MB): This is one of those bands that, if you are given the chance to see them live, you must do whatever is necessary to do so. Sell your children. Give up a kidney. (You only need one. It isn't that big a loss.) I've been a VNV fan for a couple of years now, and this is one of the first songs I heard after Empires (which, by the way, is one of the most amazing electronic albums I've ever experienced). It was an instant favourite, mercilessly hooking me in with lyrics such as "We were once young and blessed with wings / no heights could keep us from their reach" and the repeated "eternity awaits." Hopefully, I'm not alone in this - just download and hear for yourself.
(from the 2002 album Futureperfect)

Junior Boys - "The Equalizer" (mp3|6.81MB): Typically, Junior Boys present a downtempo, whispery electronica that doesn't really fall into the realms of the stuff I'm usually into. I remember a while back when they mixed some of the artists I am really into (some examples being The Decemberists, Stars, and Billie Holiday); their additions to the songs didn't really phase me. Thankfully, Chris introduced me to this song's parent album, and with the booster of seeing them rock it live, I can see now why people dig them. Granted, I don't think I'll be stalking them any time soon, but still. It's pretty good stuff.
(from the 2006 album So This is Goodbye)

Iran - "Where I'm Going" (mp3|7.23MB): "She wasted everything she owned defending the throne." I'm going to say one thing: Iran live is nothing like Iran in the studio. Wait, scratch that. They are, but when you listen to their songs on your mp3 player, they sound more like the kind of psychedelic rock that you play when no one's paying attention to the lyrics in music anymore because you're so wasted you could freak out oh god did that lamp just move. I chose this song specifically for that effect, if only because I didn't glean anything like it from their live performance. It was more like - well, a regular rock show. It's definitely interesting to see TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone spotlighted in another element, and I look forward to seeing how he continues to wear these colours. In the meantime, prepare to trip balls.
(from the 2009 album Dissolver)

Destroyer - "Watercolours into the Ocean" (mp3|4.37MB): I don't know what it is about Destroyer (and Dan Bejar in general), but I seem to be the only one in my immediate circle of friends who appreciates this particular outfit of music for everything it's worth. More often than not, I find myself defending Trouble in Dreams with every fibre of my being, fervently chanting "But it got me through my college commute!" I don't know. Maybe Bejar and I have some things in common. I can name two right off the bat: absolute insanity and big hair (though, admittedly, his hair is way more awesome than mine could ever aspire to be). Watch out, y'all: this man deviates from setlists. Taken from the one Destroyer album that seems to be neutral ground for both of your beloved DJs, have one of my favourite Bejar songs to date. Because, believe it or not, it is 1987 all the time. Or, you know. Something like that.
(from the 2006 album Destroyer's Rubies)

As always, send your requests and comments to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. We will then proceed to rifle through them without respect for your privacy and then stick a notice of your violation in between your hair dryer and underwear.

super saturday - 13.06.09 - down, down, down

I thought what I would do this week is consolidate. Lea is, at the moment, indisposed (as I too will be in a week's time, so this may be the last FFR post for a couple weeks), so she asked me to sub for the Friday Five. Given the expansive nature of the theme I'd had planned for Sunday, I decided to just wrap everything up into one extra-large package this week. So here's the regular five plus the regular three, simultaneously one night late and one night early. Can't beat that.

Now, then. High Fidelity, a great film in and of itself, begins with one of my all-time favorite movie quotes: "What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos; that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"

It's funny because it's so true. The most famous of all classical compositions may be Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," but more often than not sorrow seems to be the word of the day when discussing what we today consider popular music. What moves us emotionally is entirely subjective, so I disclaim myself in advance, but here are a few choice cuts that seem to deeply resonate sadness. And this is by no means a bad thing: in some cases, these can be as great as music gets. Just don't get too close to the edge.



David Bowie - "Five Years" (mp3|4.31MB)
You know, when Bowie stops honing his image-du-jour and actually writes a song, he can really pull it off. "Five Years" is the first track from his legendary Ziggy Stardust album, and it could possibly be the best song he has ever written (don't make me choose, though; he kind of has a lot). The idea's simple: he, through his Ziggy Stardust persona, observes all the tragedy and sadness inherent in everyday life and gloomily proclaims that, if we carry on this way, five years is "all we've got." Of course, this was 37 years ago and the world has remained much the same, but likewise so has Bowie's message and its impact. I don't care how ham-fisted this sounds. Listen to the way the man belts it out and you can't help it. You're a goner. Maybe songs like this aren't the real reason Bowie is the stuff of legends, but in my world I'd like to think so. One way or another, he's earned it.
(from the 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust)

Brand New - "Limousine (MS Rebridge)" (mp3|10.58MB)
Given time, I'm sure I'll end up posting this entire album. But how can I help it? It's one of the best albums I've ever heard, and it shows no sign of giving up that title anytime soon. "Limousine" is its logical centerpiece: an eight-minute epic about death at the hands of a drunk driver that, by means both soft and loud, slowly works itself into one of the most devastating songs I have heard. I don't know how Jesse Lacey does it, but even repeating the same lyric over and over (but counting up each time) is enough to tear my heart out. And then there's that crescendo, and ... oh man, it's a hell of a song.
(from the 2006 album The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me)

The Cure - "The Last Day of Summer" (mp3|5.13MB)
The Cure should have called it quits with Bloodflowers. I love them to death, but they should have. And not just because their last two albums have sucked a big one, but because it would've been such a fitting swan song for them. Somehow the idea of a band that has garnered "most depressing ever" tags for three solid decades bowing out with an album as mellow, beautiful, and heartbreaking as Bloodflowers just seems right. "The Last Day of Summer," possibly its finest moment, features one of the saddest atmospheres I've ever encountered in a song. I can't put my finger on it, but it kills me every time. And if a line like "The last day of summer never felt so cold" seems cliche on paper, wait until you hear Robert Smith sing it. You'll change your mind.
(from the 2000 album Bloodflowers)

Death Cab for Cutie - "Tiny Vessels" (mp3|5.99MB)
Death Cab's Transatlanticism, by far their best album, is chock-full of moments I find curiously harrowing, but on no song does this feeling reach the height it does on "Tiny Vessels." It's really a visceral reaction, because I can't even begin to describe just why the song does this to me (it's a fairly straightforward anti-love ballad). It just does. Hats off to Ben Gibbard for finding just the right buttons to push. It's atmospheric in evocative ways, melancholy to the core, and consequently it has exactly the desired effect. Bravo.
(from the 2003 album Transatlanticism)

Guillemots - "Trains to Brazil" (mp3|5.52MB)
I listened to this song at least ten times before I realized what it's about. As soon as it hit me, I probably listened to it another ten times in a row. Move over, Springsteen and Bono and all you humanitarian, world-conscious rockers. "Trains to Brazil," an unassuming pop track by a British indie band only seven people have heard of, is the best song about terrorism ever written (it's ostensibly about a man who loses his best friend in the 2005 London subway bombings). If you've never heard it before, step right up! If you have, go back and listen to it again with this in mind. The lyrics will all click into place, and it'll destroy you. But in such a great way.
(from the 2006 album From the Cliffs)

The Hold Steady - "First Night" (mp3|6.74MB)
The Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America is a landmark album, right down to its near-iconic title. I don't know how apparent this was in 2006, or is today, but mark my words: someday it will be regarded as the cultural touchstone of the 2000s. Really, it's the ultimate "youth album" of our generation: the parties, the sex, the drinking, the drugs, the ennui, the depression -- it's all there, delivered with the utmost of care by Craig Finn (whose lyrics are, for what he's getting at, unbelievably good). "First Night" is Finn's honest, touching admission that the party has to end sometime, and if you've put everything you had into said party, what do you have left when it's over? It's a beautifully sad song, heartstring-tugging and true. By the time it erupts into its coda, you rock along not because you're having a great time, but because you realize the imporance of everything Finn has been saying.
(from the 2006 album Boys and Girls in America)

Billy Joel - "Piano Man" (mp3|5.12MB)
Say what you will about Billy Joel. Heck, I even have a few choice words for some of his output. But nothing can change the fact that "Piano Man" is, and likely will always be, one of my favorite songs. It was the song that really put Mr. Joel on the map, and deservingly so. I get the feeling that most of the lyrics here are largely autobiographical, which only makes his ultimate rags-to-riches trajectory seem all the more triumphant. Also: this song totally would've fit right in for that harmonica post I did a while back. Just sayin'.
(from the 1973 album Piano Man)

Train - "Meet Virginia" (mp3|3.65MB)
I've got to admit, I'm really not familar with Train. One of the reasons may be because they're called Train. But I heard this song on the radio several years ago, liked it, downloaded it, and fell in love. It probably shouldn't surprise you by now that it's something of a downer, but it's a poignant one: a sobering look into white-trash hell and the halfway decent people who unwillingly inhabit it. Again, if the description alone doesn't sound appealing, the band's delivery turns it into a low-key home run. It may not be the best song ever written, but it's one I think very highly of. It just works.
(from the 1998 album Train)

Righto. That'll do it for me, folks. Catch you next time!

As always, send all email and amusing forwarded spam to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. No, seriously. This is not merely a tag we stick at the bottom of each entry to satisfy our readers. I'm going to go check this as soon as I'm done posting. Honest. ... no, really. I am.

the sunday superlative presents: make-up monday

I totally dropped the ball. I forgot yesterday was Sunday. This is slightly worrisome given the fact that my Sunday routine is notably distinct from anything I do on any other day of the week, but there we go. Just like missing a test and taking it one day late, please accept the slightly-delayed Monday Make-Up in place of what should have been yesterday's post.


"Now you f*cked up!" -- Abraham Lincoln

This Week: This Ain't Usually My Thing, But ...

Exceptions to rules are usually just happy accidents. If you're anything resembling a sensible human being, you tend to say away from music you know you don't like. Still, every once in a while an anomaly creeps onto your radar screen: something you like that you wouldn't normally. It makes you scratch your head. It makes you wonder why. It makes you delve deeper into that particular genre hoping to find more good stuff, then hit yourself because you're suddenly reminded, "Oh yeah, that's right. I hate this crap." Here are a few personal choices for allies living within enemy lines:

Linkin Park - "In the End" (mp3|4.45MB)
I like this song. I really have no idea why, especially because I hate Linkin Park. Hate Linkin Park. Hate everything about Linkin Park, right down to their wannabe-clever band name (which, really, is almost as bad of a name as The Beatles; the difference is, of course, that one of the aforementioned is the greatest pop band of all-time, while the other shares its collective molecular structure with that of raw sewage). But, uh, yeah. "In the End." I like it. There's no good reason for me to hold this opinion: it's just one of those "I liked it in middle school" songs that inexplicably stuck (and this in itself is weird, because in 7th grade I thought Electric Light Orchestra was the shit -- AND THEY ARE -- and really wasn't listening to, ya know, Linkin Park). You'll probably download it and think it's crap. I wouldn't blame you, either. But I've gotta be honest when I post these blogs, right? Right.
(from the 2000 album Hybrid Theory)

Electric Light Orchestra - "Don't Bring Me Down" (mp3|4.66MB)
Who the hell is Bruce?

Streetlight Manifesto - "A Moment of Silence" (mp3|7.17MB)
Back on track. I'm really not a fan of ska, which makes the fact that I'm really a fan of Streetlight Manifesto somewhat curious. But they're good. They're really good. Good enough, even, to convince me that getting trampled for two hours can actually be fun. "A Moment of Silence" is, in my humble opinion at least, the undisputed highlight of their 2003 debut Everything Goes Numb. It's one of the slower songs, to be sure, but melodically rich and highly satisfying. Of course, I'm depriving you of its considerably-sped-up counterpart "A Moment of Violence," but hey. You need something to keep digging for, right?
(from the 2003 album Everything Goes Numb)

Titus Andronicus - "Arms Against Atrophy" (mp3|9.72MB)
Anger. Despite (or, more likely, because of) my sarcastic disposition, it is honestly not something I experience very much of. As a result, the seething rage of this New Jersey-based punk band, named after Shakespeare's most notoriously brutal and bloody play, is likewise not something I've ever really been able to get into. The Airing of Grievances was far from my favorite album of '08, and the effect of listening to it as a piece yields the unfortunate effect of having all the songs smear together into one murky, pissed-off blur. Still, there's an exception to every rule. From my first listen, there was just something about "Arms Against Atrophy" that grabbed me. What is the secret ingredient that sets it aside from its admittedly similar counterparts? Is it the bleak, apocalyptic melody? The curiously enigmatic lyrics? The fact that, no shit, I listened to it for the first time ever on June 22 last year? Who knows? But I like it, enough even to say that not only will this likely be the only track from their debut I'll be returning to, but one I'll be returning to with some frequency.
(from the 2008 album The Airing of Grievances)

'Til next time, folks. Maybe I'll actually remember what day of the week it is.

As always, all email and ticking electronic packages related to the Sunday Superlative should be sent to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Responses are prompt, friendly, and therefore probably not written by either of us.

the sunday superlative - 5/31/09

This Week: Boing-Boom-Tschak, Techno-Pop.



I like my electronica. Maybe a little too much. Even this week's theme heading is a geeky electro reference. But let's be honest: you know that old saying, "The fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach"? Not true with me. The fastest way to my heart is through a well-crafted electropop song. As much as I love ambition and creativity and envelope-pushing, sometimes I just wanna dance. Here are a few choice cuts by artists who share that sentiment.

Party on, Wayne.

Fischerspooner - "Never Win" (mp3|5.48MB)
It's nice to like a song just because it's catchy. Fischerspooner is not a pretentious band. I wonder if they know what pretensions are (I mean, they're a duo named Fischer and Spooner, respectively; I'm not sure you can get much more unpretentious than that). They just make straightforward, often very well written dance-pop that no doubt thrills just as much on the floor as it does through the headphones. "Never Win" is my personal favorite from their 2005 sophomore album: it's an energetic stomp through lyrical themes that, while not exactly new to pop music, come across as relatively lightweight and fun just because of the guys' approach. Check it out. You'll be humming it to yourself on your commute tomorrow morning, I promise. Or, well, actually I don't. But it is highly addictive.
(from the 2005 album Odyssey)

Ladytron - "Destroy Everything You Touch" (mp3|9.28MB)
It took one song for Ladytron to win me over forever. One listen to "Destroy Everything You Touch" and I was a goner. This wasn't merely one of the best tracks of 2005; it's shaping up to be one of the best singles of the entire decade. It's the kind of song so good that the band will have to struggle for the rest of their career to even come close to matching its power, as good as their other stuff may be (and it certainly is). Moving away from their prior plasticky-sounding electroclash stylings, they created a more full-blooded and domineering sound with their '05 opus Witching Hour (the entirety of which you also need), and as a result created something most electro fans will have an extremely hard time saying "no" to. "Destroy" is an icy, pounding, vigorous song, but sexily so. In essence, I imagine it's everything these guys (and gals) ever wanted to do with their music. It's certainly everything I'll ever want from it.
(from the 2005 album Witching Hour)

Plastic Operator - "Singing All the Time" (mp3|6.63MB)
It's the vocals. I've spent months dissecting this song, trying to figure out just what makes it so charming. Instrumentally, it's just your standard, run-of-the-mill synth swooner, but the slightly accent-laden voice of Pieter Van Dessel takes the song and knocks it clear out of the park. It seems appropriate for a song called "Singing All the Time," no? His highly melodic delivery is soothing in an almost preternatural way. I can't get enough of it. It's perfectly lovely, and in hindsight one of 2007's most overlooked gems. Too overlooked, in fact: Plastic Operator is the band that foiled even the supposedly infallible Amoeba. As much as I'd still gladly sell my soul to that heavenly Hollywood landmark, I asked a clerk specifically about these guys and he came up empty. Ah well. That's what the internet is for, right? Right. Check it out. It's the kind of buried treasure that inspires you to dig for more just so you can match it. That, to me, is pretty inspiring.
(from the 2007 album Different Places)

Pure Reason Revolution - "AVO" (mp3|8.01MB)
Sorry if I keep harping on this band, but I can't help it, okay? They are responsible for what is incontestably, in my eyes at least, one of 2009's finest albums, and the sad truth is that no one outside of a smallish cult following knows about them. Contrary to what most fans might say, this year's Amor Vincit Omnia is a marked improvement over their also-great 2006 debut The Dark Third: they've moved away from a lush, Floydian prog-rock into a more synthetic electronica while still holding onto the epic tendencies and stylistic touches that made them unique in the first place (multi-part vocal harmonies, anyone?). It's a small wonder the best songs are actually the ones that rely most heavily on their newfound synths and drum machines. Despite many stand-out tracks, they could not have chosen a more fitting closer than "AVO." What starts off as a gentle piano ballad with electronic embellishments gradually escalates into a life-affirming war cry, with the album's title being chanted over and over to astonishing effect. Simpy put: you need this song if you don't have it, and you need to listen to it again if you do. It's that good.
(from the 2009 album Amor Vincit Omnia)

yeah okay i did four songs again but its not like i had a choice in the matter

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Sunday Superlative or even some synth bloops of your own to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. The latter is especially true if your name is Thom Yorke and you want my personal opinion on your band's new album in advance of its release.

friday five - 29.05.09 - feel-good pop in 180 seconds or less

Hey. I love 15-20 minute epic musical masterpieces as much as the next cold-hearted indie snob you'll find on the street. Still, it's getting really, really hot out. Hot and humid. It is scientifically proven that my brain doesn't work properly in these conditions. (Coincidentally, I tend to say that every month of the year.)

So, I've decided this week's theme is going to be a mix of "indie pop" ear-candy specifically designed to make you feel good without the hassle of firing a single neuron. (That isn't to say the music is shallow by any means - some of the lyrics here are incredible.) Each song is less than three minutes long, so your summer-induced ADHD can be considered completely humoured.

And in keeping with the theme, I'll just say that all of these songs are, like, awesome ... and like, you should listen to them.

Hey, look over there. It's a thing!



Architecture in Helsinki - "Souvenirs" (mp3|2.30MB): 2 min 26 sec.

Koufax - "Facsimile" (mp3|2.38MB): 2 min 36 sec.

Mates of State - "My Only Offer" (mp3|5.62MB): 2 min 59 sec.

Rotary Ten - "I Fear the Field" (mp3|3.92MB): 2 min 47 sec.

The New Pornographers - "Streets of Fire" (mp3|2.47MB): 2 min 42 sec.


As always, send, um, stuff ... to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are cool. ... yep.

the sunday superlative - 5/24/09

This Week: Summer Anthems



I think this theme can capably speak for itself. Most people mark Memorial Day weekend as the unoffical beginning of summer (seriously, Summer Solstice: who are you kidding? You're way too late and we both know it), so I thought it'd be appropriate to break out a few of my favorite summertime anthems. And not just "summer anthems" in the traditional what's-popular sense, but songs from all eras that actively remind me of the warmth, relaxation, and laidback atmosphere of the year's most carefree season.

Go go Gadget summer.

The B-52's - "Rock Lobster" (mp3|6.23MB)
Really, it was only a matter of time before one of us found an excuse to post this song. Don't say you weren't expecting it. Maybe I suffer from an acute tunnelvision, but I can't conceive of how it would be possible for someone to dislike this song. I mean, seriously. It's so exuberantly, shamelessly cracked out that it's got to be some kind of insane musical landmark. At the very least, it's the perfect encapsulation of the "sunny" side of late-70s New Wave (of course there was a very dark side, too -- see: Joy Division, The Cure, etc.), and one of the funnest songs you're ever likely to hear. Plus, it has the best bassline ever. Bar none. No contest. That bassline can have my babies.
(from the 1979 album The B-52's)

The Fiery Furnaces - "Here Comes the Summer" (mp3|4.94MB)
It's songs like this that make me not care for The Fiery Furnaces all that much. Hear me out: I really like the song. I wouldn't post it otherwise. But it serves as a somewhat frustrating reminder of what this brother-sister team can do when they stop being self-consciously weird and "quirky" and actually sit down to write a pop song. I have no doubt, were they to invest the appopriate amount of effort in the endeavor, they could be one of the best indie-pop acts around; instead, they opt for being weird and "difficult," which often makes listening to their albums an aggravating experience. Still, even though the grass is always greener, they've at least been kind enough to give us a taste of the other side: "Here Comes the Summer" is delightful. It's warm and catchy, though tinged with a healthy dose of wistfulness and melancholy, while still sounding inherently like The Fiery Furnaces. So: it's a solid pop song that sounds like the work of a unique band. That's most artists' dream. Why would you want to complicate that?
(from the 2005 album EP)

The Lovin' Spoonful - "Summer in the City" (mp3|2.46MB)
I couldn't care less if it's an overly obvious choice; it's one of the finest pop songs ever recorded. What might not be immediately apparent to today's retroactive listening crowd is how innovative the production is. This was 1966. Recording technology was still relatively simplistic. Still, these guys manage to pepper their best-ever song with spiffy car horn and jackhammer sound effects while also making use of, to my knowledge, one of the earliest instances of synthesizers in rock. Of course, none of this would be important if the song itself wasn't phenomenal, but it is. The result is one of the best songs of the mid-60s: it's one whose timelessness has allowed it to endure, and I'm sure kids will still be humming it in another 43 years.
(from the 1966 album Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful)

See you folks next week! Enjoy the beginning of your summer! Have a barbecue, jump in the pool, crank up that AC. Bonus points if you can do all three at once.

As always, lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Sunday Superlative is welcomed at fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. All flames will be gleefully ignored, and therefore should be sent here instead.

friday five - 22.05.09 - thirty minutes to remember

I'm back! I've had cable internet at home for a few days now, and after I got it to work, I must say I'm in love. I know that having a speed of over 100kb/second on a regular basis may be old news for a good portion of you, but for me it's incredibly exciting. Whenever I download something, I just like to sit and stare at the progress bar. Sometimes I like to run Disk Cleanup on my new computer at the same time I'm downloading something and see which one wins.

Way better than Nascar.

Anyway, Memorial Day is coming up, and as such I will be attempting to avoid leaving the house all weekend. Seriously, when did the observation of hundreds of thousands of deaths suddenly equate to "I'm going to eat lots and get drunk"? It's the American dream, I tell you.

That said: on to the mix!


copyright 2008 Jeffrey Rowland of Overcompensating

Joy Division - "Atrocity Exhibition" (mp3|8.36MB): Let me be the first to say - if Chris hasn't already beat me to the punch (though I don't think so) - that Joy Division's Closer was one of the finest albums ever made. Despite the proliferation of amazing music today (especially this year, holy crap), the stuff that Ian Curtis churned out in this album ranks so much higher. The entire thing is brilliant, but it's terrifying. Most remember him primarily for having one of the most tragic deaths in the history of music, but spinning a song like this during days like these illuminates Curtis' poignance - and brutal foreshadowing - with startling clarity.
(from the 1980 album Closer)

Late of the Pier - "The Enemy are the Future" (mp3|7.23MB): When I first heard this band, I approached their music with the same reckless abandon that I did with Hercules and Love Affair. That is, I absolutely loved this CD, but I was initially tempted to forbid myself from thinking rationally while listening. Sporting psyched-out disco-style syncopation and catchy, schizophrenic lyrics, this is a song - like many others on the album - that runs on like a carefree dance party. Except it's a dance party wherein someone drops something of questionable legality in your drink and you spend the night freaking out about introspective minutiae.
(from the 2008 album Fantasy Black Channel)

Pluramon - "If the Kids Are United" (mp3|4.05MB): Given the recent (and by recent, I mean the past three or so years) revisitation of the progressive ideal by ambitious musicians of today - not to mention the surge in popularity that kind of music is receiving - I'm surprised more people haven't heard about Pluramon. With methadone-laced female vocals and a style audibly similar to The Cure, it becomes one of those bands you instantly reach for when it's nighttime and you want to be thoroughly blissed out before you sleep. Not really a song of reminiscence, but definitely a song of longing for peace.
(from the 2007 album The Monstrous Surplus)

Steven Wilson - "Abandoner" (mp3|5.50MB): To tell you the truth, it's incredibly difficult to glean specific meaning from any of this man's songs. Of course, this means that the songs in question are easily molded to fit any situation, which is just as good - if not better - than writing songs that actually tell you what the hell is going on. "Abandoner" seems like one of those eerie yet simple tunes, and while the distress isn't portrayed in the lyrics or melody, there's an interlude of pure, horrifying distortion at about 3:32 that completely changes the weight of the whole song. Um, auditory death.
(from the 2008 album Insurgentes)

The Decemberists - "Yankee Bayonet" (mp3|4.96MB): I'm a sucker for bouncy pop songs that include such visuals as bile and someone decomposing and being eaten by weevils. In all seriousness, though, hidden behind the catchy riffs and well-mannered beats, there exists one of the most heartbreaking stories ever set to music. Colin Meloy seems to be very adept at exploiting that talent, seeing as this album is rife with ironic exposition on love lost. Despite my adoration of the title trilogy and the epicness (is so a word) of "The Island," I can say with relative confidence that this is my favourite track.
(from the 2006 album The Crane Wife)

That's it for today. Even if you're planning on firing up the grill and cracking open a cold one this weekend, please take at least a few seconds to remember those who lost their lives to the violence of war. It isn't that difficult. And if you feel like today's post is chagrining your cheeseburger, a more upbeat and frivolous song for your festivities can be found here.

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next week!

the sunday superlative - 5/17/09

This Week: Experimental Germany



Much has been made about the overwhelming influence 1970s Krautrock has had on modern music. And I do mean overwhelming. I'm making a gross generalization here, but it's fairly safe to say that modern electronica, dance music, and even hip-hop would not have been possible if not for the hyperrhythmic innovations made in Germany throughout the 70s. The unfortunate thing about "influential" anything is that it can sometimes be a chore: you can see the brilliance, but it's just not enjoyable. Luckily for the world, much of 70s Krautrock still holds up very well to this day. Tonight I present to you highlights from three of the canonical Kraut bands (if not the three most canonical). Enjoy!

Can - "Vitamin C" (mp3|4.85MB)
It's easy to forget amid all this talk of the illustrious "Can jam" that there really was a German band called Can, and that their music was quite a bit more challenging than the laidback rock groove style generally attributed to their name might suggest. "Vitamin C," for all its frenetic instrumentation and paranoid rhythms, is probably just about the most accessible song they ever did. A friend once told me it's still somewhat of a staple among breakdancers, which is both badass and completely understandable. It's a great song, charged with energy, and one of the first to attempt a style that seems almost commonplace today. It's really, really cool. Just don't listen to it and think the rest of Can's music is going to be this "easy." It's not. Which isn't to say it's not rewarding: it is (Tago Mago is, by all means, a great album). It's just ... being on the cutting edge means you have to sacrifice a lot of conventional appeal. These guys still seem pretty far out, even forty years later. But really, isn't that why they're so great?
(from the 1972 album Ege Bamyasi)

Kraftwerk - "The Robots" (mp3|8.52MB)
No post entitled "Experimental Germany" would be complete without Kraftwerk. It's borderline treasonous. Against the Germans, of course. But honestly: no other Kraut band has ever been as influential as these guys (few bands period have been). They pioneered electronic music. If they didn't create it, they at least honed it into the serious art form we recognize today. While they have many standouts in their catalog, their best-ever song (for my money) will always be the chilling opener to their 1978 opus The Man-Machine. It's sinister, yet catchy and alluring (and if it sounds primitive by today's standards, remember: this was mindblowing stuff in 1978). It's one of the first songs in music history that sounds like it could have been made entirely by machines. And of course that's exactly the point.
(from the 1978 album The Man-Machine)

Neu! - "Hallogallo" (mp3|11.58MB)
Now this is the laidback groove I'm talkin' about. When contemporary indie bands like Fujiya & Miyagi or Death Cab pay homage to "Krautrock bands like Can," they're really paying their respects just as much to the unjustly forgotten (but no less hugely influential) Neu! This is just one chilled-out, relaxing song. Nevermind its length: instead of watching the time bar, just kick back. Cool off. This won't necessarily take you places, but it'll at least make you a little bit happier to be where you are.
(from the 1972 album Neu!)

That'll do it! Back to work tomorrow for most folks, sadly. But have a good week, okay? I'm counting on you for it!

As before, I would love it if you'd send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Sunday Superlative to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests, comments, suggestions, and death threats are all welcome in equal measure.

friday five - 15.5.09 - random wikipedia articles

Leave it to Lea to impinge upon my recently re-acquired life position of perpetually having nothing to do by calling me up and actually giving me something to do. Her internet is still on the fritz, see, so she enlisted me to sub for the Friday Five again. So: sorry, Lea fans, but you're going to have to deal with me again. It's a temporary condition, though. I promise.

The one thing that was never fully decided upon, though, was a theme. She gave me a suggestion which I later tried on for size, but after much painful brain-racking I came up dry and was forced dismiss it. It was about this time that I decided to do something audacious: you know that "random article" function on Wikipedia? I decided to be the first person in history to actually use it. In lieu of having an actual theme, I thought I'd let Wikipedia choose one for me (which may, in fact, be the least immoral thing Wikipedia has ever been used for).

The way this works: for each random page that comes up, I will dig through the dark recesses of my music collection and attempt to find something that loosely pertains to it. Once that song is found, I'll move onto the next until I'm done. I figure, what with last week's double-suck no-posting, my current academic freedom, and the fact that I could sit and click through random articles from now until the end of time, I can stand to do ten of these. So the Friday Five x 2 it is. Let's go!



Page Result #1: The Far Shore of Time
Empire of the Sun - "Standing on the Shore" (mp3|6.29MB)
If you haven't heard Empire of the Sun, this is definitely one of the three songs you're missing out on: light, breezy electropop from two Aussies who may or may not actually be from planet earth. They write some pretty awesome tunes, though. It's kind of hard to argue with that.
(from the 2008 album Walking on a Dream)

Page Result #2: Funky Koval
Stevie Wonder - "Superstition" (mp3|4.06MB)
This is one of those incredibly awesome songs that, for one reason or another, I always end up forgetting exists. That's a real shame, because it basically deserves to be synonymous with "funky." Maybe it is, though. Who knows? It's a huge classic no matter what, and an great excuse to get your butt up out of that office chair and boogie.
(from the 1972 album Talking Book)

Page Result #3: William Dolman
The Smiths - "William, It Was Really Nothing" (mp3|1.99MB)
I've often wryly noted that if the remainder of The Smiths' Hatful of Hollow were up to the standards of the first ten seconds of its opening track "William, It Was Really Nothing," it'd be the best album ever. That's only half a joke: the song sucks me in like few others I can think of, and over the course of an alarmingly brief 2:10 justifies once and for all why these guys are on the very short list of the greatest rock/pop acts of the last thirty years.
(from the 1984 album Hatful of Hollow)

Page Result #4: Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures
Battles - "Atlas" (mp3|9.78MB)
It's math-rock. This is really the best I can do for this one (though, to be fair, the song is spiffy and gleefully weird in equal measure -- I've always likened it to a future world where humans are defeated and taken over by robots and munchkins). People don't write songs about algorithms. At least for god's sake I hope not.
(from the 2007 album Mirrored)

Page Result #5: Stapedial branch of posterior auricular artery
The Trashmen - "Surfin' Bird" (mp3|2.16MB)
'Nuff said.
(from the 1964 album Surfin' Bird)

Page Result #6: Functional weakness
Good Charlotte - "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" (mp3|2.91MB)
'Nuff said.
(from the ... eh, who really cares?)

Page Result #7: Chief Toke
Jefferson Airplane - "White Rabbit" (mp3|2.36MB)
With all due respect to whoever the unfortunately named Chief Toke actually was, of course (what, you think I actually read these articles?). I'm sure most of you will gather why this, Jefferson Airplane's second-best song ever (after "Somebody to Love," from that same album), is just about the most appropriate song I could have put here. Quoth a brilliant man: "If you remember the 60s, you weren't there."
(from the 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow)

Page Result #8: Arts et Métiers (Paris Métro)
Berlin - "The Metro" (mp3|4.74MB)
Wow. This one turned out well. Not only is Berlin's "The Metro," in my humble opinion, one of the finest synth-pop songs of the 80s, but it's also ostensibly about the Paris metro. Among other things, of course. It's a really great song, though. I'm glad I had an excuse to include it, accidental as it may have been.
(from the 1982 album Pleasure Victim

Page Result #9: Mamma
Genesis - "Mama" (mp3|6.19MB)
Fact #1: Genesis was never the same after Peter Gabriel left in 1975. Fact #2: Phil Collins is bald. So what can a balding, lesser version of a band possibly give the world at large? Well, to be fair, it's not like late 70s/80s Genesis totally sucked. They had several really great songs. Their best post-Gabriel composition by far, however, is the eerie, atmospheric, and even slightly amusing "Mama." Phil really gets his chance to shine here, and he relishes it: it's been seven years and I still can't decide whether to smirk at or be creeped out by his overzealous "HAHA! HA!!"s.
(from the 1983 album Genesis)

Page Result #10: The Real World: Miami
Peaches - "Fuck the Pain Away" (mp3|4.73MB)
This, really, is the only fitting way to conclude such an entry. It's also evidence that my inner 13-year-old will never die, because I still kinda get some sort of gleeful adolescent rush listening to it. (Plus, it was on the Lost in Translation soundtrack. That gives it hipster merit, right?)
(from 2000 album The Teaches of Peaches)

That's all for this evening! If you hang around 'til Sunday, though, you'll get a second dose of me as I make my triumphant return to the Sunday Superlative after almost a solid month of absence. Don't worry, though. I have a real theme in mind for that one.

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next week!

the sunday superlative - 5/10/09

This Week: Yeah, I suck too.



We here at Friday Five Radio take our quality control seriously. That's why we never allow ourselves to post anything: because we suck. Lea's ongoing internet woes have already been disclosed, and they're duly noted. I, on the other hand, have no such excuse. All I'm doing this weekend is studying for finals, a masochistic endeavor that seems to mercilessly eat up every second of time I may (or may not, in some cases) have. So I apologize, like my co-DJ, for being unable to complete a full post this week because of this. (No, really. Words can't describe how much I'd rather be blogging about music than re-reading The Winter's Tale, a play that's dull and dreary even by Shakespeare's standards.)

And I know I've been slacking on my duties over the last couple weeks. Rest assured, though, that -- barring some cataclysmic or life-altering event -- I shall return in full form next week. School will be over, time will be freed up, and I will once again be able to fulfull my blogbligations.

I just created a word. See what I just did there? See how much I'm stalling so I won't have to get back to work?

I too have a single song to share. But I figured that since this blog is disappointment incarnate this week, I should hold true to the original mission of the Sunday Superlative. Enjoy.

Al Stewart - "Year of the Cat" (mp3|6.15MB)
If you held a gun to my head (please don't) and forced me to name my favorite song of all-time, this is the one that would pop out. Of course you can't hold me to that, and of course top favorites always change depending on mood, but no matter what I will always cite this as one of the most wonderful musical creations ever known to mankind. The lyrics are beautifully written and evocative ("She comes out of the sun in a silk dress, running like a watercolor in the rain"), the melody is so excellent that "gorgeous" seems too weak a word (the piano was never put to better use in any song, period), and the instrumental bridge -- complete with soaring violin, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and sax solos (oh, the sax) -- is breathtaking. This is one of the songs that defines why I love music. Whether or not you agree is beyond my control, but at least I can't say I didn't try. It's such a fine piece of work.
(from the 1976 album Year of the Cat)

Adios, amigos!

friday five - 08.05.09 - i am the worst blogger ever

Long day. Stressed out. No internet at my house again. Finally ordered cable instead of satellite so that I can do my thing even when clouds float by. (SERIOUSLY. The internet has been trashed by A CLOUD.)

Instead of leaving you hanging, though, I've got a great song that might help you not to hate me forever.

The Same Sky - Don't Fall Asleep (mp3|3.85MB): Globalisation wins. If you listen hard enough, you can almost taste the Wolf Parade influence in this Chilean band (which is never a bad thing) - and, oh, they also did a cover of "I'll Believe in Anything." So I guess the influence isn't just tasty; it's chewy, too. The merits of their style don't only lie with interpretation, however - with tremulous vocals, jazzy syncopation, and awkward yet fully enjoyable harmonies, they're a really unique treat.
(from the The Same Sky EP)

I'm going to go drink wine now and maybe stare at a wall.


As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next week. For real, this time.

friday five - 01.05.09 - songs for a killer robot invasion

Hello! I hate technology.

(Just to inform the uninformed.)

I find it highly amusing on a very masochistic level that I would aspire to a career that primarily deals with technological advances and improvements when it's incredibly obvious that technology wants nothing to do with me. Technology probably considers me that annoying neighbour that knocks on the door to borrow a cup of sugar when it's trying desperately to have mad bondage sex with society.

Well, society's a whore.

So I bring you this episode of FFR from the lovely cement confines of my workplace, due to the fact that now that my computer finally works, the internet has decided to vacation somewhere where people would rather watch bestiality videos and chicken battles than do their homework and, I don't know, write about music.

It's okay, internet. I understand. Bitch.

Now, since I've written a long and offensive ramble on my rocky relationship with technology &c, it's time for me to post some songs that would be perfect for the impending killer robot invasion that I've undoubtedly encouraged. (Which is basically an excuse for me to dump a bunch of angry industrial tracks on your doorstep like a sack of flaming poo. But this is quality poo, yeah?)



Apoptygma Berserk - Electronic Warfare (mp3|9.16MB): I'm pretty sure that if I were ever to play this album in the car, I would have speeding tickets spilling over the seats. As it is, I drive what could basically be considered a soccer mom van, and it doesn't really like speeds. This, as you can imagine, would be extremely frustrating with music like this. Early hyper-thrashbeat Apop is hyper and thrash-y, and there are some occasions when no other music will suffice. You can easily picture having this on your iPod while running away from fire-breathing robots through dark, damp alleys as they hunt you for your offensive visceral bits, right? That's what I thought.
(from the 1998 album Apopcalyptic Manifesto)

Cesium 137 - Darkest Dream (mp3|11.69MB): Some of CS137's stuff sounds a little like something out of a canned drum kit, but I will stand by this track until the day I die. The melody is just distorted enough, and the insanity is so well-distributed that I can't imagine not listening to this while I'm in One of Those Moods. The synth itself croons out a song and the human voice is the sample. I thought it was ultimately appropriate.
(from the 2001 album Advanced/Decay)

Dismantled - Essence (mp3|10.83MB): So this song is creepy as hell. Just putting it out there. It's one of the only industrial tracks I've come across that's made me want to keep looking over my shoulder. It's the kind of song you'd hear when you're standing in the middle of the street, alone, with the streetlamps beaming down just enough light against the wet pavement to show your shadow. You can see your breath in the chilled air, and your eyes are wide. Then, suddenly, it's there right behind you, and you're running for your life. The fact that the voice keeps getting raspier and more insistent and more, well, batshit crazy, coupled with the increasing tempo - it doesn't exactly sooth the mind and soul. Highly recommended!
(from the 2004 album Post Nuclear)

Front Line Assembly - Nine Times (mp3|11.81MB): Ever wonder what it would sound like if the guys from Fujiya & Miyagi were chased by killer robots? This is pretty much it. Not that I would ever encourage such an occasion, but the imagery is great. And Front Line Assembly has that awesome early-electronica Kraftwerk-y feel to a good portion of their stuff, so it's even more endearing. The random disbursement of metallic shrieks is a nice touch to a song that practically screams "We Are the Robots."
Best thing about that whole last paragraph? The fact that Kraftwerk is now an adjective. Hell. Yes.
(from the 1992 album Initial Command)

UCNX - Presence (mp3|10.10MB): This album is infuriating for no other reason than I wish I would have listened to it in 2008. The electronic blend is almost as hypnotic as Burial, and the very human vocals almost add to the post-apocalyptic dehumanised atmosphere that a lot of industrial music tries to convey. This track makes my head spin in such a good way, though, because in the middle of it you have like, Billy-Joel-as-a-robot playing a short break, and then all of a sudden it's back into this amazing syncopated assembly-line style synth forte, and I really can't describe it any better than that.
(from the 2008 album Absolute Zero)

Anyway, that's it. Just in time, too, 'cause I think I hear blowtorches and the water in the toilet seems to be rippling with ground shocks. Before I go, though, I'd like to thank my co-DJ Chris for tearing his attention away from the Brillo pads and Orange Clean to cover for me last Friday. Without him, this blog would be a cold, desolate place.

Well, hope he survives the destruction. Cheers!

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next w -

[fizzle]

[transmission terminated]

friday five - 24.04.09 - it's a freakshow

I'm back in the big boy's chair again. I never thought it would happen, honestly. Having been systematically demoted to the position of Friday Five Radio Custodial Engineer following my prior stint as FFR sub last November, I never thought Lea would let me get near the golden mic again. But, due to your regular host's myriad of unexpected computer troubles (as opposed to scheduled computer troubles, I guess), here I am once more. The theme, as she told me over the phone last night, is It's a Freakshow. No further clarifications were made as to which one of a wide variety of things this could entail, but I allowed as to how I could probably deal with it anyway.

We all have songs in our collections that are achingly bizarre; songs that, for some reason or other, just do not conform to typical songwriting conventions or social norms. What's more, some of these songs we even like. A lot. Even though it may be awkward to have them over for dinner with the parents, they're still a lot of fun to hang out with when no one else is around. They're special friends. But not to worry -- this is nothing to be ashamed of. Why, it gives both you and your library personality. At least that's what I want you to keep telling yourself. Though I could have kept going indefinitely, here are five songs I particularly enjoy that, while enjoyable, are just a little left-of-center and, well, freaky.



Also: if you need the above picture explained to you, come to New Mexico sometime. Have I got a treat for you.

Animal Collective - "Peacebone" (mp3|7.17MB)
Once you see the video for Animal Collective's "Peacebone," the connection is forged forever. There is no getting rid of the images. "Disturbing" doesn't begin to describe it. You may think the song by itself is creepy and weird, but trust me: if you haven't seen the video, you have no idea. Lucky me, the first time I ever heard the song was when I watched the video. My life has never been the same. It's, um ... well, let's put it this way: Merriweather Post Pavilion has done wonders for their career.
(from the 2007 album Strawberry Jam)

Fleetwood Mac - "Tusk" (mp3|4.81MB)
This song was a huge hit. I still have no idea how. It is one weirdass piece of work, almost definitely one of the weirdest to ever attain any degree of lasting mainstream success. It's almost like Lindsay Buckingham and the rest of Fleetwood Mac were just running a giant social experiment: post-Rumours (every single song from which they still play on classic rock radio every five minutes to this day, and none of them are even a fraction as bizarre), it seemed like the world at large might buy anything these guys put out. This, their follow-up, if anything, proves that right. And don't get me wrong -- it's totally badass. It's just ... man, not only does it not sound like the same band that did "Go Your Own Way" and "Don't Stop," it sounds like it came from another planet.
(from the 1979 album Tusk)

King Crimson - "Elephant Talk" (mp3|4.33MB)
I don't think King Crimson was ever one for normalcy, really. Being on the forefront of prog-rock means always more or less pushing the envelope. Even still, the band's early 80s self-reinvention was weirder than even the most devoted Crimson fan could likely have predicted. I'm not really sure how to describe this incarnation. It's very special, like Robert Fripp and his band of merry men got super stoned with Talking Heads, stole their rhythmic and intellectual New Wave sensibilities, and proceeded to turn them into an even bigger postmodern joke than even the Heads themselves had done. Or maybe I'm way off the mark. Either way, "Elephant Talk" is one hell of an entertaining song. It's bizarre as all hell, but it's a funny kind of bizarre. It's tongue-in-cheek. It knows it's funny. While this could easily be a deal-breaker elsewhere, somehow the meta-amusement just adds another layer of charm. It's awesome. Also: srs lulz @ the elephant guitar noise.
(from the 1981 album Discipline)

Scott Walker - "Farmer in the City" (mp3|9.11MB)
Scott Walker terrifies me. Anyone who has heard his 2006 album The Drift, which stands unchallenged as the most psychologically abusive piece of avant-garde mindfuckery I have ever heard, will know what I'm talking about. Really, I could easily have included any given track from that album; they're all fundamentally the same, and they're all indelibly frightening. I decided against this for two reasons: (1) I really don't want my readers to hate me and/or die; (2) special circumstances aside, I don't really even like The Drift all that much. "Farmer in the City" from his previous album, however, I think more suitably encapsulates his mission statement into something listenable: it's still ultra-eerie and his voice still gives me chills, but it's tuneful, it has structure, and there's even the vaguest sense he's trying to woo you a bit instead of just mess you up. So it more or less automatically becomes the best thing he's recorded.
(from the 1995 album Tilt)

Tom Waits - "Singapore" (mp3|2.52MB)
I've never been the biggest fan of Tom Waits, but I have to give credit where credit's due: it's hard to deny the brilliance of a man who can, seemingly without effort, produce a track as creepy, unsettling, and flat-out fun as "Singapore." I've always said it sounds like an outtake from some especially twisted Tim Burton flick (yeah, seriously). Never mind that, excepting Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Waits' Rain Dogs actually predates all of Burton's films; to say that Waits was merely anticipating the future success of Tim Burton would be to attribute to him a prognostic power that would only make "Singapore" creepier. But then I ask myself, is that really a bad thing?
(from the 1985 album Rain Dogs)

Yup. That'll do it for me. Enjoy! I hope your week went well! With any luck, Lea will be back next Friday with another rockin' dose of Friday Five-ness. 'Til then, take care!

As always, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Friday Five to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next week!