friday five - 03.04.09 - name-dropping

Name-dropping is fun. Admit it. Say that you went to a rock show and, I dunno, hugged the keyboardist of Voxtrot. In the next conversation you have that pertains to Voxtrot and/or keyboards and/or rock shows in general, you might be inclined to say, "Hey, yeah, I got a hug from Jared Van Fleet." Cue the 'ooh's and 'aah's. Unless, of course, the person you're talking to has no idea what a Voxtrot is, and therefore merely stares at you with the confusion of a thousand amnesiacs.

This week's Friday Five is based on name-dropping. These songs have celebrities or well-known figures as a common theme, and unfortunately I haven't met all of them yet.

Yet.

I will tell you, though, as a conscious deviation and relative aside: I plan on seriously partying with Elvis in the afterlife. I mean, for a conservative sonovabitch, he sure knew how to do it. Seriously. What's a few inches on your colon diameter between friends?



Alternative Champs - "Shaquille" (mp3|4.69MB): Nothing like a flashback to the 90s to keep you on your metaphorical toes. Everyone remembers Shaq. Even the people who don't want to remember Shaq remember Shaq. He had this candy bar that was made of delicious chocolate and caramel and rice crisps. How could you forget someone with a scrumptious candy bar namesake? Anyway, this song is all about Shaq, and - being of the repertoire of the Alternative Champs - is delightfully cheery and sardonic at the same time. Free throw? Say what?
(from the 2005 album Welcome to Fort Awesome)

Brand New - "Jesus" (mp3|7.28MB): Yeah, I had to do it. I mean, the Big Guy is pretty much the most famous figure in history (besides, of course, Prince). Besides, I had to work in a Brand New song somewhere, so this might as well be it. (THANKS A LOT, CHRIS.) A song about life, and spirituality - and dealing with life and spirituality. A must-have for any introspective music nerd's collection.
(from the 2006 album The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me)

John Vanderslice - "Bill Gates Must Die" (mp3|5.11MB): You know John Vanderslice, right? "Kookaburra," "White Dove"? Wrong. I want to say that this is John Vanderslice before he got all John-Van-der-slice-y, but somehow that doesn't feel right. No, I think I'm just going to call it out for what it is: awesome. Who hasn't felt that pull of homicidal rage when confronted with what might pass for a monkey at the other end of the world-wide-wubs? I know I have. So admit it, and play this while plotting your revenge at the collective dweeb-mind.
(from the 2000 album Mass Suicide Occult Figurines)

Okkervil River - "Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed on the Roof of the Chelsea Hotel, 1979" (mp3|8.30MB): First of all, this song gets immediate points for having a ridiculously long name. This is something I've figured out about myself. I will systematically favour music with the longest names before I even listen to the album in question just because of the tendency toward absurdity. (By the way, Okkervil River's The Stand-Ins is an awesome album through-and-through, and you should listen to it right now.) Secondly, the story of Jobriath (or Bruce Wayne Campbell, as he was born) is one of the saddest stories in glam that I've ever heard. Seriously, it's like seeing a clown with stars painted over their eyes cry. His act was overpublicised, his agent spent too much money, and he ended up doing cabaret (which, to be honest, I would have liked to be around to see). It's another story about stardom and demise, but it's one that I've found to be more fascinating with time.
(from the 2008 album The Stand-Ins)

Rasputina - "Howard Hughes" (mp3|4.44MB): Despite their employment of a cello for one of their lead instruments (and still I remain a loyal string-whore to heart), Rasputina has never really grabbed me with an album. They've always seemed a little atonal for my taste - a little too "witches' orchestra." Sure, they've got the creepy factor down. Which is why I promote this one track - "Howard Hughes" - for the public's consumption. It's Rasputina doing what they do best, but it's at least moderately in line with actual events, and they do wonderfully with the exploitation of human fault. It's a little gritty, but it's worth getting used to. "Howard Hughes" is an exemplary piece of music.
(from the 1996 album Thanks for the Ether)

And here, friends, again I bid farewell. If my name be in lights by the next time we meet, please take it down as I'm liable to burn and blister, nasty things, must keep away from the light -


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 - 3/29/09

This Week: Catharsis!



Everyone hits rough patches. It's all part of life's rich pageant. One of the most miraculous things that music can do for a person is provide an outlet for all of those negative emotions. Sometimes it may take a while to find the right outlet, that one song that just does it for you, but rest assured when that happens that the song will immediately become part of you and never leave.

Such is the way of these three songs, each of which has stood the test of time (my history with all of these dates back to middle school, and I haven't lost an ounce of love for any of them) and have snugly found their place among my favorite songs ever. In other words, yeah, this is probably the most "legit" Sunday Superlative post in a long time, in that it really is showcasing what I believe is some of the most exemplary, powerful music I have heard. Of course, everyone is different and I can't guarantee that anyone else will find these as deeply cathartic as I do. I could never stop you from trying, though.

The Cure - "Disintegration" (mp3|7.63MB)
For those of you who may not have gotten the memo, The Cure's Disintegration is far and away, without question, my favorite album of all-time. There's no competition. What they accomplish with those 72 minutes is gorgeous, shattering, and utterly perfect. And yet, as tremendous as every song is, not a single one has ever been as viscerally powerful for me as the title track. Extremely few songs can lay claim to having brought me to tears. Even fewer can boast of having that effect on me pretty much every single time (in fact, we may have just narrowed it down to this song). The secret ingredient is a mystery even to me: it's eight solid minutes of swirling, drone-dance hell with Robert Smith wailing some of his most painfully personal lyrics ever, and somehow it just works (the closest analogy I can think of is Of Montreal's similarly wonderful "The Past Is a Grotesque Animal," on which this must've been a huge influence). More than that: it transcends. It becomes by some force of nature a receptacle for all of the misery and depression and suffering in the world, and in the process emerges as one of the most powerful pieces of music ever set to tape.
(from the 1989 album Disintegration)

Nine Inch Nails - "Mr. Self Destruct" (mp3|4.12MB)
Trent Reznor has always been very hit-or-miss with me. Some of his songs are great, while others just seem to miss the mark entirely. When he hits, though, he has the power to hit hard. "Mr. Self Destruct" is an exceedingly abrasive song, and I have no doubt that's what gives it such an overpowering force. When I am inhumanly, furiously mad, there is no greater song in the universe. It strikes all the perfect nerves: Reznor's bitterly antagonistic lyrics, the frenetic, chugging rhythm that gets punctuated with bursts of vicious screaming and noise, the eerie and murderously calm eye of the hurricane wherein you're still pissed as fuck and want to kill something but are disturbingly relaxed about it. By all accounts, it is an anger spell in musical form. It is the only song I can think of that has ever managed to capture every nuance of that particular emotion, and for that I cannot give it enough credit. No, this isn't the sort of thing I can freely listen to at any time (or even often), but when I can it's nothing short of sublime.
(from the 1994 album The Downward Spiral)

Tears for Fears - "Shout" (mp3|5.96MB)
Tears for Fears' place in the grand scheme of rock music is not something that should ever be underestimated. No, they never made a great album, and yes, their output worthy of "required listening" can pretty easily be consolidated into a list of about a half-dozen songs, but ... have you heard those songs?! They're better than not only the majority of 80s pop music, but the majority of music in general. "Shout" is a fine example. Of their myriad hits, this is probably the most famous and recognizable, but it possesses a startling power that is conspicuously absent from almost all other mainstream music. It's an angry song, but it doesn't express that anger with screaming and waves of corrosive noise like plenty of others -- Mr. Reznor included -- would. Instead, it opts for a steady, gradual crescendo that begins as relatively composed and ends almost like some great war cry. When that searing guitar comes in at around 4:30, I just want to raise my fists to the sky and do exactly what the song tells me to. Maximum volume required.
(from the 1985 album Songs from the Big Chair)

The end! I'll try my hardest to be back next week, possibly with something a little cheerier. We'll see. Take care, folks.

friday five - 27.03.09 - drugs!

I've come to a realisation within the past couple of weeks. That realisation is this: If I don't update, people will beat me.

Since teachers, employers, and customers are forbidden by law to beat someone if they are lax in their services, I feel somehow more obligated to procure this rather abrupt yet hopefully mildly satisfying music post out of the ether and into your outstretched hands.

Why?

Because if I don't, people will beat me.

So, without further ado, I give you: drugs!¹ Well, not real ones. But close enough, right? I mean, you're only here because you're addicted, yeah? Good; my mind-controlling blog-waves are working!

Don't ask how they function, just read! Augh! You people!



Band of Horses - "Weed Party" (mp3|4.37MB): "Just another party song." Not really. The point here is - besides having a weed party - everything's going to be okay. Doesn't matter if the parents are there or if they find out. Just have your weed party. It's cool. And if it's not? Hey, look! Wine! Thank you, Band of Horses, for your support. The party will go on.
(from the 2006 album Everything All the Time)

High Places - "Head Spins (extended version)" (mp3|4.05MB): So, this is actually about love. It's nonsensical like love, and love makes you high, and speaking of love - oh, and by the way, dinosaurs and seagulls' wings. High Places presents to you exactly what my thought process looks like when I think about my relationships with others. (Before you say a word: I have a lot of friends. Facebook says so.)
(from the 2008 album 03/07 - 09/07)

Klaxons - "Gravity's Rainbow" (mp3|3.64MB): This one was obviously selected for a very different reason. A few of you (okay, one or two. maybe one.) might get this. This is why Klaxons is awesome. See, there's this book. We'll call it Literature McHuge-Big. Actually, we'll just call it Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. This guy stockpiled weed and potato chips and wrote a book. That's all you need to know, besides the fact that this book is fucking large. Anyway, there's this part in the book that references ejaculation and WWII bomb trajectories, right? Yes, well, there you go. This is a song about a part in a book about the comparison between ejaculate and a falling bomb. And now I really want some potato chips.
(from the 2007 album Myths of the Near Future)

Pink Floyd - "Any Colour You Like" (mp3|4.71MB): You probably knew I was going to throw some Floyd in here. Oddly, it wasn't "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict." (Although - nah, never mind.) This is just a super-chill instrumental track from Dark Side of the Moon that's - well. I mean, that sounds like it would be a great song to smo - er. You know. Do that thing. That thing you do. When you - aww, screw it.
(from the 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon)

Telepathe - "Drugged" (mp3|4.72MB): The thing about Telepathe is the fact that they have this awesome Au Revoir Simone/Switchblade Symphony girlbaby awesomeness going on. Couple that with lyrics like "I sit in the swirl" and "I watch the light" and - oh, did I mention the distorted electronics and trance vocals that still manage to combine into something vaguely industrial and dark? Yes please.
(from the 2009 album Dance Mother)

Okay, that's it. You kids clear out. Oh yeah, and watch where you st -

- eeugh. Never mind! Good night!


¹Our Google statistics are about to skyrocket. Just you watch.


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 - 3/1/09

This Week: Good Songs by Terrible Bands: 2000s FM Rock Edition



I suppose this entry could also easily be subtitled Guilty Pleasures, because it's true: I like these songs quite a bit, but if you listen closely you can hear a small part of me die every time I admit it. The truth stands, though. I, the snotty and fairly unflappable indie kid, also occasionally listen to the radio, and sometimes I even enjoy it. Most of the time I'm appalled by the collective taste of contemporary mainstream America, but from time to time even the most appalling of bands manages to get it right.

So that's tonight's showcase. I'm sure you've heard of all three of these bands. They share two things in common: (1) they're all pretty huge right now; (2) they're uniformly terrible. I would never, ever purchase an album by any of these guys. The point I'm making, though, is that talent (or perhaps luck) can be found in even the most unlikely places. All three of these songs are quite good. I'd never condone listening to the remainder of their output, but even I must admit to sneaking a bite or two of these songs every once in a while.

Fall Out Boy - "Thanks for the Memories" (mp3|6.03MB)
Ever since I discovered and fell head over heels in love with Brand New (whose indescribably fantastic The Devil and God... I practically have memorized by now), I have a hard time discounting the entire musical umbrella known unfavorably as "emo." But let's face it: the vast, vast majority of it really sucks a big one. No "emo" band has enjoyed the same degree of mainstream success as Fall Out Boy, and I guess one could reasonably argue that none are as deserving (since they're all offensively generic enough as to be interchangable). But ugh, I can't stand them. These guys were the shit in high school, and I guess they continue to be. I don't care for their image, I don't like their obviously put-on emotional turmoil, I don't think Pete Wentz is omg hott, and my hair reflexively stands on end every time I hear their music. And that's why I perhaps unfairly regard the catchy and unmistakably homoerotic "Thanks for the Memories" as something of a fluke. It's a well-written song and I enjoy it more than I care to admit, but I'm just left with that nagging feeling that even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day.
(from the 2007 album Infinity on High)

Maroon 5 - "Makes Me Wonder" (mp3|4.83MB)
My apologies in advance, but whenever I think of the singer of Maroon 5, I think of Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight: "What happened? Jer balls drop off?!" The man is one hormone injection away from sounding like Sheryl Crow. But in 2007, against all odds, he and his band miraculously managed to turn this into a good thing for three and a half minutes and deliver "Makes Me Wonder," which may well have been my favorite mainstream track of that particular year. I don't know what magic drug these guys took, but they embody that cocky white-boy funk thing so perfectly that Justin Timberlake might as well just throw away the latter half of his career (he can start by throwing away the first half, too). This is a frightening song. Absolutely terrifying. It has no right to be this damn good. But it's really, really quality.
(from the retardedly titled 2007 album It Won't Be Soon Before Long)

3 Doors Down - "Kryptonite" (mp3|5.37MB)
I remember when this song came out. I was in 6th grade. I even liked it then. This either means my taste hasn't improved, or this song is actually pretty good. Despite the answer I would lean towards, the band apparently favors the latter option, since they've spent the past decade trying -- and failing -- to rewrite it. Really, they should've just broken up. All of their songs sound exactly the same, like a second-rate 3 Doors Down tribute band (jesus god almighty) trying to one-up the only good song they ever had. Trust me, that's not a good place to be. But hey, at least this "Kryptonite" ditty is pretty good. I mean, it's not like "Stairway to Heaven" or anything, but in a loud mindless alt-rock sort of way, I find it pretty satisfying.
(from the 2000 album The Better Life)

Catch you folks later!

the sunday superlative - 2/15/09

This Week: Lea Stole My Theme



It's true. She did. I was going to go the sappy love song route, too, but she got there before me. I can't really complain, though: the Valentine's Day thing was out there just waiting to be capitalized upon. And it's not like there aren't, like, seven million sappy love songs I could've chosen from that wouldn't have overlapped the five she chose.

But let's face it. Two posts in a row with the same theme is boring. So I, thinking on my feet, decided to shake things up a bit and go for the diametric opposite.

This Week: Stalker Anthems

There are more of these than you realize. It really wasn't difficult finding three to throw in here. (Well, okay, four. "Gallery Piece" wasn't on the original lineup, but ... sorry, yeah, I had to.) And most impressively, I'll have you note, none of them are "Every Breath You Take." Because seriously, everyone's heard that one. It's the classic stalker anthem of all-time, and a great song, but really. I'd blogcast Kevin Barnes over Sting any day. I know he'd do the same for me. Plus lots of other things I will not go into.

Sarah McLachlan - "Possession" (mp3|4.26MB)
Chicks can be stalkers too. (This is the kind of statement I like to build up to by giving examples of male stalkerism first, but Ms. McLachlan's name unfortunately comes first alphabetically, so now I just look like a douche.) I must admit, however, that if in addition to stalking me they could also bust out the instruments and play a song as lovely as "Possession," I'd probably be sold. Too bad, with my luck, I'd probably end up getting stalked by, like, Bjork instead. But yeah: Sarah McLachlan seriously makes stalking sound completely un-creepy and even vaguely pleasurable. For both parties. It's a gorgeous song. They even play it on the radio sometimes, if you can believe that.
(from the 1993 album Fumbling Towards Ecstacy)

The National - "Brainy" (mp3|4.53MB)
This song is deceptive, you see, because it takes you completely by surprise. All of The National's songs sound fundamentally similar, so -- at least in the context of Boxer (a fine album, by the way, but you knew this) -- you're expecting "Brainy" to be another late-night urban lament just like its on-album predecessors "Fake Empire" and "Mistaken for Strangers." But it's not. Listen to what he's singing. That shit about the fingerprints? That's disturbing as hell. I bet you didn't realize such a soft-spoken, lovely song could be so unnerving. But it can. And trust me, you'll never listen to it the same way again.
(from the 2007 album Boxer)

Of Montreal - "Gallery Piece" (mp3|5.42MB)
No doubt the textbook example of pathological romantic obsession in modern pop music. I can't decide whether it's creepy or hilarious. Considering this man is singing it, maybe the answer is evident.
(from the 2008 album Skeletal Lamping)

Porcupine Tree - "Blackest Eyes" (mp3|6.03MB)
When people go nuts for Porcupine Tree, this is why. I like them. I think they're a good band. But man, they can be ridiculously overrated by some people. "Blackest Eyes" reassures me for four minutes that, yes indeed, there is something to all this giant praise. For one thing, it features just about the most seamless and wholly appropriate integration of metal influences into a straightforward pop structure I can think of. It's a song about a stalker/serial killer, right, so it makes sense that he's going to be pleasant and charismatic one moment, and violently off-the-rails the next. The music mirrors this to perfection, and the result is both intense and unforgettable. If all their songs were this good, they really would be the best band in the world.
(from the 2002 album In Absentia)

'Til next week! Yes, I'll be here. I promise. Stop following me.

friday five - 13/14.02.09 - happy love-or-whatever day

All right, let's get this out of the way first: I know I suck. It's okay, really. I've come to terms with this, and am currently seeking therapy for this very personal difficulty. Consider it, dear readers, a symptom of the fame and arrogance I've acquired over the past few months.

Hey! Why're you laughing?

In all seriousness, though, you've been jipped out of several Fridays' worth of music. I'm really sorry. You know what bites even more? I only have the typical five songs for you this week. I didn't include any bonuses. (Mainly because the internet I have has decided to take a few rides on the short bus.) But the selection I've chosen includes some really great stuff (see, there's that arrogance again), and hopefully quality will win over quantity. Because that decision is a lot easier to make when beer isn't involved.

Oh, yeah. It's St. Valentine's Day tomorrow today, dammit. So, uh, the theme is like, love-related. Or something. God, I can't wait for the post V-Day discount chocolates. HUZZAH. I'M GONNA EAT MYSELF SICK.





Cut/Copy - "Hearts on Fire" (mp3|4.46MB): Considering the fact that I recently saw the accompanying video to this lovely track (and was subsequently filled with glee), I had to post this. It's relevant! And it's sweet. Aw. Not to mention, of course, the unquestionable awesomeness of this band altogether (OH, by the way, I might see them in March; aren't you jealous). You know what? I could have put any Cut/Copy song here regardless of whether or not it had anything to do with love, and you wouldn't have cared one iota. Come on, admit it.

VHS or Beta - "Love in My Pocket" (mp3|2.95MB): We slowly begin the electronic fade out, moving from very heavy electronica influences to a subtler variety of this particular musical species by the notable VHS or Beta. The cheetah hunts for days, consumed with hunger. If she doesn't find suitable prey soon, she and her cubs will die. (Sorry, just noticed the similarity in expository structure.) Anyway, I was addicted to this album - Bring on the Comets, for anyone curious and unaware, yes, my minions, go forth - for a month straight in 2007, so now you have to suffer the consequences. Have fun.

White Whale - "I Love Lovely Chinese Gal" (mp3|4.10MB): There is absolutely no way, from here on out, that I can compensate for the intense nerdery that accompanies this posting. White Whale both excretes and absorbs coolness, sorta like osmosis in a cellular wall. I feel so cool for liking White Whale, but that coolness stems from a socially secluded kind of nerd-cool that only hardcore uncool people like me seem to appreciate. Anyway, have a song that sounds like it was recorded in a fish tank. The love abounds.

My Bloody Valentine - "When You Sleep" (mp3|1.67MB): Busy, slightly distorted, and highly rockin', My Bloody Valentine's Loveless is the perfect album to play on St. Valentine's Day - if only for this track, and if only for the opening lyric: "When I look at you / Oh, I don't know what I feel." You can apply that in so many different directions. I won't say what it means to me. Catch that on the next Maury.

The Cure - "Friday I'm in Love" (mp3|2.95MB): Awwwww. You guys know why I chose this one. It's Friday! (Or, it WAS Friday before I typed this. You're probably reading this on a Saturday. GUYS, I'M TRYING.) For all intents: Friday, I'm in love. With you! Not in the creepy way, but in the obsessive I-hope-it's-mutual and/or I-hope-they-don't-kill-me-in-my-sleep and/or I-hope-they-still-like-me sort of way. You know. Because I still have all of those weed emotions that grow in high school. And the Cure will always rock. And I'm an internet whore. And I stalk you. Okay, maybe this is the creepy kind of love. But you like it.

Anyway, that's it! EAT CANDY.

<3,
Lea (FFR, soon to be banish-ed from her own kingdom)


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 - 2/8/09

This Week: Harmonica Highlights



Ladies and gentlemen, it's time we faced a sad fact that has been plaguing the musical world for quite some time: there is not equality among instruments. Not all are held in the same esteem, not all are regarded with the same amount of reverence. Oh sure, you've got your almighty guitar and your keyboards and bass and hifalutin drums, but what about the so-called "lesser" instruments? What has happened to them?

I'll come to the point: the harmonica gets a bad rap. In the social hierarchy of musical instruments, it's one step above the kazoo. And while many people will stick to their guns and continue hating it, I insist that it is merely misunderstood. Well, tonight all this is going to stop. I have brought out three songs (Lea roughed me up in the gym and told me that if I exceeded my limits again, I would pay in what she calls "moderately important body parts"; she also took my lunch money) that not only accentuate the harmonica's importance within the structure of a popular song, but in some cases suggest that it may even be an integral element.

We start with an obvious choice.

Culture Club - "Karma Chameleon" (mp3|3.90MB)
I fully expect this to get zero downloads (yes, I do monitor this, so if you ever want to make me feel REALLY good about myself, download something twice). Not because it's bad or because you know all about Thing George and his old band, but because you have it already. Come on. Let's face it. You love this song. You love everything about it. You love how catchy it is. You love how rebellious you feel when you dance to it while no one's around. And, most of all, you love that damn harmonica.
(from the 1983 album Colour By Numbers)

Doves - "Rise" (mp3|5.13MB)
2009 is, at least in conventional numeric terms, the end of a decade (yeah yeah there was no year zero stfu). This means that, come December, I -- the compulsive listmaker -- will be faced with the unenviable task of ranking my favorite songs of the decade. Luckily for me, the job has been made 1/25 easier, because I'd say there's a very strong chance Doves' gorgeous, ethereal "Rise" will find its way onto the list somewhere. Maybe it's just the fact that the first time I ever heard it was on a lonely summer night back in '07, but this more than any other song I can think of perfectly captures that lonely summer night feeling. It's haunting, it's lovely, and it has one of the most legitimately tasteful harmonica solos I have ever heard. Seriously, the harmonica elevates the song; it would certainly not be as good without it. The solo is so perfectly placed, so seamlessly integrated, that I honestly didn't even hear it the first few times. It's just a necessary extension of the music. It's an asset. "Rise" singlehandedly makes the case for the harmonica as an acceptable musical entity. And, yeah, it's also a fantastic song.
(from the 2000 album Lost Souls)

Bob Dylan - "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" (mp3|15.57MB)
Ah, but of course. Mr. Zimmerman is the king of the harmonica. I had to include him. But he gets a bad rap, too. Sure, he's an icon and all that, but I get the feeling these days that he's more iconic for being "that batshit son of a bitch" than for being a true musician. True, he probably is insane; and yes, he does have the most distinctive (read: highly irritating -- yes, even I think so) voice ever put to tape. But that doesn't mean he wasn't a prodigious talent in his time. "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands," while not among his super-famous songs, may be the finest thing he ever wrote. Written for his wife, it's a love ballad that quite simply puts most other love ballads to shame. And if you think it's too long, that it drags, that he should've somehow edited it down: I'm sorry, but you're wrong. It's just so good.
(from the 1966 album Blonde on Blonde)

(If you really want a fourth song, though, check out The Beatles' "I Should Have Known Better." I'm sure it's in your personal library already. Anything by the Fab Four is wonderful, of course, and it's also one-fourth the length of "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands." So there.)

... aaaaand I'll see you folks next week!

the sunday superlative - 2/1/09

This Week: Super Bowl Halftime: Alternate Programming



I don't know if you knew this, but the Super Bowl is today. I know! Crazy, right? I just found out, too. Naturally, this entails Super Bowl-ish things: millions of flickering TV screens, almost as many parties, countless bowls overflowing with Doritos, and -- of course -- the reason why everyone tunes in in the first place: the fast-paced excitement, the adrenaline-pumping promise of physical injury as a devotion to one's craft, that slow-motion moment when it appears if only for a fleeting instant that all of your dreams for the evening may come true.

I am, of course, referring to the halftime show. At least, most years. But let's face it, folks: I disapprove this year. I'm not the biggest fan of The Boss. Yeah, sure, maybe he was born to run in the U.S.A. (in which case, why doesn't he take the field like a man?), but that's boring. More than likely, people are going to get up, stretch out, and leave the room.

So I envisioned a "what if?" scenario. What if I had been allowed to schedule the halftime show? How would I have filled those fifteen minutes? Well, may you wonder no more. By the powers vested in me, the following four songs (yes, I did four again -- maybe one of these weeks I'll learn my limits) would be performed by their respective artists in this order. I tend to be a modest guy, but I hasten to state that I am positive that, were this reality, America would not only stay firmly rooted in front of their TVs, but it would be far and away the most memorable and perhaps enjoyable stretch of the entire evening. So take heed, 2010 Super Bowl programmers. I would not mislead you.

Electric Six - "Dance Commander" (mp3|3.59MB)
Ours is a festive culture. We love to party, and dancing is in our blood. However, we're also hard workers: we earn our lazy Sunday evenings kicking back with friends, popping a beer, and watching the game. From my experience, once you're on the couch, you're on the couch. This is exactly why the halftime show is a perfect venue for the dance commander. Sometimes a person can't merely be talked into embracing his or her inherent dancing nature; sometimes, dammit, they just need to be commanded. Halftime is not an opportunity to get up, piss, stretch out, or get more hot wings; it's a time to bust a move. Were this to happen, I'd second the words of Dick Valentine to a tee: IT WOULD BE AWESOME.

Kelly - "Shoes" (mp3|2.53MB)
It's really just baby steps from Carrie Underwood to this. Let's not forget that women watch the Super Bowl, too, and that this enthusiastic endorsement of red-white-and-blue feminine consumerism would be heartily welcomed. Its accompanying YouTube video has spent two and a half years with "instant classic" status attached to it; this internet popularity is, if anything, the perfect signifier for a warm reception at the greatest of all American sporting events.

Styx - "Mr. Roboto" (mp3|4.36MB)
There's something undeniably beguiling about imagining this song being performed in front of millions upon millions of viewers. Seriously, imagine it as you listen. You'll see what I mean.

Team America OST - "America, Fuck Yeah" (mp3|1.93MB)
Super Bowl programmers are always looking for the ideal candidate to whip the crowd into a huge, patriotic frenzy. Why else would they book Bruce Springsteen? Well, I'll tell you what: no song in the past five years has made me feel as patriotic or as proud to be an American as Trey Parker's exuberant declaration of United States awesomeness. It's the sort of song so infectious, so utterly inspiring, that you not only find yourself shouting along with it immediately, but actually adding to it once it's over. While driving, for instance: "Subway; FUCK YEAH! Walgreens; FUCK YEAH! Stop light; FUCK YEAH!" It just makes you so damn happy to be alive in America in the 21st century, and I think more people need the feeling bestowed upon them.

See you next time, folks. Have fun tonight! I know I will. Probably bust out a favorite film or something.

the sunday superlative - 1/25/09

This Week: 2008's Overlooked Gems



Damn, I suck. It has been since November 30 that the last Sunday Superlative was posted here. You do realize this was two months, one calendar year, one U.S. president, and approximately 9,000 I-just-wet-myself reviews of Merriweather Post Pavilion ago. Time flies. In fact, the only thing greater in magnitude than the speed at which time flies is the degree to which I suck. This, sadly, is an irreversible condition. However, I can make amends for it, so that's what I'm hoping this post is going to do.

Inevitably, every year there are songs and bands that fall through the cracks. Damn good songs and damn good bands. Who knows why it happens? It just does. Especially in the digital age, there are so many bands making so much music that it's frankly a miracle that everyone doesn't get lost in the shuffle (though you wish some would, oh hi Deerhunter). This is my valiant attempt to highlight three of my favorite nobody-heard-this songs from 2008. While all you cool kids were off groovin' to Tha Carter III (or whatever it is you do with that album), I was checking out this good stuff. Enjoy.

The Lucksmiths - "Lament of the Chiming Wedgebill" (mp3|3.49MB)
In a word, beautiful. In two words, damn beautiful. I stand by my original comparison: it's like an Australian Outback version of The Decemberists' "Yankee Bayonet," with some swoon-worthy male/female vocal harmonies and a jangly guitar/harmonica interplay that sounds, indeed, like nothing short of a lamentation. But what a pretty, desolate, desert-tainted mournfulness it is. My only complaint is that the rest of First Frost didn't sound anything like this. Whereas the remainder was mostly generic, unremarkable guitar pop, this is something much greater. This is lovely. This is one that, if I don't watch it, I'll find myself listening to over and over again.

Pitchblend - "Somewhere I Could Never Find" (mp3|6.55MB)
Pitchblend have tapped into an interesting sound. They have, for my money, found the perfect combination of two seemingly incompatible styles: that dynamic Explosions in the Sky/Mogwai-ish post-rock and that emo-pop stuff you hear on the radio and don't like (not that I do, either). Evidently, they work a whole lot better together than I ever would have thought. The tuneful noisiness of the post-rock actually more or less nullifies the latter (I think it's mostly the guy's pretty standard-issue alternative-rock voice that leads me to the radio-pop label, actually) and the result is a very good song indeed. It's atmospheric, catchy, rockin', and even decently passionate. I freely admit it was in heavy rotation on my playlist last summer. Perhaps you can do it the same favor for the coming spring.

Uh Huh Her - "Covered" (mp3|5.39MB)
All I need to say is "chicks doing super catchy, melodic, energetic electro-pop" and this is already better than a good majority of that new Tilly and the Wall album. Actually, most of Common Reaction is enjoyable in that "this is probably guilty pleasure, but ... yeah, don't give a shit" sort of way, but "Covered" is definitely the standout. It's a pop song. It doesn't try to be anything else. It wants to get you to tap your toes and hum along and enjoy yourself. It successfully gets me to do all three every time I hear it. At the end of the day, could I really ask for more? If I did, I'd almost certainly be missing the point.

And that's all, fol--fuck it. I haven't done this in two months. I can be afforded one bonus song. Let's do it.

Chauchat - "Murdering Chair" (mp3|7.12MB)
This falls somewhere in between Neutral Milk Hotel (one of the best indie bands ever, and you damn well better agree) and Bright Eyes (who's good on the days he doesn't suck, which seem to be chosen at random). I can't pinpoint exactly where. It's certainly much more heavily weighted towards the "good" end of both (why would I include it otherwise?), and seems a fine example of how a straightforward acoustic ballad can skillfully build into a noisy, cacophonous lo-fi jam session (once again: NMH and Bright Eyes). I like it quite a bit.

And NOW I'm done. I'll try to be back next week, I promise. I realize that "weekly" does, in fact, mean "every week." Don't hold me to it or anything, but damned if I won't try.

friday five - 02.01.09 - bring in the new

Ironically, I we actually had no idea how to start this blog post. Or how to follow up that previous sentence with anything of substance. Instead, seeing as how your two DJs are in the same state - nay, in the same room - we decided to record an audio introduction to this week's theme.

Click here to download! (MP3|1.05MB)



Death Cab for Cutie - "The New Year" (MP3|5.54MB)
Chris sez: Call me a morbid bastard. Go ahead. Do it. But it's something of an annual tradition that somewhere in the duration of January's first week I must listen to this song. But it's undeniably wonderful. No one -- no, not even you -- is going to argue the point that Transatlanticism is Death Cab for Cutie's defining work (don't even try to fool yourself by thinking otherwise, Narrow Stairs fans), and I daresay this song kickstarts it perfectly. Kind of like, hey, this song kickstarts my year perfectly. Oh, Ben Gibbard. You're just that good.

The Dismemberment Plan - "The Ice of Boston" (MP3|6.83MB)
Lea sez: It seems appropriate for me to follow up a Death Cab song by a Dismemberment Plan song if only for the fact that the two in fact toured together as a parade of "Death and Dismemberment," which, considering Gibbard's preferred later melodic composition, is funnier than it should be. Anyway. "The Ice of Boston" pretty much defines the mood of the entire album (called, as if you really needed to know, The Dismemberment Plan is Terrified), and encompasses a myriad of realistic feelings, thoughts, and events as experienced by your typical socially dysfunctional geek and/or misanthrope. Except for, you know, the naked champagne part. Well, at least as far as you're concerned. I will say no more.

Brand New - "The Archers Bows Have Broken" (MP3|5.83MB)
Chris sez: Call me a desperate bastard. Go ahead. Do it. This song has nothing whatsoever to do with this week's theme, but if I may direct your attention to the band's name, you will quickly notice that they are not merely new. They are Brand New. And that by itself makes the song worthy of inclusion. That, and -- for the unforunate souls who have not heard it -- the band's 2006 album The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me is one of the greatest things I have ever heard. Honestly, I could have chosen any song from it and it would've suited me just as well. "The Archers Bows Have Broken" is merely the poppiest, most accessible, least soul-crushingly dreary thing on it. Hey. That works.

Radiohead - "Lucky" (MP3|5.95MB)
Lea sez: It seems appropriate for me to follow up a great song with another great song. Wait! Isn't that what this entire blog is for, anyway? Isn't it? ISN'T IT? Well, whether you agree or disagree with the latter statement, Radiohead's "Lucky" is presented in one of my favourite combinations: contrasting lyrics and music. It's a beautiful and mournful-sounding track with some of the most hopeful and optimistic thoughts one could have for the future. Maybe my luck will change.

Interpol - "The New" (MP3|8.41MB)
Chris sez: Call me an unconventional bastard. Everyone loves Interpol. I am no exception. Believe it or not, though, this is my favorite Interpol song. That's right. This one. Over the course of their stunning debut Turn on the Bright Lights (truly a best-of-decade candidate), the band adopts two stances: the angular, rockin' Interpol and the soft, restrained balladeerin' Interpol. "The New" is the only song on the album that seamlessly combines both aspects; it rocks and it's pretty. As a result, it's pretty rockin'. Oh god I am so done.

Alias - "Resurgam" (MP3|5.93MB)
Lea sez: It seems appropriate for me, as a primarily classical musician, to appreciate the finer points of purely instrumental music. And since I've posted so damn much of it on this blog already, I figure it wouldn't hurt to throw up another one. See? I'll never learn. Alias' "Resurgam," though - and I'm confident you'll agree - is an amazing classical-electric-trance(-core?) piece that just sounds like a new beginning. From the opening rises to the background voices and the steady, carrying beat, it's definitely a good start for anyone.

Stars - "The Night Starts Here" (MP3|9.00MB)
Chris sez: Call me a straggling bastard, but I only discovered Stars in hindsight. This saddens me, because it means that there was a time when "The Night Starts Here" (one of those songs I love so much that, regardless of how many more Stars songs I heard in my life, will almost unquestionably remain my favorite) was not a part of my life when it very easily could have been. There's not really all that much that can be said about it. It's a gorgeous duet, with Mr. and Mrs. Vocalist trading some of the most swoon-worthy lyrics imaginable ("You drop a coin into the sea and shout out, 'Please come back to me.'") You will download it and like it. Even if you already have it and/or don't like it. This blog is all about NEW SHIT and I'm going to give you, like, a NEW OPINION too. I really need sleep. Good thing the night starts he--oh, just shoot me.

Voxtrot - "Future Pt. 1" (MP3|5.08MB)
Lea sez: It seems appropriate for me to not only post songs by my favourite bands, but to also post songs by those among my favourite bands who I happen to have seen live. And whose keyboardist happened to have given me a hug in the spring of 2007 BUT I DIGRESS. This is a song about growing up, and about hardship, and about being hugged by Voxtrot's keyboardist learning to live after mistakes and molding your future to suit yourself so that you, too, might be hugged by the keyboardist of Voxtrot.

Silversun Pickups - "Rusted Wheel" (MP3|8.29MB)
Chris sez: Call me an indie shoegazing bastard, but I love Silversun Pickups. To my way of thinking, their uniformly excellent debut Carnavas was guilty of having two song-masterpieces on it: the so-fantastic-it's-unfair "Future Foe Scenarios" (which is not included) and the would've-been-the-best-song-on-any-other-album "Rusted Wheel" (which is). I'm not exactly sure what it is about this song that pleases me so much, but it's ... so good. With an ellipsis for dramatic emphasis. The song takes us from summer to winter and beyond, its cyclical beauty something to behold. Also, if they had a keyboardist (do they?), I'm pretty sure I would have met him/her and hugged him/her. So take that, Lea. You are not the only person who has friendly relations with keyboardists. Of course, there's that one other keyboardist, too, but ... best not to talk about that one, lest I feel rejected. So, uh, Silversun Pickups! Pick it up! I'm so glad this is my last song, because these jokes are not getting any better.

Eagles - "Funky New Year" (MP3|5.64MB)
Lea sez: It seems appropriate for me to follow up a pile-up travesty of bad jokes and keyboardist-lovin' envy with a song that - okay, never mind. There's really no excuse for this song. There's really no excuse for me to like this song. And there's absolutely no excuse for two people to subject an entire diner full of patrons (among them, angry men in purple shirts with no sense of humour who shall remain anonymous because I don't know their names) to the song in proper jukebox-style. But there you have it. I mean, if you really think about it, there's really no excuse for us, either. (COME ON, GUYS. FUNKY NEW YEAR. YOU KNOW YOU WANNA.)

Okay. We're done now.

Click here to download the epic conclusion! (MP3|1.21MB)

Okay. NOW we're done.