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!

the sunday superlative - 4/19/09

This Week: Selected Highlights from MSTRKRFT's Fist of God

Kidding, kidding. But really, as some of you may have noticed, SendSpace conveniently deleted the file for "Bounce" within about 12 hours of my posting it due to a "terms of service violation." Not that this bothers me, of course, seeing as how I am a shameless scofflaw with no moral center. I just thought I should apologize to you folks for posting an mp3 of a song that was released as a single from an album which had its physical release over a month ago. I can be so damn cold like that sometimes.

This Week: 70s Prog-Folk


(Apparently Mutton Chops Guy has a brother. Who knew?)

So the solution, then, is to choose a theme that no one cares about. I'm not even sure I care about 70s prog-folk. I kid once again, of course: me and this subgenre go way back; we're homies. I blame my father. For a lot of things, but this especially. Celtic folk is, like, his main style, and for years I have been guilty of sneaking off with his CDs and LPs. I thought, since the indie scene seems to be undergoing both a prog and folk revival (it's little wonder The Decemberists are just about the only "crazy kid" band el padre will listen to), that we might once again turn to the past and explore some roots. There's some great stuff to be had, so enjoy.

Jethro Tull - "Rover" (mp3|3.91MB)
Yeah, that Jethro Tull. No kidding. For stalwart fans of the band, this must've seemed like a radical change of direction. After releasing several albums of more or less total crap, Ian Anderson & co. returned in 1978 with a delightful little album called Heavy Horses that basically eschewed all of the band's bombastic "hey let's write 45-minute songs, guys!" ambitions for a bunch of humble, well-written folk ditties. And to tell you the truth, despite really liking their early 70s stuff (Aqualung and the still OMG-worthy Thick as a Brick are two of my favorite albums ever), I'd say "Rover" is actually a pretty easy shoe-in for my top five Tull songs. It's lightweight, melodic, well-written, stripped of needless complexity, totally charming. Anderson never really lost the ability to write stuff like this; it's just that, after about '73 or so, he simply started using that talent less frequently. And that's a shame. By all means, stuff like Heavy Horses should be the rule, not the exception. But at least it exists, and that's something.
(from the 1978 album Heavy Horses)

Renaissance - "Black Flame" (mp3|5.90MB)
All right, I admit that this whole entry was more or less just a prop so that I could post "Black Flame." It is without a doubt one of the loveliest songs of its respective era, and since day one its inclusion somewhere in the Sunday Superlative has been somewhat mandatory. Renaissance is likely the best 70s band no one has ever heard of: by consistently balancing mood and beauty with Annie Haslam's powerful, soaring voice, they created a brand of folk-rock that was both inherently familiar and yet unmistakably unique. Though they had many excellent tracks (see also: "The Vultures Fly High" and "Ocean Gypsy," if you're interested), "Black Flame" will always and forever remain their crowning achievement in my eyes. All the eeriness and atmosphere, all the intriguing lyrical turns of phrase and songwriting chops, all the enthusiasm and passion the band possessed comes to fruition over the course of these six and a half minutes. It's just damn gorgeous. (Apparently a long, long, long time ago they came to Albuquerque and my dad saw them live. Even my inner snotty indie kid can't deny how cool that must've been.)
(from the 1974 album Turn of the Cards)

Steeleye Span - "Alison Gross" (mp3|4.89MB)
Here's the deal with Steeleye Span: they take traditional Celtic folk songs and painstakingly update them with modern elements, like electric guitars and such. In the wrong hands, this could easily be an embarrassing trainwreck of an idea. Luckily for us, these guys seriously know what they're doing. If you're like me and only have a modest knowledge of traditional Celtic folk, you'll listen and find it hard to believe that this here "Alison Gross" song isn't an original. It sounds traditional, but it's so slickly rewritten that it comes across as more of a keenly executed homage than an adaptation (high praise indeed, and this is commonplace for these guys: I had a hard time deciding which song to include, but this narrowly beat out "Boys of Bedlam" and "Black Jack Davy"). By virtue of being both addictive and amazingly inventive, it's utterly suited for inclusion in the prog-folk movement. Plus, it has a completely pointless but kinda hilarious noise explosion at the end, so make sure to stick around for that.
(from the 1973 album Parcel of Rogues)

Okay! I'll see you folks next week. Take care, drive safe, and always talk to strangers.

By all means, send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Sunday Superlative in a self-addressed, stamped envelope to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Though I have yet to receive one, requests are always welcome and entirely open to consideration.

the sunday superlative - 4/12/09

This Week: EASTER RAVE



Do I seriously need to introduce this? IT'S EASTER. IT'S A JOYOUS CELEBRATION. THIS CALLS FOR SOME SERIOUS ELECTRONICA.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - "We Are Rockstars" (mp3|5.30MB)
Erase from your memory the recent usage of parts of this song in the horrible-looking Fast and Furious trailers and just focus, if you will, on how remarkably well constructed it is: it's roughly 2/3 aggro-electro breakdown and 1/3 unexpected (and therefore highly effective) melodic, vocals-laden change-up. The result is a pounding dance song with a heart of solid gold to which I can safely respond that, no, it does not offend me one bit.
(from the 2008 album You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into)

Justice - "D.A.N.C.E." (mp3|5.34MB)
Oh, right. Like I was going to post that picture and then not include this song. I remember when this song came out. I bet you do too. However, I don't think either of us could have fully predicted the extent to which this would become an instant classic. But there you go. The Zeitgeist is as unpredictable as it is powerful, and its impact has rendered this little gem ubiquitous at pretty much every dance party since; hence, its presence here. That, and the fact that I kind of like it a lot.
(from the 2007 album †)

MSTRKRFT - "Bounce" [feat. N.O.R.E. & Isis] (mp3|6.87MB)
Somewhere during MSTRKRFT's mind-altering DJ set (no, really; at an undetermined point during four solid hours of continuous, loud-as-fuck dance music, your brain just kind of naturally drifts into a surreal other world), they played this. Trust me: there is nothing more effective than bearing witness to a couple hundred twentysomethings (yourself included) bouncin' low, bouncin' high to gleefully hedonistic lyrics like "All I do is party -- ha! ha! ha! ha!" in convincing you that you have discovered the ultimate party anthem of 2009.
(from the 2009 album Fist of God)

Pure Reason Revolution - "Deus Ex Machina" (mp3|9.91MB)
I can admit with some ease that this is my favorite song (thus far, at least) of the still-young, but already incredibly fine year at hand. I've heard some amazing stuff, but nothing even comes close to touching this. What Pure Reason Revolution have provided here is a music geek's paradise: a relentless, endlessly energetic and inventive industrial/prog-metal hybrid with tremendous, literary lyrics (unless references to Ezekiel's vision from the cherubim are commonplace and I've just been missing them) and a scrupulous attention to listenability and musicality. While its grind is certainly militant, the amount of thought put into the melodies, vocal harmonies, and structure is so unmistakably steeped in precision and meticulousness that it's clear these guys aren't just trying to rock out. They want to make you think and conjure a little emotion, too. It's an amazing achievement.
(from the 2009 album Amor Vincit Omnia)

Vitalic - "Newman" (mp3|6.65MB)
I confess my guilt in driving down Albuquerque surface roads at more than twice the legal speed limit while listening to this song. My faithful Denny's-hopping co-DJ can back me up on this; she was there. But how could you not? The entirety of OK Cowboy pulses with such a forceful intensity that maximum speed is less an option than a requirement. To that degree, "Newman" is a standout among standouts. It rocks hard, it rocks fast, and it's one of the best songs of its kind I can think of.
(from the 2005 album OK Cowboy)

Marshmallow peeps and jelly beans have been courteously provided on the side tables. Enjoy, party hearty, and I'll catch you folks in another seven days!

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

friday five - 10.04.09 - spotlight on classical

Q. Classical? Are you serious?

A. Yes.

I'll be the first to admit that my life is pretty much consumed by rock music, and this blog is proof. However, there are some beautiful gems in other genres - some of which I've touched upon, and some of which remain eluded by my "educated" selection.

As you may have noticed, I love instrumental music. The human voice is a magnificent instrument, yes - but there's also something strangely fascinating and addicting about detecting the humanity expressed through an inanimate object (say, a violin).

This is where modern classical music steps in - it typically exudes the aura of experiencing today's technological advancements and societal nuances while still maintaining a standard within its genre. Granted, a lot of modern classical is best described as "avant-garde" with heavy leanings toward expressionism and atonality (seriously, I want to slap whoever invented the microtone), but there are still some pieces that truly stand out among their peers.

Here are a few.



Fifths of Seven - "Bless Our Wandering Dreamers" (mp3|10.59MB): Eloquently described by my friend Amber as what Sunset Rubdown would sound like if it got really, really drunk, and by Chris as "old sad bastard music,"¹ the best thing I can really do is agree. It's great. It also stands as a reminder to everyone that Spencer Krug is an insanely versatile human being (oh - did I say human being? I meant "god") and can do no wrong. This one's perfect for a windy day; then again, I say that about any song that includes a mournful mandolin. Whenever, of course, I have the opportunity to talk about songs including mournful mandolins. I'm going to pretend that happens a lot more than it really does.
(from the 2005 album Spry from Bitter Anise Folds)

Hauschka - "Freibad" (mp3|6.41MB): Have you ever been assigned a particularly tedious task (e.g. data entry, proofreading, hiding bodies) and felt a distinct need for music that'll get you through to the end? This is one of those songs. While fluid and emotional, it's also got a mechanised "assembly line" feel to it - and I'm sure it syncs to your brainwaves in some way, because tedium doesn't seem so bad when you're listening to it.
(from the delightfully bipolar 2008 album Freidorf)

Kayhan Kalhor - "Beloved, do not let me be discouraged" (mp3|12.47MB): If Chris can throw a gratuitous GSY!BE track onto this thing, then I'm going to hit you with a whopper instrumental so the universe will be in balance again and the aliens will finally get out of my yard and stop procreating with the gnomes. I'm not sure whether this would be classified as world music due to its Oriental roots, or classical because of its techniques. Either way, this piece explores so many expositions on a single theme that it feels like it has a soul - combined with the quiet virtuosity it exhibits, I feel that a more appropriate title could not have been chosen.
(from the 2008 album Silent City)

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Requiem (The Fifth) (mp3|2.70MB): Before you say anything, I just want to make a point: Trans-Siberian Orchestra does NOT only exist on Christmas. This song is from, in my opinion, one of the best album musicals (rock operas? I don't even know what you would call it) I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. It basically follows the life of Beethoven as he bargains with Mephistopheles over a symphony right before he dies. Let's face it: that's awesomesauce. "Requiem (The Fifth)" is an amazing montage of Beethoven's most famous works, all arranged to be hardcore and rockin'. Please buy and listen to the entire album - if you don't, you will die incomplete. I'm just sayin'.
(from the 2000 album Beethoven's Last Night)

Victoire - "A Door into the Dark" (mp3|8.52MB): I'm not exactly one to make immediate comparisons to movie soundtracks when listening to a classical piece, but my God if that isn't what this sounds like. The tonality, the style, everything fits into the mood of descending a staircase and approaching a mysterious door - one which, when opened, reveals a place where light neither enters or escapes. Both dreams and nightmares exist here, and you can hear everything.
(from the 2009 album A Door into the Dark)

(Wait for it ...)

And now, a little extra something - only because I felt like I couldn't post this without including some serious classical fanservice. Here are three of the most awesome pieces ever written by anyone. Enjoy.

Ludwig Van Beethoven - "Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 (Pathetique) - III, Rondo Allegro" (mp3|6.21MB): Mr. Beethoven holds a special place in my heart. No, really. I mean it. He is the poster child for my obsessive-compulsive music-related insanity. Why? Because I have a mad, mad crush on him. I have retroactively stalked him for years. For those of you out of the loop: he's dead. (In case you haven't noticed, I'm creepy. The final movement of his eighth piano sonata, however, is proof that Beethoven probably wouldn't have minded.)

Jean Sibelius - "Finlandia, Op. 26" (mp3|13.12MB): This has been my favourite classical piece since forever. I think the love began because the opening bars remind me of Batman, but it's developed into something much, much more. I can't even explain why it renders me completely useless, but I feel like I can emote to every freaking measure. Give it a listen - you'll see.

Mahler - "Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor (Death in Venice) - Adagietto (mp3|14.84MB): I've said it before, and I will say it until I die: Mahler is fucking METAL. And I think that's all the persuasion you need.


That about wraps it up! Chris's got you covered for Sunday, and I'm outta here. Have a great weekend, and happy Easter in advance!


¹ High Fidelity ref ahoy! (The chorus swells! My job is so difficult. But at least I get to use a footnote.)


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!

midweek madness - artist spotlight #5: war tapes

Let's face it: jumping into the world of indie rock is akin to jumping into an expansive body of water filled with crocodiles.

Okay, let me elaborate.

The truth is, there's so much stuff out there that you're bound to be bitten by something. This week's spotlight is a magnificent example of this rule. No matter where you stand on the spectrum, War Tapes projects a modern-romantic, timeless sound that seems to transcend decades into the heart of rock.

I envision the best comparison to be kind of a Cure/Franz Ferdinand hybrid (because I can't quite seem to conceive of musical styles without first presenting the band in question as a hypothetical rockbaby - I apologise in advance for your nightmares); the sound is full, it's dance-able, and the vocals have a familiar, precious, introspective lilt.

War Tapes' self-titled EP came out in September of 2008, and now they're anticipating the release of their first full length, The Continental Divide, on 26 May 2009. Do yourself a favour and check out their stuff.

War Tapes, War Tapes (EP) (2008)

War Tapes - "Dreaming of You" (mp3|5.21MB)

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 - 4/5/09

This Week: Does That Make Me Crazy? (Probably.)


Apparently my original, clever, and entirely hilarious "insane shine" picture has disappeared, never to be found. In its place, enjoy this amazingly creepy picture of a piece of toast.
There are few topics as universal as insanity. It's a subject as old as the human race itself (at least I hope so -- can you imagine how boring the world would be if it were populated by nothing but sane people?). As a result, there have been lots of bands that have written songs about it. Some, naturally, are more famous than others. For both your reading/listening pleasure and my writing/DJing pleasure, I've elected to go down the proverbial road less traveled and pick three that might not be immediately obvious to everyone. (I mean, yeah, sure, I could've used the easy way out with Metallica or Black Sabbath and then just taken the rest of the day off, but as good as "Sanitarium" and "Paranoid" may be song-wise, it just not as much fun for either of us.) Even still, there were tons to choose from.

So, as Prince once said, "Let's go crazy!"

The Avalanches - "Frontier Psychiatrist" (mp3|6.60MB)
The Avalanches are the epitome of cool. Their first (and, to-date, only) album Since I Left You is probably the finest example of sampling I've stumbled across: not one original note was played for its making, but somehow these guys managed to glue together thousands of pre-existing clips in a way that is captivating, chilled-out, and wholly listenable. The disc flows all the way through, and I've always likened its effect to wandering from room to room at some lush, high-scale cocktail party. Its best song, to the extent that the individual tracks can be separated at all, is probably "Frontier Psychiatrist." It uses the same approach present elsewhere on the album, but here the samples seem to fall together with a grace that's almost serendipitous. It's catchy, it's funny, it's addictive, and it has one hell of an awesome music video. What's not to like?
(from the 2001 album Since I Left You)

Peter Gabriel - "Family Snapshot" (mp3|4.05MB)
Ask either Lea or myself, we'll tell you the same thing: Peter Gabriel's third solo album is a masterpiece (it has one of the best album covers ever, too). In some sense, almost every single song is a meditation on instability of some sort (lack of inhibition, amnesia, stalking/voyeurism), and while years of listening to the album have never given me a definitive answer as to which is the best of these, the relatively calm and meditative "Family Snapshot" is almost undoubtedly near the top of the list. The subject, despite its psychological complexity, is alarmingly straightforward: a man resolves to get the attention he was never given as a child by assassinating the president. There are a million ways Gabriel could have handled this idea, through various degrees of good and bad taste, but I think he hits the perfect notes of desperation and sadness. Even though what he's doing is terrible, you feel for the guy ("I want to be somebody / You were like that too / If you don't get given you learn to take / And I will take you"). With just the right touch of humanity, Gabriel turns a risky subject into one of his best songs ever. Sometimes that's all it takes.
(from the 1980 album Peter Gabriel III)

Pink Floyd - "Jugband Blues" (mp3|4.04MB)
In all honesty, this has got to be one of the most depressing songs I've ever heard. Before you go jumping on me for choosing a Pink Floyd song despite actively trying to avoid obviousness, let me explain: all of the band's more famous ruminations on madness were written in the 70s by Roger Waters. "Jugband Blues," on the other hand, was penned by original frontman Syd Barrett, who -- for those not up on their Floyd history -- basically took too much acid and lost his mind. Despite almost inarguably being a genius (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is one of the best psychedelic albums ever), the band eventually fired him for being too erratic; he recorded a couple batshit fuckin' weird solo albums (The Madcap Laughs is the best of these), then went into complete seclusion until his death in 2006. "Jugband Blues" was his last-ever contribution to the Floyd. Written during a rare lucid moment, it's an honest realization of losing it completely. Even despite this, Barrett wasn't mentally capable of finishing the song; to rectify, he hired a jugband to come into the studio and improvise a midsection. The finished product is perhaps unintentionally devastating, but devastating nonetheless. Plenty of bands -- later Floyd included -- can write about insanity, but few have been there in the way Mr. Barrett was. Shine on, you crazy diamond.
(from the 1968 album A Saucerful of Secrets)

Okay, so maybe that wasn't exactly a brighter and more cheerful entry than last week's emotional catharsis, but hey. You've gotta take one for the team from time to time. If all goes according to plan, I'll see you next week for Easter. Maybe I'll do an entry on, I dunno, candy or bunnies or something.

For the first time, I invite you to send lovemail/hatemail/anymail related to the Sunday Superlative to fridayfiveradio@gmail.com. Requests are always considered and welcomed. See you next week!