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!

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!