friday five - 31.10.08 - ffr halloween party

I love Halloween. I can't think of any other holiday where the music is more fun. Tonight's introduction will be really short (e.g. "here's the music, love it or die"); we have a lot of awesome to wade through.



Atlas Sound - "A Ghost Story" (mp3|5.00MB): Introducing - to kick us off for the night - something inherently creepy and adorable at the same time: children! Or, rather, one child telling the audience - what else - a ghost story. I chose this to start because children frighten me regardless of whether or not they're in costume. Only sheer luck would put me in charge of trick-or-treaters tonight.

J.S. Bach - "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" (mp3|10.90MB): Up next is a piece that I consider to be the epitome of "dark-and-stormy-night" music, and I simultaneously recall THUNDER SKATE!1!!one! at the SkateLand in Yakima, WA playing this while I flailed beneath strobe lights, wondering who in the world thought that putting four wheels on your feet (HI, inertia, pleased to meet you) and rolling on them whilst completely blinded was a good idea. So, wonderful scariness all around, and it's only a slight coincidence that this happens to be one of my favourite classical pieces ever written. (Also, for the traditionalists: here's the original on Youtube; it's played on a pipe organ. I'm sorry about the volume; this is the only interpretation I could find that didn't make me want to flinch with unexpected pauses.)

Peter Gabriel - "Intruder" (mp3|6.73MB): I love this song for so many reasons. It's creepy, it's got a damn good beat, and it grants me passage through the Gates of Nostalgia in a whole variety of ways. However - and I'm not going to be ashamed of this; I will not be ashamed of this - Peter Gabriel sounds hot. And that's a huge bonus. (What is it with me and bad guys? Seriously?)

Blackout Beach - "Cloud of Evil" (mp3|4.45MB): The new single from Carey Mercer's solo outfit (though I honestly can't see this being aired on any radio station lest the listeners explode from the sheer magnitude of their psychological distress), "Cloud of Evil" represents what we know of Skin of Evil, and makes me anticipate this album like you wouldn't believe - if only because I'm dreadfully masochistic and just looove them existential crises.

Burial - "Near Dark" (mp3|5.67MB): It was difficult to follow Blackout Beach with another freaky electronic layer cake of death. But I did it. So, have fun getting to sleep tonight.

Grampall Jookabox - "I'm Absolutely Freaked Out" (mp3|8.36MB): I've grown so attached to this album and it isn't even technically released yet. Well, now I get to share this track with the masses who so desperately need to hear it. DOWNLOAD IT. DOWNLOAD IT NOW. BEFORE I EAT YOUR FACE OFF. (Advanced track used with permission.)

Danny Elfman - "This is Halloween (from The Nightmare Before Christmas)" (mp3|2.98MB): I really don't think this one needs any introduction or explanation. (I've gotta sign this blog up with a Danny Elfman cult or something. No question.) Aah, the memories of our youth. Or, like, three weeks ago. It's a good thing I can watch this movie with my adult eyes and mind because now I know for sure that my crush on Jack Skellington, despite the fact that he's totally made out of clay, is not just a phase. a-HEM.

Genesis - "The Waiting Room" (mp3|6.19MB): Watch as I utilise this blog to show blatant favouritism! Here's some early-Genesis noise for your shivering pleasure. I honestly don't know how to categorise it. Experimental noise-rock avant-garde glass-shards-in-tapioca? Um, it's really freaky. Mmyep.

Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Cryptkickers - "Monster Mash" (mp3|2.46MB): Another one what needs no introduction. The essential Halloween party song. Return to the Forbidden Planet has corrupted my vision of this song, because now all I can think of is "when my monster from the Id began to rise," and I'm like, dammit.

of Montreal - "Spooky Spider Chandelier" (mp3|2.06MB): I wonder how long it took Kevin Barnes to write this song. I'm pretty sure the man is a machine, regardless. (A gorgeous, gilded, ethnic transvestite machine.) Anyway, it's a poppy little ditty with just the right amount of creep to get your party jumpin'.

Dead or Alive - "Something in My House (US Wipeout Mix)" (mp3|6.61MB): Thunder? Lightning? A dog's violent howl? Frantic, shameless 80s synthesizer beats? For the love of the dead, sign me up! This is another one of those songs that will blow apart the dance floor. I'm not going to tell you how many calories I think I burned just by listening to it.

Talking Heads - "Psycho Killer" (mp3|3.96MB): Fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh, fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh. Fun. Not just for Halloween, but for driving down the main streets in your city in broad daylight with the windows rolled down all the way. Don't forget to jut your head forward like a chicken. Ask me all about it in the comments; I am a master of the art.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - "I Put a Spell on You" (mp3|5.17MB): Most of us young folks (okay, make that everyone alive) remember(s) hearing this song issuing from Bette Midler's fabulous pipes in Disney's 1993 Halloween spectacular Hocus Pocus (and here's that video, just because). I adore both versions of this song, which honestly doesn't happen to me very often. I'm so time-torn. I can't decide which decade would have been better for me to experience growing up. THE ANGST. OH GOD.

Electric Six - "I Invented the Night" (mp3|4.52MB): I'm pretty sure Electric Six lives in a dimension where it's Halloween every day and the dimension's soldiers and police line up to dress in pleather and glitter beneath neon lights. Because of this, I desperately needed to include a song from Fire on the playlist, if only to satisfy my fluorescent envy. (IMPROMPTU CONTEST: Who will be the first to make out with someone atop a moose with broad, luminescent genitalia? Will it be me, or our currently detained-in-Canada-and-therefore-at-a-slight-advantage Sunday DJ? STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT. THIS IS NOT A TEST.)

Concrete Blonde - "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)" (mp3|4.13MB): This is the song, believe it or not, that paved the way for my (almost creepy) TV on the Radio love. I'm serious. The wild chorus and relentless bass are so beautiful to my ears. You cannot resist the 80s.

Oingo Boingo - "No One Lives Forever" (mp3|9.48MB): And finally, to further support the idea that Danny Elfman needs his own wax statue here in FFR headquarters, here's another Oingo Boingo track - the second in a single month. (I don't know; I think I might just get this way around autumn.) Please forgive me. I have an addiction. Admit it, though: you simply cannot have Halloween without the 'Boingo. That is a fact of life.

And just because my cynicism is stifling (unlike the East Coast weather), here's a collaboration video for a song featuring several indie artists (that is what you crazy kids are calling them, right?) of yore. It's a spoof on "Do They Know It's Christmas," and the proceeds from sales went to UNICEF. Check it out. See if you can tell who's who.



North American Halloween Prevention Initiative Website


There you go! Your own spooky FFR mix CD! Happy Halloween!

-- FFR.

midweek madness - mt. sims

It's never too early to start getting ready for Halloween.

In preparation for FFR's Halloween party, a post wherein I so adamantly and wisely instruct you in the sacred art of playlist construction as well as shamelessly encourage you to dress in the most ridiculous costume you can find and get down with your spooky self, I thought I'd grease the wheels with a little post-punk goth ditty to get the blood pumping just in time to have it sucked out with your soul aaaaaaah.

Anyway.

Mt. Sims of Berlin, Germany (formerly Mount Sims of Los Angeles) takes a sharp left away from a charted land of pure-beat, groovable electronica shared by the likes of fellow mixers Vitalic, Assemblage 23, and Ladytron; in their recently released Happily Ever After, it seems they've lost their minds. In a most excellent way, that is. It's electric goth rock with CHARGE! Here's a single on the album that was put out as a demo in 2004. If Danny Elfman were truly a superhuman android (and I have yet to find evidence to the contrary), and if he happened to enjoy wearing fake fangs to dark underground clubs, this is exactly the song he would request of the trenchcoated DJ.


Mt. Sims - "The Bitten Bite Back" (mp3|4.66MB)

Stay tuned for Friday: I've got a special surprise for everyone. Knowing only that, it's up to you to decide whether or not to be excited or wary.

the sunday superlative - 10/26/08

This Week: Blame Canada?


The only thing we can legitimately blame Canada for is the age-old crime of stealing the show. At the very least, if those rascally Canucks aren't outright stealing the show, they're at least doing a very good job of making sure they get equal stage time with America and Britain. Some of the most vital indie-rock acts of the past decade hail from ye northern regions: Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, The New Pornographers, Wolf Parade ... the list goes on and on. While I love each and every one of the aforementioned, I've gone ahead and highlighted songs by three Canadian bands that I wouldn't necessarily put under the "indie" umbrella. This isn't to say they're any less brilliant, of course; quite the contrary. Take a trip north with me. Let's see what we can find.

Actually, I really am taking a trip north to Canada in a few days. You can guess where the inspiration for this week's theme came from. I'll make sure to send a postcard. (Do not fret, o reader, for I shall be back in time for next weekend's Sunday Superlative. At least I hope so. If it mysteriously fails to appear, though, you can choose your own misadventure: (1) Chris has met a woman who sounds like Jack White and has gotten distracted making out with her among glowing moose genitalia; (2) Chris has become tied up in the systematic chaos known as the pre-election airline system; (3) Chris has been kidnapped by beavers, which are slowly and painfully gnawing his toes off.)

Er, um. Anyway.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "Moya" (mp3|14.91MB)
For better or for worse, Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a very difficult band to blogcast. Over the course of three albums and an EP, the band only ever released one song under ten minutes ("9-15-00, Part 2"); in general, the average length is much closer to twenty. However, this should most definitely not be a deterrent from one of the best and most important rock acts of the past decade. From bands like Mogwai to Explosions in the Sky, "post-rock" has become an almost ubiquitous genre as of late. I'm not sure what it is, but GY!BE has always stood as the best in their field. These guys (now sadly disbanded, though A Silver Mt. Zion lives on) were so blindingly good at what they did that it seems almost pointless to listen to any other post-rock bands. In general, EPs aren't my format. I prefer indivdual songs, I prefer albums. But in 1999, these guys released a two-track EP called Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada that is so tightly constructed and so fully realized that I have no problem counting it among my favorite releases of any kind. "Moya" is the first track from that EP, and is probably my #1 choice to introduce people to the band. On paper, it sounds like your standard-issue post-rock track: slow-burning intro slowly builds to cathartic, crashing crescendo. You've heard it before, right? Well, maybe. But GY!BE brings something to the affair that really makes it special. It's careful, it's methodical, it's beautiful. And it's done so, so well.
(from the 1999 EP Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada)

Perfume Tree - "My Worst Friend" (mp3|7.89MB)
For years I have harbored the belief that Perfume Tree may in fact be the best band no one has ever heard of. (No, you're thinking of Porcupine Tree, another very good band, but this is different.) Perfume Tree is this Canadian outfit specializing in music that, while consistently beautiful, is quite difficult to pin down. If I had to give my best shot, I'd say it's something along the lines of My Bloody Valentine meets the Cocteau Twins by means of the Cranberries, occasionally factoring in some IDM/drum-and-bass-inspired electronics. In other words, it's much easier -- and more pleasant -- to listen to than it is to categorize. In fact, few bands are easier to listen to: their sense of melody is impeccable, singer Jane Tilley has a wonderfully mellifluous voice (I once heard it described as "smoky," an adjective which has stuck with me), and the arrangements are always tip-top. "My Worst Friend" is perhaps one of their darker and more aggressive tracks, but that doesn't keep it from being just as alluring, if not moreso, than all the rest. All of the elements that define their sound come together flawlessly to form one of the best "buried treasure" songs in my library, and the overall habit-forming effect would be slightly worrisome of the music itself wasn't so lovely. I can't foist this band off on enough people -- go forth, check them out. I imagine you'll be glad you did.
(from the 1996 album A Lifetime Away)

Red Rider - "Lunatic Fringe" (mp3|4.01MB)
Everyone has stupid classic rock songs they like for no apparently good reason. I am no exception, and -- unlike most wannabe music snobs -- I have no problem freely admitting what I like and dislike, no matter how embarrassing. Now, Red Rider's first and only hit isn't particularly embarrassing, but it is a pretty stupid song. In fact, it's really just an excuse to rock out for the sake of rocking out. Of course, if this were a crime, half the stuff out there wouldn't exist. I can't fault Red Rider for that, nor can I fault them for the tense and doomy atmosphere they create here, the rockin' guitar solo they throw in, the unconventional but still appropriate vocal delivery, the tasteful use of synthesizers ... or, hell, anything. The song just works. It shouldn't, by all accounts, but it does. That's the secret behind a lot of classic rock, really: it's big and dumb as a rule, but it's a lot of fun to be around. Whenever this one comes on the radio, I crank it up. After hearing it, I bet you'll feel compelled to do likewise.
(from the 1981 album As Far as Siam)

Hmm. My sources tell me that Nickelback is also Canadian. ...eh, well, nobody's perfect.

Blue-da-ba-dee-da-ba-die-that's all, folks!

midweek madness - tin hat trio

I've never really been into country. The occasional hit of bluegrass, maybe, when I'm in the mood for it. Sometimes I really wish I could like country music - real country music, the kind played by the crazy guys in flannel shirts who have fingers like lightning. It's almost a shame that something in my blood seems to revolt whenever I hear copious amounts of twang.¹

Fortunately, what I'm about to share with you isn't country. Why is the above relevant, then? Because every single music website I've visited in order to find a label that corrects this grievous error apparently has these guys listed as country, and I don't get it. If anything, Tin Hat Trio (now simply Tin Hat with the rotation of a few musicians since The Rodeo Eroded's release in 2002) projects a style that's teeming with early jazz influences sidled keenly next to a sound that recalls more of a genre identity crisis than any adherence to something as specific as "country."

The highlighted track today is "Holiday Joel," which is a light little instrumental number that sounds like a jam session in the elevator of an empty Italian restaurant. Surprise drums! Sounds like jazz to me. Excellent jazz at that. Another high point of this album is "Fear of the South" (does it hold as much irony for you as it does for me, dear reader?), which is avant-garde and artsy enough to knock any uptight indie snob off their feet. (Never mind that a more effective method of doing so would be to apply a dobro viciously to the midsection. But hey. No twang, remember?)

Tin Hat Trio - "Holiday Joel" (mp3|4.10MB)

So, what have we learned today? That's right. ID3 tags lie. Don't worry. The shock and betrayal wears off after a few minutes.


¹ I think Colin Meloy gets away with it occasionally only because I love him, and love is apparently deaf as well.

the sunday superlative - 10/19/08

This Week: Chicks Who Rock.



You have no idea how hard it was to restrain myself from putting a Culture Club song in this post. But I was good.

Chicks can rock. We know this. I mean, we've all heard Avril Lavigne, right? But, believe it or not, she wasn't the first. Since the dawn of rock music itself, there have been multitudes of females headbangin' right along with their male counterparts. Believe or not, Sarah Palin even tried to form a rock band a few years ago. Much to her dismay, however, The Killers was already taken.

This week I'm going to highlight three songs that I think particularly exemplify the age-old condition of feminine rocktuitiveness. There are many others, of course, but I signed a contract with Lea that binds me to one post a week through 2023. In time, we'll get around to them all. Courtney Love will get her chance to shine.

Pat Benatar - "Outlaw Blues" (mp3|4.05MB)
She's kind of the quintessential Chick Who Rocks, isn't she? And although she had a very steady stream of hits in the early 80s that still get played on the radio today, this -- a fairly obscure track that nonetheless still ended up on her Best Shots compilation (a great overview, by the way, if you must get one) -- has for whatever reason always been my favorite of hers. I think it might have something to do with the fact that, though she does still save room to crank up the amps a bit at the end, there's something atypically restrained about it. Whereas songs like "Heartbreaker" and "Promises in the Dark" go straight for the jugular, this takes time to quietly brood and kick up an uneasy, foreboding atmosphere. And, while both of the aforementioned are great songs in their own right, there's something very effective about "Outlaw Blues"' change-up. Though I wouldn't go so far as to call it chilling (Mrs. Benatar was never exactly a master of emotional manipulation), it's certainly ominous. And, though I'm glad her career went the way it did, I kind of wish she had tried "ominous" on for size a bit more often. It looks good on her.
(from the 1984 album Tropico)

Bjork - "Bachelorette" (mp3|4.81MB)
Bjork scares me. She really does. By all accounts, she should be someone I'm deeply in awe of: she has created a very distinctive image for herself and, in spite of her fame, still seems to maintain complete creative control over her music. So I should be enamored, but I'm not, really. See, she's very inconsistent -- her output ranges from the very good (Post and Homogenic) to wtf (Medulla), her eclectic taste in costuming is a bit on the intimidating side, and in general she just seems like a terrifying person. It's hit-or-miss with her. The good news is, when she hits, she hits. "Bachelorette," the centerpiece of her career-defining 1997 album, is beyond a shadow of a doubt the finest song she's ever recorded. When people cite incredible vocal performances, a reference to this song almost has to be included. She goes in a matter of seconds from sounding frail and gentle to sounding like she's cataclysmically going to destroy the world. The instrumentation mirrors the sentiment: soft, skittering beats are overtaken by swelling string sections that seem to summon giant tidal waves. Her lyrics have never been more compelling, her atmosphere never so singularly striking. So it disappoints me that she's spent so much time honing the demented nattering goofball aspect of her persona when she can just as capably be a storming Olympian goddess. This is one hell of a powerful song.
(from the 1997 album Homogenic)

Scandal - "The Warrior" (mp3|3.62MB)
I'll be the first to admit I don't really know too much about Scandal; I just think this is an incredibly kickass song. This and "Goodbye to You" are really the only two Scandal songs I've ever heard, and that's only because I do listen to the radio from time to time. Still, it's hard to deny that -- for this song at least -- Patty Smyth (definitely not to be confused with Patti Smith) was one tough gal. Like a bit of a warrior herself, she really belts it out here, and the result is one of the catchiest and most memorable power-pop songs of its era. I don't think there's much else to say about it, honestly. It's a simple, straightforward, can-of-whoopass-openin' pop song. And it's great.
(from the 1984 album The Warrior)

And that's it for me this week. I'll see you all next Sunday. Until then, stay tuned -- Lea's got you taken care of for your Midweek Madness and, of course, your Friday Five. Hasta la vista. Baby.

friday five - 17.10.08 - metropolis

First of all, I would like to point out that I live in a very rural area. I could drive twenty minutes south and smell nothing but horse manure. (Occasionally, it comes from actual horses.) My adventures into the city are few and far between, usually frought with excitement, profanity, or a decidedly unique mix of the two (with a pinch of confusion for flavour). However, despite the fact that city traffic convinces me even further that I'm the only person on the East Coast who knows how to drive, I'm in love with the idea of the big city - its personality and opportunity.

Of course, that's probably because I don't live there. (Not only is the grass not greener; it's nonexistent!)



The Uglysuit - "Chicago" (mp3|6.79MB): If you're going to put out music and classify it as pop, then your music better be poppy. I understand that not all pop music is required to be happy, but it'd better have a beat and catchy refrains or I will be sorely disappointed, my hopes crushed by dangling expectations. (Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic. But you get the gist.) It's a good thing, then, that I decided to check out The Uglysuit. Their recent self-titled release is of a sweetly cheerful, melodic persuasion, and this track is probably my favourite of them all. Careful, though: you might need to brush your teeth afterward.

The Books - "Tokyo" (mp3|4.83MB): This track wants to don a silk robe and dance wildly around in a garden beneath a delicate snow of cherry blossom petals. Seriously. A mix of fervently plucked sixteenths from a guitar mixes beautifully with strings, synth, and the spoken word in this song from The Books' The Lemon of Pink. Though understated when I first listened to it, I realised soon that I just wasn't paying enough attention. There's some real beauty in here - you just need to pause and listen.

Doves - "N.Y." (mp3|2.30MB): As stated so frankly by my fellow internet DJ, Chris (also, notably, the person who first introduced me to Doves): It's absolutely impossible for this band to make bad music. Or even remotely mediocre music. Everything I've heard from this band has been incredible, and again I find that I'm kicking myself for not having found out about them earlier. Luckily, I was saved from my ignorance (as I have been many times before), and am now contently relishing this track, which is one of the best songs, I think, about picking up everything and running away to the city.

St. Vincent - "Paris is Burning" (mp3|6.06MB): I put off listening to St. Vincent's Marry Me for a very long time before curiosity finally got the better of me. Why? I honestly don't know. It was probably media hype that got me all conflicted and identity-crisis-y, but the end result is still the same: I thought it was okay. Not the best, definitely not the worst. However, this song had me from the moment I heard the chorus (one which, coincidentally, stuck in my head for two days afterward): We are waiting on a telegram to / Give us news of the war / I am sorry to report dear Paris / Is burning after all. Disquieting, yes, but expertly delivered.

Sufjan Stevens - "Chicago" (mp3|8.34MB): To be honest, this entire entry could have been comprised of Sufjan Stevens songs. Also, I can't say that the temptation didn't cross my mind once or twice. (Well, it was more like six or seven. But let's be reasonable.) Given that, it shouldn't be much of a surprise to know that this song was one of the highlights of 2005. Everyone's heard it; I don't care. It needs to be here. Sufjan's voice is beautiful, and no, I don't feel ashamed to use that adjective in reference to a guy. One of my personal favourite songs, bar none.

Bonus because I worked late AGAIN on Wednesday:
They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (mp3|3.54MB): I really need Tiny Toon Adventures on DVD. (Don't judge me, foo'!) Hey, it isn't my fault. TMBG signed the contract. And now this song will be stuck in your head for HOURS. Ha ha.

I actually have next Wednesday's artist already written up (for the most part), so there will be NO EXCUSE for my negligence. Chris'll be here Sunday, though (and he's way better at the whole dependability thing than I am), so you won't have to wait long for more audio gold. But don't just take it from me. You've stuck by us this long, haven't you?


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 - 10/12/08

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chris.


("Hello, Chris.")
A couple days ago, I was approached by the proprietess of this particular blog and asked if I would contribute a weekly feature. I, being as incurable a music junkie as she, leaped at the opportunity. The goal as I understand it is to ultimately make Friday Five Radio a daily event, with each day representing a different alliterative theme that slowly but surely builds up to the aforementioned end-of-week motherlode. When asked, I was quick to suggest the Sunday Superlative. A couple emails, a greenlight, and -- at least in her case -- a few intoxicants with trust-inducing side effects later, here I am.

So, what is this? Well, as I said, I am addicted to music. Anyone who listens to enough of the stuff gradually accrues a lengthy list of favorites. The Sunday Superlative is my excuse to foist, three at a time, some of my all-time favorite songs onto the world. These, as with the Friday Five, will be presented in themes: best songs narrated by psycho stalkers (The Police's "Every Breath You Take," naturally), best songs about sexually ambiguous lovers (The Killers' "Somebody Told Me"), and so on.

This week's theme is very basic. We're just getting acquainted, you and I, so I think you should know in general where my tastes fall. My three favorite genres are modern indie-rock (my big favorite, and I'd be ostracized if it wasn't), dance/electronica, and late 70s/early 80s post-punk/New Wave stuff. What I've done this week is chosen three lesser-known songs that more or less adhere to each of these categories. Of course, music really becomes the most fun when it blurs genre boundaries, but we'll get to that later. I promise.

In addition, as with everybody, my favorites aren't equal. They don't all just hang out on a plateau together and have a Wow I'm On Chris' Plateau party (but certainly, were such a party to happen, they'd all be invited; "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" would be my bouncer). They're hierarchical. So, even though every song I will post in the Sunday Superlative will certainly be among my all-time favorite tracks, I want to distinguish the huge favorites. They'll pop up every now and again, each time with a little asterisk next to the title. Be on the lookout for those. Those are the true Desert Island Songs. In fact, if you look closely enough, you might see one tonight. Oooh.

Also: I'm wordy. Can you tell?

Without further ado, let's go!

Electronica:
*Apoptygma Berzerk - "Until the End of the World" (mp3|5.38MB)
This is where it all started. My rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth craving for dance music can be tracked right back to this song. I blame Lea. It's all on her shoulders. In summer 2004, I was already in the process of discovering electronica little by little via my dad's Kraftwerk albums and other oldschool bands like Tangerine Dream, but Lea asked me one night -- as she is wont to do -- if I had ever heard Apoptygma Berzerk. I probably said something like, "Bless you." But I checked them out. The first song I downloaded was this one. After listening to it just once, the point of no return had been reached. I have not returned, nor do I want to. This is a hard-hitting, pure adrenaline dance song. It conforms to pop song structure, but its pounding industrial influences are also capable of absolutely destroying a dance floor. As far as electronic music goes, I couldn't have dreamed of a more perfect introduction.
(from the 2002 album Harmonizer)

Post-punk/New Wave:
The Cure - "The Holy Hour" (mp3|4.05MB)
I don't think people fully grasp the importance of The Cure. To the devoted, they're the best band ever, bar none. To the casual observer, they're this depressing goth band that had a couple hits in the late 80s that they secretly like but will never admit it. But the thing no one ever recognizes is that Robert Smith and his band of not-so-merry men are just about the most versatile, chameleonic act this side of Zappa and Bowie. Take "The Holy Hour," just about the best cut from their 1981 album Faith. The band is still very much in Joy Division mode here -- the mopey bass, the robotic drums, the foggy wall-of-impending-doom atmosphere -- but think about it: does this sound anything like "Boys Don't Cry"? That song came out two years -- two years -- earlier. And does "Boys Don't Cry" sound anything like 1983's "The Lovecats"? It's impressive when you think about it (I mean, it's taken Axl Rose fifteen years to even get around to releasing Chinese Democracy, and yet Smith was able to reinvent himself at least twice in less than half a decade). What's even more impressive is that The Cure can tackle all of these styles seemingly without even trying. "The Holy Hour" is a delicious sampling of a style that, though unmistakably of its time, still resonates almost 30 years later. It's also a flashbulb of a band not in transition, but in a constant state of perpetual motion.
(from the 1981 album Faith)

Indie-rock:
Mew - "Am I Wry? No" (mp3|6.75 MB)
Mew is (are?) from Denmark. This may, in fact, make them the only Danish rock band in the history of time. I'm being facetious, of course, but it's easy to see why they're so big in their homeland. What's not so easy to see is why that success isn't shared the world over. These guys are good. I mean it. And as much as I hate the description of "Sigur Ros meets Queensryche" (thank you, webzine that wrote that -- you know who you are), that pretty much nails it. They're icy and melodic, but also have a distinct hard, arena-rock flavor that by all acounts should win them millions and millions of fans. "Am I Wry? No" is the first and best track from their phenomenal 2003 (or 2007, if you live west of the Atlantic) album Frengers, and -- intentionally or no -- it's a working example of everything the band excels at. One of the best memories I have of fall 2007 is doing 70 on a dark, empty road with the windows down and this song blaring. When the coda kicks in around 3:30, it's heaven on earth.
(from the 2003 album Frengers)

Until next week, Chris -- signing off!

Ha. "We Built This City" tries to get into my party. "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is like, 'No, bitch! *FWAP!*'

friday five - 10.10.08 - two (or more) sides to everything

Opinions are never objective. When people approach issues, things, even other people, they automatically judge them based on their own interests or experiences, often choosing to adhere to a single perspective. In public, we project different sides of ourselves than we do to those who know us (and similarly, we have another side to us that we only reveal when there's no one around). It's not a bad thing. It's a part of being human.



The Unbearables - The Darker Part (mp3|5.29MB): For a group telling the story of someone nervously approaching the unknown within their significant other, The Unbearables don't seem to be too concerned about repercussions. Instead, their bouncy, brass-peppered pop gives the situation an overall positive outlook. The song ends with your eyes are more than enough for me, which makes me wonder if the subject in question was at all receptive to his inquiries, or if he just gave up. I don't know. Maybe it's just that modern love isn't so blind, after all.

The Besnard Lakes - And You Lied to Me (mp3|10.09MB): Now this is the kind of music you'd expect to be associated with finding out something surprising about someone you thought you knew. It's forboding at first; the vocals echo subtly, muffled as if trapped behind glass (go ahead, have a metaphorical party with that one). This song seems like a peculiar homage to Pink Floyd - what with the march-on riot guitar and prog-ish riffs - and I think that's one of the reasons I like it so much. Of course, there's always the fact that the Besnard Lakes are one of the bands that I can always rely on to fuel my slightly-frightening Jagjaguwar obsession, but hey, I don't really need a reason for my selections, do I? (Insert pause, then a whiny, vocal vindication of"my blog, mine.")

Marching Band - Makeup Artist (mp3|6.48MB): Swedish pop. Yes. I blame it all on Confessions of a Would-Be Hipster. Two years ago, I would have never seen myself desperately seeking channels in what seems to be an ongoing Swede invasion throughout the indie-rock world; now, however, I'm reluctantly accepting yet another musical addiction. Marching Band delivers to us a story of a girl with a double life (or a life drastically altered - I'm terrible with lyrical interpretation) with a poppy tune that's so infectious it should be quarantined. (The bad puns will continue until morale improves!)

Hercules and Love Affair - True False/Fake Real (mp3|6.24MB): Hercules and Love Affair sez: time to disco in the circus tent. No, seriously. I love this album more than I care to admit. And this song, which boasts lyrics that consist of nothing more than True false, fake real and I know you know I know, is dance-y ear candy that seriously tempts my geeky sweet tooth. In fact, I enjoy it so much that I'm going to pretend I didn't buy it because a certain behemoth music site told me to. So there.

My Brightest Diamond - The Good and the Bad Guy (mp3|5.85MB): Shara Worden's voice is absolutely amazing. With years of operatic training, she (along with the rest of My Brightest Diamond) manages to make some of the most beautiful rock music I've ever heard. They played this song when I saw them live in 2007, and it was incredibly compelling - the dilemma of a woman who's still in love with her ex, but only projects the bad side of him to people she knows in order to make herself appear stronger. In truth, she wants him back. There are two sides to every story - even the ones told by a single person.

Bonus Because I Fail (Yet Again):
Spoon - The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine (mp3|6.80MB): Am I getting too predictable? I don't care. Have some Spoon.


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!

friday five - 03.10.08 - cats

Cats are great. When they aren't waking you up in the morning by sticking their butts in your face, howling to go back outside when they just came in thirty seconds earlier, or ignoring you completely, cats definitely compete for the title of "man's best friend." (If said title showcased the ups and downs of an actual friendship, they'd have it nailed.) That's why I've chosen to dedicate this week's Friday Five to them. That, and maybe if my own cat psychically realises that I'm paying him exorbitant amounts of attention via the Internet, he'll stop threatening to pee in my closet.



Death Cab for Cutie - "Flustered/Hey Tomcat!" (mp3|2.73MB): Early Death Cab makes a happy me. Don't worry about the grammatical accuracy of that sentence; hell, this track's so heavily mixed that you can barely tell the band's using English at all. The intent behind this song is so convoluted and unable to be grasped that I'm not even going to attempt a coherent analysis. And I love it. In fact, to my knowledge, this song isn't even about cats. But this is my blog, and I'll freak out if I want.

Elastica - "Pussycat" (mp3|3.73MB): The post-punk scene in 1999 had slippery reigns, and some gems slipped between the floorboards when "modern alternative rock" began to prowl on its territory. Nonetheless, Elastica's EP Stutter/Pussycat remains - at least in my mind - one of the most sincere attempts at a true revival of the art. Not that other bands haven't tried in recent years - it just doesn't seem genuine when politics are involved. (Insert appropriate Pretenders/I Can Has Cheezburger joke where applicable, because although I'm vegetarian, I'm also a horrible person. And that trumps all other psychological traits.)

Pro Audio - "And Then I Was a Cat" (mp3|7.14MB): Pro Audio, you are my heroes and my life. Nothing says awkward unrequited love like a geek jumping into the metaphorical body of a creature who has no capacity for human language whatsoever. I try to ask a question / But I can't form the speech / So I'm batting at your shoelace / And clawing up your indie rock magazines. Seriously? Dinner? At eight? Sounds awesome. See you there, catboy.

Starlight Mints - "Black Cat" (mp3|4.71MB): Even if this song were about something completely unrelated, it would still have that hep cat swing. (Yes, I said "hep." Sometimes I just can't hep myself. -- Hey, what're you doing with that mallet?) As it is, rather than pursuing the Black Widow persona of olde, the Starlight Mints reveal the existence of a "Black Cat" and a "Black Cat Detector," the likes of which I'm still trying to figure out. Is it the girl who's the detector or the girl who creates the need for a detector? Is she the black cat or is she trying to protect him from himself? I don't know. But it's catchy. Yay for strings!

Stray Cats - "Stray Cat Strut" (mp3||3.00MB): How could I not? You all know this song already. I don't care. It's so difficult to be a casanova. Right? I had the fortune of seeing the Stray Cats in concert, and my God, they still "got Cat class." Brian Setzer, I don't care how many times your name has been in lights. I don't care if I have to sacrifice my subscription to Under the Radar for this to happen, but please let me buy you a gin martini (is there any other kind?) and we can talk about how wonderful you are.


BONUS: Because I suck and forgot to post the Midweek Madness on Wednesday, you get another song. So, basically, it's still - with technicalities - the Friday Five, but you can pretend this song is completely unrelated and exists in a separate entry. Or, like, don't. Fine. I see how you are.

Lebo M. - "Circle of Life" (mp3|4.56MB): Yeah, I like this version better. Sue me. And hey. A lion is a cat. The Lion King was a cute movie! It - it totally works.<sup>1



1</sup> I. Am such. A nerd.


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!