Bjork - "Earth Intruders": "Well, it's closer to a traditional song than she's done in a while and with more energy too, but it still doesn't capture the magic she had as recently as 2002's 'It's In Our Hands'. I don't mean to be so critical of her - I still love what she does - but there was a magic that her songs used to conjure up in me that hasn't been stirred by any of her recent works."
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) - "If You Leave": "Pretty In Pink has been on cable a lot lately. Every time I see it, I always think about how, during the prom sequence, this song goes on for about twelve minutes. It's like the ultra-looped club version. I can't be the only one who's noticed this.
It's also probably one of the best commercials a song can have and pretty much secures OMD's continued visibility into the future."
Schoolly D - "ATHF Theme (remix)": "This is a cool little remix of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force theme, from the soundtrack for their new movie. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I am planning on it. I'm sure it'll have massive amounts of just plain stupid in it, but I'm sure I'll still laugh at it."
Missing Persons - "Color In Your Life": "I think I like this song for some of the same reasons I like tracks off Psychedelic Furs' Midnight To Midnight. Both bands, at that point in their careers, have already worn down the edge of their earlier works, replacing it with an over-produced gloss and a smattering of cheese, but the songs still wind up stuck in your head. They're fun, in a guilty pleasure kind of way. (But at least the Furs rebounded from this phase!)"
The Cranberries - "Linger": "Last night, I was watching a VHS tape I had of old MTV, actually trying to find an episode of Liquid Television*, and stumbled onto the video for this song. It was insanely over-played at the time, but now I appreciate its lilting tones and late-night vibe, after all this time. It's also nice to think about how a shy-sounding shuffle of a song became a radio hit.
* - For Winter Steele. I miss that show. 'CROOOOOOW!!!!'"
Pavement - "Perfume-V": "'She's got the radio active and it makes me feel ok' - I love this lyric and when, later in the song, it's overlapped with a different vocal track, it becomes almost a subliminal come-on. This song is so short (130 seconds!), I wish there was a longer version of it. Classic Pavement."
The Spinanes - "Manos": "Scott Plouf provides the drum muscle and Rebecca Gates provides the driving riff, but it's her smokey-sounding vocals that bring all the magic together for this simple two-piece number. Commanding yet sultry, this is classic Gates...and I just wish she was making music again! (She's been quiet on the music front, sadly, since 2001.) Smoldering!"
Ken Andrews - "Up or Down": "Last night, Ken Andrews of Failure/On/Year of The Rabbit fame) rocked Cafe du Nord in SF with a 'Ken Andrews - Hits Live!' approach. It was nice getting to hear 'Stuck On You' live after so long. As a thank you, here's a good song from Ken's new solo record.
Also, here's links to my previous Ken-related posts:
Failure - "Undone"
Year Of The Rabbit - "Rabbit Hole"
Wesley Willis - "Girls On Film": "I know it's dumb to have a song blog and then make posts that say 'words cannot suffice' about the tracks, but I swear, you just need to hear this. If you really need to know more, yes, it's a Duran Duran cover, but as performed by a metal band with a mentally impaired frontman... and they TOTALLY take it to the next level."
The Psychedelic Furs - "Mr. Jones": "The sandpaper vocals, the pummeling drums, the careening guitars, the squonky sax - it sounds like it could be some kind of KMFDM song, but it's not at all - it's post-punk gold in the hands of the Furs. All hail the Furs!"
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Kaiser Chiefs - "Ruby": "I hate being sucked in by advertising, but over the last two days, I've caught the TV ad for the new Kaiser Chiefs album several times, featuring this track. (Not to be confused with traditional TV ads that feature band songs, this is really an ad for the band.) As a result, I keep hearing 'Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby, a Do Ya Do Ya Do Ya Do Ya' in my head...but it can't be a bad song, otherwise I would already hate it by now."
Peaches - "Boys Wanna Be Her": "Possibly the stand-out track on her most recent CD, the song took full advantage of the expanded Peaches concert setup, featuring live drums, keytars and more. Of course, it helped that the crowd was freaking out and licking everything up...almost literally, for some people. Yipes! But at least I can say a good time was had by all. (3/16 @ Exodus)"
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Turbonegro - "Wasted Again": "Rock somehow doesn't work as well in the afternoon hot sun as it does at 1am in a dark club, but Turbonegro sure tried anyway. This song stuck out in their set mainly on the strength of this lyric: 'My body is a temple / and tonight I'll tear it down!' (Friday 3/16 @ Vice Day Party)"
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LCD Soundsystem - "Someone Great": "It's not the danciest track on the new LCD Soundsystem record - in fact, it's one of the more subtle ones - but it's been stuck in my head for days. Reminiscent of Pulsars and other retro-keyboard-pop bands, there's a low-key charm to this song."
Keane - "Is It Any Wonder?": "After all the VH-1-type hoopla on the first Keane record, I started to ignore them and it was actually my partner who pointed this track out to me. He hit the nail on the head that the track has serious `90s/`00s U2 elements, but at least the vocals don't recall U2's Bono-aching-for-the-world-like-he-was-Jesus ickiness that he's recently devolved the band into. Honestly, I applaud what he's doing for Africa, but I have an easier time believing John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson representing the farmers with Farm Aid and other efforts more than I buy Bono's saving-the-world theatrics. Anyway...uh, enjoy this Keane track. (And, for the record, I still love U2 all the way through Zooropa.)"
Modest Mouse - "We've Got Everything": "Was fortunate enough to see a secret-ish Modest Mouse show and they confirmed for me that this song from the new record is indeed awesome. And, yes, it's very weird watching Johnny Marr play with Modest Mouse (but not in a bad way)."
Olivia Tremor Control - "No Growing (Exegesis)": "Speaking of The Bill Doss, here's a song from his band, the Olivia Tremor Control, with pop perfectly fuzzed and harmonies on full display, guitars jangling and tambourines shaking the whole way down."
The Apples in Stereo - "What's The #?": "When I saw the Apples In Stereo in Austin last week, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had heard Olivia Tremor Control-er Bill Doss was with the band (he was) and that drummer Hilary Sidney was gone (she was), but in the end, it was still Robert Schneider's songs that made the night magic. At the end of their set, they busted out this song - one of my favorites from their catalog - and I couldn't help bouncing up and down screaming along with 'I'm different from you / it's alright, it's already / you're different from me / it's alright, it's alright.' Needless to say, a good time was had by all. (Friday 3/16 @ Dirty Dog)"
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Mew - "Apocalypso": "Even outdoors, in the heat, and faced with a St. Patrick's Day party blaring U2 nearby, Mew still blew the paint off the walls with this rocker. I still can't believe his voice is really that strong AND airy at the same time, but now that I've seen him pull it off live after mutiple days of playing shows, I'm a believer. (Saturday 3/17 @ Filter Party)"
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Peter, Bjorn & John - "The Chills": "I hate to be another blogger posting about PB&J, but they played our Rhapsody party in Austin last week and they were actually a very good, very rocking power trio! In other words, it wasn't the record, but it was still very enjoyable. Thanks to them and to all the bands who played the Rhapsody Rocks Austin party: The Broken West, Oxford Collapse, Loney Dear, Oakley Hall, Robyn Hitchcock & Peter Buck, and Peter, Bjorn & John. (Thursday 3/15 @ The Mohawk)"
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Spoon - "Stay Don't Go": "Isn't it a given that I blog about Spoon every time I see them? That's because they're always great. Last night, they did some new songs (the first of which blew me away) and even earned bonus points for making their stage entrance to Prince's 'Let's Pretend We're Married'. They also did a new rock version of this tune with a more agressive edge but without losing any of the song's vibe. (Wednesday 3/14 @ Antone's)"
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New Order - "Age of Consent": "One of my favorite songs of all time. I love it so much that I don't think I could possibly find the words to do it justice. It's perfect in every way, in my book."
Albert Hammond Jr. - "Postal Blowfish": "At first, I was surprised to hear the Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr. covering Guided by Voices, thinking that he might be revealing hidden indie passions. Of course, then I remembered the odd Strokes/GbV lovefest that went on for a few years, which even included GbV appearing in a Strokes video. In any case, it's still interesting to hear which GbV song he chose to cover."
Michael Jackson - "Working Day And Night": "This song pretty much sums up what's been going on lately and why I've been so bad at blogging...but I'll also add that this Off The Wall is probably my fave MJ record, even though I know that Thriller is technically better...this is still more fun.
And while I'm thinking about it, what is this "if I can't get sweet love to you" business? Is he trying to FedEx it?"
Loney, Dear - "Hard Days 1.2.3.4": "Canada used to be the new New York hotness, but Sweden is the new Canada. Follow me?"
Autolux - "Angry Candy": "Autolux rocked Noise Pop in SF last week, so they deserve a blog post in honor of their wall of sound, not to mention the vibrating bass-quake that they wrought on my internal organs...in a good way."
Arcade Fire - "Une Annee Sans Lumiere": "Quietly beguiling, then giddily upbeat, this song takes a full 180 and still makes the most of its two parts."
Boz Scaggs - "Lowdown": "This week's new re-issue of Silk Degrees made me realize that I have somehow never blogged about this song before. It's got flutes, a disco shuffle and the 70s painted all over it...by all indications, it should suck. Instead, Boz's championship vocals - swinging high and low ranges throughout the song - and the ace musician team turn the song into soft pop groove gold. So smooth, so swinging, so crisp, so good."
Nena - "99 Luftballons": "I feel like this might be newly added into Rhapsody? Seems so, anyway. I prefer the German version of the song because it seems like she might be singing something slightly more profound in her native tongue. Either that or I just like when she name-checks Kaptain Kirk in the middle of all the German."
(Belated) Top 10 of 2006: "I don’t know how I forgot to do this earlier in the year, but I meant to post my Top 10 Albums of 2006 and include a link to one song from each record. So, in the Better Late Than Never category, here is the Top 10 list, click the link above to hear the sampler:
1> The Cardigans > Super Extra Gravity (nettwerk)
2> Snowden > Anti-Anti (jade tree)
3> I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness > Fear Is On Our Side (secretly canadian)
4> Giant Drag > Hearts & Unicorns (kickball)
5> Silversun Pickups > Carnavas (dangerbird)
6> Goldfrapp > Supernature (mute)
7> Starflyer 59 > My Island (tooth & nail)
8> Ex-Boyfriends > Dear John (absolutely kosher)
9> Editors > The Back Room (fader)
10> Mahogany > Connectivity (darla)
Portastatic - "Why Pinch Yourself": "Some of Mac's finest lead guitar work is on display here. Starting off almost sparse in arrangement, the song is mainly propelled by the drums and ends with quiet guitar noodling. However, when the song hits the 3:28 minute mark, it explodes with searing, emotive guitar, before sliding into an eerie-yet-beautiful organ melody. I wish I could take those thirty seconds and make them last forever."
Modest Mouse - "Dashboard": "Who would have thought 10 years ago (yes...The Lonesome Crowded West is already a DECADE OLD!) that the Mouse would be rolling out modern rock power-singles, adorned with horns and freaking Johnny Marr of The Smiths? Also, having been fortunate to hear some more of their forthcoming record, I‘m putting money on “We ‘ve Got Everything” as being the hot track on the album. Although, who knows, there could be even better songs on the record that I haven't heard yet - I cannot wait to hear the whole album!"
The Police - "Truth Hits Everybody": "It's odd - I was looking at the traction The Police have had after their Grammy appearance and subsequent tour announcement - and, despite that this has not historically been one of my top Police tracks, this is the one that's popped into my head. Listening to it now, I'm not surprised my subconscious rescued it for me - this is a supremely rocking tune, sacrificing no melody at the expense of its energy. It even makes me want to tolerate Sting again!"
Peter, Bjorn, and John - "Young Folks": "I had no idea that whistling could be so infectious, but coupled with the bouncing bass line, the maraca swing and the twisted lounge cool, this song will monopolize your mind. I can't even believe how powerful it is."
Pat Benatar - "Heart Breaker": "This song rocks - as do many of Pat's 80s classics - and my pals The Benetards shredded it live last night, so this is for them."
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The Broken West - "On the Bubble": "I can't get enough of this record! So, in honor of them playing Rhapsody's SXSW party (oops, did I just spill the beans?), here's another handclap-and-harmony explosion of goodness from The Broken West."
Klaxons - "Forgotten Works": "I keep hearing about how these guys are supposed to be bringing back raves (2.0?), just more alterna-style. Maybe that's how they are live, but on album they're more of a blend of some Madchester, with a dash of post-punk. They DO make me want to groove, but it's not in a way that makes me want to bust out some glow sticks."
The Shins - "Sleeping Lessons": "OK, let's have it. I never really liked the Shins. I didn't hate them, they just never did anything for me. So I didn't rush to hear this new record, but our Editor-In-Chief urged me to give it a shot. Grudgingly, I did and I have to admit it has it's moments. This is one of them - when the drums kick in around 2:25, it makes me giddy the way the Arcade Fire record did when I heard it. "
Brothers Martin - "The Plot That Weaves": "Jason Martin of Starflyer 59 is certainly keeping up his prolific streak. Less than six months after the last SF59 album, he teams up with his brother Ronnie Martin (of Joy Electric) on this Brothers Martin release. Here, he kicks out one of his best songs, melding first-rate new wave keys with rock-leaning dream-pop overtures, a la 'No New Kinda Story' (a SF59 highlight)."
Yo La Tengo - "From A Motel 6" (remix): "Holy heck, am I excited about this. This mind-blowing remix was a hidden track on a long-out-of-print EP and now it's finally up for the world in Rhapsody. Here, Steve Fisk takes the already stellar original track and gives it a shot of adrenaline, maximizing the careening guitars while preserving the strangely lulling vocals. An A+ to Matador for making this available again!"
Tiger Trap - "My Broken Heart": "This is from my old only-listening-to-girls-from-the-Pacific-Northwest phase. The song is bare bones indie pop, seemingly recorded in some rudimentary way, but the jangly melodies and sweet, sad vocals shine through anyway. It totally makes me feel like a teenage girl crying and writing in her diary."
Robbers On High Street - "Beneath The Trees": "Today's post is in honor of Robbers On High Street making a semi-rare (from my understanding) appearance in my new home of S.F. last night. This track was my highlight from that set, which was my first experience with ROHS as a five-piece (instead of four). The song sounds low-key at first, but there's an intensity under the surface - check the 'yeah!' at the 02:53 mark and you'll get a hint of how it was live.
Bonus comment - we were joking at work about making song playlists for gratuitous holidays, such as an Arbor Day playlist. I voted for this song, along with Guided by Voices' "I Am A Tree", naturally."
The Broken West - "Down In The Valley": "Sweet melodies starred with light fuzz and handclaps, this is a feelgood song without a drop of saccharine. I dare any cynic to try and resist its charms."
Nancy Sinatra - "Sweet Talkin' Candy Man": "Keeping on the Nancy tip for one more day, I have to present this swingin' nugget. The rendition isn't amazing, but is notable because it's a cover from one of my favorite movies, Beyond The Valley of the Dolls. The original is a solid belter in the middle of a psychedelic soup, but Nancy gets points just for taking it on."
Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - "Some Velvet Morning": "I loved the Primal Scream cover when I heard it on Evil Heat, so I eventually went looking for the Lee & Nancy original. When I found it, I didn't really like it, finding it somewhat jarring after the Scream's drug-slide version, especially with the tempo changes. Over time, I realized how much bolder the original was with the full (yet subtle) orchestration and Lee's ominous vocals. I still like the Scream version - I think there's humor in their selection of Kate Moss on guest vocal - but it's just not in the same league as the original."
Rick Derringer - "Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo": "Somewhat Southern-y and somewhat glammy, this song is so 70s rock, it's sick. The name of this song sounds lame on paper, but when they sing it, it sounds unspeakably cool and maybe a little bit dirty too. Then again, it probably is."
Aqualung - "Pressure Suit": "It's funny - so far, I've been pretty resistant to the Keane strain of British atmospheric piano-pop...but damn if somehow this tune didn't break me. It's stuck in my head and the chorus is so, so good, I don't even care how polished the song is. In fact, that might even be why it works."
Black Lipstick - "Cat Piss Blues": "Yesterday's post, referencing The Kiss Offs, reminded me of the Kiss Offs spin-off, Black Lipstick. Not quite as much male/female vocal interplay as in the KO's, Black Lipstick still keeps all the attitude, just with less frenetic - almost laid back - tunes. Here's their ode to the NBA and drugs...or something like that."
The Prids - "Shadow and Shadow": "I love it when different kinds of male and female vocals are contrasted in a song, a la X, The Kiss Offs, etc. Here's another group that pulls it off, with equally rocking results. (Thanks to Chris O. for pointing me in its direction.)"
America - "Always Love": "Is it me or is it kind of freaky to hear America (yes, of 'Sister Golden Hair', etc.) doing Nada Surf??"
Guided by Voices - "Portable Men's Society": "A darker rocker from Guided by Voices. Not as lo-fi as many GbV tunes, this one features thundering drums and even keyboards, but still features the usual Robert Pollard gift of a hook."
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Neil Young - "Bandit": "A sequel to yesterday's post - if you took the quiet shuffle part of the Califone song and stretched it out to a full-length tune, you'd have 'Bandit.' As a result, its quiet, strummed melodic loop becomes very hypnotic."
Califone - "Bottles And Bones (Shade And Sympathy) ": "I have to admit that I turned up this song from the Stranger Than Fiction soundtrack - even though I don't even really remember the song in the film - but it stuck with me from the CD. Dominated by acoustic guitar, but layered with percussive and atmospheric touches, this song shifts from quiet shuffle to forceful march in the most graceful of ways."
Sluts of Trust - "Piece O' You": "Mad and wonderful - this song starts off with guitar shredding, before shifting into caveman glam, with Mick Ronson-esque riffs colliding only with pounding beats. Plus, there's something charming about a Scotsman screaming out 'Even! Stevens!' It may sound lame, but give it a listen and you'll understand."
Adam Ant - "Beat My Guest": "Sorry for the delayed hiatus, I was actually off the computer for a while, if you can believe that. I welcome you all back with this raucous Adam Ant b-side with chainsaw riffs, vocals that get near to yodeling at times, and...oh yeah, bondage-y activity. Pretty and punk."
Mahogany - "One Plus One Equals Three Or More": "A bonus Mahogany post for the holidays!"
Swirlies - "Upstairs": "This is FIRST RATE shoegaze-y noise pop. From the wall of guitar noise to Seanna Carmody's sweet 'ooh ooh oohs' during the chorus, it's a perfect mix of salty and sweet. I am so happy this is now available in Rhapsody. And not that it has anything to do with the song, but Happy Holidays all!"
Pet Shop Boys - "Jealousy": "An beautifully sad song almost destroyed by its bombastic ending. Most of the song is coolly understated with appropriate touches of piano, much like the mood of walking deserted city streets in the middle of the night, making it one of my favorite Pet Shop Boys songs. That is, until the last minute or so, where overly synth-ed horns double the volume level like a court announcing the presence of royalty. And the harp...the harp! Just press stop around the 3:30 mark and you'll still have a great song."
Piero Umiliani - "Mah Na Mah Na" (Original 7' Version): "Who knew that this felt-celebrated staple didn't exactly originate with the Muppets at all? This is the 1968 Italian original. (I believe on The Muppet Show, the song is titled 'Mahnah Mahnah,' but I could be wrong about that.)"
Regina Spektor- "Fidelity": "This song is kind of low-key - mostly string plucks and light keys over beats, plus quiet vocals - but it's catchy as hell. And largely by breaking the words 'fall' abd 'heart' into multiple syllables - who would have thought?"
TV On The Radio - "I Was A Lover": "So apparently this is from the Record of The Year. At least according to my friends in the Rhapsody Editorial Group and lots of other folks too. Ii'll admit it's a good record, but it just grinds on me if I make it past the 2/3 mark - way to many of the same themes continue on from song to sound until it burns me out. The first 1/3 of the record, however, is pretty amazing, especially this opening track, which blends elements of trip-hop, Prince and who knows what else into a twisted-but-sultry slow grind."
Deee-Lite - "Fuddy Duddy Judge": "When was the last time that there were songs as unabashedly FUN as Deee-lite's? They had simple messages, but great grooves and they played `em like the party would never stop. It's Friday, so groove into the weekend with this one."
Switchfoot - "Oh! Gravity": "Speaking of power-pop leanings, did what happened to AYWKUBTTOD (see yesterday's post) happen to Switchfoot too? While I've been more familiar with some of their more bland tunes, this is great radio rock with solid pop sensibilities, not unlike OK Go."
And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - "Stand In Silence": "Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention, but when did Trail of Dead turn into a power pop-y band? I'm used to them delivering heavy, distorted rockers - but this is ace `90s indie pop. In fact, if it wasn't for the mellow break in the middle of the track, which is also the weakest part, I'd think it wasn't AYWKUBTTOD at all. Hell, it sounds like they've been hanging out with Lilys (circa Services (For The Soon To Be Departed)) and Trunk Federation...or am I pushing it too far with that?"
Richard Cheese - "People Equals S***": "I know that I'm sometimes easily amused, but I think a lounge version of some really vile Slipknot is pretty smooth. If there weren't so many curse-words, you might think this is some classic Sinatra-style number. Good job, Mr. Cheese."
Mahogany - "Supervitesse (Robin Guthrie Mix)": "Take the underlying beat of Joe Jackson's 'Stepping Out' (I swear!), add some cold Stereolab sheen and a touch of echoed Lilys vocals and you have 'Supervitesse.' It sounds space-age and retro all at the same time."
Michael Penn - "Out Of Its Misery": "Michael Penn is so underrated. His songwriting is sharp and when it manifests in little rockers like this one, it can't be beat. I love the bass in this song too, as well as Patrick Warren's keyboard touches."
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Mew - "Special": "No surprise that I like this tune - much in the vein of the Delays and the Buffseeds, it's near-androgenous high-pitched vocals laid over melodic yet driving rock."
Snowden - "Between The Rent And Me": "I know I already blogged a song from this album only a few months ago, but I freaking love it and I can't contain myself. This song sounds like rollerskating backwards to me...which I can't explain at all, but it's just what comes to mind when I hear it."
Blake Babies - "When I See His Face": "I was kind of irritated by Juliana Hatfield back in the day - she seemed so much like a bratty kid, with her child-like voice. Then 'Universal Heartbeat' got stuck in my head and I started to come around - but it's only recenly that she's started to grow on me more. Especially when listening to understated slower rockers like this one, I realize there's more to her than some alt-rock hits and Evan Dando, but it still helps that she has the Blake Babies to ground her."
Momus - "My Kindly Friend The Censor": "In honor of Momus responding to my Kahimi Karie post from last week, it's only fair to spotlight a song from the man himself. This song has always been one of my favorites of his. It features suggestive lyrics with the less genteel specifics removed, providing a social commentary while showcasing clever wordplay, all to a shuffling beat. Choice lyric: 'Just thinking of it makes me want to [criminal act]!' Also a highlight - when Momus starts to read off the previously-omitted words from the song against menacing keyboards - before slipping back into the song's main melody, as if to say 'Oops, did I say that?' Fabulous."
Failure - "Undone": "In honor of the surprise of seeing one of my coworkers wear a Failure shirt to work this morning*, I present one of this underappreciated L.A. band's crunchy, yet hooky and melodic rock songs.
* - because I swear no one outside of Southern California knows them, which is sad. People need to learn to love Failure! They also have one of the best music videos I've ever seen - "Stuck On You", which does the James Bond opening movie credits better than Bond - but the quality of the versions on YouTube are too grainy for me to link to. It kind of ruins the video, so - instead, you can order it here."
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Pavement - "I Love Perth": "65 seconds of giddy, smart pop. Previously only on vinyl, this track finally sees the light on the new expanded edition of Wowee Zowee - and it's about time - it's easier to play over and over again without having to move the needle now!"
Kahimi Karie - "Good Morning World": "You can't possibly top a petite Japanese girl whispering/cooing a song about doing what you want and greeting the world head on - with the right makeup, of course - over a Beck-like pastiche of 60s pop and 90s sampling. Not to mention that this song was also svengali'd by two men - the dirty Scot who wrote it (Momus) and the Japanese producer (Cornelious) who made it sound good. It's the ultimate plastic version of 'I'm Every Woman' and it's commercial-ready!"
Robbers On High Street - "The Fatalist": "It continues to freak me out by just how much Robbers On High Street are - for a lack of a better way to put it - Spoon. If you told me this song (from a new ROHS online-only EP) came from Spoon's Gimme Fiction, I might buy it. This is in no way a dig at ROHS because I love Spoon and they do a decent job of being Spoon, especially with songs like this...but it's still just a little eerie."
The Aislers Set - "Catherine Says": "Welcome back from Turkey Day, y'all. I'm tired from all the driving, but trying to get back in the saddle. To help everyone wake up from their turkey-induced sleep, here's a cheery, girl group-style song that's allegedly about Aisler frontwoman Amy Linton's grandmother or aunt falling and dying alone in a subway station. Still, with the handclaps, you'd never think it was anything less than upbeat unless you gave good listen to the lyrics."
Rod Stewart - "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy": "As I think I've established by my posts about KISS' "Strutter `78" et al, I do kind of like disco rock. I prefer the guitars over the shimmering keys, but still the same driving four-on-the-floor beat. I also like songs with a third person narrative, which Rod employs with (little) taste here, sounding more like a steamy Danielle Steele scene than anything else...which is not to say that it's not fantastic. In fact, the whole song just sounds kind of...seedy. Oh, 70s Hedonist Rod, where have you gone? We miss you!
Almost as good: Mike Myers as an elderly Scottish dad with Coke-bottle glasses belting this tune out with bagpipe accompaniment in So I Married An Ax Murderer."
Robert Plant - "Tall Cool One": "This song rocks! I know I'm supposed to keep the Led Zep stuff on the top of the pedestal, but there's something really smooth and stylized about this track. Plant just sounds so bad-ass, even if there's some late 80s/early 90s rock gimickry to it...and he grabs - literally - from Zep tracks...but he gets away with it. Score!"
Whitey - "Leave Them All Behind": "After making its first appearance on the Making XXX soundtrack two years ago, this track finally sees a formal release. I first fell in love with this song when Cut Copy DJ'd this at SXSW last year, then finally found out who it was when I overheard my co-worker Esra playing the track one month later back in NYC. It's a great slice of energetic rock melded with pulsing keyboards and echoing shoegazer-type vocals, all over a driving beat."
Versus - "Blade of Grass": "It's sad that this song has almost 45 seconds of intro that's practically inaudible, because it's what keeps people from discovering the great song behind it. When they kick into the 'ooo's in harmony with the guitars, it's a rush - both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time."
P.J. Harvey - "Wang Dang Doodle" (Peel Session): "This is raw and rockin' P.J. Harvey at her best. P.J. wails, growls and riffs while drummer Rob Ellis ads in percussive touches and scary falsetto shrieks, while still doing justice to this Howlin' Wolf original. You hear a touch of British when she yells out 'All Night Long!' but it just puts her fingerprint on the tune."
Buzzcocks - "Ever Fallen In Love?": "All hail to the original! Pete Yorn may have decimated it and the Fine Young Cannibals did an interesting (if dry) version, but it would be hard to top such amazing punky brilliance (not to be confused with Punky Brewster). Like pop on speed!"
Danger Doom - "A.T.H.F. (Aqua Teen Hunger Force)": "You have to love a song about the Aqua Teen Hunger Force...who I love all the more after last week's new episode - 'Hand Banana.' I would love to describe it, but I don't want to ruin it. Suffice it to say that it might be the best 10 minutes of television that I've seen in months. Trust me, find it somehow...online, as a repeat on Cartoon Network, when it comes out on DVD...I don't care, just find it.
Hand Banana: 'Tonight...you."'
Blondie - "War Child" (Extended Mix): "I'm not going to sit here and tell you that Blondie's 'last' album (pre-hiatus, anyway) The Hunter is a great album. Nor would I say that it's up there with most of their previous work. However, I think this album is a fascinating portrait of a splintered band trying out new and different directions as it falls apart. The songs on this album are stranger and darker than ever before and - 'Island of Lost Souls' aside (a clear, sad grab at 'The Tide Is High II') - not deserving the drubbing that it usually gets. I would even argue that it is a more consistant listen than its predecessor, Autoamerican. This particular track, 'War Child' (here in an extended version) is full of menace, with a cool sharpness not heard from Debbie Harry since 'Youth Nabbed By Sniper' (from their 2nd record). If you think 'Rapture' is the end of the line for this band, give this a listen."
Throwing Muses - "Limbo": "A twisted, amazing Muses song, but one I always wish I could tweak a little. The drum/percussion track and the bassline have this amazing groove that really propel the song - but when the jangle-fuzz guitar lead comes in, it kind of overtakes the groove - and that's what I would tune down in the mix. Still, about half-way into the song, when singer Kristin Hersh intones 'Daddy's next door...Daddy's next door...' with just the drum part and the snakecharmer backwards guitar, you do kind of feel like you're being put under a spell."
Deftones - "Cherry Waves": "As one of my coworkers just said, walking past my desk: 'What is this? It almost sounds like a heavy shoegaze band?' And yet - surprise! - it's the Deftones. This song is not actually that different than some of their previous droning-yet-rock explorations (i.e. 'Minerva'), but is now somehow prettier and spacier than how they've done it before. Maybe we can call it dirge-shoegaze..."
Marilyn Manson - "New Model #15": "With today being Halloween, it seems like all the music-related features put Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson front and center. Instead of joining in on the 'Marilyn is spooky!' movement, I'd rather highlight one of my favorite MM songs from his underrated modern Glam opus, Mechanical Animals. With 'New Model #15,' Marilyn forgets the evil inside and prepares himself to be processed and reproduced for the masses, complete with handclaps and T. Rex swagger."
Stars - "Ageless Beauty": "The whole song is carried by the lush female vocals (even with the hint of Stars' male singer Torquil singing in higher register), but when the vocals start cascading over each other in the chorus, it sounds just like heaven."
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - "Our Hell": "I never thought I'd like to hear Metric stripped down to its core, but after hearing some Metric tracks acoustic earlier this year, I realized the songs still held up without the synths. Now Metric frontwoman Emily Haines steps out on her own to present more songs in this low-key vein. Her Metric bravado toned down and replaced with a certain fragility, these songs engage with piano and whispers, but make no less of an impression."
Beck - "We Dance Alone": "It's Beck's usual twisted take on 80s funk, but there's something darker to this track than his previous forays in this direction. I'm not sure if it's his near-mumbled rap or the dark atmospherics that creep in during the last third of the song, but there's definitely a creepy mood in with the funk."
Olivia Newton-John - "Physical": "Xanadu was on TV the other day, somehow, and it made me think 'wow, this movie killed the career of everyone in it...and Gene Kelly!' And I thought it was true until I realized that Xanadu pre-dated the mega-hit of 'Physical'...that ONJ had persevered...despite the fact that I swear she's singing "let's get into physical" in this song. WHAT??? Uh...anyway...enjoy, if you will, ONJ's tribute to bangin' and think of her in the video, showering vigorously with all her clothes on..."
White Zombie - "Thunder Kiss '65":
"'I don't try anything, I just do it...wanna try me?'
This song not only samples from classic Russ Meyer (Faster Pussycat Kill Kill), but it's also one of my favorite songs to play on Guitar Hero, which is quite possibly the best video game ever made. It's kind of like Dance Dance Revolution, but with a guitar control - including a whammy bar - instead of a normal controller, plus awesome rock songs to play along with, such as this one. I never cared that much about video games until this one and now I am obsessed with it. I can't wait for GH2, out next month, which apparently includes 'Strutter' by KISS. Strutter!"
Silversun Pickups - "Little Lover's So Polite": "It's funny - I first saw this band at South by Southwest earlier this year and thought they were nice, but not necessarily impressive. Then I started listening to this record and it started growing on me - but the turning point came this weekend when I heard this song at my optometrist's (!) while getting my eyes dilated (!). Somehow, hearing this tune coming from the main room drove the melody - with the Damnwells-meet-Smashing Pumpkins vocals - into my subconscious and now I love it."
Eddy Grant - "Electric Avenue": "This video made a tremendous impression on me when I was little. The faceless motorcycle marauders, whose engines rev in sync with one of the synth parts; Eddy getting off the couch and falling into a pool of water at his feet; it's all classic. And the song ain't bad neither.
"
Goldfrapp - "You Never Know (Mum Remix)": "Sorry I'm behind in posting, but I've been on the road - hopefully you all have held in there while I was away...
Check this track out now - it's not in stores until next week, but you can hear it now -
It's Icelandic band Mum's deconstruction of 'You Never Know' by Goldfrapp. It ads Sigur Ros-style atmospherics in place of the original's synths, but its the piano lead in the chorus that provide the stately mood, before kicking into some Stereolab-y swirls and bleeps in the end. And it's all just one of several standout tracks from the new Goldfrapp remix collection, We Are Glitter."
The Monkees - "You And I": "Of all the Monkees, Davy Jones would be the last one you would expect to acutely sense - and call out - the group's waning public fame and support. On this late-period Monkees track, Davy winds up penning a number that not only rocks, but takes sharp stock of the group's lessening status. I'm pretty sure that the guitar solo is an uncredited Neil Young (!), which only adds to the track's rock cred. Totally worth checking out, even for Monkee-haters."
Debby Harry - "In Love With Love": "...and if we're talking dance/cheese, I can't help but add this to the list. Hell, I actually could have rolled this track out during my Freestyle Jams week a few months back, especially since it fits the 7+ minute rule! Blondie's Debby Harry gets her own 808 beat on, matched up with stuttering vocal samples, girl gang 'yeah yeah yeah's and an obligatory latin beat breakdown. Somehow, it's aged well, but only because it's so severly dated that it makes it more charming now."
Neneh Cherry - "Buffalo Stance": "Speaking of 'Buffalo Stance'...I love how she introduces the hi-hat and the tambourine when they're so clearly a drum programme..."
H2SO4 - "Little Soul": "I stumbled onto this track through work when this record came out, several years back. I can't say that I've been to the gym anytime lately, but when I did go, this track was one of my top workout tracks. The song throbs with danceclub energy, with surging synths laid over 808-style pounding drums. I wish this song had a video because, if it did, I'm sure it'd be one of those early `90s bluescreen works, like Neneh Cherry's 'Buffalo Stance.'"
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