ONE
Song: "Trashcan"
Band: Delta Spirit
Album: Ode to Sunshine
In a sentence: An uplifting and well-written song that stands apart from your predictably drab indie music.
TWO
Song: "Heart is Strange"
Artist: School of Seven Bells
Album: Disconnect from Desire
In a sentence: Imagine New Order having a baby with the Cocteau Twins.
THREE
Song: "A Roof Somewhere"
Artist: Lonely Drifter Karen
Album: Fall of Spring
In a sentence: Songs in 5/4 time hold a particular power over me, especially when the person singing it sounds like this band's lead singer Tanja Frinta.
FOUR
Song: "Why does the wind?"
Artist: Tracey Thorn
Album: Love and its Opposite
In a sentence: Former Everything but the Girl lead singer does modern Pop music some good.
FIVE
Song: "Time of the Season"
Artist(s): Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan
Album: Hawk
In a sentence: Belle and Sebastian's Isobel Cambell and Mark Lanegan formerly of Screaming Trees = magic.
SIX
Song: "Let Spirits Ride"
Artist: Black Mountain
Album: Wilderness Heart
In a sentence: Rock is not dead.
SEVEN
Song: "Firecracker"
Artist: Frazey Ford
Album: Firecracker.
In a sentence: Be Good Tanyas singer Frazey goes out on her own and kills it bluegrass style.
EIGHT
Song: "Kon Tiki"
Artist: Plants and Animals
Album: La La Land
In a sentence: This Montreal band has always put me in sweet little trance and this song is no exception.
NINE
Song: "When I'm Small"
Artist: Phantogram
Album: Eyelid Movies
In a sentence: What it about a woman singing "Oh Oh Oh" with a trip-hop sensibility that seems perfectly right on?
TEN
Song: "Babel"
Artist: Massive Attack
Album: Heligoland
In a sentence: Massive Attack, still sexy after all these years.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Me and NPR Music: 6 Tunes and a duel
On September 27th, NPR posted an article called "The Saddest Music in the World: 6 Tunes to Make you Teary Eyed." Well, NPR. I am throwing my glove at you. That's right. This is a duel.
First off, NPR only chose (quote/ unquote) classical music. That simply isn't right. Part of what makes music beautiful (and tragic) are lyrics. Call me biased, but I like words. I don't feel that music is complete without them. So, if we are talking about lyrics, we really have to examine folk-rock and classic rock genres. That's where it's at people - back when people weren't writing total idiotic nonsense and using auto-tuners on their voices (I'm looking at you Gaga). Again, call me biased. And bitchy. I'm good either way.
1. For God's sake, look at Joni Mitchell's "River".
"I wish I had a river/
I could skate away on/
I made my baby cry."
Does anyone have a sharp razor I could use? Seriously. Not convinced by the words? Have you ever listened to that song? It is the definition of DEVASTATING. Don't think so? Listen to Joni's "Case of You." If you don't cry, you're not human.
2. How about Blind Faith's "Can't Find My way home"? Steve Winwood killed this with his sweet tenor voice.
"I'm near the end and I just ain't got the time/
And I'm wasted and I can't find my way home."
I mean, "Higher Love" - his crap from the 80s - is funny and all, but this is painfully good. It isn't bogged down with sax and keys (all too typical of anything from the 80s). There's also a really old live version on Youtube.
3. "Landslide" - Fleetwood Mac. Between Lindsey Buckingham's fingerpicked chord changes and Stevie Nicks' desperately sad lyrics (which she's said are a tribute to her father, I mean consider singing this to your father, folks).
"Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?/
can a child within my heart rise above?/
can i sail through the changing ocean tide?/
can i handle the seasons of my life?/
i don't know..."
I am still spellbound by the original recording. The fact that she is literally asking questions to the universe and responding to herself with "I don't know." We all don't know, Stevie. Not a one of us. And I've heard the original recording a ba-zillion, ga-tillion times. So I like to alternate that version with The Dance (Reunion Tour) version.
4. Sad music just wouldn't be sad music without Nick Drake. Part of this is because Nick Drake got famous way after his death because of a freaking VW commercial that played "Pink Moon." He'd committed suicide decades before that "big break." And how did he do it? He overdosed on anti-depressants. Here are some lyrics from my favorite sad one, "Time has Told Me".
"Time has told me/
Not to ask for more/
someday our ocean/
will find its shore"
I know the words seem a little sing-songy, but if you listen, it's anything but. I like to think he wrote this as a pep talk to himself. That's just my analysis.
Aren't depressed yet? Listen to this next name.
5. Elliott Smith. That's right. I went there.
"Waltz No. 2" from his album XO. The second I heard this song in 1999, I ran out, bought the album and proceeded to play the song a trillion times in my little portable CD player in my little old Geo Metro hatchback. Like Nick Drake, Elliott also took his own life. Too sad.
"In the place where I make no mistakes/
in the place where I have what it takes"
6. Lastly, Joan Armatrading's "Down to Zero." If you are feeling heartbroken, simply press play. Side effects of listening to this song include: bawling your eyes out, rocking back and forth in the fetal position, and more bawling your eyes out. Don't believe me?
"Oh the feeling/
when you're reeling/
you step lightly thinking you're number one/
down to zero with a word 'leaving'/
for another one..."
Take that NPR.
First off, NPR only chose (quote/ unquote) classical music. That simply isn't right. Part of what makes music beautiful (and tragic) are lyrics. Call me biased, but I like words. I don't feel that music is complete without them. So, if we are talking about lyrics, we really have to examine folk-rock and classic rock genres. That's where it's at people - back when people weren't writing total idiotic nonsense and using auto-tuners on their voices (I'm looking at you Gaga). Again, call me biased. And bitchy. I'm good either way.
1. For God's sake, look at Joni Mitchell's "River".
"I wish I had a river/
I could skate away on/
I made my baby cry."
Does anyone have a sharp razor I could use? Seriously. Not convinced by the words? Have you ever listened to that song? It is the definition of DEVASTATING. Don't think so? Listen to Joni's "Case of You." If you don't cry, you're not human.
2. How about Blind Faith's "Can't Find My way home"? Steve Winwood killed this with his sweet tenor voice.
"I'm near the end and I just ain't got the time/
And I'm wasted and I can't find my way home."
I mean, "Higher Love" - his crap from the 80s - is funny and all, but this is painfully good. It isn't bogged down with sax and keys (all too typical of anything from the 80s). There's also a really old live version on Youtube.
3. "Landslide" - Fleetwood Mac. Between Lindsey Buckingham's fingerpicked chord changes and Stevie Nicks' desperately sad lyrics (which she's said are a tribute to her father, I mean consider singing this to your father, folks).
"Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?/
can a child within my heart rise above?/
can i sail through the changing ocean tide?/
can i handle the seasons of my life?/
i don't know..."
I am still spellbound by the original recording. The fact that she is literally asking questions to the universe and responding to herself with "I don't know." We all don't know, Stevie. Not a one of us. And I've heard the original recording a ba-zillion, ga-tillion times. So I like to alternate that version with The Dance (Reunion Tour) version.
4. Sad music just wouldn't be sad music without Nick Drake. Part of this is because Nick Drake got famous way after his death because of a freaking VW commercial that played "Pink Moon." He'd committed suicide decades before that "big break." And how did he do it? He overdosed on anti-depressants. Here are some lyrics from my favorite sad one, "Time has Told Me".
"Time has told me/
Not to ask for more/
someday our ocean/
will find its shore"
I know the words seem a little sing-songy, but if you listen, it's anything but. I like to think he wrote this as a pep talk to himself. That's just my analysis.
Aren't depressed yet? Listen to this next name.
5. Elliott Smith. That's right. I went there.
"Waltz No. 2" from his album XO. The second I heard this song in 1999, I ran out, bought the album and proceeded to play the song a trillion times in my little portable CD player in my little old Geo Metro hatchback. Like Nick Drake, Elliott also took his own life. Too sad.
"In the place where I make no mistakes/
in the place where I have what it takes"
6. Lastly, Joan Armatrading's "Down to Zero." If you are feeling heartbroken, simply press play. Side effects of listening to this song include: bawling your eyes out, rocking back and forth in the fetal position, and more bawling your eyes out. Don't believe me?
"Oh the feeling/
when you're reeling/
you step lightly thinking you're number one/
down to zero with a word 'leaving'/
for another one..."
Take that NPR.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
More Favorite Music Moments in Film
1. The cast of Reality Bites get the munchies, head to a gas station for snacks & get down to The Knack's "My Sharona."
2. Richie and Margot Tenenbaum reuniting to Nico's "These Days" in The Royal Tenenbaums.
3. Jack Black masking as a substitute teacher premieres his epic hard rock song "You're not hardcore" to class in School of Rock.
5. The wedding singer from Old School sings "Total Eclipse of the Heart."
6. Steve Zissou and his team go underwater to find the Jaguar Shark in The Life Aquatic. The scene starts with a great little electronic ditty and ends with the beautiful Staralfur by Sigur Ros. Not to mention Seu Jorge's doing Portuguese David Bowie covers throughout the movie...my favorite is "Lady Stardust."
7. Jack Black does it again in High Fidelity with his Monday morning tape and "Walking on Sunshine" dance.
8. John Travolta and Uma Thurman get down to Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell" in Pulp Fiction.
2. Richie and Margot Tenenbaum reuniting to Nico's "These Days" in The Royal Tenenbaums.
3. Jack Black masking as a substitute teacher premieres his epic hard rock song "You're not hardcore" to class in School of Rock.
5. The wedding singer from Old School sings "Total Eclipse of the Heart."
6. Steve Zissou and his team go underwater to find the Jaguar Shark in The Life Aquatic. The scene starts with a great little electronic ditty and ends with the beautiful Staralfur by Sigur Ros. Not to mention Seu Jorge's doing Portuguese David Bowie covers throughout the movie...my favorite is "Lady Stardust."
7. Jack Black does it again in High Fidelity with his Monday morning tape and "Walking on Sunshine" dance.
8. John Travolta and Uma Thurman get down to Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell" in Pulp Fiction.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Top Ten Favorite Music Moments in Film
Let's just say the Say Anything boombox "In Your Eyes" scene goes without saying...but here are my other top picks.
1. When Duckie lip-syncs & dances to Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness" in Pretty in Pink. His entrance alone kills.
2. When the full cast of The Big Chill cleans up after a very tense dinner & does dishes to The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg."
3. The "Tiny Dancer" scene from Almost Famous, as the band is leaving Kansas in their tour bus after a very long night of debauchery, they break into a singalong version of the Elton John song that turns their moods around.
4. The "Sound of Silence" montage of the young Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate.
5. The Alice in Chains club scene where Kyra Sedgwick and Campbell Scott's characters first meet in Singles. Really seems to epitomize the grunge/ dating scene in 1992 Seattle. This scene also includes great dialogue between the two characters & then Matt Dillion's character discussing his band "Citizen Dick."
6. Soloman Burke's "Cry to Me" scene in Dirty Dancing. "Dance with Me?" Classic.
7. "I've written a letter to daddy" scene with the creepiest looking Bette Davis as Baby Jane Hudson in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Her bow at the end is brilliant.
8. The club scene from Basic Instinct. This was one of the first times on film I saw two women dancing (and doing some other things) together. Frankly, I could do without Michael Douglas coming onto the scene altogether, but I took what I could get in 1992.
9. The introduction to John Turturro as Jesus in The Big Lebowski to the Gypsy Kings cover of "Hotel California."
10. Salma Hayek's lady on lady tango in Frida. Ay Dios Mio!
1. When Duckie lip-syncs & dances to Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness" in Pretty in Pink. His entrance alone kills.
2. When the full cast of The Big Chill cleans up after a very tense dinner & does dishes to The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg."
3. The "Tiny Dancer" scene from Almost Famous, as the band is leaving Kansas in their tour bus after a very long night of debauchery, they break into a singalong version of the Elton John song that turns their moods around.
4. The "Sound of Silence" montage of the young Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate.
5. The Alice in Chains club scene where Kyra Sedgwick and Campbell Scott's characters first meet in Singles. Really seems to epitomize the grunge/ dating scene in 1992 Seattle. This scene also includes great dialogue between the two characters & then Matt Dillion's character discussing his band "Citizen Dick."
6. Soloman Burke's "Cry to Me" scene in Dirty Dancing. "Dance with Me?" Classic.
7. "I've written a letter to daddy" scene with the creepiest looking Bette Davis as Baby Jane Hudson in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Her bow at the end is brilliant.
8. The club scene from Basic Instinct. This was one of the first times on film I saw two women dancing (and doing some other things) together. Frankly, I could do without Michael Douglas coming onto the scene altogether, but I took what I could get in 1992.
9. The introduction to John Turturro as Jesus in The Big Lebowski to the Gypsy Kings cover of "Hotel California."
10. Salma Hayek's lady on lady tango in Frida. Ay Dios Mio!
Monday, March 22, 2010
newish music from newish bands that i think you won't hate (and might even like)
modern day mamas & papas meet 21st century seattle:
track: resevoir park
band: the dutchess & the duke
album: she's the dutchess, he's the duke
fun & adorably voiced:
track: "cool yourself"
band: thao
album: know better learn faster
minimalist sexy electronica:
track: "recurring"
band: bonobo
album: days to come
70s folk influenced rock n rollers:
track: "roscoe"
band: midlake
album: trials of van occupanther
track: resevoir park
band: the dutchess & the duke
album: she's the dutchess, he's the duke
fun & adorably voiced:
track: "cool yourself"
band: thao
album: know better learn faster
minimalist sexy electronica:
track: "recurring"
band: bonobo
album: days to come
70s folk influenced rock n rollers:
track: "roscoe"
band: midlake
album: trials of van occupanther
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
stupid captchas
we've all seen them before. the eerie font, the strange disconnected two words. this is for security purposes. type the words you see in the box below. capitalization is not necessary. then, because the font is so obscured, we've typed in the wrong words and are asked to try again. damn it! why, captcha, why??
who are these captchas anyway, and what's their real purpose? are they just futile web riddles that we are all encouraged to figure out for no real reason? i think so, but i'm not sure. please tell me your thoughts by typing these two words in the box below. HeLLa StUpiD.
who are these captchas anyway, and what's their real purpose? are they just futile web riddles that we are all encouraged to figure out for no real reason? i think so, but i'm not sure. please tell me your thoughts by typing these two words in the box below. HeLLa StUpiD.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Top 10 songs & albums of the decade
Here (in no particular order) are my top 10 Songs & top 10 albums of the decade:
Songs:
1. When Your Mind's Made Up - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (aka The Swell Season) ...from the Once soundtrack ...a song that, for me, is ten times better than their Oscar winning Falling Slowly...
2. Yr Mangled Heart - The Gossip...Beth Ditto leads this punk-rock meets disco trio & their music always fires me up! this band is even better in concert if you can believe it...
3. Obstacle 1 - Interpol...from the band's debut album Turn on the Bright Lights, a perfect throwback to bands like Joy Division and Wire...
4. This Tornado Loves You - Neko Case ... no, this tornado loves YOU, neko...
5. Paranoid Android - Brad Mehldau (covering Radiohead)...his performance reminds listeners of the beauty and complexities of this song. almost better than the original recording off of Radiohead's OK Computer (which is saying a lot)...
6. Son of Sam - Elliott Smith...one of the best singer-songwriters, who we unfortunately lost this past decade, luckily left this song with us...
7. Trains - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals ...alt-country foot-stompin' goodness...
8. Big Exit - PJ Harvey ...the first track from her brilliant album Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea is yet another reason to love this rock goddess...
9. True Affection - The Blow ... The new incarnation of this band from Portland is called Yacht, but I still prefer The Blow...very understated Nintendo-ish indie pop, smart lyrics, great lead female singer...
10. Postcards from Italy - Beirut ...For when you feel like being musically whisked away to Europe...
Additional songs I loved: Since We Last Spoke - RJD2, Where and When - Hayden, Go it Alone - Beck, Sway - Heartless Bastards, Ship Out on the Sea - The Be Good Tanyas, Anthem for the Earnest - The Bad Plus, Good Old People - Bill Frisell, Gravity Rides Everything - Modest Mouse, Ghosts in my Machine - Annie Lennox, Mykonos - Fleet Foxes, Freedom Hangs Like Heaven - Iron & Wine, Yankee Bayonet - The Decemberists, Strange Overtones - David Byrne & Brian Eno
Albums:
1. Blacklisted - Neko Case
2. Turn on the Bright Lights - Interpol
3. In Rainbows - Radiohead
4. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea - PJ Harvey
5. Insignificance - Jim O'Rourke
6. Suspicious Activity? - The Bad Plus
7. Standing in the Way of Control - The Gossip
8. Chinatown - The Be Good Tanyas
9. Riot on an Empty Street- Kings of Convenience
10. Paper Television - The Blow
Other incredible albums: The Bright Mississippi - Allen Toussaint, The Intercontinentals - Bill Frisell, The Greatest - Cat Power, Give - The Bad Plus, Gulag Orkestar - Beirut, The Third Hand - RJD2, That's Not What I Heard - The Gossip, Surprise - Paul Simon, The Mountain - Heartless Bastards, Middle Cyclone - Neko Case
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