Ah the first Song of the Week for the new year! For this occasion I present "In the New Year" by The Walkmen.
This was probably my favorite song of 2008. The Walkmen released a surprisingly great album last year called You & Me. I think it's their best album- it captures their sound to a T. My friend likes to describe this song as Lou Reed actually making music. I don't think that's too far off. The instrumentation gets large-hall reverb treatment giving it a very vast and sparse sound. The song begins with a clanging guitar with singer Hamilton Leithauser's coming in a few bars later. "Oh I'm still living/ At the old address" he starts. Lyrically, the song sounds like it's written by a loser- a loser in the literal sense of the word: the narrator has many losses under his belt. It's a song about yearning for something better in the new year. This mood really comes out in the chorus as Leithauser's singing becomes a pained howl. This mood is complimented with the ascending organ lick, giving it a hopeful flair- suggesting "yes, most defiantly in the new year."
Hello folks. I was going to talk about what I thought of The Dark Knight, but that was before I remembered that I was going to go to Baltimore. A delayed bus, a 3.5 hour trip, two miles of walking in 90 degree heat, two large lemonades, and 30 minutes of setting up a router later, I've remembered that it was a Saturday and I needed a song of the week.
This week, I give to you "Knights of Cydonia" by Muse. I cannot reiterate how much I love this song. This song is just plain fun. Nothing else. It's full of hooks all over the place- there are hooks in the guitar, the bass, the drums, the vocals- everything. I don't want to adulturate my pure and innocent love for this song with analysis. So I'll just stop here and let you all experience this song for yourself.
The first video is a live performance at Wembley Stadium. The second is the music video. Both are excellent.
And with my comeback, I present to you all "The Skin of my Country Yellow Teeth" by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
If I had to use one word to describe this song, the word used would be "infectious." First thing you notice is the moving drum part that harkens back to disco songs of old to get those hips moving. The next thing you notice is the catchy guitar line in the intro with the bended note. The last thing you notice is the almost-strained singing of the lead singer. Half of the time, I have no idea what he says, but whatever it is, I don't care the song as a whole is fun. I realize that this song is already a few years old in retrospect, but who really cares? Enjoy the infectious noise.
This week, I provide for your listening pleasure, "Kids" by MGMT (pronounced "management").
I really don't have too much to say about this song in terms of analysis. For example, the song's structure (lyrically speaking) is ABCBBBBBB- you would guess that "B" is the chorus. In actuality, there are a bunch of intricate things going on melodically throughout the song with a thematic break/bridge between "C" and the 2nd "B." In the end, MGMT is the logical continuation of the tradition begun by groups like the Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode back in the '80s. They've expanded upon the synthesizer as an instrument with the aide of production tools of modern times and created a really catchy song.
It's not meant to be heavy, but it seems there is an underlying message lyrically speaking. For example: "Decision to decisions are made and not bought/ But I thought this wouldn't hurt a lot/ I guess not." Kind of a cynical outlook on life, no? For a couple of jokers from Wesleyan University, they aren't too shabby with their two cents about life.
Ahh the summer's here. Honestly, I'm not too excited because it's my least favorite season- me + humidity and heat = not good. Despite this, this week's song of the week is, in my mind at least, the ideal summer song: "Good Vibrations" by Brian Wilson/the Beach Boys.
Most people associate this song with the Beach Boys, but honestly, after 1966, the Beach Boys were essentially Brian Wilson and a bunch of dudes. The version I'm providing today is off of Brian Wilson's latest album Smile which was released in 2004.
The story goes that Smile was supposed to be the follow up to the Beach Boys' legendary album Pet Sounds in 1966. Brian Wilson, the de facto leader and mad musical scientist of the Beach Boys, by this point went legitimately insane. What I mean by this is that his obsessive compulsions for perfection was at its crest. Legend has it that during the recording of Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson actually had a goat in the studio bleating and recorded it into the track because he felt it was absolutely essential for the album. This makes whatever perfectionism in the studio people like Jimi Hendrix or the Beatles had look reasonable. Because of Wilson's insanity, the Beach Boys nearly split up and the album (which Wilson described as a "teenage symphony to God") was put on the back burner- for 37 years (which makes the wait for Guns 'n Roses' Chinese Democracy look like a nap in comparison). Wilson himself came back to revive the project and finished it and released it in 2004- no word on what kind of insanity he put into the project once he restarted it.
The signs of Wilson's musical insanity/brilliance is laced throughout the entire track. First of all, the song follows no conventional form. It's literally a mashing together of 4 themes with the reprisal of one. The instrumentation is interesting as well. Although there is no goat, there is a theremin that provides the ghostly backing to the part of the song that can be considered the main theme ("I'm picking up good vibrations/she's giving me excitations/..."). As far as I know, this is the only use of a theremin in any piece of popular music. Also the song features a string section as well as the numerous vocal parts.
Despite the song's uniqueness, in the end, Brian Wilson provided us with a thoroughly enjoyable song. I don't know about you, but this song screams "summer" to me. Enjoy.
This week, I've decided to feature something different from the usual indie music. I present this week, "Just the Thought" by Prefuse 73, feature Masta Killa and GZA of the Wu.
Prefuse 73 is a French electronic musician/producer. Here, he produces the backing track on which Masta Killa and GZA, two of the best emcees of the Wu-Tang Clan, spit rhymes over. There's really not much I can say in terms of analyzing the music or lyrics. Masta Killa and GZA keep it short and sweet and the backing track is hypnotic.
Here's a video, enjoy the song and enjoy your week.
Two years ago to the week, I was slowly coming to the realization of the impending end of a chapter in my life. It was the weekend after prom the realization that high school was over for me hit me. A mix of nostalgia and shiftless anxiety/excitement began to creep into my conscious thoughts. Those thoughts would become a monolith that was always visible in my consciousness over that summer. I used that specter to enjoy my last summer with my friends and prepare for a new future- a future that now, in present, I love and have come to embrace. I only mention this now because I'm reminded of that time of my life. My brother's at the same place- although he may not explicitly state things the way I would, I'm sure he sees the changes ahead. Good luck Danno, you'll enjoy your summer and your future.
Now for the song of the week! Which song did I choose this week? Death Cab for Cutie's latest single "I Will Possess Your Heart."
Death Cab has always been one of those bands that people seem to be ashamed to like, mostly because they're a bit emo. Whatever, I'm confident in my own sense of self and will readily admit that I'm a fan.
"I Will Possess Your Heart" off of their latest albums Narrow Stairs is really unlike past Death Cab stuff. This is not so much a sprawling ode to a lost love as it is the band jamming. In fact, the first half of the song is just a pure instrumental build up. The song is more characterized by a great base line and melody that is augmented by a driving piano and drums with a splash of spacey guitar. The base line and melody are chock full of hooks- the bass could be just at home in an R&B song or a funk song while the melody and it's off-beat pick-ups is incredibly catchy (see the chorus of the song). Really, the lyrical content is secondary; it's almost as if the band created this great instrumental sound and wanted to put it on the album and it just so happened Ben Gibbard had a set of loose lyrics he just kinda threw in there. Even the music video supports this notion- it is a mix between the band preforming in an icebox and a camera following a beautiful girl and her travels around the world- little to do with lost or strained love.
It's a day late- I know. But here it is, the song of the week. This week I present to you all a classic. It's called "Bring it on Home to Me" originally done by Sam Cooke.
I've been singing this song to myself all week. What sets this song from other 60s motown? Honestly, not too much but I'm still in love with the song. The version I first heard is a cover done by Spoon. Here's a link to that version. It's a really simple song for what it is- it's verse-chorus-verse, there's no real bridge, it uses a really simple I-IV-V chord progression but there are all these hooks regardless. It's something you can improvise with and jam with and it's full of hooks. My favorite is the echoing "yeahs" between the two singers that really hooks you in.
To me, this is a summer song. It's a song I can hear as I see a familiar face of a friend I haven't seen in months. It's a song I can hear while waiting to get into Yankee Stadium for a day game. It's a song I can hear playing while I watch the heat waves emanate from the asphalt. It's a song I can hear while I'm enjoying a cold bottle of Coke while the sun beats down on my brow. It's a song I can hear as me and my friends are piling into a couple of cars after spending the day a the beach. It's a song I can hear playing as the skies darken and pours torrents of rain to cool the earth after a long heatwave. It's a song I can hear playing while I watch my hometown get smaller in the rearview mirror as I make my drive back to Baltimore at the end of the Summer. Just bring it to me, bring it on home to me- yea.
Changing things up a little bit- giving you some ska now that I'm back on the Island. "Supernothing" is from Catch-22's classic album Keasbey Nights which was later remade by Streetlight Manifesto (that version of this song isn't bad either). This song is ska at it's best featuring guitar, bass, drums and horns (trombone, sax and trumpets for the most part) all playing quickly with emphasis on the quick upbeats played by the guitar. The yelling/singing style is typical of it.
What's the reasoning behind chosing this song? Well like I've said, it's changing things up a little and plus I've spent my first two weeks here at home as a supernothing myself. Hopefully I can change that up. Enjoy the song.
Got back home the other day, my sophomore year is over. I literally handed in my last assignment an hour before I was in my car driving home.
So this week, I give to you "Casimir Pulaski Day" by Sufjan Stevens. Why this song? Well this morning was the first morning in nearly a month where a small wave of anxiety didn't strike me as soon as I woke up- there were no papers, no tests, no quizzes, no nothing to worry about. I laid in bed awake with the beams of the sun streaming into the room I was in giving a soft feeling to the white carpet and the wood panels that make up the walls. It was peaceful.
That would be the one adjective I would use to describe this particular song. In its entirety, the song is soothing and peaceful. Sufjan Stevens also paints the little details in his lyrics- the type of details that makes a scene in a well written narrative stand out and familiar to a reader. For some reason, I get the impression that there's something lovely that he's describing despite the dour cancer he describes in the opening line. Despite the difficulty or unpleasantness, there's familiarity and comfort. I can say for sure that, at least this morning, that's what I had. Away from one world I love, into another. It was a good year, it'll be a good summer.
After a haitus of a couple of weeks, the song of the week returns with "Kid on my Shoulder" by the White Rabbits.
I was introduced to the White Rabbits when they opened for Spoon when I saw them a month ago. They're a really interesting band with a unique sound. The band, for one, has two drummers/percussionists, two lead vocalists, and utilizes piano to the best effects of indie rock. Want proof? Watch the video underneath.
They're best at creating overarching hooks in their melodic themes. Did that last sentence mean anything to you? I hope it did despite the jargon I decided to use to describe it. Honestly though, the really unique thing about their sound is how they can create a melody out of a wall of instrument sounds. At first, many of their songs just sound like a lot of notes being bashed out. That sound slowly morphs into a really hooky melody that ensnares the listener- causing the latter to bob their heads incessantly. Their best songs are when there's a strong piano part to give them their unique brooding drive. This is all not mentioning the vocals and lyrics which are full of very melodramatic tones and themes that those teen kids will eat up like- like candy.
This particular song has all the above and provides the added bonus in that there are two general melodic themes that us listeners get to enjoy. The bridge and verses of these songs are two different melodies that each have their own unique appeal to a given listener. Just see (listen?) for yourself.
I just got back from a Spoon concert at the Sonar in Baltimore. 'Twas fuckin' awesome ('scuse my language)! I caught a drumstick at the end of the show- free souvenir. This video below is a good comparison for what some of the show was like. The only difference was- it was REALLY LOUD. My ears are still ringing and I'll never hear some tones ever again. You know what? It was all worth it.
Exuberantly, -Greg
P.S. - Sure, let this song be song of the week, why not?
Most people have heard of the Shins through Garden State starring Natalie Portman and Zach Braff. Since then, the Shins have kept on soldiering on. "Australia" is off their current album Wincing the Night Away. What marks this song? Well let me tell you: first, there's the volume of hooks that are in this song. Can you think of this song after hearing it without saying "la la la" to yourself? The instrumentation of the song is not a usual one for a pop song with things like banjo, vibraphone, and mandolin creeping in on the back. The form and structure of the song is unique for a pop song as well. It has no true chorus but has a kind of a refrain that ends each verse. Despite these pop oddities, it's a very, very good pop song in its own right.
This week I give to you, "Dreaming of You" by The Coral.
The Coral is a part of the new Brit rock scene. Although they aren't the most popular (that's the Arctic Monkeys) or the most resounded (also the Arctic Moneys), they are great in themselves. I first heard "Dreaming of You" on Scrubs last year. That summer, I got hooked on Scrubs, rewatched all 6 seasons and this song just stood out as one of their more memorable musical montages. What makes this song great? First, it's full of hooks everywhere, left to right, up and down. The bouncing bass part drives the song while being accented by drums, the electric organ (that somehow got lost in the 60s and finally found its way back into mainstream rock), and the jangly guitar. In front of all of this, we have lead singer James Skelly's great voice singing very simple lyrics. The song as a whole, after summing up all the parts, is a great pop-rock song that sounds like it was lifted straight from the 60s.
Sorry it was late a day- busy. This week, I present to you one of my favorite cover song: "I Will Survive" as done by CAKE.
"I Will Survive" was originally done by Gloria Gaynor in its most famous version. CAKE, in their 1996 album Fashion Nugget, recorded a cover of Gaynor's classic disco song. When Gaynor sang it, the sense of betrayal and feminine empowerment rang clear. When CAKE's John McCrea sings it, you get the sense of a lovable hopeless romantic. The original song is such a part of the collective consciousness of society that it's hard to associate CAKE's version of the song before the lyrics are sung. Once the first line is sung by McCrea, you immediately recognize the song- a second later, it hits you. You chuckle to yourself because you recognize it and the irony of the cover. But it's not necessarily ironic, it could be just as serious and righteous as Gaynor's original.
This version of the song includes its own charms on top of the clever change of musical context. The single trumpet, almost sounding like a lost trumpet from a mariachi band, plays the famous melody of the song. McCrea add his signature distant yelps, the guitar solo is aggressive and cuts through the song as it enters in the chorus and the solos, the jangling acoustic guitar gives the song a new coy character, and the funky bass is highlighted to maintain some semblance of the song's original disco roots.
For this week, I give you Spoon's "Don't You Evah." Spoon's coming to Baltimore on April 11 if you want to check that out. Find out more about that here.
"Don't You Evah" is actually a cover song originally done by a band called Natural History. It's off of Spoon's latest album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Why is this song the song of the week? Well for one, it's really catchy. That bass groove is exactly what it's supposed to be: a groove. The song as an entirety is really simple. All we hear are vocals, bass, drums, hand claps, and guitar but it's still full of hooks and incredibly catchy. Unlike last week, I don't have any real analysis to why this song's so awesome- it just is. Appreciate the simplicity and sheer catchiness.
This week, I keep the indie tour de force going with "Me and Mia" by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. (Jesus, I've chosen LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, Gogol Bordello, and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists so far- am I turning into one of them?)
Ted Leo is a wise veteran of the independent music scene has been the very definition of Indie Rock the last two decades (at least according to Wikipedia and Allmusic.com). His music is marked by its simplicity and by its catchy hooks all over the place. It has gotten to the point where Ted Leo may have mastered at formulating pop songs and that's not a bad thing at all. In "Me and Mia" we get a nice little introduction to what Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are all about. Lots of power chords in a major key on a very clean, heavy-gain, guitar matched up with upbeat drumming and high, but unstrained, singing. The song doesn't slow at all and maintains an energy that's rarely founds in mainstream popular rock. About half way into the song, the verse and chorus chord progressions are replaced by the brighter chord progressions of the chorus and bridge to make the mood even brighter and more optimistic. All the while, the lyrics churned out by Ted Leo only help add to this bright mood despite some of Leo's own editorializing about life ("Fighting for the smallest goal: to gain a little self-control").
In the end, it's just a really good song- that's all that matters. Enjoy
This week I give you "Wonderlust King" by Gogol Bordello.
I figured we all needed a little infusion of Gypsy Punk. Now, I'm not quite sure if Gogol Bordello is an individual or the name of this band. Whatever it is, it's freaking awesome isn't it? Gogol Bordello is fun [period]. Listen to the song carefully and listen to the weird instruments. We have fiddles, an accordion, acoustic nylon-stringed guitars, drums played with brushes- it's an unfamiliar sound to most listeners isn't it? The best is the lead singer's- umm- "singing." That accent is hilarious as well as gloriously epic. Would it surprise you if I also told you that Gogol Bordello's live show is amazing and full of energy? I've never had the glory to see these guys live but I hope I can one day. Until next week, enjoy!
This week we have "Oxford Comma" by Vampire Weekend.
Adjectives that may be used to describe this song include, "whimsical," "carefree," and "silly." The first line of the song, "who gives a fuck about an oxford comma?" sets the carefree mood of the song quite well. Talking about meeting lamas and lying about the amount of coal one has- this song is as carefree as you can get. The most striking thing about the entire song is how simple it is. In the video, the drummer is playing on a single floor tom, the keyboardist is playing on a Casio. So simple, yet so catchy, so fun.
