The Best Songs Will Never Get Sung...

Record Review: Albert Alexander- College

2007-10-11T12:32:00.000-04:00

Between taking a full slate of classes, working two jobs, researching a thesis, and planning the rest of my life come spring, it takes an awfully big something for me to dust off this old blog and write about music for any period of time. In what has been in all honesty a season of excellent music on all fronts, I’m excited to say that this is that something.

I’ve known Albert Alexander since he came to the open mic night I ran during welcome week of my sophomore year, and from moment one he’s simply blown me away with his seemingly effortless talent and witty, imaginative songwriting. He’s the kind of person that you feel without a doubt deserves to make a name for himself, yet at the same time you want to keep all to yourself for fear that he’d lose something of the intimacy and authenticity of the guy who sits in your dorm hallway at all hours singing to whoever might be around. This week, Albert finally took the big step of putting out a self-produced album, and I’m thrilled to say he’s managed to get the best of both worlds.

Though the self-explanatorily titled “College” is really an EP I suppose, with nine songs totaling a little over twenty minutes in length, it has the thematic and emotional scope of a full length release, compiling the tunes Albert composed over the years reflecting on life at Michigan State University into a remarkably coherent unified work. Opening with the frenetic and hilarious “Posers”, he manages to skewer most of the college creative archetypes and establish himself as someone outside the crowd all within the space of two minutes (and it still sounds every bit as fantastic as it did when he first played it in my dorm room for myself and a friend after a party a year and a half ago… not to brag or anything). From there, the album weaves in and out of incredibly literate vignettes of college life, and much like Sufjan Stevens, you can tell that Albert dabbles in creative writing on the side. Characters arrive fully formed with tremendous and relatable detail, then disappear almost as quickly from track to track, while the simple yet agile acoustic sound and warm vocals give everything a fresh coat of instant nostalgia, as if watching life go straight from live action to a sepia toned memory. Perhaps the greatest triumph is (unsurprisingly) one of Albert’s more recent works on the album, the gently rocking party ode “Dead Weekends”, which builds slowly from the restless Friday classroom to the anticipation and small wonders of the weekend party scene in which not much really happens but nobody seems to mind, exemplified by the triumphant shout of “hell yes” that defines the chorus. It’s a scene that resonates with students from all walks of life, and shows Albert’s abilities as not merely a singer, but a storyteller in the finest folk tradition.

Am I piling on the praise a little thick here for a guy from my own backyard who features pictures of my former home in Case Hall on the album art? Of course I am. At the same time, as the fall chill has finally set in, the leaves turn, and the alumni begin to make the pilgrimage to East Lansing for homecoming weekend, I can think of no more fitting album. Also, it’s worth noting that this is only the tip of the iceberg for Albert’s catalog—he’s already composed several hours worth of material on fictional themes (such as the live favorite “Zombie Massacre Love Song”), local bars, and even a whole concept album, all just waiting to be recorded. I doubt I’m the only one who thinks that he can’t get back into the studio soon enough.

Albert Alexander—Dead Weekends (website) (MySpace)

Cheesetastic Rock Music Post

2007-08-15T00:54:00.000-04:00

While there's no doubt that it's been a fantastic summer for music, there's one song for me that has managed to silently crawl up to the upper tier of my list. Was it the solo-filled "Icky Thump" by the White Stripes? Spoon's horn laced pop of "The Underdog"? Ted Leo's irresistable listing of oppressed minorities in "CIA"?

Nope. It's a track by the New Pornographers... and as good as "Challengers" is (believe me, it's astounding), its not even a new one.

No friends, I am ashamed to admit that my secret love of Summer 2007 was a song Carl, Neko, Dan and company recorded years ago for a Canadian metalhead mockumentary known as "FUBAR" (which I'm told by the fine folks over at Pajiba is worth checking out).... a cover by a little known 80s band called Toronto.

Ladies and Gentlemen.... "Your Daddy Don't Know", in mp3 as well as all its music video glory:

The New Pornographers- Your Daddy Don't Know

(LJ readers may have to click on the link up top to see it, as You Tube doesn't play nice with my feeds... any bloggers out there know how to fix that?)

As undeniably amazing as that video is, I managed to find the original today, and well... you just can't out-cheese the 80s, no matter how hard you try:

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BONUS! As no post on incredibly cheesy rock music would be complete without some love for "Don't Stop Believing", I urge one and all to click on over to the MySpace for "Guilt by Association", an indie comp of bad pop covers, for an astounding all a capella rendition of the Jounrey classic by onetime Decemberists collaborator Petra Haden.... and I do mean ALL a capella.

New Nellie McKay: "Zombie"(!)

2007-08-06T23:53:00.000-04:00

I've never made it a secret that I have a little bit of a celebrity crush on Nellie McKay... the jazz stylings, the tounge in cheek lyrics, the rabid left wing politics... I'm kind of a sucker for all of it.

And now on top of it all, she goes and releases a track off her forthcoming Obligatory Villagers album.... and its about zombies. Is she capitalizing off a pop culture trend that started with Shaun of the Dead and spawned numerous imitators? Of course she is. Does this make it any less adorable? Not at all.

::sigh::

Check out "Zombies" at Pitchfork

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Amazingly, this is only the second best song I've heard about zombies this year... head on over to my friend Albert's MySpace and have a listen to the "Zombie Massacre Love Song"... this may actually be the first time Albert's stuff has been blogged about on here, but he's one of the most talented people I know and this is only one small example of the incredibly imaginative stuff he's come up with over the years.

Indie Rock Campaign Anthems 2007- The Democrats

2007-08-02T16:22:00.000-04:00

So yes… I’m aware I owe a Pitchfork Fest recap, and that I haven’t posted for well over two weeks. Basically, I fail at blogging. However, I would like to get a few things out there that have been kicking around my head this summer in terms of amateur music journalism before real life sets in entirely again, so hopefully those of you left reading will find them worthwhile, however intermittent they may be.

Today, I’d like to talk campaign anthems. Aside from rock snobbery, my other great passion/waste of time is politics, so naturally I’m pretty psyched for this all out free-for all in both parties for the 2008 presidential nod. I do have one complaint thus far, however—the music sucks. Granted, its been going downhill for a while from the glory days of Bill Clinton and “Don’t Stop Thinkin’ About Tomorrow” in 1992 (possibly the best political soundtracking ever), but its just gotten sad. Celine Dion? John Mellencamp’s song from the car commercials? And don’t even get me started on the number of candidates who think use of “Beatiful Day” is a one way ticket to hip optimism (even the beloved and fictional Matt Santos couldn’t resist the dark side on “The West Wing”).

Clearly, its time for a change, and I’m ready to start making requests. Below are my picks, in glorious YouTube, for the top four Democrats in the 08 race:

Hillary Clinton

I’m sorry, but I’m just not a huge Hilary fan. I love her biography, and she seems like a good person, but everything about her campaign seems phony and contrived so far. Even the one clever moment of political theater thus far—incidentally a send-up of the Sopranos finale complete with cameo from Bill to reveal her campaign anthem—was sullied by her godawful pick—a Celine Dion number originally written for AirCanada (not to mention the awful memory of Bill Clinton uttering the line “Well, I know I’m rooting for Smash Mouth”). For all of this and more, I’m offering her a moment of unexpected, self-deprecating humor that could offer some hope… sure, it’s a cheap shot, but just use this song at one rally, and I might regain faith in you:

Barack Obama

Ah, to be the rock star of the party… young, hip, hot on the trail of the establishment—heck, its almost like he doesn’t need a soundtrack. Yet Obama is also an adopted son of the city of Chicago, which also houses my personal favorite band of all time, Wilco. Most of Wilco’s songs are dark, brooding affairs unfit for the political stage, but there’s one I’ve always wanted to hear pumping through the speakers at a rally, and I think Barack could pull it off. “War on War” was used beautifully in some Chicago tourism ads a few years back, and has a great sense of motion and energy to it that could warm up a crowd nicely. The trick, of course, is getting over the lyrics, which range from the nonsensically poetic “you are not my typewriter, but you can be my demon moving forward through the flaming doors” to the ominous sounding “you have to lose/you have to learn how to die/if you wanna wanna stay alive”.

John Edwards

Edwards is probably my second favorite candidate in the field, in part because he’s hired my political hero David Bonior as a campaign manager. Nevertheless, this song is far better than he deserves, given his penchant for corny fare supposedly designed to emphasize his down-home, small town roots (such as the aforementioned “Our Country” by Mellencamp… if you want to believe Edwards is driving his truck out to the fields every morning, then be my guest). He’d be far better to take on the excellent rock anthem by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists that is “Walking to Do”. Like most of Ted’s music, its layered—there’s a theme of moving, of progress and brighter days to come, which Edwards is all about, but there’s also something about love and relationships in there (as indicated most strongly by the final words “if you do, and I do, there’s a whole lotta walking to do”), which brings to mind Edward’s own wife Elizabeth, who serves as one of his strongest assets in my opinion (anyone who can fight cancer and Ann Coulter at the same time is a winner in my book). Plus, its just an amazingly energetic song that never fails to lift my spirits (even in this shoddy concert footage).

Bill Richardson

Finally, we come to my guy in the race (I’m sadly noting that this list is in order of who’s leading in the polls as well as the reverse order of my preferences). I’m a fan of Richardson for his straight talk, his unparalleled experience, and his commitment to alternative energy and improved diplomacy, but sadly, he doesn’t seem to be catching on quite yet (there’s still a long time until Iowa though, and he is picking up speed little by little it seems). Because of his status as the number one underdog in the race, the most likely to be a dark horse come primary season, I’m recommending that Bill takes on what might be my favorite song of Summer 2007. Play this at rallies, print up some shirts that say “Fear the Underdog” on them, and I think we’ll have an anthem on our hands.

*note that I'm ignoring the fact that the song features maraccas and mariachi horns and the general appropriateness of this fact for the candidate... some jokes are just waaay too easy, even for me.

Of course, the real challenge would be to come up with a comprable list for the GOP... suggestions, anybody?

Pitchfork Music Festival Preview: The New Pornographers

2007-07-13T09:39:00.000-04:00

Ok, one last super quick post in between packing for Chicago.

The one band I’m looking forward to seeing above all else at this show is The New Pornographers. They gave one of my favorite sets at last year’s Lollapalooza, and are generally a blast to see live. This appearance comes right before the release of their fourth album, Challengers, which is currently streaming online for those who pre-order (check out this site for details, as well as the nifty “do it yourself” box set Executive Edition they’re offering, which may be the first time a band has ever offered to literally sell you songs from the future). After giving the album a listen, I have to say its hands down their most complex and (dare I say) breathtaking work yet… a bit slower and less frantic than earlier efforts, but at the same time more subtle and exciting, fully utilizing the varied talents of bandmates Carl Newman, Neko Case, Dan Bejar, and (for the first time as a full member) Kathryn Calder. Take a chance and put in your pre-order for this, I can guarantee you will not be disappointed.

To wet your appetite, here’s the opening track that’s been making its way on the internet for a few months now, which serves as a pretty good indicator of what’s to come on Challengers… of all the quirky lyrical turns of phrase Carl Newman has employed over the years, there may well be none better than “you left your sorrow dangling, it hangs in the air like a school cheer”.

The New Pornographers- My Rights Versus Yours

All right kids, off to Chicago… I’ll be back sometime next week with a full report on the festival!

Pitchfork Music Festival Preview: Jamie Lidell

2007-07-11T23:38:00.001-04:00

One of the things I like best about Pitchfork Festival is the sheer obscurity of some of the acts, yet at the same time their assured quality—it’s a fantastic way to find stuff a bit off the beaten path that you get psyched about pretty quickly.

Such was the case for me with Jamie Lidell. The guy isn’t exactly unknown, having worked with Canadian indie queen Leslie Feist and even having had songs featured on Grey’s Anatomy and in Target commercials, but I doubt many people out there could really pick him out of a lineup. In part, this is probably because his act is so unusual—a lanky, bearded, British electronic artist who one day realized he had a voice on par with Marvin Gaye and should really put out a soul album with ridiculously complex beats underneath it. The result on CD is pretty stunning, and word is its even better live, with Lidell recording and looping his own samples on top of one another right in front of everyone.

Here’s one of the better cuts off of his one album (or at least his one album that sounds like this), “Multiply”:

Jamie Lidell- When I Come Back Around

Pitchfork Music Festival Preview: Voxtrot

2007-07-10T00:23:00.000-04:00

Not to get overly personal here (I have other forums for that after all), but I feel like I’m hitting a midsummer slump. After a month or so of rolling along with my new job, enjoying the gorgeous weather and good company an East Lansing summer has to offer, and generally feeling pretty good, a heat wave has set in and brought with it a general air of oppression—days drag along, my hair drips on my morning paper when I take my bike helmet off on my way into work, and I don’t feel motivated to do much of anything.

In other words, it’s the perfect time for a summer music festival to lift my spirits, and this weekend’s Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago can’t come soon enough. To pass the time while I count down the hours until Friday, I’ll be covering some of my most anticipated acts this year, starting with Voxtrot, another band from the creative mecca of Austin, TX.
For about the past year, Voxtrot has been a red-hot indie music sensation that I have more or less been oblivious to. After a string of critically acclaimed EPs (including raves by “the ‘fork”), the band managed to get itself a label deal and a self-titled debut album, which despite failing to meet lofty expectations set by many an indie snob has done quite well as the band continues to gain momentum.

But enough about that. My introduction to Voxtrot came one rainy Saturday as I drove to the grocery store, my radio tuned to MSU’s quality student radio station, The Impact. Its not often I’ll hear a song on the radio that immediately captures my attention (due in part to the fact that truly good radio is diminishing at a truly sad rate just about everywhere), but I’m pretty sure this was love at first listen. It was a little twee (okay, a lot twee… I thought it was Belle and Sebastian at first), a little bit emo (but in a good way), with soulful vocals and a solid indie rock groove to it. The lyrics managed to be sad and wistful while also being strong and angsty, not to mention absurdly witty. Naturally, I went right to work tracking the song down when I got home, and before long, I’d found it… the title track to their “Your Biggest Fan” EP (packaged with two other superb tracks by the way... a great use of that leftover iTunes gift money you no doubt have lying around).

I’ve heard most of the rest of their work at this point (its very good if you don’t mind overblown lyrics like “cheer me up, cheer me up, I’m a miserable fuck”), and am looking forward to their live act come Saturday, but I know there’s still one song I’ll be shouting requests for the entire time—easily one of my favorite tracks of 2007.

Voxtrot—Your Biggest Fan

As American As... Spoon

2007-07-06T10:25:00.000-04:00

So I had the pleasure of spending my Independence Day in downtown Detroit at Comerica CityFest, complete with a free headlining concert in the evening by Austin, TX indie-rockers Spoon. While the show was pretty decent (despite their omission of “The Underdog”—I kept waiting for a horn section to emerge from backstage to no avail), there was really only one nagging thought that stayed in my mind the whole time:

Spoon frontman Britt Daniel

Wilco Guitar God Nels Cline
Now tell me the former doesn’t look like the overly cocky bastard son of the latter.

Anyhow, here’s the studio version of what I thought was one of the more solid numbers from their live set, off the upcoming "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" (which doubles as a ridiculously fun concert chant).

Spoon—Black Like Me

And up at MySpace, the pretty awesome video for the previously posted Jon Brion produced masterpiece “The Underdog”:

As American As... "Sky Blue Sky"

2007-07-04T15:06:00.001-04:00

Once again, this is a post that’s been in the works for a while now—shortly after “Sky Blue Sky”, the latest effort from indie-rock legends Wilco was released, I received a message from a friend and fellow fan expressing a great deal of disappointment with the album. Looking around at the reviews, she wasn’t alone in her opinion that it was a bland, boring departure from their past two cutting edge works—Pitchfork went so far as to slap it with a measly 5.2 rating and label it “dad-rock”. Having already had the leak of the album for a month or so (naturally), I could certainly understand where she was coming from, as I felt the same dread upon my first listen that this might just be a Wilco album that I wasn’t in love with. However, in time it had grown on me, and though I couldn’t explain why at the time, I promised I would eventually post a thought out defense of “Sky Blue Sky,” and since I can think of few bands more uniquely American these days than Wilco, this loosely constructed theme week seems like a good time to put pen to paper on it.

Let’s start with the basics—yes, “Sky Blue Sky” is slower, mellower, and safer sounding work than the jarring noise rock of “A Ghost Is Born” or the static beeps and bloops of “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”. And yes, this is the first album which Jeff Tweedy composed since his time in rehab for a longtime addiction to prescription painkillers. It’s a different album, no doubt about that. But at the same time, “Sky Blue Sky continues in the tradition of Wilco focusing in on the small dark corners of American life and blowing them up to cinematic proportions: if “Yankee” and “Ghost” were portraits of the disintegration of and intangible frustration with oneself and the surrounding world, “Sky Blue Sky” is what comes afterwards—the slow, placid, melancholic first steps back into the light as we come to terms with ourselves and put things back together again.

From the opening lines of “Either Way”—“maybe the sun will shine today/the clouds will roll away/maybe I won’t be so afraid”—the album takes on a tone of cautious optimism and tranquil acceptance of the future in all its ambiguity (and yes, I will grant Pitchfork’s comment that the Nels Cline guitar solo sounds sadly like something off the Weather Channel, but it somehow works in this song, gliding along in contrast to Tweedy’s longing vocals at the end). Throughout the album in songs like “You Are My Face” and “Shake It Off”, we hear echoed the themes of loss and upheaval, painful indications of that which has changed and the consequences of actions, yet still accompanied by a sense of determination to overcome it and push onward. Finally, in its most optimistic moments, “Sky Blue Sky” works to remind us of what is really most meaningful and important in life—the one-two punch of “Walken” and “What Light”, followed by the achingly gorgeous “On and On and On” (written for Tweedy’s father as they both came to terms with his mother’s impending death last year) serve as a closing tribute to love for oneself and one’s family that may be the most optimistic music Tweedy has ever penned.

So is Sky Blue Sky a “rehab album”? You bet it is. I don’t, however, think there’s too much wrong with that, as it resonates with anyone who’s ever lost their way in the world and had to take a good long look in the mirror before coming back. One could even go so far as to argue that it serves as a reflection of where we are nationally, trying to figure out where to go after seven years of politics and policies that have grown increasingly distant from our core values… but I’ll leave that for someone else to sort out. To me, “Sky Blue Sky” hit home the most when watching the accompanying short documentary and hearing Jeff Tweedy talk about how he wanted to write an album to his wife, who did so much to keep the family together as he struggled. As he proceeds to sit in the family living room in Chicago and sing the simple, quiet solo ballad “Please Be Patient With Me”, its hard not to see the heart and soul of what is yet another brilliant exploration of the personal from Wilco.

Wilco- Please Be Patient With Me

As American as… Ted Leo.

2007-07-01T22:32:00.000-04:00

In honor of Independence Day this week, I’ve cooked up a flimsy little premise by which to tie this week’s entries together—focusing on artists and songs whose work in one way or another feels distinctively American to me.

Admittedly, I’m kicking things off with an unconventional pick—hence the flimsy nature of the premise—but I’ve been meaning to do a good write up of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists on here for a long while, and actually see them as fitting the bill in a lot of ways, as you’ll see later.

Sadly, up until this past spring the most I really knew of Ted Leo was his inexplicably brilliant cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone”, which I posted up here way back in the day. I knew he was supposed to be pretty good, and very political, but just managed to overlook him over and over— a fact which angers me a good deal in retrospect. Fortunately, I had some good friends show me the light this year, basically by burning me his entire catalog, and I can’t remember someone attaining a spot on my list of musical heroes so quickly before. The energy, intelligence, and heart this man puts into his songs is incredible and (this sound like hyperbole but isn’t) ultimately life-affirming, leading the listener to look for the potential in him/herself and the world around them. And I haven’t even began talking about his live show, which I had the pleasure of attending two hours away in Detroit the night before my Religious Politics midterm this spring (I aced it, by the way), which is easily one of the most intense, high energy, flat out loud shows I’ve seen in a while (my ears rang for at least a day afterwards). Even walking away from what I knew was a too short set complete with technical difficulties and the omission of several of my favorites (including “Walking to Do”, which never fails to put me in a great mood), I was more than pleased with what I had seen, and couldn’t wait until the next time I had an opportunity to catch him live.

As for the politics, which obviously is the key tie-in to the theme here… yes, Ted Leo is unabashedly liberal, and in particular anti-war. However, there’s a certain humanity to his ideology that makes it so much more than an anti-Bush tirade… his songs cover the battlefield, but also the personal and internal conflicts, discussing the nature of friendship, compassion, inequality, and illness in such a way that the lines become blurred almost entirely. While listening to a Ted Leo concert online (there’s a ton of them, free and legal, over at the Internet Archive’s Live Music Archive), he introduced the song CIA off his latest album “Living With the Living” (for the first time, actually) with a dedication to a high school history teacher who happened to be in the audience, saying that this teacher helped him to think for himself and develop a lot of his political ideas later on. As he said this, I couldn’t help but be reminded of my own influential history teacher, Ron Weitzel of the House Page School, who passed away last year and did a lot of the same for me… in the end, I don’t think there’s much that’s more American than that.

So enjoy the track, taken from the 2006 South Street Seaport show… it’s actually a lot better than the studio version that resulted, in my opinion… much more up-tempo and urgent, and without the absurd sounding overlapping vocals at the end. (Actually, while you’re at it, head over and check out his entire set from that day... an excellent Ted Leo/Rx primer, and some stunning early renditions of tracks from Living With the Living.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists- CIA (Live at South Street Seaport 2006)

Welcome To The Working Week

2007-06-29T16:10:00.000-04:00

In an effort to bring you at least two posts a week in this thing, a few words about how I spend the 9 to 5 these days, and what gets me through the day.

Currently, I’m spending some time as a research assistant for the Longitudinal Study of American Youth here at Michigan State University. Basically, I take thousands of pieces of data that were collected over seven or so years back in the late80s-early 90s about middle and high school students and run all sorts of tests and analyses on them to try and make them sound useful. While I really enjoy the subject area and the ability to work with such a large-scale data set, the job unavoidably consists of long hours spent sitting at a desk in the peak of summer, typing in code and processing numbers… it gets pretty mind numbing. Fortunately, I’ve got a trusty pair of earbuds and a relatively isolated cubicle, so I can spend my working hours to whatever soundtrack I choose.
The one thing that has above and beyond been a godsend to me in keeping good music flowing thus far has been Pandora, the net radio app from the Music Genome Project, which you need to check out if you’ve not yet heard of it. Rather than just allowing you to specify artists and rate music and then receive recommendations based off the preferences of other users, Pandora actually matches you to new music by measured dimensions of the music itself, from tonality to instrumentation to rhythms to influences and countless others. Oh, and did I mention its ad-free?

Independent of that, however, my obsession at this very moment (yes, I’m blogging in between syntax lines so I don’t forget what its like to write full sentences) is the work of Pittsburgh based music producer Gregg Gillis, better known to the world as Girl Talk. Gillis specializes in mashups, the art of taking two or more often disparate pieces of music and combining them. In this case, there’s emphasis on the “or more” end of that: for his 2006 album “Night Ripper,” Gillis used 150+ samples in the course of a 42-minute CD in which all the tracks just kind of flow into one giant collage of every type of popular music conceivable. As just a small sample of this insanity, check out “Hold Up” posted below, which starts with James Taylor, ends with a Weezer guitar solo, and contains 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” and the Pixies in between, along with eight or so other samples… it all sounds like too much to wrap your head around, but the result is surprisingly fluid.

Girl Talk- Hold Up

Finding Jon Brion, Day 5: The Lost Day!

2007-06-26T17:57:00.000-04:00

Yeah… got out of the writing groove again last week and didn’t manage to finish my weeklong tribute to musical genius Jon Brion… I’ll get into this regular blogging thing again eventually (I think).

Anyhow, better late than never, right?

The final dimension of Jon Brion’s brilliance is one few have the pleasure of experiencing for themselves—the live concert performance. Brion used to perform weekly shows at Largo in LA up until about a year ago, when he contracted tendonitis and cut back to about a show a month… aside from those performances, he rarely tours (for obvious reasons—what would he promote?) and makes a few odd club and festival appearances that you usually don’t hear of until after they’ve passed. Nevertheless, bootlegs abound on the internet, giving us all a small peek into a Jon Brion show.

And what a show it is, with off the cuff covers, singalongs, bizarre mashups, surprise appearances by friends like Fiona Apple and E from Eels… it’s an indie nerd’s dream come true. Jon’s definitely on my list of artists to see before I die, but for now the reasonable quality of these recordings will have to suffice.

Head on over to www.fairfax-avenue.com and check out the goldmine of bootlegs they’ve got there for yourself, or check out two of my personal favorite moments below: a cover of Life on Mars in the jazz piano style of Fats Waller, and Radiohead’s Creep as it might sound performed by Tom Waits… I kid you not.

Jon Brion- Life on Mars (via Fats Waller)

Jon Brion- Creep (as sung by Tom Waits)

Finding Jon Brion, Day 4: At The Movies

2007-06-22T14:23:00.000-04:00

Perhaps the place where Jon Brion has left the biggest mark to date has been his work composing the scores for various excellent films, including two of my personal favorites, “I Heart Huckabees” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Though a large part of his success in this field can be attributed to working with unique and original film projects to begin with, his music always serves as a critical element in what makes them work by staying close to the themes of the movie and helping to define them, from the somber lingering piano of “Eternal Sunshine” to the vaguely mysterious and off-kilter strings and xylophone melodies of “Huckabees”. Plus, he’ll often throw in one or two original songs onto a movie’s soundtrack that might not make it into the film, but usually make for an excellent bonus.

Jon Brion- Strings That Tie To You (from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)

Finding Jon Brion, Day 3: Producer Extraordinaire

2007-06-20T23:29:00.000-04:00

A big part of the reason why Jon Brion has so little recorded output to call his own is that he’s just too damn good at putting other people’s work together. Brion has worked with some of the best respected names in music today, from Rufus Wainwright to Aimee Mann to… Kanye West? Yup… in possibly his most prolific turn as a record producer, Jon Brion served as co-executive producer on the Grammy-winning Late Registration, and those familiar with his work saw his influence loud and clear, especially on tracks like opener “Heard Em Say”, which features a very familiar sounding piano groove twinkling in the background.

Kanye West—Heard Em Say

Perhaps the most legendary Brion-produced work, at least among the indie geeks, is one that never actually got released. Brion took producing credits for the original mix of the long-delayed (and often leaked) Fiona Apple album “Extraordinary Machine”, but by the time it actually hit store shelves, it had been almost entirely reworked by another producer. Still, Brion fans and music snobs in general swear by the original version and still cling tightly to their pirated original mixes.

Fiona Apple- Better Version of Me (Jon Brion Mix)

Finding Jon Brion, Day 2: The Album

2007-06-19T23:56:00.000-04:00

So what of this lone album released by Jon Brion? Well, though I’m pretty sure I’ve written of it before on this blog in an earlier incarnation, there’s no doubt it bears mentioning again. Meaningless, Brion’s 2001 solo effort, is damn near impossible to track down (really only available these days via CD Baby, the web’s greatest procurer of obscurity. If you are willing to travel off the beaten path a bit to obtain it, however, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

The album is straight-up instantly likeable pop music that sounds both familiar and innovative at the same time, with Brion serving as literally a one man band on almost every track. This is perhaps most evident on tracks like “Walking Through Walls,” an upbeat motivational tune that features Brion on vocals, guitar, piano, even acting as his own backup singer (adding, for instance, a just-audible echo of “motherf***ers” to the declaration “get out of my way”).

Plus, when was the last time you hears a pop anthem that successfully incorporated the word “caterwaul”? It curses and it educates!

Jon Brion—Walking Through Walls (from Meaningless)

Tune in tomorrow for what may be the only time you see Fiona Apple and Kanye West sharing a blog post.

Finding Jon Brion: Day 1 (or Meet the Big Hit of Summer '07)

2007-06-18T21:23:00.000-04:00

I’m thinking this week is going to be devoted to one of the more prominent yet hard to pin down figures of the indie rock world. If you’ve spent any time reading up on what’s new and exciting in music, the name Jon Brion will inevitably pop up—most music geeks have something of a reverence for the man and his musical skill. At the same time, there is technically only one album by Brion ever recorded, and its near impossible to track down to boot.

So what makes the man so damn impressive? Put simply, it’s the places where he shows up in the margins of great music… and believe me, there are many. From film soundtracks to bootleg Fiona Apple albums to Grammy winning rap, Brion has left his mark in a big way, and he stands to only become more influential over time.

The latest recipients of the Brion treatment

To start things off this week, I’d like to draw your attention to the latest piece of Brion’s handiwork that’s making waves on the web. Though the strangely titled “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga” by Austin-based rockers Spoon won’t be out for another month still and features only one track produced by Brion, its that very song that has leaked and is already being touted as a potential summer hit and indie crossover—basically, the “Crazy” of 2007, though hopefully with fewer covers being done. Anyhow, “The Underdog” has all the markings of a Brion song—a bouncing guitar line accentuated by killer horns, handclaps, and undeniably catchy riffs that linger for days, all of which works great with the hipper-than-thou pop vocals of lead singer Britt Daniel. It’s a fantastic song that serves as a perfect introduction to why Jon Brion is the best musician you’ve never heard of but probably already love.

Spoon—The Underdog (from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, due out 7/10/07).

The Best Videos Will Never Get Watched

2007-06-15T15:33:00.000-04:00

At first glance, it would seem that the music video as an artform has been slowly dying for about a decade now. MTV and VH1, formerly the mainstream distributors of music videos to the masses, have largely given up on the format, and spinoff channels and upstart competitors seem to be lacking in any sort of variety or originality most of the time—take it from the guy who works the night shift in the dorms to the tune of the same damn Fall Out Boy video five times a night looping on MTVu.

Then again, the YouTube era has dawned upon us, and with it an entirely new venue for music videos to get exposure. Not only can established artists experiment more with the format, but new and upcoming bands can make videos on the cheap as well. These videos may never see the light of day sandwiched between the endless hours of pop culture slowly eating itself on cable, but are nonetheless some of the most clever, amusing, and even on occasion breathtaking pieces of short film out there on the web.

Here are a few of my favorites from 2007 thus far:

The Decemberists—O Valencia (Directors Cut)

The Decemberists are already responsible for one of my favorite music videos of all time with the Rushmore inspired Model UN parody “Sixteen Military Wives”. In this video, also by director Aaron Stewart-Ahn, we get a sort of “Kill Bill” meets “Romeo and Juliet” set in the world of Wes Anderson, with Colin Meloy making his best attempt at playing romantic lead (mostly, it just makes me laugh). While the official video ended with the song, the band filmed this extended version with multiple twist endings that ratchets up the absurdity of the drama to excellent effect.

Feist—1234

I’m more than a little bit in love with Leslie Feist, thanks in no small part to videos like this one… bright colors, choreographed dancing in a warehouse all done in one take, and one hell of a voice… what more could you want?

Los Campesinos!—You! Me! Dancing!

My roommate introduced me to this band and this video just the other day, and I was intantly enamored… its kind of like some of the trippier cartoon shorts that used to run on Sesame Street, but with much better music.

Listening to the New White Stripes Album is Good for Your General Health and Well-Being*

2007-06-12T23:13:00.000-04:00

So I missed Monday’s post, and almost today’s as well… my bad. Actually, I never promised daily updates, so apology rescinded.

In any case, the message today is short and sweet. MTV.com has a stream of the new White Stripes album all week leading up to its June 19th release, and it is phenomenal. I have no idea how Jack and Meg stick to such a tired and true core sound while making each successive album sound completely different than the last… this one adds bagpipes and mariachi horns to the mix, and the results are nothing short of magnificent. So hop on over to MTV.com (one of only a few occasions where I’d recommend doing such a thing) and give “Icky Thump” a spin in your bedroom/cubicle/summer dorm room/wherever you’re best prepared to rock. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Stream: “Icky Thump”, The White Stripes (Full Album) [MTV.com]

Also, if you have slightly less time than it takes to enjoy a full album, here's the video for the lead single and title track, complete with a red and white striped zebra and Meg White as a red-haired, glass-eyed, Mexican prostitute:

*This claim not supported by any medical evidence whatsoever… as if you needed to be told.

Shameless Plug: No Second Troy

2007-06-08T19:10:00.000-04:00

It’s not too often that I get any comments on this blog, much less from an actual band. So when some guy named Jason left some kind words on my Pancake Mountain post earlier this week and ever so casually mentioned that I should check out his band No Second Troy, I decided to see what was up.

The verdict? This DC based group could just be the next big thing, with a brand new album up on iTunes and a single with a perfect modern rock sound, with energy and sincerity to spare. Here’s hoping these guys can ride that momentum all the way to the top, and not lose an ounce of it along the way.

No Second Troy- Burned

(hope you don't mind me giving people a taste of your sound- I'll gladly take it down should you request it)

Support Indie on iTunes with Immaculate Machine

2007-06-07T20:42:00.000-04:00

So I’m on iTunes today, and I was pretty pleased to see that their free single of the week was off the new album by Canadian indie outfit Immaculate Machine. To be fair, I hadn’t heard any of the band’s work before this, but they did have the power of association on their side: their vocalist, Kathryn Calder, is the niece of Carl Newman of The New Pornographers and has recently become a member of that group, contributing to albums and filling in ably for Neko Case when she is unable to tour with the band (and anybody who’s heard Neko Case sing knows that this is no small achievement). In any case, I download the track, and I’m pleased with it… slightly poppier than Uncle Carl’s band, but with that same undeniable catchiness that puts a smile on your face and makes you feel like dancing around your living room.

Then I read the reviews. With an average of 2.5 stars out of 5, they’re mostly pretty disdainful of what I thought was a pretty good song, deriding it as “not rock”, “annoying”, “music for five year olds”, and “so… 80s”. It bummed me out on a number of levels. First, at the risk of sounding like a snob, its disheartening to see what happens when something out of the mainstream is foisted upon the general public. Sure, its not the usual soft-rock ‘as heard on Grey’s Anatomy*’ here today gone tomorrow type fare that plays on most radio stations today (if not all in some markets as freeform and eclectic formats are crowded off the air), but do we really lack the attention spans and tolerance to give something new a shot? On another level though, I just plain felt bad for the band. They’re trying to break into the American market, they get offered this plum deal by Apple that will distribute their single for free and sell their album on iTunes a week before its release for two bucks cheaper than standard rate, see it as their big chance… and get shot down over and over again. I know its part of the music business and all, but these folks deserve a little love, don’t they?

I guess that’s for you to decide. Check out “Jarhand” on iTunes if you are so inclined—it won’t cost you a cent, after all—and if you like it, which I think you will, drop them a line of encouragement in the reviews (I’m not usually one to write online reviews, but I even made an exception here). Or better yet, buy the album.

Immaculate Machine—Jarhand (iTunes free single link)

As a bonus, I’m putting up another Immaculate Machine track I found linked on Pitchfork from the new album that was equally as enjoyable.

Immaculate Machine—Dear Confessor

*just as a point of clarification... the people behind the music at Grey's have done some fine work and gotten exposure to many acts (hell, maybe even this one someday soon)... but a lot of what sticks with the public seems ridiculously bland to me.

Pancake Mountain: The Show You Wish You'd Been Raised On

2007-06-06T22:49:00.000-04:00

As a college student who continually feels like he is hurtling toward the adult world, I’ll on occasion find myself going in fast forward, wondering about things like what kind of parent I’ll be. I tend to be optimistic on the matter, knowing that I’ll get all the basics down—I’ll read to my kids, play with them, teach them the necessary skills to make positive life decisions, etc, etc.

But what will they listen to? I know I want my kids to be immersed in music—it was an important part of my upbringing—but do I honestly think that I’ll be spinning the likes of Wilco for a toddler? Shouldn’t they be listening to more age appropriate ditties by Raffi and Big Bird?

For the folks at Pancake Mountain, good music knows no age limits. This underground public access kids show out of Washington DC has managed to somehow attract the biggest names in indie rock to perform in “dance parties” before an audience of hyperactive young ones. What’s more, they’re not asked to play rocked-out versions of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, but rather their biggest hits written for grown-up ears. The results are, needless to say, adorable, from the high energy bouncing along to Ted Leo and The Pharmacists on “Little Dawn” to the slow swaying and spinning that accompanies Bright Eyes on “True Blue”.

And as if this wasn’t enough, the whole thing is headed up by a goat puppet named… wait for it… Rufus Leaking. Get it?!?

…oh well, not everyone appreciates puns, I suppose. Check out the various video links and YouTube clips for yourself, and try to tell me you don’t wish you had your own Pancake Mountain dance parties to go to in your formative years.

From the Pancake Mountain website:

Ted Leo

Bright Eyes

The Arcade Fire

And on You Tube:

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins

Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips (in a karaoke duet with Rufus of “We Built This City”—I kid you not)

Review/Preview: Flight of the Conchords

2007-06-05T23:04:00.000-04:00

Okay, so after some thought (and a mind-numbing day at work), I’ve decided to kick this baby back into active service for the summer as an outlet for some creative energies and alternative to a life of interpreting syntax files for the next several weeks.

Taking it a little easy today (no mp3s today, but I've got some stuff coming up soon for sure), I’m looking for a little feedback (if anyone’s actually out there) on something I’ve come across that is no doubt about to make some waves in the United States. HBO is rolling out a new half-hour comedy series in a few weeks based on the works of a New Zeeland folk-comedy duo known as Flight of the Conchords. I’d never heard of them myself, but find that truly great comedy on TV is hard to find (and often short lived), and straight up musical comedy acts are even tougher to do well (Stephen Lynch and Tenacious D are the only two that come to mind), so I took a look at the first episode currently streaming online.

My verdict? It’s not half bad— a balance of the quiet absurdity and accents of the original version of “The Office” mixed with the random musical numbers and attitude of the original “Tenacious D” show and the classic sketch comedy “Mr. Show,” both of which aired on HBO in the mid-90s. The music is a similar mix—half David Brent, half Jack Black—and a You Tube search revealed much, much more… one Bowie parody in particular managed to walk the line between absurd nonsense and knowing parody really well.

But, to quote the immortal LeVar Burton and “Reading Rainbow”, you don’t have to take my word for it. Take a look at the show at the link below along with some of the YouTube clips and let me know if this is the next big thing or just another comedy flop.

Flight of the Conchords- Pilot Episode

..and On YouTube:

"Business Time"

"Bowie Song"

"Think About It, Think, Think About It"

Top Five Concerts (or, I just wasted an afternoon writing about music for the first time in forever, and it felt pretty good)

2007-06-04T16:54:00.000-04:00

So no promises I'm reviving this (though I've got some great ideas to write about... more of a time thing than anything else), but I did jot down some thoughts based on the comment post made at my favorite movie review site, http://www.pajiba.com, regarding top five concerts of all time, and since its the first piece of music writing I've written for public consumption in some time, I figured I'd post it here for anyone that still has this bookmarked/fed to their LJ.

Enjoy! (and I'd love to hear your own responses about most memorable concerts if you are so inclined)

-JL

1) Wilco: Kalamazoo, MI, February 2005

The first of four eventual times I would see them, and still the best. A Ghost is Born had just won a Grammy, they opened with Via Chicago (it takes balls to have the first words you utter at a show be "I dreamed about killing you again last night, and it felt alright to me"), the fantastically weird Detholz opened, and the encore was amazing cover after amazing cover. Even in the balcony seats we had, it was unbelievable.

2) The Flaming Lips/New Pornographers: Lollapalooza, August 2006

The Lips have a legendary live show that didn't disappoint, complete with santas, aliens, confetti guns, Wayne Coyne in a bubble, giant balloons, and anything else that could result in sensory overload. Entire set was phenomenal with singalongs, jumping, dancing, crowd surfing, et al, but it was made near perfect from the moment the countdown began into "Do You Realize???", which was akin to a religious experience (though my memories may be shaded by the contact high)... the energy led right into the New Pornos' set right clear across Grant Park, which rocked hard despite the lack of Neko Case and Dan Bejar... worked through the crowd high-fiving everyone during "The Slow Descent into Alcoholism" in time to be front and center for "Sing Me Spanish Techno". Definitely the best one-two punch of an amazing weekend.

3) Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Detroit, MI, April 2007

Makes the list solely based on the fact that it managed to not disappoint in spite of a set clocking in at just about an hour and equipment problems preventing the encore, which would have featured my personal favorite "Walkin To Do". Incredibly energetic show (I can't think of any other band I've seen move quite as much on stage) in a small venue, with great banter to boot. Also notable as my first post 21 show- my friend and I got PBRs to celebrate- as well as having been attended on Monday of finals week with campus an hour away and half of the folks I went with having early morning finals.

4) The White Stripes: Detroit, MI, October 2005

I skipped out on the first UM-MSU game the Spartans had a chance of winning in years for this, and it was well worth it (and not just because MSU lost). Once Jack White got started on the guitar, he didn't stop, making it feel like one continuous medley... save for stopping for Meg to play "Passive Manipulation" on the tymps (twice?!) and to switch to piano for "My Doorbell" and "Forever for Her (Is Over for Me)", the chorus of the latter being belted out by myself and my roommate and possibly nobody else in the theater.

5) The Mountain Goats: Kalamazoo, MI September 2006

Amazing for being one of the most intense "quiet" shows I've ever been at (the crowd literally mouthed along with the songs at some points, which was chilling), but also for so many strange reasons- running into my best friend from kindergarten, having John Darnielle standing literally shoulder to shoulder with us during the opener sipping a beer and spastically rocking out, my friend inexplicably passing out midway through the show and having to be carried out and checked out in the back of an ambulance, getting back in time to chant 'hail satan' in the doorway during the encore and tell John he rocked as he rushed offstage, and finally driving on the wrong side of the road for about a mile on the way home.

Biggest Disappointment: Stars at Lolla 2006. Possibly just not a great outdoor festival band, but "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" completely failed to move me as a heart wrenching breakup anthem should.

Dream to See: Billy Bragg. My life will not be complete until I can stand in a crowd of people screaming the near perfect lyrics to "A New England" right along with the now-middle aged man who wrote them, standing alone on a stage with guitar and amp and still rocking harder than half the bands out there today.

Christmastime is here....

2006-12-20T16:03:00.000-05:00

...and so the blog returns from the dead once more.

Sorry for the updates being virtually nonexistient on this thing, but I figure most of my devoted readers either have this on LJ or RSS feed, so they get the updates when they come.... hopefully the new semester will find more time for pointless pursuits such as this.

In any case, with the holiday season upon us, I did what any good blogger would do and put together a Christmas mixtape compilation. Its pretty eclectic, and I couldn't even fit everything on there I wanted (hint hint... look for bonus tracks coming soon), but its a pretty good sampling of the best Christmas originals and covers of old favorites you've probably never heard of.

Enjoy!

ETA: Apologies to anyone that has this feeding to LJ and got spammed with my last dozen or so entries.... I switched over to the new Blogger engine, and I guess it republished all my old posts.

NGS Presents: A Very Indie X-Mas [MegaUpload]

Track Listing/Liner Notes:

1. Sufjan Stevens- Come On! Let’s Boogie to the Elf Dance!: This may be my all-time favorite “new” Christmas song. In classic Sufjan fashion, it manages to capture so many of the little details that make the holiday special while growing up, all against a terrifically busy musical backdrop, with a refrain of “Santa Claus is coming, hear the banjo strumming” thrown in for good measure.

2. Eels- Everything’s Gonna Be Cool This Christmas: A cautiously upbeat Christmas rocker by E (actually, I’m not sure if he gets any happier than this), made priceless by the random declaration of “Baby Jesus… born to rock” in the middle of the song.

3. The Kinks- Father Christmas: Possibly the original “anti-Christmas” song, it manages to be comical in telling of a department store Santa being mugged while still keeping a reminder in there that Christmas isn’t always happy for everyone

4. They Might Be Giants- Santa’s Beard: Think of it as “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” but from the father’s perspective… and sung by two nerdy white guys from New York.

5. Sufjan Stevens- Get Behind Me, Santa!: Closing out the Santa trifecta is another hyperactive bit of pure Christmas joy from Sufjan, this time with a subtle jab at commercialism as he tries to figure out the true meaning of the guy in the red suit.

6. The Flaming Lips- Christmas at the Zoo: Leave it to Wayne Coyne to come up with something this completely tripped out…I have to wonder if he ever actually tried this himself while high once.

7. Gomez- God Send: I’m on the fence about Gomez as a whole, but this one has everything that I love about them- pleasant vocals and guitar work with just a hint of irreverence.

8. The Pogues- Fairytale of New York: Ah, nothing like a good old fashioned Christmas-themed Irish drinking song. There’s a decent cover of this by Canadian indie popsters Stars out there, but nothing can really match the original.

9. Barenaked Ladies- Christmastime (Oh Yeah)- Kevin Hearn doesn’t step up to the mike very often in BNL, but when he does, he usually makes it count… another one of those songs that feels like the Christmas memories you never actually had.

10. Ron Sexsmith- Maybe This Christmas: Ron Sexsmith is such a cool guy, we can forgive him for this being included on The OC holiday compilation

11. Erlend Oye- Last Christmas: Wow, who knew Wham! Could sound so heartbreaking? (Head to http://www.last-christmas.com for a couple hundred other covers of this song… I kids you not).

12. Vince Guaraldi Trio- Christmastime is Here: Despite the iconic dominance of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, I can’t help but think a little bit of “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Arrested Development” in the back of my mind whenever I hear this.

13. Belle and Sebastian- O Come O Come Emmanuel: It goes without saying that twee pop and traditional carols go hand and hand together.

14. Barenaked Ladies- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: A modern classic, with Sarah McLachlan providing guest vocals… I challenge anyone to still think of them as a novelty act after hearing this one.

15. David Bowie and Bing Crosby- Little Drummer Boy: Yeah, you read that correctly… recorded for a Christmas special a few weeks before Crosby died, its truly one of the more bizarre pairings in music history, and yet somehow it works (the clip is worth checking out too, if only for its sheer cheesiness)

16. Bright Eyes- Blue Christmas: He’s got a whole album of the stuff, folks… seriously, do emo kids even LIKE Christmas?

17. The Pipettes- White Christmas: Congrats to the reigning girl group champs from the UK for bumping the Flaming Lips decidedly more bizarre rendition of the granddaddy of all Christmas songs from the playlist

18. Badly Drawn Boy- Donna and Blitzen: Possibly the most romantic Christmas song ever written, and definitely the best thing to ever come out of a film starring Hugh Grant (you heard me, “Love, Actually” groupies).

Wilco: A Chronology

2006-10-05T22:20:00.000-04:00

So Wilco is playing East Lansing this weekend. This has me very excited, to the point that I’m dusting this thing off after a month long hiatus (again!) to present the biggest post yet: a review of every Wilco album (I might also be listening to all of them in full before tomorrow night… yeah, I’m that geeked).

Without further ado:

The debut album is frequently derided as one of the weakest. Tweedy, fresh out of effectively playing second fiddle in the alt-country defining Uncle Tupelo, seemed to stumble out the gate on this in the opinion of many. While I can’t deny this as being one of Wilco’s weaker efforts, there’s some solid signs of promise here, from the upbeat anthem to youthful confusion that is “Box Full of Letters” to the tender country balladry of “I Thought I Held You,” Tweedy’s songwriting is already strong and effective, as if he’s just waiting for the music to catch up a bit. Also, there’s a rare vocal appearance by John Stirratt here on “It’s Just That Simple,” which is appreciated. And screw the rest of you out there who despise it, I LIKE “Casino Queen”.

Wilco- Box Full of Letters

Arguably the elite fan’s favorite album. They hit their stride on the whole alt-country thing here, and the results are a lot of fun, paying homage to the traditions of great American folk music even before they were given the keys to Woody Guthrie’s archives. “Far Far Away” may well be one of the sweetest, most honest love songs I’ve ever heard, and “Kingpin” is a hell of a lot of fun here (and even better live). Also, with “Sunken Treasure,” Tweedy first achieves that level of spine chilling mysteriousness in his writing that we’ve come to love. By far the best Wilco album you probably haven’t heard.

Wilco- Far Far Away

Naturally, having gotten it right on that whole folk-rock thing, the guys decide to try something completely different—I can only imagine the loyal fan’s shock upon putting this album in for the first time when it came out and hearing the opening bars of “Can’t Stand It”. To me, however, this will always feel like the album to play in the wee hours of the morning, as the sun is just barely coming up and illuminating the darkness. Stuff like “Pieholden Suite” and “Via Chicago” just breaks your heart (never did I think I’d come to love the lyrics “I dreamed about killing you again last night and it felt alright to me” as much as I do), yet its broken up by the triumphant (if not cautious) refrains of “I’m Always In Love” and “Nothingsevergonnastandinmyway(again).”

Wilco- Pieholden Suite

The closing scene of “Reservations,” my conceptualized film that uses YHF as a score/storyline (you heard me):

So this guy, he’s had a rough day. He got kicked out of his apartment by his girlfriend (again), and has spent the day wandering the city, searching for meaning. He struggles, he fights, he breaks down, he realizes how much he misses her and almost goes back, but gets too proud at the very last second. Now, after another night of drunken debauchery that went nowhere, he finds himself in front of her building, right back where he started the night before. He’s cold, he’s alone, he’s about to spend another night on the park bench, and he realizes… he has to try. He might just fuck it all up again, but it’s worth a shot, in fact is more than worth a shot. As Tweedy croons “I’ve…. Got reservations… About so many things, but not about you…”, he swallows his pride, and walks forth into the building. As the camera zooms out from the doorway, all the way out to the Chicago skyline, the music slowly fading into oblivion, we realize that we’ll never really know what happened to the guy, but somehow it doesn’t matter all that much.

Wilco- Reservations

It took a while to grow on me (10 minute looping rock anthems? 15 minutes of ambient noise? Come on Jeff…), but the creative strides taken in A Ghost Is Born can at some moments even rival those taken by its predecessor, all while telling some incredibly memorable stories in there. It produced tow of my all time favorite songs, “Hummingbird” and “Theologians,” which I think can very well describe me at my worst and best, respectively. And of course, it gave this blog its name, so how can I not love it?

Wilco- Theologians

Honestly, this album took what was already damn good and made it flat out incredible. The new lineup in its entirety sounds amazing, Nels Cline is clearly a god among men when it comes to guitar, and there are some ridiculous new keyboard lines in there to top it off. Top honors go to “Shot In The Arm” for being transformed from another decent track on Summerteeth to an all out rocker that’s a live highlight.

Wilco- Shot In The Arm (live)

Land that I Love, Indeed

2006-09-11T20:23:00.000-04:00

I could bore you guys with 9.11 potificating tonight, but I think this song is all that needs to be said.

I came across this track exactly a year ago, after hearing it performed live to open up an amazing concert by Mr. Sufjan Stevens and company (the star-spangled jumpsuit was just the beginning of the awesomeness, believe me). In any case, it's easily one of the most patriotic songs I can think of, simply because it doesn't settle on an easy answer. Rather than wrapping America up in a flag and platitudes about liberty and freedom, it stands in awe, trying to take in the whole wide scope of the American experience before Sufjan just breaks down into a chorus of "God bless America.... Land that I Love" in the end, and you've never felt the words expressed with more sincerity.

Enough blabbering, let's make with the song:
Sufjan Stevens- The 50 States Song (live)

NGS Proudly Presents: College! The Mixtape

2006-09-01T22:53:00.000-04:00

So I’ve been cooking this up for a while, and decided now was as good a time as any to unleash it into the world. The idea here was to capture college life using artists every good college student should get to know, and I think it worked out pretty well. Granted, the college experience is different for all of us, and I hate trying to define it in one fell swoop, but this is what struck me as relevant, and hopefully at least some of it strikes a chord with you too.

Enjoy!

College! The Mixtape [MegaUpload]
(apologies, as always, about popups- let me know if you have trouble downloading)

Track Listing/Liner Notes:

1. White Stripes- We’re Going To Be Friends: We all get stressed at the beginning of a new school year. Take a moment to breathe deep and remember the good old days when the first day meant new crayons, backpacks, and not missing the bus.

2. Albert Alexander- Indie Girl: You’ll meet a guy like this within a week of starting school. He sits in the hallway with a guitar, singing original compositions that are often miles ahead of what you hear on the radio. Incidentally, he’s most likely writing the score to your college career—you’ll probably meet the young woman he’s singing about a week later…

3. Nellie McKay- David: …unfortunately, no matter how bold and independent she may seem, she’s no doubt already crushing on that guy down the hall. You know, the one that isn’t you.

4. Fountains of Wayne- Hey Julie: Unless you’re blessed enough to live off the largesse of your folks (or land a cushy research job), you’ll soon find yourself working one of the most exhausting and/or mind numbing jobs of your life. Here’s hoping that you find that special someone to make it bearable.

5. Belle and Sebastian- The Blues are Still Blue: Before long, that pile in the corner of the room will start to become unbearable, and you’ll have to venture into the dark cold basement for the timeless college ritual of feeding quarters into a machine and watching it spin around for an hour.

6. The New Pornographers- The Slow Descent into Alcoholism: From Welcome Week onward, the temptation to reduce your life to a foggy haze of parties and hangovers is ever present. Keep it in moderation: you may only be young once, but I’m sure that’s what Ted Kennedy thought at one point as well.

7. Elvis Costello- Mystery Dance: As for whatever post party activities may transpire… yeah. Keep it safe, keep it consensual, and keep it awkward, kids. It’s the collegiate way.

8. Electric Six- Danger! High Voltage! : Above all, college is where you learn to appreciate ironic humor, and thus gain a newfound love for 80s power ballads and lyrical gems like “Fire in the disco! Fire in the Taco Bell!”

9. Pixies- Debaser: The Pixies are one of those bands you can really only get into in college, for one simple reason—you have enough time on your hands to actually bother consulting Wikipedia on the meaning of lyrics like “I am un chien andalusia…”

10. Queen and David Bowie- Under Pressure: Eventually, you’ll come to that realization that college requires work. Play this baby on loop while you scrounge through piles of bad notes and half-read course material to patch together a halfway coherent paper that just happens to count for a third of your grade.

11. Super Furry Animals- The Man Don’t Give a Fuck: An anthem for those days where you spend hours playing phone/email tag with the administration just to make one small yet critical change to your college career.

12. Jon Brion- Knock Yourself Out: College is great for existential crises, so long as they don’t render you confused to the point of hitting yourself with a big red ball all day.

13. Billy Bragg- Waiting for the Great Leap Forward: When all else falls short, you can always count on the discovery of social activism to give meaning to your college life. Pick up a sign, stick it to the man, and you’ll feel better in no time… at least until that next paper is due.

14. The Flaming Lips- Do You Realize???: Ultimately, college isn’t about the books or the booze, but about finding out what’s truly important to you. People will come and go over the next four years, but the ones that stick around from orientation to graduation day… those are the type of friends you’ve got for life, and the people who will really matter.

What I Listened To On My Summer Vacation: The Avett Brothers

2006-08-17T22:54:00.000-04:00

After a few pages of political ranting elsewhere tonight, it feels really good to unwind a bit and write about what was easily one of the most pleasant discoveries of the summer.

I first came across The Avett Brothers via the always reliable music snobs over at Paste Magazine. On one of their samplers last spring, they featured the opener off their latest album “Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions,” and to say it was unlike anything I’ve ever heard is an understatement. After opening with some radio distortion and light driving guitar, “Talk On Indolence” breaks down out of nowhere into some sort of country-fried rap/rant that just begs to be reprinted:

Well I’ve been lockin' myself up in my house for sometime now
Readin' and writin' and readin' and thinkin'
and searching for reasons and missing the seasons.
The Autumn, the Spring, the Summer, the snow.
The record will stop the record will go.
Latches latched the windows down,
the dog coming in the dog going out.
Up with caffeine and down with a shot.
Constantly worried about what I’ve got.
Distracting my work but I can’t make a stop
and my confidence on and my confidence off.
And I sink to the bottom and rise to the top
and I think to myself that I do this a lot.
World outside just goes it goes it goes it goes it goes it goes...
and witness it all from the blinds of my window (three, four!)

Try saying that five times fast.

Almost as inexplicably, it then gets right back on track as a good old fashioned alt-county stomper. Needless to say, I was sold... only I couldn’t find their album anywhere until this summer, at a Tower Records in DC.

Surprisingly (but actually somewhat unremarkable in retrospect), nothing on the album sounded anything like that first track. This may seem like a disappointment, and first it sort of was… I was looking for some solid Southern tinged rock, and wound up with a lot of ballads and some jarringly raw vocal performances. Something kept drawing me back, however, and I soon found myself every bit as enthralled with the rest of the CD as I was with “Talk on Indolence”. The band seamlessly moves from country to folk to almost Buddy Holly-esque slower numbers, all while keeping an immediate and unvarnished style (yes, even the vocals grew on me…there’s actually some gorgeous harmonizing in between the wailing) that invokes the very heart of what it is to make good American folk music (this is in part due to the fact that the album was recorded all on the spot at a cabin in rural North Carolina). In an era of slick, produced to death pop, it’s a breath of fresh air that almost gives you hope for music in this country again.

I’m going to post two tracks here (including the aforementioned “Talk on Indolence”), but I cannot stress enough that this doesn’t even begin to demonstrate the scope of this album. If you like what you hear, I highly recommend tracking to CD down for yourself and buying a copy… you won’t be disappointed.

The Avett Brothers- Talk On Indolence
The Avett Brothers- A Lover Like You

...and cause I just can't get enough of these guys, live footage of them performing the always entertaining "Distraction #74" and then outright rocking to what I imagine is a song from an earlier album (hooray for upright bass!)

What I Listened to on My Summer Vacation: Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint

2006-08-09T23:47:00.000-04:00

Jeff Tweedy’s got company at the top.

For those of you who know me, the Wilco frontman has long been my favorite musician of all time, to the point that he’s been accused of being God to me (I can neither confirm nor deny said charges). However, after this summer I can safely sat that another artist has moved into a dead tie for the number one spot: Mr. Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus, better known to the world as Elvis Costello. Granted, I was always a big fan of Elvis Costello, but a variety of things have moved him up into the number one spot over the course of this summer:

• The New Album. In June, Elvis Costello came out with a new album with New Orleans jazz legend Allen Toussaint entitled “The River in Reverse,” featuring covers from Toussaint’s catalog as well as some original compositions. Adding a horn section and Toussaint’s piano skills to the always impressive Imposters gave the music a fresh sound, and Costello’s voice only seems to be getting better with age. In short, it was a great addition to his catalog as well as yet another impressive genre experiment from the rocker turned musical chameleon.

• The Live Show. I managed—after an hour long ride on DC Metro and bus—to catch Mr. Costello and Mr. Toussaint on their tour this summer at the gorgeous Wolf Trap theatre in Vienna, VA. Most of the new album was played, complete with Elvis Costello fleshing out the allusions to Hurricane Katrina with scathing commentary on the Bush administration, as well as some classic Toussaint songs. Best of all, however, were the Costello hits rearranged for horns by Allen Toussaint, like the version of “Alison” that began with a gorgeous brass intro and closed with Costello segueing into the Motown classic “Tracks of my Tears”. All in all, it was a phenomenal show even from the lawn, and one of the more satisfying concerts I’ve been to.

• The Tribute. I covered this previously in this space, but the VH1 Decades Rock Live Tribute to Elvis Costello was every bit as amazing as I had hoped, with Death Cab for Cutie, Fiona Apple, and Billie Joe Armstrong all turning in stellar performances. The latter was perhaps the most amusing of all—the two of them seemed like a long lost father and son team strumming acoustic guitars on stage, with Billie Joe paying homage to “Alison” and Elvis making “Good Riddance” cool for the first time in a decade.

So welcome to favored musician status, Mr. Costello… I have no doubt you and Mr. Tweedy can share the spot without trouble, so long as Tweedy doesn’t turn into a bear and maul you to death.

Elvis Costello- The River In Reverse
VIDEO: Elvis Costello and Billie Joe Armstrong- Good Riddance

What I Listened to on My Summer Vacation: The Pipettes

2006-08-08T23:17:00.000-04:00

So Lolla was phenomenal… for those curious on the details, hit up the ol’ LJ, where I’m chronicling it in painstaking detail.

Today, I’m getting back into gear by writing up some of the great music I picked up over the long summer in which I wrote pretty much nothing—a sort of catch up, if you will.

Now, I’ve written about The Pipettes in here before back when they were a quirky little underground act from England with a handful of singles, but now they’re a quirky little underground act from England with an album… and what an album it is, full of gorgeous retro-style harmonies and danceable rhythms and lyrics that stick in your head for days— which, by the way, is terribly inconvenient and more than a little embarrassing when said lyrics are “dance with me pretty boy tonight”.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit its not just the music I love here—the Pipettes have refined an image that makes them pretty much the dream girls of every indie geek on the planet, despite the lyrics clearly showing that these girls have no interest in settling down in a relationship, my favorite example being the stunning “It’s Not Love (But It’s Still a Feeling)”

Nonetheless, I’m completely smitten at this point, and I think you will be too.

The Pipettes—It’s Not Love (But It’s Still a Feeling)

VIDEO: The Pipettes—Pull Shapes

More New Wilco: Let's Fight

2006-08-02T17:34:00.000-04:00

So I'm back from Washington DC, and finally have the free time on my hands to mindlessly ramble about music over the internet.... almost.

First is Lollapalooza, which I'm excited beyond belief for... its my first festival, and in one of my favorite cities on earth to boot. However, while I'm sitting in eager anticipation back here in the always lovely East Lansing, I thought I'd throw some more of that new Wilco at you.

This is easily one of their stronger new numbers, coming from the same dark place as classics like "She's a Jar" and "At Least Thats What You Said", while adding in a killer synth string thing that feels both refreshingly new and familiar at the same time. My only reservation is that lyrically, it doesn't have the 'oomph' of a line like "I thought it was cute of you to kiss my purple black eye" in there, but it's still a solid addition to the catalog. Also, there's some bonus Tweedy banter tacked onto the end, and who doesn't love Tweedy banter?

Wilco- Let's Fight

Stay tuned next week, when I'll begin to play catch up with "What I Listened to on My Summer Vacation".

Hiatus? What Hiatus?

2006-07-19T15:16:00.000-04:00

What could possibly have me back blogging so soon after I claimed I was on a break?

Only the man himself, Mr. Jeff Tweedy.

Yes, I've stumbled across some more new Wilco material from concerts, and... well, I'll let you guys be the judge of it for now, I suppose. Much like "Is That The Thanks I Get?" (the song also known as "We Can Make It Better"), its a different, much sunnier sound for the band. You can see a marked difference now that Jeff Tweedy's kicked the pain pill habit in his music, and while its admittedly lost some of the more cryptic quailities that were a hallmark of "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "A Ghost Is Born", you can tell he's having a lot more fun with it all.

First up (and I do intend to post several of these in the next few days) is "There's a Light", arguably the warmest song Tweedy's ever written- very catchy, very feel-good. I think you'll dig it.

Wilco- There's a Light

As a bonus, there's a nice quality YouTube clip of them doing this in concert, which also showcases what I can only assume is Jeff Tweedy's slow metamorphasis into some sort of bearlike creature.

He Lives! (Kinda)

2006-07-16T23:37:00.000-04:00

So I dissapeared for about a month, and to be honest, this is only a sort-of comeback.

Basically, this job working for Presidential Classroom, while amazing, is also incredibly time consuming, like 24/7 (check out the ol' LJ link on the right for my semi-coherent ramblings from the graveyard shift). Plus, the MSU webspace servers are a pain to access from here, so yeah.... a bit of a haitus, for which I should have made a formal announcement earlier.... sorry, I am a bad blogger :/

I'll hopefully be back full time sometime in August, most likely after Lollapalooza... for now, accept as consolation this great YouTube clip of the upcoming VH1 Classic tribute to Elvis Costello (who competes with Jeff Tweedy now for personal music god status after seeing him live), featuring duets with Death Cab for Cutie, Fiona Apple, and Green Day.... the audio is a bit off, but its definitely enough to get me psyched for when it airs on Friday.

also... BONUS! some raw audience video of the man legally known as Declan MacManus and Billie Joe Armstrong performing the rare track "Cheap Reward".... you think you can forgive me now for my prolonged abscence?

Into The Vaults for Motown Summer

2006-06-13T23:27:00.000-04:00

So I think I’ve got a game plan for keeping this thing rolling while I avoid going insane from keeping the high school kids in line. Basically, I’m going to update at least once a week, and focus on some of my favorite tracks from the unparalleled greatness that is the Motown Records catalog. What? No, of course this just isn’t an excuse to fend of homesickness—not entirely, anyway.

To start this one off right, I’ve got a real rarity for you all (I'm not quite far south enough to justify breaking out the y'all just yet). Perhaps the only thing better than a good cover song is the original version of a song that’s become so popular most people have long forgotten it was a cover. Such is the case with the classic piece of 80s pop that is Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love.” One of the great one hit wonders of all time, the song was actually a cover of a little known Motown track by Gloria Jones, presented here for your listening pleasure.

Gloria Jones- Tainted Love

I should probably also give credit where credit is due and note that this selection was in part sparked by the musical choice and ensuing commentary in my friend Monika’s livejournal. Tainted Love—song of a man/woman scorned, or treatise on global economic policy? You be the judge.

Marvin Gaye Evangelism

2006-06-10T22:47:00.000-04:00

Gasp! Has it really been over a week since I’ve posted anything? Fear not, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth, just gone to live in my personal Disneyland—Washington DC. I’m doing the intern thing, working with Presidential Classroom to shuffle a few thousand high school kids through out nation’s capitol, and make sure they stay out of trouble in the meantime. It’s kind of like being a camp counselor, but in the greatest city on earth instead of the middle of nowhere.

Anyhow, updates will be sporadic at best, as my schedule is pretty packed. Most of the people who are regulars here (the ones I know anyway) have their own summer adventures going, so I don’t think they’ll mind too much. While I had a moment, though, I thought I’d share a story.

I was hanging out in East Lansing last weekend, and a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) made a shameful admission, though she probably didn’t realize it at the time: she had never heard Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”. This, I should note, was my favorite song at four years old, in part because of those Claymation raisin commercials, but also because my parents had an old record of it that they would play for me, which never failed to get me to dance around the living room. Needless to say, I really felt sorry for her, as even with personal attachments aside, its one of the greatest songs ever written. As I sat there in shock, I wondered how many more of these people were out there… people who had never heard the iconic opening organ riff setting up that unforgettable groove that Marvin Gaye pours unheard of amounts of soul over. Clearly something had to be done. Tonight, out of the vault, I bring you a classic gem of the Motown catalog—enjoy it, be it your first time, or your hundredth.

Marvin Gaye- I Heard It Through The Grapevine

After writing this, I'm thinking a Motown summer for the next two months. How about it?

Film Review: Chelsea Walls

2006-06-01T17:13:00.000-04:00

So I just saw a really terrific film the other night, a story of numerous creative types living and struggling in New York City, featuring great music and a brilliant cast, including a surprisingly good performance from Rosario Dawson.

What? Hell no, it wasn’t Rent.

The film I’m referring to is a little-known indie flick from 2001 entitled Chelsea Walls, the directorial debut of Ethan Hawke. Initially, what drew me to tack down this film (at my local library of all places) was the fact that the score and original music were by the much revered Jeff Tweedy. However, this turned out to be only the beginning of things that made this film great.

For starters, the movie was produced by InDigEnt (Independent Digital Entertainment), a studio that specializes in low-budget filmmaking that leaves room for innovation and new talent to be developed. I had seen another InDigEnt film in East Lansing last fall (the MSU-alumni directed psychological thriller November), and was definitely impressed. It’s refreshing to see forces out there that are genuinely promoting creativity.

In any event, this movie was no exception, proving to be one of the most original pieces of filmmaking I’ve seen in a while. Centering around five or so artistic types living in the famous Hotel Chelsea in New York, there isn’t so much a plot here as there is a rhythm. Like some grand flowing poem, the story bounces back and forth seamlessly between their lives, with remarkably little of the overlap that seems so common with this sort of premise (Crash, I’m looking at you here). As we are given more snippets and vignettes of the various characters, our imaginations begin to connect the dots, helping us to see more than what is just laid out on the screen. In many ways, it felt more like experiencing the subtleties and nuances of a really good album than it did watching a movie, so much so that it will probably merit a repeat viewing or two to see what else I can pick up on.

The unique premise and format is helped along tremendously by a terrific case, including the aforementioned Dawson (much more enjoyable here than in Rent, if you ask me), Hawke’s then-wife Uma Thurman, Steve Zahn, and Robert Sean Leonard (better known as Dr. James Wilson on House). As a director, Hawke has obviously borrowed a few pages from the playbook of Richard Linklater, with whom he worked on Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, but also works to make it his own. And of course, Tweedy’s fingerprints are all over this, from the haunting experimental score with Glenn Kotche that fits like a glove to the rendition of “The Lonely 1” performed by Leonard’s struggling musician character (yes, Dr. Wilson sings, though I’m providing the original album cut below). Wilco even has a blink and you’ll miss it cameo as the backing band in the club during a spoken word number, which was very cool.

One of my main problems with Rent was the fact that for all its rallying about art and creativity, it was really fairly safe artistically: no doubt the subject matter had edge and was even groundbreaking, but it was all presented with the straightforwardness of a Top 40 hit, which for me made it grow old pretty fast (the constant playing of the soundtrack by my fellow college students didn't help either). While Chelsea Walls covers much of the same ground of the struggles of the creative Bohemian existence (though it skirts many of the social issues Rent tackles), it does so with a different and truly original style seems to step up to the plate and make its own contribution as art.

Wilco- The Lonely 1
Clip from Chelsea Walls- "I want to be a lost poem in a stranger's coat pocket..." (YouTube)

John Darnielle is a Man of Musical Genius

2006-05-31T20:47:00.000-04:00

As promised (albeit a day later than planned), a bit more on the man who so effortlessly combined Thin Lizzy with R. Kelly in Friday’s post.

A friend of mine recently made the assertion that John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats is the greatest songwriter of our generation, or is at least fighting Sufjan Stevens tooth and nail for the title. While I couldn’t say that for certain, I can say that he’s pretty damn brilliant and criminally overlooked. Part of this is no doubt due to his eccentricities: aside from the whole billing yourself as a band but really only being one guy thing (granted, its something that hasn’t stopped Bright Eyes or Dashboard Confessional), there’s the fact that for the majority of his career, his preferred method of recording was via boom box—just pop in a blank tape, press record, and start strumming, I kid you not. Even after succumbing to the pressures of the studio, it hasn’t been until his most recent work that he’s added anything to the mix other than his guitar and his nasally yet incredibly intense vocals.

This might in fact be the greatest testament to his songwriting abilities: the music is pretty simple and the voice takes some getting used to, but the words suck you right in from the first listen, and have a way of hitting the nail on the head when it comes to emotional resonance. Take the song “Jenny” for example, off his album “All Hail West Texas”. Have I ever dated a girl who pulled up to my house in a motorcycle and rode off into the sunset with me? Of course not. Is this song still the perfect embodiment of what it feels like to be in love? Absolutely.

The Mountain Goats- Jenny

While his more recent material has become more slickly produced, Darnielle has lost none of his intensity, and has in fact gone even deeper and more personal in his writing. His most recent release “The Sunset Tree,” chronicles his adolescence living with an abusive stepfather, a topic which he manages to make appropriately dark while empowering and hopeful at the same time. Darnielle sums it up nicely in an interview describing the beautifully haunting song “Love Love Love" off the album:

"the point of the song is we are very well damaged by the legacy of the romantic poet, that we think of love as a thing that is with strings and is this force for good and then if something bad happens that’s not love...I don't know so much about that. I don't know that the Greeks weren't right; I think that they were, that love can beat a path through everything, that it will destroy a lot of things on the way to its objective which is just its expression of itself. You know my stepfather mistreated us terribly quite often, but he loved us and that to me is something worth commenting on in the hopes of undoing a lot of what I perceive is terrible damage, yet we talk about love as this benign comfortable force: it is wild."

Filled with biblical and literary allusions, It’s quickly become one of my favorite songs in recent memory.

The Mountain Goats- Love Love Love

So is John Darnielle the greatest songwriter of our generation? Its becoming harder and harder to disagree, and with a new album due out in a few months, I don’t think its going to get any easier.

Happy Memorial Day

2006-05-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

I thought I should take some time out from all the barbeques and waiting in traffic jams from up north today to recognize what this holiday is really all about. I’m not talking about flag-waving, rah-rah support our troops stuff here, but rather the real honest-to-God human sacrifice that has been given in service to this country. It’s something I’m not sure I could ever do, which gives me the utmost respect for those do step up and risk it every day.

The song today is a gorgeous folk song coming from Jeff Tweedy and Wilco as an outtake from the Mermaid Avenue sessions, and its one that I think brings the spirit of Memorial Day out of the White House and right down to the individual people where it belongs.

Wilco- When The Roses Bloom Again

A Whole Damn Week with the Same Song, Part 5: …and John Darnielle for the win.

2006-05-26T00:58:00.000-04:00

I think I’ve really saved the best for last in covers week. At first glance, this cover by The Mountain Goats (which is really just one guy named John Darnielle… more on him next week) seems to be pretty straightforward, not all that distinct from Jon Brion’s—just exchange one forceful nasally voiced singer for another.

Then, at about 2:48 into the song, everything changes. Somehow, Darnielle sees it fit to launch into the chorus of R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix)”. Yes, the whiny voiced white boy sings about “Cristal poppin' in the stretch Navigator,” and it’s everything you’re imagining right now and then some. Here’s the truly miraculous thing: it works, fitting with the theme of the original song and everything. I don’t know how he does it.

As if all this wasn’t enough, at the end we find out that this was performed live on a radio station apparently DJ-ed by the Swedish Chef from The Muppets, who makes an appearance in the bumper at the end… classic.

The Mountain Goats- The Boys are Back In Town

So that concludes our whole damn week of the same song… for those of you who haven’t stopped reading, thank you for your devotion (I’m assuming you exist, mind you). It’s actually been a lot of fun for me to write, and it’s given me time to think up some great new posts for the next few weeks. See you next week.

A Whole Damn Week with the Same Song, Part 4: Jon Brion. Enough Said.

2006-05-25T19:29:00.000-04:00

So who’s sick of this song by now? I know I’m certainly not.

Today’s version comes from composer/singer/producer/music god Jon Brion, who has already been established as a man of musical genius in this blog. Because of this, he can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants to do with this song and it will be awesome. Brion takes the minimalist approach, opting for a pleasantly laid-back ukulele backing (the riff is still there, sounding better than ever… plus he hums it at the end!) and letting his oddly appealing vocals give the song some drive. Think the original version mixed with Ooh La La by The Faces (that song at the end of Rushmore), and you’ll get the idea.

But… you don’t have to take my word for it (cue Reading Rainbow music):

Jon Brion- The Boys are Back In Town

A Whole Damn Week with the Same Song, Part 3: The Pop Makeover

2006-05-24T15:00:00.000-04:00

On the heels of yesterday’s fairly straightforward homage, we’ve got something completely different. Swedish pop group The Cardigans (best known for their 90’s radio hit “Lovefool”… trust me, you’ve heard it...damn Leo DiCaprio flicks) give the song an entirely new feel, complete with a disco backbeat, smooth lofty female vocals… pretty much everything we’ve come to expect from a Swedish pop outfit (thanks, ABBA and Ace of Base for creating such a great stereotype).

Much like the White Stripes cover of Folk Singer I posted last week, this is a great example of a band taking a song and making it their own, retaining the essential character (that iconic riff is still in there somewhere) while adding all the elements that make their own act great.

The Cardigans- The Boys are Back In Town

A Whole Damn Week with the Same Song, Part 2: The Straight-Up Crowd Pleaser

2006-05-23T14:57:00.000-04:00

Another thing I’ve realized that’s great about this week of Thin Lizzy covers is that it gives me a chance to explore the different ways in which a band approaches a cover song. Take today’s version, for instance, coming from the Scottish twee-poppers Belle and Sebastian. There are a pretty large number of live B+S covers out there if you look hard enough, and they all serve the same purpose: to give the crowd a bonus and a good laugh at live shows (god willing, I’ll be seeing one myself this summer), and to demonstrate the band’s abiding love for good pop music.

It’s clear that Belle and Sebastian have a lot of love for this song (if you listen, they nicked the chord progressions in writing their own hit song “I’m a Cuckoo”), and especially the guitar riff in it, repeating it over and over before delving into the actual song. Aside from that, it’s just some guys and girls having a blast being rock stars and singing a fun song… considering the soft-spoken poetic lines that Stuart Murdoch usually is delivering, its an enjoyable change to hear him really let loose (and something we’ll hear more of, if their latest album is any indication).

Belle and Sebastian- The Boys are Back in Town

A Whole Damn Week with the Same Song, Part 1: The Original

2006-05-22T17:06:00.000-04:00

So if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m incredibly amused by cover songs (though I don’t think I could ever do an entire blog devoted to them). Even more amusing than individual covers, however, is when I come across a song so iconic that that it’s been covered by multiple artists.

Such is the case with the Thin Lizzy 70s rock classic “The Boys Are Back In Town”—I’ve found no fewer than four different versions of this thing, and they’re all unique. Faced with this discovery, I can only devote an entire week in this space to covers of this song, which will either amuse you as much as it amuses me, or drive you insane.

Without further ado, we’ll kick it off with the original, the standard against which all other versions will be judged. After coming back from a weekend trip my freshman year, I discovered my roommate had downloaded a best of Thin Lizzy compilation. Asking him why, he said that if “The Boys Are Back in Town” was such a great song, they had to have something else worthwhile. They didn’t, but after you’ve written a song this universally appealing, do you really need anything more?

Thin Lizzy- The Boys are Back In Town

Under the Covers: Motown Showdown

2006-05-18T16:22:00.000-04:00

So the new Raconteurs disc has been in my car CD player since Tuesday, and it still hasn’t gotten old. Despite being way too short for my liking (10 tracks, just over 30 minutes), the duo of Jack White and Brendan Benson makes every second count, crafting one of the most solid albums (call it indie, rock, pop, whatever) of 2006. This one’s worth picking up, kids.

In honor of the Raconteurs, I’ve got a covers post featuring both of the gentlemen from Detroit who front the outfit. The song is “Folk Singer,” originated by Brendan Benson. His original is probably one of the best tracks he’s done, containing all the insanely catchy lyrical turns and humming bridge sections that make him great. On the other hand, when Jack and Meg White take on the song during a set on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, they completely make it their own, cutting the song in half so it fits with the blistering White Stripes pace, and changing the chorus from a melodic refrain to a screaming declaration. It’s really impossible to choose one over the other, mainly because this is exactly what a cover should be.

Brendan Benson—Folk Singer
The White Stripes—Folk Singer

William Shatner Kicks Ass

2006-05-17T00:37:00.000-04:00

So a bit of a digression to start today. In general, I am not a guy that watches a ton of television... in the past year, the only network shows I watched almost unfailingly were The West Wing, The Office (even though the British version is still better), and Arrested Development. In other words, two-thirds of my regular television viewing was killed by the cruel hand of the network powers that be this year. Realizing the need for mindless diversion in life, I need to seek out some replacements.

One show that will be a given of course, is Studio 60 on The Sunset Strip from West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin (check out a truly excellent 6 minute preview clip here), provided it can overcome the obsessive hordes of Grey’s Anatomy fans in its timeslot. However, I can hold back my rage at ABC for creating this showdown thanks in no small part to the fact that last night, I finally got around to watching Boston Legal, and I think I’m hooked.

If you’re still reading, you’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with music. Well friends, the appeal of Boston Legal lies chiefly in the brilliant performance of William Shatner as high powered legal sleaze Denny Crane, a fact that comes as no surprise to anyone who had the good fortune of coming across a little album called Has Been a few years back. Yes, Shatner did have an ill-advised run in with the record biz back in his heyday, but this makes up for it and then some. Produced by Ben Folds, it’s clear this time Shatner is in on the joke: he knows he can’t sing, and that his trademark dramatic spoken word style makes for a great novelty. Somehow, this yields some genuinely touching moments, including a Nick Hornby penned ode to an estranged daughter and a chilling, almost silent track in which he recounts his wife’s suicide. Other times, it just flat out rocks in the oddest possible way, embodied by his cover of Pulp’s “Common People” that hands-down beats the original. It’s stuff like this that has allowed Shatner to broaden his cult status from Star Trek geeks to the indie geeks, as well as anyone else that enjoys a guy learning to laugh at himself.

William Shatner- Common People

Old Guys Make Good Music Too

2006-05-15T23:36:00.000-04:00

So much of the blogging community is devoted to the pursuit that next big thing, I thought it might be nice to take a moment to recognize the elder statesmen of music who keep chugging along, putting out great music.

First of all, there’s Neil Young. A month or so ago, Neil announced out of nowhere that he had recorded an album about the war in Iraq, and it’d be out in a week or so. It raised a lot of buzz in the news for its controversial subject matter, including a song titled “Let’s Impeach the President.” Personally, I was fearing the Fahrenheit 9/11 of albums—a lot of angry political posturing without much of an artful touch (to be fair, I really enjoy the Michael Moore canon, but I think he was at his best writing brilliant satire like “Canadian Bacon” and sticking up for his hometown in "Roger and Me"). However, after listening to Living With War streaming online, I was pleasantly surprised. Performing with a killer horn section and choir, the album sounds urgent and raw, with Young genuinely frustrated with what he sees around him and acknowledging in the title track that he too is living with war in his heart.

Neil Young— Living With War

Also a pleasant surprise was the new effort from Paul Simon, appropriately titled Surprise. Now here’s a guy with mileage, going from one of the most successful duos of all time to an equally successful solo career. Bringing in legendary producer Brian Eno, his sound on this latest effort sounds really smooth, and Simon can still write solid lyrics to back it up. Is it cutting edge hip? Probably not. Still, it makes you think about whom among the indie rock hip elite days will still be going 30-40 years down the line.

Paul Simon- How Can You Live in the Northeast?

Symphonic Jazz Pretty Much Rocks

2006-05-15T11:03:00.000-04:00

(before i get started today, a hello to all the new visitors to the site that are coming in via the links on the Via Chicago forums as well as Kwaya Na Kisser (an excellent blog if i do say so myself)... have a look around, take in some music, bookmark us- it's good to have you stop by)

So I was fortunate enough to see Dave Brubeck perform at that other university this weekend, as he was the subject of their University Musical Society Honors Program this year. It was pretty fantastic to say the least, thanks in no small part to the fact that Brubeck was backed by not only his own fantastic quartet but also the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. Basically, if you think Blue Rondo a la Turk is amazing as is, just imagine it backed by strings (I don’t think a recording could even do it justice, to be honest).

The performance only furthered my feeling that symphonic jazz is some of the most amazing music ever, a feeling that started earlier this year with the release of Elvis Costello’s My Flame Burns Blue, which featured him live in concert backed by the Metropole Orkest, one of the world’s leading jazz orchestras. Costello retools some of his own material for this disc, but perhaps even more remarkably, arranges and adds lyrics to preexisting jazz compositions. Perhaps the best example is the album’s opener, a rendition of Charles Mingus’ “Hora Decubitus” with lyrics penned by Costello incidentally right around September 11, 2001. The result is something along the lines of the search for peace in the midst of chaos embodied by “(What’s So Funny Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?” with a darker and more urgent edge to it, and as usual, it's brillant.

Elvis Costello (with the Metropole Orkest)- Hora Decubitus

New Wilco!

2006-05-13T23:12:00.000-04:00

So after staying up late last night to check out Wilco's appearance on Conan O'Brien during his week of shows in Chicago, I was treated to the terrific suprise of a brand new song by the band. I'd heard a few solo bootlegs of Jeff Tweedy singing this, but it was so much more incredible with the full band backing him. It's a bit of a departure for the band, going for a more soulful sound that recalls their early days doing straight up alt-country (Jeff has joked(?) that the song was written for Solomon Burke), but I really like it.

The song is either titled "We Can Make It Better" or "Is That The Thanks I Get?", depending on who you ask. I'm going with the former, because it comprises the awesome sing-along chorus. Also, I may be the first person in the blogosphere to get this out there, having made the mp3 rip myself.

Enjoy!

Wilco- We Can Make It Better (Live on Conan)

Happy Mothers Day

2006-05-12T18:53:00.000-04:00

So what with Mothers’ Day being on Sunday and all, I thought I’d put up a track in tribute, albeit from a pretty unlikely source.

Jeff Daniels may be known to most of the country as the other guy from Dumb and Dumber (if you hold this opinion, please go to your local Blockbuster, rent The Squid and the Whale, and prepare to be amazed), but here in his native state of Michigan, he’s done a great deal for local film and theater. Aside from making the film Escanaba in Da Moonlight entirely in-state with native actors (if you are a fan of incredibly well executed juvenile humor and can track down this movie, do it), he also manages the Purple Rose Theater in his hometown of Chelsea, regarded as one of the best places for independent and original drama in the state.

Still, I don’t think anyone ever expected him to release an album.

Apparently, Daniels has been writing songs for most of his life, and finally got around to recording them in a live benefit concert for the Purple Rose. The CD is pretty hard to get a hold of outside of Michigan, but its pretty good stuff—down-home folksy Midwest guitar ditties that are so heartfelt you can’t help but enjoy them.

In between stories of Tiger baseball and road trips in a Recreational Vehicle (that thankfully have nothing to do with that new Robin Williams flick he’s in), there’s a track called “Momma Never Left Her Oldest Boy Alone.” Is it sappy, sentimental stuff? You bet. But something about Daniels’ simple, elegant delivery keeps it honest and makes it extremely listenable.

To all the moms (and fellow eldest sons) out there:

Jeff Daniels- Momma Never Left Her Oldest Boy Alone

Brendan Benson: The OTHER Half of the Raconteurs

2006-05-09T14:24:00.000-04:00

Much ado had been made about the awesomeness of Jack White in this blog, whether he’s rocking out with Meg in The White Stripes, shilling for Coke, or most recently, gearing up for the debut release next week from his new supergroup, The Raconteurs.

But wait? Doesn’t a supergroup imply that more than one person in the band is famous? Indeed it does, friends. Aside from ripping a rhythm section from The Greenhornes (which I only know from their contributions to the Broken Flowers soundtrack, but am impressed by nonetheless), the group is co-headlined by White’s fellow Detroiter Brendan Benson.

Why this guy isn’t more famous is beyond me. He specializes in what’s been deemed “power pop,” churning out radio ready tracks with some real rock soul and muscle underneath them. His latest, The Alternative to Love, is beginning to end an album that will take up residence in your head for days after you hear it. Overall, he's not only almost equal to Jack White in awesomeness, he's a great counterpoint to the hard-edged wailing blues guitar and vocals White favors, ensuring the Raconteurs will rule the summer in CD players across the country.

Ze tracks:

Brendan Benson- Spit It Out
Brendan Benson- The Alternative to Love

Kick Off Your Summer With Lily Allen

2006-05-08T13:30:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have returned. With college done for the term, I’m reporting from my parents’ basement, just like a real blogger. I’ll try to get back into the Monday-Friday update schedule, but it may take a while.

One thing that will change is the daily theme formats. As fun as they were, the got kind of limiting as time went on, and prevented me from putting some really great stuff up at times. Granted, there will still be inductions made to the Men and Women of Musical Genius lists, just not necessarily on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Such is the case with today. A few posts ago, I made mention of Lily Allen, who I’d stumbled across on good old Pitchfork while looking up their take on the latest Sufjan track and fulfilling every last bit of the indie rock nerd stereotype. In any case, I was blown away. The girl was equal parts Nellie McKay and Mike Skinner of The Streets, and one hundred percent musical genius.

Unfortunately, her songs were nowhere to be found aside from her incredibly popular (and thus unreliable) MySpace profile and—in what just might be the coolest thing ever—a link I found to her mixtape, in which she intersperses her songs with things such as Dizzee Rascal tracks and yodeling (yes, yodeling).

Fortunately for all you out there, I finally stumbled across some mp3s. “LDN” has been heralded by many as a near perfect summertime pop song (and I’d have to agree), while “Knock ‘Em Out” has Ms. Allen throwing down like a pro about the sexual politics of the bar scene.

In a just world, this girl would put all the Ashlee Simpsons and Hilary Duffs of the world to shame on the record charts… it probably won’t happen, but a guy can dream, right?

Lily Allen- LDN
Lily Allen- Knock 'Em Out

"There's Another National Anthem..."

2006-05-03T11:00:00.000-04:00

One paper left in the term, and it’s due at 3pm tomorrow. Can he do it? For once, the answer is an unequivocal yes, and that feels good. But enough about me—I mean, it’s not like this is a Live Journal. I’m just here for a quick post to re-charge my batteries before I hit the books one last time.

My two favorite things in the world (music and politics) have come to an intersection as of late. Specifically, the national anthem has been under the spotlight, as Hispanics across the country have popularized a Spanish language anthem for themselves, much to the ire of the Bush administration, who feels there’s one anthem, and it should be sung in English.

Let me get this out of the way first. I’m not a huge fan of the national anthem. I could go into the social effects of having what’s arguably our most visible piece of national poetry being about strength and perseverance through armed conflict, but in the end, it’s really just that there’s a lot of patriotic songs I like a good deal more—song like America The Beautiful (especially the version Ray Charles did), and This Land is Your Land (whoo boy, imagine that as our national anthem).

In any case, this whole Spanish anthem thing really is nothing new. There’s been a Black National Anthem for years now (“Lift Every Voice and Sing”—another really good song), and it’s not as if people haven’t all put a little of themselves into the song anyways over the years (Hendrix, anyone?). In trying to avoid an Social Relations rant, I’m just going to wrap this up by saying that “Nuestro Himno (Our Anthem),” as it’s being called, features the line “Somos hermanos, es nuestro himno” (We are brothers, it is our anthem), and that—in whatever language—is what’s most important of all.

Anyhow, I’ve name dropped a ton of songs in this post, most of which I’ll probably save for July 4th, when I’ll be celebrating Independence Day in glorious Washington DC for the first time in my life. For now, here’s a variation on the old tune that I’ve really been digging over the past few days by indie-rock icon Sufjan Stevens. It’s a little edgy, so I’d be interested to hear what you all think.

Sufjan Stevens- The Star Spangled Banner

Under the Covers with Jeff Lakin

2006-04-29T17:20:00.000-04:00

Another paper, another post....

Still three papers to write before Thursday, but I needed a quick breather, and what better way than to share some sweet tunes with you wonderful people?

So I’m kind of test driving a new feature today (and loving the title.... if it was a radio show, my voice would have to drop an octave or so), in which I highlight some terrific cover songs that put a new spin on the familiar. Ordinarily, I’ll feature the original as well as a cover, but right out the gate I’ve got a unique case: two legendary rockers covering a Burt Bacharach tune.

“I Just Don’t Know What to do with Myself” is a classic weepy ballad of love lost, but The White Stripes and Elvis Costello both run with it to make something a bit more.

On the one hand Costello’s sensitive punk persona is a natural fit, so much so that he’d later come to collaborate on a whole album of Bacharach tunes (once again, emo kids take note- this is how to make sad sound good). Jack and Meg White, however, really work this song, infusing it with a surprising amount of forcefulness and soul while still making it a great song to sing along to in concert.

Overall, both are instant classics, and are highly recommended:

Elvis Costello- I Just Don’t Know What to do with Myself
The White Stripes- I Just Don’t Know What to do with Myself

…on an unrelated note, I’m pretty sure that if Lily Allen plays her cards right, she will be the next big thing. I look forward to her induction into Women of Musical Genius.

Mixtape! (Because I am nothing if not a procrastinator)

2006-04-21T18:26:00.000-04:00

I just couldn't stay away, could I?

Actually, I just wrapped up a paper (one down, four to go.... somehow that isn't encouraging me much) and decided to take a quick break that turned into a rather long break that culminates in me formulating my very first Never Get Sung Mixtape.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dispatches from Academic Hell:

Basically, this is a collection of late-night study music to keep one's sanity when you're still in the library at 3am working on that ten page paper that try as you might, you can only stretch to eight. I've put a good mix of mellow stuff and stuff with beats, vocal stuff and instrumental stuff, and I think it sets a pretty good, slightly surreal mood to chill you out while keeping the brain alive and engaged.

Due to file space limitations, this baby's going up in one big zip file on MegaUpload. (For those of you unfamilar, the link will take you to a site where you have to wait a few seconds and unclick some banner ads in the corner to access the download button... leave a comment if you can't figure it out and I'll try to help out)

Dispatches from Academic Hell.zip [MegaUpload]

The Rundown, with notes:

Miles Davis- So What: Nine and a half minutes of pure cool, best enjoyed with that first coffee of the evening (stay away from the Red Bull, kids... it tastes like cancer) as you boot up the computer and open Microsoft Word.

Colin Meloy- California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade: A sprawling acoustic medley of acoustic Decembrists songs to set you mind at ease while you struggle with the introduction before writing a placeholder and moving on.

Wilco- Via Chicago: Simple yet utterly surreal and tinged with more than a little darkness, it's a sure sign that you're entering the night owl world.

Thad Jones- A Child is Born: Simple, elegant jazz with a slow mournful trumpet line that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside as the caffeine kicks in.

The National- Secret Meeting: Let's get this party started with some mid-tempo rock! (Wilco obsessives will note I'm cribbing Jeff Tweedy's stage banter from Kicking Television, but it fits)

Sufjan Stevens- Chicago (String Remix): Some stripped down Sufjan goodness, because as the clock strikes Midnight, the full-on orchestral attack might just make your head explode.

Dave Brubeck- Take Five: Once again, cool is defined. Time for another coffee?

Ron Sexsmith- Everyday I Write the Book: Let Ron's gentle Kermit the Frog voice and acoustic plucking combined with Elvis Costello's lyrics be guide you as you finally hit your stride.

Elvis Costello- Stranger In The House: When Declan McManus goes all honky-tonk on you, you know its getting late and the janitor must be sweeping up somewhere.

The Funk Brothers- Stingray: A solid funk groove to give you your second wind

Erlend Oye- Sheltered Life: Kicking up the beats to prevent you from dozing off and drooling all over the keyboard

The Flaming Lips- Ego Tripping At the Gates of Hell: Writer's Block? Don't Panic... I'm pretty sure that Wayne Coyne's voice and new-agey lyrics possess magical inspirational properties.

Jon Brion- Monday: Nothing stimulates the mind like memories of how much your head hurt the first time you saw I Heart Huckabees

Final Fantasy- This is the Dream of Win and Regine: By now you're already half-dead, so the inevitable trance that Owen Pallet's violin-rock will put you into can only help at this point

The Beatles- Across The Universe: My roommate used to pull all-nighters with this one on loop... it made me talk in my sleep. Feel free to do the same for the duration of your all-nighter, or just start the CD over again.

Jack White, Defend Your Awesomeness

2006-04-19T12:20:00.000-04:00

So I was all set to do a long overdue write-up on Fiona Apple today, but then I saw this: Jack White, previously heralded as the “Coolest Guy in the Universe” in this blog, has done a commercial for Coca-Cola. I’ve known this was coming for some time now, but I was in denial until the YouTube screen was staring me in the face. Clearly, we must now call the awesomeness of Jack White into question.

THE EVIDENCE

Exhibit A: The Commercial

On the one hand, it is The White Stripes shilling for Coke (I'm assuming Meg was in on this too), and the ad is strangely reminiscent of their video for "the hardest button to button", if said video were set in Ronald McDonaldland. On the other hand, it’s a damn catchy jingle, so props to Jack for earning that dirty corporate paycheck.

Exhibit B: The Raconteurs

When Jack isn't rocking with his sister/ex-wife or selling soft drinks, he's been working on a project with fellow Detroit rocker Brendan Benson and The Greenhornes of Cincinnati, Ohio called The Raconteurs. The album, Broken Boy Soldiers, isn't out 'til May, but naturally, it already leaked, and naturally, it’s unbelievable. Plus, Jim Jarmusch, director of the awesome Bill Murray-looks-sad flick Broken Flowers, did their music video for lead single Steady As She Goes.

The Raconteurs- Broken Boy Soldier

THE VERDICT: As long as Jack White keeps rocking in multiple bands like this, he can sell whatever red and white color schemed product he wants.
---
On another note, with two weeks left of class and about 5 papers still unwritten, I’m thinking the blog posts may go on the backburner for a bit. I’ll try to send a few dispatches from academic hell to keep y’all entertained, and come back to a regular schedule once summer starts.

Teary-Eyed Tuesdays: C'mon, just look outside!

2006-04-17T23:09:00.000-04:00

So spring has arrived in East Lansing, and its so gorgeous outside, I can’t imagine that even the emoest of the emo kids could be feeling down in the dumps. Just in case though, here’s a couple of springtime tracks that will blast the blues right out of them:

ELO- Mr. Blue Sky

Katrina and the Waves- Walking on Sunshine

Men of Musical Genius Monday: Dave Brubeck

2006-04-16T21:58:00.000-04:00

Taking the ol' blog on a bit of a different course today, and giving the man I consider to be the greatest jazz legend alive today his due (thanks to my friend Kevin for the suggestion a few weeks back).

Dave Brubeck, even as he’s pushing 90, simply exudes cool. Nothing against the rambling improvisational brilliance of Davis and Coltrane, but when it comes to making tightly constructed, ingenious jazz compositions, Brubeck is king. His most famous album, Time Out, clocks in at just under 40 minutes, yet is still one of the best jazz albums of all time for my money.... and what's more, the entire thing is done in odd meter.

On a more personal note, I had the privilege to see Dave Brubeck in concert here at MSU last fall, dragging along my roommate who laughed at the fact that the event was sponsored by a cardiac center—thanks, Steve. When Brubeck came out on stage to introduce himself at the mic, I was worried Steve’s jokes might have been well grounded: he sounded old, worn out, decrepit. I couldn't imagine how he was going to make it through the evening. Then he sat down at the piano, and the years just seemed to melt away... incredible.

Oh, and did I mention we share a birthday? If you needed any more confirmation of the man's greatness, there it is.

The track du jour is Blue Rondo A La Turk... incidentally, if a film is ever made about my life, I want this to be the music in whatever scene has me teetering on the brink of insanity.

Dave Brubeck- Blue Rondo A La Turk

Travelogue Thursday: Sweden

2006-04-13T20:35:00.000-04:00

So way later than usual on the blogging today… it’s been a busy 24 hours. Still, I guarantee this post was worth the wait

Yes folks, from the country that brought you ABBA and Ace of Base.... Jens Lekman.

Not only is Jens Lekman a terrific international find, he’s almost instantly found a place for himself in the hallowed halls of Men of Musical Genius. Since I obtained what’s essentially his entire catalog (an album, a few odd EPs, and a b-sides/remixes compilation), I’ve listened to it front to back almost three times.

Overall, Lekman writes mellowed out, sentimental indie pop, backed by a variety of instrumentation, from sparse guitar to full horn and string sections. The real attraction here, however, is the voice. Real, honest to God good male vocalists are few in far between in an era of shouting, mumbling, and screeching, and it’s incredibly refreshing to hear someone not only put his heart out in his words, but have the vocal chops to really drive it home.

In the end, the tracks speak for themselves. It was ridiculously difficult to make picks here, and I did my best, but be forewarned—it will no doubt leave you wanting more.

Jens Lekman- The Opposite of Hallelujah
Jens Lekman- Maple Leaves [EP Version]

VIDEO: Jens Lekman- You Are The Light (By Which I Travel Into This and That)

Women of Musical Genius Wednesday: The Pipettes

2006-04-11T21:24:00.000-04:00

Whatever happened to the art of the girl group? The golden age of Motown saw countless ensembles, from Martha Reeves and the Vandellas to Diana Ross and the Supremes. In fact, I blame Diana Ross for this one, for ditching the ensemble and going solo, ushering in the ago do the diva, where ego mattered more than music. Today, the only sorry attempts at girl group-dom are novelty acts, ready made for mass-marketing and bad movies (the music industry may never recover from the plague of the Spice Girls).
But wait! On the horizon there is hope, albeit a faint glimmer. The Pipettes, though without a major release under their belts as of yet, are reviving the golden age of women in matching outfits standing before a row of microphones and belting out sweet bubblegum pop. Granted, they’ve added some bite to it in their lyrics( with songs like “Dirty Mind” and “Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me”) but the basic formula remains, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun

The Pipettes- Dirty Mind

VIDEO: The Pipettes- Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me:

Teary-Eyed Tuesdays: Rockin' The Motown

2006-04-10T17:06:00.000-04:00

Excuse me kids, but enough about love. Today, I'd like to focus on heartbreak of a different sort, perhaps one that will put things in perspective a bit.

For a few glorious decades, Detroit was cranking out some of the best pop music this world will ever hear. The unmistakable Motown sound was often imitated, by acts as legendary as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, but never duplicated.

At the heart and soul of the sound was a loose ensemble of musicians known as The Funk Brothers, headed in many respects by James Jamerson, one of the greatest bass players of all time. If you've ever heard a Motown song, you've heard these guys, and you know they were no ordinary studio band. The stuff they did was nothing short of pure magic.

Sadly, these guys, apart from the local jazz scene, went largely unnoticed, and when Motown moved out to LA, they were left out in the cold, never seeing a cut of the phenomenal success they helped create. Jamerson in particular saw his life rapidly unravel- haunted by alcoholism, he moved out to Los Angeles in hopes of regaining some small part of his former glory, only to die of pneumonia in 1983.

The good news is some of the Funk Brothers lived to see the day when a group of documentary filmmakers set out to capture their story. The project, which took over a decade to complete, became Standing in the Shadows of Motown, one of the best documentary films ever made, featuring a live "reunion concert" with contemporary artists lending their vocals to the resurrected Motown groove.

By far, the most powerful scene in the film occurs when the band members are discussing the classic "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?" with Joan Osborne (abetter known as the chick that sang "What If God Was One of Us?"... I can forgive her for that after this movie). As they talk about how the timelessness of the song lies in the raw emotion and power of heartbreak, you start to realize that these guys aren't talking about lost love for a woman, but the pain of pouring your heart and soul into what became music history and never getting anything back.

The scene segues into the live performance of the song with Ms. Osborne, and as the band plays, sounding stronger than ever, you realize the answer to the titular question is right there in front of you, that they've found the peace of mind they've been searching for all these years, and that somewhere out there, the tormented soul of James Jamerson has too.

The Funk Brothers (featuring Joan Osborne) - What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?

BONUS: The wonderful world of YouTube has delivered again, this time with a 7+ minute press kit preview of Standing in the Shadows of Motown featuring, among other things, the very moment of the film that I depict in the post. Seriously, I can’t recommend this movie enough (link):

Men of Musical Genius Monday: Sufjan Stevens

2006-04-10T11:22:00.000-04:00

So I’ve been delaying the inevitable in spotlighting this guy as a MoMG (woo, acronyms!), as you can’t find a blogger out there today who won’t sing his praises. However, at the end of the day, you just can’t deny it… Sufjan Stevens is an indie god.

I was pretty early to jump on the Sufjan bandwagon, listening to his album Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State via a friend back in high school. This of course was the first in his 50 States Project, where he plans to make a concept album for each of the 50 states. The fact that three years later he’s only up to two doesn’t bode well for it finishing within his lifetime. On the other hand, he definitely delivered the goods on Sufjan Stevens Invites You To Come on feel the Illinoise, which the indie snobs are currently deriding as overhyped, but at the same time admitting their undying love for (said love, by the way, can only be rekindled by the announcement of a b-sides and outtakes collection for Illinoise due out this summer).

So, on with the tracks: the first, Vito’s Ordination Song, is a haunting and gorgeous end to Michigan, and only improves with the b-side acoustic demo. The second, Casimir Pulaski Day, is hands down one of the most emotionally stirring songs I’ve heard in my lifetime—when I heard it in concert this past September, and the trumpet solo kicked in five feet in front of me, I almost cried. I even went so far as to write an analytic essay on it for my Religion in American Lit class… you can check it out here if you’re really interested ;)

Sufjan Stevens- Vito’s Ordination Song (acoustic)
Sufjan Stevens- Casimir Pulaski Day

Oooh! Topical Humor!

2006-04-06T16:40:00.000-04:00

Before I get started today, a thanks to The DIY Rockstar for the plug yesterday in return for my tracking down a Decemberists track for him. Also, if by chance you’ve clicked onto here via there, welcome.

So making waves in the media this week was the announcement that Katie Couric of NBC's Today show was moving to CBS to anchor the evening news. While I could note that she's making history for being the first solo female anchor on a major evening newscast, I'd rather point out she's the first person Barenaked Ladies wrote a song about to accomplish this feat.

Let me explain.

On their most recent album (yes, the one with the damn monkey song), Barenaked Ladies had a catchy little song called "Maybe Katie". On the surface, its a cute back-and-forth between Ed Robertson and Steve Page over whether or not to pursue the titular female, and for a while I accepted it as that. Then, the boys had a gig on the Today Show, and told Ms. Couric the song was in fact about her, and it got me thinking. It is, after all, about an older woman ("just because her youth is fading/doesn't mean she's not worth dating") with kids ("forevers not so long, stop moping/she's got a daughter and you're just not coping"... have I mentioned how much I adore this bands lyrics?). Plus, the guys have made jokes about Katie Couric before in interviews (expressing concern for her ever-growing forehead, if I recall).

Therefore, the song can't be about anyone else BUT Katie Couric. And since Brian Wilson hasn't hosted the news ever insofar as I know, it would appear that Katie Couric is in fact the first person featured in a song by Barenaked Ladies to host a major network newscast.

Congrats, Katie!

Barenaked Ladies- Maybe Katie

PS- A Word of Caution: if you're ever dating a girl named Katie or some variation on that (and let's face it folks, that’s just about every other girl you’ve met in college, so the odds are good), and you know for a fact that your family knows this song, make sure the CD is not in the car before taking her on an extended car ride with them.

Because they will play it. And they will sing along. And you will be mortified.

...what?

No, of course that never happened to me...just a hypothetical thing I thought of once...

Travelogue Thursday: International Relations Majors, I Salute You

2006-04-05T21:36:00.000-04:00

Here at the illustrious James Madison College, I find myself in a strange minority. Although I have taken on two of the school’s three possible majors, I still find myself not sharing a major with almost half my class, due to the fact that I decided to shun the field of International Relations, far and away Jimmy Mad’s most popular field of study.

Mind you, I have nothing against my IR peers. They work hard, have some great profs, and are very clever people in their own right. For me, however, the politics of who’s blowing up who and why just isn’t my forte, and international political economy gives me a headache no matter how intrigued I am by it. Yes sir, I’ll just stick to my social policy and political theory, thanks very much.

Tonight, however, I wish to pay tribute to my IR brethren in the only way I know how… with the Decemberists. The song “Sixteen Military Wives” is by far the catchiest thing they ever did (though I’m slowly growing fond of the rest of their catalog too), as well as one of the more original political anthems out there. More importantly, it’s backed by a phenomenal music video which, aside from being a tribute to the great Wes Anderson, centers around Model UN, the official pastime of all IR dorks (they’ve roped me into these things a few times… whoo boy, do I have Model UN stories).

Anyhow, enjoy the video, and remember—when I’m president, there will be an ambassadorship waiting with your name on it ;)

The Decemberists- Sixteen Military Wives

The Video (link):

Women of Musical Genius Wednesday: Neko Case

2006-04-05T13:40:00.000-04:00

So I think my passion for Women of Musical Genius was reignited on Saturday night at the Temple Club here in Lansing with a performance by Neko Case.

When she isn't performing with Canadian indie collective The New Pornographers, Case has a terrific alt-country act that's really more country than alt, with a backup band that features upright bass, banjo, and pedal steel guitar (truly a beautiful lineup of instruments to behold on stage). The real feature here though is her voice. I mean, this woman can SING, belting out mournful ballads and toe-tappers alike from the depths of her soul, or at least her vocal chords. There were moments where the instrumentation dropped out and she belted out a verse, and I just compulsively let out a "woooo!" not out of group mentality, but out of genuine awe. Plus, she has a terrific stage presence to boot- very friendly, telling stories and cracking jokes with the audience between almost every song. Neko Case, welcome to the hallowed halls of genius (better known as my iPod).

Neko Case- John Saw That Number

Even Though It's Tuesday.... Billy Bragg is a Man of Musical Genius

2006-04-04T13:09:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I took a break. Something about real life and grades and stuff... blah.

Anyhow, today's Man of Musical Genius has made an appearance on the blog before, kicking off Teary-eyed Tuesdays (which is taking a break this week), but I feel he deserves the spotlight.

Billy Bragg is seriously one of the coolest musicians I can think of. Often performing with just a guitar, an amp, and a heavy British accent, he still manages to overpower you with the force of his folk-punk sound (and he's not when he gets a band behind him either). The secret, I think, is the way he puts his heart and soul into every one of his songs. His far left-wing politics and unabashed if slightly embittered romanticism are always front and center, with just enough of an artful touch to keep the songs memorable without distracting from their raw nature.

On top of it all, the guy has an appreciation for great music, from classic Motown and soul music to the American folk tradition (see Mermaid Avenue), leading many to call him the UK's modern-day answer to Woody Guthrie. Oh, and did I mention when his voice started to sound deeper and worn out on his recent tour (which i missed ::sigh::) he took on the stage name of "Johnny Clash"?

Ok, on to the tunes.... because I could just keep going about this guy all day:

Billy Bragg- The Saturday Boy (dig that trumpet solo)
Billy Bragg- Tracks of my Tears (a Motown cover?!? oh hell yes...)

Travelogue Thursday: Iceland

2006-03-30T10:25:00.000-05:00

Yeah, it was only a matter of time before these guys came up. Sigur Rós is one of the biggest names in indie right now, and probably holds the title for highest weirdness to popularity ratio. Their music is grand, sweeping, atmospheric stuff, and when the lyrics aren’t in Icleandic, they’re in an imaginary nonsense language dubbed “Hopelandic” invented by the band.

If this sounds pretentious, it’s because it is. It’s also really good stuff, at the same time both relaxing and emotionally powerful. No better proof of this can be found than the band’s inclusion in “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” during the scene where the crew of the Belafonte finally has its run in with the jaguar shark. As “Starálfur” plays over the scene and into the next, you’re given a sense of peace that literally sends chills down your spine, and no doubt contributes to the tears that well up in your eyes as the crew moves to place their hands on Bill Murray (hey, shut up—if you don’t get a little emotional during that scene, you have no soul).

Sigur Rós – Starálfur

Bonus! More proof of the emotional draw of Sigur Rós can be found in the epic video for Glosoli:

Women of Musical Genius Wednesdays: Ted Leo (yeah, you heard me)

2006-03-29T00:32:00.000-05:00

No, Ted Leo is not a woman.

However, he does a wicked cover of "Since You've Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson, who, last time I checked, is.

Additionally, said cover features verses from the song "Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, fronted by Karen O, who once again, last time I checked, is also a woman. That's enough rationale for me to put this up.

Oh yeah, and I'm feeling lazy.

Ted Leo- Since You've Been Gone

Teary-Eyed Tuesday: Jack White is the Coolest Guy in the Universe

2006-03-28T00:18:00.000-05:00

Today, my world weary cohorts, I present to you the story of Jack White.

Once upon a time in the far-off magical land of Detroit, there lived a man named Jack White. Jack was a rock and roll man, and made kick ass rock and roll music with his sister Meg (who is really his ex-wife, but we won't go there... it ruins the story after all). One day, a big important music industry type heard Jack and Meg play, and decided they should be able to take their kick ass rock and roll music to the world. So he gave them a big contract and lots of money and deals to make really trippy music videos, and they became famous.

Fame, of course, brings with it all sorts of attention, not the least of which from the fairer sex. Such was the case with Jack, who while working on a movie (yet another perk of fame) fell for an actress by the name of Renee Zellweger. So they dated for a while, and Detroit radio personalities took great joy in seeing movie stars bumming around at Kroger while they visited their boyfriends.

Alas, as young Jack himself once sang, "My left brain knows that all love is fleeting," and after a time, Jack and Renee split up. Now this in and of itself, as anyone can tell you, is a rough thing to go through. But worse yet, Renee goes off and gets married within months of their split. And not only does Renee get married, she marries a country singer, and not the good kind of country singer like Johnny Cash, but the bad kind, like... well, Kenny Chesney, which is who she married.

Jack, meanwhile, goes back to Detroit and makes an album with Meg, all in a few short weeks. Jack claims this new album, entitled Get Behind Me Satan, is about truth and the bible and all that jazz, but anyone who hears it knows what it really is... a big angry breakup letter to Renee. Not that this was a bad thing, mind you: Jack White writes a devastatingly good breakup letter, full of powerful angry words along with some kickass hooks, not to mention the marimbas. Unlike the emo boys, who cried their way through endless albums of bad diary entries, Jack gets all his rage out in a brisk 45 minutes, all amounting in one big cathartic "Good Riddance!"... and with marimbas, don't forget.

Sadly, we are not big famous rock and roll men like Jack White, and we can't make Grammy-winning CDs that double as breakup letters. But we can turn up the speakers as loud as they can go, pop in Jack's angry letter, and scream along with it. And that, friends, is a very good thing indeed.

The White Stripes- Blue Orchid
The White Stripes- Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)

Men of Musical Genius Monday: Jon Brion

2006-03-26T14:01:00.000-05:00

Jon Brion is THAT guy. The guy who you've never heard of, yet probably has had more influence on your listening habits than you could ever imagine.

Let me give you the rundown:

If you've seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I Heart Huckabees, Punch Drunk Love, or Magnolia, you've heard Jon Brion.

If you've heard any of Aimee Mann's work, you've heard Jon Brion

If you've heard Rufus Wainwright's debut album, you've heard Jon Brion

If you've heard Fiona Apple's "Extraordinary Machine", you've heard Jon Brion (or at least some lingering influence of his- It's complicated)

Hell, If you've heard the new Kanye West album, you've heard Jon Brion

Yes, Brion is a composer/producer extraordinaire. However, he can also churn out a damn good pop song- no, a perfect pop song. He's given a few small insights into his own musical abilities via the soundtracks to his movies (a lot of the time they were bonuses not even included in the film, but so fitting you couldn't even tell), but aside from that he's made one lone album that's near impossible to find. Naturally, I just had to track it down, and I was not disappointed. Jon Brion manages to be devastatingly intelligent, introspective, and vulnerable all at once- in short, its exactly the kind of music I wish I could write. It seems almost cruel that such a genius has such a limited catalog (there's persistent rumors of a second album, but I'm guessing the money is better producing and composing), yet at the same time the indie snob in me smiles to know something this good can still be kept a secret.

Jon Brion- Knock Yourself Out (from I Heart Huckabees)
Jon Brion- Gotta Start Somewhere (from Meaningless)

A Challenge To America's Youth

2006-03-23T21:57:00.000-05:00

Well, boys and girls, prom season is upon us. It's a special time to be a young American, in which dreams are fulfilled and magic is in the... ah, screw it.

For most of us, prom is a comedy in errors. We flip out about who to ask, get lost on the way there, can't pin the corsage on right, etc etc. Yet when we look back, we can't help but smile for the times we shared with friends, or just for the sheer goofiness of it all.

Today, I'm offering one lucky young person out there the chance to have a guarunteed classic memory from their prom experience. Now, I know not a lot of high school kids out there read my blog- alert younger siblings, or use this yourself for the college soiree of your choice.
(the pic, btw, is of yours truly at my Junior prom.... see? I'm laughing already!)

The instructions are as follows:
1. Find the lucky girl/guy you'd like to take to the dance.
2. Obtain a portable boombox of some sort
3. Walk up to them in the hallway at a convinent interval with said boombox
4. Play this song, and mouth the lyrics (dancing also encouraged)

You may not get the date (in fact, i'll pretty much guaruntee you won't, unless they've got a *terrific* sense of humor), but several years down the road, when you've recovered from all the shame and embarassment, you will laugh your ass off.

And that, my friends, is what prom is all about.

hellogoodbye-jesse buy nothing, go to prom anyways
[website... these guys are about to become emo mall-punk darlings, but I love them anyway]

Travelogue Thursday: Australia (not Finland)

2006-03-22T22:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, the band is called Architecture in Helsinki. Yes, they do in fact hail from Australia.

Why is this? I don’t know.

What I DO know is they make some of the most weirdly wonderful music I’ve ever heard. Too cutesy to be avant-garde, too manic to be twee, Architecture in Helsinki is broad expansive stuff, incorporating a range of instruments so wide their first album featured a chart to sort it all out with.

Usually, I write more… but this band just has to be experienced to understood.

Architecture in Helsinki- It’5!
[I mean, with a title like that, how can you not listen?]

NOTE: As my webspace is finally filling up, I thought I'd mention that to grab any of these songs for yourself before I take them down, right click on the links and select, save as... or whatever comparable option for your browser.... in case you didnt know.

Women of Musical Genius Wednesday: Aimee Mann

2006-03-21T20:35:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across Aimee Mann in the most unusual way.

See, long long ago, there was a time when I was NOT an indie music geek (shocking, I know), but rather merely a political geek. I still am a political geek, but that's beside the point.

Like all good political geeks, I was an avid watcher of The West Wing, arguably the greatest drama on television even in its final season. During I think the fourth season, when President Bartlett was running for re-election, the plot involved a Rock the Vote rally, allowing for music types to make cameos. I was most psyched about Barenaked Ladies, but they turned out to be a major disappointment, jumping around on stage to the pre-recorded album cut of "One Week". Far more interesting, however, was the female folk-singer type covering the James Taylor tune "Shed A Little Light". I was definitely a fan, but not being a music geek at the time, I kind of just forgot about it, but the name always stuck in the back of my mind.

Fast forward to last summer, when Ms. Mann (heh, that's amusing) had a new album that was getting some fairly good reviews. I decide to look her up, and literally fall head over hells for the first song I come across. I later found out that this was most likely because the lyrics were a joint effort between herself and the one and only Elvis Costello. Furthermore, her albums (save the most recent) were all produced by Jon Brion, who wrote fantastic music for I Heart Huckabee’s and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* (more on him next week). This is not to say that Aimee Mann doesn't stand on her own, however- she's got a terrific voice and a knack for ingenious lyrics. The company she keeps creatively just makes her that much cooler.

Aimee Mann- The Fall of the World's Own Optimist

*...and no, sadly I have yet to see Magnolia, which she essentially wrote the score for with Brion. It's on my to-do list somewhere.

Teary Eyed Tuesdays: Twee!

2006-03-20T20:10:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not emo boys and girls, there is a music subculture out there with just as much focus as fragility and heartbreak as your own, a genre that manages to fly in the face of self-assuredness and all the other trappings of a well adjusted life with all the force of your beloved Dashboards and Something Corporates while managing to (gasp) write really good music.

Emo kids, meet twee- the happiest little sad songs ever to come out of the United Kingdom.

Twee pop, more often than not, relies primarily on the juxtaposition of really depressing (or at the very least deeply introspective) lyrics about insecurity and the challenges of growing up with bright and happy childlike music to create a sound that sticks in your head and warms your heart all at the same time.

(What's that? Why yes, I DO feel physically ill for having written that last phrase. Twee can have that sickeningly sweet effect on people, but I love it anyways)

The current titans of the twee pop world are Belle and Sebastian. Granted, they have added a bit of an edge to their sound with The Life Pursuit, but the essential twee ingredients are still all there in mass quantity. Today I'm posting (from their previous album) what may well be the happiest sounding song about a breakup I've ever heard, which I can also guarantee will not leave your head for at least a week:

Belle and Sebastian- I'm A Cuckoo

If you want to know the future of twee, however, look no further than The Boy Least Likely To. In an unprecedented act of indie snobbery, I ordered their CD on import last summer because I heard good press and couldn’t wait for a state-side release. It was more than worth it, and I have a feeling that these guys are going to be HUGE stateside in a few months.

The Boy Least Likely To- Be Gentle With Me

BONUS! Disgustingly cute music video (link here)

Men of Musical Genius Monday: Steven Page

2006-03-20T17:25:00.000-05:00

[sorry for the later than usual post today.... was writing about orphans- don't ask. -JL]

Today's Men of Musical Genius pick may be the most controversial this blog will see, at least as far as the indie snobs would be concerned. In giving this man his due credit, I am running the risk of having my indie credentials revoked immediately by the powers that be, but that's just a change I'm going to have to take.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present for your consideration today Mr. Steven Page.

Yeah, that's right; I said it- the guy from Barenaked Ladies is a musical genius. Yes, long before they achieved one hit wonder status in the US with the pop culture referencing white boy rap that was "One Week" (which to their credit (?) was every middle schooler's favorite song when I was in the seventh grade), Barenaked Ladies already had three successful studio albums (as well as a live compilation) under their belt in their homeland of Canada. The best songs from this era, in my opinion, were written by Steven Page in collaboration with British pop musician Stephen Duffy. Songs such as "Alternative Girlfriend" and "Jane" were lighthearted, enjoyable, and above all very clever pieces of pop music.

Sadly, in the post-Stunt era, the contributions of Page and Duffy became less prevalent, as the band started to make songwriting a more collective effort. Though some terrific material was produced out of this as well, it was mostly hampered by the record label constantly promoting whatever song featured Ed Robertson saying a bunch of words really fast (even when said song was an obviously absurd throwaway track about postcards with chimpanzees on them)*

In any event, just as things were looking bleak, Steven Page came forth with a glimmer of hope for the long-suffering BNL fan: a solo collection of songs written with Duffy called (what else?) The Vanity Project. Though admittedly a bit less bright and carefree, the music and wordplay was as solid as ever. (The band, meanwhile, has finally been released of its contract with Reprise, giving them the freedom to make great music again as well).

The track I'm featuring today (alongside a classic BNL song) was actually a bit of a bonus track for The Vanity Project, recorded in conjunction with an article Page wrote for The Believer magazine. Nevertheless, it is a gorgeous song, and certainly representative of Page at his best.

Barenaked Ladies- Jane
The Vanity Project- The Chorus Girl [linked from TVP website]

*This, mind you, is not a critique of Mr. Robertson, who is quite talented in his own right, but rather one directed at stupid record companies trying to find the next "One Week" and uttely failing at it. Y'know, just to clarify.

"Don't tell me you don't know the difference, between a lover and a fighter..."

2006-03-17T00:22:00.001-05:00

I was all warmed up for a rant tonight about this article from today’s New York Times which essentially ties together modern mall-emo-punk-crap such as Fall Out Boy to the 70s glam rock period exemplified by David Bowie. At the last minute, however, I had a change of heart—I’ve done well here to keep a positive outlook on music and culture, to build things up rather than to tear them down, so why stop now?

So in lieu of some angry bitter ravings about how pop music is all going to hell blah blah blah, I’m going to be a uniter (thanks, George!) tonight and highlight a band I’m pretty well convinced its impossible to dislike.

I came across Modern Skirts via Paste Magazine, perhaps the best source for finding that next great band you haven’t heard of yet, and their latest find is no exception. Out of the Athens, Georgia music scene comes this irresistibly catchy piano driven pop music (think Ben Folds, but slightly peppier) that pulls you in and won’t let you go. This is perhaps best evidenced by the fact that after listening to their contribution to this month’s Paste Sampler CD, I compulsively reached for the back button on my car stereo to hear it again… and again. This is not a common practice for me.

Anyhow, while it’s too soon to tell whether these guys will be a flash in the pan in terms of my musical tastes *cough*Dogs Die in Hot Cars*cough* or will be sticking around for a while, I do know that for the moment, it’s some damn good music:

Modern Skirts- Seventeen Dirty Magazines
(also, MySpace for more... I HIGHLY reccomend "My Lost Soprano")

Travelogue Thursday: Norway

2006-03-15T17:05:00.000-05:00

There's actually a very excellent (if a bit long winded) rationale to my international selection today. See, once a month my dad had meetings up in Lansing, and likes to drop by beforehand with coffee for me, and we sit in the dorm lounge area and talk about life. This morning was one such morning, but as opposed to the usual small/medium coffee from the local coffee empire he usually brings, I was presented with a massive cup from Starbucks- a "venti", if you must use such terms. Anyhow, despite really only drinking coffee when i really need it so as not to become dependent, I deemed it necessary to drink the entire cup over the course of our conversation and into my 8am class. Three hours later, I found myself sitting at my desk twitching uncontrollably and wondering when my head would stop spinning... fun times.

But enough personal minutiae... the point is I needed some mellow music today big time to even things out, and you really can't get much mellower than Kings of Convenience. Somewhat unfairly branded as the Norwegian Simon and Garfunkel (but only somewhat), the duo of Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe have produced two albums of not only some of the most soft and soothing music I've come across, but some of the most stimulating as well- lyrically articulate songs of love and loss delivered with gorgeous harmonies and intricate guitar lines, as equally suited for a lazy summer afternoon as for a cold winter night.

Sit back and relax:

Kings of Convenience- Singing Softly To Me

As a bonus, I'm putting up the video for arguably their most upbeat song, "I'd Rather Dance With You," as it's easily one of my favorite videos of all time and never fails to amuse me:

alternate video link here

Women of Musical Genius Wednesday: Jenny Lewis

2006-03-15T00:19:00.000-05:00

So here's the long drawn out story of my love affair with Ms. Jenny Lewis.

The fall semester of my freshman year, Rilo Kiley (the band in which Ms. Lewis is a member) was huge amongst the college set, getting all sorts of airplay on the radio as well as MTVu. Honestly, I didn't get the appeal, or at least not enough to really pay attention to them. Plus, their video with the lite brites and the guy with the building for a head and the tragic porcupine love affair kind of freaked me out a little.

Fast forward to this summer. Rilo Kiley has been getting props from all sorts of musicians I revere, from Elvis Costello to Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies (insert plug for next Monday's post here). I obtain a copy of their breakthrough album More Adventurous and give it a few listens through- it's good catchy indie music for sure with some killer country overtones, but I largely let it slip by once more.

Finally, one night over winter break I put More Adventurous on before I went to bed, expecting to listen to a few tracks, and wind up listening to the whole thing, beginning to end, completely transfixed. Like the girl who has been sitting in front of you all along just waiting for you to notice she's gorgeous, I fell in love with Jenny Lewis. The soulful crooning that came from the bottom of her heart mixed with a tongue in cheek wit that every indie rock girl just seems to naturally possess had me completely hooked. Upon discovering she was to release her solo debut in just over a month, I naturally opted to find a bootleg of the advance online (I’m impatient, so sue me). The disc instantly became a mainstay in my car until I went back to school. This was country as it was supposed to sound- stripped down, raw, passionate, and clever all at the same time, not to mention the indie all star lineup featured on "Handle With Care" (Ben Gibbard and Bright Eyes on the same track? surely you jest!).

The icing on the cake, however, was her cover of David Bowie's "Rock and Roll Suicide," I came across, a track so brilliant I burned it to a compilation CD, sent it to my roommate in Ecuador with the only liner note for it being "I think I'm in love here".

Tonight friends, I share what may be the only celebrity crush I've ever had with you. As always, enjoy.

Jenny Lewis- Handle With Care

Jenny Lewis- Rock and Roll Suicide

Teary Eyed Tuesday: He Said/She Said

2006-03-14T00:10:00.001-05:00

Today's installment will focus on a particularly moving variation on the breakup song- the male/female duet. So much of the relationship and post-relationship angst in pop music is one sided, and its often difficult to remember that there are two sides to every story. Two songs in particular have come out in the past few years that pull this off absolutely beautifully, and I'd like to offer some thoughts on them today.

First is "Nothing Better" by The Postal Service. The album version features Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and little known indie chick Jen Wood. However, I'm partial to the live version from KCRW that features Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, not because I'm a music snob, but because I adore Jenny Lewis (but more on that tomorrow).

On the whole, I'm not a huge fan of either Postal Service or Death Cab (though both have turned out some good stuff), but I love this song. The lyrics are really well done and the two parts play off each other perfectly- the guy desperately trying to understand what's going on here, while the girl feels like she can't explain it to him any more clearly than 'it's over'. When Ben sings that he "will block the door like a goalie tending the net in the third quarter/of a tied game rivalry," I'm willing to ignore the fact that hockey is in fact played in three periods because the sentiment is just so completely relatable.

The Postal Service- Nothing Better (Live on KCRW)

The second song, "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" by Stars, is a much more post-mortem take on the concept, which if anything makes it that much more haunting and beautiful. There's a hell of a lot I want to say about this song, but it's really hard to get into words. I think most of all it's an example of how you can’t take lyrics at face value. When Torquil Campbell sings that "all of that time you thought I was sad/I was trying to remember your name", you can tell he's completely lying through his teeth- seeing her again hurts, and the only way to get through is to keep telling himself it doesn't. Likewise, the intense refrain at the end of "I'm not sorry I met you/I'm not sorry it's over/I'm not sorry there's nothing to save" lacks a certain resoluteness, said not because it makes them feel empowered or to hurt the other person, but because in the end, it's the only thing they can do.

I'm going to cut myself off here because I should be getting some sleep, not to mention work on actual schoolwork. However, I'm posting the video here as well (via You Tube- apologies for the slow loading, but its worth it). I think it really supports a lot of what I feel about this song, in addition to being a brilliant homage to my favorite scene in the similarly themed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (for those curious, you can read my Valentine's Day musings on the film here).

Stars- Your Ex-Lover is Dead
(Alternate video link here)

Men of Musical Genius Monday: Elvis Costello

2006-03-12T20:53:00.000-05:00

so I'm back.

Chicago was good... i saw the Marina City towers made famous to indie dorks such as myself by the cover of Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, plus was in the city for Casimir Pulaski Day, which Sufjan Stevens based an incredibly depressing yet beautiful song off of on Illinois. So all in all, a winner.

This week's featured man of musical genius probably needs no introduction, having been in the music biz for about three decades now. Over that time, Elvis Costello has gone from new wave and punk to flirtations with country, classical, jazz, soul and just about everything else, all while retaining a signature rich lyrical style and bittersweet outlook on life.

In the end, however, many would argue his earliest work is still his strongest. I would have to count myself among them, if for no other reason than "My Aim Is True" might be one of the best debut albums I've ever heard. Young Elvis Costello blazes through 13 tracks filled with raw energy and ridculously simple yet instantly catchy melodies. Far from lamenting his romantic failures in mopey self-loathing (emo kids, i'm looking your way), he artfully and elequently calls women out on their games with a lyrical cynicysm and wit far beyond his years.

In short, it's fast, fresh, bitter, and just about perfect.

Elvis Costello- (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes

C’mon, Baby Don’t You Wanna Go…

2006-03-03T01:10:00.000-05:00

Nothing too lengthy today, folks. In a few short hours I’ll be off to Chicago, the land of Wilco, Ira Glass, The Blues Brothers, Jesse Jackson, and all sorts of other good stuff. Naturally, today’s musical selection reflects my excitement at the prospect of this vacation:

The Blues Brothers- Sweet Home Chicago

Not sure how the updates will go next week, as I’ll be separated from my beloved music collection. We’ll see what shakes out.

Travelogue Thursday: Wales

2006-03-02T10:26:00.000-05:00

This week, our globetrotting adventures actually manage to leave the North American continent and take us to the land of Catherine Zeta-Jones and really long words without vowels in them. Aside from these notables, Wales also has a vibrant music scene uniquely its own. At its centerpiece are the Super Furry Animals, a band unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard.

SFA was actually the first concert I attended in my career as an indie rock snob. I was invited by my friend Alain, and as I’d only heard their music now and again while driving in his car, I didn’t know quite what to expect. In retrospect, I can describe it as being something like a combination of the tripped out antics of the Flaming Lips combined with the UK sensibilities of a Belle and Sebastian (only amped up tenfold). Lacking such musical vocabulary at the time however, I could only describe it as awesome. Giant video screens with surreal cartoons, disorienting techno loops, and then the grand finale, in which the entire band came out dressed in Yeti suits…. simply astounding. I was hooked.

Super Furry Animals are one of those bands where I really and truly enjoy their whole catalog (including the stuff recorded in Welsh… now there’s a trip for you), so its incredibly hard to choose a song amongst the epic ballads about the perils of chewing gum (“Chewing Chewing Gum”) and straight up rockers about Einstein’s parents (“Herman loves Pauline”, which features the brilliant lyrics “they called him MC-squared, cause he raps like no other/an asthma sufferer, like Ernesto Guevara”), not to mention “The Man Don’t Give a Fuck,” which features the f-bomb being dropped over 50 times in four minutes.

However, as a SFA primer, you probably can’t do too much better than “Rings Around the World.” The titular track off of arguably their most ambitious and wide-ranging album, the song sounds something like a beach boys ditty recorded by space aliens. Also, it opens with one of the best metaphors for love ever—“you expose the film in me”. So yeah, an all around winner:

Super Furry Animals- (Drawing) Rings Around The World

Women of Musical Genius Wednesday: Feist

2006-02-28T23:55:00.000-05:00

I’m just going be direct here:
Leslie Feist is hot, in every sense of the word.

I came across the talents of Ms. Feist (she typically goes by last name only) via the Kings of Convenience, who wisely utilized her vocal talents on a few select tracks of their latest album. Her voice was hauntingly beautiful enough to seek out her own album Let It Die when it got a US release, and I was not disappointed. Every track smolders with this kind of soul jazz with just a touch of European mystique thrown in for good measure (the album was recorded in France, though Feist herself is Canadian). In short, it’s mood music of the finest variety.

Evidently, the world is catching on. The first single, “Mushaboom” is becoming positively huge, accompanied by one of the best (or at least most adorable) music videos I’ve seen in years, and covers by 'indie-tastic' fellows such as Bright Eyes and the Postal Service. For my money, though, the highlight of the CD is her cover of “Inside and Out” by the Bee Gees. Somehow, Feist even makes disco oh-so-cool.

Feist- Inside and Out

Teary Eyed Tuesdays: When You Can’t Beat Them, Cover Them?

2006-02-28T00:13:00.000-05:00

So Billy Bragg’s “A New England” got some much deserved praise last week, which makes me very happy. At the same time, however, I think I took off out the gate with this a little harsh. The emo fans out there are as fiercely protective of their music as I am of mine, and I should be a bit more respectful.

In that spirit, I offer a compromise, something for you kids not ready to give up your beloved emo tunes quite yet…. Ladies and gentlemen, Emocapella.

Based out of George Washington University in glorious Washington DC, the group was founded for the sole purpose of shunning the traditional a Capella songbook for punk and emo tunes. Now to be honest, I don’t particularly care for a Capella groups (with the exception, of course, of the Carmen Sandiego theme song), nor do I care for emo music (you think?), but the juxtaposition of the two—obnoxiously preppy college guys belting out incredibly depressing emo lyrics—is some of the funniest shit I’ve ever encountered. If nothing else, it'll make you laugh and realize how incredibly ludicrous such moping can really be.

Though I recommend all the group has to offer online (I’ve given serious thought to purchasing their album… c’mon, its ten bucks!), this one is truly the cream of the crop:

Emocapella- Even Hitler Had A Girlfriend [linked from their site]

Also, for any and all LiveJournalers out there, you can now get this blog in all its glory as a syndicated feed entitled, appropriately enough, ‘nevergetsung’. (A big thanks to Kati for using her paid accountedness on LJ to set this one up).

Men of Musical Genius Mondays: Jeff Tweedy

2006-02-27T13:57:00.000-05:00

And another week begins.

From here on in, Mondays will be devoted to the icons of my music collection, the great singer-songwriter types that make me just sit back and wish I could write, sing, and play like they could. First up in the series is without a doubt the man himself, Mr. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, a man often purported by friends and acquaintances to be my personal god figure. I wouldn’t go quite that far, but he’s at the top of the list for musicians for sure.

Make no mistake my friends, Jeff Tweedy IS Wilco… while he fills out the lineup with fantastic musicians that even will best him in terms of technical abilities (Nels Cline, anybody?), you’ve got to respect that creatively Tweedy will always be the top dog ( just ask Jay Bennett, who got his ass fired live in the documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart... harsh)

The distinction is well earned, however, primarily because Jeff Tweedy is one of those people who just flat out understands music. He writes not only as an artist, but as a listener and a fan… you can tell watching him on stage that he’s living out the dream of every guy who spent his childhood saving up allowance money to buy records, and is absolutely loving every minute of it.

But enough hero worship: what about the music? What sticks out more than anything to me is the versatility of it. A song that was recorded on an album as an all out sonic explosion can be just as poignant and effective as a quiet acoustic ballad in concert, primarily due to the power of the lyrics and the force through which he delivers them. Today’s selection is of the latter variety, a bootleg from a solo show in Chicago a few years ago that I think fares better than the album cut in many ways... not that that probably matters to most of you anyways ;)

Enjoy:

Jeff Tweedy- Sunken Treasure (Live Acoustic)

My Secret Shame

2006-02-24T12:28:00.000-05:00

So, I decided to christen this “Free for All Friday,” mainly because I was sick of thinking up theme days (Fresh Fridays? Funky Fridays? It just wasn’t working).

Today, I wish to come clean about something that has troubled my elitist music soul for some time; a secret which I have long feared would ruin my credibility as a connoisseur of hip music.

Put quite simply, I enjoy the Jackson 5.

Let me try to put this into context. Since my earliest days of listening to music, I have been a huge fan of Motown, as any self respecting metro Detroiter should be. I have distinct memories of being four years old and dancing around the living room to “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” (granted, to me at the time it was the song from the California Raisins commercials). However, being a self-respecting metro Detroiter, I also pretty much ignored any Motown output past their unfortunate move to LA.

Then, a got a boxed set of early era Motown for Christmas a few years back, the final disc of which featured some material from that odd transitional period where the studio was operating in both places at once. It was on this CD that I first discovered “I Want You Back,” and I was transfixed. It exploded out of my headphones as a piece of 70s era pop genius. The same thing went for “The Love you Save” and “ABC”… funky, soulful, and at the same time the origins of bubblegum pop as we knew it, a sound often imitated but never duplicated.

Right away, I knew this discovery was something I would have to keep to myself. There was no way in hell any self respecting adolescent male could admit to admiration to anything from Michael Jackson’s catalogue in this day and age. However, this summer, fortune smiled upon me and give me an opening to express my admiration for this song: the release of Motown Remixed, an album that compiled new interpretations of some of the hottest Motown hits, including the standout track on the album…. That’s right, the Z-Trip Remix of “I Want You Back”. At long last, the song received the recognition and treatment it deserved, and I could openly declare my admiration for it.

The Jackson Five- I Want You Back (Z-Trip Remix)

Well, I think for the purposes of my sanity, I’ll be taking the weekend off. It’s been an enjoyable first week of blogging… thanks to all who’ve dropped by to have a look at what I’m up to here, assuming people actually are reading this, that is. Feel free to leave me a line in the comments section to let me know you’re out there ;)

Travelogue Thursdays: Oh, Canada!

2006-02-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

Damn. I now feel obliged to continue this alliterative theme day thing, at least for the start. Funny how we paint ourselves in corners like that… meh, we’ll see how it goes.

Anyhow, this day has been devoted to bringing you a specific artist from some far off locale (generally outside the good old USA). Today, however, we begin close to home with our neighbors to the north. Canada is a land of lush musical diversity, from the hip beyond belief Montreal music scene to Toronto’s much beloved native sons, Barenaked Ladies (oh c’mon, admit it—you liked If I Had A Million Dollars at some point in your life too).

Today, however, I wish to focus on another, much more specific phenomenon of Canadian music: the Kermit the Frog voice.

Recently, my friend Alex mentioned in this blog that the voice of Neil Young, surely one of Canada’s finest, reminds her of Kermit the Frog, if only in the best of ways (whatever that’s supposed to mean). Anyhow, it got me to thinking, and there are a lot of Canadian performers who sound like Kermit the Frog: Kevin Hearn (of the aforementioned Barenaked Ladies), Rufus Wainwright, Ron Sexsmith, my political theory professor… okay, he doesn’t sing, but he is Canadian and the similarities are uncanny.

Further complicating matters is the fact that Jim Henson, the originator of Kermit’s voice, was born in Mississippi. Last time I checked, Mississippi is not Canada.

Anyhow, listen and be astounded:

Kevin Hearn- War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)
Ron Sexsmith- Lebanon, Tennessee
Rufus Wainwright- April Fools

I guess this will just have to remain one of the great mysteries of the musical world… which reminds me, I’m still waiting for an answer on that Konstantine question.

Women of Musical Genius Wednesdays: Nellie McKay

2006-02-21T22:54:00.000-05:00

Admittedly, the overwhelming majority of my music collection consists of white guys playing guitar, and though you’d be surprised what diverse sounds can be produced by such a demographic, I recognize the need to be a more equal-opportunity listener as well. So in another attempt to create obnoxiously alliterative weekly offerings, I present to you the first in a series of posts on my favorite female performers out there today. First up: Nellie McKay.

Bottom line: it’s a damn shame that more people haven’t heard of this girl. I think I heard her do a live set on the now dead for all intents and purposes WDET-FM, and was just amazed that a girl about my age could sound as if she’d been writing music and performing in smoke filled lounges late at night for years. I had to have more—and that’s where the trouble started.

You see, Ms. McKay tends to write music that isn’t, how shall we say this, male friendly. I believe the AMG review described her music as “the soundtrack to some long-lost feminist musical”. Naturally, my dumb guy defense mechanisms kicked in, and I held off on buying the album for the sake of my masculinity, until one fateful day when I stepped into the Barnes and Noble here in East Lansing and saw it on the featured album rack. I couldn’t resist it any longer, said ‘fuck masculinity’, and purchased it (all while avoiding eye contact with the cashier, of course).

And you know what? It was worth it. Yes, Nellie McKay spends an awful lot of time pondering what its like to be a young woman in this day and age, and a lot of it I can’t relate to personally, but it doesn’t change the fact that she can write, play, and sing devastatingly well (The fact that she’s pretty attractive doesn’t hurt either—my friend Chris, after hearing the album, gave it a one sentence review of “I want to marry her”). Sure, it’s resulted in a few embarrassing moments of me singing lyrics like “David don't you hear me at all, David dear I'm just down the hall” while walking to class with my ipod on, but I’m pretty sure nobody caught that anyway.

As a bonus, I’m putting up two Nellie McKay tracks today: one from her stellar double-disc debut album “Get Away from Me” (notable as probably the only time you’ll ever hear MLA format being referenced in a song), as well as one from her should have been released by now follow-up “Pretty Little Head,” which is currently trapped in a Yankee Hotel Foxtrot style struggle with Columbia Records, which you can read about here.

Nellie McKay- Inner Peace

Nellie McKay- Long and Lazy River

Tune in tomorrow for… Time Warp Thursdays? (I’m kidding… God I hope I'm kidding)

Teary-Eyed Tuesdays, or The Alternative to Emo

2006-02-21T00:07:00.000-05:00

Today’s post goes out to the emo kids. Consider it an apology of sorts.

I was once amongst your harshest detractors, watching you sitting there with your headphones on, sulking in your own little worlds, and thinking “Give me a break… stand up, quit the pity party, and do something in this world.”

But after going through some personal stuff myself in the past month or so, I feel like I should have cut you kids a little slack. Music is an incredibly cathartic force for things like this: hearing that voice that resonates and tells you that you aren’t the first to feel like this, and won’t be the last… essentially that you are not alone. It’s a great feeling, and I see why you turn to the headphones for solace.

However, while I support the principle, I think you guys have the execution of it all off—basically, you’re choosing the wrong songs to listen to. Of course you’re going to feel like crap after listening to Konstantine on repeat all night long in all of its bloated nine minute glory while weeping into your LJ... it’s one depressing song.*

Fear not, because I’m here to help. Believe it or not, there’s a world of music out there that you can empathize with that will put some life back in you at the same time, or at the very least help you to look at things in a new light. I don’t claim to be an expert on this by any stretch, but I do know what’s worked for me and what perspective I gained from it, and I’d like to share it with you.

So without further ado, the first selection (I’m thinking this will be a weekly deal… neat, huh?)

I begin with the granddaddy of liberating breakup songs, Billy Bragg’s A New England. Billy spent his childhood in England listening to old Motown records, and found that much to his dismay the real world of love did not match up to the ideals of R&B. The result is some of the most powerful and yet thoughtful music about love I’ve ever heard, embodied in this song. It’s the kind of song that you sing out loud to yourself at the top of your lungs on the way home late at night when you think nobody’s listening, bad British accent and all… or maybe that’s just me ;)

When he gets to the chorus, though... somethings always bugged me- the bit about not wanting to change the world. It feels contradictory to Billy Bragg's entire philosophy (he's also a major politcal activist), but I've always dismissed it as just a desperation thing. Now, I think I get it- it's his means of acceptance. He can't change the situation, so he'd just as well move on, hard as it is to do. Brilliant stuff, Bill.

Anyhow, I'll cut myself off here, as it’s really just one of those songs that speaks for itself… absolutely genuis in its simplicity.

Billy Bragg- A New England.mp3

*as an aside, can anybody out there explain to me why this song makes any female between the ages of 16-24 just completely melt? Because I’ve tried to figure it out for a probably a good three years now, and I’m still stumped.

Presidents' Day

2006-02-20T12:22:00.000-05:00

For the record (ouch, no pun intended), I don't anticipate doing a helluva lot of gimmicky holiday posts like this one, but everything just falls into place here.

First off, its from a collaboration between two of my favorite acts- Billy Bragg and Wilco (though I don't thing Billy is doing too much on this one). Secondly, said collaboration is Mermaid Avenue, in which great unrecorded lyrics from Woody Guthrie, the godfather of Amerian folk music, were revived and reinterpreted by arguably some of his closest musical descendants.

But most of all, its a song called "Christ for President"- seriously, what's not to like?

Wilco (with Billy Bragg)- Christ for President.mp3

Alright, must be off to ponder The Federalist Papers... see, it really does all just fit into place.

"I'm Sorry, Ladies and Gentlemen...."

2006-02-19T23:14:00.000-05:00

...but i started a blog.

well, i guess it's nothing new- I've had that damn LJ for over a year now... fear not, the five or so of you that actually read it, it's not going anywhere.

however, after my recent discovery of the wonderful world of mp3 blogs, i feel like i have a new medium in which to express myself- namely, blabbering on about music and sharing it with all you fine people (once again, all five or so of you).

my hope is to get something up here every couple of days, and keep the mp3s up as long as i have enough MSU webspace, so get them while you can.

so without further ado.... the first song.

The year was 1977, the place was NBC studios. Elvis Costello was performing on Saturday Night Live, back when it actually was a hotbed of hip talent (imagine that). He was under contract to perform his latest single, "Less Than Zero," a song with no relevance whatsoever to the United States. After playing the opening bars, Mr. Costello cuts his band off, apologizes to the audience, and goes full tilt into a rendition of the anti-corporate (and unreleased) "Radio Radio," an act that gets him banned from the show for over a decade. In other words, it was a moment of music snob perfection in history.

I'd always said that if i had a radio show, this live cut would be the first song of my first set. For now though, this is definitely good enough :)

Elvis Costello- Radio Radio (live on SNL).mp3