iTunes problems unresolved, but I will continue nonetheless…
I’ve been thinking for a while about what I could do to commemorate finally reaching the century mark. Some of my initial ideas involved an African safari, NASA, and the 107th division of the Bulgarian Army. Then I decided maybe I should rein things in a little bit. So, instead of the “lions and Bulgarians on the moon” idea, I’m going to do a little bit of a retrospective.
I know, I know. Everyone hates those clips episodes of TV shows, when you can’t help but imagine that the writers all took their vacation at the same time and some intern had to come up with a threadbare excuse of a plotline on which to hang a bunch of old scenes. But bear with me. The difference is that I’ve been blogging since January but really didn’t have anyone reading until May. So there’s a lot of good stuff that may have been missed.
So here it is: twenty songs I’ve already posted that you owe it to yourself to listen to (in approximate order of awesomeness, though they’re all fantastic), with links to when I originally discussed them, and some short comments.
You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes and You Get What You Deserve – Johnny Boy
Originally discussed in I Just Can’t Help Believing. It begins with the drum beat from “Be My Baby” (easily the best thing Phil Spector ever did), and then in come the guitars, the background starts to swirl, and then: “I just can’t help believing, though believing sees me cursed…” After one time through the verse, it explodes and she sings it all again, this time accompanied by the Wall of Sound. Before the next verse, the “oh baby baby”s fly back and forth. And then, at the 2:01 mark, the whole song is set on fire. The fireworks go off (literally), and all she sings is “Yeah, yeah! Yeah, yeah!” but it sounds like poetry. There’s the smallest respite as it cuts back into the last verse when the music recedes, apart from the occasional firework. The verse ends, there are a couple more “yeah, yeah!”s, and then, before you know it, the song is over, and you realize you’re about to pass out because you haven’t breathed in 3 minutes.
All Apologies and Smiles, Yours Truly, Ugly Valentine – Carissa’s Wierd
Originally discussed in Promise Me You’ll Be Perfect. This song is easily in my top 10 of all-time, and (depending on my mood) is probably in the top 5. It was this song that inspired me to search long and hard for everything else the band had ever done (which was sort of tough back in the misty days of 2001). It’s one of those great Thunder Road-esque songs that start out slow and just keep building and building and building until it’s almost unbearable. It’s walks the line between despair and joy more perfectly than any other song I’ve ever heard. Depending on my mood, it can bring me to the edge of tears or can make me smile with delight. Or, sometimes, do both at the same time.
Elevator Love Letter – Stars
Originally discussed in Top 20 Albums of 2005. It’s difficult to imagine a better song than “Elevator Love Letter.” Shimmering, tender, lovestruck, and just about the prettiest thing in the entire world. My favorite song by a country mile from one of my favorite bands of the last few years. Who has a better voice than Amy Millan? No one as far as I can tell.
The War Criminal Rises and Speaks – Okkervil River
Originally discussed in Where I’m Forgiven By Time. This song places us in the room with the war criminal as he tells his side: “Does the heart wants to atone? Oh, I believe that it’s so, because if I could climb back through time, I’d restore their lives and then give back my own.” All this time the tension is rising, the music begins to pound on the brain and Sheff’s voice crackles with intensity, it bends and breaks and shatters but still keeps on going. He makes no excuses, he cannot even cry, but it is clear that the mistake of 30 years ago has haunted him for every second of his life since. He does not ask to escape punishment, he only asks that those reading and watching to understand that he is not really any different from them, and for the hope that somehow he can be forgiven for falling into the abyss.
Trailer Trash – Modest Mouse
Originally discussed in So much beauty it could make you cry. My favorite Modest Mouse song, and the inspiration for the name of this blog. The song contains one extended verse which bleeds into something of a chorus, and is then repeated. Over this, the pace slows and while Isaac initially sounds emotional, maybe even a little tortured, by the end, he is just speaking the lyrics over a drum beat, and the guitars have almost disappeared. You can almost feel the burden of life pressing down. Then, however, the prettiness and weariness of the first half explode into the chaos of the second half. The drums go crazy, and the guitar riff dances around. There are no lyrics, just the commotion of the music. All weariness is forgotten, and if you’re not quite sure where things are going, you do know that it is exciting. I like to think that’s sort of how life works.
Years Ago – Super Deluxe
Originally discussed in I Lost My Heart To You Years Ago. This is the song that, for a couple months, captivated the greater Seattle area my sophomore year in high school. It’s not hard to see why. It’s acoustic, stripped down to just Braden and the guitar, and is almost stunningly beautiful. (As an aside, I know I’ve been gushing a lot, and that will probably end once I stop reviewing songs that are among my absolute favorites. But for now, you’re going to get gushing). This is just a love song, but it’s about as good as a love song can be.
Life Goes On – Modest Mouse
Originally discussed in Sometimes Life Works Out Okay. Yes. I know, I know. Putting two songs by the same band on is lame. But I’ve just got to share this one, too. It’s an early version of “Float On” from a show that I went to in Seattle right before Christmas, 2002. They played a number of songs that would end up on “Good News…” but this was by far the best. It’s significantly longer, with a lot more verses and more Isaac mumblings. It still has the same unbelievably catchy riff, but has a little bit less of the pop shine. Basically, it rocks out a little more: it was from the encore so Isaac’s voice is a little raw, and it’s live so it’s less polished. Which is part of what makes it so much fun. Don’t get me wrong, I like the final version of the song a whole lot; I just like this one even more.
The Bleeding Heart Show – New Pornographers
Originally discussed in Top 20 Albums of 2005. I think the word infectious was coined to describe the New Pornographers. Either them or the flu. “The Bleeding Heart Show” might be my new favorite song by them. It’s not quite as overwhelmingly great as Letter from an Occupant but that makes the payoff at the end that much better. It slowly builds until just after the 2-minute mark when the guitars kick into gear, the pulse quickens, they go up one more notch, and then Neko Case belts out “we have arrived too late to play the bleeding heart show.” The last half of the song is definitely two of the best minutes of music this decade.
As Cool As I Am (live) – Dar Williams
Originally discussed in Is it how she moves, or how she looks? The first Dar Williams song I ever heard and still one of my favorites. It has a great sound, but what really does it for me is some of the best lyrics out there. This is a live version, which I might even like more than the original. It has a little quicker feel, since the driving instrument is the cascading guitar instead of the didgeridoo. But both are very good.
Balcony – Birdmonster
Originally discussed in I’m not yours but I’m everything. A song that has felt like my anthem for a good part of this year. It’s the type of song that makes you want to get up and dance around until you just collapse, panting for breath. The softer, quieter moments are interspersed to give you a chance to cool off, but it’s only a temporary respite until they send you whirling around again.
This Year – Mountain Goats
Originally discussed in Top 20 Albums of 2005. The best song from the very good album The Sunset Tree. The highlight is the chorus where he declares “I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me.” The uneasy defiance, the resignation that refuses to give up hope, the way he sounds exhausted but willing to suffer anything in order to survive, it makes for a touching and powerful song.
Fall Apart Again – Brandi Carlile
Originally discussed in Alone is the last place I wanted to be. What a voice! She can do soft and tender. She can do light and peppy. She can do the sustained note that bends and sways around the music. She can do highwire act between a cracking falsetto and an alto that cuts like a knife. Anything else you want, she’s probably got it somewhere. It’s been many moons since I’ve heard a record as fresh, carefree, and beautiful as this one. It’s primarily acoustic, but still manages to rock pretty hard, proving once again that rock and roll is all about attitude, not about amplifiers.
Let’s Get Out of This Country – Camera Obscura
Originally discussed in I feel like getting confessional. It’s been beautiful here for the last week or so, and “Let’s Get Out of This Country” has been the constant soundtrack. It’s the kind of song that deserves to be played on a sunny day when you throw all your cares to the wind and just enjoy yourself.
This Conversation – Submarines
Originally discussed in You’re going away but I’m not giving up. My favorite song from my favorite album of the year. Simply beautiful.
Reason to Believe – Aimee Mann and Michael Penn
Originally discussed in Looking for a lover who will come on in and cover me. A great Springsteen song, made even better when covered by Aimee Mann and Michael Penn. The harmony created by the two singers gets at the heart of the song in a way that Bruce, by himself, simply cannot. The connection, the perfect interlinking of voices, is the ideal for which we strive. When the song is simply Bruce by himself, it feels like a simple song about a few people. With Mann and Penn together, it still feels incredibly personal, but it also hints at a broader allegory that applies to all of us.
Nate B – Slapstick
Originally discussed in Let’s go to the art show where we’ll mope around and then we’ll brood. Slapstick is one of my favorite bands, and this is my favorite song by them. They broke up almost a decade ago, but they have a self-titled CD that compiles virtually all of their songs, and is well worth a purchase. This song blew me away an absolutely perfect horn riff (almost identical to one from Simon and Garfunkel’s “Fakin’ It” incidentally). It’s not really “ska” except for the horns, but those add just enough flavor that it sounds like much more than a strictly punk number.
Revelry – Sea Ray
Originally discussed in Now I’m free, I feel no revelry. A bubbly guitar opens the song, then the strings move in. After a slow buildup come the vocals. The singer doesn’t have a particularly amazing voice and I find it a little annoying on some of their songs, but it fits very well with this song. There is an extended instrumental period in the middle and then a short final verse as the song trails down.
Goods – Mates of State
Originally discussed in There was a time we lived in truth, let’s bring it back. Last year’s EP All Day, despite only being four songs long, may have been their best record to date. It included one of the most infectious melodies of the 21st century on this song. Check out that moment at 22 seconds when the first “waa-ohh!” bursts out. And then bounce and bop your way through the rest of the song.
Magnetized – Laura Veirs
Originally discussed in Riding into the sun on a raft made for one. This song is almost painfully beautiful. It begins quietly, just her and her guitar. Only in the second half do the layers appear. And even then, it’s only two layers of quietly strummed music, the primary vocal track, and harmonies in the background. Contrasted with the pure simplicity of the rest of the song, it adds some depth, but does not fundamentally change the attitude or feeling of the song., and it’s not until halfway through that the piano and strings make an appearance. By the end, it feels like a hymn.
Orange – The Exchange
Originally discussed in Just listen to the trees. They’ve got a pretty nice indie guitar/piano combination going on. Maybe this is Death Cab if they were way more into Weezer, or mid 60s pop songs, or Journey, or Jimmy Eat World back before they became parodies of themselves, or something. I realize those things aren’t exactly the same as each other, but there’s a bit of all of them here. There’s some of the “la la la” background vocal thing going on, and I can’t really think of any way to describe this song except “warm.”
And that’s it. Here’s to another 100 posts…