Angeles

Angeles by Elliott Smith

Another from Good Will Hunting, one of those movies that I still enjoy after all these years. Maybe it's because that even as I grow older, I can still take something away from the movie. ANYWAY, this is one of the prettier songs that I know. The arpeggio on the guitar, Smith's voice sounds soulful and honest, and the lyrics ring true. It's one of those songs that even if you're sitting around up to nothing, it makes you want to take a road trip (and not necessarily to LA), just because you know that there's something out there to search for... something in our souls that's worth searching for and finding.

I should also say, that this has been, so far, the most difficult song to articulate... it goes beyond words. It's just so... I don't know how to say it.

Watch:

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths

People say the Smiths are kind of depressing, but I kind of like them. And they don't bum me out, I honestly think Morrissey is one of the more optimistic people in life. Sure, he seems so sad, but dreams are good. Hope is good. And this is a hopeful song. Maybe this is the day things change...

Haven't had a dream in a long time
See, the life I've had
Can make a good man bad

So for once in my life
Let me get what I want
Lord knows, it would be the first time
Lord knows, it would be the first time

Watch the Video (and I'm sure the images of may make you think differently than what I wrote...)

Australia

Australia by The Shins

When ever I'm in a bad mood or feeling sorry for myself (which, I must brag, doesn't happen too often); I find the right songs to play to pull me out of my bad mood. It's more like taking two Advil's for a really, really bad hangover in which you got really, really drunk and mixed the Trinity of booze, but it makes me feel better for a little while.

I'm not in a bad mood right now, but I am a bit overwhelmed. I'm sure work can be stressful, but in my short work experience (two years plus summer jobs), I've never been as overwhelmed as the amount of pressure, stress, and work school can deal at times. Usually with work, you can pass the buck, or attempt to pass the buck; maybe even reason with your boss. But with school? There's none of that; you've just got to do what you have to do AND do it well. I think this is the big difference between work and school... there are no grades in work. Maybe an annual evaluation, but that's really about it. With school, the hits just keep on coming.

So what does this have to do with Australia? Well it's such a cheery song that my mood can't helped to be lifted a bit. "Dare to be one of us, girl,/Facing the android's conundrum" come on, that's pretty great. And this song pretty much has everything a cheery song needs:
1) Background vocals that go "lalala"
2) A chorus that builds and builds, reaching higher and higher from the verse AND each previous chorus.
3) A banjo. How great is the banjo? In fact, let's make this the second rule of the Blog: Any pop song that features a banjo is great.

Watch:

In An Aeroplane Over the Sea

In An Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel

Like pretty much every song on "In An Aeroplane Over the Sea" this song just has it. It's pretty, honest, and melancholy... something that sounds pleasant to listen to. Maybe it's the hit of sadness or the honestly of Jeff Mangum's voice.

I don't know much about Jeff Mangum. But I do know that he wrote one really amazing album and another very good album... then it seems like he's disappeared. I like to think of him as the J. D. Salinger of music.

Maybe the most interesting thing about this album (and this song) is that much of the subject manner is Anne Frank. When you listen to the album, Anne Frank enters time and time again. She's sort of like Holly from the Hold Steady... but it is Frank's 'beautiful face' that gives the album's sense of sadness... and hope... all at the same time.

Listen/Watch:

Dirty Jobs

Dirty Jobs by The Who

Wow... first Who entry. Crazy, especially considering that the Who are one of my favorite all time bands AND I loved these guys in high school AND I wrote a college essay about Pete Townshend. No joke.

Anyway, Dirty Jobs is a fine song off of the fantastic "Quadrophenia" - one of my all time favorite albums. I like this song. I listened to it a lot in high school but nothing is coming to mind... and that's all I've got. Sorry.

Listen!
The Who – The Dirty Jobs

*Sorry, I'm not sure why I've been really bad at this over the past week or ten days, but I have been.

Banging Camp

Banging Camp by the Hold Steady (90/365)

"There's strings attached to every single lover..." how true. I love this song, the banging guitar, the background vocals of "ooooo-la-la-la-laala", and Craig Finn's vocals. Oh so great. I think over the course of this album, I fall for Holly a bit, "Holly wore a cross to ward them off." What a great summer song... I could totally go for a beer and a burger when I hear this song.

I should also add that two and a half years ago D and I decided to only use bang when referring to sex. I'm not sure why other than it was funny. It's gotten to the point where I don't even realize that I use it pretty much all the time in conversation with peers. I guess it's cool and funny. Whatever.

Listen to a bit:
The Hold Steady – Banging Camp<

Watch:

How To Save A Life

How To Save A Life by The Fray

At some time in January I had this song stuck in my head, and this forced me to download it from iTunes just to prevent me from going insane. I don't watch Grey's Anatomy so I have nothing else to add to this song. I will say this about Grey's... I've seen it twice and both times they had about ten minutes of plot material for an hour long show. Needless to say, I didn't watch again.

Watch:

Tables and Chairs

Tables and Chairs by Andrew Bird

Bird's Mysterious Production of Eggs is one of my favorite albums of all time... just song after song of great music. This offering comes near the end of the album. It's pretty, his voice soars and it has this nice little beat. But what I really love, is in the middle of the song when Bird lyrically, let's it fly. Some how he makes the end of the world sound so romantic. I know I wouldn't mind falling for someone in financial ruin... it'd be sort of fun. An adventure, me an a love, traveling though the world with dancing bears, bands, and no money.

I know we're gonna meet someday in the crumbled financial institutions of this land
There will be tables and chairs
Pony rides and dancing bears
There'll even be a band
'cause listen after the fall there'll be no more countries
No currencies at all
We're gonna live on our wits
Throw away survival kits
Trade butterfly knives for adderal
And that's not all
Woah!
There will be snacks, there will
There will be snacks!

Listen Live!

And a small studio clip:

Andrew Bird – Tables and Chairs

Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk

Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk by Rufus Wainwright

Rufus writes pretty songs... he's probably one of the most unique artists out there right now, imo. His songs swoon and soar, they're passionate, funny yet glib, sarcastic, intelligent, and subtle all at once. As a singer-song-writer, Rufus is pretty effin' good.

A few years back some magazine did a whole, "overrated/underrated" thing. And one of the overrated items they had was "The Singer-Song-Writer". At first I thought this was sort of insane. The singer-song-writer is so pure, authentic, and cool. Bob Dylan, Jeff Tweedy, Paul Simon, Neil Young... these guys are singer-song-writers. They're great. They aren't phonies, they're real live people writing really good songs.

But as I mulled this over in the next weeks, months, and even years, I came to the conclusion that the singer-song-writer IS overrated. There are not that many good singer song writers; they come few and far between. And so many of the best songs weren't written by the same people who preformed them. Motown with Barry Gordie, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Phil Spector et all wrote kick ass songs for other people. Should I think differently of or like the Jackson Five, Diana Ross, or anyone else less because they didn't write the song? Of course not.

The fact is, most singer-song-writers are whiny boring little, pardon my French, bitches. I don't care if she broke your heart and it feels like someone is kicked you in the gut. That's a bad analogy... in fact it's an analogy that everyone in the world can/could/has thought up. If you want to be a singer-song-writer, at the very least, be as good as Mason Jennings. And if you are the next Dylan or Simon, then by all means, write your own material. But if you've got a pretty voice but can't writer a fresh hook and only think of bland lyrics... then by all means, find the next Phil Spector and sing whatever he puts in front of you.

Watch:

Firecracker

Firecracker by Ryan Adams

Ugh... Ryan Adams... I honestly have little opinion on him. He makes too much bland music if you ask me. If he slowed down and choose the 12 best songs he wrote in a year rather than releasing all 53 songs he writes in a year, we'd all be better off.

That said, this song is really pretty good. After 9/11 his "New York, New York" song caught the eye of some radio guys, I liked it enough to go buy "Gold" and this easily became my favorite song on the album. It's got a good chorus and a kick ass bridge (one of the best bridges in pop music now that I think about it), and the line "Well, everybody wants to go on forever/I just wanna burn up hard and bright" sure he's channeling his inner Neil Young, but it's a nice reminder. What a great pop song.

Watch:

Fix You

Fix You by Coldplay

Classic Coldplay... a good song, it builds and builds and then explodes near the end.

When I lived in Alexandria, travel to and from DC was a hike. Often times when I went out on the weekends in DC, I'd bring my iPod with me to distract me during my trip to and from the King Street Metro. Sometimes when I would had a bit too much to drink, I would turn this song as I walked home... and like in the video, when the guitar kicks in around the 2:30 mark, I'd take off running down the street.

It was a lot of fun.

Watch:

Mr. Bojangles

Mr. Bojangles by David Bromberg

I can't think of a song that tells a better story than "Mr. Bojangles". I love Bromberg's version, so subtle and melancholy. This is one of those songs that when I hear it, I just sort of stop, sit down, stay quiet and listen. After a few minutes it's over, and reality sets back in, but for those six minutes, there is nothing. Life doesn't usually let us take breaks, but this song allows me to do so.

I can't find Bromberg's version of the song, but I did find author, Jerry Jeff Walker, of the song preforming "Mr. Bojangles" on youtube:

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 by Feist

According to iTunes I've listened to this song 47 times in the last 13 days. That's a lot of plays of a single track, but you know what... this song is awesome. And it has horns too. I mean, when I hear this I feel like gliding down the street and all those guys from the Verizon commercial are following me... that's a little crazy but whatever.

It's spring, and hope springs eternal. And every spring needs an anthem. Summer has a bunch of fluff pop songs and classic rock; fall has pretty music that lingers, and winter has songs that call upon reflection. But spring, spring has A single song. This song will change every year - for me personally, two years ago it was "Letter from an Occupant" and last year it was Jenny Lewis' "The Big Guns". This spring, Feist's "1 2 3 4" is the Spring Anthem of 2007.

The Spring Anthem has to be cheery, lovely, and hopeful. It has to inspire and be the type of song one is willing to fall in love to - one must be willing to take the Kierkegaard Leap of Faith for this song and into this song. This is your song for the Spring and it will carry you into summer. It shall never be forgotten and who ever you have a crush on/love during this spring must be associated to this song... for ever.

And oh yeah, this music video is fun:

Not My War

Not My War by Slings & Arrows

Since I'm going to see these guys tonight, I thought I might as well give them a shout out. Anyways, I said the other day that there has been a lack of protest songs about the entire mess in Iraq, but this song proves to be the exception to the rule. It's a pretty kick ass song, and honestly, I'm waiting for the moment when it sort of becomes one of THE protest songs of the war.

I never bought the Iraq war, not in 2002, 2003,2004, or today. It didn't make sense in my eyes. But politics aside, the war did present sort of a challenge... what could I do about it? I've marched in a few protests, written some shit on blogs, got in arguments with friends and foes alike, but that's about it. This song sums up my feelings pretty well. This is not my war, I don't support this war, and honestly, I don't feel the least bit unpatriotic about it. It's a bullshit war that I wish would never have happened. It pisses me off to read about or even think about. Yeah, I'd love for there to be success, I'm not rooting against the war, but this isn't my war.

And if you're not mad, then you've got to get mad.

Listen!

Flathead

Flathead by the Fratellis

Editor's Note:
This week we're looking at "Songs Commercials Made Me Love". Sometimes the song is really good and placed perfectly in the commercials. Sometimes the commercial is so good that the song freerides into its greatness. And sometimes, like oh the next two days, I just couldn't think of any other songs that I've ever bought because of a commercial. Sorry for these last two somewhat uninspired choices.

Oh the iPod, you great little invention that has, sadly, made my life so much better. I guess that's not a bad thing, that a little object that costs $300 bucks brings me joy since if I'm happy then maybe I'm more likely to bring joy to other people and do good things. But I am, alas, not a psychologist so I really have no clue. I guess this is one of the newer iPod commercials and I liked it, so I downloaded it, and it's okay. It's fun. But the name of the band sort of ticks me off, Fratellis which brings images of Frat houses and girls to my head (Frat/ellis, and yes I know it's elle, not ellis, but whatever). I'm not a big fan of frat houses or 21st century frat boys... in fact, I really don't like the 21st century, upper to middle class white male, with his button down shirts, cheesy pick up lines, job security with some big financial firm, and negative creativity. My generational peer, do you care about the world or anyone else in besides the little "hotties" that you attempted to pick up and lame bars? Are you more selfish that previous generations? Or are you just more rational? And what are you bringing to the table twenty years from now? But whatever. I have no articulate, clear point today, sort of like this song.

Watch it:

One Million Miles Away

One Million Miles Away by J. Ralph

Editor's Note:
This week we're looking at "Songs Commercials Made Me Love". Sometimes the song is really good and placed perfectly in the commercials. Sometimes the commercial is so good that the song freerides into its greatness.




When I hear this song, on its own, I can't help but notice the anxiety that the hook has and then there are those daunting strings. The bell, tolling throughout the song, almost announcing someones death like Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard." And then the voice, almost creepy, yet beautiful, as if she is in an old church some where in England or France that was built in the 13th century, but now is nearly forgotten by members and tour books alike.

But I don't hear the urgency. The song itself isn't urgent... but the commercial? It's about as urgent as one can get. I remember my buddies and I being memorized by this commercial back in our college days. We would stop what we were doing or talking about and watch. It was such a fantastic commercial. One that I feel that males identified with more so than females... losing that love of ones life. Can he make it to the church in time? What the hell does the bride do? And if this ever happened in real life, how great or horrible of a moment would that be? I guess it all depends on what side of the alter and aisle one sits. This commercial, while not my personal favorite, might just be the best commercial I've ever seen.

Now that I think about this song and ad a little more, maybe it's so tied to my freshman and sophomore year of college that it's taken on so many emotions and ideas I had at the time. I was reading Thomas Gray for class around this time, I had a core group of guys and we did everything together, we all had loves or at least dreamed of having loves who we would drive across the country for just to prevent her from getting married. It was one of the better times in my life... and this commercial ties a lot of those memories together.

Don't Wait Too Long

Don't Wait Too Long by Madeleine Peyroux

Editor's Note:
This week we're looking at "Songs Commercials Made Me Love". Sometimes the song is really good and placed perfectly in the commercials. Sometimes the commercial is so good that the song freerides into its greatness.

His View:


I'm not sure I would love this song as much as I do if it wasn't for the Docker's commercial that uses this song, which is sort of weird how that all works. The song itself is good, but I probably wouldn't think twice about it if it wasn't for the ad. Two people, see each other in different cars, and they take a chance... and just when it looks like things aren't going to work out for them... it does. I'm not sure about the guy, but that's also one of the prettier girls I've seen. I love the fact that she gets off the trolly too, I think that's really what puts this ad over the top. You don't get that message too often from the media/Hollywood, about the girl taking the chance. It's a shame. Anyway, this ad is so hopeful, that I can't help but love it. Because hope is a good thing. I wonder if we, as humans, are more attracted to hope than love. Or maybe they're interchangeable. Anyway, the song has a good message. Don't wait too long.

Her View:


(Yes, there is a chance that I'm in love with that girl... it's a drag I snag, I'm always in love).

Enine Meany

Enine Meany by Jim Noir

Editor's Note:
This week we're looking at "Songs Commercials Made Me Love". Sometimes the song is really good and placed perfectly in the commercials. Sometimes the commercial is so good that the song freerides into its greatness.



In it's own right, this is a pretty fantastic song. It's fun, it's innocent, and I love the harmonies though out the song. But the commercial tied to this song probably puts it over the top… and frankly it's my favorite commercial of all time. With this song (ditty?) playing in the back ground, two kids from Latin America play a soccer game with the games great, both past and present. It's a fun commercial... it's an amazing commercial. I love it, two kids pretending to be playing with Beckham, Zidane, Kahn, Lampard, and others... what male hasn't done that at some point in their life? And was it a goal? I say yes. And how about the mom telling him to come in, and the kids has the biggest smile on his face... I love. I could watch this all day. I wish it was longer.

As for Jim Noir, this ad inspired me to check out Noir, and his album, "Tower of Love" is really pretty good. "Eanie meany, run away/Eanie, run away"... come on it's in your head and you love it. Childhood was so great.

BTW, this was a two part commercial, here's part one where they pick the players:

Temptation

Temptation by New Order

I am sitting in a college dorm in the spring of 2001, it's about midnight, and I'm sitting in this dorm room at Georgetown with my friend from high school and two girls that he's in school with. We are not doing much of anything, it's more cool than cold outside. We're talking about going to a party, but no one is really sure where it is or if they want to go. We are just being college kids. Temptation is playing in the back ground... and it sums up those cool late nights of late winter and early spring. The air and the music floats though the night sky. The feelings of crushes hang in the air. I'm attracted to this one girl, Zsófia, whose father is Hungarian, but she was born and raised in the States. She has these clear, blue eyes, and a warm welcoming face. "And I've never seen anyone quite like you before/No, I've never met anyone quite like you before."

I love this song, and I love the feelings it gives me. The excitement of someone new, someone fresh and different. And this song holds a special place for those women who are interesting, mysterious, but not impossible; yet in the end probably unattainable. But the night is young, and she's around, the possibilities are endless... the world is ours to do what we please. This is a song of youth and hope. A song that the sky's not the limit... anything can happen on a night like this. And these nights don't happen often, but you never forget them when they come around.
Up, down, turn around
Please don't let me hit the ground
Tonight I think I'll walk alone
I'll find my soul as I go home.

Watch:

Jo Jo's Jacket

Jo Jo's Jacket by Stephen Malkmus

In the time of Napster I would download just about anything. 'So and so is good?... okay I'll give 'em a spin'. If I liked them, cool. Maybe I'd buy the album. If not, whatever didn't cost me a penny. And this is how I started listening to Stephen Malkmus.

Of course it took a few years for me to finally actually listen to him. I probably download a few songs in 2000/2001. But it wasn't until 2004 when I finally was hooked. The iPod was on shuffle, I was in the backseat of the car, and this song came on... it's just so much fun. And I love fun songs. The lyrics are fun. The opening part is cool, and the guitar is addicting. I could see Malkmus and friends having a ton of fun in the studio recording this song... "electronic carcass"... "psycho-disco!" ... "Stay inside on Christmas Day/And make believe that you are my candy cane" and these weird ending lines where he talks about Dylan, but I'm not sure what he's getting at: "Bob Dylan sang in/"Its alright mama im only bleeding",/Everything from toy guns that spark to flesh colored Christs that glow in the dark/Its easy to see we got in too far and not much is really sacred."

BTW, Psycho-Disco sounds like a lame club or band... I don't have a clue.

Watch It (Who Doesn't love Cats on Drums?):

Mas Que Nada

Mas Que Nada by Jorge Ben and many others

I have always loved this song. And I 'discovered' the artist by accident a year or so ago while trying to get into Brazilian music. I should say, I'm still trying to get into Brazilian music because every time I hear it, I love it, but I don't know it. So pretty much for the last two years I've been looking for someone who can guide me into this venture know as Brazilian music - samba, bossa Nova, and everything else. So if you know anything, like a good starting off point other than The Girl from Ipanema and Jorge Ben... that would be great.

Listen:

Jeremy

Jeremy by Pearl Jam

This isn't the place, but I honestly can't tell you what was a more important song in 1991/1992 - Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" or Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". I was 10 or 11 when these events acutally took place, but looking back on this historically, Nirvana has been glorified (pretty much because Cobain blew his brains out) while Pearl Jam has continued on giving us a few quality ablums and a handful of songs since the late 90s. To hear it today, Nirvana is more important in the history of music, but I'm not sold on this. This is pretty much because Cobain died and we 'glorfied' his music, which was good don't get me wrong... but how good was it? What impact did Cobain's sucide have on our understanding of Nirvana, grunge, Seattle, and the early 90s? If Vedder had pulled the trigger, instead of Cobain, would we look at Peral Jam and Nirvana and the 90s differently? Of course. Anyway, if you want to debate this and more, check out Chuck Klosterman's Killing Yourself to Live.

Watch (btw, this is probably one of the most important videos of all time):

The Corner

The Corner by Common

My knowledge of hip-hop is limited. I appreciate it, but I don't think I've ever gone out and bought a hip-hop album, usually I'll just download a song or two or rip a CD that someone else already owns. No matter, white America, and specifically the media, seems not to understand hip-hop. I'm not sure if this because of ignorance, racism, or some sort of social-economic gap. But it seems to me that a lot of hip-hop has a message, and the best has a powerful message. Hip-hop isn't all about violence, degrading women, and lack of respect - this song, for example, is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what the media frames hip-hop as. This song is about the past, respect, and how life used to be - life on the corner. This misrepresentation is problematic.

Don Imus comments a few weeks go, brought hip-hop culture front and center. Most of it was negative, saying what I said above, that hip-hop is about disrespect, degrading women, and violence. But that would be like saying that every song written between 1966-1978 was about sex, drugs, and more sex. Is there truth to that? Yes, but it's completely wrong to say it as fact. The same holds true for hip-hop... when Jay-Z says "I've got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one" is he really degrading women? No, and one is missing the point to think otherwise. Yes, bitch ain't the greatest word in the English language, but you know what... white males use this word all the time (and buy/bought the song as it is). And Jay-Z isn't talking about women, he's talking about police injustice (among other things). But people see the title and flip out. How sad. Maybe if white America started listening to what hip-hop was saying (as an extension of part of black America), then maybe we'd have a better understanding of everyone.

Anyway, this song has a nice beat and good flow... and I love the Lost Prophets' "rap" in the song.

Listen to the mp3

The Power is On

The Power Is On by The Go! Team

I prefer music with words, even if I actually don't listen to the words. This might sound odd, but I prefer the voice as an instrument; this is why I usually can't stand Dave Matthews, but love Lou Reed (and thus Julian Casablancas). This is why, on the hold, I love female rockers. Their voice usually complements the music much better than a males (of course there are exceptions, Eddie Vedder is great despite having a 'bad' voice and Grace Slick makes me turn the radio station faster than you can say Jack Robinson). What am I getting at here? I like sound and how those sounds work together. And I'm not sure there is a better group out that at making 'sound' than The Go! Team. Making good sound is very difficult, most people or groups that attempt this, imo, fail (see pretty much any jam band). But the Go! Team are really effing good at making kick ass sound, and thus music.

Listen, this is the best I could do, but you'll get the point: