Five Songs To Know By Heart
The Weekly Awesome! is officialy dead, much to the dismay of few and the delight of many. After a bit of thinking and retooling, I've decided I'm going to start doing this from now on in a less weekly, more sporadic fashion. Not much different really, but by taking out the "Weekly" part, I feel like a man fresh out of prison. So, here we go...
Here are five songs you should know by heart:
“Be Gone” by British Sea Power
If David Bowie lost his mind and took over Belle & Sebastian, they’d sound a lot like British Sea Power. Only cooler. Because it’d be David Bowie. Anyway, this is the best entry point to BSP; it’s appropriately catchy, bombastic in all the right ways, and begs to be on the radio when you’re getting ready to take out a cute girl who works at a record store. Bonus BSP song: “It Ended On An Oily Stage,” if only for its title.
“Mad World” by Tears for Fears
This song, in it’s de-balled acoustic form, was made popular by it’s appearance in the movie Donnie Darko, but you’re really missing a trick if you deny it’s original incarnation. Tears for Fears quicken its pace and, therefore, it’s urgency, making its statement all the more poignant. My opinion, of course. Parenthetically, is there anyone who can explain to me exactly what Donnie Darko was all about? I loved it, don’t get me wrong, but only in the way that you love an inscrutable piece of abstract art that’s supposed to be a picture of the artist’s family but actually just looks like a blob of nine different-colored paints and a thumbtacked-on piece of velour.
“Parachutes” by Mates of State
These guys are the photo-negative of The White Stripes. While both are two-person, male/female bands who were romantically involved (MoS still are), they diverge wildly in their takes on music. Where Jack and Meg ground their music in 70’s fuzzy-guitar punk and sludgy, stompin’ blues, Jason and Kori wrap their organ and drum duets in a New Wave chilliness that speaks to Joy Division influences, but not in a bad way. Some of their stuff can get a little spazzy for my taste, but anything off the “Team Boo” LP and their newest one, “Bring it Back,” is pretty much ear candy.
“Baby, I Don’t Care” by Buddy Holly
If you find yourself in love with a total nerd, as many of us with a predilection for movies and records do, put this song on the first mixtape you give them. It’s about digging on someone who’s “so square” and it’s got that great geek-rock sound that Holly pioneered. It’s a bit on the short side (less than 2 minutes) but that just means you’ll be out of your vintage band t-shirts and chunky glasses all the sooner.
“Walk on the Ocean” by Toad the Wet Sprocket
A minor radio hit in the early 90’s by a band that’s largely remembered solely because they’ve got a weird name (taken from a Monty Python sketch, dontchaknow). For some reason, this has always been a “fuzzy blanket” song for me… I don’t have any specific memories associated with it, nothing particular that ties it to feelings of happiness, yet every time I hear it it’s like I’m on the couch in a warm living room during a snow storm eating Chinese food and watching movies with my girlfriend. No explanation. Very X-Files.
Here are five songs you should know by heart:
“Be Gone” by British Sea Power
If David Bowie lost his mind and took over Belle & Sebastian, they’d sound a lot like British Sea Power. Only cooler. Because it’d be David Bowie. Anyway, this is the best entry point to BSP; it’s appropriately catchy, bombastic in all the right ways, and begs to be on the radio when you’re getting ready to take out a cute girl who works at a record store. Bonus BSP song: “It Ended On An Oily Stage,” if only for its title.
“Mad World” by Tears for Fears
This song, in it’s de-balled acoustic form, was made popular by it’s appearance in the movie Donnie Darko, but you’re really missing a trick if you deny it’s original incarnation. Tears for Fears quicken its pace and, therefore, it’s urgency, making its statement all the more poignant. My opinion, of course. Parenthetically, is there anyone who can explain to me exactly what Donnie Darko was all about? I loved it, don’t get me wrong, but only in the way that you love an inscrutable piece of abstract art that’s supposed to be a picture of the artist’s family but actually just looks like a blob of nine different-colored paints and a thumbtacked-on piece of velour.
“Parachutes” by Mates of State
These guys are the photo-negative of The White Stripes. While both are two-person, male/female bands who were romantically involved (MoS still are), they diverge wildly in their takes on music. Where Jack and Meg ground their music in 70’s fuzzy-guitar punk and sludgy, stompin’ blues, Jason and Kori wrap their organ and drum duets in a New Wave chilliness that speaks to Joy Division influences, but not in a bad way. Some of their stuff can get a little spazzy for my taste, but anything off the “Team Boo” LP and their newest one, “Bring it Back,” is pretty much ear candy.
“Baby, I Don’t Care” by Buddy Holly
If you find yourself in love with a total nerd, as many of us with a predilection for movies and records do, put this song on the first mixtape you give them. It’s about digging on someone who’s “so square” and it’s got that great geek-rock sound that Holly pioneered. It’s a bit on the short side (less than 2 minutes) but that just means you’ll be out of your vintage band t-shirts and chunky glasses all the sooner.
“Walk on the Ocean” by Toad the Wet Sprocket
A minor radio hit in the early 90’s by a band that’s largely remembered solely because they’ve got a weird name (taken from a Monty Python sketch, dontchaknow). For some reason, this has always been a “fuzzy blanket” song for me… I don’t have any specific memories associated with it, nothing particular that ties it to feelings of happiness, yet every time I hear it it’s like I’m on the couch in a warm living room during a snow storm eating Chinese food and watching movies with my girlfriend. No explanation. Very X-Files.
posted by Clinton at 4:39 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home