No, I don’t mean the place surrounding every city, I mean the new, totally awesome album released two weeks ago by Arcade Fire. This album seems to have been met with mixed review, but I for one, have nothing but great things to say about this piece of work. I defended their last album three years ago, and (not-surprisingly) I’m happy to do it again!
Why I Love "The Suburbs"
After the wild success of the “25 Random Things” on Facebook, it seemed destined that music geeks around the world would find something to combat this meme. Thankfully, there was indeed something to come out. I was tagged of this one the Book, and decided that it would be better served as a blog post as well. Feel free to copy this idea (since I clearly did) and post it yourself, and if you are writing this on Facebook, please tag 20 (or so) people who you would like to know about their musical tastes.
The rules for this are simple, find 20 albums that mean the most to you and tell us why. These do not need to be in any particular order, and in no means should represent your thoughts on the 20 “best” albums, just ones that have a special meaning to you in some way, shape or form.
Sounds simple right? Well I thought it was going to be a simple exercise, but then I started writing, and I had a hard time stopping. It amazed me how much my history of musical tastes, is so interrelated to my own personal history, not only serving as a backdrop, but occasionally as a major player, developing a story of its own….enjoy!!!
***************************************************
1. Arcade Fire — Funeral
I’ll always remember the moment that I acquired this album. I had just got off a bus stop when I noticed someone drop something. Desiring to be the good Samaritan, I rushed through the crowd to pick it up and return it, however, by the time that I fought my way over to what they had dropped, the very person had boarded the very bus that I just got off from and the doors closed, leaving me with a CD in my hand. After processing the events, I went home, and curiously put it into my stereo, and everything changed.
Alright, so I made that all up. My story of how I cam across the most meaningful piece of art is far less romantic than that, and to be honest, is a little bit sad.
Like most of my musical moments of my University days, they traced back to one man, Ryan McNutt. See McNutt (whose blog I have linked to on multiple occasions), is far more of a music geek than I have ever been, and has provided me with countless suggestions and insights into music at different points in time.
It was late in 2004, and I was discussing some record or another that should be the album of the year, and he interjected and told me that his pick was by a Montreal band called “The Arcade Fire”. I nodded and said that I would check it out. The next day, I went out and downloaded a few of their songs, and to be honest, I was not all that impressed. I thought that they were good, but far from great, and I paid them little attention for months.
Then one day, while I was more or less dissatisfied with my life, “Rebellion (Lies)” came on my iTunes shuffle, and I heard something different. Something resonated with me that wasn’t there before. I can’t place my finger on it, but it just sounded…better.
The next time I found myself in a record store, I knew that I needed to buy this album. While I had heard most of the songs on it before, I had yet to hear it that way before, and in that particular context. I was amazed at the symmetry of the album, and how beautifully all of the songs were put together (in particular “Haiti” and “Rebellion (Lies)”). I was spell bound at the art work on the cardboard case. I studied the lyrics and extracted meanings upon meanings.
My lack of income and fast internet connection had turned me into a downloader for most of my University days. I had forgotten the beauty in an album, the story it tells from it’s opening song, down to its aesthetics. Thankfully, along came Funeral and reminded me that an album really is more than a collection of songs, it can be something so much more.
While I could go on and on about my love for this album, I suppose that I have committed to talking about 19 others…
2. Nirvana — Unplugged in New York
Back in the mid-90s these new things called “CDs” came out. Apparently they were much more convenient and durable than tapes. Needless to say, my younger sister and I wanted them, badly. But we had quite the problem, no CD player. We asked Santa for one, but nothing came. We saw how great they were at friends house, and longer for one of our own, when finally our mother gave in and bought one for our house.
Since we obviously needed to expand our collection, my mother signed us up for one of those stupid record clubs that the internet has thankfully killed. For those of you who don’t remember, there were these companies that gave out deals were you could buy 12 CDs for 1 cent each, if you bought several other CDs for a vastly inflated price. It sounds like a good deal and all, but to be honest, the choices of CDs simply weren’t any good.
My mother told me that I could pick out as many of them from the list as I wanted, and I did not really liked any of them, so I ignored it. I am sure now that if I looked back I would find all sorts of hidden gems and CDs that I would absolutely adore, but that simply was not the case when I was 12.
I wanted what all pre-teens want more than anything, acceptance from their peers. I was always looking for some bands on this master list that I had heard of, and finally I noticed one that was not The Backstreet Boys. I was a little bit too young and dorky to get into Nirvana when it mattered, but I knew that I had heard a few of their songs on the radio and I did like them, so I jumped when I saw Unplugged in New York.
I discovered a host of other great CDs (including several other by Nirvana), and this one became largely forgotten. However, when I entered a more adult phase of my musical life I rediscovered how beautiful this live album is. When I listen to it now, I am amazed that my 12 year old self could appreciate something as mellow, raw, and nostalgic as this album, but somehow I did. I’d like to think that it was other reasons than just wanting to fit in, but that may be a little hard to say now.
3. Cake — Fashion Nugget
There are many advantages to having an older sibling, but one of the most tangible is an earlier parent free access to a car. Of course, one of the other advantages to this is that you get to listen to their much older (and usually better) musical tastes while they are driving.
While my older sister, has introduced me to a great deal of excellent bands (and I’d like to think that I have repaid her in recent years) one of the ones that really sticks out to me is Cake. They are a band that is not so big, so I can not really assume that I would have found them on my own, and certainly not so early. Either way, this would quickly become the sound track for car rides with my two sisters, and very much remains a band with a strong familial connection for me (and presumably the other two as well). Special mention to “Stickshifts and Safetybelts”, THE definitive road-tripping song.
4. Everclear — So Much for the Afterglow
Another album that has a special place in our family to me. The major exception being that my older sister and I arrived at this one independently of one another, and to no surprise, we both loved it.
The songs of a broken family held a special resonance with me at a particularly challenging time in my teenage life. The song “I Will Buy You a New Life” was particularly poignant for me in my summer before I was about to move to Nova Scotia, and start a new life of my own. Whenever I hear this CD I am taken to a bit of a hard place, but am relieved to know that I made it out fine enough.
5. Eminem — The Slim Shady LP
6. Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem’s major label debut was another musical gift from my older sister, as she had heard it just before it really broke through. I fell in love with his witty and relevant lyrics, violence and anger aside. It is worth noting that this was shortly after I moved to Nova Scotia, and I remember being mocked for my choice in “scary death music”, but that just led to me listening to this amazing album on my own.
Of course, after a year and a bit, “The Real Slim Shady” became a huge single, and helped propel everyone to rush to the store and go for The Marshall Mathers LP.
Needless to say, I was able to listen to that one in whatever company I wanted.
7. Matthew Good Band — Beautiful Midnight
Not all of my musical energies were being devoted to angry but intelligent rap at the time. There was still a rock starved side to my soul that was drowning in the sea of Brittney-pop that was the late 90s/early 00s.
Thankfully, I found an outlet with this aptly titled, beautiful album.
I think that this is legitimately one of the best put together albums I have ever heard. The track listing here is near perfect. Instead of just going with the traditional track number, each song was given an hour of the night, and each song matched the mood of that particular time. My favourite of course being “Let’s Get it On” for midnight.
8. New Radicals — Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too
I have a bit of a strange story to acquiring this album (and a real one). See when the single “You Get What You Give” came out in 1999, I was not particularly impressed with it. I mean, it was catchy, but I just didn’t seem to get it. My younger sister when out and bought the CD, and seemed to listen primarily to the single, which quickly reached one hit wonder status. I did not think too much about it and moved on.
Fast forward a few years, and I was dragged to some god-awful movie with Mandi Moore (A Walk To Remember maybe? I really don’t remember, someone please help me out with this one) and it used the song “Someday We’ll Know” from this CD, which I instantly recognized from the CD. Somehow, when I heard it in that theatre, I got it.
That summer when I went home, I borrowed it from my sister and listened to the CD front to back a number of times, and fell in love with it. From the stellar opening “Mother We Just Can’t Get Enough” to the depressing “Crying Like a Church on a Monday” finisher, this CD has it all. It chronicles an amazing romantic journey with highs, lows, twists and turns.
Thankfully she let me keep the album from then on, and I can fully appreciate it all the time.
9. Hawksley Workman — Lover/Fighter
Like a lot of Canadians, I grew to like both “Striptease” and “Jealous of Your Cigarette” by Hawksley Workman, mostly for their perverted connotations. I decided to purchase Lover/Fighter on a bit of a whim, and have never lived to regret it. Like the last few albums I have listed, this is amazingly put together as the character in the songs alternates between a lover and a fighter from song to song. Also, this started my backwards journey of Mr. Workman, which has led to some of my absolute favourite and personal of songs on my playlists.
10. Green Day — American Idiot
11. Franz Ferdinand — Franz Ferdinand
12. The Killers — Hot Fuss
From the fall of 2004 to the spring of 2005, I worked as a Recruitment Officer for Acadia University. One of my major responsibilities was to drive around to different high schools all over the Maritime Provinces. Needless to say, this involved a lot of time alone in a car, so a good CD collection was an absolute must. I bought (and made) several CDs over the course of that year, but these three stand out as the best purchases to soundtrack the open road. Whenever I listen to any of these now, I am taken back to stunning East coast scenery and some deep and personal thoughts.
13. Arctic Monkeys — Whatever People Say, That’s What I’m Not
After a year working for “The Man”, I moved to Scotland for a year. While there I got to experience a bunch of excellent British bands the way they were meant to be experienced, fervently. However, the biggest explosion came in January of 2006, when The Arctic Monkeys released their debut album. Records were shattered, people were amazed, and great musicians earned their place in the spotlight. Not only is this a fantastic album, but it really helped me understand that depth and scope for the British passion for great music.
14. Broken Social Scene — You Forgot It In People
15. Wilco — Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
These two fantastic albums came into my life a little late, but were still incredibly appreciated. For a variety of reasons, these two would soundtrack any late night lesson planning or marking I was doing in either Teacher’s College or during my first year of teaching. If you ever need any music to play while you are questioning your career motivations, these two albums get my highest recommendation.
16. Sufjan Stevens — Seven Swans
While I will fully acknowledge that either the Michigan or Illinois albums are far superior to this Sufjan release, this one still holds a very special place in my heart. I first got into this album at a point that seems like a life time ago. I was really falling for this very special girl, who shall remain nameless for a variety of reasons. I would often play this very mellow and reflective album when I was alone and thinking about her. Now her and I did not work out, for another variety of reasons, but this album and I worked out just fine. Whenever her and I were together we would often listen to different music, so I never formed a direct connection between her and this album, instead these tracks became connected with the feeling of love to me. Whenever I listen to these songs (especially “The Dress Looks Nice on You” and “To Be Alone With You”) I can’t help but feel like I am falling in love again, even if it is just with the gentle melodies.
17. Sigur Ros — ( )
Last year, I was in a state of flux, starting a new career, with a very busy and demanding schedule. As a result, I had difficulties fully slowing down at the end of the day, and I would find myself tossing and turning for hours at a time before falling asleep. Thankfully, this album came along to help me. The volumes that are spoken in this album are simply astounding, despite the absence of any real language. The album seems like it was designed for someone to fall asleep to, as it starts out a little restless, but eventually clams down, only to softly stir later on.
18. Stars — Nightsongs
19. Kanye West — Graduation
Before I start let me get two important things out of the way: Firstly, I realize that this is an incredibly bizarre album pairing, and secondly, I am also fully aware that both of these albums pale in comparison to some of the other works by the band and artist. Last year, while living in Oakville (the suburbs of Toronto) I got to become something that I had never really been before, a semi-regular concert goer. I went to as many concerts as I could, and thoroughly enjoyed them all, however two really stand out to me, Stars in November, and Kanye West in May. Both shows were fantastic, but the most memorable moments of each show came when they played songs from the albums listed above, “On Peak Hill” and “Flashing Lights” respectively. So whenever I hear any songs of either album, I am taken back to some special moments experiencing music the way it is supposed to, in the ringing of the ears and shaking of the chest.
20. Arcade Fire — Neon Bible
It ends how it begins.
After having such a fantastic experience with their debut album, I had lofty ambitions for their follow up, and I was not at all disappointed. When I first heard this album I was simply amazed. More than Funeral I felt that this album was made for me. “Ocean of Noise” described my previous relationship, “My Body is a Cage” described the one I was in at the time, and I feared that my future would be written in the “Neon Bible”. I listened to this album almost obsessively, even sneaking to my computer to hear it during my lunch breaks at school, and every time I found something else that was somehow, someway connected to my life at the time.
Had they written it just for me?
Obviously, I can only assume that they did not, but it felt like it at the time, and looking back I feel it still. While Funeral reunited my love for music, and reminded me of what it was capable of, Neon Bible took it a whole different level for me, and made it personal. It reminded me that music can mean a different thing to everyone in this world, and that is what makes it so special, the fact that you can genuinely feel like an artist is making something for you.
***************************************************
So there we have it, a lot longer than I anticipated, but done none the less. Hopefully you’ll share your lists too, fair is fair after all!!!
Until next time,
G
Prologue: Back in a distant time, a man made an extraordinary claim. He said that he would bring freedom to a long oppressed land. As the years passed, people thought that this day of freedom would never arise. However, to the shock of many, freedom would come, and it would be just what the doctor ordered. People were bound to ask though, was it worth the wait?
In 1994, at the height of their popularity, Guns N’ Roses front man, announced the name of their next album, Chinese Democracy. However, as delay upon delay came, and the band changed members repeatedly, it appeared as if we were going to see actual democracy in China before the album’s release.
Years past, and the album became a punchline. With the Offspring even hinting at calling their album Chinese Democracy: You Snooze, You Lose in 2002, however they backed off for legal reasons. Even as early as this year, Dr. Pepper, made a (presumably) satirical offer to give one free can of Dr. Pepper to everyone in the United States if Chinese Democracy was released in 2008.
I am not if Axl Rose likes Dr. Pepper or not, but that seemed to motivate him. It was announced in the fall of 2008 that the album would be released in November. As is often the case in this digital age, the tracks of the album were leaked. However, in a stunning development, Axl Roses pursued legal measures against the bloggers who leaked the tracks, and so far one man, Kevin Cogill, has been sentenced to a year in prison as a result of the track leaking.
Much like Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace this album faced a near impossible volume of hype and expectations. When you keep people waiting for so long, you need to come to terms with the fact that it may be better in the minds of fans than in reality. However, unlike the first Star Wars prequel, Chinese Democracy did not make its creators any richer. The album boasted some very low sales, and in no way justified its $13, 000, 000 reported price tag.
Once more, it really just wasn’t very good. Sure, it had its inspired moments, however, the chords are over produced, and the lyrics are under thought. Which hardly warrants the fourteen years that Axl Rose had to meditate on the subject.
If there is one thing that Chinese Democracy has proven, it is that good things do not always come to those who wait.
Epilogue: Chinese Democracy sold only 261,000 units in the first week of sales, and the numbers sharply declined after wards. It ranked #12 on The Rolling Stones year end rank of albums, but #1 on IGN’s Worst Album of 2008 list.
There have been no talks of releasing a new album.
Until next time,
Achieved Year in Review Posts:
The Fall of the Prophet – January 6th
The Rise of the Ice Queen -January 7th
An Unlikely Fruition – January 7th
Attack of the Three-Headed Terror – January 9th
A Most Sincere Inquiry – January 10th
The Golden League – January 14th
The Fall from Grace – January 16th
The Eighth Layer of Injustice – January 16th
The Transmuter of Nations – January 22nd
Welcome to the second installment of the regular(ish) feature, Musical Thumbs Up and Down. Where I give some pretty random thoughts on some pretty random songs.
Thumbs Up to “Lonelily” by Damien Rice!! Fans of Mr. Rice will know that this song has been out for several years now, but I have recently rediscovered it, and completely fallen for it this time. I absolutely love the story about not wanting to be alone that you’d sacrifice anything, even your integrity. That kind of loneliness is something that is so incredibly easy to identify with, making this song just perfect for dealing with those kinds of feelings.
Favourite Lyric: “In a way, I’ve lost all I’ve believed in, and I never found myself so alone. And let me down”
(Not an official video)
Thumbs Down to “Gotta Be Somebody” by Nickleback!!! If you are a fan of Canada’s most boring musical export, then I advise you to scroll down, because this will not be kind.
Still here? Good, that means that you have some sense. This song completely blows!!!! These guys are the absolute pure epitome of sell-outs. Their first album had some decent songs and a bit of a rock edge, but since then it’s been bad, really bad. “Just like a paperback novel” ranks among the most one dimensional and forced rock similes, which is a shame given the potential they showed with such songs as “Leader of Men”. But I guess record sales are all that matter, and Kruger and co. will still be able to sleep at night on their piles of money, even if nobody remembers their work for producing anything of substance a few years from now.
With this song, Nickleback have neared, or perhaps eclipsed a new low for generic boring lyrics with some passable at best music thrown in there.
Least Favourite Lyric: “Someone to love with my life in their hands. There has gotta be somebody for me Ohhhhhh.”
(Not an official video)
Thumbs Up for “Family Tree” by TV on the Radio!!!!! Another amazing song from a simply amazing band. Their new album Dear Science has got to be considered one of the best of 2008. In the spirit of “Ambulance” (which I have mentioned two different times on this very blog), they produce another amazingly romantic song. As they describe the often-described-indescribables of love in new and exciting ways, this time talking about getting together underneath a family tree. I mean coudl you have any more powerful of an image?
Favourite Lyric: “It’s echoing moonlight on to the blue nightmare of your heart. In cosy red rainbow, it’s shaking off halos,
and the memory of our sacred so and so’s”
(Not an official video)
(For the record I wanted to find “DLZ” off of this album, but had no luck. Should you have the chance to hear that song, be prepared to be amazed)
Thumbs Down for “Hot n’ Cold” by Katy Perry!!!! Uggh….I hate this woman, she tries to be subversive and edgy, but is really just as prepackaged as the Jonas Brothers. She seems like she’s writing the rest of the song around such cutting edge lyrics as “PMS” and “bipolar”, which completely makes them lose their power and seem insignificant.
On top of that, the cheesy 90s pop beats are not-yet-nostalgic, so they just seem bad.
Do yourself a favour and skip this one, although I doubt you will be able to…
Least Favourite Lyric: “You change your mind, like a girl changes clothes”
(The official music video!!! For “Hot” by Avril Lavigne….with this song dubbed over)
Thumbs Up for “Disturbia” by Rihanna!!! Man this girl is talented!!! When she first debuted, she seemed like she may be another flash in the pan songstress, but she has proven any of her detractors wrong by producing some legitimatly fantastic work. After suffering through all that is Brittney, Christina et al., it was easy to discount the genre of girl pop, however Rihanna proves time and time again that there can be substance to go along with the style.
I simply love this song, not only for it’s solid beats, but for the incredible story that Rihanna is able to tell. She sings a song about losing her mind, but as her paceing gets more erratic as the song progresses you get the legitimate feeling listening to it (not to mention watching the video) that she may actually be doing losing it.
Favourite Lyric: “It’s a thief in the night to come and grab you, it can creep up inside you”
(Actually an official video)
Thumbs Down for “Paper Planes (Remix)” by Lil’ Wayne!!! This really just doesn’t do it for me. Partially because of my ambivalence for ego-rap, but mostly because I adore the original version of this song and this one just doesn’t feel right. It includes the incredibly unique chorus, but all of Lil’ Wayne’s lyrical masturbation just takes away from any of M.I.A.’s original, and poignant lyrics. While I am not against remixes as a rule, I feel that they need to add something to the original, this one clearly robs the original of its intelligent.
Least Favourite Lyric: “Banana in ya ass, its what you hear right behind ya”
(Yet again, not the official video)
Thumbs Up for “Paper Planes” by M.I.A.!!!! After raving about it in the last song, it only seems natural that I talk about this one. The major difference here, is that this song is never really about the artist, it’s about her actions. It’s about her living a life of crime. Plus this song is just so original and poignant, something that the remix, by its very definition, lacks.
Favourite Lyric: “We pack and deliver like UPS trucks, already going to hell, just pumping that gas.”
(Sorry, yet another unofficial video…and the audio kind of sucks too)
Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did…
Until next time,
G
Welcome one and all, to what I hope to be a regular(ish) feature here. As you’ve probably noticed, I’m a huge fan of music, and I always love an opportunity to talk/rant about it. Anyway, here I’m going to find some songs (not necessarily current) to give a thumbs up to, and some to give a thumbs down to. Simple enough, right?
Thumbs Up to The National – “Fake Empire”. I think that this may just be the best song made of 2007. From the slow intro to the amazing jam at the end, this song just brings it. While I absolutely love the trumpet and trombone duet at the end, the highlight for me definitely Berninger’s vocal work. He just sounds so very raw and emotional throughout the song.
This song is such a great description of the hollowness of modern life, living without direction. If you haven’t heard this song (and album) than you are really doing yourself a great disservice.
Thumbs Down to Katy Perry – “Ur So Gay”. Man, I loathe this song! First off, I hate that the word gay is used as an insult. I know that the song is intending to say that the guy acts gay despite his heterosexuality, however, with the climate of the word being used as synonymous with stupid, it really just further enforces that use of the word. So MASSIVE thumbs down for that.
On a more personal note, I hate this song because, well, it more or less describes me to perfection. Seriously. Readers of this blog will know that I am a vegan, I care about the environment, and I am an Indie Music Geek. Just like the guy in the song. Also, lord knows I have had many people assume that I was gay (probably for those above reasons) despite my heterosexuality.
I can just picture any of my ex-girlfriends blasting this song as they angrily think about me, and I HATE that!!!!
The third reason that I can’t stand this song, is because it’s so damned catchy! Despite my disagreement with some of the lyrical choices, there are some really clever lines in this song, and the beat just makes me want to sing along…thus making it even harder for me to truly hate! You win this round Perry….
Thumbs Up for Estelle featuring Kanye West -”American Boy”. Once more Kanye strikes gold! This song is such a great summer sing-a-long track. It’s so hard not to get caught up with it’s optimistic beats, Kanye’s well placed rhymes, and Estelle’s angelic voice. Really there is nothing not to love about this song, it’s a great club track, a great road trip song, and really just a great song all around.
I haven’t had the chance to check out much more of Estelle’s stuff, but I hope that it’s all just as awesome!
Thumbs Down for G-Unit – “I Like the Way She Do It”. Shouldn’t he have retired by now? That is what he said he would do if Kanye out sold him back in September, and well, Kanye won that round, but yet here we are with another Fity song.
While the beat is great to bump and grind to, the lyrics are exceptionally unimaginative. I don’t know if anyone has told any member of the G-Unit this yet, but it’s not 2001, and he’s not fresh anymore. Perhaps something new is in order.
Thumbs Up to Final Fantasy – “Peach, Plum, Pear”. I legitimately think that this is one of the greatest covers of all time, and considering my love of Johnny Cash, and Cake, that is a huge compliment.
Owen Pallett totally takes this great song by Joanna Newsom and makes it his own. Listen to the way he sings “The gathering floosies, are born to be choosy”, it sounds almost like he wrote it himself. Before I saw Final Fantasy, I never thought that I could see someone play the violin angrily, but once more I was proven wrong. In watching the video, I hope you notice just how masterfully Wilson loops his songs back, and plays with himself. Sure he does it in all of his songs, but it just came together even more so in this one.
Thumbs Down for Katy Perry – “I Kissed a Girl”. Strike two for Ms. Perry here! I personally can’t stand this song at all. While it is catchy, and will no doubt be the breakout hit of the summer, it is just plain wrong. She is trying to go for an edgy sexually-liberated vibe here, but I think that it totally fails.
First off, this is not a song about sexual-liberation at all. This is a song done by and for “Look-At-Me-Lesbians”. Gals who are sexually liberated not for their own sake, but for the sake of men. It’s simply disgusting and totally take the women’s lib movement back decades by subverting it. GAH!!!!!!
Secondly, by latching on to the popularized subversion of a subversion, it’s not edgy at all! You want an edgy gal singer, go for Lily Allen instead….
That being said, like her other entry here…it’s damn catchy, and hard not to sing a long to.
And that should about do it for this first entry. I’ll put more out later that won’t just feature Katy Perry…I swear 
Until next time,
G
The other day, while perusing McNutt’s blog, I noticed his post about Operation Disc Drop, put forward by CBC show The Hour. Now I was obviously very intrigued by this project, as I love both sharing music and random acts of kindness, so obviously an opportunity to do both was a great idea. The instructions for the project are really simple, and can be found on The Hour’s Disc Drop Blog:
STEP 1: Make a mixed CD of your favourite tunes. Somewhere on the disc write: “DISC DROP – cbc.ca/thehour”
Be sure to include a track-listing so people can track down more music by the artists on your disc.
STEP 2: Drop off your disc in a random public place.
STEP 3: Go to the “I Dropped a Disc – What Now”, click on the comments, and write down where you dropped off your disc and the track-listing. Check back later to find out who picked it up, and where it’s heading next.
So I spent a few days thinking about what kind of a disc I would make, and where I would put it. After a bit, I decided to make a playlist to introduce people to some “Indie” bands, and give them a few songs that I felt had some deep meaning and could have those “Change your life” type moments. Here’s the catch though, I wanted to leave it at school and aim it at some High School Students, so I had to be especially careful in my selection.
Here’s what I ended up coming up with, complete with YouTube links to the songs in question:
1. Feist — “1,2,3,4″. I started out with this song as a bit of a Trojan Horse. I figured that most teenagers would know it from the iPod commercials (something that I have mentioned on here before) , and probably love it since they would associate it with their most prized possessions. I wanted the people to find this CD to want to listen to, and I figure starting it out with a familiar, and trendy song would make them want to give this a listen.
2. Guillemots — “Trains to Brazil”. Now here’s were we start the education. I wanted to follow up the song that most of them would know with a song that most of the would not know. Also, the trumped themed joy of the first song led well into the trumpet themed optimism of this song.
3. The National — “Fake Empire”. I decided to make this CD follow a very typical structure. Start out with a bang, up it, and then bring it down. Here we are bringing it down a bit. I decided to go with one of the best songs, off of one of the best albums of 2007, and I kept with the trumpet theme, by going with this one.
4. Apostle of Hustle — “My Sword Hand’s Anger” (Sorry this was the best video of this song that I could find). And we take things down a bit more. I have talked about Apostle of Hustle before on here, and I must say, that they have been one of my favourite musical discoveries of 2007. I mean, I had heard them before but I hadn’t really LISTENED to them before, and seeing them live was one of my musical highlights of the year. I really like this song, and I feel it went along with the slow descent that is going on in the theme of this disc.
5. Matt Weddle — “Hey Ya”. Here’s where the fun starts. This is the first of three covers that I used on this CD. Now more than any other, teenagers are very protective of their musical tastes, and often say things like “[Insert particular genre] rulez, everything else is teh suck”…or something like that…as such, I decided to take a few songs that they may find familiar, but were reinvented a bit to expand their horizons a bit, and maybe introduce them to a different type of genre. Here is the first one as Matt Weddle, takes one of the best songs of the 00’s, “Hey Ya” by Outkast and changes it from a dancy-pop-love-fest to a sad-acoustic bit of brilliance. Plus it really fits with the slow descent that I’m going for here in the middle of the playlist.
6. Broken Social Scene — “Marketfresh” (Sorry, I coudn’t find a video to this one…). I knew that I needed to include some Broken Social Scene on this one, but I had to remember that I was making this one for students, and there was an outside chance that my principal could find it, so I knew that I could have any swearing, or strong sexual references, thus eliminating “Time = Cause” and “Lover’s Spit”, the two songs that got me hooked on this band. So I decided to go with a brilliant bit from Beehives their forgotten album. Also, I figured that there was less of a chance that someone would have heard this one, making it more likely to be a discovery for more people.
7. The Shins — “Young Pilgrims”. This song is aimed clearly at the Garden State crowd. I totally agree that “New Slang” is a brilliant song, but there is SO much more to this band than that one track. Chutes Too Narrow is very overlooked, since it came out slightly before Garden State and it does not have “New Slang” on it, but it is probably their best work to date. As such, I took this great track from that great album to expose people to this band as a whole.
8. Joseph Arthur — “Echo Park” (You owe it to yourself to find a better recording of this song, it is brilliant). I went with another slow, melodic song here. I took this song, one that very few people would have heard as a gem for people looking to really expand their musical horizons. For people who weren’t, I sandwiched this track between two songs that would have some appeal to the average person, as a way to essentially, make them listen to it.
9. Tori Amos — “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Here comes Cover #2, this time of one of the greatest songs of the 90s, as Tory Amos rethinks the Nirvana classic, with just her voice and the piano. It is haunting and amazing. Like I was hoping that The Shins song would go for the artsy crowd, I’m hoping that this one speaks a bit to the grungy kids.
10. Dispatch — “Hey, Hey” (You’re going to have to jump to about 3:50 of this video to hear the song, before that it has “Free Falling” by Tom Petty…not a bad song either). Now here’s where I get a teachy and preachy. I didn’t want to go too over the top with strange music, so I think that this one stays in people’s comfort zone, plus it has some pretty solid life lessons in the chorus saying “Question yourself, are you really what you seem?”, which is a solid lesson for any teenager.
11. The John Butler Trio — “Nowhere Man”. I mentioned this song back when I did my travel playlist, when I said ” [The song] is a great way to sum up those long bus/train trips when you feel like you aren’t anywhere.” And really that’s the main reason I put it here, I just think that it’s nice and hopefully awaken the wanderlust in some of these kids.
12. Hawksley Workman — “Don’t Be Crushed”. This song really is gorgeous, and touching. I thought it may be a good one in case one of the students was going through some sort of teen angst thinking that their life is over and maybe this one will help. Also, I wanted to include a song by Hawksley, but I ran into the same problem that I had with Broken Social Scene, too much swearing and raw sexuality…
13. Eva Cassidy — “Time After Time”. Here is cover #3, and the slowest portion of the CD. While I know that most of the teenagers out there don’t know much Cyndi Lauper, but I know that this song was used on the Smallville soundtrack, so it may appeal to some of them. Plus, it really is awesome.
14. Wilco — “What Light”. I knew that I needed to feature Wilco somewhere on this disc, and I originally had “Heavy Metal Drummer” as my song, but I decided that I needed to give people something a little bit more familiar, so I went with the best of the Wilco songs that has been used on Volkswagen commercials this year. Plus, it has the whole “Be Yourself” message that seems to be so popular with the kids these days.
15. Death Cab For Cutie — “Soul Meets Body”. Death Cab is one of the popular “Indie/Alternative” bands out there, so I figured it would be nice to have a song that would appeal to any kids who may have heard of them. With this song (and the last two) I was trying to give some kids a reason to pop this into their CD player, and keep it playing. Plus this really is a great, soft, song, whose poppy beats help bring the tone of the playlist up as we near the end.
16. Peter, Bjorn & John — “Young Folks”. Speaking of poppy beats, we have PB&J, one of the greatest Indie Pop bands you can find. The opening whistle of this song is a great hook, and hopefully will keep the recipient of this disc interested. This song really speaks about a teenage romance saying “We don’t care about the young folks, talkin’ about their young style. We don’t care about the old folks, talkin’ about their old style too.”, and has some rebellious teenage undertones.
17. The Arcade Fire — “Rebellion (Lies)”. Speaking of teenage rebellion, we have one of the greatest songs ever made on the subject! This is probably my favourite song ever made, and it really speaks to my cynical, slightly rebellious side. A side that I know is loud and clear in teenagers.
18. Sufjan Stevens — “Chicago”. Sufjan needed to present, it’s really that simple. This is one of his most accessible and catchy songs, and it has that added bonus of being a song that people will say “I know this song from somewhere” (i.e. The Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack)
19. Stars — “On Peak Hill”. I devoted an entire post to my pure love of this song, and I have to say, that not much has changed since then. I simply adore this song, and this band. I had a ton of their work to choose from, but I went with this little ditty from one of their earlier albums, since it is less known, and because it helps cool things down near the end.
20. The Weakerthans — “My Favourite Chords”. I couldn’t think of a better way to end this CD with this simple, eloquent, lullaby. It’s just like a warm musical hug.
So that’s my list. I decided to make 5 copies of this CD and put them in five pretty random places around campus (I left one in the staff room, one in the art classroom, one in the main reception area, one in a popular student hang out, and one in a random hallway). I know that the one in the staff room got picked up, and I’m hoping that the other ones will get nagged soon, and that other people keep this great idea alive. I know that I want to get one…
Until next time,
G
I continue my reflections on 2007 today with a look back at technology, counting, and a damn good song.
In 1979, The Buggles prophetically declared that “Video Killed the Radio Star“. Twenty-eight years later, it seems that the commercial has in fact killed the video star.
If you were anywhere near a television this fall, chances are you saw this commercial, in which the lovely, and talented, Ms. Leslie Feist, taught the world how to count and Steve Jobs introduced the world to a truly great Canadian songstresses.
While Moby, Rufus Wainwright, Jose Gonzalez, and many others have very clearly demonstrated the effect commercials can have on an artists popularity, Feist seems to be the one that has exploded the most out of all of this, and it is interesting to consider just why.
Perhaps the best comparison is with Jose Gonzalez, both are excellent artists, in similar genres, with previous success in a sort of niche market, both sold their songs to very large electronic companies (Feist to Apple, Gonzalez to Sony). For the sake of comparison, here is the Sony Bravia commercial which used Jose Gonzalez’s version of “Heartbeats”, originally by The Knife.
Now this commercial did help Gonzalez achieve a great deal of personal fame, but it really has not been at the same level as Feist’s explosion has been. So what was the difference?
While you can point out all sorts of grave differences between the songs and the artists, I think that the main difference is in the commercial itself, and where the viewers attention goes. In the Sony ad, the attention is on the thousands of bouncing balls, with the music being a melodic accompaniment to the chaos. Where as in the Apple ad, the attention is firmly on Feist. For every second that commercial is playing, you can see the artist and hear her song. The fact that it’s a commercial for an iPod really is secondary. Sure the iPods get picked up, or moved around, but the viewer still remains (rightly) transfixed on the artist until the split second shot at the end when it reminds you to buy a Nano.
This ad presents a marketable shift in the use of music in advertising, it places the artist at the forefront, above the product. The one tag line that the ad shows is “A little video for everyone”, reminding the consumer that you can watch this video whenever you want, if only you own an iPod. While of course, this is an advertisement for an iPod, it really comes across as an advertisement for Feist, implying that being able to watch this video at any time is well worth the price of an iPod.
The other main difference is that the Apple commercial features the actual video for this song, which had came out months prior to the release of this commercial. So why was the ad so much more effective than the original release of the video?
I think that the main reason is pure and simple laziness. Watching a video takes a certain effort, either by switching to MTV/MuchMusic (during the 20 minutes of hte day when they actually play videos..) or following a link to the YouTube video. Commercials on the other hand take a certain effort to avoid watching. You need to find the remote and another channel where you know something else is on, and really it’s just easier to passively lay there and be bombarded with your consumerist message.
The explosion of this song really is textbook 2007. It demonstrates the power of the media, the power of the brand, the direct relationship between artist and fan, and more importantly, the power of a damn good song.
Until next time,
G
Tomorrow evening I will, once more, take advantage of the fact that I live in and around Toronto, by partaking in a fantastic concert. Tomorrow evening, one of the coolest and most unique indie sounds this country has to offer, Apostle of Hustle, is going to grace the stage at Lee’s Palace. Now I don’t have nearly as much of a crush on this band as I do on Stars, so I am not devoting a week to them. Sorry to disappoint any Hustle fans out there.
But I just wanted to include a few videos here. Sorry I may be light on the content, but I’ll make up for it by being high on the awesome…
Here is “National Anthem of Nowhere”
…and “Cheap Like Sebastien”
…and now we have the amazing video for “Kings and Queens”
Lastly, we have a live version of him playing “Folkloric Feel”…it may be long, but it is well worth it!!!
If you like any or all of those songs then come by Lee’s Palace in Toronto tomorrow at 8:30, my tickets were only $15, so come on and check it out!!!
Also, on a slightly tangential note, if you like good musics, be sure to check out McNutt’s countdown of the best singles of the year (with best albums coming next week…), it really is one of my favourite features on one of my favourite blog. For the record, I’m picking “Stronger” for best single and Neon Bible for best album. If he says otherwise, he is just trying to make me look stupid…
Until next time,
G
All good things must come to an end. After reflecting on some pretty awesome songs for the past six days, I now have no more reason to continue to talk about one of my absolute favourite bands on this planet. The other night I had the distinct pleasure of going to see Stars, and boy oh boy was it a show!
I’m not going to bore you by describing every little detail, or give you a set-list (mostly because I can’t remember it or find it anywhere on-line), but suffice to say that it was a great time. They mostly played songs from In Our Bedroom After the War, which is not at all surprising. The highlight of those songs was when they were playing “The Ghost of Genova Heights”, Torq came out with a suit covered in lights, playing the part of the ghost. Also, the title track “In Our Bedroom After the War” came across with a special kind of passion live.
They also included all of the favourites from Set Yourself on Fire, including “Ageless Beauty” and “What I’m Trying to Say”, but there were two songs from that album that were especially amazing. When they played “On More Night” I was amazed at how loud the crowd was signing along. Torq also dedicated that song to his old gym teacher saying that it was about people “having sex with him until he dies”, to a rousing (albeit morbid) ovation. However the highlight came when they played “Your Ex-Lover is Dead”. The crowd erupted with noise when they began playing that one and everyone in the building belted the song out until the band turned their microphones to the crowd for the “Live through this, and you won’t look back” section. It was simply amazing.
My own personal highlight came during the bands encore presentation. As I mentioned in my last entry, my favourite song of theirs is “On Peak Hill”, however I was convinced that they wouldn’t play this song from their first album. However, that didn’t stop my from hoping that every time they said “This song is called…” that they would finish that sentence with “…On Peak Hill”. After playing a few songs for the encore they asked if they could play one more song, and to my surprise and amazement they played “On Peak Hill”. It totally made my night complete as I was smiling from then on.
After the concert was over, I realized something. I spent the entire night with a big smile on my face, singing and feeling gooey on the inside. I think that this can only mean one thing, that I have a crush on this band…I’m not if it’s healthy, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t fun.
Tell me she isn’t amazing??
Bonus of Amy Milan covering “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”
Until next time,
G
Well Stars Week continues a little bit longer here, with a favourite song of mine. I have spent the past five days talking about ex-lovers, apologies, on-line dating, child rearing, and those three special words, but all I’ve wanted to talk about is a magical place called Peak Hill. To help with our enjoyment of this truly enchanting song, is this great fan-made video…
The rain fell hard on the roofs that day
You telephone from far away
I see the ocean from my room
All I could say was “are you coming home soon?”
The static whisper in my ear
But in a moment your voice was clear
“I need some time,” you said to me
That’s when I knew you were gonna make me lonely
You’re gonna make me wish for the time right before I was born
When every living breath was another new dawn
Like the time I was 5 at the top of Peak Hill
And the wind almost took me away
You’re gonna make me wish for the time right before I was born
When every living breath was another new dawn
Like the time I was 5 at the top of Peak Hill
And the wind almost took me away
I walk awhile before I sleep, count the secrets that I keep
I hope for more, I know for sure I fall apart before I weep
I disconnect the telephone, cause I can choose to be alone
I’ll get more done, I’ll have some fun, pretend you’re not the only one
And I’m never gonna wish for the time right before I was born
When every living breath was another new dawn
Like the time I was 5 at the top of Peak Hill
And the wind almost took me away
You’re gonna make me wish for the time right before I was born
When every living breath was another new dawn
Like the time I was 5 at the top of Peak Hill
And the wind almost took me away
– Lyrics courtesy of Lyricsmania.com
Having your heart broken is a horrible, horrible experience. It leaves you weak, bitter and alone. Many, many songs have been written on the subject, but few capture it so well with such a light rhythm and innocent lyrics as this one.
With the light synth notes and the powerful, yet simple line of “you were gonna make me lonely” this song just feels childish. The harmonizing that Amy and Torq perform during this chorus makes the song sound like it belongs in a fairy tale.
The words they use in this song are so simple and to the point, “you’re going to make me wish for the time right before I was born”, is almost infantile in its approach to heartbreak. It is so natural to wish that a relationship never happened. However, these feelings tend to be cast aside as immature. This song does something that few others dare to do, it dares to be immature.
Near the end of the song, there is a hint of overcoming the adversity when they say “I’ll get more done, I’ll have some fun, pretend you’re not the only one” and then they change the chorus up by saying “And I’m never gonna wish for the time right before I was born”. However, a stanza later they go right back to the depressing chorus, showing us that maybe they weren’t empowered after all. This is an admission of failure in the healing process, and certainly not the actions of a mature, healthy individual.
While this is far from the first song written about break-ups, and probably far from the best. However, it certainly ranks among the most daring, as it is able to make the victim appear as a smaller person, which is certainly a rarity.
Whenever I get around to making a second round of Music to Wallow to, I know that I will include this song, which I am ashamed to say I had not heard when I made the first list. While this, and any songs of its kind, are meant to be downers, they are an important part of any healing process. It is important to be honest with yourself and your emotions, and few songs are as honest as this one.
Until next time,
G
Posts on Lost Lao Wai