Five Songs I'm Loving This Week

Hello. How is everyone today? This is my "Lola got no sleep last night, slept only a little today, and wants to go to sleep really badly right now" post. Wow, that's a lot for a post to be. I hope it's up to the challenge.

It's okay--this post is a rock. It is an island. It has its books and its poetry to protect it. Okay, so this version of "I Am a Rock" is not as good as the original. In fact, it doesn't seem to be trying to top the original. But you know what? It's THE FRIKKIN' CHURCH!! I love The Church. It's not the most perfect version, but it's them, and listen to that bass! I'm not sure how long Copy,right? will have the song listed, but I'll check in a few days, and if it's not listed any longer I'll change the link to a Lola link.

I know that a lot of people reflexively shun country music. I'm here to proselytize that I, too, used to be that way. But then I discovered Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Jr., Johnny Cash, and then later on the wonderful world of Alt-Country. Now my eyes are open and part of me belongs to country. I can't stand the gross urban cowboy crap they play on the radio, but as far as newer mainstream country goes I like Roseanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, Allison Kraus, The Dixie Chicks and a few more. Today I am going to talk about The Dixie Chicks new song "Lullaby". Firstly let's say The Dixie Chicks deserve all of our respect. Even if you don't like their music (which I do), they had the courage to stand up to all the other kids in Country Music High and assert their viewpoint, getting shunned in return. What they've given back to us and the country music community is a very beautiful song. The song isn't a concrete story--there isn't a protagonist, or a plot like some of their story-songs. This song is more of a wish--the wish of someone who has something special.

This is a pretty song. It's called "Lively Chase" and it's by Portastatic. Listen to the flute on it. (I think that's a flute). The song is mainly composed of what my untrained mind interprets as a flute and its use has a beautiful effect. I don't come across that many completely instrumental songs on the blogs I read, but this one doesn't need vocals. It works just as it is. Their website. Their label website.


Portastatic

Hopefully this has nothing to do with the book series Left Behind. If it does, I apologize, and I'd be really surprised. Jose Gonzalez is from Sweden and Zero 7 are Brits. I don't think they're your usual apocalypse connoiseurs, but maybe I'm wrong. Anyways, the song is called "Left Behind". It's a very short, (but not a snippet--I'm fairly sure it actually ends) instrumental (another instrumental--v. unusual!) song. Their Myspace.


Zero 7, The Garden album cover

Retro song:

The Honorary Title, "Snow Day". I first heard about them awhile ago (my blog knows how long but I'm too tired to look it up) when I heard "Bridge and Tunnel". That's such a great song--I still play it quite a bit. I found "Snow Day" on a blog recently--unfortunately it's been removed (as I expected it would be after two months). The album is from 2004, but it's been reissued with bonus songs/material. (It's cheaper on their label's site, but I couldn't get the direct link to work). This song has become another of my favorite songs, though. Their website.


The Honorary Title

Bonus:

Oh my God. Love it, be it and live it while you can.

Five Songs I'm Loving This Week

I'm here--I promise. I'll be here for the next three hours trying to sort out the songs I've listed and figure out what to write about them. Awww--you're still not upset about me missing last week, are you? I'm sorry! Here--have a Hello Kitty sticker. What? Oh, you want Chococat? Sure! Here's a cute sticker with Chococat on the cover. What? No, you can't have the whole sheet of stickers! Don't be greedy! What have I tried to teach you?


Chococat

Anyways, I am sorry I missed last week and was late with this week. I was...distracted. Unfortunately, the source of my distraction is no longer a regular fixture in my life, so, more time for music. And lonely nights. And maybe Solitaire. Really I worry about Chester (one of my cats). I keep telling him not to get too attached--men come and go, but Deli-Cat is forever. Unfortunately he never listens. I see the tears glinting off the food bowl.

Okay, so I'm here. I've eaten and I'm now drinking General Foods International House Cappucino. Hey--don't judge! I was too tired/poor to go to Starhucks or the U.C. I take what I can get. Only a fool demands what she can't possibly get. Ya da ya da.

So, here we go. GET READY FOR CERULEAN'S LOVE OF MUSIC, MAY 22, 2006!!!!! (Eh, at least I tried to generate some excitement.)

*Starts to hyper-ventilate*


Sonic Youth, from Rhapsody.com

I love Sonic Youth! I love Sonic Youth! I don't know which song to talk about. I really wanted to post "Torquoise Boy", but is that available? *Nope..hello, Yousendit* Oh!!! I love "Incinerate"!!! I do believe in this Rapture, also. Ah hell--you all decide. I'm going to get a--

"Brandy Alexander" by The Walkmen is just frikkin' excellent. I loved them when I first heard "The Rat" (and I have banged my head against someone's door before--a long, long time ago) and so far I feel the same way about the songs I've heard. Most people are posting "Louisiana", which is a great song, but I took the hype-standard weblink least clicked on, or however that poem goes. *Bops head to song*

I get a lot of music through Myspace. I know a lot of people just delete those messages and friend requests, but I'm here to tell you: don't. Don't do it. Fight the temptation. If you listen to them you'll like a lot of them and love a few. It's worth listening to a dozen bands to get to one you love (I know--I do). Kite Flying Society e-mailed me, and with a name like that I couldn't not listen to their songs. The song I liked the best, "6000 Shipwrecks" is not available for download on their Myspace, but is available on "Cable and Tweed". This song makes me happy. Like the way "Yellow Submarine" made me feel when I was eight...or on drugs. Listen to the songs on Myspace, too, and use Hype Standard to find more songs by them. They're awesome.

I'd never paid attention to Gomez before. I would always think "what a silly name". I heard them on a podcast, though, and the songs I heard really stood out to me; particulary "See The World". It's a very pretty, slightly folky song. Don't let the French scare you--just scroll down to the bottom--you'll see the mp3s.

Oh wait...for her last song, Lola's going into SQUEALY GIRL MODE AGAIN! Oh! Oh! Oh! I love Snow Patrol. I love, love, love them. I want to shag them and make them mine. "Hands Open" is from their new album Eyes Open (see a pattern?). I want to shag this song and make it mine. It's a little harder than most of the songs off of "Final Straw", but that's okay with me. I have room in my heart (and my bed) for both the poetic, sensitive songs and the bang-worthy guitar spectacles.


Snow Patrol, from OMG.com

I think I feel faint.

Bonus: I can't find this for download anywhere, but I'm just all head over heels for Brandtson's song "Earthquakes and Sharks". It can be heard on their Myspace site.

Until next boy rant...(I promise I haven't been drinking).

Five songs post will be delayed until tomorrow. Don't ask me why. Not unless I freely tell you.

Not even one song?

Sigh...I had a very busy week and the busiest weekend I've had in months. One of the unfortunate outcomes of this is I haven't listened to much music and I'm absolutely frikkin' exhausted.

So, at the risk of riot and possible mass-suicide, I'm going to skip this week's Five Songs post.

Simmer down, folks! It'll be back next week! Just think of it as a mini-Lent; you're doing without something you love for one week.

I'll be back, I promise. Maybe I'll bring back presents--like little plastic mermaids from the corner store. Who knows--maybe they'll start talking to you and someone'll make a short-lived T.V. show out of it. It's happened, y'know.

Okay, that's all. I just wanted to apologize and explain.

I really liked what little I heard of The Go-Betweens. They have two songs I love--"Darlinghurst Nights" and "The Statue". I'm sure there's more I'd love; I just haven't had the opportunity to hear it.

Glen McLennan from The Go-Betweens dies

Podcast!!

Also, I uploaded this for a friend, so I might as well post it here too. It's an awesome cover of The Cars' awesome song "Misfit Kid". It's by Jon Auer. I got it from a Cars Tribute album I bought from Not Lame.

Five Songs I'm Loving This Week

I first bought Elf Power's 2000 CD Elf Power, Elf Power, Winter Is Coming based on an Amazon suggestion. I didn't even bother to listen to any of the songs; I just knew I couldn't possibly not like a band named Elf Power. I was right--not only did I like the cd, I thought it was the awesomest druid rock ever!! (Only some of the proggiest music of the 70's might've surpassed it in sheer prog-ness, but not in quality). So they had a lot going for them. They were from Georgia too, and that's always a plus to me. We're like the mafia--we take care of our own.


Elf Power

They've had a lot of albums since then, and their new CD is called Back To The Web. I've only heard a few of the songs (I will order the cd soon) and I've liked what I've heard. Most blogs are posting "An Old Familiar Scene", which is a great song, but I saw one blog posted a different song. It's called "Come Lie Down With Me (And Sing My Song)". It shows that while they might not be as pre-Christian era sounding as they were before, they still have great music.

I know I've written about Bishop Allen before ('cause they're a great band) but it's been awhile, and guess what? They have like 50 new EPS!! Yay! "The Monitor" is from the March EP. They never take themselves too seriously (even when they're covering "Eve of Destruction") but they're never half-hearted either. They play their music more than whole-heartedly and I listen to it in the same manner. While you're at their site, download all the songs they have--"Things Are What You Make Of Them" is the song I posted much much long ago. If you're so inclined, look at their Myspace site, also. Question to Bishop Allen: When are you going to have another full-length cd?

The next song isn't druid rock, or done by former druid-rockers. It's not whimsical, but it is a very beautiful song. It's called "Naomi" and it's by Chad King. Someone's no friend of his--combine that with a steel petal guitar and you got one twangy, sad song. (Scroll down almost to the bottom and click the little tiny symbol by the song's name).


Chad King's Well, Hell album cover

I'm a sucker for vocals that are kind of sung/shouted (witness my devotion to Mates of State and love of Ween). "Love Is For The Birds, Not The Bees" is shouted by the lead singer of The Spelling Bees with exuberance, and the song seems to be built on video game samples. In short, I love it. (Click on media, then Spelling Bees).

I don't if it's just 'cause I was born in the 70's, or maybe Neil Diamond is really my father (would be an improvement) but I like a lot of songs with the word "babe" in it. I generally don't like the kind of guys who use the word "babe", but maybe I'm just searching for my inner ho-skank. It's possible. Anyway, Ian Moore wants to drink up his babe in his song "New Day". He also likes to drink coffee, but I'm not sure if that's related to drinking up his babe. The song follows the dark, isolated country sound of artists like M. Ward and Tim Easton. I'm a sucker for dark, lonely cowboy music.

The last song is going to be a retro song (yes, Lola ran out of songs. Leave her alone. She works hard to bring you these songs.)

Heidi Berry was one of my favorite musicians in the 90's (she still is, but she hasn't done much since the 90's). She was originally on the 4AD label, which since I was prone to dramatics and loved music that made me depressed, was my favorite label. Plus they just had really awesome music (This Mortal Coil, His Name Is Alive, Kristen Hersh). So, Heidi Berry was on my short list of "people who are too awesome to be mere humans". and Yay! Blogger seems to think I've never posted any of her songs before, so I will not be repeating myself by posting this. There are so many songs I love by her that it is hard to pick just one, so I will probably include another one of her songs in a future post. For now, though, I'll upload "Washington Square". It's highly indicative of her talent and the quality of her music. If you don't like this song then I doubt you'd like the rest of her catalog.


Heidi Berry's collection, Pomegranate