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.