Sunday, April 08, 2007

Five Songs I'm Loving This Week

Ooh...while I'm thinking of it...let me mention: Podcast either tonight or tomorrow night...

Lismore, "1979"

I hadn't heard this song in years (five at least) until I heard this version on one of the podcasts I listen to. I was wandering through the cubicles at work, searching for decaf coffee (a neverending and often unfruitful quest), and I was also obsessing about how much I hate my job and how I must leave before I go crazy and just start screaming. This song came on, and suddenly instead of mentally kvetching, I began to feel like I was gliding. I looked at the wall to my left, the rows of cubicles to my right, the flat carpet below, the flourescents above, and suddenly I felt above it all. I felt beyond that place; beyond any of that unhappiness mattering. Sometimes good electronica can do that...especially if it's applied to a song I consider an iconic piece of music from my second childhood (AKA my 20's).

Website
Myspace


Not an exact reproduction of the band Lismore

Jarvis Cocker, "Baby's Coming Back To Me"

Perhaps I've gotten obsessed (re-obsessed) with the 90's? Perhaps I miss the simpler time in my life...but, yep. This is the guy from Pulp. You know, the guy who was gonna meet that girl in the year 2000. Also, the guy who wants to sleep with Common People (my favorite Pulp song) and duets with William Shatner? Well, he's back with a solo album called Jarvis. I've heard a few of the songs from the album, and I originally wanted to post "Ruling The World", but he uses the one word in the English language I find personally offensive and can't bear to hear. I don't think he means to imply that unfavorable women are ruling the world--I think it's another way of saying "assholes rule the world". I guess if I were a guy, I would probably find that offensive. I think of assholes as applying to guys. Anyways, I took a shining to "Baby's Coming Back To Me", also, so I decided to use that one. It's slow and charming, in a light 50's way. It's the song they would play at the end of the sock hop--the "all couples dance" song. It retains the heart of what I love about Pulp's music--it seems like a throwback to another era, yet it still seems timeless. The way "Disco 2000" will always mean something to me long after I forget the actual year 2000. (Thanks to Inhouse for posting the songs).

Myspace
Wikipedia
(404 on the website listed on Myspace)


Jarvis Cocker, or at least part of him

The Mother Hips, "Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear"

Ooh! I heard this band a few days ago. I was looking up information on the new Kings of Leon band, and this band was mentioned in the same article as being similar to them. They definitely rock with the same abandon and pure spirit of the boys of the South. They have a little My Morning Jacket in them, too. Something about this music makes me want to wear jeans and live on a commune. Nothing has ever made me want to do that. Not even certain substances. The band apparently has been around for 15 years. Well, mentally I haven't been around for a full 15 years, so that can explain why I haven't heard them before.

Website
Myspace


This is an old picture of The Mother Hips, but isn't it a great picture?

Andrew Rothman, "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"

Moxie (my iCat) doesn't like this song, but I think it rolls. It's frikkin' awesome. I don't remember much about the original song, but this version could've been lifted right out of the 70's. I'm not saying that the reason it's excellent is because it's a faithful rendition. No--it's awesome because the man's voice is monumental. It embodies all of the soul of the song. The piano and the other instruments are just there to underscore what already lives and breathes in his vocal. My heart clenches when he says his daddy had another family and would steal to pay his bills, I feel the pain rolling out of the speakers. (Thanks again to Coverville for this song).

I think Moxie's too young to get it. If she's a good kitty I'll play "Let's Go To The Mall" for her again.

Website
(No Myspace found)


This the only picture of Andrew Rothman I could find. Please, don't shoot the messenger. His website is gorgeous, though--he's a graphic designer as well. Unfortunately the picture of him on that site is part of the wallpaper.

Page France, "Junkyard"

I don't like a lot of Page France's songs--some of them are a little too treacly for me. However, this is one awesome song. One awesome song is enough to make me love an artist. In this case, they had me at "rattle with the car parts". Anyone who says someone was told to glow majestically and love until their hands bleed...okay, so yeah, the lyrics are kind of weird. I really like off-the-wall lyrics, even if they make no sense (hey, "1979" has lyrics like "I don't want to lose these zipper blues"...I can't be judgemental).

Website
Myspace
Purevolume


Page France

2 comments:

Jeremy said...

hey, thanks for the shout-out.

vis a vis the jarvis track you're loving this week, am i the only one who finds the song written in the tragic character of a guy who is completely delusional. a guy who, despite all evidence to the contrary (phone calls unanswered, perhaps. maybe a restraining order against him), refuses to wake to the reality that, no, baby is not coming back to him, not ever? is it really just me? because i love the song, too, but i'm not sure i love it near as much if what he's saying is true.

i don't know what that says about me, personally, though.

Unknown said...

Heh! No problem! I try to give credit, but sometimes I forget, and sometimes it's like 11 at night and I'm like "forget it...I'm going to bed"

Some nights the heavens align and I remember and I'm not too tired to look up all the credits :)

Yeah, you gotta wonder about someone so delusional...but ya know--aren't most love songs about someone who's convinced the other person will come back? Either that, or a song is told from the perspective of the person who ain't coming back (see most girl group songs from the 60's)!