Songs That Might Otherwise Pass You By

(The shownotes for the latest podcast, Special Edition 5, Lola Is Not In Her Comfort Zone, are before this post)

Born Again Floozies, "We've Got the Power (Love Song from America)"

This song is a force of passion--a configurement of many instruments: a surge of tuba, a surprise ambush of trombone, a guitar line that will mobilize you, a steady stream of foot tapping (literally: one of the members tap dances), and powerful, rhythmic vocal work from the lead singer and the two back-up singers. This is the perfect deployment of ensemble work: the energy and passion of the performers are the stars here, not individual members. This makes for an incredibly vibrant and engaging piece of music. I can only imagine what this band is like live.

Reverb Site
Myspace


Amy Gilmore of Born Again Floozies looks at the camera as if to say "Yeah, this band? It's all my doing. I tap and they follow".

The Mountain Goats and Kakki King, "Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is in Another

Castle" (Not a direct link)

John Darnielle has always been the king of heartbreak. His songs are documentations of heartache and treatises on the pain of loneliness and broken relationships. I'm not saying they're depressing songs, though. There's always been a hopefullness and a sense of recovery to his songs--they're not so much about the breaking up as the getting on with life. They're songs about moving on. But this song may be a little different. Perhaps this song is documenting a reprieve from the sadness; afterall, the refrain is "when you came in, I could breathe again". Perhaps this is a love song. Or maybe it's not--later he says he's "frightened for his life". He also says he's pretty sure his "life is over". Could this be a swirling dive into madness? Then again, this could be just what it seems to be: a recount of the harrowing journey Toad takes to rescue his charge, Princess. The motif for the song is an 8-bit Nintendo game, Super Mario Brothers. Perhaps he's saying that at the core, our lives can be parsed through the events of the Super Mario Brothers games. I kind of like that. Now I'm left examining my own life, wondering if I'm the Princess or the toad dodging death?

Website
Myspace
Kaki King's Myspace


Peter Hughes and John Darnielle are emphatically, definitely part of The Mountain Goats. To prove it, Darnielle crosses his arms.

Blitzen Trapper, "Not Your Lover" (Not a direct link)

Well, that's just mean. What does he mean he's not my lover anymore? What did I do wrong? Oh, wait. You mean he was never my lover? Okay, that's fair, I guess. I wonder who he's talking about, then. Dunno. I like the harmonica, though. I also like the dusty, meandering spirit of the song. By night he's a "moon walking cowboy". While he's dreaming, he's much more than this person's lover: he's a traveler, a free soul and an explorer. By day he's willing to play the domestic role. As long as he can have his freedom during the latter 12 hours.

Website
Myspace


Apparently "Blitzen Trapper" must mean "very, very green". (Before anyone says anything smarmy, I know it doesn't really. Blitzen means "lightning".)

Cerulean's Love of Music, Special Edition 5, Lola Is Not In Her Comfort Zone

Podcast Page
Direct Link
RSS Feed

Uh Huh Her, "Not a Love Song"
Website
Myspace
(Thanks to Paul's Rambling for the link)

System and Station, "The Magnetic North"
Website
Myspace

Portastatic, "Some Small History"
Website
Myspace

Tears Run Rings, "The Weight of Love"
Website
Myspace
(Thanks to PopMatters for the link)

The Transmissionary Six, "Zero Gravity"
Website (Huh. Just in time. Looks like the band is going its separate ways.)
Myspace

What Made Milwaukee Famous, "Resistance Street"
Website
Myspace


The Long Blondes, "Here Comes"
Website
Myspace

Bobby & Blumm, "In Future Present"
Myspace
(No website listed)

Songs That Might Otherwise Pass You By

(I apologize for this being late. Hopefully I'll get back on track).

Haale, "Home Again" (Not a direct link. This goes to the page where you can download the song).

I'm a little late on this bandwagon. I'm kind of like a musical savant--I can find these incredible, little-known masterpieces, and then sometimes I "discover" these well-known masterpieces and think I'm the first in line. It's the nature of being stuck in my own world, I guess :)

"Home Again" incorporates the purple haze of the mind meld experiments of the 60's, but Haale coats the psychedelic experience with her smooth, pervasive and addictive vocals. Her voice probably tames snakes. You will want to lie back on that purple bean bag and let her voice wash over you. You'll wake up a little groggy, but you'll feel like you were taken somewhere tangible...just beyond the veil between there and here.

Website (she has songs for streaming--I recommend listening to them all)
Myspace


I don't know why Haale is giving me eggs, but I'll take them.

Kensington Prairie, "Crooked Things Straight"

We've gone from the heady swells of psychedelia to the genteel, tranquil beauty of this lullabye. The song quietens my turbulent senses, invoking the peacefullness of the proverbial prairie. The sense of lying on a field, looking out and seeing only the sky and grass for miles. No clutter, no mess. The lullabye, while lulling, is meant as an encouragement to the singer's friends, who are "dropping like flies" (I read an interview where she indicated that by that phrase, she meant her friends were going through difficult times.) She's asking for a way to return the hope to her friends' eyes. She wants to "set crooked things straight". This is the wish a lot of people are having right now, and with the turbulence going on in our world now, this is a song that speaks to all of us.

Website
Myspace


Even the turbulent skies are comforting in this photo.

Brad Sucks, "Out of It"

Several months ago, Brad Sucks had a contest where he asked for fans to record their vocals to this song. I had a blast singing this song over and over and over. My boyfriend did not have a blast listening to me do this. Though there were blasts involved--mostly his hearing. So be it. I had a great time singing my version of this song, though sadly...my contribution did not make it to the final version. However, I can still have fun over and over singing it to myself. I still remember the words! And hey, the boyfriend's off working, so he can't complain. The cats are asleep and it takes more than my warbling to wake them. The song is appropriate to my situation, too. The lyrics address the sense of isolation and misplacement that a lot of us feel. He sings "lately i’ve been out of it, but i’m trying so hard to get back where I fit in". I understand not knowing quite where my place is, or not understanding my purpose. Heck, that's every day for me. The lyrics are appropriate for my employment situation, also. He says "I’ve got so much time to take it easy". Well, while I'm not exactly taking it easy (Panic! Panic! No job! Imminent meltdown!), I certainly understand having a lot of empty time in front of me. If you would like to fill your time with a catchy and addictive song that encourages you to sing loudly and crazily, then here are the lyrics. You too can drive your housemates crazy.

Website
Myspace


Brad Sucks play many different instruments...apparently at once.

Song Post is going to be late

The song post will be delayed until either tomorrow or Tuesday. Don't hate me because I'm tired. And befuddled. Please. It's been a craptastic and busy week. Last week I got annoyed with the job search and spent a day at the movies (well, by the time I took the bus there and back, it was 5 hours). Another day I got annoyed with the job search and spent the day at a book store with a friend of mine. Friday I had an interview and I spent the first part of the day preparing for it (trying to figure out why my resume was printing with pink ink, etc.) then the afternoon at the interview (by the time I took the bus there and back, it was about four hours). Yesterday I spent all day at a job seminar (almost 7 hours, not counting travel time) and today I spent four hours recording my podcast (I hate Audacity) and then a few hours turning it into an mp3, publishing it and posting the shownotes.

I'm so sore I need someone to push a roller over my muscles.

I hate Audacity. I'm researching other programs, but I don't know which ones I want to try. Any suggestions? I have no money, but once I get a job I'll be able to spend a little bit.

Podcast, Episode 54, Talk Like a Pirate Weekend

Podcast Page
Direct Link
RSS Feed

Theme Music! Eux Autres, "Ecoutez-bien" (Downloaded from their website. Click to the right of the song where it says 3 MB, and then click download)
Myspace

Brad Sucks, "Dropping Out of School " (I accidentally said he gives away money when I meant to say he gives away music. I'm tired.)
Website
Myspace

Captain Dan & The Scurvy, "Rum 'n Juice" (Downloaded from their Myspace)
Label Site

Blind Pilot, "Go On, Say It"
Website
Myspace

System and Station, "A Light To Lead You Home"
Website
Myspace

Smith and Pyle, "Spankin'" (I didn't post the mp3 because the label sent it to me and I don't remember if they said I could post it)
Website
Myspace

Tom Smith, "Talk Like a Pirate Day" (Downloaded from his website)
Myspace
Ooh! I just realized he released a new pirate song. It's called "Zombie Pirates in Love" (awww...) and it can be found here.

Ani DiFranco, "Emancipated Minor"
Website
Myspace

Songs That Might Otherwise Pass You By

Songs That Might Otherwise Pass You By

Fight Bite, "Widow's Peak"


As elegantly dressed as the figure on the album cover, "Widow's Peak" is beautifully shrouded in haze. Vocals which could be a visit from the other side, short staccato bursts of synth, a lovely, isolated piano break and choral, Enya-esque backup vocals that seem to emanate from the mist. This all intertwines to create an atmosphere that is carnivalesque, but not grotesque. The ambience reminds me a little of The Cure's "Charlotte Sometimes" and Lush. The electronic fuzziness recalls The Galaxie 500 and The Magnetic Fields. The electronic fuzziness also mimics the feedback in my brainwaves, but I don't expect anyone but me to know what that sounds like.

Myspace
No website listed


Cover for Fight Bite's album emerald eyes


Eventual Champions, "Shooting Holes" (downloadable on their Myspace)

More fuzz! Okay, so I love the fuzzy music. In my world Jesus and The Mary Chain are always playing in smoky one-room bars where one half of the bar is taken up by one lone pool table and if you're not too drunk (or are drunk enough) you can entertain yourself by playing darts using the dart board on the men's room door. However, be careful that the bouncer is not exiting as you make your strike. You think he's mad when you have trouble fishing out your I.D.? Heavy reverb, melodic organ and low, calming vocals that smooth out the jarred edges collide together to form this tripped-out prism. The mixture of elegance and abrasion brings to my fuzzed out mind bands such as the aforementioned J & The MC, My Bloody Valentine and Joy Division. Now just give me some pretty lights to look at, and I'll be back at the club again.

No website, but this is their other band's Myspace.


It is not Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins. How many times do I have to tell you that? It's Jack Alberson, one half of Eventual Champions.

Delta Spirit, "Trashcan" (Electronic version)

I love that piano opening. How 20's American nightclub--like something that would play in a speakeasy or at a club during the Harlem Renaissance* It's truly the "delta spirit". The spirit of the blues. It's the spirit of the communities around the Mississippi river (and the speakeasies that flourished during the 20's). It's the spirit of having fun, playing music and enjoying life. Now don't get me wrong: these dudes are ragtag in the same way The Reconteurs are. They're still white kids, but they've got old souls. Even Wikipedia calls them "Americana/soul".

*True music historians, please forgive my ignorance if I'm wrong about any of that. I do what I can.

Myspace
(The website listed doesn't come up)
(They just had their van broken into, so please support them if you can).


Delta Spirit, practicing their harmonizing during a break at the speakeasy

Bonus:

New Juliana Hatfield video
**
I've played Ingrid Michaelson several times, but she's just so awesome. I would suggest listening to her Daytrotter session.
**

Eugene Francis Jr., "Poor Me", from his debut albumThe Golden Beatle.
**
This video and song is awesome, though the video is a little gross and creepy.

Gnarls Barkley, "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?"

Songs That Might Otherwise Pass You By

Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos, "Love Song for a Schuba's Bartender" (Not a direct link)

This is a very intriguing blend of alt-country and electronica. We have the mouth-organ (or harmonica as ye city dwellers call it), but we also have a sparse, spacy electronic keyboard line floating throughout. The singer breathes out the vocals--hushed, as if he's worried he'll overtake the delicate music. The instruments and vocals intertwine, forming a gauzy piece of music that could unravel at a tiny pinprick, but holds together beautifully so long as it's not tampered with. It's kind of space age folk music. Never thought I'd use that description, but there it is. Spacemen 3 as if they were raised in the Mid-West. I thought I'd heard every type of folk music. It's nice to be surprised.

Website
Myspace
Blink or you'll miss it: This is one of those rare times I post a song from a major-label band. I gotta really love the song, and I do. I first played this band 2 1/2 years ago.


I'm not sure which one is Margot, but that dude in the middle sure looks like he's about to go nuclear. Best watch out for him.

Two Sheds, "You"

I don't post a whole lot of blues or soul music, but that's surprising considering how much I loved Billie Holiday. Well, not many people can harken to that classic American singer without sounding like they're trying too hard. There's a natural, unself-conscious ode to Ms. Holiday in this song: the soulful, sensual way the singer molds her words, taking her time with each syllable--letting each note hang until it tips over, like ripened fruit from a tree. The music supports her rich vocals well; the instruments don't outpace her. They wisely hang back--the slow pace complimenting her style and matching the lulling tempo of the song.

Website (more mp3s available on their site)
Myspace


Two Sheds, photo by Mike Rafter

Ugly Suit, "Chicago"

Lackadaisical is one of my favorite words. Now to me, it means carefree, willful meandering, unconcerned about deadlines. To me, that's a positive thing, but Dictionary.com makes it sound so...apathetic. That's not how I define the word, and lackadaisical (my definition) is what I think of when I hear Uglysuit's "Chicago". They're meandering through the song, intentionally taking their time: enjoying the song, enjoying their playing. The singer quite contently "drift[s] off so that [he] think[s] that [he] can fly, into a world of windy dreams." Of course the carefree analogy takes on a cruel caricature when you realize (as I did partway through the song) that the song is about someone freezing: "The temperatures dropped to a stunning three degrees and [he] can hardly feel [his] legs". He takes his mind away, to thoughts of windy Chicago. Yeah, turns out that contentment I sensed was really probably the subject's last thoughts before death, but hey, they were very positive thoughts...

Label Site
Myspace


The Uglysuit are carefree (as is the guy in the middle's hair)

Podcast, Episode 53, In Which Lola Learns a Little About Audacity, and About Herself

Podcast Page
Direct Link
RSS Feed

Theme Music: Eux Autres, "Ecoutez-bien" (Downloaded from their website. Click to the right of the song where it says 3 MB, and then click download)
Myspace

Salme Dahlstrom, "Superstar Car Crash"
Website
Myspace

KaiserCartel, "Dream All Day"
Website
Myspace

Kellarisa, "Flamingo"
Website
Myspace

KaiserCartel, Oh No
Website
Myspace

Bella Koshka, "Paint the Sky" (the artist gave me permission to post the song)
Website
Myspace

Asobi Seksu, "Lions and Tigers"
Website
Myspace
Buy at eMusic

Chris Bathgate, "Yes, I'm Cold"
Website
Myspace
Buy at Rhapsody

Nathan Bell, "Runaway Horse"
Myspace
No website listed (there's a website for another Nathan Bell, but I don't think that's the same guy)