I love my music. Only problem is there's so much of it that I can't keep any of it straight. I went to download a song that a blog was enthusiastically recommending, and after listening to a few seconds of it, realized I already had it. How did I not know this? What's the point of downloading so much music if so much gets buried? Well, my only answer is better to download too much, then not at all. If I could actually set aside five minutes during the week to make a decent playlist on my mp3 player, though, I might actually get to hear these songs on a regular basis. Instead, I end up stuck listening to "Damn, It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta" and the same remix of "Hung Up" over and over.
This mini-rant has absolutely nothing to do with this week's post. Just trying to motivate myself to sort through my mp3s sometime in the next five years.
Oh, and I'm pleased to announce that I decided to stay at home and do this post. No more flies in my coffee (or if there is, it will be my own fault), no more weird yawning man, no more noise (other than the songs I'm playing) and hopefully no low-flying plains or near car-wrecks (though that could still happen here). I learned my lesson from last week; don't do anything that's going to take an hour or more unless I'm in the comfort of my own home. Okay, so that's not practical in all aspects of my life, but I can at least attempt to apply it where I can.
I'm not sure what the point of that was, so I'm going to start the post now.
Nina Nastasia, "Treehouse Song"
Cool name, huh? Alliterative and vaguely erotic, I latched on to her name before I'd even heard the song. The song starts out simply; some staccato strumming and vocals. Then the song is accompanied by a piano line, alternately following and countering the melody. The melody, while not complicated, isn't simple either. It doesn't settle into one area of the scale; in fact, it seems to skip constantly from one end to the other within the space of a verse. Her voice follows the rapid changes assuredly, able to capture several notes in one syllable, without ever losing her place or bungling the precious line. The story of the song is a simplistic one; it seems to be about holding oneself aloft in a "treehouse in the sky", finding excuses not to mingle among the citizens below. Not unfamiliar to anyone who finds it more comfortable to stay in a familiar environment, rather than taking the chance of feeling unsure of one's surroundings...from her 2006 album, On Leaving.
Nina Nastasia
Her Myspace, Her Label Site, an older Label Site and an Unofficial Myspace Page
Herman Dune, "I Wish That I Could See You Soon"
The title explains the subject of the song. Boy goes away, Boy loves girls and misses her, Boy hopes girl will still be around when he gets back. What sets this apart from other lovelorn songs is the lack of sadness in the melody. It sounds more like something Jack Johnson's grandfather might've done in the 50s (providing Jack Johnson's grandfather made music and wore a lei). The responding female back-up vocals complement the male lead singer perfectly. I even like rhyming "see her" with "better"--the way he sings "better", it actually sounds like "see her". The song's so cute I want to dance to it--especially once the horns start. The video's goofy as hell, completely fits the song and is on their Myspace (from the album Giant).
Herman Dune look back wistfully at the 70's, when shaggy hair and big sunglasses really hit their peaks
Heh! I'm not the only one! Myspace thinks it sounds like surf music, too! Grunge, I don't know...(Their Website)
Goldenboy, "Summer Of The Evening"
For it being Fall, I sure am finding all sorts of wispy, billowy, summer-y songs! Maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic, or more accurately, maybe the blogs I'm reading/podcasts I'm listening to/magazines I'm reading are exhibiting signs of nostalgia by featuring these songs. Anyways, as is suggested by the title, this song is about Summer and Evening. It's also, like the previous song, about someone who's far away. Once again, though, no actual sadness in the song, which for someone like me who has a mad depressive streak, is a good thing. I would say more about the lyrics, but well, there's not much more. He talks about taking the van up north and that's really it. Then someone's far away from him. Summer shouldn't be complicated, so it fits perfectly that this song is spare also...from the album Underneath the Radio.
Yes, I was in The Young Ones
Their Myspace, Their Label Site and Official Site. Oh--listen to "End Of Summer", found on this blog. If I hadn't just heard it five minutes ago for the first time, it probably would've been the song in this post.
The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers, "Lisa"
If you can believe it, I no longer have to look their name. I now actually know it by heart. I have to sit and think for a second to get the "Arthur Digby Sellers" part right, but I no longer have to consult allmusic.com or any other such site to remember. It's all in my memory, baby. In contrast, the name of the song is very simple. A girl's name, and not a long name like "Arthur Digby Sellers". Instead, it's a short, relatively common name. The song itself is not common, but is not overly wrought, either. It's simple in the best possible way: un-ornate. Oh, and if you're keeping track at home: this song is sad (from their free album of rarities and B-Sides, Redux, found on their site).
Tried to say the band's name five times fast and has a headache now
Their Myspace and Their Site
Retro-Song:
Lloyd Cole, "Past Imperfect"
I've posted about Lloyd Cole before; more than a year ago (don't ask me to find when, though--I've tried) I posted his song "Forest Fire". I happened to hear this song ("Past Imperfect") recently and I love it. It's pop with a weathered, experienced attitude. It's not the young kids' pop, it's more my generation of pop. It's not dated, though--much like my taste in music, Lloyd Cole's music keeps evolving to sound current yet true to his style. It's not from his new album--I actually haven't heard any of his new album, but if I like it as much as his other songs I've heard, then he may be coming up in a near-future Five Songs Post ("Past Imperfect" is from the 2000 album The Negatives, billed under "Lloyd Cole and The Negatives")
Lloyd Cole looks challenging
Lloyd Cole's Website is having difficulties. Meanwhile, here's his Myspace. Lloyd Cole has a new album out called Anti-Depressant.
Notes:
RIP CBGBs. Blondie wouldn't have been the same without you.
Next week I will post a review for Selections From a Piano Collection. I've just been so busy this weekend. I went mega-shopping yesterday, then went to see the Grudge 2, then had vivid, excruciatingly terrorizing nightmares about it, then wrote to my boyfriend overseas, then went to see my friend who just had a baby (I got to hold the baby for a long time!) So, hang on folks, I'm getting there.
Also, I'll begin deleting songs from early September posts. If there's something you didn't get, go in the next few days. Eric and Gary: the songs will end up on CDs for you, so don't worry about it too much. I still owe my Livejournal friend Jen a CD. I'm a sucky Livejournal friend :/
***
No comments:
Post a Comment