Filed under: Music 2008, mixtape, music | Tags: 2008, hot n cold, katy perry
Listening to pop is like heavy drinking. It’s always fun at the beginning, but as you do more and more, you end up waking up the next day determined never to do it again. That is, until you forget all about it and repeat at the next opportunity.
There have been some damn catchy songs this year, and this was one that had lodged itself in my head for a couple weeks:
Filed under: mixtape, music | Tags: arcade fire, bob dylan, bon iver, burial, crystal castles, deceptikon, fall, mixtape, music, okkervil river, portishead, radiohead, rjd2, the national, tv on the radio, walkmen
Here are thirteen songs that I think carry the feeling of the colder weather.
1. The Walkmen – In the New Year, from You & Me
2. Okkervil River – Lost Coastlines, from The Stand Ins
3. The Crystal Castles – Untrust Us, from Crystal Castles
4. Bon Iver – Lump Sum, from For Emma, Forever Ago
5. Arcade Fire – Black Wave/Bad Vibrations, from Neon Bible
6. TV on the Radio – DLZ, from Dear Science
7. Radiohead - Where I End and You Begin, from Hail to the Thief
8. Portishead – Roads, from Dummy
9. The National - Green Gloves, from Boxer
10. Bob Dylan – Love Sick, from Time Out of Mind
11. RJD2 – Smoke & Mirrors, from Deadringer
12. Deceptikon – Inaccessibility, from Lost Subject
13. Burial – Archangel, from Untrue
Some of the songs available through this iMeem playlist.
I have one younger aunt who listens to quite a bit of contemporary music so we like to discuss current favorites. I recently just emailed her a list of bands and songs that I feel sums up what I’m listening to at the moment. Below is a playlist (longer than a CD) derived from that email. Expect songs that I’ve used before and note that the order is engineered to flow… somewhat.
The Smiths – “Bigmouth Strikes Again” from The Queen is Dead
Autolux – “Turnstile Blues” from Future Perfect
Lush – “For Love” from Spooky
Ride – “Vapour Trail” from Nothing
My Bloody Valentine – “When You Sleep” from Loveless
The Jesus and Mary Chain – “Just Like Honey” from Psychocandy
A Place to Bury Strangers – “Don’t Think Lover” from A Place to Bury Strangers
M83 – “Teen Angst” from Before the Dawn Heals Us
Ladytron – “Last One Standing” from Witching Hour
The Knife – “Silent Shout” from Silent Shout
Portishead – “The Rip” from Third
Tricky – “Black Steel” from Maxiquaye
Burial – “Archangel” from Untrue
The Field – “Over the Ice” from From Here We Go Sublime
The Fuck Buttons – “Sweet Love for Planet Earth” from Street Horrrsing
Elbow – “Grounds for Divorce” from The Seldom Seen Kid
Spoon – “Black Like Me” fromGa Ga Ga Ga Ga
The National – “Apartment Story” fromBoxer
R.L. Burnside – “Goin’ Down South” from A Bothered Mind
The Magnetic Fields – “All My Little Words” from 69 Love Songs
Bon Iver – “Skinny Love” from For Emma, Forever Ago
The Hold Steady – “Chips Ahoy!” from Boys and Girls in America
The Wombats – “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” from A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation
Caribou – “Melody Day” from andorra
The Tough Alliance – “First Class Riot” from New Chance
Cut Copy – “Lights and Music” from In Ghost Colours
M.I.A. – “Paper Planes” from Kala
This is a collection of songs that are new or that I currently associate with summer. Enjoy.
1. Weezer – “Pork and Beans” from Weezer (The Red Album)
A fun, poppy, rocky, song. Typical Weezer. The video is about 50% of the song’s fun: it incorporates all those YouTube memes, like the Chocolate Rain guy, to make a feel-good experience.
2. The Wombats – “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” from Proudly Present… A Guide to Love, Loss & Desparation
I saw these guys perform from the TV coverage of England’s Glastonbury Festival (you can watch all the videos on the BBC site). They look every bit as happy, goofy, and energetic live as this song sounds.
3. The Tough Alliance – “First Class Riot” from A New Chance
Poppy and fun.
4. Rigas – “Born Not to Run” (mp3)
As a YouTube user commented on the video: “That shit is hot.” I agree. Really hot beat and lyrics. Not a rip on the Springsteen classic, just some commentary.
5. M.I.A. – “Galang” from Arular
I heard this playing at the Alterra near my house the other day and it reminded what a good (and strange) world beat/dance song it was. Recently it has been overshadowed by her more recent album, Kala, but definitely an excellent track.
6. The Knife – “Heartbeats” from Deep Cuts
Not as poppy, but a classic and obscure dance track.
7. No Age – “Eraser” from Nouns
Very raw. Do I detect hints of Neutral Milk Hotel?
8. Florence and the Machine – “Kiss with a Fist” (mp3)
I love her voice. Her lyrics are… intimidating. A good straight forward rock song. I expect to see a lot more from this group.
9. A Place to Bury Strangers – “Don’t Think Lover” from A Place to Bury Strangers
I bleeds influence from My Bloody Valentine’s “Only Shallow” but with even more edge.
10. Elbow – “Grounds for Divorce” from The Seldom Seen Kid
Another group that I watched from the BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury. Less pop, more drinking and rock.
11. Raconteurs – “You Don’t Understand Me” from Consolers of the Lonely
A less riff, more piano based song off their new album.
12. Bon Iver – “Skinny Love” from For Emma, Forever Ago
This entire album is heartfelt, calm, folky, and amazing.
These are songs that I, personally, find very calming. This group has actual vocals (though I’m not sure whether the Broken Social Scene song is sampled). I have another full playlist of sampled/instrumental/ambient/electronic with the same theme, so it made sense to separate them.
A couple notes:
I’ve decided that I won’t comment extensively on every song because I feel that, due to their grouping, the things I say are bound to be redundant. I may add times in the song that I love or a few personal comments here and there.
I also try to make the lists fit roughly the length of a CD and only contain one track per artist per list. Be aware, these guidelines may and probably will be broken.
1. The National – “Fake Empire” from Boxer
This entire album is great. The lead singer’s deep voice evokes Joy Division, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan.
2. Arcade Fire – “Ocean of Noise” from Neon Bible
This song is subtle and romantic in a way that it reminds me slightly of Chris Issac, without the overdramatic wailing and whining weighing it down.
3. Cursive – “The Recluse” from The Ugly Organ
A punk/indie band delving onto the lighter/whispering side and utilizing their cello. This album is also good for the more aggressive “Art is Hard,” “Some Red Handed Slight of Hand” and “Sierra.”
4. The Dandy Warhols – “Sleep” from Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia
Poppy, dreaming, and simple.
5. David Bowie – “The Man Who Sold the World” from The Man Who Sold the World
It was a toss-up between this and “Life on Mars?” from Hunky Dory… however, the latter tends to hit the over-dramatic, while this one stays more subdued.
6. Sufjan Stevens – “All the Trees of the Field will Clap Their Hands” from Seven Swans
Sufjan’s light voice over banjo strumming and background harmonies.
7. Eric Clapton – “Layla (Live)” from Unplugged
A subdued version of a classic that makes it smarter and bluesier.
8. Interpol – “Leif Erikson” from Turn on the Bright Lights
Paul Banks’ dry voice shines threw on one of their more subtle songs. Like the rest of their songs on this album, all the sounds blend really well for a complete picture.
9. Radiohead – “You and Whose Army” from Amnesiac
There are so many Radiohead songs that could work, but the simplicity and muffled voice in this song create a fuzzy, laid back atmosphere. I also love when the song takes a dramatic turn at 1:48.
10. Portishead – “Roads” from Dummy
A classic from the 90s. The singer’s voice resonates with a profound melancholy set over trip-hop instrumentals. I recently picked up their new album, “3,” which, though quite different, is also really good. Check out “The Rip” or “Machine Gun.”
11. R.E.M. – “Leave” from New Adventures in Hi-Fi
12. The Smiths – “There is a Light that Never Goes Out” from The Queen is Dead
13. The Velvet Underground – “Pale Blue Eyes” from The Velvet Underground
A very minimalist classic rock song about lost love.
14. Broken Social Scene – “Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl” from You Forget It in People
Generally, on hearing the first couple seconds of this song, I would skip it. While playing through the album once, when I had inadvertently given it a chance, it struck me as beautiful. The strange girl’s voice, which offset me at first, becomes the centerpiece. When it hits 0:56 (roughly), the song evolves and builds.
15. TV on the Radio – “Staring at the Sun” from Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
This has to be one of my favorite songs ever. A soulful track that has buzzing distortion as its backdrop.
16. Sigur Rós – “Sæglópur” from Takk
See them live if at all possible. It’s blissful. It’s something about the high and ringing voice singing in Icelandic.
This is a mix that I’ve put together, in an order that I feel is suiting, from the music that I have recently been listening to. All the album links go to the Discogs website for information.
1. “Untitled” by Interpol from Turn On the Bright Lights
This is from one of my favorite albums. Each individual song seems to grow with each listen. Interpol’s a band that is clearly based in simplistic, riff-centered rock; however, they often delve off into sound experiments between all of their instruments. This track is an excellent example of this and offers a calm beginning to the album.
2. “Sweet Love for Planet Earth” by the Fuck Buttons from Street Horrrsing
I’ve been listening to this track from off their MySpace Page and am thoroughly impressed. The track is lengthy, but sonically very rich. The subdued and distorted screaming even falls into place. From what I’ve heard, they use toy keyboards and gameboys among their instruments.
3. “Graveyard Girl” by M83 from Saturdays = Youth
I love the song, but I could really do with out the bland monologue in the center of it. It’s a nice departure from M83s previous dwelling in complete ambience. It’s nice to have songs with a bit of direction, yet retaining the overwhelming sonic intensity using the synths.
4. “Destroy Everything You Touch (Hot Chip Remix)” by Ladytron from the Destroy Everything You Touch Single
An excellent remix of an already great song. Hot Chip adds their chirps, bells, and claps to Ladytron’s heavy synths.
5. “Sometimes” by My Bloody Valentine from Loveless
The layered guitar effect in this song is simply beautiful. The voice works as another soothing instrument. One of the best songs from the late 1980s/early 1990s.
6. “Playhouses” by TV on the Radio from Return to Cookie Mountain
This song is from a great album released in 2006 from TV on the Radio. This song in particular offers ambient guitars over diverse beats and voices. I particularly enjoy the change in the singer’s voice from a very dead pan singing to high octave harmonies.
7. “Just Like Honey” by The Jesus and Mary Chain from Psychocandy
Like the My Bloody Valentine song, this was also featured on the Lost in Translation Soundtrack. This track, while less dreamy than “Sometimes,” elicits peaceful feelings.
8. “Spring Hall Convert” by Deerhunter from Cryptograms
I really don’t have too much to say about this track, other than I find it rather interesting. It seems to decay from dynamic to ambient by the end, which is quite cool.
9. “Turnstile Blues” by Autolux from Future Perfect
The complex drums that start the song off are key and do well to contrast the light vocals and guitars. I love the blending of the voices during the chorus.
10. “Everyday” by The Field from From Here We Go Sublime
As it stands, this is a very minimalist techno/dance track, but this also seems to be its strength. I’ve found that I’ve had this song stuck in my head frequently while walking around. Roughly at this 2:30, the initial beat changes into a beautiful sound environment.
11. “Cocceesville” by Cex from Exotical Privates
Cex is a very distinct artist, sampling many things including sex sound effects from pornography (not in this track though). This track starts out with a jungle/tribal feel and slowly draws in strings to give it an epic quality, while retaining the original base.
