Smoking Popes//If You Don't Care

Sometimes it's hard to figure out what makes you like a song. This one, for example, has tons of things that I would ordinarily find kind of obnoxious, but as a whole just really work: the vaguely pop-punk chorus; the occasionally overdramatic vocals that contribute to a proto-emo feeling. Still, it gets me.

This is one of those songs that can make me cry. Maybe it's the way that Matt Caterer croons those vocals. Maybe it's that you can actually feel his sadness in there. Or maybe it's just that we can all remember being at the point in a relationship that he describes and that just that remembering is enough to dredge up some serious personal melancholy.

To be honest, I don't really know that much about Smoking Popes, but I know I love this song. It turned up on the mix from a friend a few years ago and it continues to resonate every time I hear it.

A word of warning: please don't listen to this if you're actually going through a breakup. You will not make it out alive.



If You Don't Care.mp3

If you don't care, I don't care,
We don't belong together
Cause we don't belong anywhere.

If you're not sure, I'm not sure
What all these tears are falling for.
Let's decide not to care anymore.


***
Somewhat unrelated: I did a little guest writing for Nerve. You can check it out here.

The Sea and Cake//Midtown

The Sea and Cake makes music that is so pretty and, for lack of a better word, pleasant. Like a mellow breeze on a warm summer day, there's something calm and easy about their jazz-tinted vibraphone-soaked indie rock. It's perfect chill music.

A misunderstanding of a song-title, "The C in Cake" by Gastr del Sol, lead to their band name. Members include Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt, who have each also maintained successful solo careers in addition to their work with the band.

I love all the tracks on 2000's Oui, especially this one, called "Midtown," which also happens to be my all-time least favorite part of NYC.



Midtown.mp3

I don't let on that you done wrong.

Billy Bragg & Wilco//California Stars

I can’t exactly say why this feels like a good song for today, but it does. It’s kind of grey outside. Did I tell you I might be moving to California in about a year? Where I might be going, every day is a beautiful one. I can’t imagine what this might do for my mood. Good things, I suspect. Still, I have to wonder if I might miss the seasons, the overcast mornings, the weather giving me permission, as a coworker aptly noted yesterday, “to feel sad.”

This came out in 1998, when I was just a freshman in high school. It’s a collaboration between British musician Billy Bragg and Chicago-based once alt-country, now more experimental Wilco to imagine melodies and chords for old Woody Guthrie songs that only had lyrics. They did a great job. The result is a gorgeous album containing many beautiful songs, including personal faves “Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key” and “Ingrid Bergman.” The project was organized by Guthrie’s daughter Nora and was named after the street in Coney Island where Guthrie once lived.

Also, when I was about 16, I had this inside joke with a friend that consisted of us shouting, “BILLY BRAGG!!!” in a really gruff bad English accented faux-Billy Bragg voice. I’m not exactly sure where that came from, but I think it had something to do with this album. And maybe The Sex Pistols? I know—they seem so unrelated.



California Stars.mp3

I’d like to rest my heavy head tonight
On a bed of California stars.
I’d like to lay my weary bones tonight
On a bed of California Stars.
I love to feel your hand touching mine.
Oh, tell me why I must keep working on?
Yes, I’d give my life to lay my head tonight
On a bed of California stars.

Michael Ross//Out There On The Ice

Local Music Friday Warmday
What's up with Local Music Fridays?

Michael Ross's forthcoming album, Sidewalks was produced by another LMFer, Erik Hall. Michael recently moved to NYC from Chicago and happens to be playing his first show here tomorrow at The 50/50.

Judging by this track, Ross's album will be populated by some interesting sounds and songs. More info on the show, which will be the first outdoor one of the season, weather provided, here.

Speaking of ice, I'm so glad that's over. I'm going outside!!!



Out There On The Ice.mp3

She's out there on the ice again.

OK Go//This Too Shall Pass (Live)

Marching Monday Mail!
What is Monday Mail?

Hello and happy Valentine’s Day hangover/President’s Day. Yet again, here I am at the office when it seems like everyone else in the world is off. On top of that, I think I also may have had my all time worst MTA experience this morning getting to work. It took me seven trains/buses and an hour and fifteen minutes to get from my apartment in Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan. It usually takes me one train and 20 minutes. In fact all three recent “holidays” (MLK, SnOMG and today) have been transit nightmares. What gives!?

Moving on, do you guys know about VSL aka The Very Short List? It’s a daily email about one cool thing, whether it’s a blog, album, video, book, etc. Last week, they sent an email about this new video (below) from Chicago (now LA) band OK Go. It said:

It may come as a surprise that the dancing treadmill guys from YouTube are actually a legitimate band. But we suggest checking out OK Go’s latest and most inventive music video, featuring “This Too Shall Pass,” from their new album, Of the Color of the Blue Sky.

Dressed in deep purple marching band suits and equipped with accordion, xylophone, bass drum and snare (and eventually the entire Notre Dame marching band), OK Go perform in a swampy field on an overcast day. And they really are performing. Unlike with their previous videos, in which band members lip-sync to a prerecorded track, this song was recorded during the shoot—an impressive feat that lends the video the sort of perfect imperfection that makes OK Go endearing, funny and fun to watch. Not to mention the song itself, which is a catchy tune worthy of both your computer and your stereo.

You may remember OK Go (as I do) from their early 2000s hit, “Get Over It.” While I thought that track walked the line of delightfully poppy/annoyingly grating, erring more toward the obnoxious, this song is less prone to being potentially irritating. Chalk it up to the tubas or something. I can get down.

“This too shall pass” probably would have been a good attitude to adopt this morning while stuck in the bowels of subway hell. Of course, easier said than done. Have you ever been in the Canal Street JMZ station? That place is not pretty.

This Too Shall Pass.mp3

You know you can't keep letting it get you down
And you can't keep dragging that dead weight around.

In Tall Buildings//Walking Man

Before we start, three quick pieces of news:

1. I got the fun opportunity to contribute to a story about staying in on Valentine's day on Brokelyn by friend Beth Hoyt. As usual, I am loudly praising Daptone, who should probably consider making me some kind of brand ambassador at this point.

2. Palmyra plays tonight at Matchless in Greenpoint, which is a really fun bar to hang at, so come say hi! We are going to play a lot of "high energy rock songs."

3. I just went to the dentist and was told I have to buy an electronic toothbrush. Is this news? I don't know. But does anyone out there own an electronic toothbrush/have advice on the purchase of this peculiar device?

Now that that's done, let's Local Music Friday.
Tell me...what is this Local Music Fridays?

You may remember Erik Hall from previous LMF/afrobeat sensation Nomo. When he isn't touring and recording with that group, Erik is working on a solo project called In Tall Buildings, whose solo debut is set to release on April 6, 2010 on Whistler Records.

Getting a preview listen of this album has been quite a pleasure. Erik's voice, not just as a vocalist, but as a songwriter, is so clear and the aesthetic of the recorded sound is so well developed. It's easy to hear that he's put a lot of thought, time and energy into crafting this record.

If you're in Chicago, catch In Tall Buildings at The Whistler on 2/25.

I like this song because it's simple and poignant, which are two very important qualities for songs to possess, if you ask me. Also, I'm not going to lie. I really love that keyboard part that comes in at 1:45.



Walking Man.mp3

The walking man knows no other way to go.

The Smashing Pumpkins//1979

Now, my time-travelling friends, let’s go back to 1979, or at least to 1995 when this song was released on mammoth chart-topping double album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins.

I have to say, I was never really a Pumpkins fan. As a kid, I found Corgan’s voice whiney and grating. In spite of that, I always liked this song and the video that went with it. Also, strangely, I think I like the band’s sound now, as an adult, more than I ever did when they were popular. In fact, just writing this makes me want to revisit their entire body of work.

Regardless of how I feel about the band, this album was an incredible success, with five singles, four of which went Top 40. "Bullet with Butterfly Wings," anybody?

Between the lyrics and the video, Corgan and co. paint 1979 as at once brightly youthful and boringly suburban. Populated by “poured cement,” mild drug use, “the vacant and the bored,” lonely afternoons and a general feeling of aimlessness, the teenage angst in the song is kind of beautiful. In a way, it sucks and the narrator feels isolated from/confused by society as a whole. On the other hand, the ties formed between the narrator and other isolated kids in the scene are perfect, intense and interesting.

Of course, in the greater world, outside of the universe of the song, lots of things were happening in 1979. In Iran, the Islamic Revolution swept through the country. China invaded Northern Vietnam. In Montenegro and Albania, a completely destructive 7.0 earthquake struck. In the UK, the IRA was bombing things left and right--Margaret Thatcher also became prime minister. In America, there were riots in San Fransisco over the verdict for Dan White, who shot Harvey Milk. Beyond that, in the states, we got the Susan B. Anthony dollar, Skylab and the death of famed sitcom horse Mr. Ed. I guess we can understand what Corgan was writing about, after all.

As for 1995, when the song was released, the year was a turning point for music and technology. Corgan stated that “1979” was the most personally important song on his band’s new record, indicating that it would be a forbearer for a new sound, “something that combines technology, and a rock sensibility, and pop, and whatever, and hopefully clicks.”

In 1996, just a year later, a girl would be killed in a wild mosh pit at a Pumpkin’s show in Ireland and SP keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin would OD on heroin and die, marking the beginning of the end for the band.

But, for now, let’s not think about that. Instead, let’s think about our friends rolling us through artificially green fields of subdivisions in giant old tires:

1979.mp3

We don't even care, as restless as we are.
We feel the pull in the land of a thousand guilts
And poured cement, lamented and assured
To the lights and towns below.

Time Travel Definition:Acording to Wikipedia: "A time slip (also called a timeslip) is an alleged paranormal phenomenon in which a person, or group of people, travel through time through supernatural (rather than technological) means. ...Many time slip witnesses report that, at the start of their experience of the phenomena, their immediate surroundings take on an oddly flat, underlit and lifeless appearance, and normal sounds seem muffled. This is sometimes accompanied by feelings of depression and unease." Learn more.

Orange Drink//The Economist

Try ODing on Local Music Friday!
Tell me...what is this Local Music Fridays?

We played with this self-defined "dance/indie/folk/art rock/noise" outfit in Chicago at Loft 3A. I have to say, it was kind of hard to concentrate on their set with them running all around the place, freaking out, but it was a good time, nonetheless. Learn more about them here.

The totally sweet Drew sent me some of their music a few weeks ago and I kind of can't get enough of this hilarious rhyme. It's clever, irreverent and experimental. These are a few of my favorite things.



The Economist.mp3

I'll leave the audience in silence
like my name was John Cage.

The Ann Arbor Canasta Fix//Exactly What They Want, Spoon//Chicago at Night, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles//I Care About Detroit

On Jan. 1, 2004, I moved to London. It was a weird and mostly unhappy time for me. London is a fantastic place to feel alone and dour.

I didn't have many friends at the time, and spent most of my days wandering on the Thames walk, south of the river, going to underground queer parties, searching for ANYTHING that was open 24-hours (I was homesick), writing songs on my Martin backpacker guitar and visiting galleries and museums alone. Of course, I was also in school, so I did that too. My friend Ame and I also made a habit of getting quite drunk and taking insanely long walks at ridiculously late hours.

On St. Patrick's day of that year, Ame and Jen and I got very drunk on some kind of Bailey's rip-off we got at Tesco. We sat for a while, drinking, at Trafalgar Sq., where a Jamaican man kept asking us for sips. Eventually we made our way to Jubilee Gardens, near the Eye. There, Ame (who lived in Chicago at the time) exclaimed, drunkenly, somewhat ashamedly, but totally seriously, "THE MIDWEST IS HOME!" As it echoed out over the river and the cold British city, I thought, yes, the midwest is home.

And so, on that note, I'm going "home" this weekend, to play three shows in the Midwest. Each song today is a shout-out to one of the three midwestern cities we're playing in and will make us even-steven for the three days I won't be able to update OSS.

ANN ARBOR (Alias: A2, Ace Deuce, Tree Town)

Ann Arbor is where I lived for about six years, while I went to college and while I bummed around and did nothing after college.

This song is by the Ann Arbor Canasta Fix, which the riot-grrrrl inspired solo project of Shar McLeod, an (ironically) Austin, TX-based artist. Somehow Ali stumbled upon an AACF song and it ended up on a mix, many years ago. Here's a different, but equally awesome jam.


Exactly What They Want.mp3

Float like a butterfly,
Sting like a bee,
Sell your soul to Mohammed Ali!


CHICAGO (Alias: CHI, ChiTown, Chicagy)

Chicago has a high concentration of best friends and people who I think are awesome. It also serves up some mean street elotes, brunch and record shopping options.

Spoon (also from Austin) tells us about Chicago at night. I definitely have been to Chicago at night. Late, late at night. Often looking for some kind of 24-hour taco option.



Chicago at Night.mp3

But then she'd never been to Chicago at night before the fall
And it don't stop, not at all.
It falls all around
In the city, hits the ground.

DETROIT (Alias: The D, Motor City, Detroit Rock City, MoTown)

Detroit is the largest city in Michigan, although it's now a burnt-out shell of its former self thanks to 1. riots and 2. the collapse of the US auto industry. I saw many good shows and had many good times there during my time in Michigan. Highlights include: many Coney Islands, techno, Eminem, incredible street art, buildings you can actually see through and garage rock. You may remember that you should put your hands up for The D.

Here, my favorite MoTown artist Smokey Robinson tells us all the reasons to love Detroit.



I Care About Detroit.mp3

There are many reasons why one cares about a city,
Why you care about it's problems, its people and indeed, its very future
Is it friendly, warm, hospitable and are there good job opportunities, educational facilities and a cultural center?
Are you proud to call it your hometown?
When you come right down to it, I venture to say you'll all agree to a resounding yes when you're talking about Detroit.

Oh, and, our full tour schedule is here or here. Maybe we'll see you in the glorious midwest? Hope so.

NOMO//All The Stars

Holy [Local! Music! Friday!], Batman!

Tell me...what is this Local Music Fridays?

While I don’t actually know any of the members of NOMO personally beyond drunk-college-party acquaintance level, a few of them are close friends of close friends. When I lived in Ann Arbor, I would oft pass Elliot sitting on his front steps playing banjo and I once had a delightful breakfast at Clinton Hill neighborhood favorite Mike’s with Erik and the aforementioned close friends. Finally, I have a distinct and funny memory of seeing the band perform inside a giant inflatable art installation made by my friend Soma…and that was pretty fucking cool.

Anyway, all that aside, these guys know how to drop the afrobeat. Their latest album, Ghost Rock, has garnered quite a few accolades and their sound dashes in just the right amount of funk and jazz.



All The Stars.mp3

If you’re here in NYC, you can catch NOMO on Sunday at Union Hall or on Monday at Joe’s Pub.

More about NOMO here.

Common//The Corner

This morning, on the way to work, there was a joint Common/Kanye track ("Punch Drunk Love") on Sirius. I said, “I think Common’s flow is kinda lazy, but I really like when he does stuff with Kanye West.” James said, “Yeah. It’s too lazy. But they balance each other out.” And you know what? That’s true. They balance each other out.

This conversation reminded me of the song that got me to check out Common in the first place, which was also a West collab (and a Last Poets, the group my dad loves to refer to as THE FIRST RAP BAND, collab).

This track has that classic West production—looped old, pitch modified soul sample, bass and beat snaking around and through it. Mr. West delivers the choral hook, Last Poets deliver the sermon-like proclamations and Common keeps to his relaxed flow, which is just a few steps away from being TOO relaxed here. Perfection.



The Corner.mp3

Now I roll in a Olds with windows that don't roll,
Down the roads where cars get broke in and stole.

Lupe Fiasco//Gold Watch

James played this song for me yesterday on the way to work and it was INSTANTLY in my head.

I never really got into Lupe Fiasco, even at the height of my love for Kanye West (which, thanks to his obviously grotesquely inflated ego, has suffered a bit). But hey, I love Chicago (most of my favorite people are there!), so it only make sense that I would be down with repping Midwest in the hip hop dept.

Dude, this guy has serious flow. It’s like…amazing. I mean, the content is pretty flippant—a “my faves” list of modern American consumerism. But, at the same time, in addition to being shallowly clever, it’s put forth in a smart way. There are multiple nods to the complexity of our culture (socio-economically and artistically) and “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality that is so uniquely American. Lupe Fiasco, have you ever considered changing your name to Floratio Alger? Yeah, it’s cool. I didn’t think so.



Gold Watch.mp3

I like Mont Blanc pens and Moleskine paper.
I like Goyard bags and green Now-n-Laters.

Ok, Lupe. I’m with you on the Moleskine, but Now-n-Laters? Could there be a shittier candy?
Tuesday’s fly, rags to riches style.

Electrelane//Enter Laughing

I thought about posting this song up as a L!M!F! because one of my dearest friends in the whole world, Ange, is good friends with Electrelane’s Mia…but then the whole thing seemed a little starfuckery. And I wanted to post the song today, not tomorrow. Although on second thought, maybe my mention of the connection is a little starfuckery also. Oh well. Starfuckery be damned. So there.

This song is great. Vague personal connection aside, this band is great. I love their guitar tone and riffs. They’re extremely catchy. And not just here, but spread over every Electrelane song I've ever heard. These little guitar sub-melodies are an obvious strength in the composition and arrangement style.



Enter Laughing.mp3

I never told you that I
I've been looking out for you
I've been thinking about you
I could, I could, I could, I could, I could, I could,
I could not tell you.