Chris and Qualler's Top Songs Listulator
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Top 50 Songs of 2007 (#s 40-31)
40 "Can I Get Get Get" Junior Senior Hey Hey My My Yo Yo [Rykodisc]
"I'm busy bee but I'm taking it easy."
I never thought a second Junior Senior album would hold up. I was skeptical to hear their new single after having the record finally released in the states after much delay, but they are just too sincere and genuine in making joyous pop music to pass up. Usually I let people have their opinions when it comes to sugary dance-pop (because I can often sympathize with the disgust), but if you can go through listening this whole song without smiling and/or bopping your head along, you might as well die now, because life has nothing to offer your kind. The scary thing is, there's no hyperbole there. That's how much I believe in this song. In fact, it's the epitome of the kind of song that is perfect for a wedding (Qualler and Brigitte's wedding to be exact), where you can hear it, jump out on the floor, forget all ambition, and just pump those cabbage patch arms like there's no tomorrow. Cuz there's not, there's only now.
39 "Confusing Possibilities" Six Parts Seven Casually Smashed to Pieces [Suicide Squeeze]
Moment @ 4:57
Ah the band that wrote the song Joe and I named our instrumental radio show after. They are still consistently writing the most relaxing instrumental guitar music on this blue world. Not only this, but if you let yourself get engaged by the charming melodies, they become characters playing in a scene together. In a moment of pause, the skittish pizzicato scurries away into the corner as the bully horns' shadows grow more ominous, the droopy slide mopes in the background, and the flighty harmonics finally overtake the youngsters with a boost of distorted bass to close out our story. There's so much going on in this modest yet epic tale, but it never clouds up the mind, always allowing for breathing room. Shut your eyes on a bright afternoon and listen to this song - surely a beautiful movie will project on the back of your eyelids.
38 "23" Blonde Redhead 23 [4AD]
"All things we love will die."
I fell in love with this song when I saw the stately trio play it live on Conan. Of course you will not be able to find this online, but if you ever see a Conan rerun with Blonde Redhead playing, watch it. When the drummer started programming Kazu's vocals and suddenly there were a sheet of "na-na-na"s buried into a wall of shoegaze entanglements as the frantic drumbeat spiraled out of control and there were still only three people on my TV screen, I practically lost my marbles. The mysticism, the detached anger, the existentialism, and the beleaguered acceptance all implode into a warped energy unheard of to these ears. Seeing and hearing but not believing while being unable to fall asleep at 12:35 in the morning on a weekday, I felt strangely okay and twitchy all at once. Definitely unforgettable.
37 "Backed Out on the..." Kevin Drew Spirit If... [Arts & Crafts]
"Everyone can write this song / they can't write you and me."
Did the subject of this song back out on the cause...or...did he/she back out on the cocks? This seems to be the topic of debate surrounding the lyrics of this song, and it's brilliant. It's two songs in one! Either it's a great proletarian Screw You song, demanding respect, loyalty, and passion amongst the people or it's a fantastic choral refuting of the male masculine identity in our society. Doesn't really matter, because there's one thing that this song obviously is - a party song. Once again, I didn't realize the genius of this song until I saw its corresponding video (linked above) and saw how much the guys from Broken Social Scene were having fun with Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis and a bunch of other crazies just by rocking out. And this is some rocking out that defies categorization - if you love guitar solos, it's for you. If you hate guitar solos, Mascis is the man to change your mind about it. And if you love loudness, this is for you, and if you loathe loudness, this is one song that makes you want to shout with glee "YOU CANNOT WRITE ME!"
36 "Tournament of Hearts" The Weakerthans Reunion Tour [Epitaph]
"Why can't I ever stop where I want to stay?"
Nasally singing can get to me, and yet I could listen to John K. Sampson's wheeze away for the rest of time and enjoy every second of it. It's because his whine is exploding with a tremendous kind of hope - one that is full of despair and yet still infinitely caring for every human being on the planet. It's not a one man guilt show with The Weakerthans, it's about finding the power in feeling down. This is probably way more emo than a little rant on a pop-rock song should be, but the fact is that this song is not only another perfect gem in the catalog of a near-perfect band, but it's the homonym of "right off" and "write off" followed by a heart-pounding "no never never ever ever" every time. It brings me back into a state of patience and allowing life flow into me like it's only just begun. This is how much a song can save my life.
35 "It's O.K." Howard Hello Howard Hello & Greenness [Sickroom]
"It's all right / I'll go / tonight will be no more."
Ever since my obsession with instrumental music began, I've become even more engrossed by instrumental songs that just happen to have lyrics. This sounds ridiculous, I'm well aware, but hear me out. Instrumental songs exist to exude a progression of feeling, a tone, a unique orchestrated set of abstractions while songs with lyrics try to say something to the listener. So when a song with lyrics tries to do what most instrumental songs succeed at without trying to directly tell a story, bring a message, or even a set of symbols, it's breathtakingly refreshing. All you feel when you listen to this song is both a tone and a story: rejection (the blow to the head intro), followed by frantic self doubt (the overlapping voices and off-kilter wandering), finally resulting in nervous acceptance followed by a deep breath (rising blissful instrumentation).
34 "Part 1 (Movement 4)" The Bird Ensemble Migration [Self-Released]
Moment @ 4:25
Speaking of non-instrumental instrumental bands, The Appleseed Cast surely would rank up there if they didn't so explicitly tell stories/produce linguistic images in their lyrics. And here we finally have the instrumental Appleseed Cast in The Bird Ensemble. Guitars that sparkle beyond eternity in earnest, yelping layers. Crashing drums that could be at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and still be heard like the marching in of angels on Earth. It's cacophonous and heavenly at the same time, and it swells with such confidence and shine that it feels like it literally is a sound from up above, except distilled through a DIY band in a Tennessee basement with only average recording equipment. And yet, it's almost better that way, because it feels like gods interacting with the common man, becoming sprightly rather than overly dramatic, cherubic rather than mighty.
33 "Summersend" Misha Teardrop Sweetheart [Tomlab]
"When you love someone / you wait for them too."
I am just now realizing that it might not be about sending love to someone on a summer's day from far away, but the more likely interpretation of the compounded title is the end of a summer's romance. So many double meanings in the countdown! The summer romance angle might seem played out, but this delightful bubbly tune knows how to tweak it just right: in one version of the story in my head, a boy is waiting for his girl while counting dandelions in the grass as the sun beats down on his back, giving her the benefit of the doubt that she's actually coming and this absence isn't the beginning of the end. In another, they are separating ways on the last day of the summer, planning to wait for each other, but they've already started missing each other, and thus have already started the waiting process. Is this the end or has the end already begun? If they never get together, at least they will have known they waited, and thus, they have truly loved. The shy vocals overcoming their tininess is only the icing on the cake.
32 "Woozy With Cider" James Yorkston The Year of the Leopard [Domino]
"And I'll be happy because we won't be taking anything too seriously."
This is the problem with the word "pretentious." Someone hears a Scottish guy mumbles over a melodica and a dramatic keyboard lilt without actually listening and suddenly they're a poster child for melodrama. As if people couldn't be deathly serious and still have a light attitude toward life. I think that the people that truly do "serious" music the best are most comfortable with the silliness of life. It's the people that find too much comedy and absurdity in life that have anxiety and depression issues. They're the ones that are consistently uncomfortable in their own skin. When you get get relaxed, stay relaxed, and appreciate the unsteadiness of life, and communicate it artfully or overtly when you're over thinking on a rainy day, then you've achieved nirvana. Yorkston did with a couple electronic loops and a stream of consciousness of images and memories and conversations with loved one - it just takes a little time and open-mindedness to let go and still stay real.
31 "I Am John" Loney, Dear Loney, Noir [Sub Pop]
"Got a heart full of plans but nowhere to run."
And here we go with the first song on the countdown that has made me cry. I could have sworn there was a song before this one, but here we are all the way at #31 and no tears. Amazing, considering how I used to be called "Captain Emo" an inappropriate amount of times...in public. Nevertheless, the first time I listened to this song on headphones and heard the sobbing snare drum and childlike xylophone/clarinet duet getting louder and louder, I started feeling (sigh) emotion build up inside me like no one's business. Then when he goes into that piercing falsetto at about 2:14, my jaw trembles, my heart opens up, and puppies and flowers burst out of it onto the floor, flooded with eye juice pouring out of my sockets. I feel like my metaphorical clothes are shedding, leaving me metaphorically naked on a dirty city street at sunrise, left completely vulnerable and surprised that the damn song ends so damn early. "Someone fix me," I scream, and there's no one there but Johnny, and I'm there for him.
Next week: we continue with #s 30-21. ¶ posted by chris at 2:42 PM 1 comments
40 "Can I Get Get Get" Junior Senior Hey Hey My My Yo Yo [Rykodisc]"I'm busy bee but I'm taking it easy."
I never thought a second Junior Senior album would hold up. I was skeptical to hear their new single after having the record finally released in the states after much delay, but they are just too sincere and genuine in making joyous pop music to pass up. Usually I let people have their opinions when it comes to sugary dance-pop (because I can often sympathize with the disgust), but if you can go through listening this whole song without smiling and/or bopping your head along, you might as well die now, because life has nothing to offer your kind. The scary thing is, there's no hyperbole there. That's how much I believe in this song. In fact, it's the epitome of the kind of song that is perfect for a wedding (Qualler and Brigitte's wedding to be exact), where you can hear it, jump out on the floor, forget all ambition, and just pump those cabbage patch arms like there's no tomorrow. Cuz there's not, there's only now.
39 "Confusing Possibilities" Six Parts Seven Casually Smashed to Pieces [Suicide Squeeze]Moment @ 4:57
Ah the band that wrote the song Joe and I named our instrumental radio show after. They are still consistently writing the most relaxing instrumental guitar music on this blue world. Not only this, but if you let yourself get engaged by the charming melodies, they become characters playing in a scene together. In a moment of pause, the skittish pizzicato scurries away into the corner as the bully horns' shadows grow more ominous, the droopy slide mopes in the background, and the flighty harmonics finally overtake the youngsters with a boost of distorted bass to close out our story. There's so much going on in this modest yet epic tale, but it never clouds up the mind, always allowing for breathing room. Shut your eyes on a bright afternoon and listen to this song - surely a beautiful movie will project on the back of your eyelids.
38 "23" Blonde Redhead 23 [4AD]"All things we love will die."
I fell in love with this song when I saw the stately trio play it live on Conan. Of course you will not be able to find this online, but if you ever see a Conan rerun with Blonde Redhead playing, watch it. When the drummer started programming Kazu's vocals and suddenly there were a sheet of "na-na-na"s buried into a wall of shoegaze entanglements as the frantic drumbeat spiraled out of control and there were still only three people on my TV screen, I practically lost my marbles. The mysticism, the detached anger, the existentialism, and the beleaguered acceptance all implode into a warped energy unheard of to these ears. Seeing and hearing but not believing while being unable to fall asleep at 12:35 in the morning on a weekday, I felt strangely okay and twitchy all at once. Definitely unforgettable.
37 "Backed Out on the..." Kevin Drew Spirit If... [Arts & Crafts]"Everyone can write this song / they can't write you and me."
Did the subject of this song back out on the cause...or...did he/she back out on the cocks? This seems to be the topic of debate surrounding the lyrics of this song, and it's brilliant. It's two songs in one! Either it's a great proletarian Screw You song, demanding respect, loyalty, and passion amongst the people or it's a fantastic choral refuting of the male masculine identity in our society. Doesn't really matter, because there's one thing that this song obviously is - a party song. Once again, I didn't realize the genius of this song until I saw its corresponding video (linked above) and saw how much the guys from Broken Social Scene were having fun with Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis and a bunch of other crazies just by rocking out. And this is some rocking out that defies categorization - if you love guitar solos, it's for you. If you hate guitar solos, Mascis is the man to change your mind about it. And if you love loudness, this is for you, and if you loathe loudness, this is one song that makes you want to shout with glee "YOU CANNOT WRITE ME!"
36 "Tournament of Hearts" The Weakerthans Reunion Tour [Epitaph]"Why can't I ever stop where I want to stay?"
Nasally singing can get to me, and yet I could listen to John K. Sampson's wheeze away for the rest of time and enjoy every second of it. It's because his whine is exploding with a tremendous kind of hope - one that is full of despair and yet still infinitely caring for every human being on the planet. It's not a one man guilt show with The Weakerthans, it's about finding the power in feeling down. This is probably way more emo than a little rant on a pop-rock song should be, but the fact is that this song is not only another perfect gem in the catalog of a near-perfect band, but it's the homonym of "right off" and "write off" followed by a heart-pounding "no never never ever ever" every time. It brings me back into a state of patience and allowing life flow into me like it's only just begun. This is how much a song can save my life.
35 "It's O.K." Howard Hello Howard Hello & Greenness [Sickroom]"It's all right / I'll go / tonight will be no more."
Ever since my obsession with instrumental music began, I've become even more engrossed by instrumental songs that just happen to have lyrics. This sounds ridiculous, I'm well aware, but hear me out. Instrumental songs exist to exude a progression of feeling, a tone, a unique orchestrated set of abstractions while songs with lyrics try to say something to the listener. So when a song with lyrics tries to do what most instrumental songs succeed at without trying to directly tell a story, bring a message, or even a set of symbols, it's breathtakingly refreshing. All you feel when you listen to this song is both a tone and a story: rejection (the blow to the head intro), followed by frantic self doubt (the overlapping voices and off-kilter wandering), finally resulting in nervous acceptance followed by a deep breath (rising blissful instrumentation).
34 "Part 1 (Movement 4)" The Bird Ensemble Migration [Self-Released]Moment @ 4:25
Speaking of non-instrumental instrumental bands, The Appleseed Cast surely would rank up there if they didn't so explicitly tell stories/produce linguistic images in their lyrics. And here we finally have the instrumental Appleseed Cast in The Bird Ensemble. Guitars that sparkle beyond eternity in earnest, yelping layers. Crashing drums that could be at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and still be heard like the marching in of angels on Earth. It's cacophonous and heavenly at the same time, and it swells with such confidence and shine that it feels like it literally is a sound from up above, except distilled through a DIY band in a Tennessee basement with only average recording equipment. And yet, it's almost better that way, because it feels like gods interacting with the common man, becoming sprightly rather than overly dramatic, cherubic rather than mighty.
33 "Summersend" Misha Teardrop Sweetheart [Tomlab]"When you love someone / you wait for them too."
I am just now realizing that it might not be about sending love to someone on a summer's day from far away, but the more likely interpretation of the compounded title is the end of a summer's romance. So many double meanings in the countdown! The summer romance angle might seem played out, but this delightful bubbly tune knows how to tweak it just right: in one version of the story in my head, a boy is waiting for his girl while counting dandelions in the grass as the sun beats down on his back, giving her the benefit of the doubt that she's actually coming and this absence isn't the beginning of the end. In another, they are separating ways on the last day of the summer, planning to wait for each other, but they've already started missing each other, and thus have already started the waiting process. Is this the end or has the end already begun? If they never get together, at least they will have known they waited, and thus, they have truly loved. The shy vocals overcoming their tininess is only the icing on the cake.
32 "Woozy With Cider" James Yorkston The Year of the Leopard [Domino]"And I'll be happy because we won't be taking anything too seriously."
This is the problem with the word "pretentious." Someone hears a Scottish guy mumbles over a melodica and a dramatic keyboard lilt without actually listening and suddenly they're a poster child for melodrama. As if people couldn't be deathly serious and still have a light attitude toward life. I think that the people that truly do "serious" music the best are most comfortable with the silliness of life. It's the people that find too much comedy and absurdity in life that have anxiety and depression issues. They're the ones that are consistently uncomfortable in their own skin. When you get get relaxed, stay relaxed, and appreciate the unsteadiness of life, and communicate it artfully or overtly when you're over thinking on a rainy day, then you've achieved nirvana. Yorkston did with a couple electronic loops and a stream of consciousness of images and memories and conversations with loved one - it just takes a little time and open-mindedness to let go and still stay real.
31 "I Am John" Loney, Dear Loney, Noir [Sub Pop]"Got a heart full of plans but nowhere to run."
And here we go with the first song on the countdown that has made me cry. I could have sworn there was a song before this one, but here we are all the way at #31 and no tears. Amazing, considering how I used to be called "Captain Emo" an inappropriate amount of times...in public. Nevertheless, the first time I listened to this song on headphones and heard the sobbing snare drum and childlike xylophone/clarinet duet getting louder and louder, I started feeling (sigh) emotion build up inside me like no one's business. Then when he goes into that piercing falsetto at about 2:14, my jaw trembles, my heart opens up, and puppies and flowers burst out of it onto the floor, flooded with eye juice pouring out of my sockets. I feel like my metaphorical clothes are shedding, leaving me metaphorically naked on a dirty city street at sunrise, left completely vulnerable and surprised that the damn song ends so damn early. "Someone fix me," I scream, and there's no one there but Johnny, and I'm there for him.
Next week: we continue with #s 30-21. ¶ posted by chris at 2:42 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The Top 50 Songs of 2007 (#s 50-41)
50 "A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger" Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? [Polyvinyl]
"My mind rejects the frequency / it's just verbosity to me."
With their third song landing on a yearly countdown of mine (after "Your Magic is Working" and "So Begins Our Alabee"), Of Montreal have very sneakily become a staple in my life. They are consistent, prolific, and somehow still manage to top themselves in ridiculousness with every new album they put out. Without even mentioning the killer sugary keyboard swoops and skittery-to-the-max synthetic drum freakouts, there is an even bigger highlight. This song has one of those choruses that manages to flow so smoothly and unforgettably that it all goes by in the blink of an eye. The first time I heard this song I knew I was once again smitten with the wackiness of Kevin Barnes and his troupe of bubbly noisemakers.
49 "From Nothing to Nowhere" Pinback Autumn of the Seraphs [Touch & Go]
"Revision / Ray of vision / ray vision / cosign my letter."
Who knows what he's actually saying when this song gets pumping into action. Who cares. The fact is that it's Pinback (formerly on a countdown with "Fortress") masterly weaving countless plucky guitar melodies and cherubic angsty vocal harmonies together until it resembles the most complicated musical knot that anyone can untangle by just pulling one string at a time. Depending on what singer and/or instrument you're listening to, the song can mean anything from "I feel superhuman" to "I feel like a failure," or both. The fact that some genius with too much time on his hands synced this song up to the dancing scene from The Breakfast Club only makes the dichotomy of the song's power and meaning that much stronger. When else do you feel powerless and unstoppable? When you're a teenager.
48 "Reciting the Airships" Eluvium Copia [Temporary Residence]
Moment @ 0:23
I've always been interested in the keyboard, but no one artist has ever reinvigorated my interest in the traditional piano like Eluvium has. How his melodies are so simple yet so captivating and devastating is beyond me. This song in particular breathes like a cold winter sunset, expertly descending from its inception into a bed of airy strings only to climb ever so softly into a cloudy oblivion. Crumpled paper, creaking chairs, and swirled synths soon enter the picture and by that point, you're on a different planet, experiencing this song like you experience a sad memory that you're happy you still have, and will hopefully never let go.
47 "Oh Ana" Mother Mother Touch Up [Last Gang]
"I'll be God today / hold my head under that bath and breath away."
I have no idea how a band that recalls both Wheatus (the voice) and Primus (the spastic bass) made such a perfect song, but they did. The lightning-speed acoustic guitar is just another reason why this song should not work at all, but it's also the morose backbone for a great first-person perspective story that unfolds like some cross between a nightmare and the biggest drama your closest group of friends has ever undergone, testing relationships, boundaries, and how far one's willing to go without knowing why they are willing to go so far. It's the ultimate testament to feeling your life spinning out of control, having no choice but to let it spin violently and unconscionably until you had to settle for realizing the errors of your ways until it's too late.
46 "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (Mirage Remix)" Indeep After Dark [Italians Do it Better]
"And if it wasn't for the music..."
Turns out the original version of this song is older than dirt - actually it was first released in 1983, the year I was born. If I knew this before I put this remix on the countdown, I probably would have disqualified it. But it's too late now as I always vow to never change the list after it's finalized and the playlist is burned to CD. I seriously thought this was just another Italian post-retro-disco-punk song on a compilation full of modern acts like Glass Candy and Chromatics, remixed by another modern post-retro-disco-punk artist, but it was just a post-disco band that had a modest hit that even Mariah Carey covered at one point. How postmodern of a world do we live in when a remix can make a song from 1983 sound like it just came out in 2007? Absolutely crazy, but regardless, you need to watch the TV performance of the original (hyperlinked above) and watch that bass player, who also plays the character of the DJ in the song. Pitch perfect in every possible way.
45 "With Friends Like These" Aqueduct Or Give Me Death [Barsuk]
"Who needs friends like these..."
I'm going to be brutally honest. And so should you. No friendship I think is complete (anomalies exist, I will admit) without a moment where your eyes just bug out and you think to yourself, "whyyyy????" This is how friendships work, whether we like them to or not. If you're a close friend of mine, I've probably been mad/bewildered/confused/upset with you at some point in time to the Nth degree and vice versa. Everyone talks about how beautiful their friends are or why can't we be friends or what have you, but no one points out this very important facet of deep intimate friendships. You care about people, and just like lovers and family members, you're going to writhe them sometimes for whatever reason - they talked behind you behind your back, they dated someone that is a total douche, or they just ditched you when they promised to hang out with you. It's these kinds of deep hatreds that keep friends together and let people connect with each other and realize how much they love their friends in the first place.
44 "Drop Me Off" Pela Anytown Graffiti [Great Society]
"You are the fortunate one in this song."
Powerful voices seem to be rarity to me. Lyrical or instrumental intensity tends to usually pack the greater punch and the degree to which a singer actually utilizes their vocal chords doesn't often factor into my love for a song. The simplistic yet effective sparkling-turned-aggressive guitars and concentrating and rising drum work certainly complement Pela's vocalist, but it is the sweat and strength in the voice of Billy McCarthy that makes me hit the steering wheel at every chorus and my heart tremble as he breaks into falsetto at the climax/outro. Taking on all the pain that should be spread across two people into his one throat and becoming possessed by melancholic demons of solitude, McCarthy spews out enough emotional breakdown ecstasy for an entire room full of broken hearts. The listeners is indeed the fortunate one in this song.
43 "Panic Attack" Tunturia Maps [RCD]
Moment @ 2:27
I don't believe I've ever had a panic attack, but the closest I ever got to having one I believe was right before I, in a daze, took off driving in my car late at night and had this song (and the rest of the album for that matter) blasting through the stereo. I don't even think I knew this song was called "Panic Attack" when, after the unnamed incident, I shoved this CD into the play and this, the opening track, came tumbling out of the speakers as I sped angrily/confusedly through the pitch blackness. It's the feeling of being rushed, being crowded, being shoved into a place where nothing could ever feel right in a million years, and where no matter how far or how fast you drive away, you never feel more than an inch removed from unpleasantness. And all the while, I would have never wanted any other sound to graced my consciousness than this song, full of the best nervous guitar riff ever, taunting drums poking and prodding at your inflating sense of self, and the simultaneously noisiest and most graceful comedowns in between all the senseless mayhem.
42 "The Piano" PJ Harvey White Chalk [Island]
"Nobody's listening."
Singer-songwriters have never been my bag. Luckily, PJ Harvey knows that stamping your birth name on your music doesn't imply that you have to be subtle, modest, or boring. Ghost stories tend to come up a few times in the countdown this year, but this is probably the one ghost story on the list that actually sounds like a ghost story - creepy pitter patter percussion, lurking-in-the-next-room thumb piano loops, and even a respite for a keyboard that sounds like a dead child playing with its dusty toys from an ancient past. Oh and of course there's PJ's howling wail that anchors the multi-layered piece, desperately calling for peace when war has already broke out between four souls - the killer, the killed, and the shaking witnesses: mommy and daddy. Never has a song been able to give me the shivers, nightmares, and sounded so beautiful. Here's to realizing that music can be scary and enjoyable at the same time.
41 "The Opposite of Hallelujah" Jens Lekman Night Falls Over Kortedala [Secretly Canadian]
"I picked up a seashell / to illustrate my homelessness / but a crab crawled out of it / making it useless."
Also a theme on the countdown are songs that were played at what was quite certainly the event of the year (hell, probably of the past 4 years), Qualler and Brigitte's wedding. Sometimes it's infuriating when bright happy pop songs have depressing lyrics, but Lekman knows how to be depressed, find the humor in it, and make a funner-than-thou song about it all. It's a win-win-win situation. No matter how you feel about weddings, when this song came on, even if you didn't know how to dance to it, you wanted to. This marked the beginning of songs that most of the crowd didn't know, but kept the crowd in the mood of celebration nonetheless. All of a sudden everyone (yours truly included of course) dipped with every tambourine hit and smiles abounded every time the strings came in, and partners took arms with each other when the ukulele bumbles in like a cartoon broom sweeping up the joint. It was remarkably glorious, like the final scene in Rushmore, everyone being together, loving the togetherness of it all, and feeling pure joy in the moment, regardless of anyone's feelings before they walked onto that dance floor, depressed or not.
Next week: the countdown continues with #s 40-31.
¶ posted by chris at 2:16 PM 0 comments
50 "A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger" Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? [Polyvinyl]"My mind rejects the frequency / it's just verbosity to me."
With their third song landing on a yearly countdown of mine (after "Your Magic is Working" and "So Begins Our Alabee"), Of Montreal have very sneakily become a staple in my life. They are consistent, prolific, and somehow still manage to top themselves in ridiculousness with every new album they put out. Without even mentioning the killer sugary keyboard swoops and skittery-to-the-max synthetic drum freakouts, there is an even bigger highlight. This song has one of those choruses that manages to flow so smoothly and unforgettably that it all goes by in the blink of an eye. The first time I heard this song I knew I was once again smitten with the wackiness of Kevin Barnes and his troupe of bubbly noisemakers.
49 "From Nothing to Nowhere" Pinback Autumn of the Seraphs [Touch & Go]"Revision / Ray of vision / ray vision / cosign my letter."
Who knows what he's actually saying when this song gets pumping into action. Who cares. The fact is that it's Pinback (formerly on a countdown with "Fortress") masterly weaving countless plucky guitar melodies and cherubic angsty vocal harmonies together until it resembles the most complicated musical knot that anyone can untangle by just pulling one string at a time. Depending on what singer and/or instrument you're listening to, the song can mean anything from "I feel superhuman" to "I feel like a failure," or both. The fact that some genius with too much time on his hands synced this song up to the dancing scene from The Breakfast Club only makes the dichotomy of the song's power and meaning that much stronger. When else do you feel powerless and unstoppable? When you're a teenager.
48 "Reciting the Airships" Eluvium Copia [Temporary Residence]Moment @ 0:23
I've always been interested in the keyboard, but no one artist has ever reinvigorated my interest in the traditional piano like Eluvium has. How his melodies are so simple yet so captivating and devastating is beyond me. This song in particular breathes like a cold winter sunset, expertly descending from its inception into a bed of airy strings only to climb ever so softly into a cloudy oblivion. Crumpled paper, creaking chairs, and swirled synths soon enter the picture and by that point, you're on a different planet, experiencing this song like you experience a sad memory that you're happy you still have, and will hopefully never let go.
47 "Oh Ana" Mother Mother Touch Up [Last Gang]"I'll be God today / hold my head under that bath and breath away."
I have no idea how a band that recalls both Wheatus (the voice) and Primus (the spastic bass) made such a perfect song, but they did. The lightning-speed acoustic guitar is just another reason why this song should not work at all, but it's also the morose backbone for a great first-person perspective story that unfolds like some cross between a nightmare and the biggest drama your closest group of friends has ever undergone, testing relationships, boundaries, and how far one's willing to go without knowing why they are willing to go so far. It's the ultimate testament to feeling your life spinning out of control, having no choice but to let it spin violently and unconscionably until you had to settle for realizing the errors of your ways until it's too late.
46 "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (Mirage Remix)" Indeep After Dark [Italians Do it Better]"And if it wasn't for the music..."
Turns out the original version of this song is older than dirt - actually it was first released in 1983, the year I was born. If I knew this before I put this remix on the countdown, I probably would have disqualified it. But it's too late now as I always vow to never change the list after it's finalized and the playlist is burned to CD. I seriously thought this was just another Italian post-retro-disco-punk song on a compilation full of modern acts like Glass Candy and Chromatics, remixed by another modern post-retro-disco-punk artist, but it was just a post-disco band that had a modest hit that even Mariah Carey covered at one point. How postmodern of a world do we live in when a remix can make a song from 1983 sound like it just came out in 2007? Absolutely crazy, but regardless, you need to watch the TV performance of the original (hyperlinked above) and watch that bass player, who also plays the character of the DJ in the song. Pitch perfect in every possible way.
45 "With Friends Like These" Aqueduct Or Give Me Death [Barsuk]"Who needs friends like these..."
I'm going to be brutally honest. And so should you. No friendship I think is complete (anomalies exist, I will admit) without a moment where your eyes just bug out and you think to yourself, "whyyyy????" This is how friendships work, whether we like them to or not. If you're a close friend of mine, I've probably been mad/bewildered/confused/upset with you at some point in time to the Nth degree and vice versa. Everyone talks about how beautiful their friends are or why can't we be friends or what have you, but no one points out this very important facet of deep intimate friendships. You care about people, and just like lovers and family members, you're going to writhe them sometimes for whatever reason - they talked behind you behind your back, they dated someone that is a total douche, or they just ditched you when they promised to hang out with you. It's these kinds of deep hatreds that keep friends together and let people connect with each other and realize how much they love their friends in the first place.
44 "Drop Me Off" Pela Anytown Graffiti [Great Society]"You are the fortunate one in this song."
Powerful voices seem to be rarity to me. Lyrical or instrumental intensity tends to usually pack the greater punch and the degree to which a singer actually utilizes their vocal chords doesn't often factor into my love for a song. The simplistic yet effective sparkling-turned-aggressive guitars and concentrating and rising drum work certainly complement Pela's vocalist, but it is the sweat and strength in the voice of Billy McCarthy that makes me hit the steering wheel at every chorus and my heart tremble as he breaks into falsetto at the climax/outro. Taking on all the pain that should be spread across two people into his one throat and becoming possessed by melancholic demons of solitude, McCarthy spews out enough emotional breakdown ecstasy for an entire room full of broken hearts. The listeners is indeed the fortunate one in this song.
43 "Panic Attack" Tunturia Maps [RCD]Moment @ 2:27
I don't believe I've ever had a panic attack, but the closest I ever got to having one I believe was right before I, in a daze, took off driving in my car late at night and had this song (and the rest of the album for that matter) blasting through the stereo. I don't even think I knew this song was called "Panic Attack" when, after the unnamed incident, I shoved this CD into the play and this, the opening track, came tumbling out of the speakers as I sped angrily/confusedly through the pitch blackness. It's the feeling of being rushed, being crowded, being shoved into a place where nothing could ever feel right in a million years, and where no matter how far or how fast you drive away, you never feel more than an inch removed from unpleasantness. And all the while, I would have never wanted any other sound to graced my consciousness than this song, full of the best nervous guitar riff ever, taunting drums poking and prodding at your inflating sense of self, and the simultaneously noisiest and most graceful comedowns in between all the senseless mayhem.
42 "The Piano" PJ Harvey White Chalk [Island]"Nobody's listening."
Singer-songwriters have never been my bag. Luckily, PJ Harvey knows that stamping your birth name on your music doesn't imply that you have to be subtle, modest, or boring. Ghost stories tend to come up a few times in the countdown this year, but this is probably the one ghost story on the list that actually sounds like a ghost story - creepy pitter patter percussion, lurking-in-the-next-room thumb piano loops, and even a respite for a keyboard that sounds like a dead child playing with its dusty toys from an ancient past. Oh and of course there's PJ's howling wail that anchors the multi-layered piece, desperately calling for peace when war has already broke out between four souls - the killer, the killed, and the shaking witnesses: mommy and daddy. Never has a song been able to give me the shivers, nightmares, and sounded so beautiful. Here's to realizing that music can be scary and enjoyable at the same time.
41 "The Opposite of Hallelujah" Jens Lekman Night Falls Over Kortedala [Secretly Canadian]"I picked up a seashell / to illustrate my homelessness / but a crab crawled out of it / making it useless."
Also a theme on the countdown are songs that were played at what was quite certainly the event of the year (hell, probably of the past 4 years), Qualler and Brigitte's wedding. Sometimes it's infuriating when bright happy pop songs have depressing lyrics, but Lekman knows how to be depressed, find the humor in it, and make a funner-than-thou song about it all. It's a win-win-win situation. No matter how you feel about weddings, when this song came on, even if you didn't know how to dance to it, you wanted to. This marked the beginning of songs that most of the crowd didn't know, but kept the crowd in the mood of celebration nonetheless. All of a sudden everyone (yours truly included of course) dipped with every tambourine hit and smiles abounded every time the strings came in, and partners took arms with each other when the ukulele bumbles in like a cartoon broom sweeping up the joint. It was remarkably glorious, like the final scene in Rushmore, everyone being together, loving the togetherness of it all, and feeling pure joy in the moment, regardless of anyone's feelings before they walked onto that dance floor, depressed or not.
Next week: the countdown continues with #s 40-31.
¶ posted by chris at 2:16 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
So Close to the Top 50 Songs of 2007
75 “Need Your Needs” Georgie James Places [Saddle Creek]
I've never liked a guitar that sounded like this, but it's just so fun that it's undeniable. Plus, pop songs that have verses, choruses, and post-choruses that are all equally infectious are a rarity. Dig that lone hand clap!
74 “Lake Michigan” Rogue Wave Asleep at Heaven's Gate [Brushfire]
A song so pretty and glossy from a band I've never found to be anything more than mediocre that it makes me question my own judgment when I sing along screaming the obviously wrong lyric "get off my 'stache!" Oh well, I cannot deny what I love.
73 “Crossing Line” The Sea and Cake Everybody [Thrill Jockey]
As the video suggests, I wish I could listen to this song blaring while laying in the bed of a truck staring up at the summer sky. Being able to follow along with Sam Prekop's slacker ramblings is just the icing on the cake. What a roaring low end!
72 “Circumstances” Magic Bullets A Child But in Life Yet a Doctor in Love [Words on Music]
This is the definition of jangle pop. That guitar sounds so much like a ray of sunshine it could burn your skin with its brightness. Warbling about commies and/or coffee with a voice that almost demands wild hand gestures to accompany it, the song as a whole is delightfully reserved and modest while still being energetic and engaging.
71 “Huntsman” Tulsa Drone Songs From a Mean Season [Dry County]
My mother got me a dulcimer for my college graduation. Weirdness aside, it's an amazing instrument and its tiny percussive melodies are woven throughout this happy droning rocker, along with a saw, a hypnotic e-bowed guitar, and steady confident drumming. The fadeout literally is the sound of drifting off to sleep.
70 “Bronson” Calla Strength in Numbers [Beggars Banquet]
I don't know if that is a marimba or a synthesizer getting busy underneath the tense acoustics of this grower of a morose pop song, but whatever it is, it digs its way into your skull along with the falsetto ooohs of the chorus. And when the song falls apart midway through, suspense and delicate left-right panning brings it all back to the death rattle of the snare drum.
68 “On & On” We All Have Hooks for Hands The Pretender [Afternoon]
It's quiet, so make sure you've got it turned up to get the full effect. Isn't it depressing when people who are younger than you kick your ass in songwriting? Yes, but it's also invigorating to hear such fervent youth encapsulated into two minutes of pure love for life, with a guitar strummed faster than the wind and an organ slammed with the fingers of a giant.
67 “I Kissed the Dirt + She Kissed Her Bobtail” Guitar Dealin With Signal and Noise [Onitor]
Forget what I said earlier about left-right panning - this is the song right here to get your fix. And who ever thought to hook up delay pedals to acoustic instruments is a bloody genius - this is the sound of riding your bike through lush green grass, falling over silently, not caring, and pulling dandelions all afternoon until your best friend shows up and you go get ice cream.
66 “Comfy in Nautica” Panda Bear Person Pitch [Paw Tracks]
It seems most people find an overt sense of warmth in Panda Bear's music, whereas I find not just that, but also a healthy serving of uneasiness and briskness. This is what makes the music so unforgettable, and this song in particular, because it's coming at you from all directions with a voice that is heavy, a beat that is ominous, and loops that overstay their welcome. Can't shake it.
65 “Alone Again” Illinois What the Hell Do I Know? [Ace Fu]
La-las, bum-bums, or ooh-ahs are a surefire way to be remembered if used correctly. With a dirty slide guitar and clean vocal melody accompanying two out of three of these nonsense syllables, this song demands an intimate listen by your lonesome, as the title implies. When it's over, you'll feel refreshed, reflective, and smiling - happy and emo can belong together.
64 “D.A.N.C.E.” Justice Cross [Downtown/Ed Banger]
Justice have proved themselves to be the only DJ duo to actually have learned something from listening to Daft Punk - dance songs can indeed be sugary as hell, make you want to bust a move, and listen carefully all at the same time. Every aspect of this song could be listened to on its own, from the Jackson 5 vocals to the soulful strings to the funky bass, and still be complete.
63 “Above the Clouds Lies Eternal Sun” Joy Wants Eternity You Who Pretend to Sleep [Beep Repaired]
An afternoon nap this summer made me fall in love with this song. Sun (apparently a theme in this countdown) was pouring in through my red curtains, it was humid with a breeze from the oscillating fan, and this song was playing softly from my dresser. The hi-hat that comes in halfway through practically lifted me off my bed in a spirited haze and blasted me away.
62 “Pearl” Maritime Heresy and the Hotel Choir [Flameshovel]
Davey's voice plus a dream-pop guitar duet make for an angelic listen. Listen to what that guitar does at 1:22 and hopefully your heart will burst like mine did. It continues to burst my heart multiple times throughout the song with multiple different riffs, including at 1:39 and 4:21. Add the fact that Maritime has never crafted such an epic tune and you've got quite a sprawling gem.
61 “Phantom Mountain” Laura Veirs Saltbreakers [Nonesuch]
First you've never heard a bass so confident and angry, and then all of a sudden there's that same melody, only this time played by either a cello or upright bass and you're like, "no, that's definitely more confident and angrier!" And then you get riled up, your fist pulsing along with the infrequent maracas, Laura's sexy ululations telling a tale of confusion and imminent death.
60 “Reasons to Go” Last Days These Places are Now Ruins [N5MD]
Field recordings can either detract from a song or add a necessary level of realism and naturalism to it. Obviously the sounds of cars rushing by, faint police sirens, and pages turning all contribute to the latter option here. It's four minutes that force you to slow down, close your eyes, and breathe with more attention. By the time the xylophone pops in, you should be ready.
59 “All My Heroes are Weirdos” !!! Myth Takes [Warp]
If you've never seen !!! live, then your life is not complete yet. I've probably rambled on about this in my writings on "Dear Can" and "Intensify" in years past, but this past year I officially sweat the most in a public place ever at their show here in the Minneap. This is the first time where I've latched onto one of their songs that's so in your face, but then again, I've never sweat that much either.
57 “Mirador” Efterklang Parades [Leaf]
Rock bands don't usually sound like chamber orchestras, so when they do, the average listener is awakened with both a sense of urgency and a fragile cinematic soundtrack filling the room. Woodwinds, strings, brass, and percussion pound through your eardrums with a rare whirlwind candor until it all dies down and a yelping troupe of solider singers take over at 2:26 for yet another one of those screw-the-apocalypse moments.
56 “Little Victories” 65daysofstatic The Destruction of Small Ideas [Monotreme]
Every time I listen to this, the production sounds soooo wrong that it's right. Not until the synth kicks in at 0:55 does anything start making sense and even then, everything still sounds at totally the wrong volume or in the wrong speaker. It's so magnificently screwed up that every crushing electronic or dirt-laden guitar that leaves and re-enters makes a devastating impact.
55 “Prescilla” Bat for Lashes Fur and Gold [Caroline]
Like dulcimers, harpsichords don't get enough play now that Quasi has left us. With every strum on the beat of the rudimentary percussion, I get chills - and the sultry vocals don't hurt either. Especially when, like old one-hit wonder White Town's "Your Woman," the chorus is so awesomely pronoun-ambiguous - "she really loves him, Prescilla" - who loves who?!?!
54 “Developing Active People” Via Audio Say Something [Sidecho]
It's almost impossible to make a ballad this catchy without being overly sentimental. This song treads that line so well you'd think they've spent year perfecting this song...and they have! I first heard a version of this song as a shining light on an otherwise mediocre charity compilation two years ago, so when I heard this song come up again this year, complete with expertly matched vocal harmonies, bubbling synths, and slinky guitars, I nearly fainted.
53 “Son of the Son of the Kiss of Death” The Narrator All That to the Wall [Flameshovel]
Once a straight-up emo act, it's more than comforting to hear this ferocious Chicago band evolve more and more in the right direction with every record, staying angsty without being whiny. You can just imagine the eyes widening in the audience and on stage every time the vocals strain or legs jumping in the air every time the snare gets a double hit. Then those faint strings? Oh swoon!
52 “Lovely Allen” Holy Fuck LP [Young Turks]
Traditionally, a loop is a fragment of sound repeated over and over again for underlying unification of a song or part of a song. But when your band is ostentatiously named Holy Fuck, a loop is a nuclear orgasm, compacted by the world's top scientists into aural form, for use in this song. All those wires and keyboards have to be just for show - there's no way an actual human created these noises without the help of some form of divinity or science fiction.
51 “Walcott (Insane Mix #2)” Vampire Weekend Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa Demos [Self-Released]
And we've officially entered the terrain of countless "impossible to not sing along to" descriptions. If you have two ears and a heart, even if you've never been to Cape Cod or had someone near to you disappear to there, you will want our mysterious protagonist Walcott to get out of Cape Cod by the end of this song. You'll also want to hear more synths that sound like they're broken paper shredders and fake drums that sound like looming cuddling monsters. ¶ posted by chris at 2:12 PM 2 comments
75 “Need Your Needs” Georgie James Places [Saddle Creek]I've never liked a guitar that sounded like this, but it's just so fun that it's undeniable. Plus, pop songs that have verses, choruses, and post-choruses that are all equally infectious are a rarity. Dig that lone hand clap!
74 “Lake Michigan” Rogue Wave Asleep at Heaven's Gate [Brushfire]
A song so pretty and glossy from a band I've never found to be anything more than mediocre that it makes me question my own judgment when I sing along screaming the obviously wrong lyric "get off my 'stache!" Oh well, I cannot deny what I love.
73 “Crossing Line” The Sea and Cake Everybody [Thrill Jockey]
As the video suggests, I wish I could listen to this song blaring while laying in the bed of a truck staring up at the summer sky. Being able to follow along with Sam Prekop's slacker ramblings is just the icing on the cake. What a roaring low end!
72 “Circumstances” Magic Bullets A Child But in Life Yet a Doctor in Love [Words on Music]
This is the definition of jangle pop. That guitar sounds so much like a ray of sunshine it could burn your skin with its brightness. Warbling about commies and/or coffee with a voice that almost demands wild hand gestures to accompany it, the song as a whole is delightfully reserved and modest while still being energetic and engaging.
71 “Huntsman” Tulsa Drone Songs From a Mean Season [Dry County]
My mother got me a dulcimer for my college graduation. Weirdness aside, it's an amazing instrument and its tiny percussive melodies are woven throughout this happy droning rocker, along with a saw, a hypnotic e-bowed guitar, and steady confident drumming. The fadeout literally is the sound of drifting off to sleep.
70 “Bronson” Calla Strength in Numbers [Beggars Banquet]
I don't know if that is a marimba or a synthesizer getting busy underneath the tense acoustics of this grower of a morose pop song, but whatever it is, it digs its way into your skull along with the falsetto ooohs of the chorus. And when the song falls apart midway through, suspense and delicate left-right panning brings it all back to the death rattle of the snare drum.
69 “Accident & Emergency” Patrick Wolf The Magic Position [Polydor]
I see this as a turning point in the list. Here's where the songs change from simply "great" to "mind blowing" and these 19 songs are what convinced me to go all the way to 100 this year. So many bells and whistles going on in this song that it never gets tired: whooshes and high-pitched sequencing and blasting horns are all cherries on top of cherries on top of Wolf's whipped cream.
I see this as a turning point in the list. Here's where the songs change from simply "great" to "mind blowing" and these 19 songs are what convinced me to go all the way to 100 this year. So many bells and whistles going on in this song that it never gets tired: whooshes and high-pitched sequencing and blasting horns are all cherries on top of cherries on top of Wolf's whipped cream.
68 “On & On” We All Have Hooks for Hands The Pretender [Afternoon]
It's quiet, so make sure you've got it turned up to get the full effect. Isn't it depressing when people who are younger than you kick your ass in songwriting? Yes, but it's also invigorating to hear such fervent youth encapsulated into two minutes of pure love for life, with a guitar strummed faster than the wind and an organ slammed with the fingers of a giant.
67 “I Kissed the Dirt + She Kissed Her Bobtail” Guitar Dealin With Signal and Noise [Onitor]
Forget what I said earlier about left-right panning - this is the song right here to get your fix. And who ever thought to hook up delay pedals to acoustic instruments is a bloody genius - this is the sound of riding your bike through lush green grass, falling over silently, not caring, and pulling dandelions all afternoon until your best friend shows up and you go get ice cream.
66 “Comfy in Nautica” Panda Bear Person Pitch [Paw Tracks]
It seems most people find an overt sense of warmth in Panda Bear's music, whereas I find not just that, but also a healthy serving of uneasiness and briskness. This is what makes the music so unforgettable, and this song in particular, because it's coming at you from all directions with a voice that is heavy, a beat that is ominous, and loops that overstay their welcome. Can't shake it.
65 “Alone Again” Illinois What the Hell Do I Know? [Ace Fu]
La-las, bum-bums, or ooh-ahs are a surefire way to be remembered if used correctly. With a dirty slide guitar and clean vocal melody accompanying two out of three of these nonsense syllables, this song demands an intimate listen by your lonesome, as the title implies. When it's over, you'll feel refreshed, reflective, and smiling - happy and emo can belong together.
64 “D.A.N.C.E.” Justice Cross [Downtown/Ed Banger]Justice have proved themselves to be the only DJ duo to actually have learned something from listening to Daft Punk - dance songs can indeed be sugary as hell, make you want to bust a move, and listen carefully all at the same time. Every aspect of this song could be listened to on its own, from the Jackson 5 vocals to the soulful strings to the funky bass, and still be complete.
63 “Above the Clouds Lies Eternal Sun” Joy Wants Eternity You Who Pretend to Sleep [Beep Repaired]
An afternoon nap this summer made me fall in love with this song. Sun (apparently a theme in this countdown) was pouring in through my red curtains, it was humid with a breeze from the oscillating fan, and this song was playing softly from my dresser. The hi-hat that comes in halfway through practically lifted me off my bed in a spirited haze and blasted me away.
62 “Pearl” Maritime Heresy and the Hotel Choir [Flameshovel]
Davey's voice plus a dream-pop guitar duet make for an angelic listen. Listen to what that guitar does at 1:22 and hopefully your heart will burst like mine did. It continues to burst my heart multiple times throughout the song with multiple different riffs, including at 1:39 and 4:21. Add the fact that Maritime has never crafted such an epic tune and you've got quite a sprawling gem.
61 “Phantom Mountain” Laura Veirs Saltbreakers [Nonesuch]
First you've never heard a bass so confident and angry, and then all of a sudden there's that same melody, only this time played by either a cello or upright bass and you're like, "no, that's definitely more confident and angrier!" And then you get riled up, your fist pulsing along with the infrequent maracas, Laura's sexy ululations telling a tale of confusion and imminent death.
60 “Reasons to Go” Last Days These Places are Now Ruins [N5MD]
Field recordings can either detract from a song or add a necessary level of realism and naturalism to it. Obviously the sounds of cars rushing by, faint police sirens, and pages turning all contribute to the latter option here. It's four minutes that force you to slow down, close your eyes, and breathe with more attention. By the time the xylophone pops in, you should be ready.
59 “All My Heroes are Weirdos” !!! Myth Takes [Warp]
If you've never seen !!! live, then your life is not complete yet. I've probably rambled on about this in my writings on "Dear Can" and "Intensify" in years past, but this past year I officially sweat the most in a public place ever at their show here in the Minneap. This is the first time where I've latched onto one of their songs that's so in your face, but then again, I've never sweat that much either.
58 “Monster” You Say Party! We Say Die! Lose All Time [Paper Bag]
A choral arrangement is not the same thing as all the band members singing the same lyrics in unison. YSP!WSD! know that. Not only do the slightly off-kilter mountains of gorgeous female vocals act as the song's high point, but when they sing about tearing out the strings connected to our hearts, it's one of those moments in song where the world crash down and as long as my headphones were still on, I wouldn't care.
A choral arrangement is not the same thing as all the band members singing the same lyrics in unison. YSP!WSD! know that. Not only do the slightly off-kilter mountains of gorgeous female vocals act as the song's high point, but when they sing about tearing out the strings connected to our hearts, it's one of those moments in song where the world crash down and as long as my headphones were still on, I wouldn't care.
57 “Mirador” Efterklang Parades [Leaf]
Rock bands don't usually sound like chamber orchestras, so when they do, the average listener is awakened with both a sense of urgency and a fragile cinematic soundtrack filling the room. Woodwinds, strings, brass, and percussion pound through your eardrums with a rare whirlwind candor until it all dies down and a yelping troupe of solider singers take over at 2:26 for yet another one of those screw-the-apocalypse moments.
56 “Little Victories” 65daysofstatic The Destruction of Small Ideas [Monotreme]
Every time I listen to this, the production sounds soooo wrong that it's right. Not until the synth kicks in at 0:55 does anything start making sense and even then, everything still sounds at totally the wrong volume or in the wrong speaker. It's so magnificently screwed up that every crushing electronic or dirt-laden guitar that leaves and re-enters makes a devastating impact.
55 “Prescilla” Bat for Lashes Fur and Gold [Caroline]
Like dulcimers, harpsichords don't get enough play now that Quasi has left us. With every strum on the beat of the rudimentary percussion, I get chills - and the sultry vocals don't hurt either. Especially when, like old one-hit wonder White Town's "Your Woman," the chorus is so awesomely pronoun-ambiguous - "she really loves him, Prescilla" - who loves who?!?!
54 “Developing Active People” Via Audio Say Something [Sidecho]
It's almost impossible to make a ballad this catchy without being overly sentimental. This song treads that line so well you'd think they've spent year perfecting this song...and they have! I first heard a version of this song as a shining light on an otherwise mediocre charity compilation two years ago, so when I heard this song come up again this year, complete with expertly matched vocal harmonies, bubbling synths, and slinky guitars, I nearly fainted.
53 “Son of the Son of the Kiss of Death” The Narrator All That to the Wall [Flameshovel]Once a straight-up emo act, it's more than comforting to hear this ferocious Chicago band evolve more and more in the right direction with every record, staying angsty without being whiny. You can just imagine the eyes widening in the audience and on stage every time the vocals strain or legs jumping in the air every time the snare gets a double hit. Then those faint strings? Oh swoon!
52 “Lovely Allen” Holy Fuck LP [Young Turks]
Traditionally, a loop is a fragment of sound repeated over and over again for underlying unification of a song or part of a song. But when your band is ostentatiously named Holy Fuck, a loop is a nuclear orgasm, compacted by the world's top scientists into aural form, for use in this song. All those wires and keyboards have to be just for show - there's no way an actual human created these noises without the help of some form of divinity or science fiction.
51 “Walcott (Insane Mix #2)” Vampire Weekend Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa Demos [Self-Released]
And we've officially entered the terrain of countless "impossible to not sing along to" descriptions. If you have two ears and a heart, even if you've never been to Cape Cod or had someone near to you disappear to there, you will want our mysterious protagonist Walcott to get out of Cape Cod by the end of this song. You'll also want to hear more synths that sound like they're broken paper shredders and fake drums that sound like looming cuddling monsters. ¶ posted by chris at 2:12 PM 2 comments
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Almost the Best 50 Songs of 2007
Soon I, 1/7 of the Pop Culture Blogulator, will bring you my obsessive Top 50 Songs list, now a yearly tradition that hopefully most of my friends are aware of, for the year of 2007. Before though, my compulsions have risen to dangerous levels this year, as I bring part 1 of a 2-part teaser: #100-51 of the Best Songs of 2007. This is a first time event, so enjoy #s 100-76 today, and if you know me - you should know how to get these songs by now. Check back in soon for regular updates, including #s 75-51, and then the most beloved Top 50 Songs after that...also, you can check out videos for the songs that are linked.
100 “I Want Your Love” Chromatics Night Drive: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Italians Do it Better]
Straddling the line between creepy and sexy = hard to do.
99 "(Even if You Die on the) Ocean" Saturday Looks Good to Me Fill Up the Room [K]
Dudes who can't sing given yet another chance, and it's so adorable.
98 “Opr8r” Shape of Broad Minds Craft of the Lost Art [Lex]
Wait for it...where did that vibraphone come from? In a hip-hop song? I can dig it.
97 “Misfits and Mistakes” Superchunk Misfits and Mistakes 7" [Merge]
Most earnest song to ever be inspired by a movie based on a TV show about a mustachioed carton of french fries and his dimwitted food item friends, and only released on vinyl.
96 “Outside of This Car, the End of the World!” Le Loup The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly [Hardly Art]
One man sounding like a million, each second more layered than the last.
95 “23 Years Too Late” Wire Read & Burn 03 [Pink Flag]
Punk, industrial, legendary, British, and epic. I never thought those would all go together so well.
94 “4,738 Regrets” Trans Am Sex Change [Thrill Jockey]
Listen to this right when the sun rises and your day will be a good one. Promise.
93 “The Plot” White Rabbits Fort Nightly [Say Hey]
Okay so I'm officially not pissed anymore about The Walkmen turning to crap, because now we have this, the real sequel to "The Rat."
92 “Crash, Crash, Crash” Prinzhorn Dance School Prinzhorn Dance School [DFA]
Can any other song get you revved up in 39 seconds with only two voices and a snare drum? I thought not.
91 “Fire Fire Fire” Dappled Cities Granddance [Dangerbird]
Lackadaisical pretty boy pop band makes the best "I don't care that the Apocalypse is coming" song I've heard in a while.
90 “Azure” Akira Kosemura + Haruka Nakamura Afterglow [Schole]
Chimes, backwards tape looping, and the most beautiful piano lines to ever come out of Japan.
89 “Archangel” Burial Untrue [Hyperdub]
Dance music for aliens. Sure the whole abduction process would be scary, but it would be worth it for the killer metallic zero gravity rave that would follow.
88 “Men's Needs” The Cribs Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever [Warner Bros.]
Dumb sloppy guys manage to somehow make a fun and crsip song about sexual politics. Warning: this song may be on repeat forever if you listen to it once.
87 “Absorb the Lip Gloss” The Hood Internet The Mixtape Volume One [Self-Released]
You say, "I hate that lip gloss song." No you don't, you just wish it had Marnie Stern's eyeball-popping fretwork underneath it. Trust me.
86 “The World Outside” Maserati Inventions for the New Season [Temporary Residence]
File under: I don't smoke pot, but if a song ever made me wish I did...
85 “Rainbowarriors” CocoRosie The Adventures of Ghosthorse & Stillborn [Touch & Go]
Is she rapping? Not really, but on top of those clicky samples and soothing synths, it's the perfect kind of vocal melody, especially accompanied by the cooing of the chorus.
84 “Always on the Telephone” The Ladybug Transistor Can't Wait Another Day [Merge]
Slide guitar I can handle, not to mention when it's used judiciously. But a saxophone? That just blows me to smithereens. Reminds me of Rob Lowe in St. Elmo's Fire - it's that hot.
83 “Shim Sham” Imperial Teen The Hair the TV the Baby and the Band [Merge]
Now if only I could see my 12-year-old crush Kennedy from Alternative Nation to say a half-witty joke every time I listen to this song, my nostalgia for 1995 will be complete...
82 “Once and Never Again” The Long Blondes Someone to Drive You Home [Rough Trade]
It almost sounds like Save Ferris, but minus the ska (somehow possible): "Nineteen, you're only nineteen for God's sake, you don't need a boyfriend!!!" Try to listen to this without screaming that out.
81 “Welcome, Ghosts” Explosions in the Sky All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone [Temporary Residence]
I almost died when these guys, the biggest instrumental band in the country, played this song on Conan O'Brien. So weird not to see a microphone on stage at a late night talk show - plus Conan said he loved it! (I know he always does, but I want to believe he actually did).
80 “Modern Lover” Coco B's Coco B's [K Double]
I yearn for the days that Nada Surf could churn out a perfectly innocuous yet anthemic pop-rock gem. Luckily, Coco B's pick up when the former went off to too-bland-land.
79 “Gimme Gimme Gimme” The Dirty Projectors Rise Above [Dead Oceans]
Cocteau Twins channeled by Animal Collective channeled by Antony and the Johnsons channeled by angels demons in a rapturous battle, intertwined, making love and war simultaneously.
78 “She's the One” Caribou Andorra [Merge]
Re: the title and the song's corresponding message. Whether you're an idiot and need the reminder or you take solace and renewed happiness in hearing the trite yet true words as if it's the first time you've realized it, this is the song to do it for you.
77 “Handwriting” Bottom of the Hudson Fantastic Hawk [Absolutely Kosher]
Tiny and simple lo-fi song with the biggest heart and charm - and it's about the little things. Do a little and it will do it a lot.
76 “ASA” Caspian The Four Trees [Dopamine]
Each note is crafted with care, love, dedication, and is simmering beneath, waiting to explode. And when it does, it's oh so smooth and transcendent.
¶ posted by chris at 3:02 PM 1 comments
