James Brown - Cottage For Sale

James Brown - Cottage For Sale

Like the Wilco song from the weekend, "Cottage for Sale" is another song of domestic strife. I found this song off fluxblog.org, who has a great little blurb about it.

Wilco - Hate It Here

Wilco - Hate It Here
Wilco - Say You Miss Me

Much like Bob Mould, Jeff Tweedy and Wilco have a string of songs on the theme of love lost. Songs like Say You Miss Me, We're Just Friends, and ELT all highlight this heartbreak. Even the song Passenger Side, about something as mundane as riding in the passenger side of a car, has a twinge of heartbreak to it: "Should've been the driver, could've been the one. I should've been your lover..."

Hate It Here is off Wilco's latest album, Sky Blue Sky. While the songs mentioned above deal with heartbreak in grand, swooping terms, Hate It Here takes a more subdued, oblique route, making it all the more powerful. Here is an older Tweedy, trying to continue the simple routine of domestic life without her, and he's a wreck, he absolutely hates it. While the other songs offer apologies and emotional games, Tweedy has run out of those now; he can only resign himself to ask "what am I gonna do?"

I wonder where Tweedy, married with two children, still finds the inspiration for songs like these after seven albums. Were it not for the last line ("cause I know you don’t live here anymore"), this could be a song about Tweedy's wife just going away for the weekend. And that subtlety is what I find so fascinating. Were it not for that last line, this could be a very powerful love song about missing his wife while she's away!

DeVotchKa - Transliterator

DeVotchKa - Transliterator

DeVotchKa did a bunch of tracks on last year's Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack (great movie!). Their latest album, A Mad and Faithful Telling, came out last week.

Headlights - Cherry Tulips

Headlights - Cherry Tulips

Sean introduced me to this band. And wouldn't you know, they are from Champaign, Illinois, home to The University of Illinois, my alma mater! Go Illini!

Jimi Hendrix - Mannish Boy

Jimi Hendrix - Mannish Boy

There's a posthumous Jimi Hendrix album called Blues, which features him playing various Blues song. I love this particular track for his absolute disregard for the lyrics of the song; listen how he just mumbles through them after the first verse. Its as if the words are merely a vehicle for his ferocious guitar playing.

The album cover is also really cool: it is a silhouette of Hendrix, with various blues artists in technicolor boxes.

Yo La Tengo - You Can Have It All

Yo La Tengo - You Can Have It All

My wife and I were married two years ago today. Our first date was at a Thai restaurant in Chicago, and this song came over the speakers. "Is this Yo La Tengo?" I asked. "Yeah, sounds like it" she said. It was a fleeting moment, but I think both of us caught an inkling that the other might be something special.

Born in the Flood - Anthem

Born in the Flood - Anthem

Since at least 2004, and maybe before, SXSW has released a bundle of mp3s from bands at the festival. And every year I have the dream of listening to all those mp3s and discovering the one new artist who will change my life. I even have a system of rating any song I like with three stars. I end up getting about a tenth of the way through the list before moving on to something else. Oh well, the music blogs will tell me what to listen to.

On the other hand, Paul Ford has six-word reviews of all 763 MP3s on 2008's SXSW torrent, with hilarious results. Take for example the song "Anthem" by Born in the Flood. Ford says:

This song by Born in the Flood is inexcusable. Consider: (1) It is called “Anthem,” and it is an anthem. (2) It sounds like Bono and the Edge riding around on Sparklehorses. (3) I can’t understand the lyrics but there’s a crown mentioned. It was heretofore considered impossible for any singer to overcome these cognitive challenges in order to create a distinct and memorable song. And yet this man does exactly that. Or to put it another way: When you were 23 and living alone without many friends and definitely no girlfriends, did you ever jerk off and cry at the same time? This is your song.

Woah, that band must really suck. Let me look them up in my iTunes snd have a listen to this crap... and, oh... wait a minute... hmmm... Turns out, Anthem is one of the songs I rated with three stars. Out of the 35 songs I listened to, it was the only one I rated. Ouch. Maybe I should stick to the music blogs.

But I'll stick by Anthem; its not such a bad song. There's some really passion in how he declares "this is an anthem". What do you think?

Duets

She & Him - You Really Got A Hold On Me

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Gone Gone Gone

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Dream A Little Dream Of Me

I posted about She & Him last month; the album came out this week and I'm really enjoying it! After listening to the album, I think there's few things that set Zooey Deschanel apart from the standard actress turned singer:

1. She's comfortable with the scope and style of her music; she's not trying to be the next Britney Spears
2. She's collaborating with a great producer in M. Ward.
3. Songs with laughter and kazoo's; they really had fun making this!

It reminds me a little of last year's great duet album from Robert Plant & Alison Krauss. The lead singer of Led Zepplin and a country artist sound like an unlikely pairing, but they come together beautifully on this album. The song Gone Gone Gone won a Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

Then there is the great duets team of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Dream a Little Dream of Me is my favorite song from their sessions. Like Ward and Deschanel, I love the contrast of Armstrong's sandpaper growl to Fitzgerald's smooth vocals.

(Yup, three songs; I'm out of town this weekend).

Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star

Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star

An update on my computer situation: it was the video card! As bad as it seemed, Ockham's Razor prevailed: there was no video, so it must be the video card. After swapping it with another video card, the computer worked just fine.

Three hardware failures over the last six months. Moments like these highlight the need for a robust system and consistent backup strategy. In programming terms, I see our music system as an MVC system: the Model (the storage system), the View (the stereo or whatever is playing the music) and the Controller (the Media Center or Mac-mini which is controlling what is playing). The next thing I'd like to do is upgrade the Model portion with something like a ReadyNAS or Drobo. This will decouple the music from the computer, making it more resilient to any one computer's failures.

Anyway, as I continue to dream, enjoy the Buggles' Video Killed the Radio Star. This popular 80s hit was the first song to run through my head after the relief of fixing the computer washed over me. I somehow turned it into The Video Card Killed the Computer in my head.

The Big Sleep - Pinkies

The Big Sleep - Pinkies

Brooklyn's The Big Sleep just put out an interesting album called Sleep Forever. It goes between some really heavy stuff, instrumental tracks, and tracks somewhere in between, like this one.

Andrew Bird - Sic of Elephants

Andrew Bird - Sic of Elephants

The circus is coming! Every year the Ringling Bros Barnum & Baily Circus comes to Madison Square Garden. Although I've never been to the circus, I have been to the "Elephant Walk", which, if you live in NYC, is far more exciting.

Every year, the circus parks their trucks in Queens, and walk their elephants through the Midtown Tunnel, down 34th Street, over to Madison Square Garden. I'm not sure exactly why they do this, I think it has something to do with weight limits on the tunnel, but seeing elephants walking down 34th Street is quite an amazing site. This year's Elephant Walk takes place tonight; you can learn more from Gothamist.

To celebrate the elephants, I was hoping to post a song related to elephants. However, songs like Beirut's Elephant Gun and Blonde Redhead's Elephant Woman strike a melancholy tone. There is a scene from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind where Jim Carry and Kirsten Dunst are at the Elephant Walk; the music in the background is called Elephant Walk, by John Brion. Its a beautiful instrumental piece but sadly its only 26 seconds long.

Then I ran across Andrew Bird's Soldier On from earlier this year, and the song Sic of Elephants. Last year's Armchair Apocrypha was one of my favorite albums of 2007, and this EP is much in the same vein. I'm not quite sure what this song is about, I believe its about elephants
only in a metaphorical sense, but it seems appropriate for today.

Also, just out of curiosity, how come its not a huge event when the elephants walk back out of Madison Square Garden?

Dropkick Murphys - Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced

Dropkick Murphys - Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced

What could be more appropriate for St. Patrick's Day than a song from the Dropkick Murphys? This is a funny song of hard-drinking and male bravado ("I designed the Sears Tower, I make two grand an hour"), perfect for a night out (like Victoria from a few days ago). But it takes an endearing, self-deprecating turn towards the end that gives it some heart too.

Two Songs: The Kane Sisters

Urge Overkill - Erica Kane

Art Brut - Emily Kane

Growing up in Chicago (or even the suburbs :-) in the mid-90s, you felt some pride in bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Urge Overkill and Veruca Salt, who had the entire nation talking about the Chicago-scene. That's why I smile came across my face when I heard that Urge Overkill were still touring to this day. Lead singer Nash Kato played a solo show at Mercury Lounge last month, while the entire band returns to the Bowery Ballroom on April 29th. This song Erica Kane is off their mega hit album Saturation. While Erica Kane is about an obsession with Susan Lucci's TV soap opera character, it is not to be confused with Emily Kane, the song from Art Brut about a childhood crush turned adult obsession.

Rolling Stones - Start Me Up

Rolling Stones - Start Me Up

The last thing I did last night before going to bed was turn off the music playing on the computer. I woke up this morning ready to listen to more music, and was greeted by the dreaded blue screen of death!

I have no idea what could have happened over night to cause this. But the scary part is a simple reset does nothing; it doesn't even boot into the bios screen. Nothing.

This is bad.

Luckily my hard drive (along with my music) was backed up to an external. I imagine tonight I'll unplug the computer from the TV, hook it up to a proper monitor and keyboard, and (hopefully) figure out what's going on. What's frustrating is that this is like the 3rd time this has happened; the first two were hardware issues (faulty hard drive and ram chip), but the fact that the computer isn't even booting this time really worries me.

Now I'm not one to go blaming Microsoft; I understand that every system has its faults. But the simple fact is ever since I switched over to Vista Media Center, its been a bad experience, and not much of a benefit in exchange for a lot of pain. I'm thinking about other options, maybe a Mac Mini coupled with a large hard drive. Anyone have any suggestions?

So anyway, while I sort out this whole mess, hopefully A Song A Day can keep going strong off my backup drive. Today's song is The Rolling Stones' Start Me Up, which was licensed by Microsoft over ten years ago to promote Windows 95. I wish my computer would do that right now.

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World

While Kurt Cobain's death was the defining music moment of the 90s, Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance was the defining musical performance of the 90s. For months, years, after its release, you'd hear this album echoing across college dorm rooms. MTV played the broadcast constantly, and we'd watch it constantly. The performance itself was the stuff of legend: candles everywhere setting the mood, most songs in a single take, and Cobain's chilling yell. The impact was felt beyond Nirvana, introducing a whole new generation to the Meat Puppets and even David Bowie, who's songs Nirvana covered for the performance. The song above is a cover of David Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World (I've been doing a lot of cover songs on this blog).

I can't think of any musical performance which has embedded itself into popular and indie culture alike. The Unplugged performance came out on DVD a few months ago, 13 years after the show. I haven't listened to the album lately, but seeing this DVD on store shelves really brought back memories of the performance and the times.

M.I.A. - Paper Planes (Holy Fuck Remix)

M.I.A. - Paper Planes (Holy Fuck Remix)

After a few days of conference sessions and films, the SXSW music festival begins today! Although I've never been, SXSW is the perfect conference for me; where else can you hear John Resig share the Secrets of Javascript Libraries one day, and hear The Big Sleep play the next?

To add to the mix of events, Rachael Ray is throwing her own SXSW party on Saturday, featuring bands like The Ravenottes, The Stills, and Holy Fuck. I never pegged Rachael for a music fan; the combination of her bubbly personality and a band named Holy Fuck makes for a surreal event. I can just hear her now: "they're just deslish!"

To kick off SXSW, today's track is a remix of M.I.A.'s Paper Planes by Holy Fuck. This is my favorite track off M.I.A's Kala. Its not a Holy Fuck song, but they rework it to become their own, taking only a hint of M.I.A.'s original melody and using it as a base for their own driving rhythms.

The Helio Sequence - Lately

The Helio Sequence - Lately

The Helio Sequence combine elements of Bob Dylan, U2 and The Walkmen, and throw in a dash of electronics, to make a sound all their own. Their album Keep Your Eyes Ahead has been growing on me lately; each song has something interesting to offer.

Petra Haden - Don't Stop Believin'

Petra Haden - Don't Stop Believin'

Last week I posted a song from The Rentals. While reading about them on Wikipedia, I was surprised to learn that Petra Haden was one of the original members. Last year, Petra Haden recorded an a cappella cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" for the Guilt By Association CD. The album has indie artists covering their favorite guilty pleasures; this track by Haden is the standout.

Two Songs: Hüsker Dü and Bob Mould

Hüsker Dü - I Apologize

Bob Mould - Stupid Now

Bob Mould has a prolific musical career, from bands like Hüsker Dü and Sugar to his solo albums. Through it all his songs have carried the singular theme of feelings misunderstood and relationships gone awry. Just off the top of my head there's "I Apologize", and "Sorry Somehow" (from Hüsker Dü), "If I Can't Change Your Mind" and "Believe What You're Saying" (from Sugar) and "Can't Fight It" and "Stupid Now" now from his solo work. This is a unique juxtaposition for a band as hard as Hüsker Dü: its like instead of saying "Roar, lets go out and party and break stuff", he's like "Awww, lets stay home and talk and work things out".

The first song, "I Apologize" is off Hüsker Dü's 1985 classic New Day Rising. "Stupid Now" is off Bob Mould's latest solo album, District Line. Bob Mould is also this week's guest on Sound Opinions, he's playing Irving Plaza on Thursday, and he's a regular blogger.

The Rentals - Friends of P

The Rentals - Friends of P

The new season of America's Next Top Model started recently, and with it came new judge Paulina Porizkova. Porizkova was a supermodel and Playboy cover girl; now she occupies the seat once held by Twiggy, and Janice Dickinson before her. I was suprised to learn that Paulina is also the subject for The Rentals' hit song Friends of P. From Wikipedia:

"It's about Paulina Porizkova, who is Rick Ocasek's wife, who used to come down to Electric Ladyland studios when we were recording the Blue album. And she would read our palms, and she was pregnant and she would just hang out. And we were like, "Wow, a pregnant supermodel is reading our palms." And then she would complain about how only bands like Warrant and all these '80s heavy metal bands are the only people who would write songs about her. And so she was really bummed out that nobody cool was writing songs about her now, so I wrote that song for her while we were at Electric Lady as an attempt to get her out of the '80s hair metal rut she was stuck in."

Matt Sharp of The Rentals was also in Weezer; Rick Ocasek was the producer of Weezer's first album. Weird how an indie band and an international supermodel can come together like that.

The Kinks - Victoria

The Kinks - Victoria

Rolling Stone's magazine recently published an album-to-album guide to The Kinks. With The Kinks on the Juno soundtrack, and lead-singer Ray Davies on tour, there's been a lot of renewed interest in The Kinks lately. My favorite Kinks song is Victoria, about Queen Victoria, which could serve as an anthem for the British Empire. The raucous chant of "Victoria!" makes this the best imperialistic bar song ever.

Lightspeed Champion - Dry Lips

Lightspeed Champion - Dry Lips

Lightspeed Champion is Devonte Hynes, who used to be in the band Test Icicles, who sound nothing like Lightspeed Champion. Lightspeed Champion remind me of this year's Loney Dear: both are singer-songwriters masquerading under different names, both released albums towards the beginning of the year, and both have a similar style of gentle-rock-pop. We're going to tonight's show at Mercury Lounge. Its been a long time since I've been to Mercury Lounge and I'm excited to go back; I love seeing shows in that intimate setting.

Drive-By Truckers - Bob

Drive-By Truckers - Bob

I've really been enjoying the new Drive-By Truckers album. At 19 tracks its a bit long, but this is one of the most cohesive albums of the year. Songs like Bob and The Home Front look at characters from modern-day Americana. I like the song Bob in particular for its portrayal of a simple man who doesn't ask for much, and doesn't need much in return. Drive-By Truckers kick of their tour this month in Huntsville, Alabama.

Al Green - A Change Is Gonna Come

Al Green - A Change Is Gonna Come

Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come is one of my favorite songs. Cooke wanted to create a song that captured the spirit of the times, like Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind, and in doing so he created a song that is timeless. Whether I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day at work, or anxiously awaiting the next president, this song always captures the moment.

The song has been covered by such heavyweights as Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. But my favorite is Al Green's version, performed live at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony (back in 1996, I believe). You can just feel his warmth and love radiating out through your speakers.

Two Songs: Genghis Blues & Dengue Fever

Paul Pena - Kargyraa Moan

Dengue Fever - Seeing Hands

I thought I'd mix it up over the weekends sometimes and post two tracks together. There won't be an update tomorrow, so this averages out to a song a day. I just need a better name for this feature.

Sean introduced me to the Genghis Blues Soundtrack. Genghis Blues is a documentary that traces blind blues singer Paul Pena's trip to Tuva (in Russia) to learn more about their art of throat singing. It won best Documentary Feature at the 2000 Academy Awards. I have yet to see the movie, but the music is something special.

The track above is one of the more "Americanized" tracks, where Pena throatsings within a Blues song. I love the raw, dirty sound the throatsinging adds; it may be from the other side of the world, but its what the Blues are all about.

Dengue Fever have been popular in the LA area for a while, but they're gaining attention in indie rock circles for their brand of Cambodian rock. The band started with a trip to Cambodia, where Ethan Holtzman contracted a love for 60s Cambodian Music while his friend contracted a bad case of Dengue Fever. Upon returning to the states, Holtzman started a band to play covers of these songs. They even recruited a Cambodian singer to front the band. Here again is a track where two worlds come together to make something different.