02/20/2010
“Junior Citizen” – Poster Children
I can’t remember whether it was the summer just before I started my freshman year at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign or during that first semester, but I remember being absolutely thrilled that SPIN magazine dedicated a portion of an article to the college town when talking about possible “next Seattles”. A ridiculous exercise of course, but it was still exciting to see that I was about to spend four years (at that time I didn’t yet know it would stretch to six years with graduate school) in a hotbed of local music. I haven’t been able to find the article online (I would love a link or scan if any readers happen to have one, this would have come out in 1994), but I remember them mentioning bands like Hum, Honcho Overload, probably Braid, and the subject of this post – Poster Children. I consider myself extremely lucky to have seen them play around town a significant number of times, not to mention meeting the various members at one point (a nicer group of musicians I have yet to meet). Anyway, the music. The band’s sound wavered over the years between pop-punk, post-hardcore, more straightforward alternative rock, and new wave. This particular tune is a pure blast of alt-rock adrenaline, cramming pop hooks and a driving energy into its five minute run-time. Although they managed to break onto a major label during the post-Nirvana land rush, the band was never met with the critical and commercial success they so deserved and Poster Children remain criminally underrated to this day. I highly recommend picking up any one of their albums if you enjoy this particular track.
Track: “Junior Citizen”
Artist: Poster Children
Where to get it: Junior Citizen
02/12/2010
“Time For Heroes” – The Libertines
It really is a shame that Pete Doherty’s lasting legacy will be that of a walking overdose-in-waiting that gets arrested every time he ventures outdoors, because his songwriting deserves so much more. Granted, it has been diminishing returns since The Libertines imploded into Babyshambles and Dirty Pretty Things, but once upon a time he was capable of teaming up with Carl Barat for absolute gems such as this one. Taken from the band’s debut album, the track is an electrified anthem recounting Doherty’s run-in with unhappy police officers during the London May Day riots in 2001. The dirty, staccato guitar riff that kicks things off is the plug meeting the socket that electrifies the proceedings, pairing up perfectly with one of the all-time great opening lines:
“Did you see the stylish kids in the riot / We were shoveled up like muck / Set the night on fire”
From there things only get more intense, galloping along with a primal urgency on the back of the shuffling beat and dirty guitar. Doherty grows pleading and desperate as the riot police with “truncheons and shields” surround and beat the crowd back, leading to the emotional core of the song when he sighs and drops to his knees. It marks the sound of swallowing pride, giving up and packing it all in – the hope, the pride, the anger. But just as you expect the song to wrap up our tale of woe, a wonderfully dizzy guitar solo winds us back up again for another triumphant run through the first verse. A lovely ending to a song that deserves a much better reputation than its likely to have if Doherty continues his current path of self-destruction.
Track: “Time For Heroes”
Artist: The Libertines
Where to get it: Up the Bracket
02/10/2010
“One Love” – Nas
Considering all the classic songs packed on this album, not to mention the sharp productions by legends of the industry (Premier, Large Professor), some might be surprised that I’ve always singled this out as my favorite. Not a slight against any other track on Nas’ debut, but this slides right into a distinct subset of hip-hop I’ve always loved – that laconic yet beat-driven strain that calls back to jazz more than the soul and funk that directly birthed rap. The sample that gives “One Love” this feel that I particularly love, “Smiling Billy Suite Pt. 2″ by the Heath Brothers, is put to great use by producer Q-Tip and pairs up nicely with the drums. Typical of the album as a whole, Nas’ flow is near perfect. Maybe not the most important song I could pull from this landmark debut, but definitely a track I could never live without. If I am allowed one minor quibble however, I would love Tip’s ad-libs of the title. I think it would have been much smoother to just let the beat ride at those points. For those queasy about such things, be warned that this does contain those four-letter words you may not want to play in front of the children.
Track: “One Love”
Artist: Nas
Where to get it: Illmatic
01/30/2010
“Disney Girls (1957)” – The Beach Boys
There is absolutely nothing wrong with strong, direct sentiment in a pop song, particularly when the sentiment is handled as well as it is by Bruce Johnston in this 1971 Beach Boys song. The song’s parent album, Surf’s Up, is criminally underrated in comparison to the rest of the band’s discography and I think this particular track may be the most underrated of the bunch. Johnston presents one of the more clear-eyed and optimistic takes on growing older, settling down, and abandoning the like of a young rock and roller I’ve heard, framed as it is through the eyes of 1950s nostalgia. As the world was heading straight into the uncertainty of the early seventies and the high dreams of the sixties were fading, jumping back to the innocence and freedom of the fifties didn’t seem like such a bad thing. Johnston makes a simple life in a simple town with a simple family sound like the most wonderful thing in the world. This is deservedly Johnston’s enduring legacy, as it should be, if even for the one simple couplet that grabs me every time:
“Oh reality, it’s not for me / And it makes me laugh
Oh, fantasy world and Disney girls / I’m coming back”
Track: “Disney Girls (1957)”
Artist: The Beach Boys
Where to get tt: Sunflower/Surf’s Up
01/27/2010
“Fingertips” – Poe
I’ll freely admit to coming to appreciate this track in a completely backwards way even though, on reflection, I must have heard this at least several times back in college thanks to friends that would frequently play Poe’s 1995 debut album. However, it wasn’t until about three years ago that I fell hard for this track during a spurt of downloading anything and everything I could find that had to do with the late producer extraordinaire James Yancey (a.k.a. Jay Dee, a.k.a. J Dilla). While mainly known for his stunning and entirely unique approach to production work for numerous hip-hop and soul artists, it seems Yancey spent some time programming drums for less remembered nineties alt-rock songstresses. Anyone familiar with his output will recognize the signature drum sound almost immediately, the stunted wooziness cuddling up nicely with Poe’s vocals. The combination works extremely well and, when paired with the clipped vocal and haunting horn sample underneath, creates a sensuous, smoky vibe eerily similar to the work Portishead were doing just a short time before (and again a couple years later). Even the most hip-hop averse person should be able to find something to appreciate about the noteworthy work Yancey was doing.
Track: “Fingertips”
Artist: Poe
Where to get it: Hello
01/26/2010
“Honestly” – Zwan
It would be completely understandable if one were inclined to discount everything Billy Corgan has done since the Smashing Pumpkins originally disbanded in 2000. Whether under his own name, the resurrected name of his highly revered claim to fame, or under the short-lived indie supergroup (of sorts) Zwan; it would be an understatement to say his hit-to-miss ratio was underwhelming at best. However, as the case may be with so many artists that suffer through a painfully dry period, there is just enough wheat amongst the chaff to render it inadvisable to burn the entire crop. A particular gem that has stood the test of time for me is this lead single from the aforementioned Zwan project, a shimmering orgasm of guitar pop that came about three years too late to keep Corgan at the top of the hit lists. A shame, really, because this should have scored very well with those who loved the songs like “Perfect” and “1979″. The song sort of emerges from the ether, with the guitar line and Corgan’s vocals swirling into existence. This “swirl” as I’ll call it, for lack of a better word, manages to hang around throughout the entire track, giving it an otherworldly vibe – a vibe only amplified by the hyper-distorted guitar solo that bleeds into a final soaring rendition of the chorus. And what a sweet chorus it is, both lyrically and sonically – Corgan should have taken much fuller advantage of Paz’s harmonies.
Track: “Honestly”
Artist: Zwan
Where to get it: Mary Star of the Sea
04/28/2009
“Megalodon” – Mastodon
This song stumbles right out of the gate, tripping over a twisting riff and stuttering drums that leave no clue as to the absolute devastation this song will leave in its wake after four minutes and twenty-three seconds. “Megalodon” isn’t one of Mastodon’s heaviest tracks, but it certainly appears to be among its most frenzied. Riffs and drum patterns are thrown around with little regard for the listener, as if the band is daring them to just try and keep up. They offer up a teaser of a moment to breathe when that pseudo-country riff drops in, but the onslaught quickly resumes and you can only gasp for whatever fresh air you can as the next wave pulls you under. Its as if the lyric “swimming in fear for life” is aimed at the listener just as much as it is meant to tie into the album’s Moby Dick theme. A solid example of why these guys are one of the most respected metal bands in the world right now.
Track: “Megalodon”
Artist: Mastodon
Where to get it: Leviathan
04/24/2009
“Thrice All American” – Neko Case
Have you ever visited a city that you didn’t find particularly pleasing, wondering how anyone could subject themselves to actually living there? Listening to “Thrice All American” might help to give you a better understanding. Rarely has such a depressing description of a city betrayed such a deep admiration as the one Neko provides as she guides us through Tacoma. It’s clear that she loves the city, despite glaring flaws that would have immediately driven away the weaker willed. Unlike the signature songs of far more glamorous American cities (New York, Chicago), Case isn’t afraid to lay down all the cards and hit you with the negatives right from the start. But damn if she doesn’t make you actually nostalgiac for Tacoma well before the final verse, even if you’ve never been there. Musically this isn’t anything spectacular, a workmanlike mid-tempo shuffle that serves as a steady backdrop, but that’s okay since this is all about Neko’s delivery anyway. My favorite part of the song (hell, my favorite part of the entire album in question) is when she admits loving Tacoma simply because it never made life too comfortable:
There was nothing to put me in love with the good life
I’m in league with the gangs, guns and the crime
There was no hollow promise that life would reward you
There was nowhere to hide in Tacoma
Track: “Thrice All American”
Artist: Neko Case
Where to get it: Furnace Room Lullaby
04/23/2009
“Dead End Job” – The Police
If you only know Sting and the boys from the incessant airings of their bigger singles (“Every Breath You Take”, “Can’t Stand Losing You”, “Roxanne”, etc.) on classic rock and 80′s flashback weekends, this track may come as a bit of a surprise. I know it gave me a little bit of a shock the first time I came across it. Given the band’s formation in the punk saturated London of 1977, it makes sense that the band drew heavy inspiration from the bands exploding around them. But given much of their later output, especially the over-reliance on watered down reggae, most younger listeners might find it easier to lump them in with the new wave scene. “Dead End Job”, a United States B-side to “Roxanne”, is about as close to raw punk as The Police ever came. Sad this was relegated to the usual “studio toss off” status of most B-sides, because I’d have loved if the band spent more time treading in these waters. The lyrics are nothing to get excited about, your average youth tantrum about growing up and entering the work force, but it was rare to hear these guys so fierce and playful, in about equal measures. The former is mostly due to Sting’s absolute tear of a bass line, while the latter comes through in the sound effects and sparse dub touches sprinkled throughout. This remains a treat whenever it comes up on shuffle and I’m hoping it may show some of you that Sting wasn’t always the dowdy sourpuss he’s been in recent years. Be forewarned that there are several four-letter words in play during the last minute or so.
Track: “Dead End Job”
Artist: The Police
Where to get it: Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings
04/14/2009
“Dawn” – Mahavishnu Orchestra
Many of the tracks on the debut album by fusion superstars Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Inner Mounting Flame, reinforce the imagery found in both album title and album art, but none so much as this particular track. Things start off on a slow and slinky (dare I even say “sexy”?) tip, thanks mainly to Rick Laird’s rich bass and Jan Hammer’s subtle touch. It seems like this will be a nice and slow groove to pad out a relaxed portion of the album, a feeling that is reinforced as Jerry Goodman’s violin and John McLaughlin’s guitar join the fun. Suddenly McLaughlin gets a little jittery and starts to freak out a little bit before totally blasting off in outer space starting around the 1:26 mark for the first of several thrilling trips up and down the fretboard. For a time it seems like the rest of the guys get left behind but they quickly catch on and, just before things slow down for the minute long slow fade-out, they actually seem to overtake McLaughlin on his journey into the sky. Much like the flame on the album cover “Dawn” ignites slowly, burns fast and bright, then fizzles out to nothingness. I recommend giving this one a close listen on headphones, the production is very rich and layered.
Track: “Dawn”
Artist: Mahavishnu Orchestra
Where to get it: The Inner Mounting Flame
