Song: Walk on the Wild Side
Artist: Lou Reed
Album: Transformer
Also try: Velvet Underground, Nico, Joy Division, My Bloody Valentine, Pixies
Commentary: RIP Lou Reed. The Velvet Underground are crucial, so I'm not sure what else to say.
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Song: Waiting For My Man
Artist: Velvet Underground
Album: The Velvet Underground & Nico
Version:
Monday, October 28, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
"Feeling Special" by Mykki Blanco
Song: "Feeling Special"
Artist: Mykki Blanco
Album: Betty Rubble: The Initiation EP
Also try: Kitty (formerly Kitty Pryde),
Commentary: I picked up a few new artists when I read Pitchfork's feature last year about NYC's Queer Rap, but somehow Mykki Blanco didn't sink in. Now after a recommendation from a friend, I'm enjoying Betty Rubble and look forward to Michael next year. This video is fun.
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Artist: Mykki Blanco
Album: Betty Rubble: The Initiation EP
Also try: Kitty (formerly Kitty Pryde),
Commentary: I picked up a few new artists when I read Pitchfork's feature last year about NYC's Queer Rap, but somehow Mykki Blanco didn't sink in. Now after a recommendation from a friend, I'm enjoying Betty Rubble and look forward to Michael next year. This video is fun.
Version:
Monday, October 21, 2013
"Distopian Dream Girl" and "Virginia Reel aroung the Fountain" by Built to Spill
Song: Distopian Dream Girl
Artist: Built to Spill
Album: There's Nothing Wrong with Love
Also try: Halo Benders
Commentary: A friend introduced me to Built to Spill on a mixtape (okay, CD) with the song "Carry the Zero" in 2003. I quite liked the song, but I didn't fall in love until the promotional mp3 (remember those? what a brief phenomenon) for "Liar" in 2006 made it to my desktop (don't tell Warner Bros. music, they would probably want it back).
Anyway, Built to Spill's weaker songs are better than most other bands' strongest. And it's not because Doug Martsch has a small oeuvre. "Distopian Dream Girl" couldn't quite compete with the popularity of "Car", but the great thing about the BtS catalog is going deeper just uncovers more beauty.
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Song: Virginia Reel around the Fountain (Halo Benders cover)
Artist: Built to Spill
Album: Live
Commentary: It was hard not to do a triple post for Doug Martsch. I try to put some space in between posts by the same artist. So knowing I wouldn't post any Built to Spill or even Halo Benders for a while is hard. (Even though sometimes it seems like Martsch could do better leaving out Calvin Johnson out of the final Halo Benders mixes, they're awesome and all 3 albums are worth many listens.) This song comes from the excellent Live album, which has no weak songs. I'm also refraining from the posting the inerrant Perfect From Now On in its entirety here.
Version:
Artist: Built to Spill
Album: There's Nothing Wrong with Love
Also try: Halo Benders
Commentary: A friend introduced me to Built to Spill on a mixtape (okay, CD) with the song "Carry the Zero" in 2003. I quite liked the song, but I didn't fall in love until the promotional mp3 (remember those? what a brief phenomenon) for "Liar" in 2006 made it to my desktop (don't tell Warner Bros. music, they would probably want it back).
Anyway, Built to Spill's weaker songs are better than most other bands' strongest. And it's not because Doug Martsch has a small oeuvre. "Distopian Dream Girl" couldn't quite compete with the popularity of "Car", but the great thing about the BtS catalog is going deeper just uncovers more beauty.
Version:
Song: Virginia Reel around the Fountain (Halo Benders cover)
Artist: Built to Spill
Album: Live
Commentary: It was hard not to do a triple post for Doug Martsch. I try to put some space in between posts by the same artist. So knowing I wouldn't post any Built to Spill or even Halo Benders for a while is hard. (Even though sometimes it seems like Martsch could do better leaving out Calvin Johnson out of the final Halo Benders mixes, they're awesome and all 3 albums are worth many listens.) This song comes from the excellent Live album, which has no weak songs. I'm also refraining from the posting the inerrant Perfect From Now On in its entirety here.
Version:
Saturday, October 19, 2013
"Ohio" by Damien Jurado
Song: Ohio
Artist: Damien Jurado
Album: Rehearsals for Departure
Also try: Jurado's Ghost of David, Richard Buckner, David Bazan, Mark Kozelek, Scout Niblett
Commentary: Damien Jurado is a musician I've been wanting to hear for about a decade now, so when he came to town last month, I was pumped. This song has the emotive instrumentation; the breathy, intimate vocals; and the poignant lyrics that really work well together. If I'm in the right mood, it'll take me pretty close to tears (the Daytrotter, not the album version). Anyway, when he played in a magnificent concert hall for Pygmalion Music Festival, the acoustics and atmosphere really served him well. I was pleased to hear the college dudes behind me say incredulously, "Why didn't they give this guy more than a half hour??"
Version:
Daytrotter version:
Another nice studio version:
Artist: Damien Jurado
Album: Rehearsals for Departure
Also try: Jurado's Ghost of David, Richard Buckner, David Bazan, Mark Kozelek, Scout Niblett
Commentary: Damien Jurado is a musician I've been wanting to hear for about a decade now, so when he came to town last month, I was pumped. This song has the emotive instrumentation; the breathy, intimate vocals; and the poignant lyrics that really work well together. If I'm in the right mood, it'll take me pretty close to tears (the Daytrotter, not the album version). Anyway, when he played in a magnificent concert hall for Pygmalion Music Festival, the acoustics and atmosphere really served him well. I was pleased to hear the college dudes behind me say incredulously, "Why didn't they give this guy more than a half hour??"
Version:
Daytrotter version:
Another nice studio version:
Damien Jurado - ohio from bluelinestyle.com on Vimeo.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
"Juhannustulilla" by Josefina and Sanfrid Mustonen
Song: Juhannustulilla
Artist: Josefina and Sanfrid Mustonen
Commentary: Google Translate recognizes this as Finnish, but can't translate it. There's something about midsummer fire or something in the song title. Anyhow, there are 2 lovely ditties in this lovely clip from 1913.
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Artist: Josefina and Sanfrid Mustonen
Commentary: Google Translate recognizes this as Finnish, but can't translate it. There's something about midsummer fire or something in the song title. Anyhow, there are 2 lovely ditties in this lovely clip from 1913.
Version:
Friday, October 11, 2013
"Nothing is Easy" by Marnie Stern
Song: Nothing is Easy
Artist: Marnie Stern
Album: the excellently-named The Chronicles of Marnia
Also try: Potty Mouth, the Vivian Girls, Deerhoof, Deerhunter
Commentary: I like the off-kilter rhythms and general carnival feel (reminds of Danielson; add that to the "Also Try" list).
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Artist: Marnie Stern
Album: the excellently-named The Chronicles of Marnia
Also try: Potty Mouth, the Vivian Girls, Deerhoof, Deerhunter
Commentary: I like the off-kilter rhythms and general carnival feel (reminds of Danielson; add that to the "Also Try" list).
Version:
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
"Generation" by Liturgy
Song: Generation
Artist: Liturgy
Album: Aesthetica
Commentary: Today's meditation on rhythmic repetition comes to us in the form of relentless riffs. Off of Liturgy's 2011 album, Aesthetica, "Generation" kept my head nodding for over seven minutes.
"The world's best hipster black metal band unsurprisingly crafts a great crossover-friendly black metal album." -Pitchfork
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Artist: Liturgy
Album: Aesthetica
Commentary: Today's meditation on rhythmic repetition comes to us in the form of relentless riffs. Off of Liturgy's 2011 album, Aesthetica, "Generation" kept my head nodding for over seven minutes.
"The world's best hipster black metal band unsurprisingly crafts a great crossover-friendly black metal album." -Pitchfork
Version:
Friday, October 4, 2013
"Dropla" by Youth Lagoon
Song: Dropla
Artist: Youth Lagoon
Album: Wondrous Bughouse
Also try:
Commentary: I wasn't that impressed with Youth Lagoon in concert. I liked their 1st album pretty well; found it interesting and listenable. Then their 2nd album was an excellent step forward! Still making good use of that lo-fi sound, but shifting into slightly less catchy and more experimental melodies, Youth Lagoon kills it. Somewhere in a long genre name with many hyphens, I like the Americana- and minimalist- action going on there.
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Artist: Youth Lagoon
Album: Wondrous Bughouse
Also try:
Commentary: I wasn't that impressed with Youth Lagoon in concert. I liked their 1st album pretty well; found it interesting and listenable. Then their 2nd album was an excellent step forward! Still making good use of that lo-fi sound, but shifting into slightly less catchy and more experimental melodies, Youth Lagoon kills it. Somewhere in a long genre name with many hyphens, I like the Americana- and minimalist- action going on there.
Version:
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