Alternative Love Songs

By: Charbarred | in: Music |

[Click for Alternative Love Songs 2008]

In an effort not to let today’s cheese-fest go by unmentioned here at The Plugg, I decided to send out an email to our writers and some close friends. Today’s mission: what is your favorite alternative love song?

And here’s what I got, in no particular order. A free cookie to the first one who guesses which one of our writers suggested which song.

Rufus

Vibrate - Rufus Wainwright
A song that crooningly acknowledges the dumb reliance of romance on cell phone technology, Wainwright reflecting on his attempts to stay youthful by dancing to Brittney Spears (probably at a gay bar) and STILL somehow working heartfelt yearning into these desperate modern courting rituals, trivialized by their commertial appeal. He pipes out the line, “So call me…call me in the morning, call me in the night - my phone’s on vibrate for you,” not like a Nextel commertial, but like a lost bit in a Rogers and Hammerstein musical. Embraces that banal truth, still calling it strangely romantic, or at least its obvious pining to be.

Just like Heaven - The Cure
This song is a classic! This might have been the epitome of 80’s Goth love songs

I Fell In Love - Carlene Carter
Shows a severe Nick Lowe influence, well, he is her husband! She probably wrote it about him!

Flaming Lips

What is the Light? - The Flaming Lips
Who can deny Wayne Coyne’s persistant romance with Science? 5 of Soft Bulletin’s 10 lyric-based songs reference Love, each likening it to a scientific process, not to be pragmetized within a strict Evolution centered universe, but to shrowd science itself with the glow of human feeling. Probably the most effective is the ghostly “What is the Light?”, whose liner notes give the title this paranthetical adjuct: ‘An untested hypothesis suggesting that the chemical (in our brains) by which we are able to experience the sensation of being in love is the same chemical that caused the “Big Bang” that was the birth of the accelerating universe.’ As is the case with most of their later music, an earnest appeal is mixed with space reverb, orchestral swells, absurdity and then sired out of existance by a devistating outro that holds you softly in the unnervingly mysterious.

At My Most Beautiful - R.E.M
Michael Stipe writes the sweetest love songs. How can we not include a song with lyrics such as “I read bad poetry into your machine” and “I count your eyelashes, secretly”?

I Loved Her - Christy Moore
It’s a song about a dead lover, but it’s still a love song, ok! Taken from his electro-folk ‘Traveller’ album this is a great re-telling of a very old
tale.

Art Brut

Emily Kane - Art Brut
Ever have a schoolboy crush? Ever never get over it? This is your song.

Rosemary - The Dickies
The happiest most lovingest punk song EVER. I love you Rosemary, and I’ve never even met you.

Mardy Bum - Arctic Monkeys
All you guys out there know who really wears the pants. We love our ladies when they are sweet, but when they are mad, lookout!

She’s Always in My Hair - Prince
Champion of the confused love song (most notably “If I Was Your Girlfriend”), this B-Side rarity catches Prince saying all these heartfelt things about a female friend or lover whose refrain fits her indespensible quality comfortibly alongside her tendency to always “be in my hair.” There’s something glam about it, something cheeky, testy and then still appreciative. He says pretty frankly, “Maybe I’ll marry her…maybe I won’t. Lemme tell ya, if I was a gigolo all my life, she’d still be there, tellin’ me just how much she really cares.” Possibly one of those uneven relationships. I’d imagine Prince would like those.

Postal Service

Such Great Heights - The Postal Service
Love brings us all to that crazy high in the beginning.

The Colour of Amber - Anna Tabbush
Another very old song in new setting. Puts a lot of modern love songs to shame.

Modern Love - Bloc Party
The droning of this song is quite reminiscent of a heart beat. This is a quite beautiful song in a very indy-hip kind of way.

When We Two Parted – Afghan Whigs
Based on Greg Dulli’s songs, I don’t think there is one woman who would really want to end up in a relationship with him. Saying that, there is no better lyricist when it comes to dissecting relationships, warts and all.

Arcade Fire

Crown of Love - Arcade Fire
Some stylistic modulation of a 50s love song, “Crown of Love” harkens to some teenage experience, heartbroken and inarticulate, or just constantly shifting. Seems to point to a yearning that can’t get any follow-through, sure of itself but incapable of bringing itself to fruition. Changes in the story make singer Win Butler either harkening back to a cumulative experience of many loves, a highly personal adolescent experience of unrequited attraction, or some universal angsty early love we all relate to. Or, of course, all three. Either way, the music is nearly operatic, and somehow communicates oceans of sexy longing despite its certain sadness. ‘The pains of love, and they keep growin’.

Bonus Cure Song:
A Night Like This – The Cure – Performed by James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins)
The most beautifully tragic depressing love song the world has ever witnessed. (Thanks Tobi)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Posted on February 14, 2007

Comments

5 Responses to “Alternative Love Songs”

muse on February 14th, 2007 6:29 pm

Thirteen Things by elephant parade for me.

Rustycat on February 15th, 2007 1:59 am

Neil Young - Mellow My Mind:

“Baby mellow my mind,
Make me feel like a
schoolboy on good time,
Jugglin’ nickels and dimes,
Satisfied with the
fish on the line.

I’ve been down the road
and I’ve come back
Lonesome whistle
on the railroad track
Ain’t got nothing on those
feelings that I had.”