Song of the Week - April 20

By: Charbarred | in: Music |

Leonard Cohen
Every week each of our writers shares the song that made his week just a little bit brighter…

Neil Young stumbles through breezy nightmares, singing ether revelations amidst rousing found footage cants. Or at least, that’s what happens in The Raven and the White Light, the deeply mesmerizing new release from mood pioneers and rock frontiersmen Odawas. We reviewed it. We’d cut our wrists for these guys. Or at least, we’d welcome their lead singer Michael Tapscott to give us his song of the week alongside our stellar writing staff. Read Alibastard’s review and buy the album - but not before reporting to us which song of the week made you kick your slippers and fizzle.

Michael Tapscott Michael
“Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye” by Leonard Cohen
For some reason, I don’t know how it happened but L. Cohen came on the Musak disc in the middle of my work day, sandwiched between “Freak Out” and a particularly lame femme cover of a lame Beatles‘ tune (”Mother Nature’s Son”). It made me pause and sigh and it seemed as if others did too. Cohen seemed to get louder and rise above the clatter of this business style luncheon restaurant, when he should have been drowned out. It wasn’t really an epochal moment of my life, and I didn’t see a tear run down the cheek of the dishwasher, but it was a fairly nice moment, and the most memorable music moment of the week.

Alibastard
“Surf’s Up” by The Beach Boys
Not nearly what you expect, this bittersweet 1966 recording was initially a melancholy centerpiece for the aborted, spiritually infused follow-up to Pet Sounds. Co-written between Beach Boys guru Brian Wilson and musical every-man Van Dyke Parks (most recently featured on Johanna Newsom’s folk epic Ys), this song shimmers starkly, painting a vast malaise on some aristocratic New Years night and morning. And that title - what a slap. You write some reflective, verbose masterpiece and title it “Surf’s Up” like it was akin to all that titular 50s drivel that made you famous to begin with? The tune’s sad nostalgia almost point’s back to the fading glow of the Beach Boys themselves,months before their leader, this most curious songwriter, would go absolutely insane, and their music would return to its state of spiritual retardation. The song’s home, Smile, was largely bastardized, eviscerated and then released as Smiley Smile to try and make back the money Wilson’s perfectionism squandered in its attempted recording. It breaks your heart. This band is the Flowers for Algernon of rock history. And this moment is right when they hit the crest in their wave, just before they recoiled, crashed in on themselves and spent the rest of their days lapping the shore, writing gutless bubble gum and psychedelic ear porn.
If you can get your hands on some bootlegged copy of what was to be their most daring album, Smile (not Wilson’s geriatric 2004 re-appropriation) you’ll never look at the phrase “surf’s up” the same again.

D Thompson
“Worlds in Collision” by Jerry Harrison
“Things Fall Apart” was the hit single release of Talking Head Jerry Harrison’s 1981 solo release The Red And The Black. “Worlds In Collision” was just the who cares flip side. As such it’s one of those wonderful moments that happen when you get bored and decide to walk on the wild side. You know, throw caution to the wind and play the loser song that fills out the single only to discover it’s better than the song you bought the whole thing for in the first place. Super gluing the most apocalyptic of sounds to a shake your money maker bass line, “Worlds In Collision” remains a unique experience in popular music for me. Imagine if Prince’s “1999” had sounded like this.

Charbarred
“The Work Song” by The Willard Grant Conspiracy
This week, after 9 years of servitude, I officially quit my job. While there was nothing wrong with where I worked, years of going to same place can really mess with your head. So to commemorate this momentous occasion, here’s a truly beautiful song that’s been depressing me and my co-workers for years now.

Kendall
“Burn” by Pink Nasty
This was a track that I was never expecting to hear by a sweet little girl. It is a great indie cover of “Burn” from Usher. In most cases I think when indie artists cover R&B or hip hop tracks the absurdity of the lyrics is brought to the forefront, and the song becomes comical (see my Pandora’s box article). This is version of “Burn” is the exception. Maybe it’s the fact that R&B and Blues came from the same parents in musical history and a family reunion is in effect, but nostalgia is here! Laid back and swaggering, yet pretty and true, you’ll listen to this one a few times guaranteed!

RustyCat
“For Real” by Okkervil River
Good Lo-Fi music is hard to find lately. A few years ago everywhere you looked there were good Lo-Fi bands to be found, today it seems as if Lo-Fi has gone out of fashion or out of the media at least. When I reffer to Lo-Fi I actually mean those folked out tuned that make you both think and sad with narrative songwirting and old guitars making some noise.
When it comes to Lo-Fi you can’t find a better band than Okkervil River. Will Robison Sheff and Seth Warren released their latest album in 2005 named ‘Black Sheep Boy‘. Now, two years later, their label, JagJaguwar ar rereleasing the album with an extra bonus disc packed with amazing tunes. One of the best albums I’ve heard in a while, get it while you can. It made my week. For Real.

Lior
“Attractive” by Eatliz
This song gets my vote this week more for the video clip than the song itself. It’s amazing what you can do with cardboard boxes and sellotape.. and yes, she is rather attractive isn’t she?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOQ3qGov7Bs

So what’s your song of the week?

[Subscribe to this feed]

Posted on April 20, 2007

Comments

18 Responses to “Song of the Week - April 20”

Rustycat on April 20th, 2007 2:45 am

Great choices guys!

First off, Michael - big honor to have you with us this week, your band is one of my favorites this year, amazing music. Thanks. I love that 60’s album by Leonard Cohen. There’s a song there named The Stranger Song, I can’t get enough of.
Charbarred - congrats on the job quiting! Great song.
Lior - Eatliz was a good choice, nice band, I liked the video a lot.
Alibastard, D, Kendall - good choices too, loving the Beach Boys track.

Charbarred on April 20th, 2007 2:59 am

So now we have to write a 50 page comment-saga each week?
Michael, that Leonard Cohen song really brings back memories. My mom used to be a great fan and we’d always hear his songs in the car. One day her car was broken in to, cassettes stolen and she never bothered to replace them. Years later I bought my own Leonard Cohen CD and rekindled the family tradition.
Kendall, great track, for some reason it reminds me of Modest Mouse’s “Missed the Boat”
D. your song was running in the background while I was working yesterday and I had to stop everything and just listen
Alibastard, I’m afraid I’m not much of a Beach Boys fan. Saying that, this is the best song I’ve ever heard by them, good choice.
Rusty, you know I love Okkervil River, always great to hear them
And Lior, this track is really amazing. Apart from the great video, the horns in the end and the weird arrangement really do it for me. Nice find.

HMTKSteve on April 20th, 2007 4:55 am

Oh man, what a week I am having!

I intended to write up a review on this great album (and EP) I received from a friend but… I ended up getting some strange virus that kept me from walking around.

To while the time away I watched a lot of TV and zoned out with a bit of older music. In particular I spent some time listening to a band from the 90’s… Candlebox. Well, Candle box and the music from the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack.

I took both albums and transfered them to an SD memory card so I could listen to them as background music while playing Excite Truck on the Wii (one of the few Wii games that does not involve jumping around).

I normaly prefer female vocalists such as Lorena Mckenit, Tori Amose, Suzane Vega and the like but, when you are rockin’ and rollin’ with off-road racing you want something a bit grittier and manlier.

I thought about throwing a Nine Inch Nails album on there but… I’ve lost my ear for the real heavy stuff over the years.

Charbarred on April 20th, 2007 5:00 am

Steve, you should have a feature on your site called “Songs for Excite Truck”, with a roundup of the best music to play Excite Truck to.
I remember Candlebox…I miss grunge, life was so depressingly simple back then

Kendall on April 20th, 2007 6:08 am

Didn’t Candlebox put out a new album about a year ago?

Charbarred on April 20th, 2007 6:37 am

Just a “Best of” as far as I can tell. Considering that they only had 2 albums and 1 hit, it’s kinda strange.

HMTKSteve on April 20th, 2007 6:42 am

A best of with one hit? Did they release it as a single? (the best of album that is)

ipodwheels on April 20th, 2007 7:00 am

My song of the week will have to be Till I hear it From you of Gin Blossoms. Old girlfriend gave it to me. I ran into her writing last Monday. I have it in my cork board today. I am giving it a weeks memorial before throwing it to the can.

Keep this blog ragin guys.

DThompson on April 20th, 2007 7:50 am

Alibastard, I was in Rough Trade Records during a wretched year I spent living in Chicago. I’d bought a CD and left and had returned to my apartment only to find myself absolutely FORCED to return to the store because I couldn’t get the song they were playing out of my head. It was “The Warmth Of The Sun” by The Beach Boys and I’d never heard them do anything like it. Your pick reminds me of that song and that cold spring day with the sun streaming in the window of Rough Trade, one of my few pleasant memories of that year. Thank you.

mozzer on April 20th, 2007 7:56 am

Still going through the music guys, commenting and contributing my own song while I have the chance…

Snow Patrol - Open Your Eyes
Yes, its mainstream and repetitive for the most part, but I love the slow build-up in this song. You can feel a storm brewing, and at last, it’s unleased with a fury.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G8RWgSgFe0
The video is fan-made, with a peter pan theme, I think it worked out rather well.

Charbarred on April 20th, 2007 8:00 am

Moz, did you see the reall video for this? It’s the UK version, one of the better videos I’ve seen in a while: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InzRp3Vbik0

DThompson on April 20th, 2007 8:02 am

Oddly enough, a film that reminds me of that exact same day (must be all the melting snow) is Robert Altman’s awesome McCabe And Mrs. Miller which features the Leonard Cohen song Michael Tapscott chose. At first I found those songs on the soundtrack annoying but repeated viewings have brought out their sad dignity and now for me Leonard Cohen = that particular spring day in Chicago.
A very strange confluence of songs and memory for me this week since my time in Chicago is generally not something I dwell upon. This is very nice.

Giovanna on April 20th, 2007 10:32 am

“Worlds in collision”!!!!! D, you made my day, where di you find it?? One of this days I’ll break into your house and steal your whole music collection!!

DThompson on April 20th, 2007 10:59 am

THE LONG VERSION: Back in the day (ha, WAY back in the day) when the Talking Heads were undergoing what turned out to be a trial separation but might just as easily have been a very bitter divorce, Jerry Harrison put out The Red And The Black, now totally out of print. The (much) younger version of me alive at the time decided the album only had one good song, “Things Fall Apart” and so this version of me (we’ll call him D 1.0) decided he only needed to buy an import single of which “Worlds In Collision” is the B side.
THE SHORT VERSION: I got it at a record store that no longer exists and the album is so out of print it never to my knowledge came out on CD. I had to rip what you’re hearing off my import 45. I’m glad you like it.

DThompson on April 20th, 2007 1:07 pm

OK Giovanna, who loves ya baby?
Go here
http://www.rhino.com/store/digital/detail.lasso?upc=081227865566
and you can buy the whole album for 0.99 a song, or just Worlds In Collision. Then, use your Windows Media player to burn to CD and rip to mp3 from that CD!

mozzer on April 20th, 2007 7:31 pm

Ok, The Work Song was my favorite this week. The eatliz video was nice, the singer was even nicer.

Char, I’ve seen the UK video; very serene, great ending. But for some reason, the Peter Pan/homemade version seemed more heartfelt.

clinc on April 24th, 2007 1:25 am

http://www.saddle-creek.com/sounds/Cursive_TheMartyr.mp3
is my song of the week. I don´t know if it belongs to one of the comments before, i´d be happy.
I see a very good friend drowning in his tears right now.
So i like the dynamic and nervedness of this Song by the great Band Cursive.
Wish you´re all fine like me and some Sun and good Music for ya´ll.