Song of the Week - August 3

By: Charbarred | in: Music |

Rilo Kiley

Every other week each of our writers shares the song that made his/her week just a little bit brighter…

Mozzer
Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley
Couple a playful, alt-country guitar with Lewis’ confident vocals, and you got yourself another Rilo Kiley gem. But what really sells this piece are the gospel harmonies performed by, presumably, the Watson Twins. Very soothing. Altogether, the band evokes a mood that is laid-back, happy, and carefree. Hooray, hooray, indeed.

Kendall
Nickels and Dimes by Scissors for Lefty
For a guy that’s not a huge fan of 80’s music, I have a propensity for the new revival of 80’s new wave synthy bands. I hope that makes sense. Scissors For Lefty is a San Francisco quintet that writes hooky, dance rock gems filled with synth loving, and fuzzy guitars. Check out Nickels and Dimes.

RustyCat
Sunndal Song - Apples In Stereo
The long awaited winter release by Apples in Stereo is definitely one of the most interesting albums released this year. It has its moments, not an easy listen but very rewarding when you peel the first layer and get to know it. This week has been really intense for us with the release of YouLicense and I needed a good pick me up to get the blood flowing and Sunndal Song definetly delivered. Actually, its best heard with the forty second intro track before it - Joanie Don’t U Worry. So here come both of them:

Alibastard
Final Path by Yeasayer
This is a newly uncovered gem. Brooklyn germinated Yeasayer is some hauntingly adventurous amalgamation of Fleetwood Mac, Stewart Copeland, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, and beyond, their singer a Michael Hutchance you imagine transported to Middle Ages to study under blind mystics, back to the future with important, poetic discoveries. Their sound is nearly prophetic, and persistently conjures overcast skies and “Things to Do.” More to come.

Danielle
Edge of the Ocean by Ivy
So this is an “oldie” but this song makes me want to write a film around it. Just La-la-la-la-la…la-la-la…la-la-la…la-la-la along with it – Ivy – Edge of the Ocean from her Long Distance album.

Lee H
When I Wake by The Changes
Anyone that knows me knows that I pretty much hate 80s music but my pick for this week reminds me of one of my favorite bands from that era: Sting & the Police. (I’m not a big fan of police officers either. Go figure) The Chicago band The Changes has held a special place in my iPod since I first heard this song. It’s upbeat and it’s catchy, what else do you need to make your week go smother?

Lior
Velcro Eyes by Chase Deso
I like this Rolling Stones/Black Crowes feel. The lyrics are fun and I can definitely hear this as the tracking to a Levis commercial or something in that avenue.

D Thompson
She’s Not You by Marshal Crenshaw
Marshal Crenshaw has dismissively been called a Buddy Holly imitator but he’s really much more. That being said, he sounds a lot like Buddy Holly updated for the 90’s on this can’t-get-it-out-of-my-head song.

Charbarred

Doing it Right by The Go! Team
The Go! Team are back which makes me all kindsa happy. As far as “Dance” music goes, they’re as good as it gets. As usual, you get the quirkie over compressed backing tracks and the great vocals. Really uplifting stuff. This has an official video but I think the live Coachella performance does it more justice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UESZNkxQvg

So what’s your song of the week?

[Subscribe to this feed]

Posted on August 3, 2007

Comments

27 Responses to “Song of the Week - August 3”

Ryan of the RSL Music Blog on August 3rd, 2007 3:32 am

I guess I will go with Scissors for Lefty on these. I have their latest release. It’s not what I want to listen to all the time but it’s the kind of music you absolutely want to hear sometimes. I missed them when they last played Boston. I think it was one of those evil “oasis” nights when there is nothing for days on end then the same night half a dozen great bands play at once. Glad to see this feature return.

Lior on August 3rd, 2007 3:43 am

Love The Go! Team!!!

Tibi Puiu on August 3rd, 2007 3:54 am

Some nice picks this week, I especially like Charbarred’s pick, the Go! Team are just uber :D. This weeks best track for me has to be a oldie from QOTSA “A long slow goodbye”, its been the most listened in my ipod and winamp and it’s a marvelous song, that just makes my day. Those soft Homme whispering vocals and together with the izzing distorted guitar riffs makes this a great listen.

Joe on August 3rd, 2007 5:48 am

Good picks guys, I should mention though, the song by The Changes is titled, “When I Wake”…..

Charbarred on August 3rd, 2007 6:37 am

Thanks Joe, my bad (serves me right for publishing articles at 7am). I corrected it.

Joe on August 3rd, 2007 8:02 am

no worries, i do it all the time myself…

okcutie on August 3rd, 2007 9:33 am

I enjoyed all of these, I really liked Sunndal Song it was good..

DThompson on August 3rd, 2007 11:24 am

OK, what’s with all the beating up on the 80’s? To say you dislike 80’s music is to toss aside a DECADE of music with a contemptuous flick of the hand. C’mon, I’ve made sets of CDs for my friend’s wife for the 80s and 90s and I can tell you from that experience that not a year has gone by since 1980 when at LEAST twenty-five really good songs didn’t come out. I’m not talking OK songs, or just sorta good songs, I mean REALLY good songs.
Look, I know the 80s wasn’t the perfect musical decade. I know the 80s gave us Wham!, Culture Club, Huey Lewis & The News, Twisted Sister and Loverboy
But the 80’s also gave us good songs by Blondie, The Cars, Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, Rick James, The B-52’s, Dead Can Dance, The Cocteau Twins, Modern English, The Motels, XTC, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, The English Beat, X, David Bowie, Chris Isaak, Art Of Noise, Yello, The Clash, The Ramones, Killing Joke, Kraftwerk, Oingo Boingo, Devo, Tom Tom Club, Tom Petty, OMD, The dB’s, Dead Or Alive, Psychic TV, Coil, Love And Rockets, Peter Murphy, Bauhaus, Tones On Tail, Bruce Springsteen, The Cure, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, The Fixx, Los Lobos, The Cramps, Depeche Mode, A Flock Of Seagulls, New Order, Ministry, Alien Sex Fiend, Big Audio Dynamite, Peter Tosh, Public Enemy, The Flying Lizards, The Stray Cats, Men At Work, Squeeze, U2, Pete Townshend, Bush Tetras, The Specials, The Police, Dead Kennedys, Soft Cell, Split Enz, The Go Go’s, The Bangles, Prince, The Pretenders, Berlin, Duran Duran, Trio, Violent Femmes, The Jam, Bow Wow Wow, ABC, Wall Of Voodoo, Psychedelic Furs, Men Without Hats, INXS, R.E.M., The Thompson Twins, The Tubes, Eurythmics, Shiela E., The Time, The Smiths, Madonna, James Brown, The Honeydrippers, Katrina & The Waves, Robert Palmer, Pet Shop Boys, Simple Minds, Dire Straits, UB40, Kate Bush, Midnight Oil, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Swans, Legendary Pink Dots, Billy Ocean, The Blasters, John Cougar Mellencamp, They Might Be Giants, Wang Chung, Gene Loves Jezebel, The Dead Milkmen, Black Flag, Kool & The Gang, Husker Du, Echo & The Bunnymen, Cabaret Voltaire, The Beastie Boys, Public Image Ltd., Billy Idol, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Wolfgang Press, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Wonder, Faith No More, Sonic Youthm Pop Will Eat Itself, Happy Mondays, Tears For Fears, Urban Dance Squad, King Crimson, Adrian Belew, Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Bad Brains, Living Colour, Gary Numan, The human League, Haircut 100, Yaz, Eddy Grant, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Madness, Thomas Dolby, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner and Sade.
Now I’m not expecting you to like every one of these artists, hell, I don’t like every one of these artists, but to dismiss this much music… wow. I guess you guys are entitled to your opinion, but I disagree.

Charbarred on August 3rd, 2007 11:36 am

What’s wrong with Twisted Sister?

(Well spoken D, I’d give you 6 stars if it were possible)

mozzer on August 3rd, 2007 12:01 pm

I really liked the Changes track, just the mood I’m in I guess. The Go Team is a recent discovery for me and I’m already digging ‘em.

Overall, I thoughoughly enjoyed all of the selections almost as much as I enjoyned DThompson’s rant in the comments. The 80’s Effin’ Rule!

Kendall on August 3rd, 2007 12:15 pm

I should say I didn’t like the cheezy 80’s synth pop. I preferred the 80’s metal. I suppose I should have been more specific. I also like 80’s hip-hop. Now I’m not saying all of the synthy type bands where bad, but they aren’t my favorite sub-genre.

Kendall on August 3rd, 2007 12:39 pm

and I love Huey Lewis!

mozzer on August 3rd, 2007 1:13 pm

I love lamp!

Charbarred on August 3rd, 2007 1:42 pm

What’s lamp?

DThompson on August 3rd, 2007 1:56 pm

I like Huey Lewis as well, Kendall. I was going to say Hall & Oates but I like them too! That’s what I get for growing up on AM radio.

DThompson on August 3rd, 2007 2:00 pm

And Nickels And Dimes and When I Wake are great faux eighties tracks, good choices!

Kendall on August 3rd, 2007 2:39 pm

Look at all this love! Even some dirty lamp love. Speaking of 80’s it’s the 20th Anniversary of Appetite of Destruction! Or somewhere very very very close to it.

Charbarred on August 3rd, 2007 2:41 pm

D, you forgot The Church, one of the best bands from the 80’s (who are still around)
But yeah, Appetite for Destruction is THE album!

mozzer on August 3rd, 2007 3:30 pm

Sorry for the typo in my initial comment. I wrote “thoughoughly” when it really should be “thouroughoughouly”. Glad I could clear that up.

Speaking of GnR, we’re also approaching the 10th anniversary of Chinese Democracy’s non-release. …As if anyone still cares.

Charbarred on August 3rd, 2007 3:42 pm

I’m an optimist, I say Chinese Democracy will come out this year but no one will care.

Lee H on August 3rd, 2007 6:36 pm

D, you could make me an 80’s mix tape anytime. I’m sure I’d love it. But throughout my life in the 80s (which would be all of it. 70s baby!) I can’t remember loving much of the music. I just didn’t like the sound of it. I spent most of my time listening to my father records which were from the 60s and 70s. Listening to Stevie Wonder in the 80s didn’t give me the same feeling as listening his 70s music. That’s also true with the majority of the bands you listed. Their 80s output is typically is my least favorite. I listened to a lot of hip hop because that was the culture I grew up in but I can’t remember falling in love with music that was the same age as me until the 90s. Of course there were songs and artist that I loved but if I had to make a list of my favorite times in music, the 80s would be bringing up the rear. I will say this though, I absolutely love your passion. The fact that you would write all that just to prove your point is totally bitchin’. Thumbs up my friend.

Joe, I’m pretty sure I sent the song with the wrong name. Thanks for taking the hit Char. By the way, “I love lamp” is from the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Of course I could be wrong. I’ve been know to do that from time to time.

I really loved the Apples In Stereo tracks.

ps I liked Culture Club. I never understood why the girl singing called herself a boy.

Charbarred on August 4th, 2007 2:30 am

There are many things that ruined good albums in the 80’s.
For starters there was a big movement towards digital production. Drums were recorded very dry so the sound engineers could add cool digital effects that ended up sounding like cheap drum machines. The invention of the chorus effect has destroyed many records (listen to joni mitchell’s hejira, you’ll see what I mean). There was an air of over indulgence to everything so even real artists like Stevie Wonder often found themselves succumbing to this.
Despite all that bands like Sonic Youth and The Pixies managed to produce amazing albums.
Also, like them or not, the biggest thing to come out of the 80’s was metal and rap.

Kendall on August 4th, 2007 5:48 am

80’s drum sounds, in the hair metal, were pretty amazing. You can’t for one second tell me that anything Mutt Lang produced didn’t sound sonicly (sp?) superior. Def Leppard and AC/DC pretty much killed in the production department. But again, that’s where I say I love the metal, but not so much some of the synthy stuff.

Smart on August 4th, 2007 9:56 am

very impressive!

DThompson on August 16th, 2007 7:46 am

New Order managed to combine a live drum kit with the (then new) electronic drum sound in a very innovative way. They were using the electronic drum as a piece of sonic texturing.
And Wall Of Voodoo did the same thing.
And Big Black was entirely electronic but THAT electric drum sound was as harsh and raw as the rest of their sound.
My vote for worst piece of 80’s over production: the ubiquitous electronic “hand clap”. WAY over-used, and it would still suck even if had only been used once.