Song of the Week - January 11

By: Charbarred | in: Music |

Commodore 64

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

Lee H
Computer Camp Love by Datarock
This song was originally on their 2003 EP and also on their 2007 debut Datarock Datarock. Any song that can get away with mixing Revenge of the Nerds and Grease is OK with me. I’m not sure how big these guys are in the States but they love ‘em in Norway and rightfully so. If you’re a fan of Chromeo or Justice (and I am) you’ll probably dig Datarock.

RustyCat
Warm Rising Sun by Radar Bros.
For the last couple of years I keep on bumping into the Radar Bros. It wasn’t until I heard their upcoming album ‘Auditorium’ (out Jan. 29th) that I fell in love with the sound. I think this song sums it all up, starts like a Pavement track, reminds me of Built To Spill at times and a touch of Sparklehorse. It’s perfect. I think this album will finally get the band the proper recognition they deserve.

Alibastard
Nude by Radiohead
I’m sorry. The Neville Brothers haunt Radiohead? Or Radiohead haunts The Neville Brothers perhaps? Nude - I almost jumped - is this tender, ghostly thing, York’s voice dissolving again into a new vibrato flavor, unlike anything prior - something un-obscured by phantom doom - something, I dare say, light. Actually sweet, without any feeling of a Lexapro fog, vocally, though the music maintains its looming, gloomy ether. I personally find In Rainbows as exciting a new direction for this band as Kid A was - finally discarding their lumbering melancholy for a new exciting, jumpy fuzz, with all that abstract substance you come to expect, but steering far enough from their dischordent beginnings to seem new. And this nearly sexy, meditative croon repeats itself on the final track as well - still retaining something immense in its soulful jitter. Damn.

Charbarred
Plan of Attack by Lynx and Ram
Some songs do their best to convey their titles, and this is one of them. Pretty extreme stuff at times, but the combination of the harsh backdrop with the almost poppy melody is incredible. Then it goes into a Slayer-like drum solo which is followed by 70’s prog rock keyboads. Couldn’t ask for more.

Kendall
No Redemption Song by Jason Collett
In the tradition of Bob Dylan I give you “No Redemption Song” from Jason Collett. He’s a Canadian singer-songwriter that performs as a solo artist, but also is a member of Broken Social Scene. This track follows a finger-picked guitar and a lazy harmonica through a series of no apologies offered misadventures. When the multi-harmonized whooping vocals come in it feels like the train has come in.

D Thompson
Crazy by 999
One of power pop’s lesser known bands, probably because they never bothered to buff their rough edges to a glossy sheen like The Knack or The Romantics, was 999. I first knew they existed thanks (once again) to my roommate Frank Valdez who brought their 1978 debut album 999 along with him from L.A.. “Crazy” is an excellent song, one of many by 999, and I thought it would be nice to start off the year with something up beat…Well, up tempo at least.

Mozzer
I Wish I Was Someone Better by Blood Red Shoes
I haven’t heard this type of infectious exuberance in awhile. All I can say is that this Brighton duo flat-out kicks ass. Bonus: Laura-May Carter is quite easy on the eyes. It’s rumored that their first album is due some time this month. But don’t wait, get the single from iTunes NOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtt2gM3rpZE

So, what’s your song of the week?

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Posted on January 11, 2008

Comments

9 Responses to “Song of the Week - January 11”

Alex on January 11th, 2008 10:21 am

Thanks for the Datarock suggestion. I will definitely look into them. I’ve been going through a Chromeo phase leading me to all sorts of artists including The Polish Ambassador. He needs a vocalist though to tie everything together. He molds great video-game like music into a trance melody. Enjoy.

DThompson on January 11th, 2008 11:13 am

Yes, the Datarock song is excellent, as is the Commodore 64 picture… making me a bit weepy for my youth it is (the picture, Datarock just makes me want to get up and move about, which, at my age, is really saying something).
Rusty, how can anyone not love a song that starts with the plaintive lament “Haircut, fistfight”?
Char, you punk rocker you! Show us some pictures of you back in the day with yer mohawk and safety pin ear ring! Great choice.
Alibastard, you can’t go wrong with that new Radiohead. Do I hear Best Album of 2007?
Kendall, Jason Collett sounds like Neil Young to me, must be the harmonica and the subliminal info that he’s Canadian. Hey, off the subject, but do you ever watch ‘Ghost Hunters’ on the Sci-Fi Channel?
DThompson, Another splendid choice! My hat is off to you! HOW do you do it week after week?
Mozz! Blood Red Shoes is RAWKIN’!!!! I’m always impressed with anyone who can totally rock out and play drums at the same time. Great, great, great stuff, best of the week goes to ya!

Itax on January 11th, 2008 1:47 pm

Great Songs this week!

I really dig Blood Red Shoes. They remind me of a more polished White Stripes.

That Lynx and Ram song is pretty cool as well. So many disparate elements are in that song.

I think the Datarock song is the best of the bestest. Have you heard “Fa Fa Fa” by them? I think it is on the same album/cd, whatever. I am definitely going to add this to my “search the used bin” list.

I could not get D’s song to play, it just kept buffering, maybe my computer doesn’t want to share it with me.

Charbarred on January 11th, 2008 4:13 pm

D, I was more of a broody, eyeliner wearing, black clothed kinda teenager…come to think of it, I invented emo! What a visionary, aren’t I?
(yeah, I did sport a safety pin in my ear for a while though)

DThompson on January 11th, 2008 6:23 pm

You should have put some sort of copyright on emo, then the RIAA could sue all those kids for you! I hear they’re good at that.

Lee H on January 11th, 2008 7:52 pm

DThompson, Another splendid choice! My hat is off to you! HOW do you do it week after week?
Seriously, great choices all around.
I have heard “FA Fa Fa” but I think I like this song better but when it comes to video game sounding music my choice is Ratatat. Hands Down.

mozzer on January 11th, 2008 8:50 pm

Computer Camp is indeed campy. loved it immediately. I’ve listened to datarock off and on, they got some groovy tunes.

warm Rising has nice sleepy feeling to it. Never heard of these guys before.

Nude is great. Incidentally, I got the In Rainbows disc this week, and was floored. Already on my Best of 2008 list. That’s gotta be some sort of record.

Plan of Attack is the sound of mechanized weaponary set to music. It also feels like two separate songs running concurrently. Great stuff.

No Redemption Song is nice slice of rustic reflection. I’ll be looking into Collett after this.

Crazy has a great 50’s rock feel to it. Can’t tell you how much I dig it. Dare I say it was a spendid choice and my hat is definitely in the “off” position.

What a great way to start 2008! Every song here is a keeper.

Diegus on January 12th, 2008 3:40 am

Great songs at all!
I thumb up Computer camp love by Datarock!!!
Thanks for making my day brighter…that sound make me feel like I was a child :).
Great work men! Never give up…