As I say above, just pick out one of the mixes below ("Burgers & Fries," "Pop Rocks & Coke," or "Cough Syrup & Nicotine") based on the description and liner notes provided and send me your address (please allow three to four weeks for delivery). If you want to make a comment on this blog after you get your mix, please do, but no pressure.
Note: Pop this into iTunes and turn it into playlist. Itunes should ID all the songs.
The Wild Card Option: If you want all three, great! But know that you will then receive an e-mail along with your fellow Wild Carders about 2008 music and what sucked and what rocked and you'll be asked to join in on the conversation.
- Jed
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Burgers & Fries
Keywords: Meat, potatoes, rock, roll, beer, whiskey, drunken tirades about “Exile on Main St.” being the best album ever made
Use while: Drinking too much, shouting at friends about songs you love, BBQing, tailgating, making drunken tirades about “Exile on Main St.” being the best album ever made
For fans of: Bob Dylan, The rockin' Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, U2, Pearl Jam, Wilco
1. “Constructive Summer,” by the Hold Steady, from “Stay Positive” --- I kept wondering when Hold Steady leader Craig Finn would drop all the stuff about Ybor City, Judas and those sketchy, messy townie parties and take his throne as the new Boss. But he already has. For our generation, a generation of adolescent adults, the maturity of "Born in the U.S.A." isn't relevant; undying "Born to Run" pathos is. On the new album, Craig holds steady on Catholic imagery and parables about kids messing up their lives searching for salvation. It's new yet familiar, a righteous fourth chapter in for the best, or at least my favorite, band of the last five years.
2. “Supernatural Superserious,” by R.E.M., from “Accelerate” --- R.E.M. is burdened by some heavy baggage, what with inventing college rock and all. "Accelerate" is the sound of the remaining three tearing through a record shop snatching and smashing selected bits of rock history in a frantic, euphoric sprint: a naked, furious, sublime 100-yard dash of 11 songs in 34 minutes. And "Supernatural Superserious" is R.E.M.'s fiercest single since "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
3. “Always a Friend,” by Alejandro Escovedo, from “Real Animal” --- I admit this song has something adult contemporary about it. Kinda like mid-period Los Lobos. But I still really dig it. Alejandro has blazed through a half dozen lives in his 57 years. He survived the first wave of punk playing guitar in the Nuns and living in the Chelsea Hotel during the Sid & Nancy years. He helped invent alternative country with Rank & File, then kick-started the roots rock revival with the True Believers. He also lost his wife to suicide and had a long, nearly fatal battle with hepatitis C. I think you can hear that survivor shit in this song.
4. “I Almost Killed You,” by Billy Bragg, from “Mr. Love & Justice” --- He always had Joe Strummer's ire, but lately he’s developed Elvis Costello's melodic ear. This album picks up where the "Mermaid Avenue" albums left off by channeling his political rage into pleasant pop.
5. “Aluminum Park,” by My Morning Jacket, from “Evil Urges” --- The most overrated band of the last half decade and the most overrated album of 2008. But sometimes they do nail it. Like here. And I’ll admit they know how to record and play some wicked guitar.
6. “Consoler of the Lonely” and...
7. “Top Yourself,” by The Raconteurs, from “Consolers of the Lonely” ------ The death of the music industry establishment means the death of the megaband. We’re going to get a lot less Deep Purples, Journeys and Smashing Pumpkins and a lot more Stooges, Replacements and Soul Coughings. I’m trying not to mind this but it does have some drawbacks. Chiefly, the Raconteurs can never be this generation's Led Zeppelin. Jack White never could be Jimmy Page, but wouldn't it have been glorious to see him try? To spend a decade racking up gold records, making stoner summer soundtracks and selling out stadiums. Anyway, I love the way Jack takes over the lead vocal from Brendan Benson halfway into “Consoler” and that bass break at the end --- this rhythm section is so tight.
8. “When You’re Traveling at the Speed of Light,” by These United States, from “Crimes” --- Like Robbie Robertson and John Fogerty, These United States conductor Jesse Elliott digs dusty, ramblin', anachronistic American rock 'n' roll. On “Crimes,” Elliott fuels a rolling thunder railroad ride through a South and West of his own imagination: wild locales where the Fleet Foxes rework lazy tunes that Buck Owens or Bob Dylan should have written and the Strokes have become a Western swing band.
9. “Acid Tongue,” by Jenny Lewis, from “Acid Tongue” --- Sure do miss those Watson Twins. The Twins' harmonies elevated Lewis' "Rabbit Fur Coat" to heavenly heights. But even without them, "Acid Tongue" manages to reach the sublime on occasion. I think this song achieves the same, wonderful '70s West Coast rock sound as "Rabbit Fur Coat" thanks to some all-star harmony vocals.
10. “Lord, I’m Discouraged,” by the Hold Steady, from “Stay Positive” --- God damn. I’m right, right? Best band of the last five years. Really like the guitar solo even though it’s kind of inappropriate.
11. “Children of the Lord,” by Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, from “Cipher” --- Get reborn with Slim Cessna's Auto Club. No recording does this Denver band justice. You gotta, you just gotta see them live. By the end of the night you'll be speaking in tongues. But that's probably just the Southern Comfort and Coors talking.
12. “I Want You to Know,” by the Moondoggies, from “Don’t Be A Stranger” --- I’m not totally sold on the genius of this band or this song but there’s something about them that says, “Give us a chance. We’re more than we appear.”
13. “Angles of Destruction,” by Marah, from “Angles of Destruction” --- Ah, Marah. You drunken, rehab-bound, break up then get back together freaks. God love you. I still have faith that this band has one truly brilliant album in it. Like a “Let It Be” or “Let it Bleed.”
14. “Hieroglyph,” by Teenage Prayers, from “Everyone Thinks You’re the Best” --- If you're trying to recapture the high you got from your first Hold Steady hit, you need to freebase the Teenage Prayers. There’re like Sex Pistols after bumming around the alley behind Motown or having a kegger at the Band’s Big Pink. I don’t know how they got Queen and Bob Marley into a garage rock song but here it is.
15. “Gardenia,” by Stephen Malkmus, from “Real Emotional Trash” --- The straightest pop tune on "Real Emotional Trash," this song rules. It’s the guy from Pavement trying to be Phish, Steely Dan and Paul McCartney all at once. Dig it.
16. “I’m Amazed,” by My Morning Jacket, from “Evil Urges” --- See notes to song 5
17. “No Sunlight,” by Death Cab for Cutie, from “Narrow Stairs” --- I think I finally get this band.
18. “Fort Hood,” By Mike Doughty, from “Golden Delicious” --- The best song about the war to date. Such a surprise. Such a bubbly, juvenile beat over such kick-ass, powerful lyrics. Ah, juxtaposition.
19. “Leeds United,” by Amanda Palmer, from “Who Killed Amanda Palmer?” --- It's easy to mistake Amanda Palmer for an angry, distant, guarded Goth queen - what with the Edward Scissorhands makeup and songs about rape. But spend some time with the Dresden Dolls Ms. a her true self is revealed: a brilliantly talented, gregarious, almost goofy gal. At the Paradise this fall I saw her sandwich this song (with a six-piece horn section guesting) between a covers of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" and Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” She just kicks a lot of ass.
20. “Stay Positive,” by the Hold Steady, from “Stay Positive” --- True that.
Use while: Drinking too much, shouting at friends about songs you love, BBQing, tailgating, making drunken tirades about “Exile on Main St.” being the best album ever made
For fans of: Bob Dylan, The rockin' Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, U2, Pearl Jam, Wilco
1. “Constructive Summer,” by the Hold Steady, from “Stay Positive” --- I kept wondering when Hold Steady leader Craig Finn would drop all the stuff about Ybor City, Judas and those sketchy, messy townie parties and take his throne as the new Boss. But he already has. For our generation, a generation of adolescent adults, the maturity of "Born in the U.S.A." isn't relevant; undying "Born to Run" pathos is. On the new album, Craig holds steady on Catholic imagery and parables about kids messing up their lives searching for salvation. It's new yet familiar, a righteous fourth chapter in for the best, or at least my favorite, band of the last five years.
2. “Supernatural Superserious,” by R.E.M., from “Accelerate” --- R.E.M. is burdened by some heavy baggage, what with inventing college rock and all. "Accelerate" is the sound of the remaining three tearing through a record shop snatching and smashing selected bits of rock history in a frantic, euphoric sprint: a naked, furious, sublime 100-yard dash of 11 songs in 34 minutes. And "Supernatural Superserious" is R.E.M.'s fiercest single since "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
3. “Always a Friend,” by Alejandro Escovedo, from “Real Animal” --- I admit this song has something adult contemporary about it. Kinda like mid-period Los Lobos. But I still really dig it. Alejandro has blazed through a half dozen lives in his 57 years. He survived the first wave of punk playing guitar in the Nuns and living in the Chelsea Hotel during the Sid & Nancy years. He helped invent alternative country with Rank & File, then kick-started the roots rock revival with the True Believers. He also lost his wife to suicide and had a long, nearly fatal battle with hepatitis C. I think you can hear that survivor shit in this song.
4. “I Almost Killed You,” by Billy Bragg, from “Mr. Love & Justice” --- He always had Joe Strummer's ire, but lately he’s developed Elvis Costello's melodic ear. This album picks up where the "Mermaid Avenue" albums left off by channeling his political rage into pleasant pop.
5. “Aluminum Park,” by My Morning Jacket, from “Evil Urges” --- The most overrated band of the last half decade and the most overrated album of 2008. But sometimes they do nail it. Like here. And I’ll admit they know how to record and play some wicked guitar.
6. “Consoler of the Lonely” and...
7. “Top Yourself,” by The Raconteurs, from “Consolers of the Lonely” ------ The death of the music industry establishment means the death of the megaband. We’re going to get a lot less Deep Purples, Journeys and Smashing Pumpkins and a lot more Stooges, Replacements and Soul Coughings. I’m trying not to mind this but it does have some drawbacks. Chiefly, the Raconteurs can never be this generation's Led Zeppelin. Jack White never could be Jimmy Page, but wouldn't it have been glorious to see him try? To spend a decade racking up gold records, making stoner summer soundtracks and selling out stadiums. Anyway, I love the way Jack takes over the lead vocal from Brendan Benson halfway into “Consoler” and that bass break at the end --- this rhythm section is so tight.
8. “When You’re Traveling at the Speed of Light,” by These United States, from “Crimes” --- Like Robbie Robertson and John Fogerty, These United States conductor Jesse Elliott digs dusty, ramblin', anachronistic American rock 'n' roll. On “Crimes,” Elliott fuels a rolling thunder railroad ride through a South and West of his own imagination: wild locales where the Fleet Foxes rework lazy tunes that Buck Owens or Bob Dylan should have written and the Strokes have become a Western swing band.
9. “Acid Tongue,” by Jenny Lewis, from “Acid Tongue” --- Sure do miss those Watson Twins. The Twins' harmonies elevated Lewis' "Rabbit Fur Coat" to heavenly heights. But even without them, "Acid Tongue" manages to reach the sublime on occasion. I think this song achieves the same, wonderful '70s West Coast rock sound as "Rabbit Fur Coat" thanks to some all-star harmony vocals.
10. “Lord, I’m Discouraged,” by the Hold Steady, from “Stay Positive” --- God damn. I’m right, right? Best band of the last five years. Really like the guitar solo even though it’s kind of inappropriate.
11. “Children of the Lord,” by Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, from “Cipher” --- Get reborn with Slim Cessna's Auto Club. No recording does this Denver band justice. You gotta, you just gotta see them live. By the end of the night you'll be speaking in tongues. But that's probably just the Southern Comfort and Coors talking.
12. “I Want You to Know,” by the Moondoggies, from “Don’t Be A Stranger” --- I’m not totally sold on the genius of this band or this song but there’s something about them that says, “Give us a chance. We’re more than we appear.”
13. “Angles of Destruction,” by Marah, from “Angles of Destruction” --- Ah, Marah. You drunken, rehab-bound, break up then get back together freaks. God love you. I still have faith that this band has one truly brilliant album in it. Like a “Let It Be” or “Let it Bleed.”
14. “Hieroglyph,” by Teenage Prayers, from “Everyone Thinks You’re the Best” --- If you're trying to recapture the high you got from your first Hold Steady hit, you need to freebase the Teenage Prayers. There’re like Sex Pistols after bumming around the alley behind Motown or having a kegger at the Band’s Big Pink. I don’t know how they got Queen and Bob Marley into a garage rock song but here it is.
15. “Gardenia,” by Stephen Malkmus, from “Real Emotional Trash” --- The straightest pop tune on "Real Emotional Trash," this song rules. It’s the guy from Pavement trying to be Phish, Steely Dan and Paul McCartney all at once. Dig it.
16. “I’m Amazed,” by My Morning Jacket, from “Evil Urges” --- See notes to song 5
17. “No Sunlight,” by Death Cab for Cutie, from “Narrow Stairs” --- I think I finally get this band.
18. “Fort Hood,” By Mike Doughty, from “Golden Delicious” --- The best song about the war to date. Such a surprise. Such a bubbly, juvenile beat over such kick-ass, powerful lyrics. Ah, juxtaposition.
19. “Leeds United,” by Amanda Palmer, from “Who Killed Amanda Palmer?” --- It's easy to mistake Amanda Palmer for an angry, distant, guarded Goth queen - what with the Edward Scissorhands makeup and songs about rape. But spend some time with the Dresden Dolls Ms. a her true self is revealed: a brilliantly talented, gregarious, almost goofy gal. At the Paradise this fall I saw her sandwich this song (with a six-piece horn section guesting) between a covers of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" and Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” She just kicks a lot of ass.
20. “Stay Positive,” by the Hold Steady, from “Stay Positive” --- True that.
Pop Rocks & Coke
Keywords: Pop, rock, uppers, dancing, sweet tooth (teeth?)
Use while: Jogging, aerobics, stairmaster, getting ready to go out on Friday night, cleaning your house super fast, having an impromptu dance party
For fans of: Bee Gees, ABBA, Cheap Trick, The Cars, Prince, B-52’s, Human League, Madonna, Johnny Hates Jazz, Technotronic, blink 182
1. “Mistress Mable" by the Fratellis, from "Here We Stand" --- It’s fun. It’s got a lovable, Cheap Trick-ish quality that makes you bounce. The lead singer told me they were the worst lyrics he’s ever written. I believe that. But words aren’t everything.
2. "Troublemaker," by Weezer, from "Weezer" --- Weezer got progressively worse over the course of its first five albums. Radically awesome '94 debut "Weezer" was era- defining; by 2005's "Make Believe," Rivers Cuomo's band seemed a release away from turning into the Goo Goo Dolls. This sixth album saves the band from that fate.
3. "I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress to Keep on Dancing," by Mike Doughty, from "Golden Delicious" --- What a brilliantly simple and wonderful song.
4. "Electric Feel," by MGMT, from "Oracular Spectacular" --- MGMT has a joke rock/space rock thing going on. But like obvious antecedents Ween and the Flaming Lips, MGMT is a pop band at heart. This song rips off Prince (or Rick James? Or Eddy Grant? Maybe all three.). It’s both blue-eyed funk and a lo-fi disco groove. Fun fact: U2 and Dave Matthews producer Steve Lillywhite handpicked the band for a six-figure, four-record deal with Columbia the summer they graduated from college.
5. “A-Punk” and...
6. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” by Vampire Weekend, from "Vampire Weekend --- Don't blame Vampire Weekend for what it can't control. New York hipsters and bloggers have preposterously puffed up the Columbia University quartet. Granted, Afro-pop/indie rock is an odd choice for a guy with Paul Simon's voice - but hey, that's how Ezra Koenig sings. None of this changes the fact that VW's debut hits you like a brick made out of sunshine, rainbows and puppies. Well, puppies that love "Graceland," mid-period Talking Heads and British Invasion harpsichords.
7. “The Grey Estates,” by Wolf Parade, from “At Mount Zoomer” --- As a writer I should probably not use the phrase “contagiously catchy,” but seeing as how I just did...
8. “I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance,” by Black Kids, from “Partie Traumatic” --- Dance! Dance! Dance! You thought bands commanded you to get on the floor before, but nobody, not even Black Kids-predecessors New Order, Scissor Sisters, or the Go! Team is as bossy as this Florida quintet. If the songs didn't distractingly demand that you shake your booty, the '80s redux shtick would get old. But no time for that. Dance! Dance! Dance!
9. “Move,” by CSS, from “Donkey” --- People mock ’80s dance pop but, well, okay, it’s really mockable. But I’m still really glad modern bands are stealing stuff from the Pet Shop Boys, Bananarama and “Rockit.”
10. “Paper Planes,” by M.I.A., from “Kala” --- M.I.A. is pretty awesome but not as awesome as “Slumdog Millionaire,” which is way awesome. Maybe this song is too heavy for this mix, but it was too damn good to ignore.
11. “Sex on Fire” and...
12. “Use Somebody,” by Kings of Leon, from “Only By the Night” --- It's not called arena rock because it's played in arenas. It's called arena rock because it's got a blend of majesty, bluster and universal appeal capable of enthralling crowds of thousands. These are KoL's two brilliant arena rock anthems from "Only by the Night.” "Sex on Fire" is more typical of KoL. It's weird, arty garage rock, but it’s also big and euphoric. And once you dig it, once you see that arena rock isn’t all Kansas or Styx, the song becomes a gateway drug into their old stuff. "Use Somebody" is corny and campy, but it’s the awesome crescendo every arena act needs. It's their "With or Without You," their "The One I Love," their "Yellow."
13. "Wishing Well," by Airborne Toxic Event, from "The Airbourne Toxic Event" --- I know almost nothing about this band and I’m trying to keep it that way. I have a suspicion they’re a major label band being forced down the throat of every tween in every Hot Topic across America. But this song... God am I nuts? This is my 2008 “Thrash Unreal" (see my 2007 mix for more info on "Thrash Unreal").
14. "Spaceman," by the Killers, off "Day & Age" --- Over three albums, Las Vegas' Killers have chronicled their hometown's evolving ethos. "Hot Fuss" was Sinatra's kingdom of pop built on blood. "Sam's Town" was Sin City's seedy '70s and '80s with raw songs about trailer park reality in the shadows of a glitzy, decaying strip. "Day & Age” is the bigger, more showy, almost Disneyfied metropolis. Sadly for the Killers, that’s the least interesting Vegas. But Brandon Flowers is talented and with Vegas’ stygian legacy winning out in the new millennium I think album four could be gold.
15. "Better than This," by Keane, from "Perfect Symmetry" --- Singer Tom Chaplin is after not just Bono but Bowie, Big Country's Stuart Adamson and Simple Minds' Jim Kerr. Tim Rice-Oxley frames the vocals in "Scary Monsters" and Thompson Twins-like keyboards. And Keane confirms what the Killers have told us for years: '80s pop is no joke.
16. "Tora, Tora, Tora," by Pretty & Nice, from "Get Young" --- This may be the most telling anecdote about modern rock ever: Pretty & Nice, a new Boston band with a seemingly bright future meets one of its idols, Built To Spill bassist Brett Nelson - a guy signed to a major label for 15 years with many storied records and tours under his belt - this summer buy having their van break down in Boise, Idaho and discovering he’s the manager of a Jiffy Lube. Not quite the days of old where making it meant snorting coke off a stripper's midriff at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go. Anyway, we’re back to the really bouncy stuff.
17. “Pot Kettle Black,” from Tilly & the Wall, "O" --- Lots of great rock 'n' roll depends on gimmicks: the Ramones, KISS, David Bowie. But if something's all gimmick, well, we all know how far Rockstar Supernova got from one lame, reality TV-driven gimmick. You might assume a band with a tap-dancer instead of a drummer would fall into the forgettable and lame category, but Tilly & the Wall rules.
18. “Listen To Your Body Tonight,” by Black Kids, from "Partie Traumatic" --- Okay, we’re back to the Black Kids. Why? Because you kids used to love dancing. The Twist, the Watusi, the Mashed Potato. What happened? Rock became increasingly cynical and dancing was replaced with brooding and angst. But the urge to dance can't be extinguished. And, as any Freudian will tell you, suppressed urges sooner or later bubble up. Last year the hipster id manifested itself with “Partie Traumatic.” Dance! Dance! Dance!
19. "Cold Shoulder” and...
20. "Best for Last," by Adele, from "19" --- Adele’s amazing. Strikingly, staggeringly amazing. She made this album at 19. Wrote all the song herself, played a lot of the guitar, and that voice is like a supercharged Amy Winehouse - big without lapsing into that cliched “American Idol”/Mariah Carey histrionic octave jumping shit. Just listen to “Best For Last.” It sounds like Etta James dueting with jazz bassist Paul Chambers. But when I saw her live I realized the upright jazz bassist I was hearing on the album is all Adele. She did the song solo singing and thumping out this exact bass line on an acoustic bass guitar. Shit, man, it was fucking nuts.
21. "Kids," by MGMT, from "Oracular Spectacular" --- Thanks for listening. Now Dance! Dance! Dance!
Use while: Jogging, aerobics, stairmaster, getting ready to go out on Friday night, cleaning your house super fast, having an impromptu dance party
For fans of: Bee Gees, ABBA, Cheap Trick, The Cars, Prince, B-52’s, Human League, Madonna, Johnny Hates Jazz, Technotronic, blink 182
1. “Mistress Mable" by the Fratellis, from "Here We Stand" --- It’s fun. It’s got a lovable, Cheap Trick-ish quality that makes you bounce. The lead singer told me they were the worst lyrics he’s ever written. I believe that. But words aren’t everything.
2. "Troublemaker," by Weezer, from "Weezer" --- Weezer got progressively worse over the course of its first five albums. Radically awesome '94 debut "Weezer" was era- defining; by 2005's "Make Believe," Rivers Cuomo's band seemed a release away from turning into the Goo Goo Dolls. This sixth album saves the band from that fate.
3. "I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress to Keep on Dancing," by Mike Doughty, from "Golden Delicious" --- What a brilliantly simple and wonderful song.
4. "Electric Feel," by MGMT, from "Oracular Spectacular" --- MGMT has a joke rock/space rock thing going on. But like obvious antecedents Ween and the Flaming Lips, MGMT is a pop band at heart. This song rips off Prince (or Rick James? Or Eddy Grant? Maybe all three.). It’s both blue-eyed funk and a lo-fi disco groove. Fun fact: U2 and Dave Matthews producer Steve Lillywhite handpicked the band for a six-figure, four-record deal with Columbia the summer they graduated from college.
5. “A-Punk” and...
6. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” by Vampire Weekend, from "Vampire Weekend --- Don't blame Vampire Weekend for what it can't control. New York hipsters and bloggers have preposterously puffed up the Columbia University quartet. Granted, Afro-pop/indie rock is an odd choice for a guy with Paul Simon's voice - but hey, that's how Ezra Koenig sings. None of this changes the fact that VW's debut hits you like a brick made out of sunshine, rainbows and puppies. Well, puppies that love "Graceland," mid-period Talking Heads and British Invasion harpsichords.
7. “The Grey Estates,” by Wolf Parade, from “At Mount Zoomer” --- As a writer I should probably not use the phrase “contagiously catchy,” but seeing as how I just did...
8. “I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance,” by Black Kids, from “Partie Traumatic” --- Dance! Dance! Dance! You thought bands commanded you to get on the floor before, but nobody, not even Black Kids-predecessors New Order, Scissor Sisters, or the Go! Team is as bossy as this Florida quintet. If the songs didn't distractingly demand that you shake your booty, the '80s redux shtick would get old. But no time for that. Dance! Dance! Dance!
9. “Move,” by CSS, from “Donkey” --- People mock ’80s dance pop but, well, okay, it’s really mockable. But I’m still really glad modern bands are stealing stuff from the Pet Shop Boys, Bananarama and “Rockit.”
10. “Paper Planes,” by M.I.A., from “Kala” --- M.I.A. is pretty awesome but not as awesome as “Slumdog Millionaire,” which is way awesome. Maybe this song is too heavy for this mix, but it was too damn good to ignore.
11. “Sex on Fire” and...
12. “Use Somebody,” by Kings of Leon, from “Only By the Night” --- It's not called arena rock because it's played in arenas. It's called arena rock because it's got a blend of majesty, bluster and universal appeal capable of enthralling crowds of thousands. These are KoL's two brilliant arena rock anthems from "Only by the Night.” "Sex on Fire" is more typical of KoL. It's weird, arty garage rock, but it’s also big and euphoric. And once you dig it, once you see that arena rock isn’t all Kansas or Styx, the song becomes a gateway drug into their old stuff. "Use Somebody" is corny and campy, but it’s the awesome crescendo every arena act needs. It's their "With or Without You," their "The One I Love," their "Yellow."
13. "Wishing Well," by Airborne Toxic Event, from "The Airbourne Toxic Event" --- I know almost nothing about this band and I’m trying to keep it that way. I have a suspicion they’re a major label band being forced down the throat of every tween in every Hot Topic across America. But this song... God am I nuts? This is my 2008 “Thrash Unreal" (see my 2007 mix for more info on "Thrash Unreal").
14. "Spaceman," by the Killers, off "Day & Age" --- Over three albums, Las Vegas' Killers have chronicled their hometown's evolving ethos. "Hot Fuss" was Sinatra's kingdom of pop built on blood. "Sam's Town" was Sin City's seedy '70s and '80s with raw songs about trailer park reality in the shadows of a glitzy, decaying strip. "Day & Age” is the bigger, more showy, almost Disneyfied metropolis. Sadly for the Killers, that’s the least interesting Vegas. But Brandon Flowers is talented and with Vegas’ stygian legacy winning out in the new millennium I think album four could be gold.
15. "Better than This," by Keane, from "Perfect Symmetry" --- Singer Tom Chaplin is after not just Bono but Bowie, Big Country's Stuart Adamson and Simple Minds' Jim Kerr. Tim Rice-Oxley frames the vocals in "Scary Monsters" and Thompson Twins-like keyboards. And Keane confirms what the Killers have told us for years: '80s pop is no joke.
16. "Tora, Tora, Tora," by Pretty & Nice, from "Get Young" --- This may be the most telling anecdote about modern rock ever: Pretty & Nice, a new Boston band with a seemingly bright future meets one of its idols, Built To Spill bassist Brett Nelson - a guy signed to a major label for 15 years with many storied records and tours under his belt - this summer buy having their van break down in Boise, Idaho and discovering he’s the manager of a Jiffy Lube. Not quite the days of old where making it meant snorting coke off a stripper's midriff at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go. Anyway, we’re back to the really bouncy stuff.
17. “Pot Kettle Black,” from Tilly & the Wall, "O" --- Lots of great rock 'n' roll depends on gimmicks: the Ramones, KISS, David Bowie. But if something's all gimmick, well, we all know how far Rockstar Supernova got from one lame, reality TV-driven gimmick. You might assume a band with a tap-dancer instead of a drummer would fall into the forgettable and lame category, but Tilly & the Wall rules.
18. “Listen To Your Body Tonight,” by Black Kids, from "Partie Traumatic" --- Okay, we’re back to the Black Kids. Why? Because you kids used to love dancing. The Twist, the Watusi, the Mashed Potato. What happened? Rock became increasingly cynical and dancing was replaced with brooding and angst. But the urge to dance can't be extinguished. And, as any Freudian will tell you, suppressed urges sooner or later bubble up. Last year the hipster id manifested itself with “Partie Traumatic.” Dance! Dance! Dance!
19. "Cold Shoulder” and...
20. "Best for Last," by Adele, from "19" --- Adele’s amazing. Strikingly, staggeringly amazing. She made this album at 19. Wrote all the song herself, played a lot of the guitar, and that voice is like a supercharged Amy Winehouse - big without lapsing into that cliched “American Idol”/Mariah Carey histrionic octave jumping shit. Just listen to “Best For Last.” It sounds like Etta James dueting with jazz bassist Paul Chambers. But when I saw her live I realized the upright jazz bassist I was hearing on the album is all Adele. She did the song solo singing and thumping out this exact bass line on an acoustic bass guitar. Shit, man, it was fucking nuts.
21. "Kids," by MGMT, from "Oracular Spectacular" --- Thanks for listening. Now Dance! Dance! Dance!
Cough Syrup & Nicotine
Keywords: Odd, atmospheric, hypnotic, fever dreams, swinging wide the doors of perception
Use while: Staring at your black light posters, smoking weed, wandering in the desert/woods, going on a vision quest, playing air guitar under strobe lights
For fans of: The weird Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Velvet Underground, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, Tom Waits, spacy Neil Young, spacy Talking Heads, “Disintegration”-era Cure, early-Smashing Pumpkins, Flaming Lips, Radiohead
1. “I Will Possess Your Heart” and...
2. "Bixby Canyon Bridge," by Death Cab for Cutie, from “Narrow Stairs” --- Death Cab has spent a decade making conservative, pleasant indie pop I mostly ignored. But here the band is aiming for something completely different. Starting a pop album with these two songs is just nuts. I love that the 8-minute “I Will Possess Your Heart” was the single.
3. “Phonytown,” by Rogue Wave, from “Asleep at Heaven’s Gate” --- I’ve always thought this band was decent enough, but man, this guitar knocks my socks off!
4. “Ragged Wood” and
5. “Blue Ridge Mountains,” by Fleet Foxes, from “Fleet Foxes” --- Nobody argues about who's the quietest band in rock. We can shout until our ears hemorrhage about how the Who's decibel level tramples Led Zeppelin's, but sitting around discussing quiet bands is lame. Yet here are the Fleet Foxes. In mid-July, I got to see the band with 150 other people at the Middle East Upstairs. The Seattle five-piece, led by angel-voiced Robin Pecknold, re-created the same soft, pastoral harmonies that make their self-titled debut album transcendent. Using a beat-to-hell sound system in a room with iffy acoustics, the Foxes turned the dark, cramped club into a temple.
6. “Hopscotch Willie,” by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, from "Real Emotional Trash" --- Kinda like Trey Anastasio channeling his inner Lou Reed. "Slanted and Enchanted" obsessives may be bummed, but Malkmus has become a guitar god. An anti-guitar god like Jay Mascis or Thurston Moore, but a god nonetheless.
7. “The Beach,” Dr. Dog, from “Fate” --- Dr. Dog's music could serve as a soundtrack to the Summer of Love, the Great Depression or a dozen other pre-rock eras. That timelessness has won the group fans across the modern musical spectrum. Since 2004, Dr. Dog has opened for the Strokes, My Morning Jacket, the Raconteurs, Black Keys and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
8. “The Mermaid Angeline,” by Apollo Sunshine, from “Shall Noise Upon” --- Man, this is some freaky stuff. If you wanna blow the doors of perception wide open, turn off your Strawberry Alarm Clock and spin this third album by Boston's Apollo Sunshine. It oozes like a lava lamp between bright and happy folk rock, chromatic and chaotic psychedelic rock and wild postmodern blues raves.
9. “One for the Cutters,” by the Hold Steady, from “Stay Positive” --- This is why they’re my favorite band. A bar band that can pull this off? Listen to these lyrics. All of them. In one sitting.
10. “I Got the Drop on You,” by Mike Doughty, from “Golden Delicious” --- He’s not Jack Johnson yet. That’s a good thing.
11. “Hey Ma,” by James, from “Hey Ma” --- There are two Jameses. There's the Manchester megaband with a slew of Top 10 hits across Europe. Then there's those dudes who sing "Laid." It doesn't matter how big the British superstars are across the Atlantic, in the States they're that band with the song drunk frat guys blast, utterly oblivious of the seriously unmanly lyrics: "Dressed me up in women's clothes/Messed around with gender roles/Line my eyes and call me pretty." This is the other James.
12. “Along the Way,” by DeVotchKa, from “A Mad and Faithful Telling” --- I’m still surprised they’re not that big, what with the “Little Miss Sunshine” soundtrack and all. Props to a Denver band for being this cool.
13. “Mercy,” by Plants and Animals, from “Parc Avenue” --- Man, this is weird.
14. “42,” by Coldplay, from “Viva La Vida or Death to All His Friends” --- The band's least-uniform release, "Viva la Vida" was labeled Coldplay's most Radiohead-lite album, which is neither fair nor true. Artistically, the Radiohead homages are infrequent and well-placed. But by and large the band pilfers more from unexpected sources than obvious ones. They pinch from the Beatles' "Fool on the Hill," Eastern European melodies and neo-classical stuff for a Chopin-does-Britpop effect. It's all very cool and different and, yes, experimental. But if you're a Coldplay hater, nothing here will turn you around.
15. “Love Dog,” by TV on the Radio, from "Dear Science" --- This album accomplishes two significant feats. First, in the one-and-done modern alternative world where so many (Interpol, Strokes, Bloc Party) peak with debuts, TVOTR's new album accelerates artistically. That's because, two, the New York band has made the record Prince would have if he came up in the current Brooklyn indie scene (or what Radiohead would have sounded like growing up in '70s Minneapolis). It's both tough, dirty and funky and evangelical, jazzy and electronic.
16. “You Can Do Better Than Me,” by Death Cab for Cutie, from “Narrow Stars” --- See? They’ve really got something cool going on.
17. “Slapped Actress,” by the Hold Steady, from “Stay Positive” --- I just wanted to end with this song. I doesn't make a lot of thematic sense, but I just had to.
Use while: Staring at your black light posters, smoking weed, wandering in the desert/woods, going on a vision quest, playing air guitar under strobe lights
For fans of: The weird Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Velvet Underground, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, Tom Waits, spacy Neil Young, spacy Talking Heads, “Disintegration”-era Cure, early-Smashing Pumpkins, Flaming Lips, Radiohead
1. “I Will Possess Your Heart” and...
2. "Bixby Canyon Bridge," by Death Cab for Cutie, from “Narrow Stairs” --- Death Cab has spent a decade making conservative, pleasant indie pop I mostly ignored. But here the band is aiming for something completely different. Starting a pop album with these two songs is just nuts. I love that the 8-minute “I Will Possess Your Heart” was the single.
3. “Phonytown,” by Rogue Wave, from “Asleep at Heaven’s Gate” --- I’ve always thought this band was decent enough, but man, this guitar knocks my socks off!
4. “Ragged Wood” and
5. “Blue Ridge Mountains,” by Fleet Foxes, from “Fleet Foxes” --- Nobody argues about who's the quietest band in rock. We can shout until our ears hemorrhage about how the Who's decibel level tramples Led Zeppelin's, but sitting around discussing quiet bands is lame. Yet here are the Fleet Foxes. In mid-July, I got to see the band with 150 other people at the Middle East Upstairs. The Seattle five-piece, led by angel-voiced Robin Pecknold, re-created the same soft, pastoral harmonies that make their self-titled debut album transcendent. Using a beat-to-hell sound system in a room with iffy acoustics, the Foxes turned the dark, cramped club into a temple.
6. “Hopscotch Willie,” by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, from "Real Emotional Trash" --- Kinda like Trey Anastasio channeling his inner Lou Reed. "Slanted and Enchanted" obsessives may be bummed, but Malkmus has become a guitar god. An anti-guitar god like Jay Mascis or Thurston Moore, but a god nonetheless.
7. “The Beach,” Dr. Dog, from “Fate” --- Dr. Dog's music could serve as a soundtrack to the Summer of Love, the Great Depression or a dozen other pre-rock eras. That timelessness has won the group fans across the modern musical spectrum. Since 2004, Dr. Dog has opened for the Strokes, My Morning Jacket, the Raconteurs, Black Keys and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
8. “The Mermaid Angeline,” by Apollo Sunshine, from “Shall Noise Upon” --- Man, this is some freaky stuff. If you wanna blow the doors of perception wide open, turn off your Strawberry Alarm Clock and spin this third album by Boston's Apollo Sunshine. It oozes like a lava lamp between bright and happy folk rock, chromatic and chaotic psychedelic rock and wild postmodern blues raves.
9. “One for the Cutters,” by the Hold Steady, from “Stay Positive” --- This is why they’re my favorite band. A bar band that can pull this off? Listen to these lyrics. All of them. In one sitting.
10. “I Got the Drop on You,” by Mike Doughty, from “Golden Delicious” --- He’s not Jack Johnson yet. That’s a good thing.
11. “Hey Ma,” by James, from “Hey Ma” --- There are two Jameses. There's the Manchester megaband with a slew of Top 10 hits across Europe. Then there's those dudes who sing "Laid." It doesn't matter how big the British superstars are across the Atlantic, in the States they're that band with the song drunk frat guys blast, utterly oblivious of the seriously unmanly lyrics: "Dressed me up in women's clothes/Messed around with gender roles/Line my eyes and call me pretty." This is the other James.
12. “Along the Way,” by DeVotchKa, from “A Mad and Faithful Telling” --- I’m still surprised they’re not that big, what with the “Little Miss Sunshine” soundtrack and all. Props to a Denver band for being this cool.
13. “Mercy,” by Plants and Animals, from “Parc Avenue” --- Man, this is weird.
14. “42,” by Coldplay, from “Viva La Vida or Death to All His Friends” --- The band's least-uniform release, "Viva la Vida" was labeled Coldplay's most Radiohead-lite album, which is neither fair nor true. Artistically, the Radiohead homages are infrequent and well-placed. But by and large the band pilfers more from unexpected sources than obvious ones. They pinch from the Beatles' "Fool on the Hill," Eastern European melodies and neo-classical stuff for a Chopin-does-Britpop effect. It's all very cool and different and, yes, experimental. But if you're a Coldplay hater, nothing here will turn you around.
15. “Love Dog,” by TV on the Radio, from "Dear Science" --- This album accomplishes two significant feats. First, in the one-and-done modern alternative world where so many (Interpol, Strokes, Bloc Party) peak with debuts, TVOTR's new album accelerates artistically. That's because, two, the New York band has made the record Prince would have if he came up in the current Brooklyn indie scene (or what Radiohead would have sounded like growing up in '70s Minneapolis). It's both tough, dirty and funky and evangelical, jazzy and electronic.
16. “You Can Do Better Than Me,” by Death Cab for Cutie, from “Narrow Stars” --- See? They’ve really got something cool going on.
17. “Slapped Actress,” by the Hold Steady, from “Stay Positive” --- I just wanted to end with this song. I doesn't make a lot of thematic sense, but I just had to.
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