In what I hope will become a weekly feature here on the blog, I will attempt to showcase five of the things that have owned my soul for the past week. It's fairly simple. Week 1 will showcase five songs that have been in constant rotation in my car, on my computer, on my PS3, and wherever else. Let's go, shall we?
5. Gorillaz - Empire Ants
Honestly, I have never been a major follower of this so-called "cartoon band". Their first album came and went without a mere glimpse and their follow-up went from being a "must buy" to being "ho-hum" after the entire world overplayed the amazing lead single "Feel Good Inc". Other than my initial interest in Damon Albarn's experimental side project during Demon Days's infancy, the group was never much more than a fleeting interest in my mind. Flash forward nearly five years later and my tastes in music have changed and I'm...(gasp!)...really digging the new Gorillaz album, "Plastic Beach". Maybe it's because I'm on a minimalist electronica/downtempo fix at the moment, or maybe it's because some songs have actually surprised me. It's by no means "disposable pop by a cartoon band", but an album that defines what music could be in 2010...dirty electronica, basic drum patterns, socially-conscious lyrics and a hint of sentimentality. "Empire Ants" is probably my favorite song on the CD, a two-parter, as Damon Albarn shares his depressed "2D" croon in the minimalist intro with Yukimi Nagano (in the role of Noodle?) of the Swedish band Little Dragon, whose vocals comprise the song's second half, a loud yet delicate mix of entirely synthetic sound. Not to mention it's relaxing (or "chill" as the kids say). Good stress relief, I'd say.
4. Death From Above 1979 - Turn It Out
I wanted to buy this album as soon as I saw the album cover back in 2004...quite possibly one of the most bizarre images ever to grace the cover of a CD. Little did I realize how freaking heavy it all sounded. And it practically warped my young high school age mind. This album (along with The Mars Volta's "Frances The Mute" and Queens of the Stone Age's "Lullabies to Paralyze") practically defined my great sophomore year in High School. However, apart from two EP's ("Heads Up" and "Romantic Rights"), this album is the last anyone would see of DFA. Bassist Jesse F. Keeler (JFK) is now in MSTRKRFT, an amazing electro outfit, while drummer and lead singer Sebastien Grainger is now a solo artist, but sounds nothing like his days in DFA. One listen and you'll see why this band simply screams out of your speakers and mercilessly takes control, letting nothing go until the final note.
3. The Hellacopters - In The Sign of the Octopus
In the 2000's, true rock n' roll never died --- it was just restin'...in Sweden. It belonged to Nicke Andersson (formerly of death metal band Entombed) and The Hellacopters. For nearly 15 years, the Copters combined old-school riffs with new-school attitude, starting off as a sleazy, take-no-prisoners "sludge rock" band and evolving into a throwback rock n' roll unit whose riffs packed all the bluesy punch of rock n' roll's roots. Their final album (entirely comprised of covers), 2008's "Head Off", surprisingly became one of my favorite albums of all time. This song, currently the highest-played song on my iPod, is one of those covers (the original was done by local Stockholm band The Robots in 2004). The video, which I also included here, is also one of my favorites of the past while...it's subversive and extremely unsettling, yet fits the song extremely well.
2. Utopia - Feet Don't Fail Me Now
I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I'm slowly learning about why people say Todd Rundgren is an extremely underrated genius. This music video is one of those reasons. One of my new favorite music videos of all time. I'll let it speak for itself.
1. Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Tiny Steps
One of the greatest mysteries beneath Elvis Costello's songs is finding out what his lyrics are all about. I don't know what he's trying to say in this song (as in many of his other songs) but it comes together very well with the vocals and instrumentation. Is it about a baby? An unwanted pregnancy? A dog? A cheating girlfriend? A prostitute? A blow-up doll? Who knows. It's unsettling and sorta fucked up, but that's the way a lot of Elvis songs from this period are...but it doesn't mean it's bad. It's a b-side that should have deserved a bit more attention, in fact. Even from me...as I didn't really "get into" this song until it came on an iPod shuffle the other night. And since then, I've listened to it constantly. Mostly to see what I can interpret out of Costello's cryptic lyrics...and that's one of the reasons why I like his stuff, frankly. It goes to show how important "paying attention to the lyrics" actually is...I'm talking to YOU, children of the 2000's (and probably every decade before that as well)!
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