a winter update
December 23rd, 2004. Thursday
Every December for the past four years, I've made a mix CD for my friends as a small gift. Usually called "'The Nothing to do with Christmas' Christmas Mix," it's proved fairly popular among the small group of people who have received it, and it's been a good way to express two of my core characteristics: my penchant for catchy tunes, and my being a cheap bastard.
In the past, the mix has been made up of random songs that I happened to like that didn't appear on any other mixes. The last year or so, I've tried to make it more of a "best of" list of the music of the past year. This year, 13 of the 20 songs were released this year, which was the most ever. Here's the tracklisting and some thoughts on each song. The songs may or may not be accessed by clicking on them. I'm only linking to the songs whose record companies, I feel, would be less likely to sue me.
1. "Sad and Lonely"- the Secret Machines. Caryn loves this band, so I took her recommendation and grabbed this off her computer at Spin while I was there raiding her office for music and DVDs. It's a good little ditty to start the show.
2. "Speedbumps" - Luna. One of the stronger songs of Rendezvous, Luna's final album. It's followed the path of their last few albums, all of which could be described as "another Luna album." Meaning, not particularly outstanding, but still rather enjoyable
3. "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)" - the Arcade Fire. I'd read all sorts of great press for this band, but hadn't heard the Funeral until I grabbed it from Caryn. And I must say, the hype is totally justified. It's easily the best album I heard all year, and maybe the best thing I've heard in the last five years. This particular song sounds a bit like Interpol, except it's actually good and fun to listen to.
4. "Y Control (Faint Remix)" - the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. While the Funeral is the best albums I've heard in years, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been the most exciting band to me by far. 2004 was the year I totally surrendered to the YYY's. I tried to fight it. On paper, they're usually just the sort of band I hate, but there's no resisting them. The whole package- the music, the look, everything- is rock and roll. Now they need to die in a plane crash. "Y Control" was a great song to begin with, but I always felt it needed to be turned up to 11 or something. It's a great groove, but still lacked a certain vitality. Curiously enough, the canned beats in this remix seem to add exactly what was missing.
5. "Combat Baby" - Metric. Another band Caryn recommended earlier in the year. She's become quite good friends with the lead singer, who seems nice enough. This song is a bit reminiscent of That Dog. Which is a good thing.
6. "American Idiot" - Green Day. I really like the career trajectory that Green Day ended up taking. Started small, inexplicably exploded, bordered on extreme overexposure, made a so-so follow-up album to said explosion, made a few more albums, flirted with irrelevance, and came storming back as respected elder statesmen. I've never been ashamed of really liking this band. I can't think of another band who have made more solidly catchy songs. Also, they are the best validation of my prediction from four and a half years ago: The best thing that could happen for music would be a George W. Bush presidency.
7. "Everybody Come Down" - the Delgados. One of my favorite Scottish bands. At least, in the top three. Just another solid song by a solid band, if not their strongest effort. Catchy, though a bit generic. But if most bands could be this generic, I wouldn't complain.
8. "World at Large"- Modest Mouse. Easily the least likely crossover success story in recent memory, and you can't begrudge them their success. Not my favorite album, but at least it they didn't change their sound for a desperate grab at success.
9. "Ariel Ramirez" - Richard Buckner. OK, I'll admit it: It was that damn Touareg commerical that introduced me to this song. I'll also readily admit that this isn't the first instance of VW exposing me to a song that I really like and should have liked a long time ago.
10. "Bridges and Balloons" - Joanna Newsom. Woodland sprite for the 21st century. Part of that whole "new folk" thing that's all the rage these days. An odd, warbling-yet-strong voice, accompanied by a harp. Along with Liv Tyler and Leonard Nimoy, Joanna Newsom is one of those people who just look like they're supposed to have pointy ears.
11. "Wonderwall"- Ryan Adams. Another admission (besides liking a number of Ryan Adams songs): "The O.C." is near the top of my favorite shows. It's not even a guilty pleasure. I genuinely enjoy it. As an added bonus, the music selection is largely excellent. And this cover of the Oasis hit by Ryan Adams is almost superior to the original. Actually, I prefer it. Dark and moody and a lot more emotive than Liam Gallaghers obnoxious, nasally whine.
12. "Such Great Heights" - Iron & Wine. Cover of the Postal Service song, used to great effect in the movie Garden State. I usually prefer the original, but this cover stands up well on its own.
13. "We Will Become Silhouettes"- The Shins. Another Postal Service cover. I prefer the Shins version by a large margin. More organic.
14. "St. Elmo's Fire (Radio Edit)"- Uilab. This band is the collaboration of the bands Stereolab and Ui. I was recently informed that it's a cover of a Brian Eno song. There are a lot more covers on this mix than I intended to have. Great beat and great vocals. One of my favorite Stereolab-related songs.
15. "Surfing on a Rocket" - Air. I've always kind of liked Air, but, again, it was a damn car commercial that made me really start to like this song.
16. "Sharks" - Thomas & Sampson. The vocals sound a bit like Isaac Brock's falsetto, and overall it sounds what I imagine Modest Mouse might sound like if Isaac Brock never drank, recorded with machines instead of a band, and was less angry. Still, very catchy.
17. "Take Me Out" -Franz Ferdinand. Yes, the song has been played to death, but I'm still not sick of it. It's two parts could've each been expanded into their own outstanding songs.
18. "Disco: The Secretaries Blues" - Beulah. From their first album, and you can definitely hear the Pavement influence. I just really started to appreciate it this year, after seeing them twice. Definitely a band I would pay to see several times. One of the few bands that, every time I see them, I just want them to keep playing and playing. So of course, they broke up. One more Elephant 6 band bites the dust.
19. "The Sutcliffe Catering Song" - Pavement. Previously unreleased track, from the expanded Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origins. Given the choice of a satisfactory career and a semblance of longevity, or a having a brilliant few years then burning out, I'd pick the latter. This was a tremendous reissue of an already classic album. Everything they tried just worked, and a lot of the songs ended up on later records. Definitely their most fertile period. This song is obviously a throwaway compared to the released material, but it's a great example how a band at the height of its powers can just throw together a song and make it the envy of lesser bands. I always thought Wowee Zowee just defined whatever "indie rock" was supposed to be. But, given that a lot of those songs were first conceived of during the Crooked Rain sessions, I'd now have to agree with the folks who claim this as the watershed moment of indie rock.
20. "Sleep Walk" - Ritchie Valens. Another cover song, bringing the total to 5. Here's a little story: Matt is very open about his fantasy life. Specifically, his fantasy life about female celebrities. He was a particularly enchanting one about Stevie Nicks. Anyway, he has a very elaborate fantasy about Ashley Judd. They happen to be in a bookstore, let's say in Kentucky, and her Formula 1 racing husband is out of town or something. They both look at the same book, and have a silly laugh over what silly taste they have in books. Then they go back to her house, and laugh and laugh. The whole time, this song is playing. And it's on the mix for him and his sick fantasies.
©2004 Three Match Breeze