Tomorrow I will begin the countdown of my ten favorite songs of 2008, so I’m taking a breather now and highlighting the 80s classic ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ by New Order.
I have nothing of interest to say about this song except that I dig it.
Monthly Archives: January 2009
Song of the Day #170: ‘You Were Right’ – Badly Drawn Boy
Once upon a time, I thought Badly Drawn Boy would become one of my very favorite artists. The band (which is actually just one guy, Damon Gough) put out a beautiful meandering album in 2000 called The Hour of Bewilderbeast. It’s not quite like any other album I’ve heard, full of sonic detours and recurring themes, alternately delicate and hard-driving.
He followed that album in 2002 with the soundtrack to About a Boy, which contained a few memorable songs, and in the same year Have You Fed the Fish?, an album similar in style to his debut if not quite up to its level. A strong start, to be certain.
Song of the Day #169: ‘It’s Now or Never’ – Elvis Presley
I’ve always sort of looked down on artists who don’t write their own songs. One of the first things I do when I buy a new album is check the liner notes to see who’s credited. Often a performer will have a co-writing credit along with three or four others and I wonder what exactly his or her contribution was to the process.
Why should I believe the words being sung if they’re just that — words being sung — and not the heartfelt thoughts and feelings of the person singing them? Aren’t these performers just pretty vessels spouting the melodies and poetry of behind-the-scene Cyranos?
Song of the Day #168: ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ – Camper Van Beethoven
I don’t have a whole lot to say about this song other than I really dug it back in college. Also, I think the addition of a violin to any rock song is a wonderful thing.
Up until two minutes ago I thought this was an original song, but I just read that it’s a cover of a song by a band called Status Quo. They formed in the late 60s, after performing under different names for several years, and had a Top 40 hit with ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ in 1968. And they’re still going, having released their 75th single just last month.
So I guess you learn something every day.
Song of the Day #167: ‘Old Enough’ – Nellie McKay
Nellie McKay is an artist I feel I should like even more than I do. She is fiercely talented, super smart, quite witty and has a gift for melody. Her debut album, Get Away From Me, is chock full of inventive and addictive tunes that are right up my alley.
But for some reason she kind of lost me with the release of her second album, Pretty Little Head. That album was delayed for over a year while she fought with the record company over its length… she wanted to release a 2-disc, 23-song version while the label insisted on a single disc, 16-song version. I applaud her tenacity in sticking to her guns as she eventually broke with the label and released it the way she intended.
Meet Me In Montauk 