Hooks, Lines, But No Sinkers

My brief hiatus (brought upon by internet troubles and other things you don't really care about) ends today. To get back into the swing of things, today's entry will focus on songs that are easy to listen to again and again. Or, perhaps more accurately, songs that are impossible not to listen to again and again. Now, obviously, this is a pretty vague criteria--after all, why would you want to hear any song that you wouldn't want to hear a second (or third or twentieth) time? But more than simply being songs that I like in a general aesthetic sense, these songs offer something specific that begs repeated listenings. A hook that pushes the right button every time, a line that seems profound each time its heard, a mood that is created and never gets old. So here we go.

Midlake::Branches

These guys answer the eternal question, "What would it sound like if Thom Yorke joined forces with Steely Dan?" Who asked this question? Um, these guys I guess. Along with St. Vincent, Centromatic/South San Gabriel, Ghosthustler, and others, Midlake is threatening to blow North Texas' (ok, Denton's) under-the-radar status. Why is this song on this post? One line makes this song endlessly re-playable: "It's hard on me/ but I'm trying". Holy smokes, is that simple or what? I wait for this refrain every time and, as of this writing, I ain't tired of it yet.

Harpswell Sound:: Set Anchor

I love, love, love the pedal steel guitar. If an instrument could be said to itself be a hook, I would personally nominate the pedal steel guitar for the honor. I am sure there are better, more nuanced uses of it (probably in my own collection) but the opening section of this song works well enough for me.

Budos Band:: Chicago Falcon

I want to thank Budos Band for making instrumental funk music sound both classic and current. I want to thank them for naming a song "Chicago Falcon", whatever the hell that means. But, good god, I want to thank them the most for dropping the bassline at around the 1:08 mark of this track. It is what the repeat function was invented for.

Lil' Wayne:: Upgrade

Like most of Lil' Wayne's songs, I am not too impressed by the beat. The fact that this is from a mixtape makes this even more the case. No musical hook, no real chorus. Then why can't I stop listening to it? Simply put, words. Tons and tons of them. An avalanche. Each time I hear this "song", I catch a new joke, a new metaphor, another reason to believe him when he claims he's the best rapper alive. Who else would think to rhyme "hockey team" with "Rocky theme" and have it actually makes sense?

Paul Simon:: Look at That

Don't you love it when a good song comes up that you didn't even know you had? I had to go home and look at what Paul Simon albums I even owned (other that Graceland, of course) after this song shuffled its way into my brain. Nothing ground-breaking here, but the wide-eyed wonder in the song seems sincere. And we could all use a little more wide-eyed wonder.

Some people like lyrical conceits. Some people love a catchy piano or guitar hook. What keeps you coming back to a song? What's been on repeat for you guys?

Physicalism (My Tongue is a Drum Mix)

I started this playlist with the intention of putting up songs from some newish indie-rock groups whose lyricism has impressed me recently. Somehow, through the twisted logic of playlisting where intent becomes severed from results, I have created something entirely different. Some people may call this a failure...but those people are jerks. I'll get back to that original post someday, but this is what moved me today as I began to write.

Move, as in, "move my ass". Yes, friends, only one rule for the songs here today--they absolutely require me to dance. The opposite of lyricism: physicalism. They might not say anything profound, but they sure as hell do something.

A quick word about the Spank Rock tracks: last years' YoYoYoYoYo was at the top of many year end lists and deservedly so. I practically put that album on repeat without break for a good two months. If you haven't listened yet, please do yourself a favor and check it out. The lyrics, a kind of absurd hyper-profanity, may take some getting used to (although they do have their own charms), but the beats are worth it. Anyway, these tracks are not off the album. These are remixes and, mea culpa, a mashup. Music bloggers may act all snooty toward the mashup and maybe for good reason. But Daft Punk and Spank Rock? Killer.

Songs can be downloaded individually or, if you really want to boogie, as a whole zipped file (39minutes).

The whole shebang:

My Tongue is a Drum Mix(39 min).zip

Individual shebangs:

Building Bloc::Jump On

DJ Kentaro featuring Spank Rock::Free

!!!::Heart of Hearts

Datarock::I Used To Dance With My Daddy

Ghislain Poirier::Spank Rock vs. Daft Punk

Incredible Bongo Band::Bongo Rock

Memphis Bleek::Alright (Ratatat Remix)

ThE BeATaRdS::DangDiggyDang

Bonde Do Role::Gasolina (Radioclit Remix)

Simian Mobile Disco::Hustler (Spank Rock Remix)

(Make it past the trance-y opening to the :57 mark of this last song and then proceed to freak out...)

We all have those songs whose rhythmic pull is irresistible. What is the song that never fails to get you on the dancefloor?

MIA: Andre 3000 (Or How Andre Benjamin Is Like Joe Dimaggio)

Man. I wish the title of this post referred to a newly leaked collaboration between MIA and Andre 3000. Because that would be amazing. But it doesn't. Sorry if I raised any false hopes.

No, I mean MIA very literally: Andre 3000 is missing in action. No one hates saying this more than I do. I am sure I am not the only (white) person out there who fell in love with hip hop because of Outkast. But doesn't anyone else miss the days when Andre 3000 was a dope MC? I am definitely not hating on the guy for being a trend-setting, genre-hopping experimentalist. He's a unique artist and I am glad there is someone like him out there. I just miss how good a
rapper he can be.

The good thing about being MIA, at least, is that you're not KIA. Missing implies that you are alive and, hopefully, can still be found. Have there been sightings of an MC named Andre 3000? Infrequent and all-too-brief sightings that give us hope that Andre Benjamin can still rhyme with the best of them?

A nation turns its lonely ears to you...

Lo!

UGK featuring Outkast::International Player's Anthem (Jive, 2007)
Quite possibly the jam of the summer. Andre starts things off impressively, composing a text message to his girl (don't worry, he "cc'd every girl/ that he's see-sees around town"). The style, slipping and stumbling over words unpredictably, doesn't overpower the disarming romanticism of the message. The rest of the song comes through with one of those beats that you've heard a thousand times and never fails to make you shake it. And it's also not as, um, chivalric as Andre's opener. Interested is that soulful sample or the video? Go here.

Devin the Dude featuring Snoop Dogg and Andre 3000::What A Job (Rap-A-Lot, 2007)
The song that reminds you how awesome it is to be a rapper. Just in case it you had forgotten or anything. These two songs have me convinced that Andre 3000 might be untouchable when it comes to writing mind-blowing opening lines, the kind that make me hope he returns to the rhyme game full-time.

Andre 3000::Banana Zoo (La Face, 2007)
One of the projects that has kept Andre from delivering the rhymes full-time is a cartoon for Cartoon Network, Class of 3000. If you check out the link, you'll see it's obviously for the youg'uns. And it's actually pretty good--certainly better than VeggieTales. All of this is to say that this song is goofy as all get out. Don't take it too seriously and you'll have a hard time resisting the urge to move like a monkey.


Help me in my search! What am I missing? And what's on the horizon? Can you remember the first time you heard Outkast?

Rubber Soul Shakedown Party

It is a sunny Saturday afternoon in Berkeley. A day that calls for soul music, a celebration of life in a world that tries to convince us that our sorrows and joys are solitary experiences. Listen up, friends: we're all in this glorious shit together.

I've also been hearing about this band from England called The Beatles. Maybe you guys can fill me in on these guys' story.

So I am going to combine these two things and throw my hat in the ring.

Peter Tosh:: Here Comes the Sun (Sony, 1997)

Tubby Hayes:: Hey Jude (Dusty Fingers, 2001)

The Phoenix Authority:: Come Together (Dusty Fingers, 2001)

Jimmy Ponder:: While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Dusty Fingers, 2001)

And for those of you who (inexplicably) prefer the Stones--

Ananda Shankar:: Jumpin' Jack Flash (Rhino, 2006) (Warning: this song contains wicked sitar shredding)

QUESTION: Anybody got favorite Beatles covers out there? Also, convince me that the Stones are better than the Beatles.

Whistle While You (Don't) Work

Anyone who has lived or worked with me for any extended period of time knows that I am an unrepentant and highly accomplished whistler. Morning, noon, and night are all filled with the gift of my melodic whistle. I couldn't turn it off if I wanted to--it's in my genes.

Luckily, just about everyone I know feels the same way about themselves so I don't have to waste too much time feeling guilty about it. Nothing is more natural or satisfying as whistling a great tune. And when has a whistle blower ever gotten in trouble? So in honor of the only instrument that everyone can (and inevitably does) play, I have posted a couple of tunes below that allow us common folk to join in on the jam with the rock stars:

DeVotchKa::The Enemy Guns (Cicero, 2004)

This band is probably best known for doing the music for Little Miss Sunshine, but they have put out some pretty good indie albums as well. This is the part of the review where I say that they sound like a cross between the Smiths and a Gypsy band. There, ok: I said it.

Menomena:: Boyscout'n (Barsuk, 2007)

This band out of Portland, OR created a small buzz with their most recent release, Friend and Foe (fans of Craig Thompson's Blankets will appreciate the cover art). Apparently they use some kind of crazy software program to loop much of the instrumental parts. Mostly, though, they just write catchy, layered pop songs--I have a hard time even recognizing any computer-y stuff, really. By the way, the top notch whistling in this track is what inspired this post in the first place.

Department of Eagles:: No One Does It Like You (Melodic, unreleased)

Comprised partly of members from the awe-inspiring Grizzly Bear, Dept. of Eagles craft tunes that are both comforting and haunting. Reverbed, Beach Boys-style harmonies with some lightly placed electronic beats underneath. No album since the fortunes of Grizzly Bear began to increase, but plans are in the works for an album sometime in 2007.

Meat Puppets:: The Whistling Song (SST, 1983)

So I've had this Meat Puppets album for a while and I am sort of ambivalent about it. Some songs make me believe that they deserve the icon status they have been granted by more modern rockers like Nirvana, Flaming Lips, and the Black Keys. Some songs are really, really terrible. Truly unlistenable. Fortunately, I think this song is in the first group. A large amount of whiskey is recommended to thoroughly enjoy it to the fullest.

Blitzen Trapper:: Summer Twin (Good Time Folk, 2006)

I am cheating a bit here, as this one doesn't technically have a traditional, lip-pursing whistle. It does, however, put the whistle that they stole from the crossing guard to good use in kicking off the chaotic chorus. More importantly, I am willing to create a loophole to get these guys on the post. There will definitely be a full post about these guys soon, but for now know that Blitzen Trapper is capable making some of the best, most unpredictable rock around.

A mere five songs, but a proper tribute to the whistle I hope. If anything, maybe one these songs will help you finally get "Young Folks" out of your head.

QUESTIONS-- So what did I miss? Any favorite songs that you like to whistle along with? And can anyone come up with a synonym for "whistle"?

The Sounds of Science

Sometimes a (rather lengthy) trip down memory lane is tied to music. Other times it is inextricably knotted up with it. No one hates untying knots more than I do, so I'll just let the experts handle it...

Love songs, hate songs, blues. It's all about those big experiences in life. When words matter it's because the listener can relate to either the pain or the joy with the singer. So I think that's true. A lot of what inspires music is emotion and your memory of those emotions and your anticipation about future emotions… I think it's more than repetition. I can imagine at a concert where you've got the musician up onstage, and there's a lot of intensity and the music is loud and driving and the crowd is swaying and the guy is dancing around onstage. There's a lot of stuff going on. Emotional upheaval like that is very good at storing memories. There's a very famous study from Columbia in the '60s, where they took people and gave them a shot of adrenaline, which revved them up, and then put them into a room of sad people, happy people or neutral people. If you had the injection you came out feeling the mood of the room you were in. Revving you up like that and putting you into a particular context creates emotions that are appropriate to that context. Your memories will automatically be stored more strongly because of the emotional arousal.
--Joseph LeDoux, Professor of Science at NYU's Center for Neural Science

Check out the full interview here.

Sounds about right so far. And what say you, Daniel Levitin?

...when we're imagining music, it uses the same neurons and circuits as when we're actually hearing it. They're almost indistinguishable. So when you're imagining or remembering something, it could be music or a painting or a kiss, disparate neurons from different parts of your brain get together in the same configuration they were in when you experienced it the first time. They're members of a unique set of neurons that experienced that first kiss or that first bungee jump or whatever it is that you're recalling.

Actually, it's in the word "remember"—you're re-membering them. You're making them members of this original set again. I think that's what memory is.

More of these thoughts (and sounds) on the brain and music continue in this video. And, yes, from here on out we can just assume that David Byrne is an expert on anything he damn well pleases to speak about. (For proof of this, a transcript of the fuller, hour-long conversation between Byrne and McGill University Psychology Professor Daniel Levitin can be found here.)

And finally, a short article exploring the relationship between thinking machines, encrypted pianos, and Renaissance medicine--such is the loopy genius of Bay area electro-whizzes Matmos.

Downloads--

David Byrne: The Other Side Of This Life (Luaka Bop, 2004)

Matmos: Steam And Sequins For Larry Levan (Matador, 2006)

Screw that! Analysis is a buzzkill, man--

Los Campesinos!: Don't Tell Me To Do The Maths (Arts & Crafts, 2007)

QUESTION: What memories of yours are music-related? What songs trigger nostalgia for you? Science: fascinating or buzzkill?

The World Premiere of a Non-Existent Band

The Staple Singers: You've Got To Earn It (Stax, 1970)

Rance Allen Group: Lying On The Truth (Stax, 1972)

Isaac Hayes: Hyperbolicsyllablicsesquedalymistic (Stax, 1969)

I have figured out that major points in my life have been marked by the names of bands that I would star in. Unfortunately, these bands never actually existed. They were mythic bands that could take over the world-- if only I could learn how to play music. (And we all know that bass-guitar phase doesn't count.) These bands, or, more accurately, their names, have reflected both my musical and philosophical leanings at the time of their conception. What follows is a misguided attempt to make some sense of all this:

Prometheus Afterthought--6th grade--Fort Worth, TX

I remember the exact moment when this truly awful name occured to me. I was at my grandmother's house after school. I began doodling on a homework folder. This doodle developed into an involved drawing that depicted, in an intricacy and detail that is peculiar to 6th grade boys, a tree split into two large branches to the left and right of the folder. Each side of the folder had images of opposites. A moon sat upon the left branch and a sun upon the right. Snow on the left, fire on the right. Perhaps I had Jesus on one side and Steve Young on the other. Some of the details escape me, but you get the idea. Inspired by some recent assignments on Greek mythology, I proudly titled the piece "Prometheus Afterthought".

Musical Reading-- Kurt Cobain had either just or was just about to kill himself in a Seattle garage. I had a copied cassette tape of Pearl Jam's Ten with three weird songs by a band named Red Hot Chili Peppers. Warren G's "Regulators" was being replaced by Beck's "Loser" as the anthem of recess. Just as I was becoming aware of--and a market to--mass media, mass media decided it could turn a pretty penny exposing "alternative" music. Prometheus Afterthought, then, was a part of the grunge explosion.

In Fort Worth, TX.

God help us all.

Philosophical Reading-- The name makes a pun of the Greek mythological name Prometheus, meaning "forethought". "Forethought Afterthought". Opposites. Get it? I would like to say that this name expresses my discovery of irony that occurs, not coincidentally, with the onset of puberty. This is probably true, but if I am being honest, I must admit that what this name truly represents is my latent nerdery. Prometheus Afterthought? What the hell kind of name is that anyway? I would find different ways as I grew older to earn my nerd merit badge. But this band name may be the first time I intentionally harnessed my nerd powers and was openly proud of the results.

The Sublimaters--15th Grade--San Antonio, TX

Like too many things in college, the origins of this name are a bit hazy. I am pretty sure that it was the result of one of many late nights playing pool with a certain Tommy B. We have a history of making jokes that are hilarious only to us. Not really-funny-to-us and less so to others, but absolutely-pee-your-pants-hilarious to us and totally incomprehensible to others. Anyway. This was a formalization of the band-naming process that had its beginnings in Prometheus Afterthought and continues to this day. One contender that I particularly liked from these sessions was Fluke, but mostly just because I liked the name of their (again, never to be made) first album: The Gospel According to Fluke.

Musical Reading-- The Strokes. The Hives. The White Stripes. The...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of the Deads. It was all the rage and I couldn' resist. My band needed a name that was catchy, retro, and, most importantly, kick-ass. The Sublimaters fit the bill and, until a few weeks ago, this was still the name of my unformed musical outfit.

Philosophical Reading--This name reeks of two things I battle against often: smugness and elitism. First of all, the name is from chemistry (of which I actually know nothing about) and assumes you know that it is also the funneling of strong (often sexual) impulses into more socailly acceptable forms of expression. Or, rather, assumes you don't know so that I will get to show off and enlighten you with that tidbit. I think this band name and this tendency both come from the part of my psyche that needs to have others, slack-jawed, watch me play "Jeopardy".

The Staplegun Singers--19th Grade--Berkeley, CA

My band-naming game has become both more difficult and more necessary since my move to the West Coast. I don't have the group of people or social situations that usually lead to mind games like this. But this has made those same games a private way to stay connected to my past. The Staplegun Singers were formed on my porch, alone. And without the aid of beer. Long live the Staplegun Singers.

Musical Reading--I ran across a copy of "Wattstax" at the San Jose Public Library when I first moved here in October. Picture this: a concert movie highlighting the Wattstax Festival held in Wattsin 1973; lots of funk, soul, and cool threads; and Isaac from Love Boat (before he was famous) actually referring to other people as "cats". I immediately fell into the rabbit hole. I have since been obsessed with vintage soul and deep funk in a way that is much easier to indulge in the music blog era. Mavis Staples is quite simply an angel on earth and this band name is my tribute to her.

(For all things funk and funky, do yourself a favor here, friends, and go check out one of the OGs of music blogging, Soul Sides. Seriously, if I fell down the rabbit hole, Oliver Wang was the White Rabbit.)

Philosophical Reading-- I have recently begun my life as a working stiff (I took the scenic route, I guess). I was trying to figure out how to effectively attach a bill of lading to the outside of a shipping crate and a staplegun seemed to be the best option. Holy shit. Did I just write that? So the name is the fusion of the two most important new aspects of my life. Work and music. Does this mean that my creativity will be subsumed by the banality of work? Possibly. But I'll fight that the best I can. We can all just go along the best way we know how and try to enjoy it...

QUESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO MADE IT THIS FAR OR JUST SKIPPED TO THE BOTTOM:

Am I crazy? Surely other people do this too. Right? Let me know: What would your band be called? Why? I look forward to some interesting responses.