song of the day: march 31/2011

The Cure - Inbetween Days

Album: The Head on the Door [1985]

out of all the bands that emerged in the immediate aftermath of punk rock in the late '70s, few were as enduring and popular as the cure. Led through numerous incarnations by guitarist/vocalist robert smith, the band became notorious for its slow, gloomy dirges and smith's ghoulish appearance, a public image that often hid the diversity of the cure's music. at the outset, the cure played jagged, edgy pop songs before slowly evolving into a more textured outfit. As one of the bands that laid the seeds for goth rock, the group created towering layers of guitars and synthesizers, but by the time goth caught on in the mid-'80s, the cure had moved away from the genre. By the end of the '80s, the band had crossed over into the mainstream not only in its native england, but also in the united states and in various parts of europe. after recording one of their darkest albums, 1984's "the top", the cure regrouped and shuffled their lineup, which changed their musical direction rather radically. while the band always had a pop element in their sound, "the head on the door" is where they become a hitmaking machine. the shiny, sleek production and laser-sharp melodies of "inbetween days" and "close to me" helped them become modern rock radio staples and the inspired videos had them in heavy rotation on MTV. with this album, smith figured out how to make gloom and doom danceable and popular to both alternative and mainstream rock audiences. it was a feat the band managed to pull off for many years afterward, but never as concisely or as impressively as they did here.

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song of the day: march 30/2011

Dinosaur Jr. - Pick Me Up

Album: Beyond [2007]

dinosaur Jr. were largely responsible for returning lead guitar to indie rock and, along with their peers the pixies, they injected late-'80s alternative rock with monumental levels of pure guitar noise. as the group's career progressed, it turned into a vehicle for j mascis' songwriting and playing, which had the ultimate result of turning the group's albums into largely similar affairs. over time, mascis shed his hardcore punk roots and revealed himself to be a disciple of neil young, crafting simple songs that were delivered at a crushing volume and spiked with shards of feedback. dinosaur jr.'s early "SST" records laid the foundation for alternative rock's commercial breakthrough in the early '90s, and while the band's profile was raised substantially in the wake of nirvana's success, they never really became much bigger than highly respected cult figures. their 1991 major-label debut "green mind", was recorded almost entirely alone by mascis, and its varied, eclectic sound was received poorly in many alternative rock circles. however, on the the subsequent tour, they were supported by nirvana, whose success with "nevermind" soon overshadowed dinosaur jr's. instead of capitalizing on the commercial breakthrough of alternative rock, they released an EP in early 1992 and disappeared to record their next album. released early in 1993, "where you been" benefited greatly from the commercial breakthrough of alternative rock, and many of the articles surrounding the album's release hailed mascis as an alternative godfather. "without a sound" emerged in 1994 to mixed reviews, but the album was a moderate hit, thanks to the MTV and modern rock hit "feel the pain." fast forward to 2007 - when the time came for mascis to retire the band's name, he slyly turned the words of his idol neil young upside down, choosing to fade away rather than burn out. after 1997's "hand it over", mascis ran out the clock, bringing his contract with reprise to a close, doing some solo acoustic tours before forming "the fog" and cutting a couple records with them without making any real impact outside of his devoted fans. and since he didn't break beyond his cult, dinosaur jr. seemed to belong solely to the history books - the band that bridged the gap between the replacements and nirvana, the band that was seminal but not widely popular, a band that for whatever reason wasn't passed down to younger brothers and sisters the way their boston compatriots the pixies were. perhaps it was because, unlike the pixies, they summed up their times too well, since there was no other alt-rock musician that was as quintessentially slacker as j mascis. with his laconic drawl and anthems of ambivalence, he was a figurehead for a generation who chose to stay on the sidelines, so sliding away from the spotlight was a logical path for mascis: he never seemed to really want the fame, so it seemed that he'd be happier on the fringe, which is where he wound up. all of this made the reunion in 2005 all the more surprising: there may have been unfinished business, but such a mess seemed inherent to their mystique. but the group got together to tour in support of reissues of their first three albums, and defying all logic, the reunion worked - working so well that the band decided to record a full-length album, "beyond", releasing it in may 2007. the very existence of this new album is a surprise, but the real shock is that "beyond" is a flat-out great record, a startling return to form for j mascis as a guitarist and songwriter and dinosaur jr. as a band. "beyond" sonically resembles latter-day dinosaur albums; it's not as harsh and it's stylistically varied, ranging from full-throttle rockers to skipping country-rock and elegiac ballads. in a way, this sounds like the album that could have been released instead of "green mind" if their original members had stuck around, or if dinosaur made the kind of grand major-label debut many expected them to deliver in the days before "nevermind". musically, this suits that description - "beyond" is not a breakthrough or reinvention, it's a consolidation of their strengths, which means it sounds very much like the band did at its peak - but in terms of attitude, mascis could never have made an album as assured as this in 1992, simply because he never was this confident. it gives the album a powerful sense of purpose that the classic albums were lacking by their very design. but "beyond" isn't great simply because it's cohesive; it's great because it's as bold, vital, and monstrous as their best early work. it's clear that dinosaur jr. has tapped into the essence of their music, and their thundering roar sounds as vivid and thrilling as it was the first time around.

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song of the day: march 29/2011

Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings

Album: Shut Up I Am Dreaming [2006]

easily one of the busiest people in indie rock, vocalist/keyboardist spencer krug of the critically hailed wolf parade (as well as part time frog eyes member) leads sunset rubdown, intended to be an additional outlet for krug's songwriting and slightly more experimental than wolf parade. he released the first sunset rubdown album, "snake's got a leg", as a solo work in july 2005. it wasn't long until he assembled a full band. "shut up I am dreaming" is pure bedroom art-pop that is as poignant and self-effacing as it is self-conscious and pretentious. krug starts things off with a bang on "stadiums and shrines II," an explosive piece of self-propaganda that utilizes wolf parade's manic energy, arcade fire's willful introspection, and frog eyes' vocal shudder. it carries kind of apocalyptic results that are usually reserved for album end pieces (just like the title track!). it's a bold move, but it helps the listener figure out whether or not the road is worth taking in the first five minutes of the record, as what follows both expounds and splinters off from it. the album utilizes an arsenal of keyboards, xylophones, treated guitars, and compressed drums, and his vocals are both meek and imposing, showing a real knack for literate imagery. there's a melodious after-burn at work here that's missing from krug's work with the more accessible wolf parade, and, as we've come to realize, one that's not likely to flame out over the span of future recordings.

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song of the day: march 28/2011

Mirah - Generosity

Album: (A)spera [2009]

calling an album "mature" can be damning it with faint praise, but mirah's luminous "(a)spera" embodies the best qualities of that word. while it might be subtler and gentler than most of her previous work, it also feels like a summation of everything that came before it. "advisory committee" was a gloriously audacious sprawl that showed exactly what mirah was capable of - which was a lot - and "c'mon miracle" was a reassuring shoulder to cry on, but (a)spera finds a delicate, sometimes tense balance between adventurousness and empathy. above all, the album emphasizes just how remarkable mirah's voice and words are: after more than a decade of recording, her voice is still light and girlish but with a knowing delivery; likewise, her lyrics are passionate yet clear-eyed. the album opens with one of its most striking moments - "generosity"'s distorted drums and guitars, tremulous strings, and declaration of independence make it feel like a cousin to "cold cold water," which began advisory committee with a similarly dramatic cloudburst. this kind of sophisticated indie pop and singer/songwriter territory is all her own, and (a)spera holds almost as much wisdom as it does hope.

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song of the day: march 27/2011

Porno For Pyros ~ Pets

Album: Porno For Pyros [1993]

perry farrell's post-jane's addiction band followed the same path as his previous band, combining art rock, punk, heavy metal, and funk into one shrieking whole. at the time, this was one of the most highly anticipated rock releases of 1993. it turned out to be a more ethereal and psychedelic affair. most noticeably absent were monstrous guitar riffs. whereas jane's addiction were known to wander into mood-enhanced improv, most tracks on this debut are under the four-minute mark, while farrell's lyric-writing still alternates between train of thought and thought-provoking. the slightly melancholic and beautifuly melodic ballad "pets" was an MTV hit, as it lyrically touches upon the possibility of extraterrestrial life. while those expecting an instant classic like "nothing's shocking" and "ritual de lo habitual" were probably disappointed, "porno for pyros" remains an interesting musical detour for farrell and co. the band released "god's good urge" in 1996, and after the album's ensuing tour wrapped up in early 1997, farrell promptly ended the group, as he focused on a solo recording career as well as sporadic jane's addiction reunion shows.

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song of the day: march 26/2011

At the Drive-In - Ursa Minor

Album: Vaya EP [1999]

combining emotional melodies and an upbeat rhythm moving at an unpredictable rate, at the drive-in definitely stuck out in their hometown of el paso, TX. formed in early 1994, the now all-star lineup secured around cedric bixler (vocals), omar rodriguez and jim ward (guitar), paul hinojos (bass) and tony hajjar (drums), toured in support of their first two EPs to mostly empty houses and clubs across the western united states. a small gig in los angeles - with an audience consisting of only nine people - somehow got the attention of flipside records, who released the band's first full-length, "acrobatic tenement" in 1996. with constant energy and a stubborn enthusiasm to continue, at the drive-in began to develop an audience, helped out by constant touring and word-of-mouth hype. their final three releases, "in/casino/out", "vaya", and "relationship of command", were gradually and absolutely astounding, and saw the band coming together to find the true and beautiful essence of their music. they took the raw intensity and power of their earlier efforts, and focused upon it, bringing forth something that surpassed anything they had done prior. overall, they were an incredible band that was moving in a direction so exciting that left many dying to see what they'd do next. sadly, that would never come to be, with the band members parting ways in 2001 and spawning sparta and the mars volta. at their best, they could be breath-taking, heart-pounding, seamless, and inspiring all at once. amidst all the rock, there was the undeniably unique edge about ther band's sound. beautiful vocals bursting passion in quirky, abstract, and often thrilling lyrics, youthful energy, driving melodies, and a sense of beyond-the-moment urgency.

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song of the day: march 25/2011

Led Zeppelin - Poor Tom

Album: Coda [1982]

led zeppelin was the definitive heavy metal band. it wasn't just their crushingly loud interpretation of the blues-- it was how they incorporated mythology, mysticism, and a variety of other genres (most notably world music and british folk) - into their sound. they had mystique. they rarely gave interviews, since the music press detested the band. consequently, the only connection the audience had with the band was through the records and the concerts. more than any other band, led zeppelin established the concept of album-oriented rock, refusing to release popular songs from their albums as singles. in doing so, they established the dominant format for heavy metal, as well as the genre's actual sound. "coda" would mark the groups tenth and final ablum. an was an odds-and-sods collection assembled after john bonham's death, it's predictably a hit-or-miss affair. the best material comes from later in led zeppelin's career, including the ringing folk stomp of "poor tom". certainly sounds like something that would've fit nicely onto "III".

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song of the day: march 24/2011

Mumford & Sons - Days & This Time Tomorrow (Kinks)

Album: Live on Jools Holland w/ Ray Davies [2010]

not the best quality but a great band covering an even greater band nevertheless!

song of the day: march 23/2011

Avett Brothers - Swept Away (Sentimental Version)

Album: Mignonette [2004]

the avett brothers' music has roots in traditional folk and bluegrass, but also captures the high spirits and no-boundaries attitude of rock & roll. americana with attitude is the best way to describe the avett brothers' music - a sublime blend of folk, country, hillbilly, and blues, swirled through with pop, rock, and a touch of wry punk. this song hails from their lengthy and ambitious fourth studio album, "mignonette". love seems to be the paramount emotion of most of their songs. from lullabies to rousing singalong party pieces, the band continues to pick their way through america's folk styles, and deliver them in ways you wouldn't expect, all wrapped around lyrics, sometimes witty, sometimes dead-serious, but all delivered with the band's signature intensity. "mignonette" is a fabulous album from a band that just keeps getting bigger. after tons of releases including live albums, EP's, and side projects, they reached a new level of popularity with 2007's "emotionalism", their first album to make a dent on the billboard charts.

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song of the day: march 22/2011

Red House Painters - Priest Alley Song

Album: Songs for a Blue Guitar [1996]

red house painters was primarily the vehicle of singer/songwriter mark kozelek - the evocative, compelling king of rare emotional intensity. kozelek laid his soul bare on record, conjuring harrowingly acute tales of pain, despair, and loss; unlike nick drake, and other poets of decay, his autobiographical songs walked their tightrope without a net - forsaking the safety offered by metaphor and allegory, he faced his demons in the first person, creating a singularly haunting body of work unparalleled in its vulnerability and honesty. "songs for a blue guitar", appeared in 1996 and although kozelek was the only bandmember to appear on the record, it was nonetheless issued under the red house painters name in order to give the group a push as it headed into the second phase of its career. to make a long story short, that didn't happen, but the benefits that resulted from his freedom from the group setting quickly became evident. "songs for a blue guitar" compiles a diverse group of styles, including gently hypnotic folk in "have you forgotten", and country-rock, both slow (title track) and fast ("make like paper"). mixed with his traditionally beautiful and sad material are cover songs that bring light to the red house painters' typically shadowy songs. the deep beauty and eclecticism on this album made it another artistic triumph for kozelek and was a shimmering sign of things to come.

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song of the day: march 21/2011

Joanna Newsom - Jackrabbits

Album: Have One On Me [2010]

joanna newsom started on piano lessons at a very early age and played for several years before switching to the harp at seven. by the time she reached high school age, newsom decided she wanted to become a composer, and while that became the focus of her studies, in her free time she began writing and recording instrumental songs. eventually, newsom's passion for songwriting won out, and she began studying creative writing to work with words in the same way she was accustomed to working with music. despite her extensive musical background, she hadn't sung until she began concentrating on her songs, but her voice - which had a pure, untrained sound somewhere between a child and a crone - was the perfect complement to her music. her magnificent full-length debut, "the milk-eyed mender", was released in spring 2004. fast forward to 2010, and in case there was any doubt that she was busy making music in the four years between her brilliant second album "ys" and its follow-up, "have one on me"’s three-disc, two-hour expanse is proof positive. the album’s massive size suggests that newsom is bent on outdoing herself with each release, but the music is simpler than ys’ symphonic majesty. instead, she uses this oversize canvas to travel from appalachian folk to big city pop, with stops at country, soul, and gospel along the way. it’s a dense journey, not just as a whole, but from song to song. many of the songs on the album are easily comparable to newsom's best work, and her voice is much more polished and inviting. "have one on me" is quite a technical achievement, and newsom has proven she can do just about anything. ironically, the more straight forward songs like "81" and "jackrabbits" are just as rewarding as the epics, and prove that she can succeed without trying to do everything.

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song of the day: march 20/2011

Nirvana - D7

Album: With The Lights Out [2004]

within a matter of months after kurt cobain's suicide in april of 1994, fans started asking for the official release of all the demos, stray songs, alternate takes, and rarities in nirvana's vaults. due to various legal disputes between the surviving bandmembers and the cobain estate, this long-awaited set of unreleased material did not appear until late 2004, when the three-disc, one-DVD box "with the lights out" finally appeared. not counting the 20-song DVD, the box contains 61 tracks, with nearly two-thirds of this material seeing its first official release on this set (the remaining songs are b-sides, one-off singles, and compilation contributions that didn't make it to the compilation "incesticide", or appeared after its 1992 release). as the liner notes indicate, this hardly contains all of the unreleased material, but it certainly contains all of the noteworthy unreleased material. for listeners who are less dedicated, this set may not be quite as compelling as it initially seems. listening to archival material like this, whether it's on an official release or a bootleg, is a bit of a chore, since it not only doesn't have the flow of a proper album, but the selections are chosen for historical reasons and therefore are interesting as curiosities as much as they are as full-fledged pieces of music. and that's the case here - while there is much good music here, there isn't much that adds to nirvana's legacy, nor is there much that's revelatory. to be sure, the demos are interesting, as are some of the big b-sides that albums made albums like "sappy", "verse chorus verse", and "d7". enjoy.

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song of the day: march 19/2011

Liars - Plastic Casts of Everything

Album: Liars [2007]

liars were conceived in november 2000 after two friends and ex-los Angeles art students, aaron hemphill and angus andrew, reunited in new york city. combined, they write music - surprisingly formulated after the beats are laid down on the drum machine - exhibiting fundamental elements of punk rock. synthetic keypads, vocal modulation, and interspersed prearranged compositions, mixed with their guitar-bass-drums equation, create angular yet melodic songs. after making two densely packed, high-concept albums, the most experimental thing liars could do was make their version of a pop album. on their self-titled album, they strip away most of the concepts and some of the ornate sonics of the band's previous two albums, leaving a simpler, smaller-scale album with as much impact as their more ambitious work. each song here is focused - only a handful stretch past four minutes long - but it wanders wherever it wants to, touching on noise, prog, hard rock, punk, industrial, and other styles the band has flirted with in the past, as well as a few uncharted ones. the album begins with "plaster casts of everything," a flame-throwing rock behemoth that sounds even heavier compared to the largely atmospheric work of the album prior. check out the video for this song if you feel so inclined. wow!

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song of the day: march 18/2011

The Strokes - Under Cover of Darkness

Album: Angles [2011]

equally inspired by classic tunesmiths like buddy holly and john lennon and the street-smart attitude and angular riffs of fellow new yorkers television and the velvet underground, the strokes were also equally blessed and cursed with an enormous amount of hype - particularly from the U.K. music press, whose adulation for the group rivaled their fervor for oasis in the early '90s. barely in their twenties by the time their debut album, "is this it", arrived in 2001, their success wasn't quite of the overnight variety, but it still arrived pretty swiftly. their december 2000 dates at the mercury lounge and the bowery ballroom not only gained them a manager, but also helped strokes mania reach critical mass in new york. on "is this it", it was pop-inflected, second-generation take on late-'70s new york punk, complete with raw, world-weary vocals, spiky guitars, and an insistently chugging backbeat. however, their songs also reflected their own early-twenties lust for life; singer/songwriter/guitarist julian casablancas and the rest of the band mix swaggering self-assurance with barely concealed insecurity on "the modern age". the new album is much the same, though they've grown up a lot of the span of a decade. this album features more electronica, which isn't neccesarily a bad thing - most of the time, like on "under cover of darkness", the beats fit well with a wonderfully bouncy bassline. the album is exciting, exuberant and rarely slows down. in the end, it's a return to form.

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song of the day: march 17/2011

Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up To Boston

Album: Warrior's Code [2005]

happy st. patricks day!

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song of the day: march 16/2011

Johnny Flynn - The Wrote & The Writ

Album: A Larum [2008]

an actor, poet, and americana-styled songwriter, johnny flynn was initially a member of british folk group the sussex wit before moving up to become the group's frontman. as would befit someone with such a varied artistic background, flynn cited shakespeare as an influence, as well as musicians such as john fahey and langhorne slim. flynn's debut album, "a larum" (recorded with the sussex wit but credited with his name), was released in 2008 on vertigo records in europe. before listening to the album, it's worth noting that the band is a collection of talented individuals in their own right, and they do more on "a larum" than simply providing an aural backdrop for flynn's witticisms. rather, it quickly becomes clear that the wit's intricate, meandering rhythms and melodies are a fitting complement to flynn's straightforward delivery, augmenting lyrics that would also function as poetry outside of a musical setting. the bulk of the album is geared toward both flynn's and the wit's strengths - gently rollicking tunes, engaging lyrics, warm vocal harmonies (courtesy of percussionist matt edmonds and lillie flynn), and well-timed instrumental interludes featuring horns, strings, and the occasional pair of spoons. the tangible intimacy between flynn and his group makes the album not only an introduction, but also captures the gentle, amicable nature that makes them such an inviting and satisfying listen.

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song of the day: march 15/2011

Rue Royal - Halfway Blind

Rue Royal - Flightline

Album: Guide to an Escape [2011]

i am so pleased with this album that i had to do a double shot. maybe it's the fact that i'm listening to it during a time when the days are just beginning to get longer, but it really seems to capture an astonishing mood. driven in every sense of the word, ruth and brookln dekker have amassed 80,000 miles on the road in europe alone since the release of their first eponymously-titled LP in 2008. meanwhile, without the backing of a label or manager, between tours the couple has rustled up a cottage industry at their cozy nottingham home. together they’ve printed, snipped, sewed and stuffed 7,500 rue royale CDs. previously living in chicago, the two only started performing together five years ago, inspired by the likes of fleetwood mac, radiohead, grandaddy, and jose gonzalez. ‘guide to an escape’, which got its official worldwide release on march 3rd, retains the acoustic duo’s hushed, evocative melodies but is richer in sound and wider in scope. with the kick of a drum, the strum of a guitar and their mindblowingly perfect harmonies, the duo show a noble, elegant simplicity that harps back to the best of midlake, tunng, fleetwood mac and the swell season whilst most definitely executed in their own, individual style. it was recorded at home between touring and festival dates in summer 2010. “halfway blind” alludes to a struggle to see clearly – figuratively and literally for brookln who’s legally blind in one eye. the album is full of content about self-discovery, embracing the flip-sides of life on the road, and the tussle of uncertainty and hope as dreams are chased. after clocking up over 400 shows in the last three years, rue royale are all about the journey, not the destination. the adventure is theirs, and yours, for the taking.

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song of the day: march 14/2011

Why? - Gemini (Birthday Song)

Album: Elephant Eyelash [2005]

it's my birthday and don't want to write anything. just download and listen. it'll make your day, especially your birthday.

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song of the day: march 13/2011

Apostle of Hustle - My Sword Hand's Anger

Album: National Anthem of Nowhere [2007]

from their second album, apostle of hustle discard notions of cleanly cut verses and choruses and concentrate more on overall effect and tone. actually, the songs that wander a bit within the layered electric guitars lines, that are darker and more menacing, and that play with trip-hop and post-rock arrangements - whose drums (both organic and programmed) echo solidly off the vocals and the churning bass - work better than the songs in which they stick more closely to traditional structure and poppy chords. there are moments of greatness here, as this song proves.

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song of the day: march 12/2011

Matthew Good Band - Running For Home

Album: Beautiful Midnight [1999]

with this bold and distinct album, vancouver's matthew good band established their calling cards. "beautiful midnight" included lyrics that openly ravaged society's focus of materialism at the time, dead end spirituality and other immoral but obvious societal ills, along with a tight, hard rocking sound, and pained vocals. this album was not just a showcase to what the band could do well, but also what the band thought and felt deeply about. in creating their sound they successfully created their own niche within the crazy universe of music. the quintessential album from one of the few bands where the musical description of "alternative" can correctly identify them. this album saw the band finally marry image, substance, and sound into a powerful sonic package. "running from home" is the last track on the record and, by featuring only matt good's vocals and a chilling piano, is achingly beautiful in it's very lonely and ambient ways. it was a perfect display of pure, simple emotion during a time when rock music was struggling to be more than a big black hole of soulless pop and meaningless rock.

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song of the day: march 11/2011

James Vincent McMorrow - Like The River (Sun Kil Moon Cover)
Album: Unknown [2010]

first off, this is a cover of sun kil moon's "like the river", from 2008's "april". in anticipation for mark kozelek's upcoming two-night stint in southwestern ontario, i'll be posting some random tunes that involve his work in the coming days. the lyrics are perfect. here they are:

they floated downstream like swans in the sun

surrounded by friends and lovers

we watched on with smiles beaming so bright

the river behind them, the fading daylight

i knew her back from when she was young

those days poured out faster than rounds from a gun

scattered like shells and lost to the sea

like the river, the days move rapidly

i have all these memories, i don't know what for

i have them and i can't help it

some overflow and spill out like waves

some i will harbour for all of my days

i burned liked wood, you grew like a flower

rising toward your magical hour

i was not yours and you were not mine

our true love finds us when it is time

we drove back downtown, wasted and spent

down highways that i remember

happy for her and happy for me

the old times and the new to uncover

i laid down my head, in love with the night

with my new love beside me, her radiant light

i faded away, along with my thoughts

like a dream and i trail off mystically

secondly, some words about james vincent mcmorrow. this irish singer/songwriter didn't begin his musical life until he was well into his teens. initially a drummer, he was drawn to the harsher sounds of at the drive-in refused, and glassjaw. he mellowed some while at college, where he discovered the more acoustic-oriented sounds of sufjan stevens and band of horses (sounds like me!!). he picked up a guitar at 19 and began writing songs and digging into the music of the 1970s singer/songwriter era, particularly from female artists because of the pitch of his own voice. he decided to record an album and moved into a small house on Ireland's coastline and holed up with his guitar, a keyboard, a microphone, a computer, and several other instruments. he wrote and cut what would eventually become his debut self-titled EP, and his first album, 2010's "early in the morning".

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song of the day: march 10/2011

Massive Attack - Teardrop

Album: Mezzanine [1998]

a sublime and simple song built around a stuttering drum beat and harpsichord riff, this classic song introduces us to elizabeth fraser (of the cocteau twins) and her soothing, impossibly high vocals. massive attack had wanted to work with fraser since the early '90s, and, after years of wrong-time, wrong-place scenarios, they finally had their chance on 1998's "mezzanine". the sweetness of "teardrop", in addition to all of its dreamy melancholy, is completely undeniable. the single, released in may 1998, gave massive attack their first-ever top ten hit in the U.K. fully showcasing fraser's patent scale-slipping vocals, the song is almost (but not quite) epic in proportion, clocking in at an unrushed five and a half minutes. the music isn't much more than an accompaniment to the vocals, staying well behind the action only to scuttle forward ever so slightly from time to time. a song to soften the soul.

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song of the day: march 9/2011

Oasis - Married With Children

Album: Defintitely Maybe [1994]

oasis shot from obscurity to stardom in 1994, becoming one of britain's most popular and critically acclaimed bands of the decade in the process. along with blur, they were responsible for returning british guitar pop to the top of the charts. led by guitarist/songwriter noel gallagher, the manchester quintet adopted the rough, thuggish image of the rolling stones and the who, crossed it with "beatlesque" melodies and hooks, injected distinctly british lyrical themes and song structures like the kinks, and tied it all together with a massive guitar roar, as well as a defiant sneer that drew equally from the sex pistols' rebelliousness and the stone roses' cocksure arrogance. oasis spent a year doing intensive rehearsals, and, after playing a handful of small club gigs, forced the bigwigs at creation records to listen to their demo. impressed, they signed the band and helped them ready their debut album. released a month before the album's arrival, the soaring ballad "live forever" became a major hit in england and helped make "definitely maybe" the fastest-selling debut in british history. the record entered the charts at number one and eventually sold over seven million copies. oasis mania continued throughout 1994, as the group began playing larger theaters and watched each new single outperform the last. ultimately, the album manages to encapsulate much of the best of british rock & roll in the space of 11 songs. blessed with the excellent songwriting of noel, many of the tracks are perfect pop songs, offering a platform for his brother liam's brash, snarling vocals. not only does the band have melodies, but they have the capability to work a groove with more dexterity than most post-punk groups. but what makes definitely maybe so intoxicating is that it immediately resembles a greatest-hits album. from the swirling rush of "supersonic" to the acoustic pop magic of "married with children", each song sounds like an instant classic.

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song of the day: march 8/2011

Fleetwood Mac - Tusk

Album: Tusk [1979]

while most bands undergo a number of changes over the course of their careers, few groups experienced such radical stylistic changes as fleetwood mac. initially conceived as a hard-edged british blues combo in the late '60s, the band gradually evolved into a polished pop/rock act over the course of a decade. throughout all of their incarnations, the only consistent members of fleetwood mac were drummer mick fleetwood and bassist john mcvie - the rhythm section that provided the band with its name. ironically, they had the least influence over the musical direction of the band. originally, guitarists peter green and jeremy spencer provided the band with its gutsy, neo-psychedelic blues-rock sound, but as both guitarists descended into mental illness, the group began moving toward pop/rock with the songwriting of pianist christine mcvie. by the mid-'70s, fleetwood mac had relocated to california, where they added the soft rock duo of lindsey buckingham and stevie nicks to their lineup. obsessed with the meticulously arranged pop of the beach boys and the beatles, buckingham helped the band become one of the most popular groups of the late '70s. combining soft rock with the confessional introspection of singer/songwriters, fleetwood mac created a slick but emotional sound that helped 1977's "rumours". the album that followed, "tusk", was a wildly experimental double album conceived largely by buckingham, but didn't duplicate the enormous success of rumours. more than any other fleetwood mac album, tusk is born of a particular time and place - it could only have been created in the aftermath of rumours, which, by shattering sales records, gave the group a blank check for its next album. but if they were falling apart during the making of rumours, they were officially broken during the making of tusk, and that disconnect between band members resulted in a sprawling, incoherent, and utterly brilliant 20-track double album. at the time of its release, it was a flop, never reaching the top of the charts and never spawning a true hit single, despite two well-received top ten hits. truth be told, the band couldn't top their previous success no matter how hard they tried, so it was better for them to indulge themselves and come up with something as unique as tusk. buckingham dominates here, composing nearly half the album, and giving mcvie's and nicks' songs an ethereal, floating quality that turns them into welcome respites from the seriously twisted immersions into buckingham's mind. many refer to it as the ultimate cocaine album - it's mellow for long stretches, and then bursts wide open in manic, frantic explosions, such as the mounting tension and marching band-driven paranoia of the title track, all of which are relieved by smooth, reflective work from all three songwriters. this is mainstream madness, crazier than buckingham's idol brian wilson and weirder than any number of cult classics. of course, that's why it bombed upon its original release, but tusk is a bracing, weirdly affecting work that may not be as universal or immediate as rumours, but is every bit as classic.

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song of the day: march 7/2011

Joe Pug - Hymn #101

Album: Nation of Heat EP [2007]

while most singer/songwriters are content to warble out a few semi-clever turns of phrase, pug's scorching poetry and soulful, 'every phrase could be my last' voice will stop you cold. a maryland native whose songs offer an updated version of the country-folk archetypes that bob dylan made famous, joe pug began playing guitar when he was in grade school. pug formed his first band on a dare from his sixth-grade science teacher, who didn't believe pug and his friends would be able to pull something together in time to appear at a school dance. the boys were able to deliver a presentable version of a tune from the first foo fighters album, and pug was on his way. though he's an up-and-coming artist on the singer/songwriter scene, joe pug sounds like an old soul. it may have something to do with the fact that he's working an old-school sound - playing it straight-ahead without much further instrumentation, and lyrics that are full of perfectly poetic imagery. this track is a fine example, featuring nothing but pug accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. it's more than weighty enough with the lyrics alone so there's never a feeling of empty space. full of ambition and emotional accessibility, it's song that you'll fall in love with if you're alone and feeling reflective.

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song of the day: march 6/2011

Beach House - Zebra

Album: Teen Dream [2010]

despite its summery name, beach house creates music that is dark, dreamy, and alluringly hypnotic. baltimore residents alex scally and victoria legrand formed the duo in 2005, with legrand's hushed, nico-like vocals and scally's delicate instrumentation paving the way for their first batch of songs. within a year, beach house had charmed indie music enthusiasts across the blogosphere with its languid songcraft, and the eerie warmth of "apple orchard" landed on pitchfork's infinite mixtape MP3 series in august 2006. the band released two albums, notably 2008's "devotion", before graduating to sub pop and releasing "teen dream" in early 2010. the slightly squalid sound quality of their first albums had a unique charm, as if the band had to record those albums not just on the cheap, but in secret. on "teen dream", however, the hugeness previously implied in legrand's lyrics and luscious vocals is made real. the duo's mix of retro electronics and chiming guitars are still as dreamlike and distinctive as ever and the songwriting is also more focused. just like the album's title, these songs are wry and wise enough to know better about idealizing love, but romantic enough to still believe in it. “zebra” is quite a swooner, and is perhaps their most beautiful piece of work.

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song of the day: march 5/2011

Handsome - Ride Down

Album: Handsome [1997]

when five pieces from the splintered membership of hardcore's most influential '90s outfits came together, handsome was formed and the songwriting, textural, and creative limits of an entire genre of rock music were expanded to a previously unimaginable degree. at its center, handsome was directed by former helmet guitarist peter mengede. while not officially credited as the group's songwriter, mengede's very identifiable riffs and song structures seem to be a musical basis for handsome's music. ex-quicksand guitarist tom capone also had a significant impact on handsome's tight yet exotic hardcore grind. "handsome" was released in february of 1997 and was met with general confusion due to epic's marketing of the group via their historic punk lineage. the record was indeed aggressive but much more melodic and balanced than any helmet release. the angular hardcore textures and critical lyrics are present, but these elements along with some progressive songwriting and almost pop melodies are tightly packaged in dense but shimmering new metal production that calls to mind the likes of deftones and white zombie. handsome was really creating a real new metal of their very own that relied on traditional punk and metal architecture and the very distinct vocals of jeremy chatelain. churning, almost surgical guitar riffs, shifting time signatures and a rock-steady rhythm section help to make this collection of songs stand out. the album delivers a distinctive hybrid that is complex and interesting, particularly when the band shifts effortlessly from one hook filled section to the next and satisfies people who are looking for an intelligible yet hard(core) alternative. the group supported the release by touring with silverchair on their first tour, then touring with the likes less than jake, the descendants and even the wu tang clan. capone quit the band before the final tour was finished and handsome officially disbanded in 1998. the advent of a more pronounced corporate influence on the music business and the dramatically reduced cost of music production created a difficult situation in the '90s. simply put, practically anyone and everyone was making records. the amount of new artists getting signed and tossed against the proverbial wall was staggering and created an immensely competitive commercial environment that led to many great bands not receiving more than one chance to prove their viability. the resulting pressure on labels and artists had a huge cost. the lack of support and development available to talented and original band's like handsome probably cost these groups their career (and fans of '90s rock the opportunity to enjoy many great records that were never made).

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song of the day: march 4/2011

Sonic Youth - Chapel Hill

Album: Dirty [1992]

sonic youth were one of the most unlikely success stories of underground american rock in the '80s. where contemporaries like R.E.M. were fairly conventional in terms of song structure and melody, sonic youth began their career by abandoning any pretense of traditional rock & roll conventions. borrowing heavily from the free-form noise experimentalism of the velvet underground and the stooges, and melding it with a performance art aesthetic borrowed from the new york post-punk avant-garde, sonic youth redefined what noise meant within rock & roll. they rarely rocked, though they were inspired directly by hardcore punk and post-punk, and their dissonance, feedback, and alternate tunings created a new sonic landscape that redefined what rock guitar could do. the band's trio of independent late-'80s records - especially "daydream nation" [1988] - became touchstones for a generation of indie rockers who either replicated the noise or reinterpreted it in a more palatable setting. as their career progressed, sonic youth grew more palatable as well, as their more free-form songs began to feel like compositions and their shorter works began to rock harder. such is the case with "chapel hill" for their second major-label album, "dirty". with this album, the band attempted to replicate the sloppy, straightforward sound of grunge rockers mudhoney and nirvana. the band had been supporting those two seattle-based groups for several years, and while the songs were hardly grunge, it was more pop-oriented and accessible than earlier sonic youth records. produced by butch vig, who also produced nirvana's "nevermind" and the smashing pumpkins' "siamese dream" (nice resume....), "dirty" became an alternative hit upon its summer 1992 release and the band became hailed as one of the godfathers of the alternative rock that had become the most popular form of rock music in the united states. heard today, "dirty" doesn't sound like a masterpiece (like "daydream nation" does) nor a gesture toward the mainstream audience - it just sounds like a damn good rock album, and on those terms it ranks with sonic youth's best work.

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song of the day: march 3/2011

Bon Iver - Re: Stacks

Album: For Emma, Forever Ago [2008]

justin vernon began recording under the name bon iver following the breakup of deyarmond edison, an indie folk group similar in tone and manner to iron & wine and bonnie "prince" billy. vernon moved back to wisconsin the winter following deyarmond's demise, setting up camp in a remote cabin in the north woods for three months. it was a hugely generative period for him; writing and recording songs in 12-hour bursts, he found himself with a haunting nine-song debut album by spring. he dubbed the project bon iver (an intentional misspelling of the french for "good winter"), and the disc, "for emma, forever ago", was released in early 2008. as the year progressed, the album became quite popular with both the buying public and critics, eventually landing on a number of "best of 2008" year-end lists (including my own!). a few parts (horns, drums, and backing vocals) were added in a north carolina studio, but for the majority of the time it's just vernon, his utterly disarming voice, and his enchanting songs. the voice is the first thing you notice. his falsetto soars like a hawk and when he adds harmonies and massed backing vocals, it can truly be breathtaking. he croons, swoops, and cajoles his way through every erratic and enchanting melody like marvin gaye after a couple trips to the backyard still. framing his voice are suitably subdued arrangements built around acoustic guitars and filled out with subtle electric guitars, the occasional light drums, and slide guitar. vernon has a steady grasp of dynamics too; the ebb and flow of "creature fear" is powerfully dramatic and when the chorus hits it's hard not to be swept away by the flood of tattered emotion. almost every song has a moment where the emotion peaks and hearts begin to weaken and bend: the beauty of that voice is what pulls you through every time. the album captures the sound of broken and quiet isolation, wraps it in a beautiful package, and delivers it to your door with a beating, bruised heart. it's quite an achievement for a debut and the promise of greatness in the future is high. "re: stacks" is my personal favourite, hence it's inclusion on the lazy river road. it's probably one of the best songs i'll ever fall in love with.

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song of the day: march 2/2011

Jon Brion - Theme

Album: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [2004]

one of the greatest films of the 2000's, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind balances love and mental and emotional chaos skillfully and is coupled with this enchanting, memorable theme song. it's soundtrack is nearly as deft, mixing jon brion's score and some well-chosen pop songs. throughout the '90s, jon brion found himself increasingly in demand in the studio, producing and collaborating on albums by aimee mann, fiona apple, rufus wainwright, david byrne, and the eels and soundtracks including punch-drunk love and the grammy-nominated magnolia. his work on "theme" isn't as immediately attention-getting as some of his other scores, but it's just as evocative of love and memories, with warm pianos, strings, and guitars giving the music a worn-in feeling that is both nostalgic and timeless. ultimately, it's bittersweetly humdrum, and a gentle, whimsical piece of art. indeed, the movie is so visually and emotionally involved that during some of its most disorienting moments, its music doesn't always get the attention it deserves, so having this soundtrack offers another opportunity to enjoy it.

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song of the day: march 1/2011

Ohbijou - Intro To Season

Album: Beacons [2009]

this toronto-based indie pop ensemble, whose folksy, multi-instrumental sound welcomes comparisons to the bowerbirds, the decemberists, and new-era mirah, started out simply as a solo project. brantford singer/songwriter casey mecijia began working on ohbijou's first songs in the early 2000s; she started collaborating on those songs with her multi-instrumentally inclined sister, jennifer, soon after. the mecijia sisters eventually relocated to toronto, where they welcomed a host of new members into ohbijou soon after they arrived. though their first album, 2007's "swift feet for troubling times" is fantastic, the band seems much more self-assured on their second release, "beacons". in the midst of all the elemental, atmospheric multi-instrumental flourishes that crowd the album, mecijia's tender, vibrato-heavy soprano sounds as if it were no bigger than the head of a pin. the group employs both acoustic folk and country instruments - banjo and mandolin in addition to guitar - plus chamber instruments like violin and cello, and lots of keyboards to create atmospheric arrangements played in swirling, circular patterns. a lot of room on the album, however, is given over to meandering, introspective tracks ("thunderlove) and as glimmering and darkly lovely as they are, they don't quite match the catchiness that characterized the best songs on the band's debut ("st. francis", for example). all in all this is an elegant, grown-up elaboration on the band's previous work.

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