song of the day: july 7/2011

Pixies - Where is my Mind?

Album: Surfer Rosa [1988]

pixies leader black francis seems unmoored literally and figuratively on this innovative pop song from the band's highly influential "surfer rosa" album. the song is based around a swim in the caribbean where up seems down. one of the most listenable college rock albums of the 80's, this full-length debut fulfilled the promise of "come on pilgrim" and added muscular edge that made their harshest moments seem even more menacing and perverse. like the black and white photo of a flamenco dancer on its cover, "surfer rosa" is the pixies' most polarized work. for each blazing piece of punk, there are softer, poppier moments ("gigantic"). in a year that included such landmark albums from contemporaries like sonic youth and my bloody valentine, pixies managed to turn in one of 1988's most striking, distinctive records. it may not be their most accessible, but it's one of their most compelling.

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song of the day: july 6/2011

Modest Mouse - Doin' The Cockroach

Album: The Lonesome Crowded West

"the lonesome crowded west", the third album from modest mouse, has something for just about everyone. they can do quiet, brooding acoustics like "bankrupt on selling," dark and pounding thrashers like "cowboy dan," and funky jump-around emo like "jesus christ was an only child". throughout the whole album is a sort of down-to-earth analysis of the state of the world, without sounding pretentious. giving a song like "doin' the cockroach" the time of day can be sure to get you singing rambling, catchy vocals in no time. it's a song about how one life is no different than any other with a very negative existential point of view. it's important to note that a cockroach is a prehistoric insect that has been around forever just doing the same thing throughout it's existence. isaac brock is saying that everyone is just "doin' the cockroach" by just living for years and years and never really changing what they're doing. when he says "this one's a doctor, this ones a lawyer, this one's a cash feed..." he's expressing that all these people are no different from each other because life is meaningless and they're all going to end up in the same place. the first line, "i was in heaven, i was in hell / believe in neither but fear 'em as well" shows that he is unsure of the existence of heaven and hell but lives as if they exist. lyrically, it's a lot to take on and a bit of a downer, but the mood of the music is anything but. one of those great modest mouse songs that flew under the radar before they became a household name in the indie (and popular culture) realm.

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song of the day: july 5/2011

Deerhoof - The Perfect Me

Album: Friend Opportunity [2007]

at some point in the five years leading up to "friend opportunity", deerhoof perfected their hold on a sound that at times seems almost too good to be true. "the perfect me" sounds like music for a video game, with power chords that fall far from any typical power chord progression, a heavy dosage of cowbell, and pristine and soaring melodies sung over cathedral organ. it sounds like progressive rock, in under three minutes no less.

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song of the day: july 4/2011

The Donkeys - I Like The Way You Walk

Album: Born With Striped [2011]

"born with stripes", the donkeys' third album, has received numerous comparisons to pavement, both from critics and the band's own press release. while some of the noodling is reminiscent of the 90's alt-rock heroes, the similarities end there. there is nothing dark or ironic about this album, just 12 infectious tracks of breezy california rock, trotting along at the same pace as the animal that inspired the band's name. "i like the way you walk" sees the band punctuating their steady momentum with a bass solo, and all four members sing-shouting "love you with all my heart" through cracks and restrained laughter (a la local natives). musically, the album could use a touch more diversity, but vintage chops, summertime hooks, and a lack of filler are certainly something to applaud.

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song of the day: july 3/2011

Nine Inch Nails - All The Love In The World

Album: With Teeth [2005]

one of the highlights from 2005's mildly underwhelming "with teeth". it takes a bit of time to get going, but the heavy, industrial beats churning under trent reznor's voice pave the way for the beautiful piano-driven ending, which is highlighted by reznor's higher-octave pitch and layered vocals. it's a massive early highlight, and sadly, the album rest of the album lacks another punch as strong as this one.

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song of the day: july 2/2011

Soundgarden - Superunknown

Album: Superunknown [1994]

arguably soundgarden's finest hour, "superunknown" is a sprawling, 70-minute magnum opus that pushes beyond any previous boundaries. soundgarden had always loved replicating led zeppelin and black sabbath riffs, but superunknown's debt is more to zeppelin's layered arrangements and sweeping epics. their earlier punk influences are rarely heard, replaced by surprisingly effective moments of pop and psychedelia (ie. "superunknown", "my wave", "fell on black days", "the day i tried to live"). "badmotorfinger" boasted more than its fair share of amazing riffs, but here the main hooks reside mostly in chris cornell's vocals; accordingly, he's mixed right up front, floating over the band instead of cutting through it. the rest of the production is just as crisp, with the band achieving a huge, robust sound that makes even the heaviest songs sound deceptively bright. but the most important reason superunknown is such a rich listen is twofold: the band's embrace of psychedelia, and their rapidly progressing mastery of songcraft. they'd always been a little mind-bending, but the full-on experiments in psychedelia give them such a wider sonic palatte, paving the way for less metallic sounds and instruments, more detailed arrangements, and a bridge into pop (which made the eerie balad "black hole sun" and inescapable hit). the dissonance and odd time signatures are still in force, though not as jarring or immediately obvious, which means the album reveals more subtleties with each listen. a complete beast of a record and worthy of it's stature as one of the most essential albums of the 90's.

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song of the day: july 1/2011

The Band feat. Neil Young - Helpless

Album: The Last Waltz [1978]

canadian music at its finest! happy canada day!

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