Decadeology: It's the place you want to be

Another post about my favorite songs of the decade. It was the summer of 2003, I was listening to Jellyfish's Spilt Milk, which is one of my all time favorite albums, and a great summer album, to boot. I found myself wondering what was going on with the Jellyfish guys, since they had split up in 1994, about a year after the release of Spilt Milk. I remember finding a page that said Andy Sturmer was writing and producing for a Japanese pop group called Puffy (known as Puffy AmiYumi here in the states). Intrigued, I looked for something to download so I could check it out.

After a few false starts, I finally obtained a full copy of Nice., which was the latest release, and I was finally able to click the play button. The opening track, Planet Tokyo, blindsided me the way that Scott Stevens destroyed Eric Lindros. Seriously.

This album checked a bunch of different genres, but it didn't sound like cheesy ripoff. It sounded more like a joyous celebration of all things pop. The production was airtight and pristine. The voices of Ami and Yumi melded together in harmony so perfectly, you'd never guess that it was a talent contest that brought them together. Listening to Nice. is like being on a party bus made of cotton candy. If you took Nice. along with you on a fishing trip, you'd catch more fish than you could carry home because this album has hooks for days. Okay, that was really bad, but I think you get the point.

This was the album that got me hooked into Jpop. Like the lyrics in Planet Tokyo said, "Planet Tokyo, it's the place you want to be, tonight." Yeah, I wanted to be there.

Puffy AmiYumi > Planet Tokyo

Decadeology: A veil of diamond dust

So my friend, Madcat, came up with the idea of making an end-of-decade mix. The rule being that you can have only 20 tracks, two per year. It'll be tough leaving stuff out, but it'll be interesting to see what makes the final cut. Just for fun, I will try posting some of my candidates here and, eventually, posting the final tracklist. Here is one of my candidates.

One of the biggest releases in the past ten years, for me, was Kate Bush's Aerial. I fell in love with her when I first came across her in the mid-eighties. Hounds of Love had just been released and I quickly grabbed her previous releases. In 1993, she put out The Red Shoes and I have to confess that I was disappointed. So I hoped it was just a minor misstep, even Kate Bush can make a mistake, and waited for the next album. And I waited and waited. Soon enough, it seemed like she had disappeared from music altogether. There would be whispers and rumours of a new album every now and then, but nothing. In the summer of 2005, another rumor popped up. Then, there was actually a single, and a shiny new website! The anticipation was killing me.

I picked up Aerial one day in early November and, let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It's difficult to quantify whether it was worth a twelve year wait or not (how would you really measure that?), but the fact that it was a solid album helped lessen the sting a bit. I'd say that Nocturn is probably my favorite song on the album. It's the second to last track on the album and, to me, the preceding songs are like the steps that lead up to the pedestal of Nocturn. This song is the centerpiece of the album. The way it moves, it's very sensual. Not to mention the lyrics, running around on a beach naked, just before dawn. She's very good at painting pictures with her words.

I actually wrote a review of the album that was published in a very small fanzine, I think I'll post that, hopefully, this weekend. Until then, listen to this.

Kate Bush > Nocturn

Við spilum endalaust

I found this over at La Blogotheque. Apparently, these guys at La Blogotheque ask random bands to play in random places. They have a bunch of very cool vids from very cool bands. I really dig this one. It's Sigur Ros playing in a cafe in France. The couple at the beginning of the video crack me up. They're like, "Icelandic musicians? Okay, we have to leave now." Very amusing.

Sigur Ros > Við spilum endalaust

Sigur Ros - Við spilum endalaust - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Give me these moments back

RIP John Hughes. His movies were jam-packed with musical moments. Probably the scene that really connected with me was in She's Having A Baby, when Elizabeth McGovern's character was having complications with her pregnancy and Kevin Bacon's character was understandably upset and slowly losing it in the hospital. I remember sitting in the theater, watching the scene unfold. The music came on and I was like "Wait a second...no way!". I had to stay to the end to check the credits, and sure enough it was a new Kate Bush song. OMG I was so stoked, I had to go out and get the soundtrack the very next day. That song, This Woman's Work, is one of my all time favorite Kate tracks. Check the scene here.



She's Having A Baby probably wasn't my favorite Hughes flick, but for me, that was definitely one of the best musical interludes in his films. As for movies, I might actually like Planes Trains and Automobiles best. Steve Martin and John Candy really worked well together, I thought. And the scene where Steve Martin is yelling at the car-rental lady is absolutely classic.

Kate Bush > This Woman's Work

My Theme Song

I've been meaning to post this, but just haven't gotten around to it. I didn't really know any Warren Zevon outside of Werewolves of London and the album he made with the R.E.M. guys, Hindu Love Gods. Thanks to Nora for the mix she made for me.

Warren Zevon > Splendid Isolation

Rhyme The Macaroni Well

I'm totally obsessed with this track. Generally, I'm not a fan of mashups, but I really dig this. It's Perfume's Macaroni vs. the Beastie Boys' Rhyme The Rhyme Well. I even found an mp3 of it. Flawless victory!

Honesty is not always the best policy

Chatting with a friend last week, and the subject of Depeche Mode came up. I was never a huge fan, but I did like whatever singles I heard. I have to say, however, that Violator is one awesome album. Every track on there is outstanding, but I'd have to say my favorite is Policy of Truth. You can hear the coolly detached tsk-tsk of Dave Gahan's voice as he sings "You will always wonder how it could have been if you'd only lied", proving once again that honesty is not always the best policy. Anyone that tells you otherwise is full of shit.

Depeche Mode > Policy of Truth

Damnation

Remember the mid/late 90s, when people were into that swing phase? Bands like the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Royal Crown Revue, Cherry Poppin Daddies and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy were all over the place. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy were in that movie, Swingers. One of the bands I actually liked was the Squirrel Nut Zippers. The reason I'm thinking of this is that the SNZ song, Hell, popped into my head today. So weird. I used to like this a lot and I haven't heard it in ages. My favorite part is where the singer spells out the word 'damnation' (D and the A and the M and the N, A and the T and the I-O-N). I even remember an episode of the X-Files where Fox Mulder walks into a morgue to check on an autopsy. The attendant down there is listening to this song, and (I think) Mulder actually mentions the band's name on the show. I even saw the Squirrel Nut Zippers live one time, but it was a complete shamble. It was the last night of their tour, and they were so visibly tired and out of it that the music sadly fell flat. Oh well, whaddya gonna do?

Listening to this song again, I can say that I still like it. The rest of the album sounds good as well. Kind of a nice trip back, I'm glad the song somehow found its way into my brain on my dreary bus ride home.

Squirrel Nut Zippers > Hell

New Paths...

I just came across this video while searching out Mogwai clips. The editing is perfect, but the subject matter is incredibly heartbreaking. According to the Youtube blurb, the video portion is "footage from a documentary about one of the largest modern crime inflicted against humanity, namely Hiroshima". New Paths To Helicon Pt 1 is one of my favorite Mogwai tracks, it's very emotional and compelling to my ears. That plus the tragic imagery of Hiroshima really did in my head. Brilliant video, I almost wish I had not seen it.

If you can just get your mind together

I just saw this cartoon and it made me laugh a lot for some retarded reason (gimme a break, it's late at night). Then, it reminded me of the Belly cover version, and I found this video which I'd never seen before. Really cool, except...WTF is the bass player wearing? She looks like some sorta Flashdance reject or something. Hilarious.

Belly > Are You Experienced?

If Cupid's got a gun, then he's shooting

I like this song quite a bit. The lyrics sound really tortured, I wonder if Lykke Li wrote them. She sure sings it like she means it. I'm going to have to investigate Kleerup, I know nothing of him except that he appears to be a big shot producer from Sweden. I like the haunting feeling the music evokes, the strings do the trick. Combine that with Lykki Li sounding like she's on a three-day vodka bender and voila, you have perfection. I like it!

Kleerup (featuring Lykke Li) > Until We Bleed

Nothing's left here but you

When I first read about Asobi Seksu's Acoustic at Olympic Studios album, my first reaction was "uhh, what?". Here you have a band that has made its name on noisy shoegazey ethereal pop music. And now they're turning off the fuzz? Really? I was skeptical but I had to hear it and, surprise, surprise; it works! I think the biggest thing for me is how sweet and strong Yuki's voice sounds when it's not buried underneath layers of guitars. My favorite track is Thursday, which comes off like a bedtime lullaby. It sounds so tender and loving, it makes me want to curl up and drift off to sleep as Yuki's voice echoes softly in my ears. Also on the album is a lovely cover of Leonard Cohen's Suzanne.

Asobi Seksu > Thursday (Acoustic)

You and I, meant for each other

After finding that cool remix in the previous post, I decided to delve a bit more into the world of Sweet Trip. They have a new album coming in September, so I'm hoping they play some local shows. There are some really cool mp3s on their site, my favorite of which is called Noise is a Social Skill. I love the glitchy electronic pop sound augmented by the boy/girl vocals. I also love the distortion and note-bending at the end. This song, to me, is a little genre journey, happily winding its way through indie, shoegaze and electronica. It all goes hand in hand and the result is a breath of fresh air.

Check out downloadables here, listen to more here, and look for their discs over at Darla.

Sweet Trip > Noise is a Social Skill

Never/More

I just ran into the coolest fucking song. It's a remix of Takako Minekawa's Never/More. The remixer is done by some peeps called Sweet Trip who, evidently, are from San Francisco. How cool is that? From what I can tell, the track is on the Japanese version of the Recubed EP, and I have only the American release of that disc. I like the static-y sheen they add to the song, it's like drifting through white-noise clouds on a grey and overcast day. Very lovely. The original version is on her quirky and very cool Roomic Cube album. I might have to see if I can find the Japanese issue of Recubed.

Takako Minekawa > Never/More (Sweet Trip Remix)

Triangle

I just ordered Triangle, the new Perfume album, which is the follow up to last year's fabulous Game. About half of Triangle are singles I already have, but it's not that big a deal to me. I really like this new remix of Edge. It sounds tougher and meaner. You can pick it up over at Yesasia.com, if you're interested.

Perfume > Edge (¡é-mix)

Everything seems like a dream

I love the abstract imagery in this song. The nonsensical stream of consciousness conjures up sadness and yearning for me, and the guitar work is excellent. It's the feeling of being the only one driving on a two-lane road, just a couple hours before sunrise.

Also, the whispering voices is a nice effect. It's kinda like the hush of 3am, when people are still up, whispering promises to each other.

Happy 4th, peeps.

Cracker > Kerosene Hat

Let's Have A Party

So, Michael Jackson has passed, as the whole world probably knows by now. Some of the more interesting articles I've been reading are over at Soul Sides, so do yourself a favor, click your way over there and check them out. For myself, there's not much to say that hasn't already been said, except that it's weird and sad. I was never a huge fan, but I do like the 60s/70s Jackson 5 stuff, especially their Motown-era output.

The Jackson 5 > You've Really Got A Hold On Me
This is a track from Motown Sings Motown Treasures. It's a rarities collection of Motown artists covering Motown tracks, and it's superb. Highly recommended.


The Jackson 5 > Let's Have A Party
I grabbed this track from the most excellent Soulsation! box set. It's on the fourth disc of rarities and unreleased tracks, and I love the laid back, easy feeling that emanates from this song.


Let's have a party, because he probably would have wanted it that way. RIP.

Who's that lady?

RIP Farrah Fawcett. Like any kid back then, I had a major crush on her. I always wanted this poster, but never got it. Shame she had to go out the way she did. I didn't follow her much after she left Charlie's Angels, but for that one glorious season she was on, she was the it-girl.

This Isley Brothers track always reminded me of Farrah. I think it may have been used in an ad campaign for some shampoo or something. It's a great summer song and, in my mind, the song and Farrah both go together perfectly. I hope it's always summer, wherever she may be. RIP.

Isley Brothers > That Lady

And the eyes of the world are watching now

Over the course of the years I've lived so far, I haven't been much of a politically minded person. That said, I have been getting into it more and more over the past couple years. I've been trying to keep up with issues and general shit that's going on with the world. Like a lot of people, this Iran election debacle has been holding my interest for the past week or so and everyone is waiting to see the outcome. If you've been following it, you know the details. If you don't know what's going on and are interested, you can start with some info here.

In any case, I found myself this morning wanting to listen to some old Peter Gabriel. I especially love the first few albums. You know the third album, the one with Peter Gabriel's melted face on the cover? Did you know that Kate Bush sings backup on that album? Pretty cool, eh? So yes, I was listening to that when the song Biko came on and it reminded me of what is going on now in Iran. I don't know much about Stephen Biko except that he died many years ago and that he was an anti-apartheid activist. Some of the lyrics in the song, though, apply to the Iranian situation.

Tenuous connection, you might say, but that's what came to my mind when I heard it today. Especially the first few lines of the second verse, and the blow out a candle lines in the third verse. I guess you could say it's all about the spirit of revolution, or rising up and striking back at the oppressors. I dunno, those lines are pretty powerful to me, like a call to arms. Check out the lyrics and listen to the song. Oh, and apparently "Yihla Moja" means "Come Spirit" in Xhosa, which is one of the official languages of South Africa.

September '77
Port Elizabeth weather fine
It was business as usual
In police room 619
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja
-The man is dead

When I try to sleep at night
I can only dream in red
The outside world is black and white
With only one colour dead
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja
-The man is dead

You can blow out a candle
But you can't blow out a fire
Once the flames begin to catch
The wind will blow it higher
Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko
Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja
-The man is dead

And the eyes of the world are
watching now
watching now

Peter Gabriel > Biko

Where the stars do drown

It's been a little slow around here lately. My current desktop where nearly all of my music lives, is slowly being dismantled in favor of a new computer I've been building. I'm just about done with it, it's gonna be BIGGER! BETTER! FASTER! MORE! and that should be pretty soon.

In any case, I can still post vids and whatnot, so here's one. I saw Bat For Lashes the other night, and they were fantastic. Seriously, it was probably the best show I've seen this year. And last week I saw, along with BFL, Camera Obscura and Neko Case. That's some top competition right there.

This is Pearl's Dream, which is my favorite song on Two Suns. You should have heard this song played live. They completely KILLED it. It was spectacular. Also, check out Tara Busch's sweet remix of Daniel. She kinda turns the song into a haunting trip through a darkened forest, it's pretty cool. You can get it here for free. You have to sign up an email address to get it, but just use your spam account (I know everyone has multiple email accounts these days), it's worth it.

*EDIT* Nevermind what I said there, get it here with no hassle!


And lastly, if anybody cares, I'll probably be back a bit more regularly after this week or so. I'm looking at my new computer now and it's installing my goodies, rarin' to go.