...deleted the email you sent to me...

This was the first song that I can recall hearing that mentioned email in the lyrics. From 2002's Out of Key Harmony, this is the Sinking Ships' You Can't Push Me Away. I am sure there are more songs that make reference to email nowadays, but I'm drawing a blank. And there's probably others that predate this track, I just happened to have heard this one first. Anyone?

From what I understand, this band has been through several incarnations, the other two being the California Oranges (they're from Sacramento, CA) and Holiday Flyer. Looks like they're in the California Oranges mode at this time, check em out on myspaXXX and/or purchase from darla.com.

The Sinking Ships > You Can't Push Me Away

Cruelist Heart

I can't decide whether this is complete crap or sheer genius. It's Misha, with Cruelist Heart, from their album, Teardrop Sweetheart. Musically, this track great. It sounds like a vintage Portishead or Massive Attack track. The vocals, however, are a completely different thing, hear it for yourself. If I had never heard it and someone randomly told me about it, I think I'd probably say it was shit without even giving it a chance. I think, though, that I'm leaning towards sheer genius. Simply put, it just works for me, although I can totally see why someone wouldn't like it. However, you can pick it up on Tomlab if you decide you like it. Even if you don't like this particular track, the rest of the album is worth the splash. It's kinda quirky pop with some beats and electronica flourishes, which is always good in my book.

Misha > Cruelist Heart

California Love #5: Death Cab For Cutie > Why You'd Want To Live Here

For the second time in about a month, I went to Los Angeles. I had a good time (we got to check out a Dodgers game!), it was a little get-together for a friend who's being married off (hopefully for a sizable dowry) in a couple months. Anyways, LA, man. It's cool to visit and hang out for a while, but I don't think I can handle more than a week of it at once.

Death Cab For Cutie > Why You'd Want To Live Here

She just never wants to...

Best song ever about not getting laid. It's Nick Cave's new/old band, Grinderman. You can totally feel the tension in the song. I patted her revolting little chihuahua, but still she just didn't want to. Awesome. AND I get to see them live this week, at the Great American Music Hall. How cool is that?

Grinderman > No Pussy Blues

If you ain't gonna use it, just give it to us

Okay, enough of the despair, let's have some fucking fun. It's Rag & Bone, from the new White Stripes album, Icky Thump, and both album and song are fantastic. I'm pretty stoked, I'm gonna go see them in Berkeley in September. It'll be my first time seeing them live, should be fun. So take a last lick of your ice cream cone, and lock up what you still wanna own.

The White Stripes > Rag & Bone

Why don't you stay home where you're loved?

Sticking to the heartache and longing theme, this is Nina Nastasia's Why Don't You Stay Home. It's a plea to her estranged lover who happens to be momentarily visiting, presumably to see the kids or collect some old belongings, it's heartbreaking and kind of sobering. She doesn't sing about why they have been separated or about anything else that's washed under the bridge, all that is the past, over and done with. She simply wants him to come back and stay for good. The music is haunting and spare, just a guitar and a piano, which leaves a lot of room for her voice. And what a voice it is, so expressive and filled with longing and perhaps the realization that this might be her last chance at getting him back, it almost seems like she is that person in the song.

I don't know much about her, really, so it's possible that the song could be autobiographical. Either way, you can find this track on her latest album, On Leaving, on Fatcat. She also has a myspace page. Who doesn't? Anyways, check it out. You know the drill.

Nina Nastasia > Why Don't You Stay Home

I'm just waiting til you say these words

I've seen Electrelane before, once opening for Ladytron a few years ago and a couple months ago, supporting Arcade Fire. I quite liked the Electrelane live experience, but I never got round to really listening to any of their albums. They've recently released a new album, No Shouts, No Calls, and I've been spinning it as of late.

The album is solid as a whole, but the song that really stands out for me is To The East. It's light and floaty. The singer's voice is slightly off key, which makes it sorta endearing to me. It just seems more real, I guess. She's pining away for her lover, hoping for a reunion (come back, come back, come back, oh to me) and the way she sings it comes off as very sweet, touching and heartfelt. I'm definitely feelin' it, especially the part with the bells (xylophone?). I love that pic of them up there, fucking gorgeous.

Electrelane > To The East

Gone

M83's Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts was one of my favorite albums from a few years ago (03 or 04, I think). It was billed as a cross between electronica and shoegaze, which may or may not sound like a good combination, but the results completely work for my ears. The album seems to work best as little soundscapes, kinda cruising over alien terrain. Or it could soundtrack some imaginary movie in your mind. Anyways, I really like this album. It's hypnotic and mesmerising in a good way. It'll take you away for an hour or so and you may not even want to return. Also, the album cover is one of the cooler ones I've ever seen. I'm not sure if that's original art or not.

As for this particular track, I love how it starts out low and ominous, setting the mood. It just feels so dark and unsettling while slowly building. It finally erupts with a scream that echoes and reverberates in your head. It's a thing of beauty, and it's my favorite track on the album.

If you do end up buying this album, make sure you get the two-disc version. It was re-released a year or so after the original hit the stores. The second disc has some b-sides and live tracks which are worth having, especially when it's roughly the same price as the single disc pressing. They're on the Gooom label, you can check that out here, although it doesn't seem like it's been updated lately, so you may be better off with Amazon or whatever.

And finally, go and see them if you get the chance. They are very good as a live band. I went in expecting one or two dudes sitting at laptops. Guess again. They have the standard setup; drums, bass, guitars, keys/synths, and they completely fucking rock.

M83 > Gone

Run away with me tomorrow

The Smashing Pumpkins are back, for better or for worse. Unfortunately, James Iha and D'arcy Wretzky are not returning, which makes the "reunion" somewhat suspect. However, it always seemed that the Pumpkins were always a vehicle for Billy Corgan's musical vision and it's pretty much his brainchild, so he gets to do whatever he wants to do with the name. They're playing something like 7 or 8 sold out dates here in San Francisco, and I'm guessing much of their tour will be sold out as well. I doubt I'll be in attendance unless someone offers me a free ticket.

I liked them and I have a lot of their albums, but I don't think I loved them like other people do. A couple of their albums, I bought on reflex, just because it was a Smashing Pumpkins album. Adore? C'mon, dude, what were you thinking? Not to mention Machina. Crikey. I mean, and I'm really reaching, there were a few decent tracks from those albums, but not enough to justify owning the entire thing. Somewhere between Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie, he began to lose his way. After Melon Collie, it was almost as if he was completely lost in the woods. I'm not even gonna start on Zwan (sorry, I didn't like that album at all) or his solo album, TheFutureEmbrace.

In any case, all the Smashing Pumpkins hubbub got me thinking about Mayonaise, which was probably my favorite track of theirs. I don't think there's a bad track on Siamese Dream, but this one stands out for me. Geek USA runs a very close second, I think. As for Mayonaise, I just like the melody, the big guitar sound and how it seems so grand. And I really like the line, pick your pockets full of sorrow / run away with me tomorrow, it just feels like summer. Also, at the end of the song, it completely gets me when he says can anybody hear me / I just want to be me. Brilliant. Siamese Dream is worth checking out if you haven't heard it before. It is sooooo weird to think that this album is now 14 years old.

Smashing Pumpkins > Mayonaise

DECLARE INDEPENDENCE!

I love this song, the way it builds and builds. Then it seems to spin off in some uncontrollable frenzy. Awesome. Also, if you have the time, check out the live videos for this track on Youtube. The song utilizes this instrument called the reacTable, it's really fucking cool. Bjork is so cutting edge.

Raise your flag! Higher! Higher!

Check this on her newest album, Volta. I like it a lot. And get the rest of her stuff, too. It's totally worth it. Happy 4th of July, bitches.

Bjork > Declare Independence

What a waste of gunpowder and sky

This one, while being kind of a poignant song, always cracks me up. I have two memories associated with it. One time, my friend and I went to see Aimee Mann at Slim's. Aimee played this song and my friend burst into tears in the middle of the song. Not that I was laughing at her, it's just an amusing memory.

Memory number two: I had gone to see Aimee another time, with my then-girlf who fainted in the middle of the gig. It was her first time going to see a show, any show. The venue was packed, sold out, and hot as hell. I think at the time, smoking was still allowed indoors in California. That's how long ago it was. Anyways, we were standing there and she was sorta leaning on me. Suddenly, she started getting heavier and she started sliding down. Luckily, I was able to catch her. The security dudes were nice, they got her a bottle of water and let us sit near the door so she could get some fresh air.

If you like this, you can find it on her album entitled, Whatever. There's also a live version on the Live at St. Ann's Warehouse album. Yes, I'm a fan, but you really can't go wrong with any of her albums...so check em out.

Aimee Mann > 4th of July

I gotta come clean

I've been reading Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer. I have to say I'm not entirely interested in the stuff he did as a child, so I sorta skimmed the first quarter of the book. I'm roughly halfway through now, and the stories and details about the 101ers and the beginnings of The Clash have really caught my attention. This is the good stuff!

Subsequently, I've been listening to a lot of The Clash lately. One thing that really strikes me is that their songs have a really good pop quality to them. They're very catchy and singable. It seems like that gets overlooked when most people talk about The Clash.

This is just one example, but check out this early tune, 1-2 Crush On You (it comes complete with a sax solo!), and judge for yourself. If that interests you, it can be found on the Super Black Market Clash album, and (I believe) The Clash on Broadway box set. I think the box set might be out of print (OOP) but, judging from the tracklist, it looks like it'd be very worth your time. Super Black Market Clash would be the more inexpensive option, if you were going to purchase either of the two. I've seen that going for a tenner at the most, brand new. They're one of the few bands of which I'd purchase a new RIAA-affiliated disc.

The Clash > 1-2 Crush On You

California Love #4: The Decemberists > Los Angeles, I'm Yours

Hey hey, kids! I'm off to beautiful LA this weekend. I leave you with this gem, It's an ode to the City of Angels, which pretty much speaks for itself. See you later...

There is a city by the sea
A gentle company
I don't suppose you want to?

And as it tells its sorry tale
In harrowing detail
Its hollowness will haunt you

Its streets and boulevards,
Orphans, and oligarchs
And here's a plaintive melody
A truncated symphony
An ocean's garbled vomit on the shore:
Los Angeles, I'm yours

O ladies, pleasant and demure
Sallow cheek'd and sure
(I can see your undies)
And all the boys you drag about
An empty, fallow fount
From Saturdays to Mondays

You hill and valley crowd
Hanging your trousers down at heel
This is the realest thing
As anchient choirs sing
A dozen blushing cherubs wheel above
Los Angeles, my love

O, what a rush of ripe elan!
Languor on divans
Dalliance and dainty!

But the smell of burnt cocaine,
The dolour and decay
It only makes me cranky

O, great calamity
Dish of inequity and tears
How I abhor this place!
Its sweet and bitter taste
Has left me wretched, retching on all fours

Los Angeles, I'm yours
Los Angeles, I'm yours
Los Angeles, I'm yours

The Decemberists > Los Angeles, I'm Yours

I got it badly for a stick legged girl

I put the player on shuffle last night and this tune popped up. I hadn't heard it in a while and had sorta forgotten how much I liked it. I first encountered the Old 97'sTimebomb in the movie, Clay Pigeons. It's a quirky movie about murders in a small town with Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix. It's pretty cool, it won't blow you away but it's sorta underrated, I think. Anyway, this song is just a big ball of energy, it jumps right out of the gate. I love the line, havin' her in my brain's like getting hit by a train. I love the way the drummer does that shuffle beat, or whatever it's called. The whole thing just sings to me.

Sadly, I bought their album, Fight Songs, which was the latest release at that time, and it didn't really do anything for me and I never investigated any further. I even saw Rhett Miller, the singer for the Old 97s. He had released a solo album and was supporting Neil Finn. He turned in a nice set, but nothing grabbed me in particular. The soundtrack for Clay Pigeons is pretty cool, however, and I can recommend that without hesitation. So check it out. Who knows, maybe someone will hear this and end up loving the Old 97s.

Old 97s > Timebomb

Stay Awake

Yay! A new Asobi Seksu track, titled Stay Awake. I've heard it only a few times so far, but it really struck me how dreamy the track is, I think it's really pretty. I also like the ending, how it drifts and fades. You can stream/download it here, on the Adult Swim site, of all places. Also, it's gonna be released on 7" b/w Then He Kissed Me. Time to fire up the turntable. It's been roughly a year since Citrus was released, but there hasn't been any word on a new album as of yet. They're touring the UK at the moment, so I'm guessing it'll be a while, end of the year at the very least, before new album news drops. But who knows? Also, they have a live EP to tide you over. It's part of iTunes' Live from SoHo series, and it's only available as an iTunes download. Because I'm so XXXcore, I'm contemplating buying it, although I've never purchased anything from them before. If anyone grabs it from iTunes, let me know how the performance and everything sounds.

Asobi Seksu > Stay Awake


Ooh, and they also have a new-ish video for Goodbye. Check it.

Banners

While I was looking up the stuff for the last post, it dawned on me that I'd like a little change. I really liked the bouncy ball pix from the Sony ad, so I played around with those, as well as the original Clock Tower pic, they're posted on my Flickr page if anyone wants to check em out. I'll probably be on the lookout for other banner ideas for a bit. I put this one up temporarily to see how it looks, so any suggestions or comments are totally welcome.

Ten days of perfect tunes, the colors red and blue

What happens when a guy has only one album (so far) and his most famous song is actually a cover song? What if his version is every bit as good as the original, and yet completely different? The only thing that I do know is that we get cool music out of it. Jose Gonzales' version of Heartbeats was the one I heard first, it's on his Veneer album. Then I found out it was originally done by The Knife, who are fast becoming favorites of mine. I sought out their album, Deep Cuts, which contained Heartbeats and was not disappointed. I think I love both versions equally. Maybe that's a cop out, but I really can't choose, they're both so good in their own ways, but you can check them both out and decide for yourself.

I had first come across the Jose Gonzales version in reading an article about a Sony ad that was filming here in San Francisco (this was, I dunno, about two years ago). The stills from the ad looked really cool, a million rainbow-colored bouncy balls making their way down Fillmore Street. Awesome. So I looked up the ad on Youtube and watched. The soundtrack was (drumroll please) Jose Gonzales' version of Heartbeats. So that was how I initially found my way to this track.

So, I have a few audio and video goodies for you to contrast and compare:
The Knife > Heartbeats


Jose Gonzales > Heartbeats


The original Sony Bravia ad featuring the Gonzales track


and the same ad with The Knife track (props to whomever made this, it's pretty cool)


Enjoy!

Best. Lovesong. Ever.

Once upon a time, I was engaged and we were gonna have this played at some point during the wedding. I remember I bought the Lamb album and we were both listening to it for the first time. It was pretty good, and then Gorecki came on and we both kinda looked at each other like...wow. Fuck those TIME/LIFE romance collections, that shit is music for people who don't like music. This song still gives me chills.

Lamb > Gorecki

California Love #3: 2pac featuring Dr. Dre > California Love

There really wasn't any stopping this one from coming up, it probably should have been the first post of this series. I guess California Love was part of the whole West Coast/East Coast rivalry thing, maybe even a response to another song. Someone please feel free to step in. Also, that cover is really bad. They really could have done better. In any case, I like the whole roll call thing, naming off some of the cities in California, and the beat is fucking great. It's just an excellent song.

Whenever I think of Tupac, the Chris Rock's dialogue on rap music inevitably pops into my head, always makes me laugh. Check it out...



So yeah, I like this track, it's rockin'.

2pac featuring Dr. Dre > California Love

California Love #2: Billy Bragg & Wilco > California Stars

California Stars comes to us from Billy Bragg & Wilco, by way of Woody Guthrie. The story goes like this; Woody had left behind something like a thousand songs, just lyrics without music. His daughter had approached Billy Bragg and asked him to pick out some of the songs and set them to music. Bragg then asked Wilco to join him. The resulting album was the excellent Mermaid Avenue, which is named after one of Woody's songs and also the name of the street in Coney Island, where Guthrie had lived.

The song, to me, is just about the peacefulness of being outside. Maybe he's hiking across the state and sleeping outdoors at night, dreaming of someone he loves, wishing she were there. It just feels like a really nice sentiment, to me, especially the line:

So, I'd give this world
Just to dream a dream with you
On our bed of California Stars

Pick up the album if you're even half interested, it's very much worth it.

Billy Bragg & Wilco > California Stars