Lists have become super-sized. No one is content with just 10 any more. It has to be 20, 50, 100. Blame it on my generation's belief that they don't have to choose. They can have it all. I am guilty of it, too, so this year I have resolved to make choices. My lists will be kept to ten regardless of how painful it will be to leave off some deserving choices. Heck, I won't even mention the runners-up. Ten and I'm sticking to it. We start with songs.
06
"Thrash Unreal" by Against Me!
Album: New Wave
Punk may have seen more relevant days, but one listen to Against Me's "Thrash Unreal" is proof that there is still life blood coursing through the genre. Against Me's sound is less coarse and tidier than that of past punk legends, but they are no mere pop punk fakes. Good Charlotte they are not. Against Me's brand of punk is catchy as heck but it is also clever and smart.
The immediate hook of "Thrash Unreal" is its infectious "bah bah bah" chorus, an anthemic statement of wayward liberation. If there is a musical expression for youthful rebellion, Against Me has found it in the chorus. What makes "Thrash Unreal" an even greater song, worth more than just a catchy chorus, is its compelling depiction of a woman grown way past the maximum age for youthful indulgence. Rather than make it a sad song about a sad prodigal daughter, though, Against Me imbues the story with a defiant spirit. "No mother ever dreams that they're daughter is gonna grow up to be a junkie," growls lead singer Tom Gabel,"No mother ever dreams that they're daughter is gonna grow up to sleep alone." The song does not glorify its subject's debauchery but the song marvels at a life lived on the edge and the energy it requires to do so. As it says, "Some people just aren't the type for marriage and family." "Thrash Unreal," its pleasures many and too damn irresistible, exemplifies the allure of the rock and roll lifestyle. Who can refuse a hit when it's this damn good?
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Favorite Songs from 2007: #7
Lists have become super-sized. No one is content with just 10 any more. It has to be 20, 50, 100. Blame it on my generation's belief that they don't have to choose. They can have it all. I am guilty of it, too, so this year I have resolved to make choices. My lists will be kept to ten regardless of how painful it will be to leave off some deserving choices. Heck, I won't even mention the runners-up. Ten and I'm sticking to it. We start with songs.
07
"Golden Inhibition Destroyer" by Warm in the Wake
Album: Gold Dust Trail EP
Like Keren Ann's "Lay Your Head Down," Warm in the Wake's "Golden Inhibition Destroyer" was a Song of the Week selection this year. The song's Southern rock sound is pleasant enough, big guitars and shuffling drums underscore cryptic lyrics. This would be enough for a decent, enjoyable song, but what takes "Golden Inhibition Destroyer" to the next level, what makes it a a song worthy of playing over and over again, occurs with a minute and a half remaining in the song, after the last lyric has been sung. At this point a piano solo begins as the drums roll a martial beat. The piano builds ever so gradually but soon it is colliding with the drums, rising then cascading to the verge of collapse. But it doesn't. It is an exercise in controlled breakdown. We never fear that the song will fall apart because what we heard before proved to us that Warm in the Wake knows its formula. Yet they also know it well enough to deviate from it and reveal what else is possible--ithin reason and without spiraling out of control. It is, I suppose, a "safe" song, but it is only so because Warm in the Wake know too well what they are doing as musicians that they don't leave a wreck of a song in the wake after all is done.
07
"Golden Inhibition Destroyer" by Warm in the Wake
Album: Gold Dust Trail EP
Like Keren Ann's "Lay Your Head Down," Warm in the Wake's "Golden Inhibition Destroyer" was a Song of the Week selection this year. The song's Southern rock sound is pleasant enough, big guitars and shuffling drums underscore cryptic lyrics. This would be enough for a decent, enjoyable song, but what takes "Golden Inhibition Destroyer" to the next level, what makes it a a song worthy of playing over and over again, occurs with a minute and a half remaining in the song, after the last lyric has been sung. At this point a piano solo begins as the drums roll a martial beat. The piano builds ever so gradually but soon it is colliding with the drums, rising then cascading to the verge of collapse. But it doesn't. It is an exercise in controlled breakdown. We never fear that the song will fall apart because what we heard before proved to us that Warm in the Wake knows its formula. Yet they also know it well enough to deviate from it and reveal what else is possible--ithin reason and without spiraling out of control. It is, I suppose, a "safe" song, but it is only so because Warm in the Wake know too well what they are doing as musicians that they don't leave a wreck of a song in the wake after all is done.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Favorite Songs from 2007: #8
Lists have become super-sized. No one is content with just 10 any more. It has to be 20, 50, 100. Blame it on my generation's belief that they don't have to choose. They can have it all. I am guilty of it, too, so this year I have resolved to make choices. My lists will be kept to ten regardless of how painful it will be to leave off some deserving choices. Heck, I won't even mention the runners-up. Ten and I'm sticking to it. We start with songs.
08
"Lake Michigan" by Rogue Wave
Album: Asleep at Heaven's Gate
I'm a sucker for a catchy indie pop song, and Rogue Wave's "Lake Michigan" lit up the pleasure center in my brain. It sounds like something the Shins, former labelmates of theirs, would have concocted. The lyrics are inscrutable, but it's apparently about the damage being done to Lake Michigan with references to global warming and "sky is burning." The thought that this is actually a message song almost detracts from it, not because I'm anti-environment but that it is incongruous with the sound and feel of the song. I can imagine that irony is in play here but it doesn't go far enough in its reach for it to work as an ironic statement. Rather I'd prefer to enjoy the song's cascading guitars, handclaps and layered harmonies as a visceral experience. Yes, I know, it's akin to liking the Mona Lisa because of the frame around it, but really, the frame this song hangs in is that great.
08
"Lake Michigan" by Rogue Wave
Album: Asleep at Heaven's Gate
I'm a sucker for a catchy indie pop song, and Rogue Wave's "Lake Michigan" lit up the pleasure center in my brain. It sounds like something the Shins, former labelmates of theirs, would have concocted. The lyrics are inscrutable, but it's apparently about the damage being done to Lake Michigan with references to global warming and "sky is burning." The thought that this is actually a message song almost detracts from it, not because I'm anti-environment but that it is incongruous with the sound and feel of the song. I can imagine that irony is in play here but it doesn't go far enough in its reach for it to work as an ironic statement. Rather I'd prefer to enjoy the song's cascading guitars, handclaps and layered harmonies as a visceral experience. Yes, I know, it's akin to liking the Mona Lisa because of the frame around it, but really, the frame this song hangs in is that great.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Favorite Songs from 2007: #9
Lists have become super-sized. No one is content with just 10 any more. It has to be 20, 50, 100. Blame it on my generation's belief that they don't have to choose. They can have it all. I am guilty of it, too, so this year I have resolved to make choices. My lists will be kept to ten regardless of how painful it will be to leave off some deserving choices. Heck, I won't even mention the runners-up. Ten and I'm sticking to it. We start with songs.
09
"Lay Your Head Down" by Keren Ann
Album: Keren Ann
Beguiled was what I was the first time I heard Keren Ann's "Lay Your Head Down," hands down the most alluring song of the year. With its guitar intro and hand claps, and most of all Keren Ann's seductive vocals, the song is an inviting experience. When she coos, "Lay your head down in my arms," you just want to take her up on the offer. Surprisingly the song runs for almost five minutes but it is as ephemeral as a cool summer breeze and just as refreshing. The production places Keren Ann's vocals at the forefront, echoing like a whisper through cupped hands. The strings and harmonica and the lively guitarwork and handclaps that form the spine of the song give the song a light, buoyant feel--like the softest pillow for your weary head. I keep wanting to describe this song as a lovely breeze wafting through the speakers because that's what it feels like when I hear it, a song that just makes me want to close my eyes and pretend that Keren Ann is singing in my ear.
09
"Lay Your Head Down" by Keren Ann
Album: Keren Ann
Beguiled was what I was the first time I heard Keren Ann's "Lay Your Head Down," hands down the most alluring song of the year. With its guitar intro and hand claps, and most of all Keren Ann's seductive vocals, the song is an inviting experience. When she coos, "Lay your head down in my arms," you just want to take her up on the offer. Surprisingly the song runs for almost five minutes but it is as ephemeral as a cool summer breeze and just as refreshing. The production places Keren Ann's vocals at the forefront, echoing like a whisper through cupped hands. The strings and harmonica and the lively guitarwork and handclaps that form the spine of the song give the song a light, buoyant feel--like the softest pillow for your weary head. I keep wanting to describe this song as a lovely breeze wafting through the speakers because that's what it feels like when I hear it, a song that just makes me want to close my eyes and pretend that Keren Ann is singing in my ear.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Favorite Songs from 2007: #10
Lists have become super-sized. No one is content with just 10 any more. It has to be 20, 50, 100. Blame it on my generation's belief that they don't have to choose. They can have it all. I am guilty of it, too, so this year I have resolved to make choices. My lists will be kept to ten regardless of how painful it will be to leave off some deserving choices. Heck, I won't even mention the runners-up. Ten and I'm sticking to it. We start with songs.
10
"West Coast" by Coconut Records
Album: Nighttiming
Coconut Records is Jason Schwartzman, indie actor and scion of the Coppola filmmaking dynasty, who, through his stint as a drummer with Phantom Planet and now on his own, displays a talent for pop craftsmanship. "West Coast" can be described as a sequel of sorts to Phantom Planet's big hit, "California," which notoriously became the theme song to the show "The OC." There's the obviously similar subject matter and both share a winsome melancholy.
While "California" can be described as a song about arriving, the anticipation of a reunion, "West Coast" is a song about departing, leaving behind someone--perhaps forever. The beauty of "West Coast," though, is how triumphantly lonesome it all sounds. Rather than dwell on the sadness of parting, Schwartzman captures the catharsis that comes hand in hand with melancholy. Mostly he does it by pairing the lyrics to music that embodies the locale it refers to. Had the song not been titled "West Coast" it still would have been evident that it is a song very much about the sweet loneliness of living in LA, especially while in love. It has a summery, Beach Boys-inspired sound full of ooh-ahh harmonies and a swooping melody that sounds like a drive along a coastal highway. Then there's Schartzman's voice, mopy and sweet, which imbues the song's lyrics ("I miss you I'm going back home to the west coast/I wish you would have put yourself in my suitcase") with poignancy. He's a hopeful romantic, in love with the feeling of being in love. When the song reaches the glorious choral "ahhs" "West Coast" soars. Like the best pop songs, it sounds like how you wish felt all the time: so glad to be so unhappy in love.
10
"West Coast" by Coconut Records
Album: Nighttiming
Coconut Records is Jason Schwartzman, indie actor and scion of the Coppola filmmaking dynasty, who, through his stint as a drummer with Phantom Planet and now on his own, displays a talent for pop craftsmanship. "West Coast" can be described as a sequel of sorts to Phantom Planet's big hit, "California," which notoriously became the theme song to the show "The OC." There's the obviously similar subject matter and both share a winsome melancholy.
While "California" can be described as a song about arriving, the anticipation of a reunion, "West Coast" is a song about departing, leaving behind someone--perhaps forever. The beauty of "West Coast," though, is how triumphantly lonesome it all sounds. Rather than dwell on the sadness of parting, Schwartzman captures the catharsis that comes hand in hand with melancholy. Mostly he does it by pairing the lyrics to music that embodies the locale it refers to. Had the song not been titled "West Coast" it still would have been evident that it is a song very much about the sweet loneliness of living in LA, especially while in love. It has a summery, Beach Boys-inspired sound full of ooh-ahh harmonies and a swooping melody that sounds like a drive along a coastal highway. Then there's Schartzman's voice, mopy and sweet, which imbues the song's lyrics ("I miss you I'm going back home to the west coast/I wish you would have put yourself in my suitcase") with poignancy. He's a hopeful romantic, in love with the feeling of being in love. When the song reaches the glorious choral "ahhs" "West Coast" soars. Like the best pop songs, it sounds like how you wish felt all the time: so glad to be so unhappy in love.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
No City For Old Men (and Women and Children)
Much is being said over at the LA Times' LA Land blog about the report released today that shows more people leaving Los Angeles county and the state than moving in. Due to immigration and child birth, though, the state and local population continues to grow, but in terms of "domestic migration" we're losing more than we're gaining. The culprits appear to be cost and quality of living, but the comments on the blog also point towards xenophobia. If the increasing Latino population is the reason some people are moving out then I'm glad to lose those people.
I've grown up in southern California, so I'm a bit biased, but I love the place. Still, I think it's a difficult place to live in, and I'm always impressed by those who move here not knowing anyone. It's a tough road. New York City isn't the only city "where if you can make it there you can make it anywhere." If anything, Los Angeles may be even more of a make-or-break kind of city. It's certainly a difficult place to navigate, but once you've succeeded and conquered it, you know you can live just about anywhere. Whether you'd want to is another question.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
New York Times Wedding Announcement of the Week
December is a dry time for weddings, and it's understandable. Who wants their anniversary present combined with Christmas? This week is particularly dry, but that doesn't mean there isn't a cute couple story.
Amanda Perwin and Seth Cassel
I ought to dock them points for being Harvard alums--a requirement it seems to earn a Times wedding announcement spot--but there's no denying the sweetness of the story of their love deferred between friends. So is this proof of the "When Harry Met Sally" theory that men and women can't be friends, that it ultimately leads to love?
Congrats to the happy couple!
I ought to dock them points for being Harvard alums--a requirement it seems to earn a Times wedding announcement spot--but there's no denying the sweetness of the story of their love deferred between friends. So is this proof of the "When Harry Met Sally" theory that men and women can't be friends, that it ultimately leads to love?
Congrats to the happy couple!
Monday, December 17, 2007
"Met my old lover in the grocery store..."
Dan Fogelberg passed away over the weekend. He's responsible for "Same Old Lang Syne," my favorite holiday song that isn't really about Christmas or the holidays--a secular holiday pop song, if you will. The only one that probably compares to it, a song that gives me the warm and fuzzies this time of year is Kenny Loggins's "Celebrate Me Home." It must be a great feeling to know you've written a perennial like "Same Old Lang Syne." It's not quite Christmas unless I listen to the song. Thanks, Dan!
The beer was empty and our tongues were tired
And running out of things to say
She gave a kiss to me as I got out
And I watched her drive away.
Just for a moment I was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home
The snow turned into rain
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Mt. Wilson Hike
I went on a hike this morning with my friend Jeff up the Mt. Wilson trail. We didn't have time to go all the way up to the summit, but we made it about three miles in and turned back. It was great weather, albeit a little hazy to fully see the San Gabriel Valley down below. We're hoping to do the summit when Jeff gets back from his trip and hopefully by then I'll have hiking shoes. I was slipping quite a lot and I'm worried I'll wind up having to be rescued.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
New York Times Wedding Announcement of the Week
As a proud four-time Team in Training alumnus, I am happy to say that this week's couple met through TNT when they were training for a triathlon.
Amy Weil and Brian Raphael
The ratio of women to men on a TNT team is 2 to 1, so if you're a single man and looking for outgoing, athletic, good-hearted women, there's no better place to meet them than on a TNT team. Not only will you help a great cause (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) but you might just make a love connection, just like Ms. Weil and Mr. Raphael. Their story is quite adorable and the NY Times thought so too. Their announcement online also includes a short video. Watch it.
The ratio of women to men on a TNT team is 2 to 1, so if you're a single man and looking for outgoing, athletic, good-hearted women, there's no better place to meet them than on a TNT team. Not only will you help a great cause (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) but you might just make a love connection, just like Ms. Weil and Mr. Raphael. Their story is quite adorable and the NY Times thought so too. Their announcement online also includes a short video. Watch it.
Monday, December 03, 2007
New York Times Wedding Announcement of the Week
With no good basis on which to single out one announcement this week, I decided to go shallow. This week I'm picking the best couple photograph. And the winners are:
Anna Kneitel and Michael Gross
Great smiles from both of them and I love how the golden sun bathes them in its warmth. It's hard to tell where they are, but based on the background and the sunlight they could be out in Napa or maybe Italy. I also like that their heads aren't squeezed together like they were conjoined twins. They're together but no suffocatingly so. But for me it's the refreshing sunlight that makes this picture a winner. It makes them look so young and full of promise. Nia VonHockman and Christopher Chase should have gone with this photographer.
Great smiles from both of them and I love how the golden sun bathes them in its warmth. It's hard to tell where they are, but based on the background and the sunlight they could be out in Napa or maybe Italy. I also like that their heads aren't squeezed together like they were conjoined twins. They're together but no suffocatingly so. But for me it's the refreshing sunlight that makes this picture a winner. It makes them look so young and full of promise. Nia VonHockman and Christopher Chase should have gone with this photographer.
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