By The Chromatics
A short version is on the Drive soundtrack. The longer, better version is here.
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Song of the Day - Tick of the Clock
Friday, December 16, 2011
Song of the Day - Don't Be Shy
By Cat Stevens
This one is always worth a revisit.
Don't be shy, just let your feelings roll on by
Don't wear fear or nobody will know you're there
Just lift your head and let your feelings out instead
And don't be shy, just let your feelings roll on by
On by
You know love is better than a song
Love is where all of us belong
So don't be shy, just let your feelings roll on by
Don't wear fear or nobody will know you're there
You're there
Don't be shy, just let your feelings roll on by
Don't wear fear or nobody will know you're there
Just lift your head and let your feelings out instead
And don't be shy, just let your feeling roll on by
On by, on by.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Song of the Day - Paradise
By Coldplay
I've always had a soft spot for their melodies and sentimental lyrics. This one is a return to form after the last album's letdown.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Song of the Day - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
By Red Hot Chili Peppers
Still going strong 2 decades gone; and at their syncopated, harmonizing best here.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Song of the Day - You Are a Tourist
By Death Cab for Cutie
A thin but catchy tune I can't keep out of my head.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Song of the Day - Lithium
By Nirvana
The 20th anniversary of Nevermind's release was 2 days ago. It started an excellent musical mini-revolution that lasted 5-6 years. All the Nevermind tracks are essential, so this one is arbitrarily singled out. Only "Territorial Pissings" is even close to a throwaway, but it shows them at their most raw and powerful.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Song of the Day - Sail, AWOLNATION
Eclectic rock/rap song with lots of cool sounds and cadences.
Continue reading this postSunday, August 14, 2011
Song of the Day - Young Blood
By The Naked and Famous
An ode to the fecklessness of youth, simultaneously hopeful and a wee-bit depressing. Fantastic guitar work and epic vocal work from Alisa Xayalith, a New Zealander of Asian descent. Sounds like a female Perry Farrell.
We're only young and naive still
We require certain skills
The mood it changes like the wind
Hard to control when it begins
The bittersweet between my teeth
Trying to find the in-betweens
Fall back in love eventually
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Can't help myself but count the flaws
Claw my way out through these walls
One temporary escape
Feel it start to permeate
We lie beneath the stars at night
Our hands gripping each other tight
You keep my secrets hope to die
Promises, swear them to the sky
The bittersweet between my teeth
Trying to find the in-betweens
Fall back in love eventually
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
As it withers
Brittle it shakes
Can you whisper
As it crumbles and breaks
As you shiver
Count up all your mistakes
Pair of forgivers
Let go before it's too late
Can you whisper
Can you whisper
Can you whisper
Can you whisper
The bittersweet between my teeth
Trying to find the in-betweens
Fall back in love eventually
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
The bittersweet between my teeth
Trying to find the in-betweens
Fall back in love eventually
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Song of the Day - Pumped Up Kicks
By Foster the People
A crazy cool riff with a priceless bass line and some unique vocals via a distorted mic. A choice that reflects the disturbing lyrics. Nice.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Song of the Day: Vomit by Girls
I know what you're thinking, but this one starts out good and builds and builds to greatness. The vibe is 70's Pink Floyd on the front end moving to gospel in the last couple of minutes. I think it's right up doctor's alley.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/editors-picks/girls-vomit-20110727
And here is the rest of it.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Best Songs Clocking In at 3:20
Tonight Tonight by Hot Chelle Rae is the year's perfect pop song. It comes in at 3 minutes and 20 seconds. Here are a few others (links when available):
Complication with Optimistic Outcome
Trent Reznor and Atticus Finch
One of my favorite tracks on the soundtrack wasn't even in the movie.
Near Wild Heaven
R.E.M.
Why Go
Pearl Jam
Our House
Madness
Magic Bus
The Who
Hurdy Gurdy Man
Donovan
Shake Your Rump
Beastie Boys
Today
Smashing Pumpkins
Landslide
Fleetwood Mac
Ruby Tuesday
The Rolling Stones
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Song of the Day - Waiting for the End
By Linkin Park
The chorus of this one resembles pretty good U2 with it's soaring lyrics and inspired vocal line. In the absence of that Irish quartet, it'll have to do.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Song of the Day - Tonight Tonight
By Hot Chelle Rae
It's silly and inconsequential, but it's deceptively simple, and most of all, fun. A perfect summer song.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Song of the Day - Just Can't Get Enough
By the Black Eyed Peas
It's shocking that I don't change the station given this one's ubiquitousness. The last segment is the worst part and thankfully the shortest.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Best and worst of 2011 (Halfway Point)
It's been a rough 6 months with uninteresting superhero crap served to us at the theater weekly. Is there really anywhere to go after the Scott Pilgrim deconstruction? I imagine Christopher Nolan has one more miracle up his sleeve before the genre is put on ice. The Oscars were a beating for me, but lots of people seem to love The King's Speech. 2 sporting events ended spectacularly and as usual, music seems to get stronger when there's a recession on and people get some perspective and understanding. TV continues to outpace film on average. So, let's give out some mid-year awards.
Best Song: Rolling in the Deep, Adele - an instant classic. An astonishing voice for such a young Brit.
Best New Band: Mumford and Sons
Best TV moment: A corn-rowed Ron Swanson in a kimono.
Best Sports Moment: The Dallas Mavericks beating the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
2nd Best Sports Moment: The Green Bay Packers beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
Best TV movie: Too Big to Fail (HBO)
A behind the scenes look at the financial meltdown in the fall of 2008, directed by Curtis Hanson and featuring great performances by William Hurt, Paul Giamatti, Billy Crudup, and Topher Grace. People talk and talk in scene after scene, but it remains a fascinating, stimulating exercise throughout. Somehow, Hanson makes sense of it all. B+
Best Movie Movie: I will defer to Lawyer, who's more up to date. He's got Hall Pass at the top with a B+ and Bridesmaids, Midnight in Paris, and Buck receiving B's. Tree of Life is presumably in the mix.
Worst Oscar Nominated Film: Rabbit Hole - an unwatchable couple (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) deal with the tragic loss of their 4 year old son differently. The lack of new insights or observations make this melodrama tedious very early on. C-
Worst DVD/Blu-ray Release: I Love You Philip Morris - Jim Carrey has lots of gay sex, calls all Texans stupid, and overacts worse than both Ace Venturas combined. The film itself is repetitive and unnecessarily confrontational with its audience. An unmitigated disaster. D
Best DVD/Blu-ray Release (new film): The Social Network - all the special features you could hope for, including a director's commentary filled with humility and knowledge.
Best Blu-ray Release (classic film): Taxi Driver - like taking a time machine to mid 70s New York. The film looks perfect and the extras (some old, some new) are plenty for even the most rabid fan (like myself). Never knew Albert Brooks's birth name was Albert Einstein!
Best Movie Poster: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (see below)
Best Movie Trailer: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (see here) - Fincher + Zeppelin = Intellectual and spiritual ecstasy for Doctor.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Concert Review: Mumford & Sons - June 3, 2011
At City Market, Kansas City. June 3, 2011.
It has been a while since I saw a band on the upward side of their career arc, let alone on the first night of superstardom. Such was the case on June 3, the first night of the first big city Mumford tour since they exploded this Spring following their performance on the Grammys. Their excitement at playing for 10,000 people (they were in KC last June and played to 200) was palpable and it made for a neat experience. All of their songs were played exceptionally well. The complexity of the songs and the 9-10 instruments all worked in a live venue, and the band was able to deliver sincerity in the many quiet, reflective moments of their catalogue. Don't miss their Unplugged this Friday on Palladia. This isn't a clear video, but it captures what it was like at the concert, especially at the 4:00 mark.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Best Songs Over 8 minutes - Part 2
The greatest longest songs of all time. Well, at least in my CD/iTunes collection.
10. I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Creedence Clearwater Revival (11:06)
Another crazy-good hook that's relaxing and exciting at once.
9. Won't Get Fooled Again, The Who (8:33)
David Caruso et al. have tarnished it, but at a loud volume, the energy is undeniable.
8. I am the Resurrection, The Stone Roses (8:12)
The Stairway to Heaven of the alternative genre.
7. Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin (8:00)
The Stairway to Heaven of the classic rock genre. It's overplayed and relatively straightforward and tame compared to their very best.
6. In My Time of Dying, Led Zeppelin (11:04)
No rock n roller has ever topped 3:47-7:12 - and no one ever will.
5. Silverf@ck, Smashing Pumpkins (8:43)
It's raw power is expertly accentuated by the well-written slow parts.
4. Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, Bob Dylan (11:23)
Used at the end of I'm Not There, a beautiful and touching poem about those we only get to know briefly and wish we knew better. A harmonica never sounded as good. A link is unavailable.
3. Desolation Row, Bob Dylan (11:21)
Perhaps he drops too many references but it brilliantly shows a young man reaching at everything to overcome heartbreak. And it universalizes loss and sadness. Here's a good version, but the original is unavailable online.
2. Kashmir, Led Zeppelin (8:32)
It'd be #1 were it not for the Godzilla-P. Diddy-cash grab. Transporting and mesmerizing every time.
1. Porcelina of the Vast Oceans, Smashing Pumpkins (9:21)
You can't really explain art. Not really. But the peak (at 7:29) is killer and Billy's voice is sublime when it comes in shortly thereafter. Ranks this high for personal reasons - a lost friend.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Best Songs Over 8 minutes - Part 1
I left off live versions of songs, instead using the actual album releases. There's a unanimous rock and roll bias - 'cause that's the type of guy I am.
Honorable Mention:
Only in Dreams, Weezer (7:59)
An admittedly arbitrary single second too short for this list. Love this closer to their best album.
And now, on with the list . . .
21. Fools Gold, The Stone Roses (9:54)
Used (too abruptly) toward the end of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, it (like so many below) has an amazing hook and some tremendous guitar work.
20. Prick, Tripping Daisy (9:19)
The unusual (Eastern?) chords give this a uniqueness on the list. The sillier, slower part nearly drops it off completely.
19. November Rain, Guns N' Roses (8:57)
The accusations that the group was trying too hard to go epic are not unfounded. Still doesn't take away from the quality or the fact that they are actual musicians (unlike all of their hard rock contemporaries).
18. Free Bird, Lynyrd Skynyrd (9:10)
A classic rock staple; it feels more honest than the rest of their songs combined (except maybe Tuesday's Gone).
17. In A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Iron Butterfly (17:05)
Obviously too long, but a great groove and its inclusion during the climactic scene in Manhunter makes it immortal.
16. Achilles Last Stand, Led Zeppelin (10:25)
The opening track from Presence, an unusual but essential disc.
15. American Pie, Don McLean (8:27)
Overplayed but still refreshingly sincere in our age of irony.
14. The End, The Doors (11:41)
Used in the opening of Apocalypse Now, and still hypnotic after all these years.
13. In the Light, Led Zeppelin (8:46)
An underrated gem from Physical Graffiti with the four at their tempo-changing multi-style best.
12. Voodoo Chile, Jimi Hendrix (15:00)
Not the version used near the beginning of In the Name of the Father (which is "Slight Return"), the long one is the epic bluesy version.
11. Echoes, Pink Floyd (23:29)
More like 3-4 songs in one, but they return to the beginning at the end to make it circular and referential. It encompasses many emotions - alienation, hope, fear, motivation. The section beginning at 7:01 is terrific, but the slow-burn from 14:45-18:15 is flawless.
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