Monday, December 16, 2002
Sometimes a song gets stuck in your head and the only thing that helps is constant exposure, putting it on repeat or hitting rewind as soon as it finishes. these are the top 11 songs that got stuck in my head this year.
1. "The Mess We're In", PJ Harvey. I remember the first time I really listened to this song in a series of thoughts. "Hey, this is Thom Yorke. But not Radiohead. Who is that? Is that PJ Harvey? Oh my God, this song is so good!" I hit repeat once. "Oh my God, this song is unbelievably good." Repeat. I listened to the whole album, listened to nothing else for a week, and then bought every single PJ Harvey album I did not own. I can't explain the way this song makes me feel without going into more detail about my personal life than I'm used to these days, but it perfectly evokes the feelings of disconnection and solitude that you can have in the middle of a huge city.
Line to get obsessed about and repeat to self over and over: "I don't think we will meet again/And you must leave now/Before the sunrise/Above skyscrapers/The sin and/This mess we're in and oh/The city sun sets over me"
2. "Every Day I Read Your Stars," The Pearlfishers. The first time I heard this song, I thought "this is so me" and immediately felt pathetic. This song describes exactly what I do when I have a crush. I'm so lame.
Line to get obsessed about and repeat to self over and over: "I've got to find a way to be part of the things that you are/It's the only way... Every day I read your stars."
3. "Fever," Kylie Minogue. Another pathetic crush song. My friend Ben encouraged me to buy this album and told me that "Burning Up" was the best song on it. I humbly disagree. I don't know why I love this song. It combines a clumsy but coy medical motif with a saccharine chorus but I just cannot get enough of it. I don't know what's wrong with me sometimes.
Line to get obsessed about and repeat to self over and over: OK, the lyrics for this song are kind of dumb, so I won't torture you by pretending they're deep. But I do like the chorus. ahem. see title of non-list blog at the moment.
4. "The Red Shoes Waltz," Anthony Adverse.This obsesion began when I listened again to the cover version by Her on the Le Grand Magistery "Was It Him or His Music?" compilation - a spare, synthesizer and voice version that really captures how beautiful this song is. Not that the Anthony Adverse version isn't wonderful too, but with the orchestration, it's a little bouncier, a little more manic. Stripped of all that it, with just the vocals over a sometimes obtrusively tinkly synthesized piano background, it becomes all the more apparent what an unbelievably good songwriter Louis Philippe is.
Line to get obsessed about and repeat to self over and over: "whom will I mourn in the very last steps of Swan Lake?"
5. "No Easy Way Down," Mark Eitzel. This is my favorite Goffin/King song, and possibly my favorite Carole King song, period. I actually prefer this to the Dusty Springfield version. For some reason I've always been particularly viscerally affected by Mark Eitzel's voice; he can channel so much misery and world-weariness into his performance, it's actually damaging to me. I could sit around and listen to him sing and just get more withdrawn and depressed but not care at all because I'm too busy listening. This song is such a perfect fit for him because he can sell both the hope and the dismay of it.
Line to get obsessed about and repeat to self over and over: "We all like to climb to the heights, love/where a fantasy world can be found/but you must know in the end/when it's time to descend/that there is no easy way down."
6. "This Town," The Reputation. I have to admit that I identified with this song way too much. I certainly know what it's like to move to a new town and feel like no one is really your friend and that maybe you've made a huge mistake by taking this chance. And never leaving your apartment at all. I'm definitely feeling that these days. But it reminds me so much of my first year in grad school and it makes me kind of sick to think about, actually. Insert semi-disturbing song is like poking festering wound simile, not healing blah blah blah.
Line to get obsessed about and repeat to self over and over: "Somehow I thought that things might change/same stupid mistake I always made/and I would leave this town tonight if I could think where to go"
7. "Fires Rise and Die"/"If You're Missing Someone"/"My Favourite Part of You", Louis Philippe. I know, I know. Can I go more than five minutes without blathering on about how much I love Louis Philippe? actually, no. It's just that his songs are so close to perfect, to me. love him, love him, love him. can't wait for the new album. wish I had more. more Louis Philippe, please!
Line to get obsessed about and repeat to self over and over: "Fires Rise and Die" - "There's water dying/I can hear the sea's suicide is very slow". "If You're Missing Someone" - "there's no end to that wave/in your eyes and in your/swing baby swing/till it's time to come home". "My Favourite Part of You" - "I wonder if he found my favourite part of you."
8. "The Other Side," The Dismemberment Plan. This song is just too good. It's sick. And I mean that in that cool kind of hip hop way except for the part where I'm not really cool enough to coopt that slang. but if I were, I would definitely call it sick. or perhaps ill. I know, I know, I love "Time Bomb," everyone loves "Time Bomb," but this is THE SONG on the album. Holy crap! that drumbeat! live! I mean, seriously! there are no words.
Line to get obsessed about and repeat to self over and over: "For the long nights when you found a new resolve that I never knew was there/for the cold night and the warm embrace now/for the righteous vibe that I need like the air I breathe, yeah"
9. "Garafalo, C'est Moi," Gena Rowlands Band. I know I've said I love the Gena Rowlands Band, and I love Bob Massey's voice, I love the string arrangements, etc. etc. etc. I wanted to write something deep and pithy about this song (for a change) but couldn't really think what to say. This ode to Janeane castigates mainstream Hollywood movies for their misleading and cloying depictions of love? uh. ok. it's good and I like it. I know that much.
Line to get obsessed about and repeat to self over and over: "I've finally found what love is, love is only in the movies. Now everything in this heart is on ice."
10. "Gunner," Denali. woo, losing steam here. A lot of the songs on this album are pretty good, and a couple are excessively good. This one is the best because of the way Maura Davis belts out the words, like her life is actually on the line. the buildup to the chorus where everything suddenly kicks in, I know it's cliched, but it's so powerful and every single time I feel like I've been waiting for that moment to start breathing.
Line to get obsessed about and repeat to self over and over: "I suppose I might leave/cause I can see/cause I can see him/see my killer"
11. "Come On Fhqwhgads," Strong Bad. Everybody to the limit! God, I love Homestar Runner. I love Strong Bad. I love this song. I love this music video.
Line to get obsessed about and repeat to self over and over: "I don't know who it is, but it probably is Fhqwhgads."
Friday, December 13, 2002
top 5 for 2003:
1. The Reputation, The Reputation. It's number one, not to be syncophantic, but because it was the record that I loved the most this year. It meant the most to me and spent the most time in my stereo. So therefore it's top of the list. And yes, they are good, fun people, and I am so happy that sometimes they allow me to tag along with them and pretend I'm cool.
2. Denali, Denali. To have a voice like Maura Davis? I couldn't even dream of it. music to swoon to.
3. Q and Not U, Different Damage. I love how each song seems so disjointed and thrown together at first, and slowly it coalesces into something subtle and lovely. Plus Harris plays a Rickenbacker 330 FG, which is A-OK in my book.
4. The Gena Rowlands Band, (trailer) EP. I am a sucker for string arrangements, and I can't get over how great these songs are. Bob Massey's voice recalls Mark Eitzel at his most affecting moments.
5. Kylie Minogue, Fever. Oh sure, she's made out of plastic. but it's a hell of a lot more interesting and fun than a lot of the indie rock I bought this year.
Honorable mentions: No Knife, Riot For Romance!, Ultra Chicks 6: Vous dansez Mademoiselle?
Top 5 non-2002 for 2002:
1. The Pearlfishers, The Young Picnickers. I rediscovered "We're Gonna Save the Summer" while scanning in my CD collection. I searched everywhere for this album and finally received it two months later. At first listen, I wasn't impressed. Typical Northern Soul, some catchy choruses, nothing nearly as good as the opening track had promised. Now it may be one of my favorite albums of all time.
2. PJ Harvey, Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea. The perfect record for New York, a year after 9/11. "This Mess We're In" sends chills up my spine every single time.
3. Louis Philippe, Appointment With Venus. To be fair, my obsession with this record started in 2001 but continued on into this year. This is his first album, and I think, still the best. It has everything, including adorable mispronunciations of "tequila" and "Titanic."
4. The Divine Comedy, Regeneration. I think I might have liked this if it had been from any other band, but as it is, Liberation and Promenade have set the bar too high. I'm glad I bought it and there are a few songs on here that I might not hate if they were produced differently. Neil, honey, I love you but you're not Thom Yorke. Hopefully the new stripped down version of the band will return to its roots, though if the quality of the songs I saw live were any indication, probably not.
5. The Faint, Danse Macabre. Good for them! I'm glad they're becoming successful, even if they don't remotely resemble the new wave math rock group I loved in 1997. It's just some good old-fashioned sexy dancing music, which you have to respect.
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
I can't resist a good useless survey.
wallet: DKNY black microfiber. I have a really beautiful wallet that I am waiting to break out someday when I am a much more fabulous person.
hairbrush: Mason Pearson mixed bristle. the Rolls-Royce of brushes!
toothbrush: the Oral-B electric one or the Oral-B um, whatsit. don't know what it's called. the classic one.
jewelry worn daily: none though I've been thinking about breaking out my class ring. but I'm just paranoid about losing it.
socks: usually black, white or grey. sometimes knee!
pillow cover: Laura Ashley, with purple flowers, don't match my sheets or covers.
blanket: my wunnerful duvet with green flannel cover.
coffee cup: I have a set of Dunkin' Donuts mugs and a Chococat and a Wellesley mug that I use a lot. Plus some IKEA Bang mugs that I can't get rid of.
sunglasses: I have a black pair (Calvin Klein, big Jackie-O-ish ones) and a brown pair (Ralph by Ralph Lauren, thinner, with green lining inside)
underwear: yes.
shoes: not in the house. I wear a 6-6.5, 36 european. my favorite shoes of all time are my beat up old Fluevogs.
nail polish: hardly ever, not now, and almost always in a non-pink or red color (usually blue) and mostly on toes.
handbag: which one? The one I carry most - Coach black - I don't know what it's called, but it's not one of their classic shapes. This is the bag that holds all. I'm addicted to Le Sportsac shoulder bags and I have a billion.
keychain: Coach red girlie wristlet thing for my house keys. and Tumi brown leather one that the Bergens gave to me for my school keys. My car keys are alone.
favourite top: hmm. my three favorites - orange Bodybag zippy jacket, red Kitchen Orange "Petal" shirt, and Katayone Adeli cashmere sweater.
favourite pants: superlow boot cut Levis.
favourite coat: I totally added this on my own because I just wanted to brag about how much I love my Marc Jacobs coat that I just bought. :)
soap: Figs and Leaves, Lush.
perfume: totally depends on mood, but right now I am obsessed with Diptyque Philosykos, Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien, and Tartine et Chocolat Ptsenbon.
cd in stereo right now: Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Introducing Gorky's Zygotic Mynci is playing on iTunes. I believe in my car it was just Moreno. don't know what it is now in the car.
car: Murphy! Murphy! the best car ever, red 99 Infiniti G20t.
tattoos: none, I'm scared to be a 80 year old woman with a tattoo.
piercings: left tragus, right conch, tongue. but not regular pierced ears because my mommy and daddy wouldn't let me.
physical: dude, I just noticed today I'm fatter on my left side than on my right side. why do you think that is? isn't that weird?
np: Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, If Fingers Were Xylophones
Sunday, December 08, 2002
Five favorite Homestar Quotes:
1. "This is the best video game that I have evew pwayed."
2. "Oh hey, Pom-Pom, I just heard the best TV joke. OK. So I was watching TV, wight? And there was this show, with this guy, on TV, and he made this TV joke and it was so hilawious, and um... it was uh, wait, um. it was like, a joke, and..."
"Oh hey, Marzipan, it's Homestar. And um, I've gotta tell you about this TV joke I just heard, OK? Ha ha, OK, OK. So I was watching TV, wight? And there was this show, with this guy, and he was on TV, wight? OK. And so he makes this TV joke and, heh heh, it was so hilawious. OK. It was like, OK, I can't wemember what it was like, but it was a TV joke and you know how those are. OK, um, I guess I'll talk to you later, byyyyeee!"
3. "baleeted!"
4. "Oh hey Marzipan, this is Homestar. Um, I was wondering if you could help me with this dilemma I'm having. I can't think of what to get my girlfriend for Valentine's Day. She's kind of annoying, and overbearing, and kind of a big hippie, so if you could - uh, oh. doo doo doo! The number you have reached is not your boyfriend calling you right now. dooo.... doo doo doo doo doo.... this is the dial tone... dooo...... ok, bye!"
5."I hate that fwicking mawshmallow."
Saturday, December 07, 2002
I suppose all the "last albums played" should be here, not on my other blog, but it doesn't really matter. they're not so listy, as it were.
Most played songs since putting CD collection on my computer -
8 plays each: Louis Philippe, "If You're Missing Someone", PJ Harvey, "The Mess We're In", Kylie Minogue, "Fever"
7 plays each: Louis Philippe, "My Favourite Part of You", Mark Eitzel, "No Easy Way Down", Momus, "Platinum", PJ Harvey, "You Said Something"
6 plays each - Kylie Minogue, "Love At First Sight", Louis Philippe, "My Cheri Amour" and "Fires Rise and Die", Momus, "The Sadness of Things", The Pearlfishers, "Every Day I Read Your Stars" and "We're Gonna Save the Summer", PJ Harvey, "A Place Called Home", Sloan, "I Can Feel It"
5 plays each - too many to list, but Anthony Adverse, "The Red Shoes Waltz" is on top of the list. :)
