you never had it so good

RJD2

RJD2, who recently left the friendly confines of DefJux for the home of Thom Yorke and Tapes 'n Tapes, will release his XL debut, The Third Hand, on March 6, 2007. But, you can stream a new song now on RJ's myspace. Even RJ himself admits that the new sound is a bit of a departure. Here's what he has to say about the new record:

It's more lushly produced, with vocal harmonies and grooves. Like the Zombies, Steely Dan and Daft Punk having some brews in a hot tub. It's sort of a garage-y produced pop record, that's got vocal harmonies, some bad-ass guitar tones, very slight riffage, just enough piano, and some tough ass drums. I think it sounds more like real human beings playing instruments than anything i've ever done. Maybe its kind of like if King Crimson went to a therapist, and came out really happy and optimistic about the world, and was just walking around giving out hugs and shit. Or you know how guys break down once a year, and tell their friends that they love them, but they still do it hella manly like? Its like that moment, i guess.

Based on this first track, I'm going to take his word for it. Nicely played, RJ.

Oh, also check out RJD2's myspace blog, in which he draws parallels between MF Doom and Sufjan Stevens.

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also:

Like D.C. last night and the ATL tonight, we're getting a surprise "Beck Jam" here in Dallas tomorrow. Word has it he'll even take your requests, as long as it's not "Loser." Get yer tickets now, as they won't last long. UPDATE: Sold out. Well, that took about two hours.

the light

Joanna Newsom's Ys isn't the only worthy Nov. 14 release from Drag City. White Magic's Dat Rosa Mel Apibus also comes out that day. Pitchfork gave this track 4 1/2 stars, calling it "some snake-charming, kaleidoscopic, aboriginal shit." So, yeah, between this song and the lead single "Katie Cruel," we've been mesmerized by this record for the last couple days.

White Magic The Light mp3

You make it sound like Christmas is a 4-Letter Word

You can now stream all 5 discs of Sufjan Stevens' Songs For Christmas box set. Just go here. You know you want to. At the very least, you need to hear "Get Behind Me Santa!" Pre-order it here.

Related: Just in time for Halloween, Sufjan's favorite horror films.





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elsewhere:

This is pretty much the most hardcore thing I've ever seen.

random observations

Marathonpacks says Birdman & Lil' Wayne's Like Father, Like Son is "leagues" better than the Dedication 2 mixtape, which is one of my favorite releases (hip hop or otherwise) of the year. MP says Dedication 2 is "too mixtapey," and he's right, but that's kinda what we like about it. At any rate, 2006 is shaping up to be one of the better years for new hip-hop so far this decade, with King, Fishscale, Hell Hath No Fury, Donuts, Food & Liquor, et al. all worthy "best of" contenders. Go read MP's post, and grab an mp3 of "1st Key" while you're there.

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Frida Hyvonen

We finally got our hands on Until Death Comes, the much-blogged about record from Sweden's Frida Hyvonen. And it's as good as these folks said it was. If you're a fan of Regina Spektor I imagine you'll really like Frida too. Listen, and consider purchasing the album from Secretly Canadian.

Frida Hyvonen You Never Got Me Right mp3

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David Vandervelde

Another Secretly Canadian artist that has our (somewhat divided) attention is David Vandervelde, who will release a 7" on Nov. 24. SC compares him to Bowie and Bolan. Download the following song courtesy of the label if you'd like, but we have to insist you go to David's myspace page and listen to "Murder in Michigan," on which he channels vintage early '70s-era Todd Rundgren.

David Vandervelde Jacket mp3

Voxtrot: Live in Denton

Voxtrot @ Hailey's

Here are some photos from Friday night's show at Hailey's, featuring Voxtrot, Yellow Fever, and the Dimes. No time for a formal review, but Voxtrot's new material (from both the Your Biggest Fan single, and the upcoming LP) sounded great, and I'm planning a full post detailing the greatness of Yellow Fever in the near future. Plus I got to talk a little with one of the guys from Lift To Experience, so that was cool.



In other Voxtrot news, the band played last night in Austin with Beirut, and Jared Van Fleet's Sparrow House side project will (finally) have a free CD release party show tonight at Beerland. There will be copies of Falls EP for sale, and Sparrow House will also play some songs with g vs. b favorite Pink Nasty, so don't miss it.

Click here for more photos of Voxtrot: Live in Denton...


Yellow Fever

car stereo (wars) vs. halloween

Austin's Car Stereo (Wars), whose mashups have been getting lots of positive press lately (the current issue of URB Magazine, VH1's Best Week Ever, Austinist, etc.), is back with a new, seasonally relevant mashup, based on John Carpenter's classic, The Fog. Listen for "I Be On That Kryptonite," "Dare," "Push It," and more.



Car Stereo (Wars) Hip Hop Halloween Monster Mash-up mp3

Here are some of the previous mashups that we premiered from Car Stereo (Wars):

Ghostface Observatory mp3
Ghostland Gets Bossy mp3
What's Up California mp3
My Love Is So Mashed Up mp3

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elsewhere:

Austin will also be representing tonight in Denton, as Voxtrot and Yellow Fever will be playing, along with our favorite Houston kids, The Dimes.

Voxtrot Trouble mp3
Download four songs from Yellow Fever here

Finally:


shit.

Thanks to Deadspin for this post. Somehow, it means a lot coming from a Cardinals fan. I can't remember watching a more frustrating game in my lifetime.

fun fun fun

The Fun Fun Fun Music Festival will take place December 1 at Waterloo Park in Austin. This thing was curated by the fine folks at Emo's and the Alamo Drafthouse, so as you might expect, they've put together a pretty nice little lineup, including gorilla vs. bear favorites Spoon, Peaches, Prefuse 73, the Octopus Project, and more.

And, since you brought up the Octopus Project, here are a few free/legal downloads from their new album, The House of Apples & Eyeballs, a collaboration with Black Moth Super Rainbow:

The Octopus Project Spiracle mp3
The Octopus Project Lollipopsichord mp3
The Octopus Project Psychic Swelling mp3

And while we don't normally post streams, we really like this new Spoon song from the Stranger Than Fiction soundtrack. Listen:

Spoon The Book I Write

Tickets go on sale today at 2 PM, so act fast, because I have on good authority that this thing will sell out quick. Just kidding, I made that last part up. I have no idea, but if I were you, I'd get tix now just in case. Click the read more link to view the full lineup...

Indie stage:
Spoon 8:50-10:00
Peaches 7:30-8:30
Black Angels 6:30-7:15
Lucero 5:30-6:15
Dead Meadow 4:30-5:15
Octopus Project 3:30-4:15
The Oranges Band 2:45-3:15
Drag The River 2-2:30


Punk stage:
Circle Jerks 8:55-10
Negative Approach 7:55-8:40
Riverboat Gamblers 6:55-7:40
Electric Frankenstein 5:55-6:40
Lower Class Brats 5-5:40
Applicators 4:15-4:45
Krumbums 3:30-4
Iron Age 2:45-3:15
ADHD 2-2:30


Dance Party stage/tent:
Prefuse 73 9-10
DJ Mel 7:50-8:50
Quintron and Miss Pussycat 6:50-7:35
Ghostland Observatory DJ set (Thomas Turner) 5:35-6:35
Learning Secrets 4:25-5:25
Dirty South Ravers 3:15-4:15
Whitey 2:30-3

The Decemberists: Live in Dallas

Colin Meloy of the Decemberists

The Decemberists and Lavender Diamond came to town last night, playing to a completely sold-out Gypsy Ballroom. Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark deftly navigated the fine line between cute, endearing drunk girl and obnoxious, annoying drunk girl (video). She described her performance as "delicate," probably in an effort to get the people at the bar to shut up. It didn't really work, but she eventually won most of the crowd over with her closing number, "You Broke My Heart."



Apparently, I'm in the minority that feels The Crane Wife isn't the Decemberists' best work (I'm in the Castaways & Cutouts camp.) The band obviously focused on the new record, and while I do enjoy some of the prog-rock leanings ("The Island" was especially awesome live), I find some of it almost unlistenable (we had to go outside during "The Perfect Crime #2"). On the other hand, "The Crane Wife" (all parts) sounded really pretty live, and the selections from Picaresque ("Engine Driver," "We Both Go Down Together") were great. Plus, Colin Meloy is a pretty charismatic geek, so it's hard not to like him regardless of how pretentious you think he is.

(Sidenote: While Petra Haden is no longer in the band (boo!), the Decemberists have enlisted a new requisite hot female violinist/xylophonist/keyboardist for this tour. Anyone know her name?)

Click read more link to view a few more shots from the show...


THE DECEMBERISTS:

what you drank

M.I.A. and Diplo (photo credit)

Diplo has a couple new things on his myspace page, both of which are worth mentioning. Of course, it could be argued that we post every single fucking thing that Diplo does, but that's beside the point. First up, an alternate version of the new M.I.A. track "XR 2"; according to the myspace page, this version will be included on Piracy Funds Terrorism 2:

M.I.A. XR 2 Turbo mp3

He also posted a new track from Hollertronix: 6 called "Chief Scrappy" that pairs the beat from Lily Allen's "Knock 'em Out" with the lyrics from Lil' Scrappy's "Money in the Bank." Listen here.

edit: The beat that Lily Allen (and Diplo) used was actually a sample from Professor Longhair's "Big Chief," a classic Mardi Gras staple:

Professor Longhair Big Chief mp3

Broken Social Scene: Live in Dallas

Kevin Drew and Amy Millan of Broken Social Scene

If I were to revisit my 2005 "Best of" list, Broken Social Scene's self-titled release would be much closer to the top spot (it was #9 on my list.) Hearing songs like "Shoreline," "Ibi Dreams of Pavement," and "Superconnected" performed live by the Canadian supergroup/art collective reaffirms why they're one of my favorite bands: they make loud, expansive, densely layered songs that have incredible depth and complexity, often drawing attention away from the fact that these are some of the most melodic, catchy pop songs ever.

While the absence of Feist almost automatically meant that this show wouldn't be as good as last time I saw BSS, this was still one of the best shows I've seen all year. Openers Do Make Say Think's swirling instrumental post-rock was a pleasant surprise, and the only complaint I have about their set is that it was too short. BSS' Kevin Drew is an intriguing dude. It's fascinating to me for some reason to watch this kid try to rein in and hold together the huge group of amazing musicians on stage, most of whom often seem more interested in veering off into total noise/chaos. Amy Millan was great in Feist's place, and "Anthem For a Seventeen Year Old Girl" sounded great despite some technical difficulties. The band's performance of "Hotel" (or as Drew called it, "dancing time") was markedly better than last time. It's become my favorite song from BSS:

Broken Social Scene Hotel mp3




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elsewhere:

The Decemberists and Lavender Diamond are playing tonight at Gypsy. LD's Becky Stark was formally-trained in opera, and from what I've heard about her live performances, she's not to be missed:

Lavender Diamond You Broke My Heart mp3

Drop The Big One.

Garrison Reid offered up this giant post. I'm returning from Detroit today. If you're somewhere between here and Dallas, go stand outside right now and wave. I might be driving by at any moment.

--------------------------------------------------------------

In an attempt to avoid middle America, I'll address only things from the West coast.



San Fran's Two Gallants have been a favorite of mine since I saw them with fellow SFians Rogue Wave, when they played Emo's in Austin in 2004. Their live energy is unparalleled...fact. Chris, our buddy Del, and I saw them last time they passed through Denton with pals the Cold War Kids. We all left thoroughly impressed. I can't say enough good things about these two guys, and I was deeply troubled by what I read of the Houston incident last week. Understandably, Chris totally avoided discussing the drama in Houston last weekend. Until the dust really settles, I don't feel Chris or I could base any legitimate opinions on a few YouTubes. I won't post those, but instead this amazing example of the duo's writing potential.

mp3: Two Gallants - Reflection of the Marionette (BBC1 Session)
pseudo-mugshots: Adam & Tyson

If you didn't get into What The Toll Tells earlier this year, I would ignore the pathetic excuse of a pFork review and give it a few more listens. It's thick (4 8:00+ songs) but interesting throughout.



Another thing that zoomed past Chris last weekend was the Damien Jurado, Rosie Thomas and Pedro The Lion's David Bazan show at Denton's Haileys. These songwriters are among the top 25 out there, in my opinion, anyway, and this was arguably one of the more compelling bills I've encountered this year. Performances of Jurado's new material were incredible. The tones of a cello have such power. The night was only disrupted by loud fans and Bazan's ridiculous Q&A sessions. He did share his acoustic version of Newman's "Political Science", which appeared on the Pedro The Lion 2004 tour ep.

mp3: Damien Jurado - Denton, TX
mp3: Pedro the Lion - Political Science (Randy Newman cover)

I also heard an amazing Tweedy cover of this song. Dodge, do some research. It's the perfect time for covers of sarcastic liberally-slanted atomic anthems.



Tangent: Eric Fisher is now part of Damien Jurado as the man became a band. Eric Fisher is the designer and producer for Jurado's new record, And Now That I'm In Your Shadow, as well as the last two J. Tillman records. Coincidentally, J. Tillman's new record Minor Works comes out today in Europe. How is this guy's amazing record being released in Europe, and yet still have no home with an American publisher? It's criminal! Jurado, Fisher and Tillman will be all over Europe through the rest of October and most of November.

mp3: J. Tillman - Crooked Roof

Thanks. G. Reid

ali shaheed mohammed got me doing calisthenics

It pains me more than you know to miss this one:



A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Mohammed will be doing a meet & greet at the Adidas Originals store at the NorthPark Mall in Dallas from 2-4 PM today, and then performing tonight at Zubar along with our boy Skin from Hydroponic Sound System.

A Tribe Called Quest Lyrics to Go mp3

also:

Austin's White Denim, one of our favorite new bands, is playing tonight at the Doublewide.

day after tomorrow

We're on our way to Detroit watch the Tigers take on the St. Louis Cardinals. In the meantime, our friend Austin LaRoche is back with the latest installment of his column, and as usual, it's a good one. This one even comes complete with mp3s, so enjoy:

(p.s. let me preface Austin's post by saying that my file host has been hit-or-miss lately, so if the files don't work at any point, just try back)



The Top 10 Saddest Songs I've Ever Heard...
By: Austin LaRoche

I'm a "when in Rome" guy. If I go to a restaurant claiming to have the "World's Best Ribs," then I get the "world's best ribs." If I'm at a bar with over 200 beers, I try a beer I've never had before. If I'm at a peace rally, I chant peacefully.

I do the same with music. When I was in London, I listened to an inordinate amount of Oasis and The Smiths. I even had a fling with new age Brit-pop artists like Keane and Snow Patrol. Laugh all you want, but I was doing as the Londoners do. While geography is always a fun way to decide which music you're going to listen to, I like to go by mood as well. For instance, if I'm happy as hell and the world is great, there's a good chance I'll float around to some Wilco or some Bloc Party/Franz/Arctic Monkeys/(insert post-punk band from Europe with a bit of a dance kick). If I'm tired, then Sammy Beam or Will Oldham can put me to sleep. And if I'm by myself, feeling sad or lonely, then nothing beats a good depressing song. I'm talking the kind that normal folks make the "put a 'finger gun' to your head and pretend to shoot" gesture when listening to.

It's just my nature. I don't contemplate suicide or start crying, I just relate to why those guys are all sad, and before I know it, I'm hanging out with a bunch of miserable buddies and we're all being gloomy together. Call it group therapy.

Already, sad saps, here's my list of favorite tearjerkers...


Elliott Smith

10. Elliott Smith--The Biggest Lie mp3

Saddest Lyric:

Oh we're so very precious, you and I
and everything that you do, makes me want to die
Oh I just told the biggest lie

Not adding Elliott Smith to a "saddest songs ever" list would be like excluding Michael Jordan from a "greatest basketball player of all-time" list. And while the saddest Smith song is up for discussion, there's really something about the guitar in this one that really gets me every time. Not only that, but the desperation in Smith's voice really makes it sound as if this lie he is telling isn't just a lie, but the lie that will just ruin him. Elliott and his people have allowed his music to be played in many movies, I am shocked no musical director has put this song somewhere, it's just that perfect.

click to continue reading "The Top 10 Saddest Songs I've Ever Heard..."



9. Jeff Buckley--Hallelujah mp3

Saddest Lyric Even Though Buckley Didn’t Write It:

I've seen your flag on the marble arch
But love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

I have a theory about this tune...wherever you are, in whatever mood you are in (minus furious anger), this song will exemplify that mood 20 times. For instance, say you are driving down a beautiful road during sunset and enjoying a moment of inner piece. All of a sudden, "Hallelujah" comes on the stereo and that drive becomes one of the best moments of your life. The funny thing is, Buckley said that his version was about the "hallelujah of an orgasm," so for those of you who like to make a little love to music, trying humping around to "Hallelujah" and get back to me on how much better the sex was. Actually, keep that to yourself, but I got a feeling I'll be right about it.

In the unintentional testing phase of my theory, I was going through one of those "I can't stop listening to this song" stages with "Hallelujah" when my grandmother was put into Hospice. For those of you unfamiliar with Hospice, it is the part of the hospital where patients go once it is understood that they have no chance at making it any longer. I guess the intention is to give the family one last chance to say goodbye in the final moments of someone's life. Well, the night I visited my grandmother to say that "goodbye," which, by the way, is the most awful thing you could ever have to go through in your entire life, I was handling the situation alright. I kind of kept the family loose, cracking a few appropriate jokes and trying to crack a few smiles. After awhile, I needed to get some rest, so I drove my brother, my sister, and myself back to my aunt's house. The silence was unbearable. It was 3 in the morning so the streets were bare, and we were just sitting in sadness. I hit play on my iPod and "Hallelujah" came on. And of course, I lost it. Some songs just hit you. For me, "Hallelujah" is like Mike Tyson in the late 80s--it hits harder than anything else. So maybe this one's a bit personal, but regardless, "Hallelujah" can bring tears to the most masculine of eyes.


8. Warren Zevon--"Please Stay"

Saddest Lyric:

Will you stay with me to the end?
When there's nothing left
But you and me and the wind

A few years back, Warren Zevon was diagnosed with cancer. At some point in the treatments, he realized he wasn't going to make it, so he decided to make one last album for his family, and many guest stars such as Bruce Springsteen lent a hand on different tracks. But this one, "Please Stay," was always the kicker. I believe alt-country singer-songwriter Kasey Chambers does the background vocals on this, but I'm not sure. Regardless, given the circumstances and the lyrics, if this song doesn't get to you, well, there's a chance you have no soul. But then again, anything written by a guy who is dying asking his loved ones around him to stay with him as he is dying should be disqualified from the "saddest songs ever" list for unfair boundaries. I mean, how can a modern singer-songwriter compete with that? For this reason only, Zevon sits back at 8. The song sums up everything he is going through, but it has an unsizeable advantage over its competition because of the circumstances. Anyway, for you hipsters who don't like old guys who still make albums (Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Zevon), this is one to check out just to make sure your heart is still in tact.


Joni Mitchell

7. Joni Mitchell--Blue mp3

Saddest Lyric:

Everybody's saying that
Hell's the hippest way to go
Well, I don't think so, but I'll take a look around it, though
Blue, I love you.

I'm in the "Joni Mitchell has one of the top 10 prettiest voices of all-time" camp. But there's a paradox with a beautiful voice--it tends to make the saddest of songs. There's a lot of songs from the album Blue that get the waterworks moving, but the title track seems to be the one that I always go back to. In "Blue," Joni actually sings the song to the state of sadness ("Blue") itself and seems to embrace it as the song continues. Things have been so tough on this narrator, she is so sad that, in the midst of her gloom, she has gotten to the point where the only thing she can rely on is the sadness itself. I've been in holes before, but never to the point where I could write anything close to as emotional or intense as this one. If you're not familiar with Joni Mitchell, check her out, she's truly one of the great singer-songwriters to ever live.

6. Ryan Adams--"Call Me on Your Way Back Home"

Saddest Lyric:

And I just want to die without you
oh, I just want to die without you
yeah, I just want to die without you

When it comes to my boy Ryan Adams, the magazines and media tend to talk about "Come Pick Me Up" as the incredibly heartbreaking ballad, usually with a joke like, "I mean 'steal all my records?' how awful is that?" While "Come Pick Me Up" is one of my favorite songs ever, it in no way touches "Call Me on Your Way Back Home" in the sadness category. This is the sound of someone who knew they fucked up. Not like "oh, I should have changed a few things and we'd still be together" fucked up. More like "holy shit, I just lost the love of my life because I'm a complete idiot" fucked up. While the lyrics are short, they are intense--"I just want to die without you"--what a way to sum up the feeling of being completely consumed with a breakup you just want to get past.

I also love the imagery of how he explains being young and foolish

Honey, I was just a kid,
Bubblegum on my shoes

Such a well-written line. Such a well-written album. Definitely up there in the best albums to listen to when you're looking to feel bad for yourself. One of my all-time favs.

5. The Smiths--"I Know it's Over"

Saddest Lyric:

If you're so funny
then why are you on your own tonight?
and if you're so clever
then why are you on your own tonight?
if you're so very entertaining
then why are you on your own tonight?
if you're so very good looking
why do you sleep alone tonight?
I know because tonight is just like any other night
that's why you're on your own tonight.

Very underrated song by The Smiths. Morrissey has the absolute perfect voice for a sad ballad. While there's no question that his writing in this song (and for almost all his songs for that matter) is wonderful, he delivers each line with such passion and intensity that he sells the pain to his audience like no one else with this set of lyrics could. In the span of 5 minutes, 51 seconds, he plays victim, sings regret, makes a fool of himself, and sounds scared of whatever is going to happen next. How many singers could pull that off?

(Funny note: have you ever noticed how anytime someone's voice sounds like Morrissey's, the person reviewing that person's album refers to it as having Morrissey's "croon?" What the hell is it about Morrissey that spawns the word "croon" every single time? Look into it, "croon" is used EVERY time to explain his voice. I don't think even Pitchfork can deny the phrase.)


Fleetwood Mac

4. Fleetwood Mac--Songbird mp3

Saddest Lyric:

And I wish you all the love in the world,
But most of all, I wish it from myself.

Remember earlier how we were talking about Warren Zevon's song being so sad because of the situation he was in? Well, "Songbird" is no different. It's my favorite song on the best-selling album of the 70s, "Rumours," and I think it also might be the only song that wasn't a single. (That was just a joke Fleetwood Mac fanatics.) In case you didn't know, one of the reasons the album worked so well was because there were two breakups in the band: the well-publicized Stevie Nicks-Lindsey Buckingham breakup, and the lesser-known divorce between Christine and John McVie. Christine wrote this song, and man do you feel awful for her and her situation. It's obvious she still loves him and would do anything for him, but it's not reciprocated, so she's having to tell herself to get herself to keep moving on, even if she'd rather stand still. It's so masterfully written and the simple piano melody in the background really hammers it home, not to mention that little lassie Steve Nicks and her wonderful voice. If you're one of those people who swears you don't need to get Rumours because you've heard every song from it on the radio, you need to get it just for "Songbird."

(PS--Because it was the highest selling album of the 70s, Rumors can always be found at record stores for $1-$3 on vinyl. Great vinyl to have.)

3. Bruce Springsteen--"You're Missing"

Saddest Lyric:

Pictures on the nightstand, TV's on in the den
Your house is waiting, your house is waiting
For you to walk in, for you to walk in
But you're missing

Bruce Springsteen's album, The Rising, was the most blatant and publicized post-9/11 album. No one can argue that. 9/11 isn't easy to write about. It was a lot easier to be speechless about 9/11 then vocal. I mean, what could you say? Still, 5 years later, not much has been written in the music world. There's references and albums about living in the post-9/11 world, but nothing is as directly about 9/11 and the immediate effects of the attacks as The Rising. There are songs about moving forward (the title track, "My City of Ruins") but there're also a few about dealing with losses, and "You're Missing" is the best of those. The narrator is a woman, agonizing with the fact that while everything in her once great life (house, children) are the same, the fact that her assumed husband is missing makes that great life empty. Again, without the circumstances, I'm not sure it would hit as hard. But those ARE the circumstances. Listening to this song makes me upset that 9/11 wasn't addressed in music enough. Would the great folk writers of the 50s and 60s ever allow an event like that to happen without writing hundreds of songs about it?

Musicians have been somewhat political since the war in Iraq broke out, but it's as if they just skipped 9/11. I think this is something that we need in a historic sense. 30 years from now, our kids will read books and see movies about 9/11, but they won't have much music to help make sense of what that day was really like. I listen to old music, and I feel like it helps me understand the 60s much more than any book, documentary, or TV show. But the 9/11 wave already passed, and we have very little to show for it musically.


2. Bob Dylan--"Sara"

Saddest Lyric:

Sara, Sara
It's all so clear,
I could never forget
Sara, Sara
Lovin' you is the one thing
I'll never regret

Reason 2,091,874 why Bob Dylan is the greatest songwriter of all-time: As a notorious adulterer, and a well-known drug deal and asshole, Dylan crafts a plea to his wife, Sara, who was ending their marriage at the time, to stay with him, and somehow, by the end of the song, you end up rooting for Dylan to get her back. Amazing. I've seen good imagery in songwriting, I've seen great imagery in songwriting, but I've never seen imagery as good as "Sara." Just an example...

Sleepin' in the woods
By a fire in the night
Drinkin' white rum
In a Portugal bar
Them playin' leap-frog
And hearin' about Snow White
You in the market place
In Savanna-la-Mar

Dylan paints a picture of their life with their children playing on the beach, everyone incredibly joyful, and then eventually, the beach is deserted, the love is over, and he's just begging like a drunk on the doorstep at 3:45 in the morning for her back. While I'm sure all of his fans sided with him, and to an extent, Sara appreciated the song, you gotta believe she was also somewhat horrified at that fact that he was trying to play victim. You almost have to be amazed at how big of a prick he could be to write something like this, but you'll be even more amazed how you forget everything wrong he ever did when you hear how beautiful and heartbreaking this song is.



1. Tom Waits--Day After Tomorrow mp3

Saddest Lyric:
I close my eyes every night
And I dream that I can hold you
They fill us full of lies, everyone buys
About what it means to be a soldier
I still don't know how I'm supposed to feel
About all the blood that's been spilled
Will God on his throne
Get me back home
On the day after tomorrow

Part of me thinks that because this song is so recent (2004), it doesn't deserve the top spot on this list. But the other part of me thinks because it is so recent (the Iraqi War), it makes it that much sadder.

Regardless, Tom takes into the eyes of a soldier, confused and lonely, missing his family and contemplating what he's doing in the first place. I really feel this is one of the best written songs I've ever listened to, and believe had Waits given a damn, he could have released it as a single and won about 3,000 Grammys and other pointless music awards. The Red Staters may not be too keen on this one, but I do think they should give it a shot, seeing as it's just about a confused soldier.

If you're someone like myself who is terrified at the idea of going to war so you respect very fondly the efforts of those brave enough to fight, you'll really love seeing a vulnerable side of soldiers they can't really show on the battlefield. And I know, Waits isn't actually a soldier nor to my knowledge has he ever been, but I don't think anyone believes he's too far off in his narration. Regardless, of every song I've ever heard, this is the saddest, this does make me feel the most depressed, and is a great piece of musical history.


So what about you guys? What're your favorite tearjerkers?


Random Sports Thought of the Week

Growing up, my good buddy Chad was a diehard Detroit sports fan. He got me into hockey with his love of the Red Wings, and I always kind of cheered for his teams when my Atlanta teams were sucking (which was quite often). Anyway, a few years ago, he gave me a Tigers hat for Christmas, which was weird because a) he didn't like baseball very much and b) it was the cheapest looking hat I've ever seen. Still, I never thought in a million years I'd wear the damn thing. But I will be. As Peter King wrote in his column this week, "America is rooting for the Tigers." And consider me an American. You don't get great stories like the Detroit Tigers anymore. They've played David, followed by Goliath. When the series starts, they will have a sizable rest advantage, which could either be a plus, or a momentum bump. All I know is my Tigers hat will be on--Go Motown! Enjoy the World Series, guys.

Random TV Thought of the Week

Am I the only one in the world who thinks that Lost needs to finally start answering some questions? It's been too long, fellas, I'm starting to lose interest. I understand you all are afraid that maybe this amazing myth you've created won't live up to expectations, but you guys got us to this point, and we're getting bored. Some sort of answer will be fine. Maybe a clue to who The Others are and why they are so weird. I could give a shit. And by the way, where the hell is everyone? Hugo? Charlie? Johnny Locke? We've had two episodes about Jack, Kate, and Sawyer. And Sawyer hasn't even been nearly as funny as usual. Let's get the laughs rolling, the questions to slowly start getting answered and while you folks are answering some, feel free to bring about more mystery. But move the story along for crying out loud.

new from Barsuk

No time for a full writeup, but I got an email from Barsuk with some new stuff from the great Jesse Sykes that I had to share. Both tracks are great, but I don't think it would be hyperbole to call this first one absolutely amazing:



New track from sunn0))) & Boris featuring Jesse Sykes on vocals from their new album Altar, out 10/31 on Southern Lord:

sunn0))) & Boris The Sinking Belle feat. Jesse Sykes mp3


New song from Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter's just completed album Like, Love, Lust & The Open Halls of the Soul coming 2/6/2007 on Barsuk:

Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter LLL mp3

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p.s. Did anyone just see that play by the Mets' Endy Chavez? That has to be the greatest play in NLCS Game 7 history. Wow.

tonight/dallas

There's a pretty cool (and extremely eclectic) bill tonight at Club Dada, highlighted by Austin's inimitable White Denim, whom I've talked about numerous times here and on the radio show. The headliners are a band called Tiger, from Arlington, TX, home of the Texas Rangers and Six Flags and not much else. Amanda from the Fine Line describes them as "Sylvia Plath meets Tom Waits," which might be fairly accurate, based on this song:

Tiger B-movie mp3

PVC Street Gang is also playing, and judging from the one song they have on myspace, they sound like they might be pretty interesting live. And their movie review of some Ashton Kutcher movie is the best movie review I've ever read.

bonus:

White Denim Wet Sand mp3

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exclusive new remix from CWL

Cassettes Won't Listen

Thanks to our boy Cassettes Won't Listen for offering up this exclusive new remix of The Postmarks' "Goodbye." We were unfamiliar with The Postmarks, but they hail from our ex-hometown of sunny Miami, FL, and any band that lists Francoise Hardy and Ennio Morricone among their influences is a friend of ours.



The Postmarks Goodbye (Cassettes Won't Listen remix) mp3

Get The Postmarks Remixes EP on iTunes. The original version of "Goodbye" can be heard in tonight's episode of Grey's Anatomy. The Postmarks are even offering up sweet prizes to a fan that will break copyright laws for them:

The first person to grab a clean, clear video clip of the full segment (of Grey's Anatomy) with "Goodbye" will win a 1-of-a-kind mix CD from The Postmarks. Simply rip the video, post it on YouTube and send us the link via a Myspace message!

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elsewhere:

We premiered the CWL remix of Midlake's "Roscoe" on our SIRIUS show last night, but on the off chance that you missed it, you can hear the remix here. The rest of the show consisted of music from Detroit, MI, which means plenty of Sufjan, The Supremes, and The Dirtbombs.

missy + lady sov

So apparently the fine folks at Def Jam are sending this Lady Sov remix out to everyone (including Pitchfork), but since it features the infallible Missy Elliott, we thought we'd post it too. The track's worth downloading even if you're not a Lady Sov fan, because Missy kills it, as per usual.

Lady Sov Love Me or Hate Me (Remix feat. Missy Elliott) mp3

planning to rock

ms. planningtorock

I just noticed that Janine Rostron, aka Planningtorock, will be opening for The Knife on their painfully brief upcoming U.S. tour. Based on the above photo, she's a great choice (aesthetically at least). And, after listening to a couple of her songs on myspace, she has a lot in common with The Knife musically as well, from the otherworldly vocals to the eerie and often darkly playful electronic soundscapes. In fact, Planningtorock has worked with The Knife in the past, contributing this stunning remix of "Heartbeats," in which she gives it a slightly more sinister feel than the original:

The Knife Heartbeats (Planningtorock remix) mp3

Watch the video for Planningtorock's great single, "Changes," here. Buy Planningtorock's debut album, Have It All, here.

In other Knife news, waste a few minutes at work playing this kickass "We Share Our Mother's Health" video game.

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elsewhere:

Tune in to our SIRIUS show tonight at 10 Eastern to hear the world premiere of Cassettes Won't Listen's remix of Midlake's "Roscoe" (still one of the best singles of the year.) You'll also be able to hear the song starting tomorrow on CWL's myspace page.

alcohol

CSS and Tilly and the Wall get drunk

CSS has posted a new(?) version of album-track "Alcohol" on their myspace page. I'm not sure where this track came from, but it sounds like something Lovefoxxx threw together with a Casio and a laptop. While she was drunk. Which is to say, it's awesome.

CSS Alcohol (Failed Rehab version?) mp3

In other CSS news, Lovefoxxx designed some sweet new t-shirts for one of our favorite blogs, Music For Robots. Buy one here. CSS is currently on tour, and will be rolling through Texas this weekend. Watch out for those Houston cops, ladies.