I’m pleased with this month’s mix. I think it has a nice flow, and it brings together many of the things that I’ve been enjoying — and that have been influencing my music listening — this month: Scott Miller’s book, Music: What Happened?, the return of Pseu’s Thing with a Hook, the great BoJack Horseman on Netflix, and finally some new contenders for favorite album of 2017.
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Beck — “Up All Night” (2017)
I’m glad that Beck is willing to release a pice of candy like “Up All Night.” It’s hooky with a disco beat and synth strings straight out of “Call Me Maybe.” The middle eight is even reminiscent of the middle eight from Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” I was also amused that a DJ on our local alternative station (I believe seriously) suggested this track as “Song of the Fall.”
Alvvays — “Lollipop (Ode to Jim)” (2017)
Alvvays’s new album, Antisocialites has turned out to be a really good start-to-finish listen. “Lollipop” is a shimmering, frantic piece of power pop. It’s in part an “Alex Chilton”-like ode to Jim Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain, and the song opens with a little bit of feedback as a fitting tribute. It also seems to describe a chaotic relationship, and it’s got some striking, idiosyncratic lines that really jump out, like “You grabbed my wrist and said you liked my keychain.”
Skeeter Davis — “Let Me Get Close to You” (1964)
I’ve been slowly making my way through Scott Miller’s book, Music: What Happened? (It takes a while when you end up listening to every song.) As I make my way through the ’60s, I’m discovering some gems — a real treat, since I already consider myself pretty well-versed on that era. Miller describes this song as “sweet, charmingly plain,” but with a “mysterious lure.” One of the things I like about his commentary is that he often seems to struggle just as much as me to put his finger on what makes one song sparkle, while another one falls flat. There’s no doubt this one is a winner though.
Old 97’s — “Roller Skate Skinny” (2001)
Writing my post about past musical loves inspired me to listen to some Old 97’s this month. “Roller Skate Skinny” really holds up well. It’s twangy, yet poppy, and is filled with more clever, vivid lyrics than any one song really has a right to. This one deserves a top 5 best lines:
5. I believe in love, but it don’t believe in me
4. You’re gonna wake up with a ghost instead of a guy
3. Love feels good when it sits right down, puts it feet up on a table, and it sends a bowl around
2. Every other day is a kick in the shins/Every other day it’s like the day just wins
1. Do you wanna meet up at the Pickwick Bowl/We can knock nine down and leave one in the hole
The Sneetches — “Over Round Each Other” (1991)
One of the best things that’s happened so far this fall is the return of Pseu’s Thing with a Hook on WFMU! This show really influenced me to do my radio show and to continue with this blog. Power pop is only one component of Pseu’s show, but when she plays it, she always manages to find some gems that transcend the sometimes-boring confines of the genre. This song from ‘80s/‘90s obscurities The Sneetches has a spiraling quality to its lyrics and melody, balanced by not one, but two great middle eights. Jangle perfection.
The Lemon Twigs — “Why Didn’t You Say That?” (2017)
The Lemon Twigs are the most recent torchbearers for the kind of exuberant, baroque arrangements embraced by Jellyfish and early fun. Their melodies can be a little spotty, which prevented me from really loving their debut as a whole. But this track from their forthcoming second album manages to get the hooks right, along with some fanfare and a nice minor-key middle eight.
Morrissey — “Spent the Day in Bed” (2017)
Morissey’s new single is an ode to the mental health day, but it’s got a serious side as well. His advice to “Stop watching the news!/Because the news contrives to frighten you/To make you feel small and alone/To make you feel that your mind isn’t your own” is one of the most piecing and relevant things I’ve heard in a song recently.
Orange Juice — “Rip It Up” (1982)
“Rip It Up” is an amalgamation several great elements that you wouldn’t necessarily think would work together: funky Genus of Love synths, an over-the-top ’80s sax solo, and a slightly gloomy post-punk vocal.
ABC — “When Smokey Sings” (1987)
Sometimes I think it’s easy to call something cheesy as a way of distancing oneself from an expression of emotion that is so personal and unguarded that it’s actually a bit embarrassing. “When Smokey Sings” falls into this category. How can you really describe the feelings you experience when you hear you favorite music? It’s hard, and you might resort to saying something slightly ridiculous like “I hear violins.” I applaud ABC for recoding something so revealing and doing it with such panache.
Jane Krakowski and Colman Domingo — “I Will Always Think of You” (2017)
One of the best things about the current Golden Age of Television is that it gives us shows like BoJack Horseman that can be funny, inappropriate, absurd, existential, and sad — all while remaining completely watchable. Then, just to polish it off, the show’s like, “Let’s just have our writers come up with a little original song and get two broadway stars to sing it perfectly. No problem.” “I Will Always Think of You,” which appears in a Season 4 episode that flashes back to BoJack’s grandparents during World War II, sounds like it could have come right out of that time period, and it’s lovely. The episode it’s part of is exquisite as well.
Hector and the Leaves — “Call You Up” (2017)
I got a chance to interview Tom Hector, the man behind Hector and the Leaves, for my old radio show a couple years ago. One of the things that stuck with me from our conversation was how much he likes making EPs, because they feel like a better space for playing around with things like little instrumentals and demo-ish bits of songs. Tom’s new EP, Interiors, definitely has this feel. “Call You Up” is probably the most polished track on the EP, which I tend to like, but the whole thing’s got great melodies and an Elliot Smith vibe.
The Go-Betweens — “Quiet Heart” (1988)
I wish I had the vocabulary to explain how a melody can so effectively convey a feeling of longing. No matter how many times I hear the wistful beauty of “Quiet Heart,” — well, for lack of a better explanation — I hear violins. Literally, in this case, as the song has a lovely string section. It’s also got a mournful harmonica solo that rounds out the overall mood.
The Clientele — “Museum of Fog” (2017)
The Clientele’s Music for the Age of Miracles is another new album I’ve been enjoying. “Museum of Fog” is a spoken word piece, and its story has a dreamlike quality that’s kind of like a gentler David Lynch movie. Some of the phrases just sound wonderful spoken in a soft British voice: “I left the towpath as the light began to fade,” “The jukebox still boasted a 45 by Twinkle, thirty years after it dropped out of the charts.” The background music is a dreamy wash of sound, with some chiming, plucked guitar notes coming through. The overall effect is that doesn’t exactly make sense, but still means something.