Tuesday, November 27, 2007

The Sampler - Tracks of the Week (Week 7)

Here’s this week’s rundown of songs I can’t stop listening to:

Violent Femmes – Gone Daddy Gone

From their first album, the Violent Femmes combine everything they’re great at into one song. In this song they have their furious high school angst (which, if you’re listening to emo can get incredibly annoying, but the Violent Femmes always keep it raw and actually angry, not whiny), not to mention driving bass/drums, and lo-fi acoustic guitar played punk. They even throw in what sounds like a marimba. I love most Violent Femmes song, but this one sticks out in my mind.

Beirut – Scenic World

From the Lon Gisland EP (not the version off of The Gulag Orkestar), the song opens with a beautiful accordion piece, and soon breaks in with hand drums and strings. Zach Condon’s voice breaks in with its deep swoon, “The lights go on/the lights go off/When things don’t feel right.” The song is absolutely beautiful, and makes me think of walking through falling snow from class to class, a cigarette in my mouth.

Destroyer – The Bad Arts

From the album Streethawk: A Seduction, Destroyer’s The Bad Arts is typical Dan Bejar, which is not to say it is average. Destroyer, with each album I listen to, has the ability to craft some of the most beautiful, clever music I’ve ever listened to. Opening with a solo acoustic piece and the sound of Bejar’s voice, his lyrics are, as always, genius. “God damn your eyes/They just had to be twin prizes waiting for the sun.” After the first bit, though, the song backs into a blues bass line and drums while Bejar sings bitterly. The song builds just little by little until the end when the music breaks, and a small chorus sings, “You’ve got the spirit/Don’t lose the feeling.

And those are this week’s tracks.

1 comment:

Miles Rausch said...

Violent Femmes - Gone Daddy Gone

There's something about a percussion instrument like the marimba that makes you bob your head back and forth, no matter how angsty and angry the song is.

Beirut - Scenic World

This is one of my top Beirut songs. I particularly enjoy putting the EP version next to the LP version. The EP version definitely has the gypsy/vagabond feel to it. I love how this band puts you into a world that you've only read about or seen in movies with just a choice of instruments and lyrics. I love how muddled and frantic the accordion is. "I have to get this melody out now!"

Destroyer - The Bad Arts

I love that "record scratch". It, of course, is not a record scratch, per se, but the muffled, sudden abrupt end. It took me by surprise.