Posts tagged song for the moment
Terrible Love
The National
The finale of tonight’s concert. Quite the experience.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Song For The Moment
Last night, as I got The Girl ready for her bedtime, I decided to put on a little music to help get her ready for slumberville. I had put together a baby mixtape for our nieces a ways back, courtesy of the folks at Rockabye Baby — who do lullaby renditions of rock bands. (Because, while I will play the original rendition of “Where Is My Mind?” as we hang out during the day — it doesn’t quite work as well while she’s trying to go to sleep…) Their rendition of this Radiohead classic prompted me into singing mode, which made me realize:
A.) That I forgot how much I really, really love this song.
B.) It’s much more fun to sing something like this (or say, a quiet version of Today by the Pumpkins) than “Lullaby, and goodnight…”.
So, if you have (or are having wee ones), I highly recommend picking up some tracks from these cats ASAP.
This Is Why We Fight
The Decemberists
Song Album For The Moment
The King Is Dead by The Decemberists
This past weekend, my two very “dad-like” midnight drives to and from northern New England were soundtracked by a new Decemberists album (received, courtesy of the Famous Popu-Lars, in what is most likely one of his final spoils from Medium). It’s fairly unusual for me to listen to too much music when I’m driving late at night: often, no matter how good the album, it lulls me to sleepy times.
This album, however, was able to touch upon something inside my noggin — and I soon found myself listening to it back to back, repeatedly on repeat, as the road stretched in front of me.
Truth be told, I dinnae know what to expect from a new Decemberists album… The Crane Wife — with it’s ten-minute prog-ish odes to The Tempest and ancient Japanese fables — is still one of my favorite albums, period. The Hazards of Love took their anthemic lit-rock sensibilities to a natural apex: a full-on concept album, serving as one continuous song about shapeshifters, Forest Queens and a girl named Margaret.
What could they possibly follow it up with?
This is not what I expected, by any means. All the flourishes that they’ve grown into over the past few years have been, quite simply, simplified. Stripped down. This is as straightforward an album as they’ve ever made, filled with lean, rootsy tunes.
And it is fantastic.
For me, it hit upon a distinct nerve in my music-loving past: R.E.M. More specifically, the days when I was focused on obtaining my drivers license and navigating the tumultuous waters of adolescence, while listening to R.E.M.’s Murmur on my Sony discman. There are tinges of the Joshua Tree/Rattle And Hum-era U2, and sprinkles of The Boss in his folksy times, but for me the heart of this album beats in sync with the jangly guitar from “Talk About The Passion”.
I was transported back to a younger time, when I listened to albums over and over, dissecting the lyrics and envisioning how the tunes would exactly how sensitive/misunderstood/angsty my teenage self was. To a time when I couldn’t just sift through hundreds (thousands!) of albums with the flick of a mouse or a thumb on my goddamn cell phone.
Again, it was fantastic.
And this is one of my favorites from the album. Enjoy.
P.S.
Ryan Adams
Song For The Moment
“P.S.” by Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
The news that Mr. Adams was coming out with a new double-album of music came as a shock to me — especially, since, last I heard, he had retired. Well, it would seem that you can’t keep a good (and prolific) man down. I like this song, particularly, because it sounds akin to much of the stuff he did on Rock N’ Roll — an album that many folks shat on, but I, personally, loved.
No One's Gonna Love You
Cee Lo Green
Song For the Moment
“No One’s Gonna Love You” by Cee-Lo Green
This one is for my lovely Lady (natch). Always loved the original Band of Horses song, love this slick cover just as much. There’s a lot of love up in this joint tonight.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Bruce Springsteen
Song For The Holiday Moment
“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” by The Boss
Is there a better Christmas song than Bruce’s rendition of this classic? Debatable. Perhaps they Mary J. Blige/Andrea Bocelli duet of “What Child Is This?” comes close. But for my money, this tune is where it’s at.
Joy.
Johnny Appleseed
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Song For The Moment
“Johnny Appleseed” by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
I’ve been sick for the better part of the past two weeks. Between that and caring for a little one, who is also sick, the spirits can get run down. My quick pick-me-up in those exhausted times? This tune, filled with inspirado from Mr. Strummer.
If you need a pick-me-up in these hectic holiday-days, be sure to give it a spin.
