My life is a series of Angel episodes interspersed with tea and slices of ham from the fridge. Good stuff.
The last two months have been exhaustingly distracting from this blog, and I've felt guilty for lack of upkeep/upload. New job, applying for a MSc, and generally having a social life have all added to my beloved procrastinate (if it was a substance. Very wrong if you visualise it). But what else is a weekend for than lounging about in your Jazzpants (with a capital 'Jazz'!...is that a euphemism?), downing tea and compiling lists?
No real theme in this here post, aside from B-Sides that are better than the album tracks, old musicians releasing songs that pizazzle all over the competition, and some tracks that I had forgotten were so great. Why does iTunes randomly lose your music? Not all of it, just an album or five by an artist. Thank you trusty external hard-drive. My one, my only Funkbunker.
B-Sides & Better Versions
Weezer - Private Message
Before they released Maladroit in 2002, Weezer decided to post all their demos online for the fans to judge and enjoy. Naturally, loads didn't make it. This was foretold by Jesus as the rule of A-Few-Alright-But-Mostly-Shite, but it was fascinating to hear the evolution of a song, draft to draft. Private Message was one of those songs that was just brilliant from draft one, but was then ruined by a second version that felt kinda bloated. This version shows how good a songwriter Rivers Cuomo is when he's writing pop and not krunking. No frills, plenty of melody. Lovely.
The Futureheads - First Day
The second draft curse happened with First Day too . This was the version that got The Futureheads noticed, but obviously they had to rerecord it for the album. Cue extra guitars and a less scrappy whole that should've worked better than it did. As it is, ruddy great song, and this is the definitive version. I love the way it gets faster and faster, like you're being asked to do too many things at once ... by Geordies. A frightening thought, but a great song.
Beck - MTV Makes Me Wanna Smoke Crack
Finally, a song that tells it like it is! Kinda. This was the B-Side to Loser, Beck's first big hit that threatened to end his career there and then. My favourite line has got be "Bust out the Biscuits!". Rock n' Roll! I wish Beck did more Lounge Bar crooning. There's clearly a market for it (me).
The Shins - The Gloating Sun
The Shins. Can they do wrong? Well, yes, but not here. I love the fact that this song is a B-Side. I remember hearing from Radiohead (I think) that they would put a bit more effort into their B-Sides because they didn't have the pressure of it being a single, or fitting in with the rest of an album. Of course, this song just sounds like the Shins do normally, but it's an interesting thought. Anywho, the B-Side is dying/dead now, unless legal downloads have the A & B sides strapped together in a digital 3 legged race. I think I'd like that. Not that I buy singles anymore. Albums all the way! If an album's shit, you just choose better next time. A self-punishing way to drive up the quality of your music collection. Here's to that!
Old Folks
Paul Simon - Father & Daughter
This is taken from Paul Simon's 2006 album Surprise, and I think...I THINK it's about his daughter. Unless 'daughter' is code for 'sandwich'. I think I'm hungry. Got pastrami in the fridge that's begging to be eaten. *wanders to the fridge* That was delicious! Back to business. There's something very comforting about Paul Simon's singing. I bet he just talks like that anyway.
David Byrne - Life Is Long
We went to see (& meet) David Byrne last year, and every song played was acted out by dancers (of sorts). In Life is Long, all the dancers and Mr Byrne used office chairs to ... sorta rotate in sync. It's better than it sounds, I swear! Watch. Anyways, he brought us beer, and it's a catchy, catchy song.
Tom Waits - Goin Out West
Tom Waits out metals metal with this heavy monstrosity (in a good way). Sounds like a murderer stomping across the Wild West talking about his past kills. Yay! I think he's singing in a meat locker. Sounds about right for Mr Waits.
New & Improved!
Animal Collective - My Girls
My Girls has probably been played to death in all those Hip & Happenin' Hovels in...Hoxton (? I suppose it is full of twats). But it's a great song! The synths accompanying it, while great, aren't what make the song brilliant. Then what? The fact that it sounds like a sea shanty, that's what! I wonder if it's an old song, made up in Kraftwerk's lipstick? Wonderfully uplifting.
Yeasayer - 2080
Another epically ethereal sounding belter of a tune. I recently made the mistake of buying the newest Yeasayer album basing it purely on a song that wasn't even on it (*cough cough* this one *cough*). Whoops, not a great purchase. Great artwork, dodgy electronica and a few good songs does not a good album make. Damn you Piccadilly Records ... However! 2080 is superb. Plenty of reverb, band members shouting in unison and guitars! Oh, how I love guitars. This song must've been recorded in a foggy Otherworld full of gently purring fridges.
Midlake - Fortune
From the newest album The Courage of Others, this shows Midlake's 70s English folk-rock obsession emerge in one of the highlights of the album. Frustratingly, and perhaps leniently, it ends when it could go on. It should rightfully be two minutes longer! But that's only because the album is a grower, and it just hasn't grown on me yet. So I'm hanging on to the happiness! Like a desperate folk monkey.
End!
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