Mike's 104 Songs to Hear Before You Die: Song #3

Mmmm... random (Photo by Mike)

In the continuing feature of my favorite songs (Song #1 and #2), I can't think of a better song to do for the third installment, and the best part is it's the first one that popped up on my iPod:

They Might Be Giants - Number Three

Who: John and John of They Might Be Giants

What: Number Three, 88 seconds of pure, unadulterated fun

When: 1986 on their debut eponymous album. I have to thank John87 again for his musical education, as he forced the album Flood onto my brothers and myself back in about 1990, and then AGAIN introduced us to TMBG when Apollo 18 came out in 1992. But I probably first heard this particular song from my college roommate, Craig, who reinvigorated my love of the band.

Where: Sounds like somewhere in Georgia, but more likely Brooklyn

Why: I hadn't really considered how difficult it might be to convincingly explain some of my song choices. I mean, really, this song is just plain silly... and I guess that's what's so great about it. First of all, the premise is genius: this is the third song of a writer who only has two songs in him. The best part is that TMBG have gone on to make music for over 20 years, and just a few days ago won a Grammy for Best Children's Album. In fact, they used to have a local Brooklyn phone number you could call for a free new song, which they abandoned for a free song on a website until 2006 when they discontinued it. This is a band with no lack of songs.

The band showed their wit and sense of fun early on in their career, with sly phrases like "Now I'm in the middle like a bird without a beak," (a middle-finger reference). They also showed they wouldn't shy away from social commentary, with lines like: "A rich man once told me, 'Hey, life's a funny thing.' A poor man once told me that he can't afford to speak," as well as some lines about an aloof president who refers to the singer as "boy."

Finally, the hodown drums, jangly guitar, and countrified vocals seem built to make you dance. I find it impossible to keep myself from tapping my foot, if not full on dancing! And I really dislike country music, but this is obviously not your standard country music pop song. So give it a whirl, let me know if you have the same reactions.

They Might Be Giants - Number Three (zShare)




On a side note, I heard this great song by Weezer today, and I thought it very nicely summed up my stance on the importance of this list. I really hope everyone has a list of "Heart Songs." I would love to see others' lists, whether song by song or in whole. If you've got one just leave a comment and I will be sure to link to it or make it a post on our site.



They Might Be Giants
Buy TMBG on iTunes

Mike's 104 Songs to Hear Before You Die: Song #2

A gate to another world (Photo by Mike)

So you know those Songs. The Songs that need to be spelled with a capital "S." The Songs that you couldn't live without, that define your life, your must have Songs. Maybe you don't and I'm crazy, but I have them. They are the songs that give me goosebumps, or make me instantly happy and need to jump around, or fully capture the depth of my melancholy.

I have over 13,000 songs on my iPod, with most of them rated, and only 104 are rated 5 stars. The system is not objective. These are not songs that necessarily have historical consequence, although some do, and some only do in the history of my life. They are not the most cutting edge, nor are they necessarily the best written or best played. They are, however, the songs that I consider to be the cream of the crop for my life. If you haven't, come up with a list of songs you consider to be must-haves.

So this is the first in a series of installments about my favorite songs. The title says "Song #2" because I already did a post about one of the songs, "Muzzle" by The Smashing Pumpkins. I will probably just put the list on random to pick which song to talk about in the future, but as I was listening today the song I'm about to talk about came on and I just felt compelled to start with it because I talked about a very similar (but not as good) song a couple days ago.

Sufjan Stevens - Vito's Ordination Song

Who: Sufjan Stevens, (who played over 20 different instruments on this album) with a few friends.

What: Vito's Ordination Song

When: 2003 on "Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State." I first heard the song soon after its release, thanks to John87 if I remember correctly.

Where: Michigan?

Why: The song itself has a beautiful calming pace, with the drums shuffling along, lazy trumpets, and plucking banjo building over the course of 7 minutes. At first listening the meaning of the lyrics may not be readily apparent, but knowing Sufjan Stevens it becomes clear that the words are about an all-loving, omnipotent God. Sufjan is singing words of comfort- a God who has always known you, is with you always, wears your clothes, "and your jacket, too." And the final touch is to let you know He has a plan for you. I can't think of a more simple way to convey trust in God than Stevens' words:

"Rest in my arms,
Sleep in my bed,
There's a design
To what I did and said."

He repeats them for over 3 minutes-- it's a mantra that fills you with a total sense of ease, relieves you of stress, lays you down in a bed made of trust. I think if you have a passing sense that there is a God, this song should be the first one you put on when things feel like they are falling apart. It's a reminder that the screw-ups and pitfalls are leading you somewhere: I hope it's true and I hope you believe it the way Sufjan does, the way I do.

I always knew you in your mother's arms
I have called your name
I've an idea placed in your mind to be a better man
I've made a crown for you; put it in your room
And when the bridegroom comes there will be noise
There will be glad and a perfect bed
And when you write a poem, I know the words
I know the sounds before you write it down
When you wear your clothes I wear them too
I wear your shoes and your jacket too
I always knew you in your mother's arms
I have called you son
I've made amends between father and son
Or if you haven't one, rest in my arms
Sleep in my bed; there's a design to what I did and said
Rest in my arms, sleep in my bed
There's a design to what I did and said

The Transfiguration

(Photo by Mike)

Today in church we heard the reading from Gospel of Mark about the Transfiguration, so I had to pull out the great Sufjan Stevens song by the same name and share it. I love the fact that Stevens writes such great music that is not "Christian," but at the same time includes the strength of his faith so clearly. I still plan on making a playlist of current music that is spiritual but not written by "Christian music" artists. I find songs about God by Beck and Iron & Wine to be much more powerful than ones by DC Talk or Audio Adrenaline. I guess less is more sometimes. Lyrics and song are below:

The Transfiguration - Sufjan Stevens

"When he took the three disciples
to the mountainside to pray,
his countenance was modified, his clothing was aflame.
Two men appeared: Moses and Elijah came;
they were at his side.
The prophecy, the legislation spoke of whenever he would die.

Then there came a word
of what he should accomplish on the day.
Then Peter spoke, to make of them a tabernacle place.
A cloud appeared in glory as an accolade.
They fell on the ground.
A voice arrived, the voice of God,
the face of God, covered in a cloud.

What he said to them,
the voice of God: the most beloved son.
Consider what he says to you, consider what's to come.
The prophecy was put to death,
was put to death, and so will the Son.
And keep your word, disguise the vision till the time has come.

Lost in the cloud, a voice: Have no fear! We draw near!
Lost in the cloud, a sign: Son of man! Turn your ear!
Lost in the cloud, a voice: Lamb of God! We draw near!
Lost in the cloud, a sign: Son of man! Son of God!"

Jonathan Johansson

So I recently found a blog titled The Lemur Blog which so far has a lot of electronic music that I am definitely not familiar with, but I really dig some of it, including this guy Jonathan Johansson. This is definitely music that John87 and Dan, and probably even Drew, would be more into than I am, but it is very chill and '80s and the guy's definitely got talent. It makes me feel like being in some sort of driving montage filmed in the 80's. So I checked out his site and it's all in Swedish, but whatever, he has a playlist on the side there and you can listen to his stuff. And as The Lemur points out I think the two best tracks are "All Vill Ha Hela Varlden" (great cover of Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World) and "Sag Vad Ni Vill." Both tracks can be found at the links below (again, thanks to The Lemur Blog). Enjoy. Also keep an eye on the Lemur Blog for translation of the songs into English. I hope to be posting more this week about a couple other albums I have been wearing out (see "Blasting Out Our Doors" on the right pane for a hint) that I think you might really like. Also hope to start hearing more music from 2009 even though I am still catching up on what I missed in '08.

EDIT: Here's the translation

Jonathan Johansson - All Vill Ha Hela Varlden
Jonathon Johansson - Sag Vad Ni Vill

Buy It

Challenge - Response

(Photo by Mike)

So if you haven't read John87's post on February 14th, skip down to that before you continue reading-- this is a response to his challenge.

So I listened to "Per Second Second," and my initial one-word reactions were: intense, blunt, and incomplete. I also felt the song was fine, but not really a winner-- it felt like a demo. Then I pulled up the full album and started listening, and I realized before I even got to the song in question that some of the things I mentioned would help it fit right in with the album. The whole album has a little bit of a demo feel, just because all the songs are so thick, although it is interesting that I call it a demo sound, since the album took four years to record. The songs all seem to build and decline into one another-- there isn't a constant ramp throughout the whole album, but the songs just seem to build off one another. By the time you get to "Per Second Second," the immediacy of the song is really what the album needed. I still think the song is just ok, but I think I understand its purpose when I hear it as part of the whole album.

I don't think this theory is true with many albums, though. Some albums are greater than the sum of their parts; "Smile" by Brian Wilson, "A Grand Don't Come for Free" by the Streets, etc. But there are still a lot of albums, I think, that you could take a song and it stands well on its own. It's interesting, though, especially since John and I are very big on listening to full albums. I think that for me a lot of albums work better then songs mostly because I am so attached to the albums.

Yeah i totally know...

Ok so i haven't written on here at all in February. Sadness... I klnow i need to finish up my awsome mixtape and post it. I do have a good excuse. Mike actually used several of the songs I wanted so I did the cheap bastard approach and reorganised everything. Sorry. I promise I will have the thing posted on Monday...why not today or tomorrow??? I just don't have time leave me a loan you whip wielding fat sweaty bastard.

Anyway I had an experiment I wanted to try. Something wierd and new. Get as many people as you want involved it's not going to take much more then a little bit of thought. I'd like to see how people react to a certain song removed from it's specific place in an album. Then see how the ideas and opinions about the song change when added to the whole album and then how it all gets melded together when you really know the album band and history.

So the song I wanted to try this out on is Per Second Second by the Wrens of their album Meadowlands. I picked this band album and song because it's a great album that doesn't have a whole lot of attention thrown to it. Anyway what I'd like you the singular person I am writting to to do is to listen to the song by itself a couple of times. Write down your reactions to it. What do you like or don't like about it. Then after you kind of 'know' the song listen to the whole album. After you listen to the whole album do a little research on the album. See what others say about it. I just want to see how you react to something over time. It's a great great album atleast so your only gaining good music in the process.

Not sure what I hope to see from all of this but it could be interesting. Anyway times up...Again I promise the mixtape by Monday.

Five by Five with The Lonely Forest

Ok, a new segment here I'm gonna call 5x5. I ask 5 questions that are in the form of a Top 5 list. The first installment is with Anacortes, WA band The Lonely Forest. I included their song "We Sing In Time" from their forthcoming album ("We Sing the Body Electric, out on April 21st) in my top songs of 2008. I think there is a good chance the song could end up on your top list this year once you hear it. So here is the 5x5 with lead singer, guitarist and keyboardist John Van Deusen. Check out their older stuff on iTunes, check out the new album in April, and if you are local, check them out in 2 weeks, February 28th, playing in Burlington, WA, and following that, dates in Spokane.

* What were your five favorite albums in 2008?

1) Nature's Got Away - KARL BLAU
2) Vampire Weekend - VAMPIRE WEEKEND
3) Lucky - NADA SURF
4) Alopecia -WHY?
5) The Globes EP - THE GLOBES


* What five artists are putting out music in 2009 that you are
looking forward to (excluding your own)?

The Oregon Donor
The Globes
The Mission Orange
United State of Electronica
David Bazan


* Where are your five favorite places to eat North of Seattle?

Cafe Adrift - Anacortes, WA
Village Pizza - Anacortes, WA
Storks - Anacortes, WA
The Co-op - Mt. Vernon, WA
Boundary Bay - Bellingham, WA

* What are your top five sci-fi books/movies (in honor of We Sing the Body Electric)?

The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury
Dune - Frank Herbert
A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin
The Space Trilogy - C.S. Lewis
A Journey to the Center of the Earth - Jules Verne


* Which five world cities would you love to perform in?

Toronto
London
Berlin
Moscow
Tokyo

iTunes
MySpace
Free Solo John Van Deusen Album
Burning Buildings Recordings

Lil' Wayne Reads Top Ten on Letterman

This is great. Nothing more to say.

Lil' Wayne presents Letterman's Top 10 List
Uploaded by yardie4lifever2

Mixtape Mania! Part 1: Relationship Double Mixtape

(Photo by Mike)

Alright, well at least I hope there's gonna be some mania! John 87 and I should both be posting today, and if you have a mixtape entry for a relationship from first meeting to tragic end, throw it up here, either on the site or in the comments section. The more the merrier. So I had a lot of different ideas:chronological songs-- starting with Beatles and Beach Boys for the nicer stuff, ending with newer stuff for the tragedy; not making it a breakup, but rather just dying of old age; what I finally went with was a boy/girl/duet sorta thing. I have less girl songs than boy songs, since as John87 pointed out, my brothers and I are sort of sexist in our musical tastes I guess. I think songs from a man perspective just click better with me, so they are more prominent in this mix, but I tried to stick to the theme, as well as highlight some of the songs that move me most. And yes, there is a Barenaked Ladies song on here. Try to keep an open mind-- I saw a televised concert where he did this song and he was litteraly crying during the song. The screaming is more than enough to warrent the addition. Oh, and the mixtape playlist is in multiple parts because not every song was on imeem or grooveshark, so I had to combine.

Mixtape 1_1

Act 1, The Courtship:
1. Mugison - Mugiboogie: Man - Sees woman, acts cool
2. Leona Naess - Calling: Woman - Has high hopes already
3. Jens Lekman - Kanske Ar Jag Kar i Dig: Man - Loses cool because he really likes woman
4. Bjork - Joga: Woman - Man makes her feel very intense
5. Mason Jennings - Nothing: Man - Still trying hard to win her over



6. Stars - What I'm Trying to Say: Duet - Confession of love
End Act 1
Act 2, Young Love
7. They Might Be Giants - Another First Kiss: Man - Enjoys the newness of relationship
8. Feist - Mushaboom: Woman - Dreaming of the future
9. Ben Folds - The Luckiest: Man - Deep in true love
10. Ingrid Michaelson - Die Alone: Woman - Intense need for man
11. Smashing Pumpkins - In the Arms of Sleep: Man - Intense need for woman
End Act 2

Mixtape 1_3

Act 3, Stale Love
12. Kathleen Edwards - Sure as Shit: Woman - Faded love
13. Mike Doughty - The Only Answer: Man - Feels woman, and love, fading
14. Sia - Academia: Woman - Feels desperate for man, who is not desperate for her
15. Counting Crows - Anna Begins: Man - Doubts love, feels woman disappearing
16. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - Falling Slowly: Duet - Last gasp to keep trying
17. Ryan Adams - How Do You Keep Love Alive?: Man - Trying to keep love alive
18. Rilo Kiley - Silver Lining: Woman - Letting love go
19. Beck - Lost Cause: Man - Losing hope
20. Ben Folds w. Regina Spektor - You Don't Know Me: Duet - Realizing maybe they don't have it
21. The Postal Service - Nothing Better: Duet - It's over
End Act 3



Act 4, The Fallout
22. Barenaked Ladies - Break Your Heart: Man - Thought he was over her, finds out he isn't
23. Fiona Apple - Parting Gift: Woman - Denial she was ever in love
24. The Streets - Dry Your Eyes: Man - Trying to accept end
25. Angus and Julia Stone - Sadder Than You: Woman - Realizes she misses him
26. Elliott Smith - Everything Reminds Me of Her: Man - Obsessing over woman

Mixtape 1_5


27. Leona Naess - Don't Use My Broken Heart: Woman - Coming to terms
28. The Avett Brothers - Pretty Girl From Chile: Man - More thinking he's fine, finds out she's fine, realizes he's not fine
29. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Bang: Woman - Gets nasty
30. The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight: Man - Can't shake her even as time goes on
End