...what you been Listening To?

#1

Okay, you get it- I like music, and I'm guessing if you landed here, you might like music, too. So we can get this out of the way early: we're here for music. We as in me and you, for I have no real staff (to speak of...). Technically, am I even staff? I do this for free. So if you'd like to send any requests, submissions, complaints, or general "whatever", take a holler at me, jimiantelope@yahoo.com.

Anyway, I was just thinking that I should be writing so now I'm here writing. And listening to tunes. And writing about said tunes. For no reason (if any) other than I actually have this thing, I should use it, right? So here's what I'm absolutely tripping on the last few weeks/month/years...

Interpol, Obstacle 1-
Still my favorite song of the last few years, my go-to jam whenever in doubt. My old iPod registered 36 plays of this song. It's pretty much my "get hype anthem" when I skate.

Air, You Make It Easy-
The masters of the chill on Moon Safari, this track has been banging me over the head lately- highlighted by sultry vocals from Beth Hirsch. I fall asleep to it, wake up to it, it's everywhere, man, and I can't wait to hear their new stuff!

LCD Soundsystem, 45:33 Nike+ Original Run-
The Crystal Method also did one of these for Nike last year, but I haven't listened to Busy Child in years and I can only think that's what theirs would sound like, like a super-extended mix of their only good jam. But James Murphy brings it here, and I can say that it's good, up and down, the intro is like almost 3 minutes and the cool-down is about 8 minutess. it's all about peaks and valleys here, and this may be the most listenable 45 minute song ever. How do you review a 45-minute song? Give details related to the time? At 11:15 there are these really cool bells that make an appearance... How's that?

Lily Allen, Smile-
It seems as if every track coming out of England recently has been venom aimed at our shitty president. I guess Tony Blair is too boring. But thank you, Miss Allen, for writing a lovely little song about a love gone all wrong, and a nice piss off with the whole "When I see you cry- it makes me smile..." thing she got going on.

Morrissey, Sister I'm a Poet-
Still makes me reel, every time i see the Moz DVD Hulmerist and he gets literally mugged by fan after fan and never misses a beat. "I still cannot speak French. I am very lazy..."

Prince, When Doves Cry-
That Super Bowl Halftime show was, well, super.

(Check out this dude's name: iownhalo2. That's fucking great, good for you. We all now know that you in fact definitely own the game Halo 2. You so rule. You know it's true, too, and this is why you rule.)

But that's so tired and so old news only four days after the fact, but in this accelerated society it's won and done and filed away quickly, and then we remind it later for trivia questions. Like this one: what makes When Doves Cry so different from all the other monster jams from him? Yes, he played all the instruments on this but left out the bass. Actually, this song was the last song written for the Purple Rain album. And then there's that sick-ass synth line at the end, ripped straight from Beethoven 's crib notes.

Jose Gonzalez, Heartbeats-
"...One night to be confused. One night to speed up truth. We had a promise made, four hands and then away..." I just like that.

Iron & Wine, Passing Afternoon-
Another song, like You Make it Easy, that you can both fall asleep/wake up to. This song has been the first/last thing I listen to more times than I can count.

John Denver, Annie's Song-
If you got married in the south after 1974, there's a 75% chance this was your wedding song and your (first) wife had a Charlie's Angles hairstyle. I heard this song covered by Vienna Teng, solo, on piano, last year on WYBE, the other Philly-based public TV channel. I like this song quite much because I'm sappy like that. And that's a plug for both John Denver and Vienna Teng, (check her out!)

Toto, Africa-
This song is great for that wonderful "boost" right before the chorus, where every track is raised (a la multi-track production booth skills) after that drum breakdown. Bordering on cheesy, this is an early 80s-synth/wuss/soft rock classics that can be no doubt heard 4 times a day if you work at Walgreen's. When I think of the awesome 80s, I think of songs like this, A-ha's Take On Me and Van Halen's Jump. 80s synth rock!

Arcade Fire, Ocean Of Noise-
Slow churning, it just burns me up with those anguished organs and violins. There's even a little hurdy-gurdy playing about in there somewhere. Really lovely, and this new album's gonna be so great.

Bloc Party, The Prayer-
This chorus won't leave my head. Never mind the fact that I spent like 3 days listening to this, 2 or 3 times a day, and now it's stuck here. This guy really can write some good hooks, vocally on A Weekend In The City, guitarically* on Silent Alarm.

*- new word!

Carla Bruni, Quelqu'un m'a dit-
Les chanson pures de bruit de gens de France est musique à mes oreilles. (Somebody Said To Me- Pure folk pop songs from France is music to my ears.)

Devendra Banhart, Long Haired Child-
Donovan-inspired, faux-1967 freak folk from one of the best (in his respective genre at least). Nicest breakdown into a bridge I've heard in a while. "Baby, that's for sure (sh-bop, sh-bop!)"

Radiohead, A Punch Up At A Wedding (No No No No No No No No)-
The bassline, the drums, the piano. Maybe my favorite Radiohead song? I'm not sure, right now, yes. All-time? Why am I talking about this? Do you even care?

The Beatles, You Never Give Me Your Money-
I'm trying to learn this on the piano right now, so it's in my head big time...

Beirut, My Family's Role In The World Revolution-
Another great piano song, big horns hit you in the face. Please get this EP from Beirut!

Okay, that's it. Look for these every Thursday or Friday or every other week, I don't know...