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In creative fields, there are few things that are more frustrating than being second-guessed. Musicans who really dislike being questioned about decisions made in songwriting are probably the last ones to allow leaks or to test out unfinished songs on live audiences prior to being finalized. And while it may be annoying, I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong in looking at demos or early versions of songs and noting the qualities that are lost when the songs are produced, recorded, and mastered for their use on an album.
Over the weekend I got a chance to see TV On The Radio at the Hollywood Bowl. The last time I had seen them was at the Siren Music Festival in 2004. Back then I liked them, but not so much that the had my full attention. Partially because the crowd camped out for Death Cab streatched back what must have been a quarter mile, partially because of the sticky as syrup heat (I gave up on Siren after that year), I bailed on them midway through their set. My opinion of them today is miles from what it was, but I think also that they are a far better band than they were, and I couldn’t have been more excited to see them play stuff off of the new record.
Despite my best efforts, I didn’t get a chance to see the one movie that has the potential to prove my prediction for movie of the year wrong, The Science of Sleep. It seems like a perfect movie for Gondry, to create a character that matches his own imagination in order to fill the movie with insane, goofy, dream-like imagery. I can’t wait to see it. But I’m going to have to.
I know I just had a post on Wolf Parade, but I can’t believe how on point the Tapes ‘n Tapes dude was when he said of “You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son”:
There’s a scene in the beginning of I Heart Huckabees, where Jason Schwartzman’s character, determined to navigate Los Angeles by bike, rides through the neighborhood I work in, traditionally called Miracle Mile. About a month ago I finally picked up a used bike, something I had meant to do since I realized there was no way that I would be able to squeeze my New York bike into miny tiny car and survive a cross-country drive. I’ve been riding to work somewhat regularly, and I’d recommend it to anyone as a healthy break from the monotony of the morning commute.
Work is killing me this week. Here are some old songs. Maybe I’m just not thinking it out, but I feel like people don’t write songs complaining about work as much anymore. Wait, no, Superchunk’s “Slack Motherfucker.” Never mind. But are there any songs about factories anymore?
The Changes played a nice set recently on KEXP. The last time I checked in with them was back in January, and at the time they were working on their album, Today is Tonight, which is to be released September 26th. I see from the tracklist that they’ve abandoned my favorite demo, “Can’t Decide.” I still think they have a poppy Phoenix feel to them. Sometimes it can be a bit too polished for me, but the ones from this set are good. “Her, You And I” is solid, and the new song that wraps up the set is my favorite.
For such a sloppy metaphor, the opening line in Wolf Parade’s “I’ll Believe In Anything, You’ll Believe In Anything” is extremely effective. I’ve already admitted that I’m a sucker for oddball romanticism, and this is no exception. I feel like the lines “And I could give you my apologies / By handing over my neologies,” added to the album version of the song, are an acknowledgment of the messy, but clearly comprehensible symbolism.
I’m really going to miss WOXY.com. I’m sure anyone who listened to their shows regularly has heard that they are to shut their doors today. Just to show how great they were at turning me on to new music, I’ve been obsessed with The Foundry Field Recordings since their live set was released on the podcast last week. And everything’s on fire now. The first comparison one would make is obviously Sparklehorse, but I also feel like I hear a little Holopaw in there too.
When I first saw Pitchfork’s Greatest Songs of the 60’s list, I couldn’t understand where they - an internet-based media entity of the late 90s - got off producing it. I think what underlied my annoyance was simply that they were depriving me of my daily reviews. But after taking it all in, recognizing the depth of selections, the quality of the list, and appreciating the difficulty and research that would go into putting it together, I changed my tone.