Jelly-Town! - Five for Friday, And The Mysterians edition

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Five for Friday, And The Mysterians edition

5th-May-2006 06:36 am

As always, please play along...

Five Songs with a Question for a Title

1. The Clash, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" I've griped about Combat Rock previously, but this song stands as the great contribution to The Clash catalog that emerges from that woebegone record. I still prefer the lean, angular snarl of the earlier albums, but I have to admit to the satisfaction of a relative simple (even dumb) rock song that's just going to sound better the louder you play it. "If I go there will be trouble/And if I stay it will be double." Well, there's your decision right there.

2. The Flaming Lips, "Do You Realize?" Towards the end of this wild album fueled with psychedelic craziness and Japanese girls battling giant evil robots comes this disarmingly sweet, lush song that begins with the line "Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face?" Just when it seems that things are going to veer back towards the weird ("Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die?") it instead becomes a testament to living for today ("And instead of saying all of your goodbyes/Let them know you realize that life goes fast/It's hard to make the good things last/You realize the sun doesn't go down/It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round.")

3. American Music Club, "How Many Six Packs Does It Take To Screw In A Light?" I spent a decent amount of my music fan energy in the 90's trying to warm up to Mark Eitzel as a songwriter. American Music Club was the band that smart, literate people (or people trying to appear smart and literate) would rave about, but I often found myself underwhelmed by their records. And yet, the tricky thing about spotty performers is that sometimes individual spots are so good that you keep holding out for that promise to be fulfilled. This track from the last album before Eitzel decided he didn't need the other three guys has a snaky seductiveness as it lets slips line like, "For three nights and three days/Jesus hung on a boom box while it played/Every single song ever sung by Billie Holiday." Keeping with the hopeful carpe diem vibe of the previous song, the answer to the titular question seems to be "It's good to be alive baby, sometimes it's alright."

4. Husker Du, "Could You Be The One?" When you're looking to stop the hope trend, look no further than one Robert Mould. "Is it only happiness you want?/Does wanting a feeling matter any more?"

5. Ben Folds Five, "Where's Summer B?" It can not be overstated just how refreshing that first Ben Folds album was in the Bush/Sponge/Silverchair/Candlebox era of commodified grunge.

Tags:five for friday
Mood:geeky

Comments

5th-May-2006 06:21 am (UTC)

starving_cynic

1. polly jean harvey and john parish- "is that all there is?"
this leiber and stoller song was originally done by the wonderful ms. peggy lee, it's this version that my heart belongs to.
"i know what you must be saying to yourselves if that's the way she feels about it/then why doesn't she just end it all/oh no, not me, i'm not ready for the final disappointment/cause i know just as well as i'm standing here talking to you/that when that final moment comes and i'm breathing my last breath/i know what i'll be saying to myself-- 'is that all there is?'"
the last day of my senior seminar with dr. van sickle, we were talking after class. he always had a fondness for me, and i'm pretty sure it was because i was the asshole that he couldn't be because he was the professor. anyway, he asked me how i felt about being done, and i believe my response was "eh. it's not my doctorate." he said, "do you know what i did the night that i got my doctorate?" i, of course, had no idea. "i lied on the bed, staring at the ceiling listening to peggy lee sing "is that all there is?"
van sickle is my favorite teacher ever.

2. martha wainwright- "who was i kidding"
this is the first song off her self-titled full length that i really fell in love with. i mean, who hasn't pondered this particular inquery?
"left the pain before the dawn/she never thought it would or could be easy/been inclined to carry on/hold my hard head and watch you walk out on me"
i tend to identify with the emotions and energy that seems to emanate out of ms. wainwright's songwriting. the majority of the songs on this particular album are simple, articulate and well-crafted, making it very hard not to immediately fall completely in love with her. i, in particular, empathize a lot with this one. and around when this album came out, i was asking myself this a lot. "lindsay, who are you kidding?"

3. pixies- "where is my mind?"
"your head will collapse if there's nothing in it/and you'll ask yourself: where is my mind?"
thank you mr. black. or mr. francis. or whatever it is i'm suppose to refer to you as these days.

4. fugazi- "do you like me?"
"your eyes like crashing jets/fixed in stained glass but not religious/you should pay rent in my mind/say like the french say bon soir regret a demain"
this is the first track off of the first fugazi album that i ever owned, red medicine. for that reason in particular it always has been and probably always will be my favorite fugazi.
i like this song for a couple reasons, one of the big ones being that at the beginning of the song there's that minute of strange noises-- clanging, banging, reverb, CHAOS! i would come to find out later that this album was when fugazi really began to experiment more with their sound. a lot of their super hardcore fans were very upset by this deviation, but i think it's fucking great. they remain as political and steadfast as ever, ("white witness moves to petition the state of virginia for twenty-seven prisons") while evolving as artists. i really admire artists who can do that, and rather seamlessly.

5. the breeders- do you love me now?"
one evening i was watching hbo and this movie called may came one. i thought, "well i haven't seen this before and i've got nothing better to do, so why not watch this." i wasn't very into the film, until the seen where the main character passes the boy she has a crush on in the streets and this song starts to play.
"if i saw you now, could i look in your eyes?/do you think of me, like i dream of you?/do you wish you were here/like i wish i was with you?/you've loved me before,do you love me now?"
i still say that kim deal is just as talented and gifted a songwriter as frank black ever was.

5th-May-2006 06:46 am (UTC) - end of the lesson, time for a question.

lonecellotheory

damn. those last three could have been on my list. :-)

Red Medicine was my first Fugazi record as well. My college roommate got me into them, took me to my first show of theirs at the Trocadero in Philly, a show at which Ian had the control booth turn up the house lights so they could see the crowd and feel more connected to them. Later, Ian sent an asshole who was trying to beat the shit out of people (under the guise of slamdancing) away with his money back. Guy ripped his shirt careening around the stage. Philly punkers are pretty rough, so things were getting hairy again, and Guy appealed to the crowd to PLEASE dance, and PLEASE have a good time, but PLEASE just don't hurt anyone. It seems to me they've always been quite clear on that point, I don't know why people get the idea that they don't want anyone to dance at their shows. Anyway, people throw around the phrase "life changing experience" a little liberally, but that night, for me, was. That was in the spring of '95, and by the end of that year I had all the records they'd released up to that point, and I'd done a huge full page interview with Guy for my college paper.

Now here I am, about to celebrate the 10th anniversary of my living in DC, and I think I've seen every DC show they've played in the past decade. Except, and I say this with more than a little embarrassment, their 10th anniversary show, which was held at the now defunct Wilson Center, site if their very first show. It was kind of hush-hush, but Guy clued me into it when I ran into him at a show a couple weeks previous, and told me I should come out. As it turned out I couldn't make it. What I didn't realize is that the show was semi-invitation only, and I had been invited. Arg. I doubt I was doing anything that I couldn't have canceled if I'd tried hard enough.

5th-May-2006 07:19 am (UTC) - Re: end of the lesson, time for a question.

starving_cynic

i have unfortunately never seen fugazi live, and this is rather unsettling. especially now that they seem to be on indefinite hiatus. there on of those bands that i would like to see before i die.

this list also included pj harvey, kim deal (with the breeders, because i love her vocals so much), and nick cave.

5th-May-2006 07:39 am (UTC) - Re: end of the lesson, time for a question.

lonecellotheory

luckily, since they're so welcoming to recorders, photographers, filmmakers, etc. there's so much great footage, both audio and video of their live shows. i wish they'd release a special edition of instrument with an extra disc of just complete songs from some of the live footage that was on there. my favorite bit in that film is the 16mm footage of "shut the door". if you want to know what fugazi is like live, there it is. razor sharp, near telepathic, improvisational without being annoying with it, and fucking tighter than brendan's snare. that footage that jem shot at that show is so good, i'd be happy with just a dvd of every inch of film he shot at that one.

5th-May-2006 07:52 am (UTC)

lonecellotheory

i'm comment crazy on your list today.

i also just wanted to mention that the evidence that kim is just as talented and gifted as frank is as simple as the fact that frank was never half as good on his own as when he was writing with kim around. kim, on the other hand? well, i'm not going to claim that the breeders or the amps are as great as the pixies, but both were much closer to that kind of greatness than any of frank's solo/and the catholics stuff.

5th-May-2006 08:12 am (UTC) - but really, i say we just blame steve albini for everything.

starving_cynic

you'd think that gigantic would be proof enough of kim deals greatness as a songwriter, but from what i hear even after the fact people still really doubted her abilities when the pixies finally broke up.

though i'm not as big of a fan of the amps as i am the breeders, i think that kim deals writing on those breeders albums is, at times, parallel to the pixies. especially with last splash. but no one seems to give that one a chance, sometimes based simply on the success of "cannonball." though in my opinion that is HARDLY the best track on that album.

i think what i like so much about last spalsh is the variation that exists among the different tracks, yet the album never loses that flow that all well made records have. if you contrast a song like "drivin' on" with one like "mad lucas", there are very different sounding. you get very different emotions and feelings from both those songs, yet exist almost perfectly among each other on the album. it's just another nod to ms. deals abilities.

and i agree with your comment about frank black-- i think that maybe kim deal had more of an influence on and input in his songwriting than even he likes to admit. it would also help explain the utter animosity that he had for her once the pixies broke up.

5th-May-2006 10:53 am (UTC) - Re: but really, i say we just blame steve albini for everything.

lonecellotheory

i'm all for blaming steve albini for whatever we can think to pin on him. i have an intense desire to hear last splash now, but for some reason i only have pod loaded on my iPod. dammit.

5th-May-2006 08:38 am (UTC)

lonecellotheory

1. elvis costello – “(what’s so funny ‘bout) peace love and understanding?”
this always makes me think of two film references, the obvious one being bill murray's karaoke performance in lost in translation. the other is campbell scott's college friend in singles recreating a mashup scott supposedly did as a dj for the college radio station of this song with public enemy.

2. joan jett – “do you wanna touch me?”
yes, joan. oh, yes.

3. the smiths – “how soon is now?”
honestly, i grew a little tired of this song after hearing it so much. but it's still quite good, and oooh, that guitar sound...

4. billy bragg – “which side are you on?”
i always thought billy was best when it was just him and a guitar. his later, full band stuff just doesn't grab me as much, which a number of exceptions, particularly his collaborations with johnny marr. this is the sort of smart, emotional, heartfelt protest song that epitomizes him to me.
I'm bound to follow my conscience
And do whatever I can
But it'll take much more than the union law
To knock the fight out of a working man

Which side are you on, boys
Which side are you on

5. r.e.m. – “what’s the frequency, kenneth”
i've always felt monster was unfairly maligned. yeah, it's a little uneven, but there are some GREAT songs on it. "let me in" breaks my heart every time. and making a song out of a random non-sensical quote made by some guy who assaults a tv newsman? pop culture gold. no to mention that that bright metallic guitar riff is brilliantly memorable.

5th-May-2006 10:31 am (UTC)

starving_cynic

after hearing the story behind that song, i've always wanted to go crazy and yell something out at someone and have them right a song about it.

5th-May-2006 09:00 am (UTC)

studiesinsecret

1. Nina Nastasia, "Run, All You?"
I fully admit that this title shouldn't really be a question, but the punctuation is Ms. Nastasia's, not mine. And this song, while short, is so lovely.

2. Ryan Adams, "Why Do They Leave?"
Oh, why do they leave/ on the day you needed them the most?

There isn't much better heartbreak music than a downtrodden, pissed-off Ryan Adams. I'll fully admit that he isn't the best thing ever in music, but there are some things he does well. This song is one of them.

3. Sufjan Stevens, "Oh God, Where Are You Now?"
One of the most beautiful tracks on his Michigan album. Gorgeous.

4. Martha Wainwright, "How soon"
I'll just echo everything Lindsay said about Martha Wainwright. It's all true.

5. Flaming Lips, "Are You A Hypnotist?"
Not as great as the one Dan already posted, but still a good (albeit weird) song.

5th-May-2006 10:04 am (UTC)

silent_spring

1. Minutemen, "Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want The Truth?" This is a song about real life: "Should a word have two meanings? Should words serve the truth?" Hidden agendas and double-meanings are so 2005...

2. Olivia Tremor Control, "Can You Come Down With Us?" Lodged in the middle of the hallucinatory Dusk At Cubist Castle, this statement of purpose is refuted with a resounding no. Once you start floating on their cloud, the only thing that could bring you down is mediocrity.

3. Napalm Death, "You Suffer (But Why?)" The classic, one-second epic which asks the important question in life. It's actually quite deep and meaningful, only enhanced by its brevity.

4. The Fall, "Who Makes The Nazis?" 2005 = The Mekons, 2006 = The Fall... from my favorite Fall record, Hex Enduction Hour. Not much to say other than double-drum Fall was an amazing period for them... Intellectual Half-Wits make the Nazis.

5. ~~Jet, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"~~ SIKE!! That song is boring... Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" Much better.

5th-May-2006 10:24 am (UTC) - 5+?

Lurker

1. Franz Ferdinand "Do You Want To?"
Of course I do. Though I think the main riff in this song sounds like a heavier version of "My Sharona" it's still got a shocking bounce for a band of Scotsman and one of the best rock star boasts i've heard in a while ("well when I woke up tonight I said /i'm gonna make somebody love me.")

2. Belle & Sebastian "Is It Wicked Not To Care?"
I better hope not, or most of my generation is screwed. For my money, the best B+S song not sung by Stuart, and what I think of when I hear the term "French pop-influenced" (which is a term I hear suprisingly often.)

3. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists "Where Have All The Rudeboys Gone?"
To the Warped Tour retirement center? There was a time in my life (senior year of high school) when all my friends were WAY into ska. And though I don't imagine a time when I will again feel the need to "pick it up up up up" anytime soon, I appreciate Ted's thoughtful retelling of the history of The Specials and the ideals they stood for. Plus, Ted has the voice of white soul singer stuck in a punk rocker's body.

4. Bright Eyes "You Will. You?Will. You? Will. You?Will."
Probably. One of the most open-hearted, vulnurable to the point of pathetic love songs i've ever heard. I especially love the line "because if you don't i'll start drinking like the way I did before/well I just won't have a future anymore." And yes, I realize that Bright Eyes is far from everyone's cup of tea, and understandably so. But what can I say? Anyone can big-up The Beatles-the art you love the most is that art that you have to defend the most.

5. The Strokes "Is This It?"
Definitely. Perhaps predicting the posuers vs saviors arguments the band would inspire, Julian offers up a solution in the first song of their first album "hey can't you see/it's them it's not me/we're not enemies/we just disagree/...we all disagree/I think we should disagree."

Bonus (not a true question, but has a ?)

Alice In Chains "Would"
Best creeping bass intro to a hard rock song-EVER. Sometimes I think this band ruined hard rock for a decade, but it's not their fault that a bunch of bar band hacks made a living playing a watered-down version of their sound, but minus the melody or intensity.

5th-May-2006 10:24 am (UTC) - Re: 5+?

Lurker

Oh, and that was by me. My bad.
-mt

5th-May-2006 10:46 am (UTC)

whitneyrhiannon

1. Who Do You Love? by Bo Diddley

2. How Soon Is Now? by the Smiths

3. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? by the Shirelles (Phil Spector rocks like Gibraltar)

4. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby Standing In the Shadow? by the Rolling Stones

5. Life On Mars? by David Bowie

5th-May-2006 12:53 pm (UTC) - the SOUL list

whiskeyson

1. What's Goin On ...Marvin Gaye...
2. Do you Wanna Dance... Ramones...(ok REALLY Bobbie Freeman)
3. Can I Get A witness...Dusty Springfield...
4. What'd I Say...Ray Charles
5. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby...Dinah Washington

5th-May-2006 04:40 pm (UTC) - Sorry it took me awhile...I was dancing to Baxendale

soul_shear

1) “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” – Pet Shop Boys w/ Dusty Springfield – Blessings upon Neil and Chris for dusting off Dusty and for granting her a career renaissance that allowed her to stop eating dog food for the last decade of her too-brief life. In a nice touch, the boys approximate a Bacharach-for-the-80s sound – or at least what Burt would have sounded like if he hadn’t been writing cheesy ballads with Carole Bayer Sager.

2) “What’s the Color of Money?” – Hollywood Beyond – I doubt if even the band members’ families got deeper into their eponymous (and solitary) release than this lead-off single, but it’s one of the undiscovered classics of the period (1987), and perfect when you need to burn off 2 ½ minutes before the top of the hour before AP News. It gallops along like a refugee from a Sergio Leone western, but the lead singer is black with a head of dreadlocks to kill for. See, we really learned how to smoosh up the genres in the 80s, not the 90s.

3) “If You Leave Me Can I Come Too?” – Mental as Anything – Sure, Men at Work got all the press and chart hits, but I don’t see that anyone has posted “Who Can It Be Now?” yet, have they? MAA was the less-celebrated Aussie export with a better chops (what a great bar band!) and a more refined sense of humor. QED – one the best musical questions ever, and a reggae-fied breakup tune that puts a wistful smile on the face of even the most broken-hearted.

4) “Why Can’t I Be You?” – The Cure – Who’dve thunk the Cure would have released a single you can do the Charleston to? You’ll want to learn some jitterbug steps just so you can do some serious truckin’ the next time you hear this one. And let’s give a shout-out to synthetic brass; they’re always on pitch, they never lose their lip, and they seldom sound sassier than they do here. I WILL use this song in a stage show someday, and it may even end the Second Act.

5) “Are Friends Electric?” – Gary Numan + Tubeway Army – After I discovered the genius of “Cars,” much to my surprise did I find that Mr. Numan had a couple of albums in the bin, and this menacing, lumbering ode to a sci-fi society that has been Gary’s bread and butter for almost three decades (yow!). In my obligatory tip of the hat to the UK, they let this one top their charts before anyone in the US ever started to think…about leaving tonight… although nothing seems right

7th-May-2006 04:40 am (UTC) - Re: Sorry it took me awhile...I was dancing to Baxendale

whiskeyson

I find it interesting that we both mentioned Dusty Springfield...heehee

5th-May-2006 05:52 pm (UTC)

lowstatic

1. Chin Up Chin Up- "Why Is My Sleeping Bag a Ghetto Muppet?" If you're going to ask questions in your song titles, be sure they're really serious, valid ones like Chin Up Chin Up has done with this one.

2. Kevin Blechdom- "Are You Fucking with Me?" This song shows us the importance of intonation in asking questions..."Are you fucking with me?" or "are you fucking with me?" or "are you fucking with me?"

3. Touch and Go- "Would You?" This was actually the first question song that popped in my head, and I'm not sure what that says about me. (And in case you're not familiar with it, which probably applies to most of you, the entire song- "I've noticed you around. I find you very attractive. Um, would you go to bed with me?")

4. The (International) Noise Conspiracy- "Do U Know My Name?" The answer to this one- no. I mean, I know his name, but I don't think I could pronounce it correctly if my life depended upon it.

5. Self- "Baby, Can You Dig Your Man?" And there's the requisite Self for my list.

5th-May-2006 08:42 pm (UTC)

maggie226

1. Mulligan Stu- "Do the Kids Wanna Rock?"

2. Love Spit Love- "Am I Wrong?"

3. Less Than Jake- "Where in the Hell is Mike Sinkovich?"

4. The Mr T Experience- "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret."

5. Guster- "Donde Esta Santa Claus?"

.....and for some reason, I was thinking this one would be hard!

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