"ABOUT TODAY" THE NATIONAL (2004)
One of my favorite acts of the last 15 years is The National, a band that has continued to evolve without losing their identity. “About Today” represents one of the last remaining remnants of their old guard sound. You can still hear faint elements of The National’s Americana, alt-country roots, but we also catch a glimpse of what’s to come in the form of Alligator and Boxer. I’ve heard “About Today” live in concert at least twice; it literally stuns arena-sized crowds into sheer silence.
“How close am I to losing you?”
"GIRL, YOU'LL BE A WOMAN SOON" NEIL DIAMOND (1967)
There’s more to “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” than the catchy chorus. Diamond skillfully navigates through several tempo changes and strumming styles, weaving in both string arrangements and flamenco romanticism. Somehow this song was completely off my radar until Urge Overkill covered it for the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. But I’ll take the original over the cover. One of Diamond’s most unique recordings from a long, storied career.
“Girl, you'll be a woman soon. Soon but soon, you'll need a man.”
"NIGHTINGALE SONG" TOAD THE WET SPROCKET (1991)
Fond memories of freshman year at college play vividly in my mind when I listen to the Fear album. Blasting the tracks in the halls of Duchesne Hall East and hearing them live at Boston’s Paradise Club. Mainstreamers were familiar with “All I Want” and “Walk on the Ocean”, but TTWS fans counted “Nightingale Song” as one of their favorites with its tambourine pulse and signature melody.
“We sing the nightingale song alive. We might be different, but our hearts won't lie.”
"MANDINKA" SINEAD O'CONNOR (1987)
Before the widespread fame and controversy, the introduction to Sinead O’Connor for some of us was this hard rocking tour de force. It was bold and unapologetic. I write a lot about the great musical inspiration that I found on WDRE, a Long Island station whose airwaves barely reached my hometown in Westchester. But there was just enough of a signal for me to catch Sinead O’Connor’s powerful guitar chords and howl as she paid homage to an ancient African tribe.
“I don't know no shame. I feel no pain. I can't see the flame. But I do know Mandinka.”
"HOLOCENE" BON IVER (2011)
The poetic lyrics and musicality are joined at the hip in “Holocene”. The union of these two elements is so strong you might gather what the song is about even without deciphering Justin Vernon’s falsetto murmur. Just as bands like The Cure and Radiohead have made great rainy day music over the years, Bon Iver has excelled at making music that you want to listen to in the middle of the night. “Holocene” might be the best example of this.
“And at once, I knew I was not magnificent. Strayed above the highway aisle. Jagged vacance, thick with ice. But I could see for miles, miles, miles.”
"(WHAT'S SO FUNNY 'BOUT) PEACE, LOVE & UNDERSTANDING" ELVIS COSTELLO (1979)
I first remember “What’s So Funny ‘Bout)” from its airplay on MTV and WDRE. One of his best, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout)” was a tune written by his producer Nick Lowe, but a song he transformed and elevated. It was distinctly Costello from the very first note. Guttural. Abrasive at times. And raw. Qualities that shaped one of the most distinct voices of our time. It’s hard to imagine the new wave movement without this singer-songwriter.
“As I walk through this wicked world searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity, I ask myself, is all hope lost? Is there only pain and hatred and misery?”
"HARD TO HANDLE" OTIS REDDING (1968)
There were certainly more well known Otis Redding songs. Known as an exceptional songwriter and an even more extraordinary singer, Redding’s body of work is extensive and deep, given his short-lived life. “Hard to Handle” is one of my favorites, because it brought the power of soul into every note. The explosive horn arrangements. The iconic mouthful of lyrics where verse and chorus blend as one. The Black Crowes’ cover made THE money, but Redding made the statement.
“Boys and things that come by the dozen. That ain't nothin' but drug store lovin'.”
"YELLOW" COLDPLAY (2000)
It seems like ages ago. But before Coldplay went their adult contemporary ways, they produced two wonderful albums full of dissonance and intrigue: Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head. And “Yellow” was one of their finest musical moments from that era. A song that was as cathartic as it was melodic. It introduced us to one of Coldplay’s truly ownable sounds: Chris Martin’s towering falsetto vocals.
“Look at the stars. Look how they shine for you.”
"CHECK THE RHIME" A TRIBE CALLED QUEST (1991)
An homage to the past. A glimpse of the future. On Low End Theory, A Tribe Called Quest fused jazz with hip-hop, leading the way to a totally different brand of hip-hop. And in “Check the Rhime”, we found a new, simple and unforgettable groove. With clean, iconic beats and mesmerizing horn samples, it was as ambitious as it was accessible. “Check the Rhime” puts ATCQ’s musicality on full display. Surprisingly simple, yet powerful.
“How far must I go to gain respect? Um, well it's kind of simple, just remain your own.”
"FALLING" JULEE CRUISE (1989)
David Lynch may have written the lyrics to “Falling”, but Julee Cruise’s angelic, delicate voice is the power behind the song. Making it far more than just a mood piece, Cruise took all the complicated layers and themes from Twin Peaks and flooded the song with them. Fragile. Eerie. Haunting. Beautiful. Mysterious. Stark. The perfect aural counterpart to one of television’s most unique series.
“Don't let yourself be hurt this time.”
"WHITE ROOM" CREAM (1968)
It’s such a classic that it’s easy to forget that “White Room” is a freak of nature. It was unlike anything else that was playing on the radio at the time. From Jack Bruce’s opening composition, it seemed to come from another land. And the amazing oddities just kept coming - with Clapton’s wah-wah pedal jamming and Bruce’s angelic falsetto interlude. “White Room” was a case in point that rock and roll could be whatever the hell you wanted it to be.
“I'll wait in this place where the sun never shines. Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves.”
"YOU WOULD HAVE TO LOSE YOUR MIND" THE BARR BROTHERS (2017)
I got to see these guys perform one night in 2017. I thought Queens of the Breakers was a strong album, but then hearing it live, well, it was transcendent. That night at Williamsburg Hall, there was an ethereal feeling in the air as music was made and as we marveled at the beautiful and unexpected marriage of harp and guitar. And “You Would Have to Lose Your mind” was my favorite. Folk. Blues. Rock. Experimental. It had it all.
“You never know what you could find on the other side. All of the things that made you feel better.”
"HOT FOR TEACHER" VAN HALEN (1984)
In honor of Eddie Van Halen’s passing, my good friend and fellow music fanatic Jonathan Glass wrote today’s Mental Jukebox thoughts, featuring one of my favorite Van Halen songs of all time.
In the same way that Jimmy Hendrix reinvented guitar playing, Eddie Van Halen ushered in a style with such virtuosity. To me the opening of “Hot For Teacher” where Eddie’s guitar seems to literally talk responding to David Lee Roth’s open dialogue, is the perfect example of a musician expanding what can be done with an instrument. What follows is a rip roaring jam that seemed effortless in Eddie’s repertoire of guitar hooks. I remember being in sleep away camp in the eighties and it seemed like counselors and fellow camp mates all tried to be cool by cranking up this tune and everything from 1984 while doing their best air guitar.
“I think of all the education that I missed. But then my homework was never quite like this.”
"EYES WITHOUT A FACE" BILLY IDOL (1983)
One of the most memorable ballads from a decade full of ballads belongs to this new wave, punk rocker. Billy Idol slowed down the RPMs considerably on this one and stepped over the banal adult contemporary radio darlings in the process. “Eyes Without a Face” was a far cry from “White Wedding”, “Dancing with Myself” and “Rebel Yell” for sure. But it didn’t put you to sleep either, revving up with a Billy Idol-inspired guitar solo halfway through the song.
“I spend so much time believing all the lies. To keep the dream alive.”
"THE WAY WE GET BY" SPOON (2002)
This is vintage Spoon. But there’s also an old-school undercurrent pulsating through this song that makes it a little different than most of the band’s catalog. This throwback feel is the endearing quality of the brilliantly simple “The Way We Get By”. It’s the reason we love the song. Piano-driven. Stripped-down sound. It’s not a common rock song, but it also wasn’t made in common times, getting recorded just months after 9/11.
“We found a new kind of dance in a magazine. Tried it out, it's like nothing you ever seen.”
"STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU" STEALERS WHEEL (1972)
The torture scene in Reservoir Dogs wouldn’t be the same without this song. Tarantino had a knack for finding the right track to enhance his scenes, and this was one his best selections. “Stuck in the Middle with You” took an addictive melody, Dylan-esque vocals, that famous guitar slide and a cowbell as far as it could. In the process, it became a one-hit wonder with two lives—an unforgettable birth in 1972 and then an equally unforgettable rebirth 20 years later.
“Well I don't know why I came here tonight. I got the feeling that something ain't right.”
"IRIS" LIVE (1994)
I saw these guys back in 1994 at Brandeis University’s Gosman Center. They were touring to promote Throwing Copper, which later became a multi-platinum selling album. “Lightning Crashes”, “Selling the Drama” and “I Alone” all made a splash on college rock stations. But “Iris” was the song that batted clean-up on Throwing Copper. It brought the power, perfecting the pregnant pause and erupting out of it with brute force. It was easy for me to like “Iris” from the first listen. Once I got to the :19 mark, I was all in.
“The felix of your truth will always break it. And the iris of your eye will always shake it.”
"EVERYTHING I AM IS YOURS" VILLAGERS (2015)
I’m quite late to the Villagers party. But I’m really loving the cohesiveness of their catalog and what Conor O’Brien is achieving musically. Villagers has the quiet, introspective musings of Sufjan Stevens, the musical versatility of Andrew Bird and the soft melodic grooves of Lower Dens. “Everything I Am Is Yours” is that rare song that grooves quietly and slowly inside your head.
“I am just a man tipping on the wire. Tightrope walking fool balanced on desire I cannot control.
"SOMEBODY TO LOVE" JEFFERSON AIRPLANE (1967)
A song for the times if there ever was one. “Somebody to Love” boasts one of the most iconic choruses in music history. A proclamation belted from a young Grace Slick. When I think of Woodstock, one of the most memorable eras in music, this is one of the first songs that comes to mind. Jefferson Airplane took the stage on Day Three of the festival at Max Yasgur’s farm, and “Somebody to Love” was the second song on their setlist.
“When the truth is found to be lies and all the joy within you dies, don't you want somebody to love.”