"MARQUEE MOON" TELEVISION (1977)

Alternative rock wasn’t a defined genre in the 70s, but “Marquee Moon” was foundational and highly influential in paving the way for alt rock bands that began forming in the 80’s. In it I hear so many musical characteristics that veer away from the obvious and toward alternative expressions—from the eccentric time signature to the inventive guitar playing. We can thank Television for taking these brave creative steps forward.

“I remember how the darkness doubled. I recall, lightning struck itself.”

"CANNONBALL" THE BREEDERS (1993)

Kim Deal was an instrumental member of the Pixies. But The Breeders was her thing. It was and is the project that truly celebrates her natural musical inclinations. And “Cannonball” is their anthem. It was coy. It was playful. It made distortion a wistful technique. It made tempo shifts and pregnant pauses as important as the slithering guitar licks. And it had that killer bass line starting at the :20 mark that introduced us to one of the defining alt rock moments of the early 90’s.

“Spitting in a wishing well. Blown to hell crash. I'm the last splash.”

"DEAR LIFE" BECK (2017)

My “Dear…” series ends this week with Beck. The song is a letter to life itself. The melody is Beck through and through. The music continues to scratch Beck’s experimental itch and show off his musical versatility. It shows no signs of Beck slowing down. No signs of the talented artist losing inspiration. “Dear Life” is an electro-charged step back into ragtime tendencies. The opening and closing piano chords bookend his miserable, self-loathing letter.

“Dear life, I'm holding on. How long must I wait before the thrill is gone?”

"DEAR LANDLORD" BOB DYLAN (1967)

If I weren’t writing my “Dear…” series this week on Mental Jukebox, I would’ve picked “All Along the Watchtower” over “Dear Landlord” without hesitation. Full disclosure: this isn’t my favorite Dylan song. But it’s intense and ambitious. Dylan’s John Wesley Harding album is full of religious themes—and “Dear Landlord” is no exception. You can’t help but notice that Dylan has some serious hang-ups about the man upstairs. We read it in his lyrics. We hear it in his voice.

“Dear landlord, please don't put a price on my soul. My burden is heavy. My dreams are beyond control.”

"DEAR GOD" XTC (1986)

Funny how this song created such religious controversy when it first came out. While this letter to God was written from the perspective of an agnostic, I think there’s something to be learned here in terms of what it means to pray with an honesty and an earnestness that’s often missing in the modern religious discourse. It’s masterfully penned by Andy Partridge—and the string arrangements and haunting guitar strums make it one of my all-time favorite new wave classics.

“Dear God, hope you get the letter and I pray you can make it better down here.”

"DEAR CATASTROPHE WAITRESS" BELLE & SEBASTIAN (2003)

Leave it to Belle & Sebastian to write an eccentric letter to an eccentric character. The album of the same name had more well-known B&S staples like “Piazza, New York Catcher” and “If She Wants Me”. But “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” rises above them because it just did its own thing. Unusual time signature. Unusual melody. And unusual musical embellishments that weren’t standard fare for the band.

“You'll soon be leaving this town to the clowns who worship no one but themselves.”

"DEAR OLD STOCKHOLM" MILES DAVIS (1957)

In celebration of my son Miles’ birthday today, I’m continuing my “Dear…” series with a Miles Davis recording. This jazz rendition of a centuries old folk song is a remarkable exercise in restraint. It’s strikingly minimalist despite featuring absolute legends in Davis, Coltrane, Red Garland, among others. Every instrument has its own delicate moment on this recording—from Philly Joe Jones’ steady snare brushes to Garland’s chord splashes to the masterful improv meanderings of Coltrane and Davis.

"DEAR PRUDENCE" THE BEATLES (1968)

This is perhaps one of the most underrated Beatles songs ever recorded. The 80’s cover by Siouxsie & the Banshees was my introduction to this bizarre, yet beautiful song. But The Beatles’ original was much more unexpected and experimental in sound. “Dear Prudence” was written to the environment and mood. Both figurative and literal, it was the band’s plea to Mia Farrow’s sister Prudence to come and play while they were traveling in India.

“Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play. Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day.”

"WHAT I'D SAY, PT. 1 & 2" RAY CHARLES (1959)

This was a song born out of a late night improv jam session. Ray Charles and his band finished their set and just kept on playing. And when they kept playing, “What' I’d Say” is what came out, right there out on the stage. Over the course of eight minutes, “What I’d Say” defined soul music, won the adoration of music fans and managed to piss off quite a few as well. It combined electric piano with real piano and it turned the high hat into a central percussion element.

“When you see me in misery, come on baby, see about me.”

"FENCES" PHOENIX (2009)

Back in 2009, a second wave of synth pop bands was rising. The bands that were leading the charge were Phoenix and MGMT. Their songs made you dance. They made you feel young again. You don’t over explain songs like “Fences”. You just have fun with them. But I will say this. Phoenix, with these delicious pop songs, found their own brand of rhythmic hooks, lifting spirits with their pregnant pauses and tempo shifts.

“Once remembered now forgotten.”

"RIDICULOUS THOUGHTS" THE CRANBERRIES (1994)

It’s been over 25 years since this band descended on the music world with a voice and sound unlike anything else out there. The one Cranberries song that has stayed with me this whole time is “Ridiculous Thoughts”. Not “Dreams”, “Zombie”, “Linger” or “Salvation”. It’s “Ridiculous Thoughts” because it’s a rock song structured like a classical music piece. Four minutes long with four movements: the opening yodel, the verse-by-verse strut, the spiraling chorus and the howling refrain.

“I feel alright and I cried so hard. The ridiculous thoughts, oh, I feel alright.”

"SWEET JANE" THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (1970)

In a lot of ways, The Velvet Underground was the protypical rock & roll band. They seemed to represent everything core to rock & roll. But on the other hand, they also rewrote the rules. They didn’t play it straight. And they gave way to bands like Sonic Youth, Wilco and others to do the same—to be melodic and experimental at the same time. “Sweet Jane” is maybe one of the best examples of this, turning a three-chord rock song on its head with the opening 15-second cacophony.

“Anyone who's ever had a heart wouldn't turn around and break it. And anyone who's ever played a part wouldn't turn around and hate it.”

"EXHUMING MCCARTHY" R.E.M. (1987)

You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad song on Document. There are songs here that are legendary. Everyone will remember “It’s the End of the World as We Know it” and “The One I Love”. But “Exhuming McCarthy” is absolutely unforgettable with its driving beats, bass hooks, and unique musical personality. It was distinctly R.E.M. in sound, but it also had its own identity. It sounded like it was a blast to perform and record - and it’s still a blast to listen to over 30 years later.

“You're sharpening stones, walking on coals to improve your business acumen.”

"KAMERA" WILCO (2001)

A musical monument of the 2000s, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot first made its appearance one week after 9/11. It’s the album that put Wilco on the map. I had the pleasure of hearing a few of the songs performed live. But “Kamera” was always one of my favorites. It didn’t have the experimental side. No musical cacophony explosions on this track. But it displayed Wilco’s chill, folk side as good as any other song they’ve written.

“I need a camera to my eye, to my eye reminding which lies have I been hiding.”

"A HAZY SHADE OF WINTER" SIMON & GARFUNKEL (1968)

A little less folksy. A little less tempered. A little more gutsy. A little more attitude. When I first heard Bookends, “A Hazy Shade of Winter” was the song that reinvigorated my mood and warmed me up faster to the broader Simon & Garfunkel catalog. There’s a reason why The Bangles chose to cover it, as opposed to “Punky’s Dilemma” or “Old Friends”. “A Hazy Shade of Winter” showed a rock & roll side to the duo as they rode on a wave of popularity with The Graduate soundtrack.

“Hang on to your hopes, my friend. That's an easy thing to say. But if your hopes should pass away, simply pretend that you can build them again.”

"VIDEO GAMES" LANA DEL REY (2012)

“Video Games” is one of the more unusual pop songs of the era. But it’s also one of the most defining tracks of our time as well. While everything else went electronic, Lana Del Rey went with string arrangements. They went ecstatic, she went melancholic. Her vocals brought us back to another era. Her lyrics brought us into a vulnerable, awkward picture of a one-sided relationship. It’s these tensions within “Video Games” that make me listen to it over and over again.

“Open up a beer and you say, ‘Get over here and play a video game’.”

"FOOLS GOLD" THE STONE ROSES (1989)

It takes a certain level of confidence - maybe even cockiness - to put out an 8+ minute song. Zeppelin, Floyd, Maiden, Metallica and The Who have all done it. And the Stone Roses were no exception. “Fools Gold” was the nearly 10-minute long, psychedelic, jammy finale from one of the best debut albums of the era. Mani, John Squire and Ian Brown held their own, but it was Reni on drums who stole the spotlight from beginning to end.

“I know the truth and I know what you're thinking.”

"BORN OF FRUSTRATION" JAMES (1992)

In the early 90s, my musical experience was shaped by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Jane’s Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins, among others. All great bands in their own right. But James flew under the radar for me. That whole time, they were steady, consistent and absolutely clear on their identity. And “Born of Frustration” was one of their best, elevating beyond the grunge agenda with James’ vigorous falsetto vocals and memorable trumpet accompaniment.

“All this frustration. I can't meet all my desires. Strange conversation. Self control has just expired.”

"(GHOST) RIDERS IN THE SKY" JOHNNY CASH (1979)

This is maybe not the first song you’re reminded of when you think of Johnny Cash. There were all the country classics and then the monumental covers, most notably Cash’s haunting interpretation of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt”. But in between those two signature phases was this song that epitomized the thing I’ve always loved most about Cash. That deep and unforgettable bass vocal. There’s nothing else like it in music history.

“A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky. For he saw the riders coming hard and he heard their mournful cry.”

"PULASKI AT NIGHT" ANDREW BIRD (2013)

I’ve seen Bird perform this a handful of times at various venues—from Terminal 5 to Brooklyn Steel. What strikes me most about the song is its versatility. It was the beautiful violin arrangements that won me over at first. While I’ve seen both full string performances and stripped-down versions, later I came to realize it’s Bird’s love letter lyrics to his hometown of Chicago and the melody that it dances along to that I love most about “Pulaski at Night”.

“I paint you a picture of Pulaski at night. Come back to Chicago. City of, city of light.”