"THE SYSTEM ONLY DREAMS IN TOTAL DARKNESS" THE NATIONAL (2017)

For the first half of September, I’ll be selecting my Top 15 favorite songs from The National. A band that has rarely let me down — both in the recording studio and in concert. #FaveArtistTop15

The National occasionally thrives in mid-tempo land. But they’re best known for leaning toward one end of the spectrum — in a slow world of ballads and introspective tracks and in a loud, fast world of aggression and emotion. It had been a while since they really nailed the latter. You have to go all the way back to the Boxer album to hear elements of fits and bursts. But with “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”, they found a new rhythm and a new way to bring on the rock.

Aaron Dessner’s guitar solo about halfway through the track is one of the band’s most memorable guitar moments to date. It’s pure rock & roll — but it’s accompanied by the quirky, unexpected instrumentation we crave and expect from The National, like the periodic guitar twitches and echoey harmonics. “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” is clear proof that The National has turned a corner and found a way to evolve their sound while staying true to their persona. Just like all great bands do.

“I can’t explain it any other, any other way.”

"ENGLAND" THE NATIONAL (2010)

For the first half of September, I’ll be selecting my Top 15 favorite songs from The National. A band that has rarely let me down — both in the recording studio and in concert. #FaveArtistTop15

High Violet came out a week after our oldest child was born. In those first few weeks, I would hold our tiny, precious baby and sing songs to her. I’d sing “Anyone’s Ghost”, “Bloodbuzz Ohio” and others. I wanted her to know these great songs and to have the same love for music that her daddy has. But one song I never sang to her was “England”. It’s one of my favorite tracks off my favorite National album. But it’s not really a sing-song-y kind of song. And that might just be exactly why I love it so much.

“England” is rich, intense and epic. It unravels and intensifies with each passing second. It’s a steady 5 minute long crescendo where horns and strings are the stars and Bryce’s electric guitar fades humbly into the background. I’ve seen The National play it live twice, and both times Berninger ratcheted up the intensity several notches, pushing his vocal chords to the limits in the bridge. Rounding out High VIolet with an enveloping, cinematic feel, “England” is less rock band, more orchestra.

“Someone send a runner for the feeling that I lost today.”

"DAUGHTERS OF THE SOHO RIOTS" THE NATIONAL (2005)

For the first half of September, I’ll be selecting my Top 15 favorite songs from The National. A band that has rarely let me down — both in the recording studio and in concert. #FaveArtistTop15

By the time Alligator reared its head on the indie music scene, The National seemed intent on purging its alt country and americana roots and devouring a sound more closely associated with rock. They rocked harder with songs like “Mr. November”, “Abel” and “Lit Up”. But the song that has had the most staying power for me off this seminal album is the slower, acoustic-driven “Daughters of the Soho Riots”.

Let’s start with the song title. The name did a quite a bit to exude greatness even before you listened to it. Soho. And riots. The way those two words strung together established an immediate tension and attraction. But musically, it had a quiet strength and resilience. When I first heard Alligator, it was far from my favorite track off the album. Other songs like “Secret Meeting”, “All the Wine” and the aforementioned tracks above were my favorites. But “Daughters of the Soho Riots” is the one track that has grown on me over time.

“Break my arms around the one I love.”

"I NEED MY GIRL" THE NATIONAL (2013)

For the first half of September, I’ll be selecting my Top 15 favorite songs from The National. A band that has rarely let me down — both in the recording studio and in concert. #FaveArtistTop15

Early on, The National made a name for themselves by being loud and brash. “Abel” and “Mr. November” were both attention-grabbing and sound-defining. But as the band matured, they added new ways of creating music. The band figured out a way to write ballads in their own unique way. Even in the songs that were among their most accessible, you can still find elements that feel distinct to their unusual persona as a rock band. For proof, you don’t have to look any further than “I Need My Girl”.

The song title tells you exactly what this song is about. But it’s Matt Berninger’s way with words that makes this ballad more complex and nuanced. It’s why and when he needs his girl that makes the song unforgettable. “I'll try to call you from the party. It's full of punks and cannonballers.” The words aren’t mere song lyrics. They’re stories. And The National pairs them with a simple, yet unexpected guitar riff that catches you off guard rythmically. That’s how The National tackles pop.

“I'll try to call you from the party. It's full of punks and cannonballers.”

"MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS" THE NATIONAL (2007)

For the first half of September, I’ll be selecting my Top 15 favorite songs from The National. A band that has rarely let me down — both in the recording studio and in concert. #FaveArtistTop15

“Abel” and “Mr. November” may have been the band’s early monster tracks, but, for me, the Boxer album is where it all came together with a swagger and a musical maturity not evident in most indie bands. Boxer was the album that proved to me these guys weren’t a flash in the pan. They could go on to become one of the next great bands of our time. Which they did. Several songs from my Top 15 come from Boxer, including “Mistaken for Strangers”.

This was one of the songs that endeared me to The National instantly. It has bravado. And it has hooks. The song seems to wind itself up with that opening distorted guitar riff from Aaron Dessner. Next, Bryan Devendorf reels you in with these irresistible, nearly epileptic drumbeats. Then Berninger launches into the vocals, practically reading it like it’s a poem. It’s one of my favorites on The National’s concert set lists because the band just feels like it’s completely in the zone every single time they perform it.

“Showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters.”

"COLD GIRL FEVER" THE NATIONAL (2001)

For the first half of September, I’ll be selecting my Top 15 favorite songs from The National. A band that has rarely let me down — both in the recording studio and in concert. #FaveArtistTop15

The National’s musical roots started in country and its various alternative expressions. It all began with their self-titled debut album, a recording that existed before they ever performed live. Listening back to that first LP, it’s quite a trip reflecting on the band’s significant evolution over the past 20 years. It’s not one of my favorite albums from the band, but “Cold Girl Fever” is still a track I enjoy immensely.

Playing a seminal role in the band’s development and aesthetic, “Cold Girl Fever” may have sounded light years behind Alligator and Boxer. But it seemed to gather trademark elements of the band, neatly packaged in layers with a handsome bow on top. “Cold Girl Fever” was built on mood, not melody. It was a beautiful collision of two worlds — the Americana-infused universe felt in the opening guitar strum and Berninger’s bass drone and then the experimental universe epitomized by the hypnotic synthesizer hook and odd tempo halt at the 1:55 mark. This was the rookie track that became a foreshadowing of great things to come.

“Don't hold on to me when there's nothing to hold.”

"GUILTY PARTY" THE NATIONAL (2017)

For the first half of September, I’ll be selecting my Top 15 favorite songs from The National. A band that has rarely let me down — both in the recording studio and in concert. #FaveArtistTop15

After Trouble Will Find Me, The National’s next album Sleep Well Beast felt like a sigh of relief. It represented a return to form. A solid album from top to bottom with varying themes, instrumentation and tempo. My personal feeling about Trouble Will Find Me is that it felt like The National was trying to make it work. But Sleep Well Beast just felt naturally The National. “Guilty Party” is one of my favorite tracks off the album. While it feels like a quintessential National track, it also sounds nothing like else they’ve recorded before.

The things that make The National so distinct and so good are all present on this record. For starters, there’s Matt Berninger’s wonderful and personal way with words. On “Guilty Party”, like so many other National songs, his lyrics are written and sung in such an authentic, unpretentious manner. They feel real. And the words are accompanied by those sparse moments of instrumentation that the band has become known for. Rarely heavy-handed or excessive, The National found all the right horn accents, synth interludes and Bryan Devendorf’s infectious drumbeats — and ushered them in at all the right moments.

“I say your name. I say I'm sorry. I know it's not working. I'm no holiday. It's nobody's fault. No guilty party. We just got nothing. Nothing left to say.”

"HOTEL CALIFORNIA" GIPSY KINGS (1990)

Cover songs can be many things. They can be lazy album filler. They can be ho-hum recordings that do nothing to advance a band’s catalog. But, once in a while, they can be truly epic. For my next five entries, I’m highlighting five of my favorite cover songs of all time. Each of these tracks, in my opinion, have reinvented and, in many ways, exceeded the original recordings.

One of my all-time favorite cover songs hails from one of the my all-time favorite movies. The Big Lebowski was never short on great music, epic story arcs, fascinating character development and comedic moments. And the Gipsy Kings’ cover of The Eagles hit “Hotel California” seemed to be somehow dropped down on the dusty intersection of all these elements.

John Turturro’s “Enter Jesus” moment at the bowling alley is one of the most unforgettable Big Lebowski moments. And the scene is queued up with this song. It’s an ironic choice because The Dude throughout the film makes it clear how much he hates The Eagles. In a cruel twist of fate, his bowling nemesis seems to arrive with his own personal soundtrack, flaunting The Eagles’ biggest hit on a bed of heartfelt flamenco. While I don’t care much for The Eagles, I love what the Gipsy Kings did with this mega hit. “Hotel California” was no longer just a place. It became a state of mind.

“Ella de lo lejos. Una luz centela. La idea se mezclan. Se evaporan las noches.”

"DEAR PRUDENCE" SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES (1983)

Cover songs can be many things. They can be lazy album filler. They can be ho-hum recordings that do nothing to advance a band’s catalog. But, once in a while, they can be truly epic. For my next five entries, I’m highlighting five of my favorite cover songs of all time. Each of these tracks, in my opinion, have reinvented and, in many ways, exceeded the original recordings.

Hyaena is one of those underrated 80’s albums that makes you wonder why it didn’t get the same kind of attention that its peers did, like New Order’s Power, Corruption & Lies and The Smiths’ The Queen is Dead. No other band was doing what Siouxsie & the Banshees were doing in the studio or on tour — and no one could even if they tried. It was all about the band personnel. And this is as clear as day when you play their Beatles cover “Dear Prudence”.

Siouxsie’s unique sound and persona placed an emphatic and eerie stamp on this Beatles White Album classic. Her ominous, echoey presence is inescapable. Her vocals seem to hover over us - in direct contrast to the band’s other big cover song (Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger”), where Siouxsie sings right into our faces as if she’s hanging over the edge of the concert stage. But the special treat on “Dear Prudence” wasn’t Siouxsie. It was Robert Smith’s ingenious musical arrangement and post-punk guitar riffs. Thankfully he got back to writing, recording and touring with The Cure shortly after Hyaena, but his gloomy contributions on “Dear Prudence” are forever immortalized.

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

"ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER" JIMI HENDRIX (1968)

Cover songs can be many things. They can be lazy album filler. They can be ho-hum recordings that do nothing to advance a band’s catalog. But, once in a while, they can be truly epic. For my next five entries, I’m highlighting five of my favorite cover songs of all time. Each of these tracks, in my opinion, have reinvented and, in many ways, exceeded the original recordings.

As legendary as Bob Dylan is, I understand that he’s not for everyone. Some people just can’t listen past Dylan’s nasal-infused vocal delivery. Jimi Hendrix wasn’t exactly the most vocally gifted musician either. But whatever he lacked as a singer he more than made up for as a guitar player. The thing about his rendition of the Dylan classic “All Along the Watchtower” is he lit every strand of folk and Americana roots from the song on fire, burned those elements to the ground and then made the fire rise even higher with an electric reboot.

Throughout my middle and high school years, I lived next door to a Jimi Hendrix fanatic. My brother introduced me to Jimi’s impressive catalog, which was incredibly prolific given his short life span. The thing that immediately drew me in to his music was a guitar playing style that almost sounded otherworldly. It wasn’t rock. It wasn’t blues. But it was this crazy blend of the two that seemed to be so effortless to Jimi but impossible to others. You can’t simply play the same notes that Jimi played and expect it sound the same. It was the way in which he navigated back and forth between those two genres so easily that makes “All Along the Watchtower” one of the greatest cover songs of all time.

“No reason to get excited. The thief, he kindly spoke. There are many here among us. Who feel that life is but a joke.”

"MAD WORLD" MICHAEL ANDREWS FEAT. GARY JULES (2002)

Cover songs can be many things. They can be lazy album filler. They can be ho-hum recordings that do nothing to advance a band’s catalog. But, once in a while, they can be truly epic. For my next five entries, I’m highlighting five of my favorite cover songs of all time. Each of these tracks, in my opinion, have reinvented and, in many ways, exceeded the original recordings.

During a long, successful reign throughout the 80s, Tears for Fears was one of those few new wave bands that broke through into the mainstream. They conquered alt rock stations, took over MTV and eventually invaded Top 40 stations. They did it with songs that defined a new generation of music — like “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, “Shout”, “Pale Shelter”, “Change”, “Head Over Heels” and “Mad World”. When Michael Andrews and Gary Jules teamed up to create a new apocalyptic version of “Mad World” for the Donnie Darko soundtrack, they reimagined the tempo to become something that crawls under your skin and stays there.

By stripping down the sound and slowing down the RPMs to a near standstill, Andrews crafted a unique film score that put the instrumentation in the background and thrusted TFF’s profound lyrics to the foreground. This deliberately slower pace in Andrews’ vision for “Mad World” gave the words a harder, darker edge. It revealed that, as great as the drum-machine and synth-driven new wave original was, the lyrics and eerie melody behind the song have always been the most powerful things about the song.

“All around me are familiar faces. Worn out places, worn out faces. Bright and early for the daily races. Going nowhere, going nowhere.”

"HURT" JOHNNY CASH (2002)

Cover songs can be many things. They can be lazy album filler. They can be ho-hum recordings that do nothing to advance a band’s catalog. But, once in a while, they can be truly epic. For my next five entries, I’m highlighting five of my favorite cover songs of all time. Each of these tracks, in my opinion, have reinvented and, in many ways, exceeded the original recordings.

When I think of all the great cover songs, some of the best ones are adored and revered by the original writers and recording artists. Johnny Cash’s rendition of Nine Inch Nail’s “Hurt” is one of those songs. It’s the very first song that comes to mind when I think of great cover songs. Of Cash’s rendition, Trent Reznor famously said, “That song isn’t mine anymore.”

Cash elevated “Hurt” into the stratosphere. Powerful. Gripping. Even more haunting than the original, which seems impossible. Recorded the year before he died, this was like Cash’s swan song. The most impressive thing about the cover is that Cash took emotions and thoughts so deeply personal to Reznor and gave it new meaning without changing the lyrics. Toward the end of his life, this recording represents one of Johnny Cash’s crowning achievements.

“What have I become? My sweetest friend. Everyone I know goes away in the end.”

"SISYPHUS" ANDREW BIRD (2019)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

While My Finest Work Yet, as an album title, supposedly started as an inside joke, it wouldn’t be far fetched to suggest it’s Bird’s best. But more impressively, is the fact that he continues to write, record and perform at such a dizzying pace — without showing any signs of slowing down or losing his touch. The wondrous thing about “Sisyphus” is that, twelve albums in, it feels like the quintessential Andrew Bird song.

This was one of the new songs that I had the privilege of hearing live before the pandemic began. In Greek mythology, the figure Sisyphus cheated death twice, but was ultimately sentenced to eternal punishment by Zeus. His sentence: to roll a boulder up a hill in Hades for eternity. In some ways it feels like Andrew Bird has cheated a professional death. Every album has been strong from beginning to end with no lemons. Instead of rolling the boulder up the hill, Bird just keeps rolling along.

“Did he raise both fists and say, ‘To hell with this,’ and just let the rock roll?”

"TRUTH LIES LOW" ANDREW BIRD (2016)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

Andrew Bird’s music primarily resides in an acoustic world filled with strings, guitars, vocals and his trademark whistle. It’s a world that I escape to often. Lyrically, Bird’s songwriting had been cryptic by default for many years, but by the time Are You Serious came out, Bird got married and his lyrics became more personal. “Truth Lies Low” reflected this significant shift as well as a departure from his natural musical tendencies.

I’ve seen Bird play “Truth Lies Low” twice — once at Brooklyn Steel, once at Terminal 5. The one thing that was clear from both performances is that the song established a different vibe each time, ushering the audience into a different musical realm. The song starts out sounding more like Toro y Moi than Andrew Bird. It has these gorgeous, moody, muted synthesizer sounds and are later joined by a set of sparse guitar riffs. It’s not the typical formula for Bird, but it has become one of my favorite tracks from his last five years.

“So here's another game you can play along where you empty all your blame from your guilty bones.”

"LUSITANIA" ANDREW BIRD (2012)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

Break it Yourself is one of those albums that I can listen to over and over again. In fact, there have been times when I simply lost track of time and didn’t realize that I was listening to it on repeat. After long, busy, stressful weeks, it’s an album that I can get lost in and find some reprieve. And that’s especially the case with a slow-paced and unassuming track that helps bring up the rear, “Lusitania”.

One of Bird’s finest and most distinct whistling intros kicks off slow and dreamy. The song meanders into the night. Close your eyes and you might just see a ship slowly sinking on a moonlit ocean. But in this case, the Lusitania isn’t a boat, it’s your soul. And even while it sinks, the song seems to lift you up every single time.

“If you loosen liable lips, you keep sinking all my ships.”

"TENUOUSNESS" ANDREW BIRD (2009)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

For me, Andrew Bird is one of those artists who has never put out a bad album. It seems like he’s comfortably in his own element every single time — even as he explores new instruments and influences album by album. He never goes too far beyond his own natural musical inclinations. Noble Beast is still considered one of his banner LPs, and more than 10 years later he still plays “Tenuousness” pretty regularly on his set lists.

Listening back to “Tenuousness” I’m reminded that Bird has made a living doing things that are slightly off center. His melodies land offbeat. He uses whistling and humming, not as vocal interludes, but as instrumental accompaniment. And for his primary riffs, he replaces the guitar with pizzicato plucking on violin. There have been imitations over the years, but to this day there’s still no one else like Andrew Bird.

“Here's where things start getting weird.”

"SIGN 'O THE TIMES" PRINCE (1987)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

For my last rock block pick for Prince, I thought it would be appropriate to choose the one Prince song that has grown on me more over time. This is the one that I was least drawn to growing up. It was the one Prince single that I was too dismissive of because it was way too simple, way too minimal, not melodic enough. But the thing about “Sign ‘o the Times” is it’s actually full of hooks. It just happens to be more psychedelic and more blues than pop.

Over the years, “Sign ‘o the Times” has become more and more intriguing to me because it shifts in and out of different worlds. It goes from spoken word verses to a beautifully sung chorus. It traverses across funk, blues, electronic and minimal like a thief in the night. And it covers a gamut of socio-political ills, from AIDS, to gang violence to natural and manmade disasters. While it was truly a sign of its own times, it has held up remarkably well and is as relevant as ever today — both musically and thematically.

“You turn on the telly and every other story is tellin' you somebody died.”

"AMERICA" PRINCE (1985)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

With Prince running around on stage without his shirt or dressed in elaborate purple-colored wardrobe, it was often hard to take this artist seriously. But that would obviously be a huge mistake. Prince was a genius. Bested by no one else in music. Over the years, a very underrated aspect of his musical contributions were the depth of his lyrics, which often took a turn toward political commentary. The album Around the World in a Day seemed to cover a lot of ground, from teenage romance on “Raspberry Beret” to depression on “Pop Life”. But “America” is the one song on the album that has held up the best in my opinion.

Musically, “America” was quite unlike most of Prince’s catalog. It strung together a series of minor guitar chords and seemed to exist in a non-melodic universe. It wasn’t catchy or accessible, but it was mesmerizing. This was Prince’s personal critique and disillusionment with America, with topics ranging from nuclear war and communism to corporate greed and poverty. By releasing it as a single, Prince proved he was often more interested in making a statement than he was in making more money.

“America, America. God shed his grace on thee. America, America. Keep the children free.”

"LET'S GO CRAZY" PRINCE (1984)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

Half of the Purple Rain album invaded the radio airwaves in 1984 as Prince explored varying tempos, genres, instrumentation and lyrical themes. The title track, “When Doves Cry”, “I Would Die 4 U” and “Let’s Go Crazy” all felt like they righfully belonged on the same soundtrack, but each had their own distinct personality. And for the latter, you can make the argument that there were multiple personalities at play.

Potent, intense and epic. These are a few of the words that come to mind when I look back at one of my favorite Prince anthems of all time. The song is structured in three key movements: an introduction that’s written like a eulogy, a middle that runs at full throttle and an ending that’s nearly apocalyptic. It’s as if those first few bars on organ seem to reel you into a cathedral. Next, the Linn LM-1 drum machine and the first of two Prince guitar solos knock the pews over. Lastly, one more guitar solo burns the whole thing down.

“Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”

"1999" PRINCE (1982)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

Prince is one of those artists that’s more impressive to me in retrospect. Looking back, it is simply mindblowing how much ground he covered musically. He ruled in so many different genres, from synth pop to funk to rock to R&B. And, in many cases, he was a pioneer, being the first to do many music firsts. “1999” is one such song, pushing the lyrical boundaries of pop and paving the way for the Minneapolis sound.

This was a song that I heard and viewed constantly on MTV. The video simply didn’t give it justice because it only reinforced the fact the musicians wanted to “party like it’s 1999”. But the impressive thing about this early hit was that it was a protest against nuclear proliferation. It was a politically charged piece, but people saw it as a party song. On the entire 1999 album, Prince played almost all of the instrumental tracks — and his synth work on the title track was especially impressive on two fronts. First, it sounded like nothing else out there. Second, it helped create a divergent synth pop path away from new wave and into a new genre that bared Prince’s hometown name: the Minneapolis sound.

“War is all around us. My mind says prepare to fight. So if I gotta die I'm gonna listen to my body tonight.”