Bloc Party: So Here We Are

Fragile guitar notes layered on top of an upbeat drum line and thoughtful vocals make "So Here We Are" somehow simultaneously sentimental and cool. At its zenith, the lyrical refrain of "I Figured It Out, I Can See Again" lays a simple but meaningful proclamation of clarity over a jangly, exploratory guitar work. It's all completely endearing and it's one of those songs that has enough versatility to be fodder for teenage love mixtapes or alongside an elitist's collection of Thrill Jockey records. 

"Here We Are" is on the band's first record, Silent Alarm. 

Song Breakdown

Best Place and Time to Listen:

During makeout club with your main squeeze.

If This Song Was a Celebrity It Would Be:

Susan Dey.

Click Below to Listen to So Here We Are:

Bloc Party - So Here We Are.wma

Fleet Foxes: Ragged Wood

I know you're used to bad-ass music from the bad-ass Prafessa, but let's take a short sidetrip... This is one of the only songs from Fleet Foxes' 2008 self-titled album that doesn't sound like something you'd hear at a Ren Faire. Don't get me wrong, I love the entire album, but Ragged Wood has a certain joie de vivre that the other tracks don't really capture. It has the feel of Appalachian love lost. The harmonies are dead-on, the relentless drums flow easily along with a major tempo change, it's almost got a free-form quality to it.

"Come down from the mountain, you have been gone too long. The spring is upon us, follow my only song. Settle down with me by the fire of my yearning....Tell me anything you want, any old lie will do. Call me back to you, back to you."

Song Breakdown

Best Time and Place to Listen:
Heading out for a long day hike, pocket-sized Walden in your backpack.

If This Song Was a Celebrity:
Naturalist John Muir

Click Below to Listen to Ragged Wood!

03 Ragged Wood.wma

The Cure: Inbetween Days

Trying to pick a song that best describes The Cure is a near impossibility and a task not for the weak at heart. So who better to have the The Prafessa ask to take on this epic adventure than LIL C? As I looked through my extensive collection of songs and records, I decided to go with one that I believe appeals to the widest variety of fans and critics alike.

From the brooding, yet optimisitic album Head on the Door comes the opening song "Inbetween Days," that encapsulates the Cure's mesmerizing lyrics and hooks. From the beginning, Robert Smith has changed the way rock music has looked as well as sounded. With "Inbetween Days" he works the love angle that only he posses, a simple lament over an insanely catchy beat. With hypnotic keyboards throughout the whole track, The Cure envelopes the listener over and over again. The cure's influence on music is immeasurable on many levels, From punk rock to what many would be called "emo," as well as the rock genre in general. A song of heartbreak, with just enough tough of optimI was priviledged to see the cure this past summer, and they were priviliged to have me scream like a school girl.

"Yesterday I got so scared I shivered like a child

Yesterday away from you it froze me deep inside

Come back come back don't walk away

Come back come back come back today

Come back come back why can't you see

Come back come back come back to me"

Song Breakdown

Best Time and Place to Listen:

Wembley Stadium, 7 consecutive nights, with 100,000 Brits screaming their heads off.

If This Song Was a Celebrity It Would Be:
Bill Murray in Rushmore

Inbetween Days - The Cure

Sunbears! - Lovely Little Anecdotes

I'm admittedly sycophantic about the Sunbears and listen to "Lovely Little Anecdotes" repeatedly. The first time I heard it, I thought it was Muse due to the huge sound, vocal sound and anthemic chorus. This is another successful blend of the organic and electronic . . . they do it so well.

Song Breakdown

Best Place and Time to Listen:

Whenever it's time to have a little church . . . it just does that for me . . . don't judge me.

If This Song Was a Celebrity It Would Be:

Clive Owen as Theo Faron from Children of Men

Click Below to Listen to Lovely Little Anecdotes

SUNBEARS! - Lovely Little Anecdotes.mp3

Crank: Catherine Wheel

This is one of those songs I forgot about, heard recently and thought, "this song kicks so much ass." Rocking and pretty at the same time, "Crank" opens with a pretty standard progression that nears spindliness, but revived by bass and drum and then truly set apart by the gentle, high-octave vocals.

"Crank" is from Catherine Wheel's 1993 album Chrome, but doesn't sound stuck in that time, although it has a slight shoegaze bent. I'm not quite sure what the lyrics mean, but that's never been a sticking point, he just really wants someone to call him Crank. The sonic solo is also quite fabulous. Catherine Wheel had some gems in the form of a more accessible Ride or Stone Roses. Feeling nostalgic? Hit it. 

Song Breakdown

Best Time and Place to Listen:

Any out-of-the-way bar that happens to have it in its jukebox.

If This Song Was a Celebrity It Would Be:

J.D. Salinger, a brilliant curmudgeon. 

Crank - Catherine Wheel

Q-Tip: Won't Trade

The brilliant sample of "You Made a Believer Out of Me" by Ruby Andrews sets this song off on an undeniably infectious tip. Trademark Q-Tip style rhyming and riding the beat perfectly with a lyrical juxtaposition of professional sports and the music biz.

The Mark Ronson produced track is nearly perfect hip hop pop: catchy, danceable, short and distinct. Go on, get ya some.

Song Breakdown

Best Place and Time to Listen:

Any time you're getting ready to school some suckas.

If This Song Was a Celebrity It Would Be:

Lebron James . . . Lebron, have you met my friends the Orlando Magic? Seriously, not even staying on the court to shake hands? C'mon!

Q-Tip - Wont Trade.wma - Q-Tip

Viva Voce: Red Letter Day

Ok, I hadn't heard this song before today. Needless to say, I'm quite smitten. Apparently, this husband and wife duo have been making music for more than a decade. The opening melody had a Hooverphonic meets spaghetti western vibe and the double vocal gives the song a richness but floats just enough to keep the overall ethereal tone.

"Red Letter Day" is off the duo's newest album, Rose City. This is the kind of find that spawned the idea to start this blog. It's fantastic. Enjoy it, enjoy your Friday, enjoy your life. That sounded like a Sprite commercial. 

Song Breakdown

Best Place and Time to Listen:

While exploring small town America.

If This Song Was a Celebrity It Would Be:

Clint Eastwood as the Outlaw Josey Wales.

Click Here to Listen to Red Letter Days