Final Album, Closing Track Mix

Last year, I made a mix of Debut Album, Opening Tracks, which featured a few of my favorite side one track ones on debut albums. In thinking about some of the bands that are breaking up recently (LCD Soundsystem, The White Stripes), I decided to make a sequel to that mix of the best closing tracks on an artist’s final album. What artists went out with a bang? Who provided the most climactic tracks to end their career? I’ve found it’s actually quite rare for bands to leave on a high note, and in many occassions a great final track is due to death more then a concious decision to retire. Like last time, I left out some the most obvious choices (”The End”, “Voodoo Child”) and selected a few of my favorites*. Download the mix below and tell me your favorite swan songs in the comments.

MP3 LCD Soundsystem – Home
MP3 The Stone Roses – Love Spreads
MP3 Nick Drake – From The Morning
MP3 The White Stripes – Effect & Cause
MP3 Nirvana – All Apologies
MP3 Joy Division – Decades
MP3 Neutral Milk Hotel – Two Headed Boy Pt. 2
MP3 Pulp – Sunrise
MP3 Sunny Day Real Estate – The Rising Tide
MP3 Blur – Battery In Your Leg
MP3 Guided By Voices – Huffman Prairie Flying Field
MP3 Jay Reatard – There Is No Sun
MP3 My Bloody Valentine – Soon
MP3 Elliott Smith – A Distorted Reality Is Now Necessary To Be Free

*keeping in mind, that some of the bands here (like Sunny Day Real Estate, My Bloody Valentine) could potentially release another album, however unlikely.

The mix with all the girls names

Songs with girls names in the title are just about as old as pop music itself, from “Peggy Sue” to “Layla” to “Jenny (867-5309)” to “For Emma, Forever Ago”, artists have been written love songs addressed directly to that particular special someone. So to celebrate that tradition (and keeping in mind Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching), this is a mix of some of my favorite girls-name-in-the-title songs. Since there’s so many of these and I would have never been able to narrow it down otherwise, I stuck with only songs where the title is the girls name and nothing more; it’s simpler that way (sorry to “Come On, Eileen”, “Oh, Yoko” and “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1 & 2”). Download the songs below and submit your own faves in the comments.

MP3 The National – Karen
MP3 Elliott Smith – Clementine
MP3 The Pixies – Allison
MP3 Jens Lekman – Julie
MP3 Simon & Garfunkel – Cecilia
MP3 Belle & Sebastian – Mary Jo
MP3 The Mountain Goats – Jenny
MP3 The Kinks – Lola
MP3 Atlas Sound – Sheila
MP3 The White Stripes – Jolene
MP3 Girls – Laura
MP3 The New Pornographers – Jackie
MP3 The Beatles – Michelle
MP3 Cut Copy – Alisa
MP3 Iron & Wine – Jezebel
MP3 Wolf Parade – Yulia

Side note: From doing this post, I would venture to guess that “Jenny” is the most popular girls name to appear in song titles. If anyone has another guess though, let me know.

The Back-to-School Soundtrack

Above photo is from an awesome film called Brick

School is starting back up in the next couple weeks and since we’re big on education here at Music For Kids Who Can’t Read Good, (I am married to a first grade teacher) I’ve made a back-to-school mix inspired by some of my favorite songs from high school films.

Whether it’s “Here Comes My Baby” soundtracking Max Fischer making a go of it at Grover Cleveland, “Highschool Lover” providing the backdrop to the mysterious Lisbon sisters, or Heath Ledger serenading Julia Stiles to the tune of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, each of these songs bring me back to a memorable film moment. I realize there’s a lots of classic high school movies missing (if you’re looking for some 16 Candles or Breakfast Club selections check out this John Hughes tribute I did) but for this mix, the emphasis is squarely on great songs. Download the tracks below and feel free to leave your favorite song from a high school movie in the comments. Enjoy!

MP3 Cat Stevens – Here Comes My Baby (from Rushmore)
MP3 The White Stripes – We’re Going To Be Friends (from Napoleon Dynamite)
MP3 Air – Highschool Lover (from Virgin Suicides)
MP3 Tom Petty – American Girl (from Fast Times at Ridgemont High)
MP3 Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees (acoustic) (from Clueless)
MP3 Clem Snide – I Love The Unknown (from Rocket Science)
MP3 Guess Who – These Eyes (from Superbad)
MP3 Belle & Sebastian – Piazza New York Catcher (from Juno)
MP3 Frankie Valli – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (from 10 Things I Hate About You)
MP3 The Smiths – Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (from Pretty In Pink / Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)
MP3 Donavon – Jennifer Juniper (from Election)
MP3 The Church – Under The Milky Way (from Donnie Darko)
MP3 Velvet Underground – Sister Ray (from Brick)
MP3 Elliott Smith – Angeles (from Good Will Hunting)

Download this mix in its entirety: back-to-school soundtrack.zip (63.95 MB)

Songs For Dreamers (Inception Mix)

This upcoming weekend brings two of my most anticipated events of the summer, Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago and the opening of Inception. It’s been exactly two years since Christopher Nolan’s last opus, The Dark Knight (I remember because that’s also the weekend I got married) and that is one of my favorites movies of all time. I’ve been trying to stay spoiler-free for this one (although I did read a couple of the all-out rave reviews it’s been getting) but from what I know about the film and its exploration into the world of dreams, virtual reality, and existentialism, I’ve made a Inception-inspired mix that you can download below. I myself will be skipping out sometime during Modest Mouse’s set (sorry Brock) on tonight to catch the film. Enjoy!

Songs For Dreamers (Inception Mix)

MP3 M83 – Highway of Endless Dreams
MP3 Belle & Sebastian – I Could Be Dreaming (BBC Session)
MP3 Elliott Smith – A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free
MP3 Wild Nothing – Live in Dreams
MP3 Wolf Parade – We Built Another World
MP3 Slow Club – I Was Unconsious, It Was A Dream
MP3 Franz Ferdinand – Lucid Dreams
MP3 of Montreal – I Was A Landscape In Your Dreams
MP3 Radiohead – Nice Dream
MP3 School of Seven Bells – Half Asleep
MP3 The Zombies – Hung Up On A Dream
MP3 Shout Out Louds – You Are Dreaming
MP3 Pixies – Where Is My Mind
MP3 Sunset Rubdown – Shut Up I Am Dreaming

50 Albums of the Decade

(photo by dcdead)

I told myself I wasn’t going to do a decades album list. I mean how can you really rank all your favorite albums over a period of ten years that isn’t even completed yet? Over the last couple of months though, I found myself slowly beginning to compile a list of my albums from the 00’s that I loved and I then I began chiseling the list down to around 50 albums. I guess my love for making lists got in the way of the logic and reasoning I had for not making a list. Also since, I started this blog around the middle of the decade I thought only fair that I share this list to acknowledge those great albums that I wasn’t around to write about or put into a fancy EOY list.

A few words of about this list, firstly, these are my personal favorites of the decade and not the end-all be-all of decade-end lists. I realize that some genres (ahem, hip hop) are being woefully underrepresented because of this. Secondably, I would have liked to do full-scale reviews for each album but life kept getting in the way so instead for each album I’ve linked reviews that I feel capture the spirit of the album (click the album cover to go to there). Scroll all the way down to see some albums that “just missed” and some per-year stats (if you want to know which year is best, it’s between ’02 and ’05). So without any further ado, here’s the top 50 albums of the decade according to me. Feel free to dispute or agree with my choices in the comments. Enjoy!

music for kids who can’t read good presents: 50 Albums Of The Decade

Key track: “Beautiful Dreamer”

Key track: “Two Weeks”

Key track: “Postcards in Italy”

Key track: “Hotel Yorba”

Key track: “Consolation Prizes”

Follow the jump to see the rest!

Beatles-esque Mix

It’s hard not to get caught up in Beatlemania this week. The complete set of Beatles Remastered albums are being released (stereo and mono) as well as the much-awaited game, Beatles: Rock Band.  There’s even rumors of the band finally being added to iTunes at tomorrow’s Apple music event. I think it goes without saying that The Beatles had a huge impact on my music development growing up. I was 14 years old when The Beatles 1 was released and I think that was the only album I listened to for an entire year. Eventually, I acquired all the Beatles albums and grew to love their entire body of work. To this day I can put on any of their albums and have a wave a nostalgia rush over me as I revisit some of the greatest songs every put on record.

Obviously, the Beatles’ influence on music has been extraordinary and their influence can be felt everywhere from the biggest pop artists to the most obscure of indie bands. Some tracks stand out to me though as having an instantly recognizable Beatles-esque sound. I’ve collected some of my favorite of these songs (with necessary context) for this mix. I know there’s hundreds more songs that could easily go on this and I encourage you to also list some of your favorite Beatles-sounding songs in the comments. If I get enough good suggestions I may even make a part two. Enjoy!

MP3 Belle & Sebastian – Step Into My Office, Baby

The Lads from Liverpool are an obvious influence on Belle & Sebastian and this is one of their most overtly Beatles-sounding songs. You can especially hear it in the harmonies on “my place at 9”.

MP3 The Shins – Saint Simon

This track is reminscent of a Paul McCartney composition from the strings (think “Yesterday”), to the harmonies, to the guitar part during bridge.

MP3 Oasis – Don’t Look Back In Anger

Oasis have long been accused of Beatles-copying, a fact which they haven’t tried to hide. Noel was quoted as saying that this song is like “something the Beatles might’ve done”. The opening piano chords are almost identical to “Imagine” and even some of the lyrics (“start a revolution from my bed”) reference John Lennon.

MP3 Wilco – My Darling

This track is, in my opinion, Wilco’s homage to the Fab Four. The drums are right out of “Hey Jude”, the mellotron has “Strawberry Fields Forever” written all over them, and the “ba ba ba’s” seem like their nod to the Beatles’ early work.

MP3 The Polyphonic Spree – Hold Me Now

In the press release for this song the band claimed that “‘Hold Me Now’ is like a condensed ‘A Day In the Life’ had the Beatles managed to fit in a profound romantic declaration for a jittery age.” I’m not sure about all that but the trumpets do sound straight out of the Magical Mystery Tour era.

MP3 of Montreal – Your Magic Is Working

The Beatles are one of Montreal’s most constant influences and you can especially tell on tracks like these that they were moved by the Beatles’ early work. The bouncy melodic pop is similar to many of the bands work circa ’64-’65 and the harmonies have a subtle “Here, There and Everywhere” feel to them.

MP3 Elliott Smith – Say Yes

Elliott Smith is another artist that was heavily influenced by the Liverpool quartet and the closing track on Either/Or is one of his most Beatles sounding songs. Notice how Smith holds out the line “and you see how it is” which is almost exactly like John Lennon does on “I am the Walrus”.

MP3 Franz Ferdinand – Eleanor Put Your Boots On

Franz Ferdinand seemed to be conciously aiming for a Beatles sound on this song, with a title that nods at “Eleanor Rigby” and a pretty piano melody similar to some of McCartney’s ballads.

MP3 The New Pornographers – The Bleeding Heart Show

The New Pornographers have always excelled at their multiple part vocals which is Beatles-esque in itself, but the end of this song in particular with it’s “hey-la’s” seems to be directly influenced by the coda of “Hello, Goodbye” (listen to them sequentially, you’ll see what I mean).

MP3 Midlake – Balloon Maker

Midlake’s first album draws from the warbly, psychedelic side of the later-era Beatles, and this song with it’s trumpets and marching drums, in particular, sounds like it could have been a Sgt. Pepper’s b-side.

MP3 Spoon – Black Like Me

This is one of Spoon’s prettiest and best songs. The symphonic chamber pop of the track feel can be linked to much of the Fab Four’s work and the drums, piano, and spiraling string crescendo of the climax are very reminiscent of “A Day In The Life”.

***

Don’t forget to add your favorite Beatles-esque song in the comments. Happy Labor Day!

Four years and counting…

My first post ever was on August 21, 2005, which was four years from today. I guess you could say this is my blogiversary (or my blograduation from Blog High). Anyway, in the spirit of wistful remembrance, I have a few images of what the site looked like in it’s different iterations. For example, the shot above is the first header I used (it only lasted about two weeks thankfully).

I’ll warn you now, a lot of these are not pretty, but hopefully you’ve all forgiven me for some of the more crappy designs I’ve had over the years. The screenshots (or at least most of them) come courtesy of The Wayback Machine. I’d like to thank all the readers out there for sticking with me for these last four years. It’s been a crazy ride, but I hope you’ve discovered some music you like along the way and I’m looking forward to many more years!

Circa August 2005 (musicforants.blogspot.com)

MP3 Voxtrot – The Start of Something

Circa January 2006

MP3 The Lodger – The Good Old Days

Circa November 2006 (moved to musicforants.com)

MP3 Jeremy Enigk – A New Beginning

Circa September 2007

MP3 The Beatles – Getting Better

Circa November 2008 (Current)

MP3 Elliott Smith – Pretty (Ugly Before)

But In A Way, Those Really Were The Wonder Years…

This is my last week of school for what probably will be the rest of my life. I have 3 more classes and a couple exams then its into the real world for me. Either because I enjoy excessive introspection or just love making lists, here is my musical (both personal and general) history of every year that I’ve been in school, with a bit of personal stuff thrown in. Nothing like a little nostalgia for your Wednesday afternoon, right? Click here to see the whole post.

Me in Elementary (w/ sister and pumpkin)

Pre-Kindergarten (1991)

I don’t think I was listening to music (except maybe Raffi) at this age but if I could go back I’d definitely reach for Achtung Baby, Loveless, Leisure, and Out of Time. I may even treat myself to Use Your Illusion or Nevermind occasionally.

MP3 U2 – One

Kindergarten (1992)

Kindergarden was all about Pavement for me. No not really, but 92 was the year that brought us Slanted & Enchanted, Automatic for the People, Bizzarre Ride II, and the songs “No Rain” and “Friday I’m In Love”.

MP3 Blind Melon – No Rain

1st Grade (1993)

When I was in first grade I was in the middle of a big move from Galveston, TX to Peoria IL, so I didn’t have much time to be listening to music. If I had though I would definitely be picking up some Wu-Tang, In Utero, Siamese Dream, Zooropa, Transmissions for the Satellite Heart, and Pablo Honey. Also I probably would be jamming out to “Whoomp! There It Is”, “Twin Princes” and “I Saw The Sign” on a daily basis.

MP3 Spin Doctors – Two Princes

2nd Grade (1994)

1994 was a great year for music. Unfortunately I was too busy watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and learning phonics in Mrs. Gullet’s class to pay too much attention. Anway, the year brought us Parklife, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Blue Album, Grace, Definitely Maybe, and Bee Thousand as well as debuts from Elliott Smith, The Sea and Cake, and Sunny Day Real Estate. The one song I remember listening to this year was Beck’s “Loser”.

MP3 Sunny Day Real Estate – In Circles

3rd Grade (1995)

3rd grade was all about Pogs. If you had an awesome slammer you were soooo in. Meanwhile Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, What’s the Story Morning Glory, Blur’s The Great Escape, Liquid Swords, and Elliott Smith’s s/t were hitting the shelves. Belle & Sebastian, Neutral Milk Hotel and Wilco released their debuts this year and Radiohead created The Bends.

MP3 Elliott Smith – Needle In The Hay

4th Grade (1996)

I really got into music this year. Unfortunately it was Christian Rock like DC Talk and the Newsboys. If I knew anything about anything I would have been jamming to Odelay, Pinkerton, Being There, Jeremy Enigk’s Return of the Frog Queen, and of course, If You’re Feeling Sinister. I did have quite a thing for No Doubt though.

MP3 Belle & Sebastian – Get Me Away From Here I’m Dying

5th Grade (1997)

In 5th grade, I was obsessed with the Chicago Bulls, everyones hormones were going out of control as puberty set in, and I spent half of the school year playing Axis and Allies in Mr. Wallace’s class (for a “WWII assignment”). Musically It was one of the best years ever. OK Computer obviously was the big one, but also: Blur, Urban Hymns, Homework, Either/Or, I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, The Lonesome Crowded West, Of Montreal’s debut. Personally I was totally into Third Eye Blind’s s/t.

MP3 Radiohead – Karma Police

Click below to see the rest!

Walk The Line DVD Giveaway – The Winners!

You guys must really want this Walk The Line DVD because I got tons of great entries but I narrowed it down to three well-thought out answers that would make for great biopics.

“Elliott Smith, played by Christian Bale. Yes, indeed. That is my choice. Complete, dramatic life story, from beginning to end.”

MP3 Elliott Smith – Waltz #2

Elliott Smith probably was the highest submitted entry (with good reason), but this was the first and I think Christian Bale could really throw himself into the role. He also kindof looks like a younger Elliott Smith.

“Seeing as how I just finished “Just a Modern Rock Story,” the Belle and Sebastian biography, I am thinking that Stuart Murdoch might make an interesting character for a biopic. I think that the same way his characters connect with his listeners, so would his life’s story. He was an athlete, he was a confused youth, he got sick and lost 7 years of his life but it spawned his career and B&S. Even the B&S story is an interesting one, having become popular without talking to the press for half their career. And then, ten years after their start, they released one of their most critically acclaimed albums, The Life Pursuit. The film might not draw a large crowd but I think it would be a fantastic addition to the biopic trend.”

MP3 Belle & Sebastian – The State I Am In

This is a great choice. I absolutely love Belle & Sebastian, the book would provide great source material, and the music for this film would be fantastic. Paul Bettany would kill in the role of Stuart.

“Without a doubt the only choice can be the Tim Kasher biopic, So-So Gigolo.

It would start with playing in low scale venues in omaha with now obscure bands eventually joining cursive. It would all be fun staying out and sleeping in and getting drunk with his friends until he gets married and moves to portland. This would be the first moody, dramatic part of the movie. Tim’s working on a divorce and a healthy drinking habit. Plus he really misses Cursive. He eventually wises up, gets a divorce and oh no! a lung infection. eeps! (second emotional part! he beats death and learns to appreciate his bandmates and fans). third dramatic cliffhanger comes from rob nansel deciding to not release the first good life album on saddle creek and tim having to settle with better looking records. He think about giving it all up, but then is inspired by a child with cancer or something.

the movie would climax with their memorable july 2006 gig at the canopy club in champaign (you see because I was there). required in this biopic would be the line “I’m Tim fucking Kasher” and someone asking Tim as a waiter “Why must you shit where you eat?” replied with “cause I’m ‘the martyr'”. Also most of it would take place in a bar. The actor doesn’t matter. The boldness that is tim kasher’s essence will command the audience, actor, and even the cameras. It won’t be a movie, it will be a religious experience.”

MP3 The Good Life – Beaten Path

Wow, this is so well thought-out it’s almost scary. Totally original and awesome answer, and spoken with so much conviction that I couldn’t possibly not award this entry as contest winner (even though anyone who has heard Kasher’s music knows that this movie would most likely be extremely depressing).

Ferraby Lionheart – Catch the Brass Ring

I was first exposed to the music of Ferraby Lionheart (which amazingly is his real name) when the singer/songwriter opened for The Autumn Defense early this year. I was extremely impressed by the light, whimsical music that I was hearing and picked up his debut EP. Ferraby recently released his first LP, Catch The Brass Ring on Nettwerk Records and he seems to have developed his style even further surpassing his earlier work and making himself one of the most promising folk artists of the year.

The first thing that you will probably gander from listening to Ferraby Lionheart is how much his voice and sound recalls Elliott Smith. The mix of bittersweet piano and strings with a layered falsetto is something that anyone who listened to Figure 8 will be familiar with, but I it’s Ferrabys playful and buoyant nature that makes him stand out as on the exceptional track “Small Planet”. His lyrical wordplay is notably sharp as on the song when he sings that “this planet is small enough for two” against cascading violins. “Vermont Avenue” is a more pensive tune, but it’s beauty is seen with the understated orchestration and yearning vocals. Like many of Ferraby’s best songs, it’s made up of a simple acoustic hook yet paired with a melody that’s truly captivating.

MP3 Small Planet
MP3 Vermont Avenue

Here’s my favorite track from the Ferraby Lionheart EP:
MP3 Tickets to Crickets

Buy Catch the Brass Ring