#11

The best songs are played while driving.

"Commemorative T-Shirt" - Oceansize

Commemorative ____ T-Shirt - O...

I have a certain mix I play when I want only music that I have deemed enjoyable. I know, it's cheating, but I don't feel bad so it doesn't count. This playlist compiled with the intent on never having to skip through the bullshit to get to what I want to hear. And now, after not visiting this playlist for several months, I have come back to it only to find that the ">>|" button takes over the scene. It calls my hand to it and inevitably takes control. Gems are passed over for the sake of catering to my mood, which has been rather somber as of late, but that's another story all together. Just because I may punching the losing card instead of the winning one doesn't mean I can't appreciate beauty when I see it or hear it. It doesn't cut me off. I won't let it. My sword is phrase. My victory will be the final period at the end of this issue.

Welcome back to 5 Songs In A Row.

My playlist, aptly titled "On The Road" since I only listen to it while I'm driving, contains the songs from the bands that matter most. Matter most to me, that is. In the past it never failed, but as I was saying, tonight when I put it on nothing seemed to jive. That is until Oceansize was played; A rock band from the UK with a near obvious tell that they really wish they were Radiohead. And yet Oceansize blends just enough grit into the mix to be able to stay outside the niche of modern pop and shake the comparisons with a posture not unlike those of American indie rock/metal bands just doing what everyone else is- trying to make a name for themselves.

Frames, their third attempt at swallowing the masses with their gaping sound, doesn't stray much from the head-banging riffs of their debut Effloresce or the subtle repose of Everyone Into Position, their sophomore album. Those traits and the formula used to tie them together teeter on the edge of Frames being lackluster and only part of the solution to the same equation they have been trying to solve since their inception. That's not to say that everything they do is shit and shouldn't be heard. For instance, this song. Track one on Frames. It begins with a drawn out instrumental jam that rivals some Tool songs and drops into what sounds like a bit of a diatribe from singer Mike Vennart touting his ability to be above some sorry excuse for a reconciliation. Yet the title suggests some lingering resentment. The classic "I survived this part of my life and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" kind of attitude. Yeah, we've all been there.

The reason I let this song continue to play was because how it made me not want to feel the same things I had always felt when I listened to it in the past; like I was diluting myself into some imaginary concept of being something I'm not. A video of me playing music would consistantly play on in my mind's eye. Something that sounds nice on paper, but probably would never come to pass. It gave me power to accept what I truly need to focus on and clear away the black storm clouds that seep in and cover the sun. The clouds are just fantasies, of course. I still had four more tracks to get through, and the clouds still had to drop some kind of precipitation to let me know they were there. Don't worry, I carry an umbrella.

"Melt Your Heart" - Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins

Melt Your Heart - The Watson T...

Jenny Lewis was born with the purpose of writing the kinds of songs that somehow form the boot that kicks me in the balls. Everything about her from her scarlet bangs to her sweet and innocent charm is a steel toe to a sensitive part of my anatomy. That's not to say I don't take pleasure in the moment though. I am, admittedly, a bit of a masochist. The pain I endure in life serves as a means to an end. It is the mechanism I use to be able to sit down and write. Situations arise and I choose a path that will certainly lead me down a road with bumps, potholes, and the eventual blocked-off cliff drop of doom which I speed through at 100 miles per hour to end it all in a fiery crash of metal and blood. I brake for no one, but slowing down to enjoy the scenery along the way once in a while is nice too.

"Melt Your Heart" has to be one of the best worst songs to listen to when you're trying to get over someone. As much as I want to skip it, I want to listen to it that much more. I let it play even though it does a damn good job of killing me and the uplifting mood left over from Oceansize. It's a bittersweet moment, but it's safe to say that as time goes on in my life there will be more sweet and less bitter.

But above all of the nonsense, I love how tender it is. Like some kind of note slipped into your pocket when you weren't looking. You open it up and it's gentle words letting you know that nothing is ever perfect, and to stop trying to make it perfect. Let things be as they are. It'll mean more. It's not so much the words as it's how they are sung, though. Lewis' butter over warm toast voice continues to give the public what it craves: tranquility. There's not a lot to be angry about in the world during a Jenny Lewis song and adding the Southern charm of The Watson Twins makes it even more memorable.

"Good Fortune" - PJ Harvey

Good Fortune - PJ Harvey

I was thankfully given a short reprieve from the melancholia of "Melt Your Heart" courtesy of PJ Harvey and one the (very) few uplifting & positive songs she has written in her career; a single from (in my opinion) her best album, Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea. "Good Fortune" is the kind of song you add to that mix you want to make your significant other after those first few glowing months of "love will conquer all" attitude and right before you start getting on each other's nerves. I've only put it on a mix for one person so far. It also makes for a good road jam, which is why it is on this particular playlist in the first place.

Hearing the song took me back to the video. It shows Ms. Harvey coming out of a building with sunglasses on like she was expecting it to be light out. My guess is she was with a suitor and lost track of time. A lot of time. Then, waving her arms and thrashing about like some kind of love-sick seizure victim, she prances down city streets singing to the camera as if she's leaving a message to the lucky man (or woman) she was with before the film started rolling. She's upbeat, excited, and most of all, happy with what is going on in her life in the typical PJ Harvey "looks sexy while doing it" fashion. Yes, I'm stating the obvious here, but sometimes the answer to something is just that simple. Don't ever try to overanalyze a situation. It sucks the meaning right out of it.

So the next time you feel yourself growing in any positive way play this song. Even if you're not, play it anyway. It helps. Music is there to aid in that. It's medicine. An artist takes his or her own experiences from the shelf, mixes them together into a tonic, hands you the glass and says "Here, drink this. It'll help you feel better."

And like PJ, I can feel my bad fortune slipping away, too.



"Nothing & Nowhere" - Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton

Nothing & Nowhere - Emily Hain...

Emily Haines' solo work reminds me of being in some kind of back alley music club that's heavy on cigarette smoke and cheap wine and low on self-respect and moral regard toward others. It's the soundtrack to so many sleepless nights. Kind of like this one. Details aren't needed, so I'll just let the songs speak for themselves. I guess they already are considering we're already on track 4, right?

The lead lyricist of the band Metric took a step away from her usual angst ridden song structure and went with a softer approach to the way she expresses the issues that vex her. It reflects on the apparent depression she was suffering at the time which almost crippled her into a state of never wanting to write music ever again. Understandable. It's difficult to want to pick up that pen, brush, or instrument again after a harrowing experience that leaves you in such a state of mind that you feel vulnerable to any little thing that took a piece of you. Emily says, "Numb is the new high," and at times being numb is the only thing that saves us from completely bottoming out. But it's only a temporary fix. A pill that may cure the symptom, but not the disease. We eventually have to confront the problem. Only then can we move on.

Everything is in a constant state of evolution, including music. Occurrences in our own lives and the lives of others dictate what we want to listen to and what a musician wants to write about. In Haines' case, it was all about a sadness she couldn't escape from. She was lost, scared, and unable to find herself through all the black; something I can empathize with.


"Landslide" - Fleetwood Mac

Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

As I pulled into my driveway this song came on to mark the end of the night. Many artists have covered it, but as with most reproductions, their versions have paled in comparison to the original. No one, not Tori Amos, The Dixie Chicks, and certainly not Billy Corgan can even come close to candor of Stevie Nicks. It was written during the time of her and Buckingham's rocky relationship. Ha ha, get it? Landslide? Rocky? Nevermind. Speaking of rocky, Nicks wrote this while visiting Colorado, looking at the Rocky Mountains, and imagining the avalanche of everything that had piled on top of her and Buckingham.

I can relate. Life has been beginning to feel like an in-box at work that's slowing building with more and more TPS reports. It's overwhelming to the point of not knowing where to begin to get it all sorted out. However, to begin a journey you must take a step forward and never consider taking a step back when negativity lurks around the bend.

We're all afraid of change, but as usual, it's the one thing that's constant. I spoke earlier of evolution; how we are all experiencing it together, yet it feels like we've become distant from one another while it happens. We grow up and move away, sometimes for good. What makes it special is the people we surround ourself with. They aid in our growth whether we believe it or not. Some are more spiritual and consider God to be their only route towards enlightenment. But I believe that it not only comes from God, but everyone we meet in life. Everyone is there to help dig ourselves out of the mess that we, or others, might have created. How do you think Fleetwood Mac are still playing as a band today? It certainly wasn't because of them turning their back from one another. Could be the money, though.

#10 (Finally!)

Issue #10 of 5SIAR has had some complications for the past week or so. When I say complications I mean I haven't really had the inspiration or the time to really sit down and write. But a wise man once told me that the only way to battle writer's block is to just sit down and write. To just do it. Of course that little bit of advice made me think of the Nike "Just Do It" ad campaign which in turn made me think of the movie from the poster above. I figured saying "Just Deux It" instead of "Just Do It" would sound funnier to me and therefore put me in a better place and mood to write. The chicken and Sheen's 1990's coiffed Stallone-esque hair work just as well, too. And now, on with Issue #10 of 5 Songs In A Row.


I wanted my tenth issue of 5SIAR to be a really good one. It seemed just doing the usual shuffle of five random songs from my ipod wasn't special enough for this issue. Instead, I decided to pay homage to my favorite band as of right now considering I haven't really given a band that title since I listened to Tool in high school. Tool deserved it, and now Grizzly Bear deserves it.


"This Song"

When Ed Droste started Grizzly Bear in his apartment with nothing but a 4-track and a few instruments, I'm certain that he was not aware of the grandeur and rep his project would achieve only a few short years later. What began as something as simple as one man crooning out short lo-fi lullabies has turned into an extreme buzz-worthy and deserving collective of musicians that not only titillate the ears, but the inner spirit as well.

It all begins in ground zero for a lot of the more current indie-rock influenced music from the east coast - New York City, NY - an area rich with the culture and inspiration that has also spawned some of the music world's other heavily regarded acts such as TV on the Radio, Interpol, The Strokes, and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They all began from the same single idea to make something that the masses want to hear and enjoy. Some end up on shaky ground while others, like Grizzly Bear, just keep churning out solid jams one right after the other.

Grizzly Bear's first album, Horn Of Plenty, is almost all atmosphere that's dense with odd-noised synth mods, scarce drum patterns, acoustic guitar, and of course Droste's signature butter-soft voice made grainy by tape hiss and toast crumbs. It's folk, but the little hints and tinges of electronic make it seem as if it would be the folk album chained to the inside of Aphex Twin's head clawing to get out.

This album would serve as a basis for what Ed would eventually turn his project into along with fellow songwriter Daniel Rossen manning the guitar duties, Chris Taylor on bass, and Chris Bear on percussion and drums. All of them sing harmonies in the songs which give it that folk feel that's also been brought to light by Fleet Foxes. These four men and their voices formed an indie-powerhouse capable of even cutting into the mainstream with a sharp knife and disrupting the status quo of the Billboard Music Chart with their sharp riffs, hooks, poise, and charm.

"Little Brother (Electric)"

We're gonna have a song from every GB album in this post. It is, after all, a strictly Grizzly 5SIAR, so there will be something for everyone. You say you only like the Friend EP; though I don't know why you would only like a certain album from these guys and nothing else? We have your track right here. A completely plugged version of the same song from Yellow House (we're getting there, hold on). Since it's electric I can't help but wonder if Chris Bear went ahead and used an electric drum kit for the recording as well. You know, to make it hold true to its full namesake. I highly doubt it though. Part of what makes GB so gorgeously fantastic is Chris Bear's sudden calm to heavy style of taking a particular song - for instance, this one - to another level.

Percussion and drums aside, the foremost highlight of this ditty is, in my opinion, Rossen's guitar tone. I know he uses an acoustic/electric of some kind (Gibson?), but what is he using on top of that as far as effects goes? He can't be running completely dry. Some delay and some reverb obviously, but that can't be all he's using. If there are any guitar virtuosos out there reading this and listen to Grizzly Bear, please leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions on what Mr. Rossen is using for most if not all of the electric GB songs, as well as his other, and just as equally sonically persuasive band, Department of Eagles.

A friend of mine recently attended a GB show in her home town of Austin, TX. She said, and I quote, "at times they were very metal." I can only surmise which songs actually sounded "metal", but I'm sure "Little Brother" would have been pretty rockin' if it was played electric. They have certainly rocked enough to catch the attention of Trent Reznor who recently spoke with Newsweek and mentioned GB-

"The band Grizzly Bear, I think they're excellent. There's a beauty and a musicality there that I wish would have been in vogue in the late '80s, when I was forming bands. The aesthetic I was tuned into was a more dumbed-down kind of thing. Sometimes listening to stuff like they're doing makes me feel irrelevant. That's a nice, healthy kick in the ass. And it's interesting to see there's room for that in what's considered hip these days." -Trent Reznor

A GB influenced NIN album? I would really love to hear that. Make it happen, Trent. There'll be a cool shiny nickel in it for ya.

"Fine For Now"

THE album of the summer. No, I'm not kidding. It might even be THE album of the year, but I'm not ready to call that one yet. For the summer though? You betcha. I don't think there is anything else on the docket that could even come close to trumping Veckatimest. When it leaked it was like Christmas in March. Yes, that's right, I'm not going to hide the fact that I downloaded and previewed the album before its official released on May 26 of this year, but who didn't? I say previewed because I had every intention of purchasing this album upon its unveiling regardless of what I initially thought of it. When you're a fan, you're a fan, so obviously you will do everything in your financial power to support the art you love.

I understand some of the reactions from the people I have spoken to about Veckatimest who don't particularly care for it as much as they did for Yellow House (next song, I promise). The argument most commonly stated is that Veck is too "poppy" of an album and in today's music scene pop isn't synonamous to noble or impressive. Seriously though, did everyone expect Yellow House 2: Return To The Cod? Part of what makes a band continuously put out great albums is the constant shift in the various nuances of life and the reorganization of the world around them. Almost like pancake batter. No matter how many times you've made pancakes with the same recipe they will always taste slightly different each time. It's not just the chemistry of the different ingredients mixing together in the bowl. It's you. Your taste has changed. Same batter, different mood. Outside stimuli in your day to day drag has added or taken away feelings, thoughts, and emotions you may or may not have originally had before.

All of what I just stated should be taken into account when prescribing to a new piece of art. You have to consider what the band felt and what you are feeling at the moment of intake. I don't mean that in a matter of fact, this is the rule to listening to music kind of way, but on some level it's true. I can't even count how many times I've listened to an album and wrote it off after the first few listens only to return a year or two later and absolutely love it. You've had that happen to you, right? In fact, it happened to me with Yellow House and it's what I think the band is talking about in "Fine For Now." They are "not asking for your permission," so "please understand" if you come to find you dislike Veckatimest at this moment in your life. Just please don't count it out.

ps. Just watched the video review on ABC's website. Hearing Charlie Gibson talk about Grizzly Bear felt awkward. Though not as awkward as Mr. Thompson's stiff, monotone description of Veckatimest. I guess this belongs in a tweet, but whatever.

"Central and Remote"

Off the top of my head I can't really think of any great moments in history from 2006. We were still in the Bush era, so it goes to show you how little a person can actually remember from that time period without using Google to do it for you. Which I did, and it returned what I expected- Bush this, Bush that. Iraq this, Iraq that. Amy Winehouse does crack, etc., etc. There was however some light and hope throughout all of this in the form of music. Some great albums were released in '06 that are still in constant rotation on my turntable: Let's Get Out Of This Country, Silent Shout, Everything All The Time, Night Ripper, and of course Yellow House.

Going back to what I was saying before, Yellow House was one of those albums that I didn't quite get or comprehend as soon as I listened to it. It took a while, like, as in a few years. It wasn't until last year that I threw my arms around this album and called it "baby." No, not literally, so stop the internal dialog that's calling me a freak. I mean I really became attached to listening to it almost all of the time which in turn made me ask myself, why? Why now and not then? To reiterate, I lent it to not being in the right frame of mind or place in my life that I could fully embrace the genius and the musicality of it. So it goes.

While this entire album is beyond great as a whole, there are certain nuances of it that make it a step above the rest. For instance the vibraphones (guessing on that) in the intro of this song. Also the timbre of everyone's voice in the band goes so well together, yet they are so distinct, that it makes every harmony pleasing to the ears without being overly textured. It's almost as if the all the members asked themselves "how can we achieve the sound of a person laying their head down on to a pillow made of satin in a room where a cool breeze flows through an open window all while an old man shuffles in the hallway on a wood floor?" I wonder if I'm close.

"Eavesdropping"

Time is not graceful nor is it forgiving. However there is optimism to that statement. As the generations grow older the search for new landscapes and frontiers in the world of music and beyond becomes more and more important. We experiment more because we want to see what else is out there and sometimes we do it with music; We listen to it and we create it all for a chance to cheat time or at least to ignore it. Still, it'll always have an influence on us.

Out of the entire Grizzly Bear catalog I have to say that this song is probably the most classic folk sounding. Ed and the rest of the guys have gotten the label of anti-folk and psych-folk mostly because of the strangeness of the material on Horn of Plenty. But again, time has influence. The slowed down folk ballads of yesteryear are made apparent in "Eavesdropping." It's not so much the instruments that were used, but the way the song is carried and held up by Ed's voice which has been compared to Harry Nilsson's a lot lately. I've never been one to nit pick a song to the extent of trying to find the influences, but then again my music knowledge isn't as vast as others might be.

I know a lot of people consider our generations to be divided. Each one saying that the next one will destroy the world. But those gaps can be, and are closed with the patience and tolerance handed to us from the older generations and what they have accomplished through the arts. It brings us all together and it's something we can't forget about.

Remember when you asked your parents what they listened to when they were younger and getting into music? What they were enjoying during their early life and before the world ended and began at the same moment you were born? I'm sure what they told you was an array of bands that you began to enjoy as well because somehow you remember hearing it when you were a baby. I ask this because I'm reading This Is Your Brain On Music by Daniel J. Leviten, a former music producer turned neuro-psychologist that talks about how music is able to produce an emotional response not only through the lyrics, but through the specific rhythms and pitches in the songs. A song sticks with you because of how you originally felt, and not thought, when you first heard it. This is why the music of our parent's generation plays a part in what we may listen to today.

I'm really looking forward to when my children get older and inquire about my taste in music. I would be playing an album and one of them will ask, "who is this, dad?" It'll be something I had been playing since they were able to remember hearing it whether they know it or not. Something that will stand the test of time and become a classic much like The Beatles or Led Zeppelin. It'll be Grizzly Bear.