#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.

#8

The doctor will see you now.

"Over & Over" - Hot Chip

Sometimes I feel I run out of things to talk about on here. I have different songs each time but what I have to say is pretty much the same each time. With every issue I have some kind of loose theme to tie all the songs together. It makes the blog more interesting. This morning I realized that there is a constant theme surrounding all the issues and tying them together. Music is therapy. It's other things as well to other people, but for me it's therapy. When I put on an album on my record player and set the needle down for it to play it's the equivalent of walking into a shrink's office, sitting down, and he or she looking at me and asking how I'm feeling. Then, when the music plays, I let go. Whatever I have on my mind that happened or didn't happen in my life gets flushed down the pipes of a vocalist and drowned in a sea of guitar, bass, and drums. It's a catharsis.

I've had this on my mind for almost a week now. I was hoping to have songs that would fit what I have to say (something from Sea Change?), but the randomness of 5SIAR is what makes it challenging. This song from Hot Chip, for example, is a great song to dance to. In fact, pretty much all their songs give you that get up and move feeling. The question I ask is why? The answer: because not only does the music heal you, but dancing to it does as well. Since time began humans have incorporated dance with their religious rituals that are set to music. The two go hand in hand. It's easier for the music to move you mentally and emotionally if it's moving you physically. I know some of you don't like to dance, but really, it helps. OK, so you're white. Big deal. So your best friend makes fun of you while you're shaking your ass. It's all in good fun because she looks just as awkward trying to move away from some douche-nozzle trying to rub his crotch all over her back side.

The night's over. You're drunk. Very drunk, and very sweaty. Sweaty because you've been on the dance floor all night, unable to leave it because the DJ is actually spinning (or these days cuing from a laptop) decent shit. The friend you conned into getting your drinks for you the entire night insists on leaving. Fair enough. Your time is up. You've had your session for the evening. The wadded up tissues filled with tears have become the sweat, piss, and vomit you left in the toilet. You feel better. That is until the next time you don't. If this hasn't happened to you yet then eventually it will. I promise.

Over And Over - Hot Chip

"Natural Resources" - Dntel

(In a Jerry Seinfeld voice) What's with people naming themselves just letters? What do they mean? You've got MGMT (Management), MSTRKRFT (Mastercraft), and Jimmy Tamborello's Dntel (pronounced din-tel according to wikipedia). You may know this guy as being one half of The Postal Service. The other half being indie music's poster boy Ben Gibbard. Sorry Conor Oberst, you've been dethroned. Dumb Luck does however feature Oberst and a slew of other indie music voices like Jenny Lewis and Ed Droste from Grizzly Bear. The album isn't great, but it's not without a few moments. For me it's the pure fact that all the music is programmed, something I aspire to do one of these days when I get my hands on enough money to buy equipment.

Music itself is a therapy and so is creating it. I view programming beats and dialing in synth settings as surgery. Very delicate surgery. One slip of the scalpel and your song will flatline, or will it? With music, sometimes mistakes can be blessings. Obviously when a doctor is repairing an organ he doesn't want to slice an artery. When I'm retooling a preset on a synthesizer to make it sound different I may screw it up in the process, but I make sure to let myself try it out before scrapping it completely. I break it all down. I let it be something it's not. It's something every electronic musician does, which to me, is therapy. You have the ability to create your own sound out of noise. You are the composer and the conductor. You are also the doctor.

Now you're on the other side of things. You're the creator so you're the one providing the therapy. You're the one that's offering the means to a release. It doesn't have to just be music though, it can be the words as well, or a painting. It can be anything you create. It's there for a purpose. It helped you, now you can let it help others. It's a cycle that will always keep going as long as we're here.

Natural Resources - Dntel

"Cloche" - French Kicks

There's another thing that bothers me about some bands lately. Hell, I don't even know what to call it since I'm not a guitar player. I'll give it my best shot though. Strumming pattern? 32nds on one or two strings to give the guitar that, I don't know, Radiohead sound? I can't put my finger on it. Just listen to the song and you'll know what I'm talking about. Whatever its called the French Kicks use it, a lot. Almost too much. I don't really consider it a bad or a good thing though. It's just a thing. Overdone, yes, but at least it sounds cool, right? Well, just because it sounds cool doesn't mean you have to keep doing it.

I feel bands sometimes fall into a comfort zone. They find a sound and they stick with it. It works for some, like the French Kicks, others get bored and venture off into new territory. Experimentation is just another kind of release and catharsis. How does a person learn without taking those steps toward the unknown?

We have an aversion to the unknown. We're scared of it, actually. But progress has never been made without some kind of leap of faith by someone. A person willing to risk it all for the sake of whatever it is he or she believes in. Painful, yes, but needed. I don't think I, or anyone else, would be where they are today without that pain. You need it. How else do you learn? How else do you finally rid yourself of what ails you?

Cloche - French Kicks

"Come Together" - Spiritualized

We're nearing the nitty gritty now. We have a song from an artist that has created music laced with references to people being sad, people taking drugs because they are sad, and then being sad because they took the drugs. And then, of course, we listen to those songs. People use a song as a drug. Other people just go ahead and use a drug, but that's neither here nor there. It's kind of like the beginning of High Fidelity....

"What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"

It's a constant, unwavering cycle. It serves itself. The motion of sadness begetting sadness is an occurrence that, to me, is a paradox. It will never end. People will never stop feeling, so obviously people will never stop exploring that feeling through music which in turn will cause other people to explore the feeling. As I said before, it just goes on and on. It's another way we are all connected in this universe. A song is played for you and you attribute that song to that moment and the feeling you had at the moment. It'll break you, but it'll also fix you.

Come Together - The London Com...

"The Way Out Is Through" - Nine Inch Nails

What better way to end this issue than with the king of healing through misery, Trent Reznor. Even the song title sums up the theme. Yes, the way out is certainly through all the noise and clutter you are surrounded with. You can't go around it because you will learn nothing. Healing hurts sometimes, but that's why we have Nine Inch Nails, or at least I have NIN. Trent has more of a cult following lately. There aren't too many people just now getting into his music. Either you've been a fan since the days of Pretty Hate Machine and beyond, or you haven't. But the time spent being a fan doesn't play into the equation anymore in my opinion. It honestly doesn't matter if you've listened to an artist's music since their inception or just recently started listening.

So yes, personally, Reznor's music is my antiseptic and bandage. There was a time after some not too recent heartbreak that I listened to the album With Teeth on repeat for a very, very long time. When that album first came out I wasn't exactly the biggest fan of it. I have discovered, however, that most albums from the past are played more now than when they originally were released. I suppose an album can serve a certain purpose at a certain point in time. Before that time it doesn't make sense. It's not ready to be listened to until that one moment comes when you're listening to it and it all comes together. It suddenly becomes your best friend. Your lover. Matter to fill the hole until it can fill itself again.

Art is used for a lot of things, but it's greatest purpose is in healing. The rhythm can get you on the dance floor and make you feel free and forget your cares and worries. The beat can stimulate your brain as you're trying to write a sequence of drum patterns for a song. Even something as simple as wind passing through the holes of a flute can do wonders. A few little notes are all a person needs to feel at home and at peace with themselves and others.

The Way Out Is Through - Nine ...

#7

Happy May Day everyone! I have some reviews in the new issue of REAX Magazine that came out today. I reviewed the new Decemberists, Camera Obscura, and St. Vincent albums. Make sure to grab your copy, and if you have the time, write in and let me know what your take on these albums are. Thanks!


"I Got Lost" - Loney, Dear

Forgive me. This issue of 5SIAR will not be as lengthy and interesting as previous ones. Something called “studying for finals” got in the way. At least my brain power went to something constructive and not the uselessness that Billy Corgan seems to be bringing to the table lately. Speaking of which, if anyone hasn’t read my rant on him then I invite you to do so here. Anyway, on with the show.

Emil Svanängen, the Swedish multi-instrumentalist going by the pseudo-name Loney, Dear (this guy loves the comma), has been creating that dreamy type of indie-folk akin to Sufjan Stevens for quite a while now. Yet, as with most music from overseas, it takes a while to catch on here in the states. It helps to tour with someone like Andrew Bird, which Svanängen did for the most recent tour for his 2009 release, Dear John. He began recording where most young musicians do, in their parent's basement. I can't help but picture him trying to record his first song and his mom calling out for him to come to dinner or take out the trash. Still, that first basement recorded album garnered enough attention just by word of mouth to get him a record deal and a ticket to move out of ma and pa's house.

The album is worth a listen or two, but it's nothing to write home about. The scene seems to be flooded with Loney, Dear's reverence to indie. It does deserve some credit though. While the album is reminiscent to most other indie albums of past or present tense, it does a good job on not stepping on the toes of those albums. I can't say the same for that band Crystal Stilts. Can we say Iggy & The Stooges' Raw Power?

I Got Lost - Loney, Dear

"2 + 2 = 5" - Radiohead

If you didn't see them on their tour last year, then I'm sorry, you missed quite a show. Thom and fellow droogs put on one hell of a display of musical genius, even in a shitty amphitheater venue. The sound was good, the setlist was great, being around thousands of fellow Radiohead fans was phenomenal, and not hearing a lot from Hail To The Thief was appreciated. Let's face it, HTTT hasn't been their strongest release. I think even the most die-hard fan can attest to that. The album seemed to have stirred up enough malcontent in some people to give them the excuse to stop listening to the band completely. When I say completely I mean they didn't even give In Rainbows a chance, which in my opinion, is a great album, but I guess it wasn't great enough to bring back some of the fans that set sail.

I think maybe some people get tired of all the hype Radiohead always gets. Not to sound cruel or judgmental, but people, fans or not, do tend to raise an ear every time one little iota of Radiohead news is spilled out onto the internet. Even Pitchfork, the most staunch when it comes to real music news, started salivating after one little mention of recording a new album that Johnny gave recently. I mean, yes, it is nice to know an artist is in the studio working on their next release, but I really don't care to hear anything about it until at least near post-production and mastering. I'm picky. I like to not know that way it seems like less time between albums. Don't judge me.

Again, to reiterate, not my favorite, or anyone's favorite Radiohead album. I don't think it's in contention at all. This track, and the very last track "Wolf At The Door" are probably my only favorites. The rest is just an example of the band's frustration with themselves. They went through a rough patch for a while, and it certainly shows with the quality of tunes during this period of time. We can't blame Bush for that one, or can we?

2 + 2 = 5 - Radiohead

"Include Me Out" - Young Marble Giants

It's a 5SIAR first. A track that is from someone's random mix that was made that I took a liking to and threw on my iPod. The mix- The Top Of Damon's Charts. Last issue's Cyndi Lauper song was also from the very same mix. So now with that being said, this song isn't the first from that mix to make it to 5SIAR. Oh well. It is still a random song, therefore it fits the bill.

OK, I'll confess now that the only reason I stole this mix was to have that Cyndi Lauper song. You caught me. However, now that this song has popped up and I am forced by the laws put in place by the 5SIAR gods (me), I kinda have to listen to it. Fine by me because now it makes me want to go listen to more Young Marble Giants. The song is a tease clocking in at 2:01 so by nature I'm curious to find out if all their songs have the same length or does their minimalist post-punk go a little deeper down the rabbit hole to end up in the land of "something more." As of right now, with this song, I can see why YMG were an influence to the early 90's grunge via Nirvana and Hole. Both bands covered another Giants song from the same album called "Credit in the Straight World."

Young Marble Giants are another perfect example of a band being ahead of their time. Now that I've listened and not skipped this track I can hear their influence on not only the music of the 90's, but also new bands making their debut right now in the present. I believe this is why many bands of yesteryear are reuniting again. So far we've seen My Bloody Valentine come together again, Dinosaur Jr., and now Young Marble Giants have followed suit to perform at various UK festivals. They want to show the newbies how it's really done. My only question is: When will Hum reunite for a new album?

Include Me Out - Young Marble ...

"She Is Beyond Good And Evil" - The Pop Group

Wow, yet another early 80's post-punk band that seems to have influenced every single other present day band those Pitchfork dudes and dudeettes are telling you to listen to lately. Pitchfork, I love to hate 'em. Yet sometimes they do have some fairly witty and smart commentary that I agree with. Last year they came out with a book highlighting their top 500 songs from 1978-2008. It's in chronological order and not numbered so there isn't a specific #1 song. It is more like a nice little reference guide to the past three decades of music genres and sub-genres. For those who don't have it I suggest getting it. Makes a good Christmas gift, which was how I received it (thanks again, Edward).

I'll go ahead and give the excerpt from the book about this song since I am so pressed for time I don't have any to begin research about The Pop Group. Pitchfork can do the talking for me on this one. Meh, I felt a little queasy as I typed that. I promise not to slack on next issue.

"After an opening swell of distortion that recalls Jimi Hendrix circa "Foxy Lady," the femme fatale of the title is invoked as a spiky Venus. The band struggles to catch up to her, diving into dubbed-out foxholes dug by reggae producer Dennis Bovill. Frontman Mark Stewart stops the show with a shrieked "I hold you like a gunnnnnnn" that triggers a cavernous clang, then landslides into an anti-guitar solo of fantastically rude physicality. Crooning that "Western values mean nothing to her," the Pop Group earn their Nietzschean name-dropping with music that suitably Dionysian, ruthless, and ecstatic." -From the book The Pitchfork 500

Translation: I guess it's good, or else we wouldn't have put it in our book.



"Let Forever Be" - The Chemical Brothers

As soon as this track came on and I started listening to it, I couldn't help but think of "Blue Monday" from New Order. But not New Order's version, Orgy's version. Ugh, I feel sick again.

When was the last time you or someone you know jammed out to The Chemical Brothers? Yeah, I don't remember either. In fact, I don't think I ever have. I don't even think I've had any friends or acquaintances who have. Are we missing out? If there is a Chem Bros fan out there reading this then please leave a comment explaining, in detail, why I should listen to them. I believe the only redeeming quality to this song is the fact that Michel Gondry directed the video to it. Let's watch!!



Survey says: Your song will automatically be better if you can get Gondry to make the video for it. Take "Fell In Love With A Girl" from The White Stripes for instance. It's a good song, but the Lego block video makes it that much better. When it came to The Chem Bros, it was Gondry's use of the video camera and post-prod effects that gave this song some gerth. It certainly wasn't Noel Gallagher's voice.

#6

Top 5 most played songs on your iPod in a row. Go!


“This Tornado Loves You” – Neko Case

For this issue of 5SIAR I felt the need to break the rules a little bit for the sake of the theme I’d like to concentrate on. Everyone has a top five song list. Maybe it isn’t the top five of all time, but it is the top five songs with the most plays on your music player of choice. These are the songs that you can’t get out of your head. They mean something to the point of you playing them over and over and never getting sick of them no matter how many times you press “repeat.” The notes and the words burrow into your head and stay there for a good amount of time. Long enough to start making connections to the songs to what may be going on in your life at the time. For me each song represents a scene from my past or present that includes a noun— a person, a place, or a thing.

I wasn’t surprised when I sorted my iPod to find that “This Tornado Loves You” had the most plays. This new track from Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone has taken me over. From the moment I first heard it there hasn’t been a day that I haven’t played it at least once. It was the lyrics that captured me. Neko explains that this person would do anything to find this love in the grim words “I left the motherless fatherless. Their souls dangling inside-out from their mouths, but it’s never enough.” I can relate and so can anyone else that has tried so desperately to have that one love back into your life-- A love that’s worth “smashing every transformer with every trailer” for.

This song also serves as a giver of perspective for me. I don’t necessarily have to continue searching for something or someone I know I can’t obtain, so why persist? I’ll give everyone a fair warning and say that the next four songs are equally has heart wrenching as this one. Brace yourself for the melancholy that is the rest of my top five most played. They are sad, but undeniably empowering.

This Tornado Loves You - Neko ...

“When You Were Mine” – Cyndi Lauper

I know what you’re thinking. “Nick, why is there a Cyndi Lauper song on your iPod? Is there something you’ve been meaning to tell us?” No, there isn’t, but hear me out because I know some of you are a bit stunned at the fact that A: Cyndi Lauper is on my iPod, and B: that it would have the second highest play count. Well for one, it isn’t even a Lauper song; it’s a Prince one. And two, Cyndi does a much better job at portraying the song and what it’s about with her distinguishing voice. It’s almost as if Prince wrote it just for her.

Cyndi lives in that realm bordering obscurity and semi-fame. The 80’s were kind to her with hits from the same album She’s So Unusual including “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and the uber prom popular “Time After Time.” But who can forget the timeless classic “The Goonies ‘R Good Enough?” I still can’t believe there are people out there who have never seen that movie. The Goonies is on that list of 80’s movies along with The Breakfast Club and Back To The Future that you have to watch. It’s mandatory. Period.

Simply put—“When You Were Mine” is a jam. It’s the kind of song you can play in any kind of situation and it would be OK to just put it on repeat for a while. Maybe not weddings because of the subject matter, but you catch my drift. The song serves itself well in a bar when you’re piss drunk, not thinking clearly, and need a song to play on the jukebox because you just saw your ex making out with another dude. Do you think Prince ever had to deal with that? I mean, c’mon, he’s fucking Prince!

When You Were Mine - Cyndi Lau...

“Let’s Get Out Of This Country” – Camera Obscura

Infatuation with this song started immediately after hearing it. Hence the third highest play count. I don’t even remember who turned me onto Camera Obscura. It seems so long ago, like back in the days of when Underachievers Please Try Harder came out. Of course back then I wasn’t as savvy to the indie world as I am now so I probably scoffed at it. Fast-forward a few years later to when the album of the same name of this song was released. I was a bit more open minded than I was in my naive past when I thought indie was synonymous with patchouli. Boy, was I wrong. It was the words of the song, and the entire album, that struck a nerve with me. They were sad, but not in an annoying self-deprecating way, and they were inspiring as well.

“What does this city have to offer me? Everyone else thinks it’s the bee’s knees” sings Obscura-ite Tracyanne Campbell to an uplifting chamber pop orchestration of mellow rock riffs and synthesized strings in a song that’s all about grabbing your lover and moving on to another city to escape. I can relate. I think about doing this on a daily basis. Sometimes I just want to kidnap my friends and family and just move away to experience something greater and something more stimulating than my normal day-to-day drag. This song helps to remind myself of that awesome, yet slim possibility.

It’s through Campbell’s wonderfully crafted lyrics that the listener can really get a sense of the insecurities she may have with not only her town, but her own image as well. The line, “We’ll find a cathedral so that you can convince me I am pretty,” sets the tone of old age not necessarily meaning ugly. Everyone reaches a split second point in their life when they look in the mirror and gasp at a gray hair or a wrinkle. No one should ever feel conquered by his or her age though. Certain body parts may be sagging a little, but that doesn’t mean you have to be vain about it. Age brings not only wisdom, but extra beauty as well. This can also be said about the band’s new album My Maudlin Career due out on the 21st of this month. I’ll let it be known now that it’ll most likely be on my top 10 for the year.

Somehow Lala got the order of the songs mixed up. It says "The False Contender" but it's really "Let's Get Out Of This Country."

The False Contender - Camera O...

“Knocked Up” – Kings of Leon

Who died and suddenly made these guys the “kings” of the airwaves? I can’t turn the radio on without hearing “Sex On Fire” or “Use Somebody” at least once as I’m scanning through the stations. They blew up so damned fast out of nowhere with just one hit. I thought something like that was only reserved for the Britneys and Beyonces of our time, but not Kings of Leon. They have paid their dues though; I will give them that. Some people have enjoyed them ever since Youth & Young Manhood, but as for me, I didn’t particularly care for them until Because Of The Times came out and even then I was still skeptical. That is until one night I sat in solitude with a beer and put the album on. It was track one, this song, which got me hooked.

“Knocked Up” is so mellow, even during the heavier portions of it. Almost like the first sip of a good whiskey. It’s smooth, but there’s some bite to it too. Not only did the music of “Knocked Up” make a believer out of me, it was Followill’s line “always mad and usually drunk, but I love her like no other” that hit a soft spot. I kept playing this song just so I can hear him say it again and again. I still do. However, I’m not so sure this band will stand the test of time. I don’t want to think of them as wasting away into pop culture hell with their newly found fame tailing behind them, but the signs are there.

It’s something in my gut. It appeared there after about the 100th time listening to Only By The Night. It was some kind of knot that was telling me, “This will be the last good Kings of Leon album.” I want to have faith, but that knot is holding me back. Maybe I’m just skittish. Everything I love goes away. Great bands (I miss you Hum), great television shows (damn you HBO for canceling Carnivale!), and great food (that sandwich shop down the street from my office with the to die for cheesesteaks needs to come back into my life). But who knows, there’s always that slim chance KoL will pull a rabbit out of their hat and give us another great album similar to that of Because Of The Times.

Knocked Up - Kings Of Leon

“Sounds Better In The Song” – Drive-By Truckers

Mike Cooley wrote, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful songs ever to be written by a human being. I don’t know what to say beyond that. The song leaves me speechless. Even now as I’m writing and listening to the song I can’t think of anything. Everything about it is big. The words, the way the slide guitar kicks you in the balls, the borderline lo-fi vocals, all of it makes it something more than what I’m sure it was intended to be. But aren't all the best songs usually that way? They always sound so simple and effortless, but you know deep down the song could've been one of the hardest ones the person has ever written. So if a song was a pie chart, the creator's soul would probably have the biggest piece of the circle.

Decoration Day is without a doubt my favorite Truckers album. I must give credit to a former roommate and now good friend of mine for turning me onto them. As I stated in the last post on the Emmylou song-- I’ve never been a big fan of country until people started giving me suggestions on what I should listen to. Another favorite is, of course, Lucero. I’m still kicking myself in the ass for not seeing them when they came around a few weeks back.

Go ahead and leave a comment with your current top 5 most played songs. And while you’re at it, and if you haven’t done so already, go here to leave a comment for your random 5 songs in a row. If your list is picked I’ll do a small write up on your songs on Tampa Calling. You might even win a little something too.

Sounds Better In The Song - Dr...