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Do the Shuffle
Posted at 12:02 PM on January 18, 2008
by Tony Lopez
(6 Comments)
No jinx this week, as I had feared in last week’s Shuffle. Unless you consider a 45% appearance rate by Beck a jinx.
“Round the Bend,” Beck
Beck successfully channels Nick Drake’s melancholia on this song from 2002’s Sea Change. In other news, Odelay is being reissued on January 29.
“Can’t Stop Thinking About Her,” The Red Button
Poptastic deliciousness by this duo from Los Angeles. Seth Swirsky is an accomplished pop songwriter, making music for people like Al Green, Rufus Wainwright, Jane Weidlin and a host of other artists. Mike Ruekberg is Alex Chilton reincarnated. Well, that is, if Alex Chilton were dead. Anyway, local music aficionados will remember Mike from his days fronting pop trio Rex Daisy. And who can forget his alter-ego Monty De Carlo in 2 Tickets 2 Paradise? Sweet.
“Story of an Artist,” Daniel Johnston
This song breaks my heart every time. As luck would have it, and as Christina Schmitt told us last week, Daniel Johnston is playing a gig at First Avenue in February. He epitomizes the term Outsider artist. The Devil and Daniel Johnston is an absolute must-see.
“The Slummer the Slum,” The “5” Royales
Making their second straight Shuffle appearance, this song is like a blueprint for the blues-rock that would follow in its wake. Plus, whenever I hear the word “roy-yal,” I think of this scene in Pulp Fiction. “Royale with cheese” does sound a lot more appetizing, doesn’t it?
“Iko Iko,” The Dixie Cups
The history of a song is always appealing to me. And this tune’s New Orleans heritage is particularly interesting.
Comments (6)
Woo hoo! I can chime in this week!
The Beatles - "Please Please Me"
There was an essay in a wonderful book about some guy's favorite pop songs that I read about 7 years ago and haven't been able to find since. In it, he wrote about how the only proper way to listen to "Please Please Me" is to turn it up LOUD and just let it smack you in the face. Then repeat, and repeat, and repeat.
Ryan Adams - "Nuclear"
One of the hundreds of tracks Adams recorded in the pre/post-Gold period. He may finally be releasing his 5-disc box set of unreleased albums this spring, but I have a feeling "Nuclear" was strong enough that it never needed a parent album to begin with. Plus, any song that mentions the 1996 World Series is pretty cool.
Beck - "New Round"
Curse you, Tony. Maybe you've now passed your Beck jinx off to me.
Connie Stevens - "Sixteen Reasons"
This is a track that appeared on the Mulholland Drive soundtrack. I'm more interested in watching the movie again; the now-defunct Stylus Magazine voted the best movie of the decade so far. Seeing it in the theater was downright surreal. Anyway, a cute song for a twisted film -- just the way David Lynch likes it.
Bruce Springsteen - "Highway Patrolman"
An epic saga from the Nebraska album. There's an awesome version of it on the new Live In Dublin release. I've always meant to see the movie Sean Penn made based on this song.
Sorry 'bout the Beck jinx, Mac! : ) But I'm glad you could Shuffle along this week.
'96 World Series? I didn't peg you for a Yankees fan or am I barking up the wrong tree?
Twins fan for life, but I liked the Yankees in 1996. They had lots of great players who had never won the World Series and the franchise was likeable enough in those days (I was 12, give me a break). It was the same logic that had me rooting strongly for the Diamondbacks in 2001. I just like how Adams is able to weave a specific sporting event like that into the narrative -- for him, the Yankees losing to the Braves would be a tragedy akin to nuclear apocalypse. He could easily be referring to the 1999 World Series too, come to think of it.
I escaped the Beck jinx as well. Well, things got kind of “old school” this week with a surprise thrown in:
Led Zeppelin – Kashmir
My favorite Zep track of all time. I wonder if this is what started my fascination with music from the Middle East and India… Hmm..
Patti Smith – Within You/Without You
A cover tune! How timely!! This is an interesting cover of the George Harrison tune from Sgt. Pepper. Patti certainly made this one her own.
Neil Young – Hey Hey, My My
The live version of this oft-quoted song. I’d bet that after “U hope I die before I get old”, “It's better to burn out than to fade away” is the next most quoted lyric of all time.
Persephone’s Bees – Muzika Dlya Filma
Gotta love the jangly/twangy gertar on this one. Anyone know Russian?
David Byrne – Light Bath
From "The Catherine Wheel" the dance piece he wrote for Twyla Tharp for Broadway. This is the intro piece. Very short, about 1 minute. Pulsing drums and chirpy, ethereal synthesizer.
And since that was so short, I’ve included:
Rain Tree Crow – Blackwater
From the band Japan’s “reunion” album that went horribly awry. Somehow they managed to piece together this very beautiful song. David Sylvian never sounded so good.
Ok. here we go.
"Leave Me (Like You Found Me)" - Wilco. I think Wilco has lost me. Not feeling what I used to. And I feel really bad about it. But the harder I listen, this is actually pretty beautiful. So why haven't I been able to give these last two records the time I gave Yankee Hotel Foxtrot?
"My Slumbering Heart" - Rilo Kiley. Another band that I fear has lost me. Granted, they never totally had me. but half of this album is great. This song is... ok.
"Jazz" - A Tribe Called Quest. Oh I miss these guys. Kind of surprised I don't here them more on the Current. One of the best Hip Hop groups ever. Can't wait for Q-Tip's long anticipated lost masterpiece.. He just may be the coolest MC ever
"House At The Top of The Hill" - Candyskins. I really liked these guys. good Brit pop. Never happened for them. The album after this, "Death of A Minor TV Personality", should have been huge. It was great. Fountains of Wayne meets Oasis. somehow?
"Getting Near The End" - Big Trouble House. Oh man! From '90. Long lost local classic. Phil Harder's band before he went on to filmmaking/video directing fame. Before this band he was in Breaking Circus. Before that he was in a great Eau Claire Punk band called Bring Home The Lobsters. A good friend of mine was the drummer in that band. We were like 15 at the time. So, partly because of his inclusion in that band, we went from being called "new wave f!@@$^s" to being asked for mixtapes, etc... Good times. I also remember going to see them (big trouble house, that is) open for the Afghan Whigs at a tiny club in Madison with some friends from college (probably 90/91). One of the dudes we were with was real obnoxious. didn't care for him too much. anyway. someone onstage (won't mention names) apparently felt the same way and knocked him in the head with his guitar headstock. just enough to bring a little blood. downside... the kid thought it was cool..
I love "Jazz" Wells T. "All my peoples Uptown ya don't stop!"
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