Song of the Week 7/24/09

Ingrid Michaelson - "Maybe"



I've written about Ms. Michaelson in the past on the blog and the RT20 about how she's such an entertaining interview subject. I spoke with her once again last week for her upcoming album Everybody. And for someone who's so witty and charming in an interview (and afterwards) as well as on stage, it's still surprising to me that she writes some of the darkest songs about relationships of any artist I've come in contact with the past few years. Everybody is--lyically at least--one downer of an album.

Michaelson told me that Everybody is an album about how "love is not enough to keep a relationship going." She wasn't kidding, as song after song is about relationships getting blown apart. "Maybe" closes the album on a kind of uplifting note (which was by design to soften the blow of all the bummers that come before it). It's perhaps her slickest production yet, and that's probably why I found myself humming it over and over again the past seven days.

Upon futher reflection, a chorus that goes "maybe in the future you're gonna come back" ain't so uplifting. But at least it's got a mass of Michaelsons sining the chorus. She does an incredible job of hamonizing with herself. I could listen to her do harmonies all day.

Song of the Week 7/17/09

Billy Bragg & Wilco - "Hoodoo Voodoo"

A chance to see Wilco play just blocks from the Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island? I couldn't pass that up. And I couldn't pass up naming "Hoodoo Voodoo" SOTW after this live performance Monday night:



Wow. That was the best version I've ever seen. And it was just as good five nights later in Wappingers Falls.

Song of the Week 7/10/09

Bob Welch - "Sentimental Lady"



WCBS-FM here in New York did their (what now seems go be) annual Fourth of July trip through the alphabet last week. This year it had twist--Z to A instead of regular alphabetical order. Even backwards, it's still the coolest thing on commercial radio. I heard tons of songs that made me think, "Damn, I should make sure that own this song, and download it if I don't." So this year I used the handy note feature on the iPhone to keep track of what I wanted. And this hit single from the former Fleetwood Mac singer-guitarist was at the top of the list. It's a smooth rock gem from 1978 that I remember all the lyrics to 31 years later.

Wow, my brain has a lot of worthless crap in it.

Song of the Week 7/3/09

Death Cab for Cutie - "Little Bribes"



My friends, today I bring you an example of the Internet doing some good for once. Ross Ching is an out of work director and cinematographer in L.A. Inspired by an old Death Cab for Cutie clip, he decided to make a video to go along with "Little Bribes" from The Open Door EP. Ching writes that ,"The goal was to create a fresh, new direction to take my work to." And he certainly does that, combining stop action, time lapse photography and some handy video effects to create perhaps the best fan made video ever. Stereogum discovers it, tips off someone in the Death Cab camp, and the band posts it on their site in late May. Six weeks later, as "Little Bribes" starts getting airplay at Triple A stations, the band convinces their label to make the clip the official "Little Bribes" video. And then Ching picks up a job making another video for Atlantic.

Seeing someone rewarded for the hard work is so baffling to me. It's not like that happens at my job.

As for "Little Bribes" the song, I have always been a big fan and wondered why Death Cab didn't include this on Narrow Stairs. If it had made the cut, it probably would have been my favorite song. As it is, it's one of my favorite singles of the year.

Song of the Week 6/26/09

Egghead. - "My Daughter"



Two amazing reunion shows in New York and Baltimore from my friends Mike, Johnny and John? Fantastic.

Two amazing reunion shows in New York and Baltimore where they do two brand new songs? My oh my, I almost can't stop smiling. I love the fact that people were singing along after only two performances.

"My Daughter" might be the best thing to come out of parenthood ever.