Thank you Jack White
Just in time for another break-up, Brendan Benson returns with another break-up album. And it's stellar. Not just in the 'Someone Told My Story In a Song' way, but in the non-stop attack of great hooks, melodies, riffs, and Cheap Trick-isms way.
It's a shoe in for my album of the year, and I just listened to the new Wildhearts, so there isn't much left to knock it out. It's got rockers, acoustic ballads and even a Motown nod, complete with huge strings!
The first half of what would be the second side is 3 tracks of insane power pop perfection. 'Poised and Ready', 'Don't Wanna Talk', and 'Miserey', which features a part where he layers "do do do do"s that culminate in a saccharine "yeah" under "hey now", almost as if he just wanted to see if he could make it fit. He could. 'Don't Wanna Talk' has my favorite line: "You're soft to the touch/and hard to believe"
Thank you Brendan, you are getting me through another one! And thank you Jack White for releasing Mr. Benson from The Raconteurs long enough to make such a masterpiece.
Listen for yourself.
Brendan Benson
Credit to the OU.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Here's what I thought about some random songs from my iPod...
Diagnosis - Weakerthans
It's almost dangerous the way he makes self pity sound so smart and well-thought-out. I've seen them 4 times and they never did this one. one of my faves. It's got that 2-part call and response guitar riff that i LOVE.
Terrion - Scanner
scanner sing about a place called terrion. good catchy fantasy metal. fun, like metal should be.
Starting to Come to Me - Elvis
what i've always thought of as a second tier song on one two good albums he released in the last 20 years, was revealed to be as totally awesome. i guess that's what happens when you listen to an elvis song amid lesser stuff (which is almost anything else)
Take Me Away - BöC
sweet riff off Revolution By Night.
Reason - Alligator Gun
I recently digitized this demo tape. it was right before Kucera left the band. they were gettig better and better. this is a great bill song that for some reason left with Kucera.
Symphony in Blue - Kate Bush
she's hit or miss and i'm still trying to wade through her catalog, but this lillting, dreamy melody is definitely a hit
Clowntime is Over - Elvis
the slow version. my preferred version is whichever one i heard last. this is the one off taking liberties, (now on the ryko version of get happy) and i always loved taking liberties all the way through, like an album. a sonically inconsistent yet consistently great album.
Don't Let It Bring You Down - Neil
always relaxing. great song. so warbly, so pretty, so comforting. "burnig castles" can never bring me down when this song is on.
Ash and Sadness - Koester
first version. great song. I'm honored to have co-writing cred for the sweet guitar riff.
Flame of the West - Big Country
more chest-puffing anthems. from their second album which is widely regarded as their best. i'm in that camp too, but the first 3 plus the EP are all equally stunning.
———————————1/22/08———————————
Are You Receiving Me? - XTC
Awesome early single for these quirk popsters. Great driving hook in the chorus punctuated by lofty floating breakdowns of verses. the video is equally fun and exciting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RApvaQ0uGTw
Sunny Side of My Life - Merle Haggard
A deep cut off Mama Tried. We all know how good the title track is and the record doesn't ever dip too far below that bar. Lots of good acoustic leads and fills typical of what was bubbling up in his sound at this middle/late-early period Hag.
Mexican Blood - Thin Lizzy
Post "Golden Era" Thin Lizzy is still damn fine R&R. This one has some marimba in it for the ethnic accent, so you know he's singing about a Mexican Girl. It's a sad trubador tale and a moving tragedy in Phil's earnest delivery. Wistful in the way Renegade is and almost as good.
Take the Long Way 'Round - Teenage Fanclub
GLR session version from the B-side from Start Again. It doesn't have the little Pac-Man Noise in it, but they hit the great vocal break down. One of the gems i got when i bought a box lot of every single from Grand Prix and Songs From Northern Britain. It was pricey, but I used money I won at blackjack on my parent's anniversary cruise. Know when to walk away.
Shake Me Baby - Junior Senior
Wow, this is a good song. These guys are kind of a dance band, but this song is a pretty straight up pop song (verse/chorus/midle 8th). Jangley guitars. great vocal melody. Inane lovey lyric–which I am more than cool with. They are Swedish, so it's better than I could write in Swedish! I need to listen to this album more . . .
Diagnosis - Weakerthans
It's almost dangerous the way he makes self pity sound so smart and well-thought-out. I've seen them 4 times and they never did this one. one of my faves. It's got that 2-part call and response guitar riff that i LOVE.
Terrion - Scanner
scanner sing about a place called terrion. good catchy fantasy metal. fun, like metal should be.
Starting to Come to Me - Elvis
what i've always thought of as a second tier song on one two good albums he released in the last 20 years, was revealed to be as totally awesome. i guess that's what happens when you listen to an elvis song amid lesser stuff (which is almost anything else)
Take Me Away - BöC
sweet riff off Revolution By Night.
Reason - Alligator Gun
I recently digitized this demo tape. it was right before Kucera left the band. they were gettig better and better. this is a great bill song that for some reason left with Kucera.
Symphony in Blue - Kate Bush
she's hit or miss and i'm still trying to wade through her catalog, but this lillting, dreamy melody is definitely a hit
Clowntime is Over - Elvis
the slow version. my preferred version is whichever one i heard last. this is the one off taking liberties, (now on the ryko version of get happy) and i always loved taking liberties all the way through, like an album. a sonically inconsistent yet consistently great album.
Don't Let It Bring You Down - Neil
always relaxing. great song. so warbly, so pretty, so comforting. "burnig castles" can never bring me down when this song is on.
Ash and Sadness - Koester
first version. great song. I'm honored to have co-writing cred for the sweet guitar riff.
Flame of the West - Big Country
more chest-puffing anthems. from their second album which is widely regarded as their best. i'm in that camp too, but the first 3 plus the EP are all equally stunning.
———————————1/22/08———————————
Are You Receiving Me? - XTC
Awesome early single for these quirk popsters. Great driving hook in the chorus punctuated by lofty floating breakdowns of verses. the video is equally fun and exciting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RApvaQ0uGTw
Sunny Side of My Life - Merle Haggard
A deep cut off Mama Tried. We all know how good the title track is and the record doesn't ever dip too far below that bar. Lots of good acoustic leads and fills typical of what was bubbling up in his sound at this middle/late-early period Hag.
Mexican Blood - Thin Lizzy
Post "Golden Era" Thin Lizzy is still damn fine R&R. This one has some marimba in it for the ethnic accent, so you know he's singing about a Mexican Girl. It's a sad trubador tale and a moving tragedy in Phil's earnest delivery. Wistful in the way Renegade is and almost as good.
Take the Long Way 'Round - Teenage Fanclub
GLR session version from the B-side from Start Again. It doesn't have the little Pac-Man Noise in it, but they hit the great vocal break down. One of the gems i got when i bought a box lot of every single from Grand Prix and Songs From Northern Britain. It was pricey, but I used money I won at blackjack on my parent's anniversary cruise. Know when to walk away.
Shake Me Baby - Junior Senior
Wow, this is a good song. These guys are kind of a dance band, but this song is a pretty straight up pop song (verse/chorus/midle 8th). Jangley guitars. great vocal melody. Inane lovey lyric–which I am more than cool with. They are Swedish, so it's better than I could write in Swedish! I need to listen to this album more . . .
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