Brandi Carlile - "The Story"

Happy birthday Danette!

Last year I broke with tradition and picked out a birthday song for her that she actually liked, instead of my usual manner of picking a song that makes me think of her (which she may or may not like).  This year, I'm returning to form, since I think Danette is mostly ambivalent about Brandi Carlile. 

Despite it being a breakthrough hit in 2007, somehow I was unaware of "The Story", the title track from Brandi Carlile's second LP, until she perfomed it on SNL, December 10, 2022.  I guess I was generally aware of her and her work, enough to know that she was well respected in the folk / alt-country genres, and had worked with legends like Tanya Tucker.   But the SNL version of "The Story" was a revelation for me.  

It begins simply enough as a conventional ballad:

   All of these lines across my face

   Tell you the story of who I am

   So many stories of where I've been

   And how I got to where I am

   But these stories don't mean anything

   When you've got no one to tell them to

   It's true, I was made for you

   I climbed across the mountain tops

Hello, this is where song really interesting.  Carlile breaks from the ballad format, and with a sense of urgency, cranks the "alt-country" knob from "country" to "alt":

   Swam all across the ocean blue

   I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules

   But baby, I broke them all for you

   Oh, because even when I was flat broke

   You made me feel like a million bucks

   You do, and I was made for you

At the instrumental break, we see her switch from an acoustic to an electric guitar, and the band then proceeds to build tension (1:46 -- 2:10), making me lean forward in my seat, then they knock out a frantic 25 seconds (2:10 -- 2:35) that pays homage to Sonic Youth, before returning to a mostly a cappella stanza:

   You see the smile that's on my mouth

   It's hiding the words that don't come out

   And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed

   They don't know my head is a mess

   No, they don't know who I really am

   And they don't know what I've been through like you do

   And I was made for you

Turning back up the volume and with male back-up vocals providing white noise, they've now set up a loud-quiet-loud progression that would make the Pixies proud:

   All of these lines across my face

   Tell you the story of who I am

   So many stories of where I've been

   And how I got to where I am

   Oh, but these stories don't mean anything

   When you've got no one to tell them to

   It's true, I was made for you

   Oh, yeah, well it's true that I was made for you

I'm a sucker for story telling songs, so how could I not love this poignant meta-story?  Carlile was only 26 when she released this song, which is nearly the amount of time that Danette and I have been together.  Borrowing from what she and I often say about Pink Floyd and "Time" -- at such a young age, how do you write a song with so much insight to lived experience?  

Like Danette, this song has aged well.  Like Danette, my attraction to this song was immediate and visceral. Like Danette, this song reflects the story of who I am. 

The Story: live on SNL 2022-12-10, studio version, cover by Dolly Parton

Bonus link: the backstory on the "The Story"

Previous birthday songs:
2022: Plastic Bertrand - "Ça plane pour moi" 
2021: Adam and the Ants - "Christian D'or" 
2020: Walk Off The Earth - "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"
2019: Nicki Minaj - "Monster"
2018: Bear Hands - "Giants" 
2017: Alvvays - "Archie, Marry Me" 
2016: Molly Hatchet - "Flirtin' With Disaster" 
2015: Avett Brothers - "Kick Drum Heart"
2014: Ani DiFranco - "32 Flavors" 
2013: The Green Pajamas - "Kim the Waitress"
2012: The Cure - "High"
2011: Blink 182 - "Josie"
2010:  Dead Milkmen - "Punk Rock Girl"  

LCD Soundsystem - "No Love Lost" (the song remains the same)

LCD Soundsystem's SNL performance last weekend reminded me that I had recently uncovered their 2007 cover of Joy Division's "No Love Lost".  To mark their 2007 tour, Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem released a split 7" single to sell at concerts.  LCD Soundsystem's contribution was a cover of "No Love Lost", which first appeared on Joy Division's debut 1978 EP "An Ideal for Living".  My first exposure to the song was on their 1988 compilation LP "Substance", where this song captured my attention because it illustrates Joy Division's early, post-punk influence.  I've written earlier about Joy Division's influence on LCD Soundsystem, and this song is a nice tribute from James Murphy and company.

LCD Soundsystem - "No Love Lost"
Joy Division - "No Love Lost" (with footage from "Control") (live)

B-Side (?) Bonus links:
Arcade Fire - "Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son" (2007 live)
France Gall - "Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son"

LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends" (the song remains the same)

I've been meaning to write about LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends" (from their 2007 LP "Sound of Silver") for a couple of years now, but this week's unexpected passing of long-time friend Fred Moore has finally moved me to write about this song.

I was late in discovering LCD Soundsystem, only finding out about them from the Colbert Report in 2011, right before James Murphy ended the band.  I got several of their LPs shortly after that, and immediately fell in love with them.  James Murphy is about my age and his aesthetics and influences deeply resonate with mine. But it wasn't until I was listening to their LPs at the beach a couple years later before the impact and meaning of "All My Friends" really hit me.  A quick google searched proved that I was not alone in my assessment, with the first page containing articles such as "The Melancholy Greatness of `All My Friends'" and "Deconstructing: LCD Soundsystem’s 'All My Friends' And Trying To Define The Best Song Of The Millennium".  Both articles are eloquent perspectives which I won't try to expand on, but only to say that you would be hard pressed to come up with a better soundtrack for a bunch middle-age guys getting together for the weekend ("All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)" is a less nuanced and more literal 2nd place entry). 

My friend Drew got married in the summer of 2012, and most of the high-school & college friends had dispersed up and down the east coast.  Richmond VA was central for most of the people, so we gathered there for an impromptu bachelor party for him.  We had such a good time that we decided to make it an annual occurrence, with our fourth event occurring last July.  For one weekend a year we could run around the city, pretend we're still 22, and try to stay out until last call at 2am (not everyone made it).  I had stayed close with both Drew and Terry, but the wedding and then these annual events was a good way to reconnect with other friends that I had mostly lost contact with.

Any story about high-school & college mischief would inevitably feature Fred Moore as a central figure.  I won't even try to recount the numerous stories, other than to say no one was surprised when Fred was the first member of Tone Deaf (the high-school band for which he was lead vocals) to spend the night in jail (IIRC, drunk in public while he was at Va Tech).  Either despite or because of his wild years, Fred eventually became a well-respected and much-loved Major in the Virginia National Guard, husband, and father of two.  He did tours in Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  His passing was a shock to all, but I'm glad I was able to hang out with him again over the last four years.

Back to the song: it is amazing enough by itself, but I have much respect for LCD Soundsystem releasing two versions of the single: one featuring a cover of the song by John Cale and the other featuring a cover of the song by Franz Ferdinand, each one competing with each other and the original as to who can incorporate the most Ian Curtis / Joy Division influences.   I don't often reproduce all the lyrics for a song, but in this case it is necessary (the Pink Floyd reference is perfect):

That's how it starts
We go back to your house
You check the charts
And start to figure it out

And if it's crowded, all the better
Because we know we're gonna be up late
But if you're worried about the weather
Then you picked the wrong place to stay
That's how it starts

And so it starts
You switch the engine on
We set controls for the heart of the sun
One of the ways that we show our age

And if the sun comes up, if the sun comes up, if the sun comes up
And I still don't wanna stagger home
Then it's the memory of our betters
That are keeping us on our feet

You spent the first five years trying to get with the plan
And the next five years trying to be with your friends again
Oh, you're talking 45 turns just as fast as you can
Yeah, I know it gets tired, but it's better when we pretend

It comes apart
The way it does in bad films
Except the part
Where the moral kicks in

And when we're running out of the drugs
And the conversation's grinding away
I wouldn't trade one stupid decision
For another five years of life

Oh, you drop the first ten years just as fast as you can
And the next ten people who are trying to be polite
When you're blowing 85 days in the middle of France
Yeah, I know it gets tired, only where are your friends tonight?

And to tell the truth
Oh, this could be the last time
So here we go
Like a sales force into the night

And if I made a fool, if I made a fool, if I made a fool
On the road, there's always this
And if I'm sued into submission
I can still come home to this

And with a face like a dad and a laughable stand
You can sleep on the plane or review what you said
When you're drunk and the kids look impossibly tanned
You think over and over "Hey, I'm finally dead."

Oh, if the trip and the plan come apart in your hand
You can turn it on yourself you ridiculous clown
You forgot what you meant when you read what you said
And you knew you were tired
But then where are your friends tonight?

Where are your friends tonight?
Where are your friends tonight?

If I could see all my friends tonight
If I could see all my friends tonight
If I could see all my friends tonight
If I could see all my friends tonight

LCD Soundsystem: "All My Friends", London Sessions, 2011 MSG live version
John Cale: "All My Friends"
Franz Ferdinand: "All My Friends"

I trust we will get together in 2016, but we'll need a Busch beer set out for our missing man.

2012 Bachelor Party

Tone Deaf Reunites for "Louie Louie" at Drew's Wedding

Tone Deaf.  Or at least 4/5 of Tone Deaf, Mk. III

2013

2014

2015 -- Yes, this really happened.

2015

The Beastie Boys - "The Mix-Up" (LP Review)

Remember listening to "Ill Communication" and "Check Your Head" and thinking "wow, those instrumental fuzzy/funk/fusion/faux-soundtrack jams sure are cool; they should do a whole LP of them"?  The Beastie Boys sort of delivered that with 1996's "The In Sound From Way Out" but that was a just a collection of instrumentals from IC and CYH with a couple of b-sides thrown in.  It wasn't until 2007 when The Beastie Boys finally gave us "The Mix-Up", an LP consisting of entirely of new instrumentals. 

To be honest, the wait was kind of a disappointment.  "The Mix-Up" is not bad, but somehow it is missing the magic hinted at in the earlier LPs.  Is it because the songs themselves aren't as inspired?  Did they wait too long to do this project -- would this have sounded more fresh in 1997 rather than 2007?  Or do the instrumentals simply sound better when juxtaposed with the Beastie's hip-hop (and occasionally punk) tracks?  I will say "The Mix-Up" is better than the similarly-themed 1995 "solo" LP "Mark's Keyboard Repair" from Money Mark, the unofficial fourth Beastie who also appears here.

I think the LP got a pass in many reviews when it came out because the Beasties were elder statesmen by then and we were happy to have anything new from them.  Here's a 2007 track-by-track review from someone who loved the LP, but I'm more inclined to agree with the Pitchfork review.  This isn't a bad LP, but it isn't essential either: just 12 mostly interchangeable background listening tracks that would not have generated much buzz if the name "Beastie Boys" wasn't on the LP cover.  On the other hand, I'm not sure they were trying to make a grand statement either: there is kind of a "just another funky weekend in the Beastie garage" feel to the LP.  With the death of MCA in 2012, presumably The Beastie Boys discography is complete (modulo some unreleased material that might eventually be released) so you have to enjoy what you have.

Standout tracks: none.

Skip 'em tracks: none.

Full LP: YouTube, Grooveshark

Final score: 6/10

Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle - "Ultra Orange & Emmanulle" (LP Review)

While watching the excellent film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", a great song came on that both Danette and I immediately liked but were unfamiliar with. Watching the credits, we found that it was "Don't Kiss Me Goodbye", by Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle, which is basically a now permanent collaboration of the group Ultra Orange and actress Emmanuelle Seigner (who also starred in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"). A French actress singing pop music -- you're thinking Bridgette Bardot, Serge Gainsbourg, and "Bonnie and Clyde", right? Somewhat, but in this case you need to also think David Roback & Kendra Smith (i.e., "Opal") or David Roback & Hope Sandoval (i.e., "Mazzy Star").

"Don't Kiss Me Goodbye" was great in the context of the movie, and I made a point to buy the LP. Unfortunately, the LP is disappointing. DKMG is the best song on the LP, and on repeated listening it became apparent that why we like that song is because we're both fans of Mazzy Star. Take equal parts "Halah" and "Bells Ring" and you have a good idea of what DKMG sounds like: fuzzy dream pop with breathy, half-spoken female vocals. The LP cover art nicely captures the sound.

Some songs are ok, some are really bad, but most are just very derivative and simple. If the band down the street sounded like this, it would be ok, but the expectations are higher here. If you don't listen too closely, they sound better: perhaps the banal lyrics would sound better in French. The good songs are good enough to give some diversity to a playlist or mix cd, but as a collection of 11 songs this LP just doesn't hold together. Mostly it make me appreciate David Roback more. Emmanuelle sings better than Scarlett Johansson (e.g., her cover of "I Am the Cosmos") but she's clearly no Hope Sandoval.

Standout songs: "Sing Sing", "Don't Kiss Me Goodbye" (movie montage version), "Lines of My Hand"

Skip 'em songs: "Bunny", "Touch My Shadow", "Won't Lovers Revolt Now"

Final Score: 4/10. Mazzy Star keeps saying they'll release a fourth LP; in the meantime we have this...

Bonus Link: Bardot & Gainsbourg -- "Bonnie and Clyde"

Those Dancing Days - "Those Dancing Days" (LP Review)

"Those Dancing Days" is the initial 5 song EP from the Swedish, female band "Those Dancing Days". Infectious pop exports from Sweden? No, it doesn't sound like them.

TDD make fun, fluffy pop songs -- nothing more, nothing less. "Hitten" is a good song, but "Those Dancing Days" is the best of the bunch with a strong hook and interesting drumming. On most songs Cissi Edraimsson, the drummer, seems like she's holding the rest of the band back, but her fills work on this song. "1000 Words" and "Dischoe" are decent songs, with only "Tasty Boy" worth skipping.

The EP was initially released on V2 Music, but the band has since been picked up by Wichita Recordings. Wichita must have thought "Hitten" & "Those Dancing Days" were the best songs as well since those are the only two that made it to their 2008 debut LP "In Our Space Hero Suits". Ultimately this is a cute, but not essential, EP.

Standout Tracks: "Hitten", "Those Dancing Days".

Skip 'em Tracks: "Tasty Boy".

Final Score: 6/10.

Dntel - "Dumb Luck" (LP review)

"Dntel" is one of the personas of James Scott Tamborello, another one being "James Figurine" (of Figurine). Although he's had other projects/bands as well, Tamborello is probably best well-known for creating The Postal Service, along with Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie. In fact, The Postal Service was created because of how well Gibbard's guest vocals were received on "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan" from Dntel's 2001 LP, "Life is Full of Possibilities". I have Johan to thank for introducing me to The Postal Service and Dntel.

Conventional wisdom states that Dntel's 2007 follow-up, "Dumb Luck", is not as good as LIFOP. Perhaps this is because of high expectations resulting from the 6 year wait, or comparison with The Postal Service's acclaimed releases in the interim. Perhaps the fact that Dntel switched labels from the tiny Plug Research to "major-indie" Sub Pop. I, however, think "Dumb Luck" is an extraordinary LP that surpasses LIFOP. On the whole, Dumb Luck's songs are slightly less experimental than those on LIFOP, but for me it makes for a more enjoyable start to finish listen.

It begins with Tamborello enlisting the help of a veritable who's who of indie, electropop, alternative country, electroacoutistic and related genres. Some of these artists he's collaborated with before, but some are new. Pulling the track listing from Wikipedia:

1. "Dumb Luck"
2. "To a Fault" [ft. Grizzly Bear]
3. "I'd Like to Know" [ft. Lali Puna]
4. "Roll On" [ft. Jenny Lewis]
5. "The Distance" [ft. Arthur & Yu]
6. "Rock My Boat" [ft. Mia Doi Todd]
7. "Natural Resources" [ft. Andrew Broder of Fog]
8. "Breakfast in Bed" [ft. Conor Oberst]
9. "Dreams" [ft. Mystic Chords of Memory]
10. "Everything's Tricks"

FYI: my copy (and perhaps yours too) does not have the last track "Everything's Tricks".

The title track, which does not feature a guest artist, is very much in the "Glitch" sound of LIFOP. But even this song, despite its surface noise, is very listenable even to those that don't like electronica noise. And while there are no tracks I skip on my iPod, there are two amazing songs that I often rewind and play again and again before continuing with the rest of the LP. "Roll On" with Jenny Lewis is the most captivating combination of electronica and country you'll ever hear. In a perfect world, this song would be a cross-over hit on the pop charts.

The other track is Conor Oberst's "Breakfast in Bed", which tells a touching, if dark and disturbing story of a new relationship. The lyrics "If this is all a game can you just say it is / I'll do it anyway so it makes no difference" make me think of Lloyd Dobler in "Say Anything": "One question: do you need... someone, or do you need me?... Forget it, I don't really care."

Standout Tracks: Roll On, Breakfast in Bed, Rock My Boat, Dumb Luck, Natural Resources, The Distance. (Find the rest of the audio tracks at mtv.com).

Skip 'em Tracks: None.

Final Score: 10/10

The Cribs - "Men's Needs" (the song remains the same)

It's been several weeks since I've featured The Cribs so its clearly time for another installment. "Men's Needs" is the first single and partially the title track from their third LP, 2007's "Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever".

Wichita Recordings has posted the censored version of the video on YouTube; you've probably seen it by now. (As an aside -- with respect to YouTube etc., Wichita Recordings completely "gets it".) But there are also two different versions: one with a digitally added leotard on the woman (instead of strategically placed black bars) and an uncensored version. The "brooklynvegan" blog has links to the leotard version (now broken due to WMG no longer "getting it") and the uncensored version (new link) (new new link).

Kate Nash, the girlfriend (or perhaps wife, I'm not sure since all the articles I could find are written in future tense) of The Crib's guitarist Ryan Jarman, has recorded a version of Men's Needs. I believe Nash is more of a presence in the UK and judging from what I've read, her rapid rise to success (her debut LP "Made of Bricks" went to #1 in the UK) seems to have caused a bit of a backlash. I'm not familiar with her work, but this version is an enjoyable, slightly folky version of the song.

In addition, there is the minimalist, even more folky version by Lightspeed Champion (aka Devonte Hynes). I was also unaware of Lightspeed Champion; apparently he's big in the UK as well. But not so big that his alternative credentials aren't intact...

When will we see a US band cover a Cribs song?

Bonus link: "Fairer Sex" is the B-side to the CD version of the "Men's Needs" single.  Live version of "Fairer Sex". 

Lukid - "Onandon" (LP Review)

"Onandon" is the 2007 debut LP by Luke Blair, aka Lukid. Herbert first turned me on to Lukid, but it took quite some time for me to find a copy. It is released on Werk Discs, a small indie label based in London. It now seems to be more available in places like Amazon so you should not have any problem finding a copy.

This is an amazing instrumental electronica LP. The songs are dense and lush. They find the right balance between being rich enough to allow for active listening, but not so busy that you can't focus on other tasks while listening. This balance is hard to achieve. For example, I like DJ Spooky, but it seems he tries to prove how smart he is on every track and overworks them to the point where 1 song contains 3 songs worth of ideas. In contrast, Lukid seems to have hit the sweet spot between "too busy" and "too bland".

There are a lot of good electronica LPs out there, but few that I would describe as "fresh" or "innovative". "Onandon" is both. I could try to further describe the music, but since song samples are well represented on last.fm and MySpace you should just go there and listen for yourself. I eagerly look forward to Lukid's next release.

Standout tracks: Smart Girl, Onandon, Wonder Years, Fela.

Skip 'em tracks: "Isis" is interesting, but has a shrill sound that often causes me to skip to the next track.

Final score: 9/10.

The Cribs - "Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever" (LP Review)

"Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever" is the third LP from The Cribs. This LP came out after I had fallen in love with their first two LPs. I have to confess I was initially very disappointed with this LP. The song writing is largely just as good as the first two (although not as uniformly good -- the best songs are as good as the best songs on the other LPs, but I find myself skipping more songs on this one).

If there is a villain in this story, I'll go with the producer Alex Kapranos (of Franz Ferdinand). The sound on this LP is another entry in the "loudness war" (thanks to Johan for pointing this out). The fuzzy, garage sound is gone and in its place is a sound that is just a bit too polished and bright. If I had heard this LP first, I probably would have no complaints. But as it stands, it is simply not as good as the others. But in fairness, the first two established a nearly impossibly high standard to maintain.

Lyrically, the targets have not changed (e.g., "You'd never exist if you wasn't generic", "fakes, liars, and stars of moving pictures / What's the difference? / Like all the parts that I'm not into / But I see in you"). The song "Be Safe" features a spoken word part by Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. It is a very good song, but it sounds just a bit too similar to Nada Surf's "Popular". My initial disappointment with it was that when you combine Lee Ranaldo with The Cribs, you shouldn't get a song that sounds similar to a novelty song that came out 11 years prior (just for the record, I do like the song).

A really strong LP, but I can't help but wonder what it would have sounded like if Edwyn Collins (producer of the "The New Fellas") had produced it instead of Kapranos. I eagerly await their fourth release (sometime in 2009?).

Standout tracks: Men's Needs, Our Bovine Public, Moving Pictures, Major's Titling Victory, Be Safe.

Skip 'em tracks: "Shoot the Poets" -- another LP-closing acoustic piece that doesn't really work for me. Although not really bad, I will sometimes find myself skipping "I'm a realist" and "Girls like mystery".

Final score: 9/10

2014-04-23: Bonus links: entire LP, a demo version of "Our Bovine Public" (which answers the "what would this sound like without Alex Kapranos?" question).