Alvvays - "Archie, Marry Me" (the song remains the same)

So guess what we did this year?  Not being the conventional type, after 19 years together we decided to get married.   We rented a beach house in Sandbridge and had a small (< 30) collection of friends and family for a sunset ceremony on April 19th, the 19th anniversary of first date.  Everything happened in a blur with just a few months between deciding to do it and the actual event, but it came together nicely and was an amazing time. 

To commemorate this event, Danette's 2017 birthday song is Alvvays's "Archie, Marry Me", their "hit" single (from their 2014 self-titled debut) about an unconventional marriage.  Warning: this song is an alt-pop earworm -- the strong hooks, Molly Rankin's small but precious voice, Alec O'Hanley's TJ&MC Psychocandy-era jangle-fuzz guitar, the hazy, fake-nostalgia of the video -- it all adds up to an unforgettable experience, just like Danette...

The lyrics are not a literal description of our scenario (and in fact, there is no real Archie), but they abstractly capture the essence of our relationship:

You've expressed explicitly your contempt for matrimony
You've student loans to pay and will not risk the alimony
We spend our days locked in a room content inside a bubble
And in the night time we go out and scour the streets for trouble

During the summer take me sailing out on the Atlantic
I won't set my sights on other seas, there is no need to panic
So honey take me by the hand and we can sign some papers
Forget the invitations, floral arrangements and bread makers

Too late to go out, too young to stay in
They're talking about us living in sin

We actually had printed invitations, and I'm pretty sure there were some flowers somewhere, but no bread makers were involved.

Even though you almost surely haven't heard this on the radio, the number of covers in three years clearly shows that others have fallen in love with this song as well.  I provide two good examples below:

Alvvays - "Archie, Marry Me" (live on KEXP) (live on 89.3)
Ben Gibbard - "Archie, Marry Me"
Choir!, Choir!, Choir! - "Archie, Marry Me"

Previous birthday songs:

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"

Poe - "Angry Johnny" (forgotten song)

Driving back to VA from NC two weeks ago I heard a song on the radio that I had completely forgotten about: Poe's "Angry Johnny".  A single from her 1995 LP "Hello", I remember it receiving a lot of airplay at the time.  Wikipedia says she had moderate success with other singles, but I don't remember them.  Wikipedia also says that character of "Johnny" is from the book "House of Leaves", which wasn't published until 2000.  I wondered how this was possible, but further exploration revealed that the book's author, Mark Z. Danielewski is the brother of Poe (aka Anne Danielewski). 

I haven't listened to the entire LP, but this single is an enjoyable mid-90s time capsule.

Poe - "Angry Johnny".