Song obsessions are those songs that we listen to on repeat. I noticed that my obsessions are often a week long. I also thought that other people might have similar obsessions. I’ve collected a panel of a few like-minded individuals and gotten their “song obsessions of the week.” Quite often it’s easy to explain why the song is good; it’s much hard to explain why we’re obsessed. Maybe you’ll become obsessed with one of these.

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Adrian (me):
Aimee Mann – Calling on Mary (mp3) (buy)

I’m more or less embarrassed. I’m totally against stores putting out Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving, but here I am, obsessed with a Christmas song in early November. I was listening to other things. This was the next track up and though I’d heard it before, I’d never heard it before. I had to go back and listen more. It’s one of a couple originals on Aimee’s Christmas album a couple years ago. Both the “Merry Christmas” refrain and the “calling on Mary/ is voluntary” chorus are classic Mann–her voice works so well in these sort of melancholy situations. The instrumentation and production by Paul Bryan (not the similar-sounding sometime Mann producer Jon Brion) is very complementary to the singing and voices.

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Keith:
Lambchop – Under a Dream of a Lie (mp3) (buy)

A musical friend has a worrisome obsession with Lambchop, I find their delicacy a meal best not served. Undeterred, he forces their dire dirges on my ears and, while I’d never admit it in front of him, occasionally one takes hold. Such is the case with this sumptuous thin white duke stab which succeeds with ambiance and strings despite the vocal presence.

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Andy:
J Tillman – Evans and Falls (mp3) (buy)

I feel like choosing the same artist 2 weeks in a row is bad form, but I’m trying to be accurate and truthful, here. I received 3 j. tillman albums in the mail this week, having ordered them late last week. Evans and Falls, from Cancer and Delirium, has been one of the stand-out tracks of all 3 albums. The lyrics are sparse and fantastic – the song starts and ends in the middle of the story, offering up only a short snippet of life. The instrumentation falls along the same lines. I’ve definitely found myself listening to this track to the exclusion of others on the disc.

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Dave:
Crooked Fingers – Call to Love (mp3) (buy)

Crooked Fingers – Twilight Creeps (mp3) (buy)

Ok, yeah. I know. Two songs…but they’re back-to-back on ‘Dignity and Shame’ and I’ve just found myself skipping back to ‘Call to Love’ when ‘Twilight Creeps’ is done. I don’t know whether it’s because they’re in the same key or because they both make me happy but they just go so well together. I absolutely love the piano part in ‘Twilight Creeps’ as well.

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David (not Dave):
Aretha Franklin – Rock Steady (mp3) (buy)

This song makes me want to dance.

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 9th, 2007 at 5:22 am Posted by adrian in SF bay area, mp3s, song obsessions. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.