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.
I finally got to listen to Takes which I’ve been excited to hear. The album is a set of covers of Adem’s favorite songs.
When I got it I knew I had to listen to two covers of some of my favorite songs first: Pinback’s “Loro” and Low’s “Laser Beam”. I love both Adem versions, but “Loro” reminds me of the amazement I felt when I first heard the Pinback version. I had such a wide grin on my face listening to it for the first time in both cases. The grin stayed for the second time through…and the third…and the fourth…and….
Before Brendan Benson released a handful of highly regarded indie records (or teamed with Jack White in the Raconteurs) he had his own shot at the brass ring with Virgin Records in 1996. The resulting record was an unfortunately ignored infectious celebration of power pop teamed with deft and daring songwriting such as this tune about an infestation.
I’ve been spinning Black Diamond Heavies’ upcoming release, A Touch of Someone Else’s Class, for a few days now. This track channels Tom Waits and serves as a reprieve from the the band’s powerful, gritty blues style.
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.
I heard this over at hearya. Immediately I felt the same way the first time I heard Dylan’s “When the Ship Comes In”. Similarly, it has a certain timeless melody and lyrics that one can tell, even before one start processing the lyrics, that they have some well of depth that they’re drawing from.
This week on my favorites of the 90’s list @ #90 is the 2nd album from American singer/British pop-band hybrid Katydids. This particular cut is masterfully produced by pop auteur Ian Broudie, just listen to the sumptuous interlocking backing vocals in the chorus. This album was pure obsession for me in 1991, pretty vocals and glistening guitars were an irresistible combination.
I think I’ve listened to “Hymn 101″ about 101 times in the past week. Joe Pug is a relative newcomer to the Chicago music scene and a shockingly good lyricist for a songwriter in his early twenties. Listen to this song and you’ll see what I mean. It still gives me chills on my 102nd listen - “The more I buy, the more I’m bought. And the more I’m bought, the less I cost.”
His debut EP, Nation of Heat, is incredible from start to finish.
For the last few weeks basically every time I’ve found myself wondering what to listen to next I’ve been putting in “Heroes”. As has no doubt been noted before, the whole album is stellar and I had a
tough time picking one of the tracks. I thought about “Blackout” due to the slight edge that my mishearing the lyrics gave it (he’s under the Japanese influence of his mother’s estate?) but settled on “Sense of Doubt” for the sheer I’ve-never-heard-anything-else-quite-like-it factor; this song more than almost any other instrumental I’ve ever heard paints a definite picture in my mind, and it is at once more hopeful and more desparate than any song I can think of off the top of my head that tries deliberately to be one or the other. Really wonderful.
Kepler was the best quiet band you’ve never heard. Beautifully clean guitars, half-whispered vocals, nicely reserved brushed drumming, and the piano from your parents’ living room hiding just below the surface. I first found Fuck Fight Fail while working in college radio- it immediately became one of my favorites. “Loose Ground” is one of my favorites from the record, along with the 9-minute “Upper Canada Fight Song”.
Since their breakup, Samir Kahn (who I believe sings on “Loose Ground”) has gone on to form Tusks, who are excellent as well.
–
This is the first time two people have had the same song obsession in the same week. It’s kind of like two friends having a crush on the same girl. It’s pretty awkward. Not really–music’s not a zero-sum game like that. But if it were, Oz would have “dibs” as he found the song first.
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.
I got sent this album and I popped it in. I was pretty skeptical, but actually he seems to do new-music-that-sounds-old really well. The production on this track was really catchy. I like the horns, strings and percussion.
So I’m not trying to shill for emusic (ahem, uh, my id is zaxxon25), but I’ve come to enjoy the process of browsing through their stacks for import or small label stuff that I just wouldn’t connect with otherwise. One fine find is this effort by the Victorian English Gentleman’s Club. The full-length combines an overdriven bass/spindly guitar sound borrowed from late 80’s US alt-rock with a nervy art-punk vibe out of the early 80’s UK scene. That leads to deceptively complex yet quite catchy confections like this winner.
Port O’Brien’s upcoming release is the best album I’ve heard this year. This song will burrow into your skin. That’s all I’ve got - I think my wife is going into labor…
The vocals at the end of the song remind me a lot of Bon Iver. And really, that’s about all you should need to recommend this band to you, and to explain my obsession with this song.
I heard this wrapping up on KZSU a while ago and it stopped me in my tracks (da-dum chiiih;) the drums’ sound particularly grabbed me — especially the building 8th notes that morph across whatever bell(s) are being used (I would love to know, what a great sound!) — but Hugh Masakela’s vocals are of course the highlight. The amount of emotional intensity he puts into the last quarter of this song is fantastic, especially as it is somehow perfectly blended into and build out from the rest of the track’s early-nineties noir loungyness.
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.
Just a well put-together song. The guitar part is ace. The keyboards, drums and vocals all work really well and add to the song. The breakdown/ slowdown pulled me in. I was fully obsessed with this for most of the week.
I’ve written about how much I love this tune. The groove is tight and the song is fun, but what makes me obsessed with it is the 30-or-so seconds of “People Get Ready” and specifically the insane vocals during that section. I like the Impressions song and various other versions, like Curtis Mayfield’s and the Chamber Brothers, but this is unlike anything I’d heard before.
While I’d like to think I judge each song/album based on merit, truth is I’m just as susceptible to manipulation as the mainstream music listener. But it’s not plastic surgery disasters that positively manipulate my attention. No, it’s the geek girl. Perhaps Bess Rogers would object to my objectification of her as a nerdy girl, but I’m afraid those sexy librarian photos on her latest CD (there’s even more of them on the website - I checked) have only one interpretation in my lecherous mind. Oh yeah, the songs are quite fetching as well.
Last week I mentioned an unsigned band named Gringo Star. Today I have another unsigned act out of Denver by way of NY called Motel Motel that describes their sound as “shwag rock.” These guys are working on releasing their debut LP, appropriately called New Denver, in the coming months. Until then, get shwaggy.
would put all of The Midnight Organ Fight as my song obsession(s) for this week, if that were allowed. Since I downloaded it on Tuesday, I’ve probably listened to the album in its entirety at least 8 times. With this song in particular, I love the line “You’re the shit/and I’m knee-deep in it.”
–
[1] This is totally cheating. I’ve never let myself or anyone else have more than one song obsession in a week, but what was I supposed to do? Five days were dominated by “Science Fiction” but in the last 48 hours I haven’t been able to stop listening to the Charles Wright song.
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.
I’ve been listening to this whole album, Minor Works a lot and a lot of it has been running through my head, so if it was at all reasonable, I’d post the entire album and call it my songs obsession for this week, but it’s not.
There’s something about the harmonic + melodic + lyrical turn that happens right at the line “Jesse try and get some sleep” that gets this song stuck in my head more than the others.
When flipping through the used cd section, have you ever discovered an insultingly cheap copy of a much beloved record? Soon followed by a crushing feeling of pity mixed with anger that such a life-changing piece of art is sitting in some dingy store with a price-tag less than a small
cappuccino? What do you do in those situations? Me, I buy the disc and force it upon a friend. Such was the case at Reckless Records a few weeks ago, when I happened upon The Montgolfier Brothers’ genius 2nd disc The World Is Flat. This title track follows the course of a relationship from the naïve joy over sharing routine events to the sad conclusion of legal intervention, all without ever changing its tone.
I found “Are You a Dreamer” at one of my local record stores, the one that’s notorious for pricing tons of excellent albums in the $1 bin. I’d known Denison’s name for a while, having bought a lot of stuff from Burnt Toast Vinyl, but I hadn’t really heard anything by him.
Little Flowers is the first track on the disc, and for the first minute or so, it’s pretty standard singer-songwriterish fare. Then the banjo (by guest Sufjan Stevens) kicked in, and that grabbed my
attention for sure. A few bars later, when the drums hit, I knew I was in love - it’s the brushed drumming with the ultra-loose snares, which I hadn’t really heard on any album since Stevens’ Michigan.
Of the 12 or so discs in my glove compartment, I keep coming back to this one, and this song.
–
The lesson this week seems to be: go to used record stores and check out the bargain bins.
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.
I’ve been listening to all of Visiter quite a lot, but this opening track and particularly the rattling guitar (at 0:03) is where I am getting hung up most. I hit that rattle and start to think about the interesting (and, for the most part, great) production choices and then I start to wander off and I need to restart the song and the cycle repeats.
This is sort of an atypical Dodos track, in instrumentation, having female vocals, and in the tone of Meric’s voice.
Sticking with last week’s theme of “Something I Purchased At Reckless While In Chicago” this selection is from the new Felice (not Pernice, Felice) Brothers release on Saddle Creek. Their lo-fi country vibe compliments the casual violence of this gritty song quite well.
The last few obsessions I’ve submitted have been pretty serious tunes. It’s time to lighten up. Atlanta’s unsigned act, Gringo Star, have a street-party gem in their garage-rocker “All Y’all.”
A beautiful piece of reverb-saturated slowcore that I was obsessed with in college, and recently rediscovered. Whispered guy/girl vocals, brushed drums, and a great bass part. And, they’re Utahn, to boot.
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.
I don’t know what it is exactly about this song that has its hooks in my brain. I like the narrative–it’s like the opposite of that oldies song, “The Letter” (”Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane/ ain’t got time to take a fast train“). I’ll do anything to get to you, even if it takes forever. I also love the singing and the train beat on the drums.
I was digging around last weekend, and found this one, originally released on a 7″ that’s long out of print and hard to find.
It’s got a lot to live up to - the version of this with which most of us are familiar (King of Carrot Flowers pt. 3) is an excellent song on an an album that, arguably, changed the way a generation of young indie rockers thought about music. It certainly did for me.
And truthfully, I think I like this version more - it may not have surpassed the live version of Engine as my favorite NMH song ever, but it’s pretty close. There’s more fuzz in this one, and the straight-ahead drumming changes the feel of the song completely. It’s a great little fuzz-pop song - short, to the point, and totally rocking.
I didn’t get how intense this song was until I saw them play it live last week. Ever since then, I’ve listened to it at least once or twice a day. It’s just got this great feeling of longing and hope to it.
Back after a short vacation prompted by family obligations. At least I got to spend an hour at Reckless Records in Chicago! Pawing through the used CDs I came across a Grimsey release by the band Stephanie Says, two good references as the label consistently puts out lovable indie pop and VU worshiping usually yields lavorful fruit. I’ll let you decide if my instincts were correct!
So in gearing up for the rebirth of the covers contest I went back through all the songs we had done and got obsessed with this one all over again. Most may be familiar with the Death Cab for Cutie version of this song, which is really good, but there’s just something about the original. I feel like it would fit perfectly over the emotional denouement of some awesome indie film.
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.
It’s been a couple weeks since the last song obsession, a couple weeks in which I’ve seen well over 38 bands, so while it’s not hard to think if I was song obsessed, but figuring out what I was most obsessed with is another problem.
I’d heard “Skinny Love” many months ago, but it took Natalie’s song obsession a few weeks ago to push over the edge. I bought the album and I’ve been listening to the whole thing obsessively, especially “Creature Fear” (which runs over into “Team”). It’s a pretty spectacular song and the vocals and build for the chorus really have a special quality to them.
I recently picked up A Ghost is Born at a fantastic used CD store near Pittsburgh. I’ve had a lot of the songs for a while, so most of the album wasn’t new to me.
Like I mentioned when I chose one of the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot demos, I really think that the production (by Jim O’Rourke) moves the songs from “okay” to “excellent.” In Handshake Drugs, which for some reason reminds me of Jesus, Etc from YHF, there’s a wonderful contrast between the fairly laid-back guitar/drums/piano, and the driving, 8th-note bassline. It’s played with a pick, and processed in such a way that it’s reminiscent of early 60’s British-Invasion bands, but is played in such a perfect groove that for me, it becomes the focal
point of the song. When I listen, I lock into the bass groove, just like I lock into the Rhodes line of Jesus, Etc.
The production of the rest of the track (and album, for the most part) is timeless; it’s hard for me to believe, but the sound of Wilco records is far removed from any modern trend in audio production. There’s not much compression (piano parts from YHF excepted), there’s tons of overall dynamic range, there’s no artificial space, no artificial pitch-tracking. For a group that thrives in the digital
world (Tweedy has a notorious love affair with Protools and digital recording), their recent albums sound surprisingly like they’re made by a small group of guys, sitting in a room together.
The track comes to a close in a wall of noise just long enough to be interesting - it’s a strange contrast, but it works.
i don’t like how lomax field recordings (or smithsonian folkways, nonesuch traveler, even the sublime frequencies series) have turned lots of folk music in fetish objects because of the context of their recordings, but then again i would never have heard these if i didn’t buy into it a little. depressing music also makes me happy in a twisted way, so maybe i’m not a pc hypocrite afterall…
love the tinkly piano in this song. When I saw them play a show in San Diego two weeks ago, they ended with this song, and it turned into a huge singalong that was really moving.
Obsession this week is Waterdeep’s “Not Enough Time.” One of the things that I have learned through the self-observance necessary to send these things in is that I never seem to become obsessed with my very favorite songs, which goes against my expectations. “Not Enough Time” surprised me again, since it has never stuck out to me as one of Waterdeep’s exceptional tracks, yet I’ve been singing the chorus through just about every day for a while now. I think that my partiality to sixths is what keeps it stuck, along with my general fascination with the Chaffers’ voices and delivery.
PS - The fill at 1:34 also might have something to do with it… nice and organic.
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.
After hearing this lovely song both when when I saw the band last Wednesdayand seeing them last Thursday, I ended up singing this song to myself as I walked around all weekend and some of this week. It’s definitely the multiple overlapping vocals at the end that does it.
Ever since my generous wife satiated my need for football music by capitulating on an oft-hinted present of the NFL Films box set I have been rollicking the instrumental brilliance of Sam Spence. Those who grew up with the incidental presence of this 70’s soundtrack master will likely recognize the vibrant style of his work, as it still gets used on commercials and television to this day.
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.
I’m still obessed with this track that I found originally through the a Bay Bridged podcast. It’s still the distorted guitar and melancholy and melodic vocals that are getting to me.
Talk about catchy, I’ve been obsessed with this song/album on and off since I first heard it. The “Oh-oh-oh-oh..” at the beginning snags me every time and I have to listen to it again.
I’ve been hearing about Bon Iver for a little while now, but it wasn’t until this month, when his album For Emma, Forever Ago was finally released, that I really paid attention. And this song got the hallowed triple-repeat the first time through the album. It’s such a simple song, but those “My my my”’s get me every time, as well as how it gets progressively more plaintive with each chorus.
It’s safe to say that I’m completely obsessed with anything Alberta Cross puts out. “I’ve Known for Long” is one of the slower, more emotional tracks off of their debut EP The Thief and The Heartbreaker. This acoustic version was released recently on their UK EP. If you haven’t already, I’d recommend connecting with their full body of work. I’m waiting anxiously for stateside tour dates.
–
This week is a first twice in the same regard: repeats of previous song obsessions. My song obsession is the same as my obsession last week and Natalie K’s obsession is the same as Oz’s one week back in July. A second opportunity to hear a couple songs and a couple new songs.
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.
A was listening to a Bay Bridged podcast and was instantly struck by this track. I then found the band’s myspace page and listened to it a dozen or two more times. The mournful and breathy female vocals over the sparse, slightly distorted guitar and plodding drums (with a lick or two of organ in there) just works so well. That all of this is going toward two words–”it’s hard”–seems oddly appropriate.
I do recall advising the legions disappointed by The New Pornographers’ lackluster effort called Challengers to consider a move to Georgie James and their enthusiastic effort Places. But I don’t recall being so completely entranced by the 4th track until today’s drive home, where it received the triple play award.
apparently this cover has been around since the mid 90’s, and i had no idea until i heard it on the juno soundtrack (and movie). it’s catchy, of course, and it makes me wonder if having a legendary band cover a (cheesy) song automatically gives the song massive cred. i’m inclined to say yes.
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.
I found this UK band last week. Their ridiculously catchy and upbeat pop makes me smile even want I don’t want to. It’s like when you’re grumpy and someone says “don’t laugh!” and you can’t help but laugh. Or something like that.
Oh, to be obsessed. After offering a cover of the object of my all-time obsession, this week here’s the real thing. From her first album, which plenty a quirky indie-girl seem to be attempting to emulate these days. If you don’t mind I’ll side with the memory.
I was super-stoked when I heard British Sea Power was putting out a new album that better captured their live feel — not because I’ve seen them live — but because I was hoping it would be an hour of “Lately” (which it is not). This song starts sexy — lush shoegazing guitars with strained vocals — and then erupts into a radio-fuzzed declaration of how much this song (and band) rocks. Why has BSP never recorded another song like this? Some people might hate it for being boring and repetitive. I can’t speak to this, because “Yoo Doo Right” is probably in my top 100 songs of all time.
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.
I saw David Stockhausen and company close their set with this song on Sunday with this lovely song. I asked about it and he was nice enough to send me a rough mix of this song that they’d just recorded. There’s something really nice about the juxtaposition of the rigid beat with the malleable pedal steel with the electric piano blocking out the chords between them. The vocal melodies and harmonies work really well too.
My obsession with Kate Bush back in my high school days bordered on disturbing, which still deactivates portions of my critical faculties to this day. Take this restrained cover of her biggest US hit “Running Up That Hill.” Is it really the spookily brilliant creation my ears declare it is,
or is it just an off-key singer with slight range mated to a simple keyboard cadge? Only you can decide.
So after hearing and loving “Friends Like These” I decided to buy their new album and have now become obsessed with track #2. Oh man, the claps get me every time. I also like how they fake you out with the start of a breakdown at the end…PSYCH!
I’ve noticed a trend in my listening habits of late towards the soupy and sensitive lands of songwriter folkdom (maybe I should get this looked at, it could be serious.) One of the consequences of this has been a near constant rotation in my player between two superior albums of the genre: Nick Cave’s “No More Shall We Part” and Damien Jurado’s “Where Shall You Take Me?”
I like Jurado’s voice especially for its peculiar focused quality — it sounds almost like the sound is coming from a few inches in front of his mouth and has to find its way back in somehow before we’ll hear it. I guess that’s a weird way to think about it… but it’s both focused and relaxed, that’s my point, and it sounds completely different depending on his dynamic level, register, or even backing
instrumentation, making for a truly unique instrument.
two short songs? i’ve been listening to “I.E. Anthem” and “Riverside” by John Thill. i saw him open for abe vigoda last summer. it was cool. i like sweet, nostalgic songs with people singing about their home towns. kinda a back reference to my previous obsession with the early microphones song ‘anacortes has a secret love’.
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 e
Posted in SF bay area, mp3s, song obsessions by adrian at 1:41 am
)