Archive for December, 2011

SONG of the YEAR: 2011: Theophilus London ‘Why Even Try’

December 30, 2011 • Lillie Fish

Hands down, my (Lillie’s) song of the year is “Why Even Try” by Theophilus London.  He had me from the first notes.  It is, as one might have the audacity to say, my jam.  I also require some massive praise that I wrote the post a mere ten days after the album came out AND I had a four week old baby.

Runners Up that I also dug on:

An Horse “Dressed Sharply” (for the lyrics and because it reminds me of Rainer Maria)

Those Dancing Days “I’ll Be Yours” (for the drumming.  cracks me up.  listen around 1:45)

 

 

Top Ten Break Up Songs

December 16, 2011 • Lillie Fish

Well, it seems a really shitty time to have a broken heart, but an absurd number of my friends have just broken up or gotten divorced.  There are long overdue break-ups, out of the blue announcements, and even some secret crushes whose hopes have been dashed.  So many of my nearest and dearest will be having a blue christmas indeed.  I had a rather shitty break up once (or twice?) around the holidays and music is always the only way to make it through. Really this is a ridiculous list and goofy post because half of all songs are break up songs anyway.  Break ups demand indulgences both with food and with music, so those are included, too.  (Photo of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries (sniff sniff) kissing before their ill-fated nuptials courtesy of Splash)

Top 10 Songs for Wallowing about:

1. Ryan Adams: English Girls Approximately.  The last lines (You meant everything) guaranteed to make even the hardest heart go full on emo.

2. Ryan Adams: I See Monsters. The truth is I should just do a “Guide to Ryan Adams’ Break Up Songs.”  The album called “Love is Hell” for pete’s sake, so clearly he has more than one song on my list.  This particular song is nice a creepy one if you are feeling that way about your ex- watching them sleep and all.

3. Harlan T. Bobo: Left Your Door Unlocked:  You know, he sneaks in the house they used to share together while she is out with her new fella and rolls around on the bed.  Doesn’t get more depressing than that.

4. Alison Krauss and Robert Plant: Please Read The Letter.  My best break up advice is to never speak again and if you must then wait three months until the emotions have settled.  (My best marriage advice is marry the person you most like to make out with.)  Whatever you do, don’t do what I have done twice (and naturally regretted twice): don’t write them a love letter after the fact.  Unless you are Elizabeth Barrett Browning, it will be sappy and embarrassing later.

5. Lucero- Nights Like These.  A rebound guy I was dating turned me on to this song.  He had just broken up with a girl, oh, I dunno, the day before.  This was his break up song.  Needless to say, that relationship was short lived.

6. Gillian Welch- Revalator.  ”Time’s the revalator” is probably the most fantastic lyric to cling to if you don’t know why something ended or if you think time will vindicate you.  Neither will happen, but just in case you are feeling a glimmer of hope, this is the best gloomy hopeful song out there.  I love the live version with Ryan Adams, too.

7. Old 97s- Color of a Lonely Heart is Blue:  A lovely sad song.  When in doubt, turn to Rhett Miller’s hair.I

8. Emmylou Harris: I Don’t Want To Talk About it Now.  Buried within one of the best albums of all time is “I’d be drawn and quartered if I could keep you in my bed.”  If that doesn’t work for those wallowing about, nothing much will.  Also good for denial.

9. Mindy Smith: Train Song.  By a twist of fate, Mindy is now a friend of mine.  I was not only star struck when I met her, but also completley bashful because I’m sure at one point I rolled around and cried on the floor to this song.

10. Incubus:  Wish You Were Here.  Because sometimes, you just need to say how much you wish the person was still with you over and over and over.  (Plus, Brandon Boyd is shirtless in the video, which might be nice for the ladies in the crowd who go for skinny, hairless, vegan types.)

Honorable Mention:

Damien Jurado:  Go First:  Can hardly listen to this one it just depresses me so.

 

Holiday Break up Bonus:

Top Five Songs for Kicking That Stinker to the Curb:

1.  Fleetwood Mac- Go Your Own Way (obvi)

2. Love Don’t Live Here- Lady Antebellum (heh heh)

3. Justin Timberlake: What Goes Around Comes Around (obvi)

4. Be Your Own Pet: Take That Walk (actually a mopey song lyrically, but the attitude makes it better suited for this category.)

5. Shea Seager: Last Time (just say no!)

 

And when you are ready and feeling a little more snazzy:

Top Five Songs for Moving On:

1. Ryan Adams- Dance All Night (she ain’t lonely now…)

2. Bob Marley and the Wailers: Three Little Birds (duh)

3. Steve Earle- I Feel Alright (yes)

4. Kanye West: Stronger (i thought kanye was my soul mate)

and last but not least!

5. Ludacris: Money Maker (shake it)

Honerable Mentions:

Elvis Costello: Pump It Up

Shelby Lynne: Life is Bad

 

 

Rainer Maria- Thought I Was

December 12, 2011 • Lillie Fish

Wellesley had this really cool venue that was like a 70s ski chalet and I don’t know what got into me, but one night I ventured out of my lovely room and went to see Rainer Maria all by my little self.  I was a Junior, I think, so this was maybe 2001 or 2002.  I had a country show on the college radio station, so I am sure I discovered them through WZLY and CMJ.  I remember thinking how hip all the women at the show were and how hip the band was and how it was strange I was even allowed in there.  I felt so young compared to the crowd that seemed to be all Seniors (ooooh!).  The lead singer was so….so….enigmatic. (“She” turns out to be Caithlin De Marrais who has a new album out which I’ll have to buy.)  She was little and casually dressed.  She could have easily been one of the students that just walked in from the library.  I had grown up in Nashville where a gig meant full fledged Porter Wagoner suits.  Nashville is obviously very different now, but it was surprising to see at the time.  I just didn’t know what to make of this girl with her casual clothes and intellectual songs.  It wasn’t forced, but it was forceful.  I still can’t place my finger on it, but that show was one of the most powerful shows I’ve ever seen.  Everyone was quiet, but the music was loud.  She sort of spoke/yelled the lyrics with a lovely shaky vocal, but it still seemed very subdued.  She looked tiny behind her instrument, which I think must have been the bass.  The songs I really took away were “Thought I Was” and “Contents of Lincoln’s Pockets.”  I was definitely into the emo bent of “Thought I Was” matched with the tough and punk-lite sound and the crazy concept of the latter song.  Since I’ve spent the better part of a decade studying American Art and History, a song that muses on any historical topic will obviously be a big winner, all the more so if it is as good as singing about what the heck was in Lincoln’s pockets when he was assassinated.  The song created such a tangible connection to Lincoln.  It made him feel so bizarrely modern to ruminate on what he stuffed into his pocket while he was dressing for the evening.  I don’t know maybe I should blame the song for my going into material culture studies.  (On a side note, my cousin-in-law wrote this hilarious book about the history of the world as told through facebook posts.  My absolute favorite is this Abe Lincoln one.)

David Allan Coe- “The Ride”

December 6, 2011 • Lillie Fish

In the back of my mind, I’ve always vaguely known about David Allan Coe.  I’ve probably sung “Take This Job and Shove It” under my breath a little too loud when I probably shouldn’t have.  I guess I kind of brushed him off and thought he was just this crazy old guy rolling around Nashville.  (There are a few of those.)   What I didn’t know is that he is a crazy old GENIUS rolling around Nashville.  His performance on this song is insane.  Over Thanksgiving, Daniel was digging deep into some old classics.  Really late one night, he made me listen to “The Ride.” I figured I’d indulge him and smile through some song that just totally wasn’t my thing.  We have mostly similar tastes, but they veer really sharply (his goes to rare celebrated artists and mine goes to critically panned, massively popular blockhead music.)  I just forget how well he knows me.  By about the second note, the hairs were standing up on my arms and neck.  I don’t want to give the song away if you haven’t heard it, but when it hits the key part of the song I get goose bumps on goose bumps.  I don’t even know how Gary Gentry and J.B. Detterline Jr. wrote this song.  I don’t even know how Coe sings “moan” quite like that.  I don’t know how I made it to 30 in Nashville without someone playing this song for me.  I can’t speak to the rest of his catalog, but this song is just flat out perfect.  I’m going to recommend listening to this song late at night, after a whiskey or two, and, as always, really loud.