Impregnate These Titles

We had our second meeting of the CD club. Another very interesting, eclectic bunch of songs for me to enjoy.

Here's the list of songs I brought to the table.

To Impregnate These Titles As Fast As Possible

1. Dreams – TV On The Radio, from Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babe (2004)

Broody, moody and threatening to begin, build into a bit of a frenzy. Mix, and repeat. Add more dread. Keep feet moving.

2. Mushaboom – Feist, from Let It Die. (2004)

aka Leslie Feist, a Canadian now living in Paris, worked with Gonzales and with Peaches. This is a great song, but I think the following clip (translated from the French site inrocks.com) explains it better than I ever could:

“Mushaboom is emblème of this album. Only its title, makes dream: it sounds nicely with the ear, way bubble gum. Isn't Mushaboom an invention, but the name of a true Canadian city in which Feist failed to live? Attractive song, it will not fail to be encrusted at the fine bottom with your spirit, resonant like a counting rhyme of kid. To impregnate this title as fast as possible.”

3. The Band – Mando Diao, from Bring ‘Em In (2003)

Imagine The Jam as a Swedish band performing in a garage in 2003. Or just listen to this song from Mando Diao.

4. A Menhi Menina – Band of Bees, from Sunshine Hit Me (2002)

From a rocking garage in Sweden, we now head to the Isle of Wight for a swingin’ acoustic fuzzy guitar rock number that might have come out of Jack White if he were happier and poppier.

5. The Dark of the Matinee – Franz Ferdinand, from Franz Ferdinand (2004)

This band, and this album, has seen a lot of chatter on most of the ‘hip’ internet sites the last month or so. From the songs I’ve heard off their debut album, the talk is warranted. Smart sounds and very catchy tunes from this Glasgow group.

6. Lost Mi Love – Yellowman, from Mister Yellowman (1982)

I never heard of Yellowman until I downloaded this great song. My only familiarity with Jamaican music comes from Bob Marley and his contemporaries, and what survived of it in the sounds of The Beat, The Specials and the like. If you’re familiar with this dance-hall reggae tune, and with Yellowman in general, my apologies. If you’re not, I hope you groove on this as much as I do.

7. Ka Lifu Laka – Z.C.C Mukhukhu, from The Rough Guide to South African Gospel (2003)

Continuing this musical trek around the world, we now settle into a simple, yet absolutely beautiful choral chant from what I expect, based only on this song, would be a lovely CD.

8. Oxala – Madredeus, from Antologia (2000)

I tend to veer away from World Music. At least World Music that I imagine sucks the soul out of the music of the regions from which it borrows, and ends up as a bland All-World Music Stew. Understand? Me either. Anyway, this is a pretty, soft little song from a band from Portugal that makes pretty music.

9. Steve McQueen – Lambchop, from Aw C’mon (2004)

After that little journey around the world, we come back to North America and relax with this 70’s sounding country song featuring a pop-ensemble orchestra complete with swirling strings. Did I hear you gulp with fear? Don’t worry. Just listen.

10. Laura – Scissor Sisters, from Scissor Sisters (2004)

From New York. You’ll either see this as a bouncy oom-pah throw-back to early 70’s sounds of Ziggy Stardust as if presented through a disco/broadway stage production, or, you’ll like it.

11. Distance – Grand National, from an Output Recordings compilation (year unknown)

I know absolutely nothing about this group, and I can’t find anything online, but I sure like the sound. Yes, I sure like the sound. The background singer reminds me of Sting’s background singing on Dire Straits “I Want My MTV”.

12. The Rat – The Walkmen, from Bows + Arrows (2004)

Kinda used to be Johnathon Fire*Eater. Now they are The Walkmen. I give this information, not because it has any relevance to me, but it may to you. This song is all I know of The Walkmen. This singer kinda sounds like what Bono might sound like if he was younger and pumped up on coke.

13. Bukowski – Modest Mouse, from Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004)

Another I’m not too familiar with. Here are the ‘tones’ AllMusic.com uses to describe their sound: Volatile, Cathartic, Earnest, Brash, Rousing, Fiery, Confrontational, Reflective, Urgent. All of these descriptors may apply to this great song.

14. Waiting for the Heartaches – The Coral, from The Coral (1996)

Back to Britain, this time to Hoylake, on the west coast of England. This is from their debut album, which caused quite a stir in GB. The album chops its way through all kinds of genres, a couple of genres in this song alone.

15. If It’s Not With You – Phoenix, from Alphabetical (2004)

Britain again. Another one I know nothing about. Apparently he had a song in “Lost in Translation”, but I don’t have that soundtrack. This album doesn’t get the greatest props, but I quite like this quiet song with its 70’s songwriter vibe.

16. World Of – Jim Guthrie, album unknown (year unknown)

Who? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t mind finding out more. And I highly doubt that ‘World Of’ is the actual name of this track, but this is the way it came to me. After a quick search, I found this quote, source un-named: "If all is right in the universe, it should alert the world to the depths of his talents and dare to be said, his genius...an inspiration for a whole generation of post-rockers and lo-fi punks." For god’s sake, don’t let that quote avert your ears from this lovely, delicate song. I’m guessing he’s from Toronto.

17. Solex in a Slipshod Style – Solex, from Solex vs. the Hitmeister (1998)

The story of Solex, as I understand it: Amsterdamian record shop owner, and songwriter, Elisabeth Esselink began to create lo-fi techno pop music, borrowing snippets of songs from records that weren’t selling at her store, and using the made-up character of Solex as the basis of many of her songs. Voice sounds a bit like Bjork’s to me, but don’t hold that against her.

18. Call My Name – Prince, from Musicology (2004)

I, like many, had given up on Prince. Sure, I could buy the claim that his record company was stifling his creative genius. Then came the post-record company albums, seemingly a new one each week, and none getting much positive press. Now I hear about Musicology, and how it’s supposed to be so wonderful, so I download the album. One word review: Yay!! This song, Call My Name, is to be filed under ‘Fantastic Prince Ballad’. I remember, years ago, Gene Siskel gave a thumbs down to Scorsese’s Casino, because Siskel felt it was redundant since Scorsese had so-often traveled the same themes and scenes in past movies. I expect some may feel the same about this song, because it sounds like classic Prince. Fair enough, I suppose, but I think Casino is a fantastic film, and Call My Name is a fantastic song. It gloriously sounds like classic Prince. Yay!!