Song Of The Week Archive

Dec 19, 2017 — Les Cactus by Jacques Dutronc

Superfamous French chanteur's timeless "European garage rock" from the 1960s. Dutronc may be "little known in English speaking territories" as they say but especially his early work is worthy of a listen, even if you don't follow the lyrics (more so if you can). This one is from his 1966 self-titled debut-- a screed about metaphorical and sometimes postmodern cacti. Here's a clunky translation, but you'll have more fun watching his sick 60s dance moves.

"Dans leur cactus il y a des cactus"

P.S. Sarah S offered a improvement on last week's email, insisting that "hip-hop" should be written "hip hop" (sans hyphen) especially when talking about the early stuff. As she is an authority on this I defer to her.

Dec 13, 2017 — Follow The Leader by Eric B & Rakim

Golden-age NYC hip-hop. This track uses a sample from last week's Baby Huey song, 17 years later. From Eric B & Rakim's 1988 album of the same name.

"So follow me and while you're thinking you were first

Let's travel at magnificent speeds around the universe"

Dec 6, 2017 — Listen To Me by Baby Huey & The Babysitters

Irresistible soul rock from 1971, off Baby Huey's only album, "The Living Legend". (That title was an homage-slash-morbid-joke-- the LP was put together posthumously shortly after its namesake died at 26 of a drug-related heart attack.) Curtis Mayfield produced and put it out on his Curtom label, and it would go on to be influential; cuts from across the record were heavily sampled in 80s (and later) hip-hop.

"Hear what I say,

The cat is okay"

Nov 29, 2017 — Places That Are Gone by Tommy Keene

I first heard of Tommy Keene via news of his death last week. Keene was a well-respected but fairly obscure musician making "power pop" going back to the early 1980s. I'm a little suspicious of that genre-- it's often used to describe artists who make appealingly catchy songs that don't hit hard enough to find wide audiences. Its practitioners are often critical darlings and lauded as "influential." But pop music that fails to find an audience is... what, exactly? Anyway, here's an appealingly catchy song--his first really good tune--off of 1986's "Songs From The Film".

"Well, then I'm almost glad that we never wanted to stay"

Nov 24, 2017 — Forever Young by Rod Stewart

From a guy who ten years prior demanded to know if we thought he was sexy, an earnest statement of best wishes for another's whole lifetime. This song has always sort of got me, because there is something more going on here than just a parent's note-- it's beatific acceptance of lack of control over any journey through the world, delivered with strident drums and guitars. From 1988's "Out Of Order".

"And may you never love in vain"

Nov 19, 2017 — Call It What You Want by Taylor Swift

Belated song for last week-- this one has scored more plays for me so far than anything else on her new album, "Reputation". Midtempo, intimate, beguiling. Shows off her knack for: telling universalist tales with sparkles of diaristic detail. And: enough wordplay to compel, but her undemanding metaphors are easily digested. I'll call that a skill, you can call it what you want.

(My personal runner-up on the album is another Jack Antonoff collaboration, "Getaway Car", in his signature driving pop mode, also worthy of your time.)

"All the drama queens taking swings

All the jokers dressing up as kings"

Nov 8, 2017 — Here's Where The Story Ends by The Sundays

Jangly British alt-rock from the cusp of the 1990s. From The Sundays' debut album "Reading, Writing & Arithmetic". (With "Reading" pronounced redding, as in the town in England where they hailed from.)

"Oh I never should have said

The books that you read

Were all I loved you for."

Oct 31, 2017 — Holiday Rap by MC Miker G & DJ Sven

Not far into the lengthy itself-a-kind-of-meta-joke "oral history" of last year's David S Pumpkins Halloween sketch on Saturday Night Live is a surprising bit of trivia: the blooping tune the skeletons dance to is an homage/ripoff of the breakdown bridge in this 1986 European hit single, "Holiday Rap".

I remember the song from high school. When my family first moved to Geneva in the early 90s, a British neighbor a couple years older gave me an old mix tape with a bunch of unfamiliar songs (what played big on Swiss radio was really different than in Massachusetts). This track was on it, a sort of juvenile parody rap about school vacation, by a couple Dutch guys over (essentially) samples of Madonna's "Holiday". It's pretty terrible, but I liked it when I was 14, I haven't heard it in a long time, and it's still kind of dumb and fun. The part that SNL reinterpreted starts at 3 mins in. Happy halloween-- any questions???

"I can understand things most rappers say

Cause rappin' is my thing and I do it every day"

Oct 25, 2017 — Dear To Me by Electric Guest

Indie-electro-soul-pop (?) out of LA. Worth noting that the frontman is the kid brother of one of the Lonely Island guys, and looks just like him in the video for this tune (a few other familiar faces in there, too). Thanks to Greg for the recommendation. From this year's "Plural".

"Always underwater

When the day runs out"

Oct 19, 2017 — Second Hand News by Fleetwood Mac

Lead track from "Rumours" (1977) and I think one of their most fun. It's among the many (many) songs by and about Buckingham and Nicks-- Pitchfork called it "perhaps the most euphoric ode to rebound chicks ever written."

"Won't you lay me down in the tall grass

And let me do my stuff?"

Oct 14, 2017 — Viva La Sauna Svedese by Piero Umiliani

How did a scrap of cast-off soundtrack from an Italian sexploitation documentary turn into something that you'll recognize instantly from your childhood? Funny story.

Piero Umiliani was an unbelievably prolific Florentine composer in the 1960s and 70s, putting out and appearing on literally hundreds of records under his own name and dozens more credited to pseudonyms. He wrote mostly "background music" -- instrumental compositions used in TV, film, and advertising -- and worked in many genres but produced a lot of what today you'd think of as jazzy, cool, loungey easy-listening stuff. The records of this material are referred to as "library music" records, they're musically excellent, and super fun. Frequently he was also hired to score particular films, which included doing the music for many (s)exploitation genre movies of the era.

One such film, "Svezia, inferno e paradiso" (aka "Sweden: Heaven and Hell") from 1968 appears to be mainly concerned with the sex lives of Swedish women. In it, there's a scene showing women in a sauna and Umiliani wrote a throwaway ditty to match, calling it "Viva the Swedish sauna". Long story short, the later American soundtrack release for the movie included it as a phonetically-renamed track and promoted it as a single. Jim Henson heard it, and turned it into the Muppets bit you'll recognize as "Mahnamahna".

Funnily enough, the tune had been such an afterthought that it was not included on the movie's Italian soundtrack record. Its very first appearance was on a 1968 record of collected Umiliani odds and ends, "Psichedelica," pressed in limited quantities for his friends and associates.

Oct 5, 2017 — Dead Man Walking by Sean Nelson & The Coastal Elite

Cover of the late-period David Bowie gem. I knew the original from the better-than-its-movie soundtrack to The Saint-- so this was probably, weirdly, the first Bowie song that I could name as being his. Here's a pretty faithful (sans the electronics) version by Seattle polymath Sean Nelson with some friends; we've heard from Nelson in several other forms on this list over the years.

"And I'm gone, like I'm dancing on angels

And I'm gone, through a crack in the past"

Sep 30, 2017 — Hide And Seek by the Harvard Opportunes

Impressive a cappella arrangement of Imogen Heap's 2005 indie haunt. The trick here is that Heap's original used a vocoder to auto-tune and auto-harmonize her solo voice-- these singers collectively recreate the absurdly intricate sonics without electronic assistance. The result feels more potent; an unusually good use of the form. From 2008's "Off The Page".

"Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth

Mid-sweet talk; newspaper word cut-outs"

Sep 24, 2017 — Bike Dream by Rostam

Lead single from Rostam Batmanglij's first solo album since officially departing Vampire Weekend last year. Swirly and punchy. Its evolution and story are covered on the Song Exploder podcast. Album is "Half-Light", just out.

"On 14th Street I feel my head between my knees

And orange swimming through the trees"

Sep 15, 2017 — Break My Stride by Matthew Wilder

This song was everywhere when I was a kid but I think it must have fallen off a cultural cliff-- I'd forgotten it until Emily suggested a re-listen. I remembered the vivid first verse where he describes an absurdist dream. Now I read the whole lyric and can't figure out if the rest of the story is supposed to be part of that dream-- first she leaves him, then it turns in a weirdly dark bridge, and he recovers. What happened to you, Matthew Wilder? From 1983's "I Don't Speak The Language".

"You said you had to get your laundry clean

Didn't want no one to hold you, what does that mean?"

Sep 8, 2017 — Sausalito Summernight by Diesel

Last week's record-breaking temperatures in northern California have cooled, but the hot season probably isn't over yet. Here's a 1980 power-pop ode to the Bay by Dutch band Diesel. From their debut "Watts In A Tank", also recommended.

"Another mile or two to Frisco,

Two hundred gallons from LA"

Aug 31, 2017 — Just Can't Get Enough by Sheer Mag

Young practitioners of old-school rock, out of Philly. From their new debut full-length, "Need To Feel Your Love", all of which is great if you like the sound.

"When I blink my eyes it’s written there in the stars--

In grocery aisles, in the shade of a smoky bar"

Aug 25, 2017 — Hard Rock Hallelujah by Lordi

Bonkers Finnish project bends parody back around to sincerity. Screaming guitars and ridiculous costumes hide a chorus that soars and a funky bridge you can dance to. They won the Eurovision song contest with this in 2006-- it's an ode to, well, what else? From "The Arockalypse".

"On the day of Rockening

It's who dares, wins"

Aug 17, 2017 — Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard by Lorde w/Jack Antonoff

Live audience recording from Outside Lands festival in SF this past week-- just a fun throwaway Paul Simon cover they did sitting on the edge of the stage. Neat to hear Lorde's ethereal take on a classic.

"Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona"

Aug 9, 2017 — Make It Big by The Beach Boys

I don't know. It's Kokomo-era Beach Boys, and this song was written (and not by Brian W) for the Troop Beverly Hills soundtrack. I guess I always kind of liked it. From 1989's critically-maligned "Still Cruisin'" collection.

"Baby welcome to the neighborhood"

Jul 19, 2017 — 2+2=? by The Bob Seger System

Raucous Vietnam war protest song from really early Seger. Jack White (of the Stripes) said at one point that this was his favorite song-- and once you're listening for it, the connection with Seven Nation Army is striking. Off of 1969's "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man".

"I'm no prophet, I'm no rebel,

I'm just asking you why"

Jul 12, 2017 — Strange Overtones by Poolside

Summertime cover of the great tune by Eno & Byrne. The original appeared on this list way back, and vibe aside it's a faithful version. Poolside are the guys who did a surprising Neil Young interpretation a few years ago. This is off their brand new sophomore album "Heat".

"This groove is out of fashion

These beats are twenty years old"

Jun 24, 2017 — La Cabane du Pêcheur by Francis Cabrel

When I was learning French in high school, this song was all over the Geneva radio-- Cabrel was a popular French singer-songwriter. Before lyrics websites and Google Translate existed, I liked this one because the words were slow and simple enough that as I got better at French, I could decode more of the story. Nice tune, too. From 1994's "Samedi Soir Sur La Terre".

"Va faire un petit tour, respire le grand air

Après, je te parlerai de l'amour

Si je me souviens un peu"

Jun 7, 2017 — While My Guitar Gently Weeps by Jake Shimabukuro

Undisputed virtuoso shreds on the ukulele. Watch him do it live here. Thanks to Brian for the recommendation.

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SOTW update: I've archived the full history of these emails on a little site here -- embarrassing choices, dumb opinions, bad music theory and all. Maybe you'll find something good in there. It's not a public site-- please keep it in the family, thanks.

May 26, 2017 — Sugar, Sugar by Ike & Tina Turner

Summertime cover of the Archies classic. Tina's lyrical gender swap transforms allusion into entendre, and entendre into dirty talk. (Can't find the source for this, but it's end of the 60s, or early 70s.)

May 17, 2017 — Fineline by Ned Doheny

Sunny 1970s yacht rock (alternatively, "marina pop"). Doheny flitted around the Laurel Canyon scene but never hit any real success, unlike fellow-travelers Jackson Browne and the guys from the Eagles, who appeared on his records.

This is the lead track off of his self-titled 1973 debut. Rolling Stone said it was "a sort of Southern California Astral Weeks". He's a skilled musician with good tunes and he probably deserved a wider audience than the record label's marketing got him.

"This old rock & roll

Break your heart, or make you whole"

May 13, 2017 — Ol' Shoshone by Chris Remo

A little neat guitar tune about running away to the woods, from the soundtrack to recentish game Firewatch. Song composed and performed by Chris Remo. The clever album cover for the soundtrack was designed by Olly Moss.

"And if you're wondering where's my ass been,

It's been cavorting amongst the aspens"

May 5, 2017 — Poor House by the Traveling Wilburys

The Wilburys were an unlikely late-80s supergroup comprised of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne. They put out a couple fun albums before walking away from the project. The first had a couple legitimate hits (you'd recognize 'em if you heard 'em). This track is off the lower-key followup, 1990's inaccurately named "Vol. 3". Orbison had died shortly after the first record, so they're down to four on the straightforward country rocker.

"Serving me with papers,

Calling me obscene"

Apr 26, 2017 — I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass by Nick Lowe

Fun UK new wave power pop. Off of Nick Lowe's solo debut "Jesus Of Cool", from March 1978.

"I need the noises of destruction

When there's nothing new"

Apr 19, 2017 — Shake Some Action by the Flamin' Groovies

I long knew this tune in a cover version on the Clueless soundtrack in the 90s (you might have too if you're my age). Here's the original from 1976, off the Flamin' Groovies album of the same name.

"And I won't come back this way again.

'Cause I don't need a friend."

Apr 12, 2017 — Whiteout Conditions by The New Pornographers

A legit banger that inhabits a narrow well of melancholy. This song gives me goosebumps. From their just-out album of the same name-- the best in a few years, I think, from the long-running (mostly) Canadian indie super group.

"The sky will come for you once"

Apr 4, 2017 — Don't Take The Money by Bleachers

Someone crossed (young) Paul Simon with (young) Woody Allen and ended up with America's Max Martin. Unlike the Swedish writer/producer, triple-threat Jack Antonoff is also a performer-- here as Bleachers, but also in Fun, Steel Train, and on tracks he cowrites for others. This latest one is apparently about his girlfriend (Lena Dunham).

"You steal the air out of my lungs"

Feb 19, 2017 — Remind Me by Röyksopp

Röyksopp's debut "Melody A.M." from 2001 has always been a desert-island-shortlist favorite-- it's a Norwegian downbeat electronica album, or something, and it's tuneful and has a unique soundscape to it. This is the track that led me to that album, but I got to it via the video, which is a fantastic animated narrative that sort of treks through a set of textbook infographics. Check it out.

(The album version of this track is actually quite different, so all the stuff I said above about tuneful and unique soundscape apply somewhat less here. I've never found the exact mix that matches the video, but the attached one is really close.)

"Brave men tell the truth

The wise man's tools are analogies and puzzles"

Jan 30, 2017 — Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones

An all-time favorite. From 1969's "Let It Bleed", with Merry Clayton duet vocal.

Oh, a storm is threat'ning my very life today

If I don't get some shelter, Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away

War, children, it's just a shot away, It's just a shot away

Ooh, see the fire is sweepin' Our very street today

Burns like a red coal carpet, Mad bull lost your way

War, children, it's just a shot away, It's just a shot away

Rape, murder! It's just a shot away It's just a shot away

The floods is threat'ning my very life today

Gimme, gimme shelter

Or I'm gonna fade away

War, children, it's just a shot away, It's just a shot away

It's just a shot away

I tell you love, sister, it's just a kiss away

It's just a kiss away

Kiss away, kiss away

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