9-17-11 - "Poke" ~ Frightened Rabbit

Here's an exquisite take on a relationship which is self-destructing.  Taken from "The Midnight Organ Fight", this track is one part of the tale of fierce love gone awry, falling shortly after "Keep Yourself Warm" on the album's tracklist.  Songs like this caused Frightened Rabbit to wind their way into my heart - the emotional wounds cut to the bone, and their freshness is evident in Scott Hutchison's voice on every song, but particularly this one... it's just the voice and subdued strumming on his guitar.

Live performance:

"Why won't our love keel over as it chokes on a bone?

We can mourn its passing and then bury it in snow..."

8-7-11 - "The Loneliness And The Scream" ~ Frightened Rabbit

The other half of last night's Death Cab For Cutie show was Frightened Rabbit, and they were swell.  Being the opening act, they played a fairly short set and left out a few of my favorites, but they did a bunch of my other favorites, and also caught my ear with this one from their latest album, which I have to confess hadn't previously hit me hard like it did when they closed with it last night at the show...

This one is all about those times when we are unsure of ourselves, when we feel alone despite being surrounded by people, when we need a catalyst to remind us that there is more to life than the dreary routines...

I was hoping to find a live recording from last night (I wasn't shooting video), but nobody has posted one yet so here's one from a few days ago in Detroit:

"We fall down, find God,
just to lose it again..."
______________________________________


Edit 8-9-11: Check out these sweet photos of Frightened Rabbit's set by fellow Pittsburgh music blogger Hugh!

6-29-11 - "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) ~ The Proclaimers

This is gonna get complicated.  But hopefully also fun.  Bear with me (or just scroll down and watch/listen to the song.)


I watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother tonight with my brother.  The episode featured this song* as a cassette single that got stuck in a character's car stereo and was thus the only thing they could listen to for the bulk of 199,999 miles put on the vehicle.


This song is great.  It's also featured on a countdown list called The 100 Worst Songs Ever.  That's how you know it's legit.


My college uses this song as an icebreaker for incoming freshman classes, by making upperclassmen, faculty and staff get on stage and do a choreographed dance (teaching such moves as the prairie dog and frantic skiier to the 1000 freshmen).  Sentimental memories there for me... I wish I had this on video.  It's quite a sight to behold.


The song is not only insanely catchy and a testament to true love, it's also educational.  I just learned the meaning of the word "haver", and I bet you didn't know the definition until you clicked that link, either!


The Proclaimers are a band comprised primarily of blond Scottish twins.  Guys, not girls... and pretty dorky guys at that.  But come on, who doesn't love twins?  or dorks?  It's pretty great watching the one stand behind the other's shoulder and sing the echos / harmonies in the music video....


OH!  Did I mention that Johnny Depp is in the video?  Guess the song made the soundtrack of 1993's "Benny and Joon" starring everyone's favorite actor...

In conclusion, this may in fact be The Best Song Ever.  Or maybe it's not, but it's still pretty great, eh?


"If I get drunk well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you
And if I haver yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you..."


* - downside of Blogger: they are in bed with YouTube and do not allow embedding of videos from other sites like Vimeo.  Why can't we all get along?

5-31-11 - "Cry, Cry, Cry" ~ Johnny Cash

Sometimes the little things amuse me, such as posting songs with the same title on back to back days.  I wouldn't do it if they weren't both awesome, though.  So, here's the "old classic" to which I referred last night... sounds like ol' Johnny was having trouble with a lover who strayed...

"When your fickle love gets old no one will care for you
And you'll come back to me for a little love thats true
I'll tell you no and then you'll ask me why why why
When I remind you of all of this you'll cry cry cry..."


PS - Wikipedia says Cash was descended from Scottish royalty... neat, huh?

5-4-11 - "Hands Open" ~ Snow Patrol

I'm nothing if not predictable.  Wait, did I use that line to open yesterday's post?  Yes, yes I did.  Sorry.  Funny story though, tonight's song gives a nod to last night's, and I'm still in Chicago, so there you go.  Snow Patrol is pretty great, and this one's a rocker.  It probably has something to do with a relationship that hasn't really started yet, but the singer sure hopes it does...

"Put Sufjan Stevens on
and we'll play your favorite song,
Chicago bursts to life
and your sweet smile remembers you;
My hands open and my eyes open,
I just keep hoping that your heart opens..."

4-23-11 - "Daddy's Gone" ~ Glasvegas

I'm fortunate enough to not personally relate to this song, but I still like it.  It's catchy musically, and the subject matter is certainly a prevalent issue in today's world.  The singer grew up in a broken home, and rarely saw his father, which turned the unconditional love and respect that a child has for his father into a twisted loathing and resentment.  It's a situation all too common.

"all i wanted was a kick-a-bout in the park
for you to race me home when it was nearly getting dark
how i could've been yours, and you be mine
it could've been me and you until the end of time.."

4-1-11 - "Keep Yourself Warm" ~ Frightened Rabbit

This was the first song I heard by Frightened Rabbit, and it reeled me in quick.  One of many great songs I've discovered through the TV show "Chuck", it was used in a critical scene that it fit perfectly, and helped set up the last big story arc of that season.  It's really not all that complex musically, just a few chords, but they're well-organized and it builds on itself and the emotional lyrics bring it to a climax that's worth the ride.


The song's meaning is pretty clear; it's a guy realizing that chasing after casual sex is a hollow and empty pursuit, which ultimately leaves him unfulfilled and regretful.  Within the context of the album (which is full of songs about a nasty break-up), it can be inferred that he's gone a little wild trying to heal (or simply mask) the pain of his broken heart by sleeping with any willing partner he can find at the club.  However, it's not helping, and in fact just makes him feel worse... be forewarned, he doesn't use euphemisms here, so if you have virgin ears maybe this one's not for you... I think the use of the explicit term makes the song all the more powerful, but I realize not everyone wants to hear that.  At any rate, here you go:

"Can you see in the dark?
can you see the look on your face?
the flashing white light's been turned off,
you don't know know who's in your bed..."

3-17-11 - "Run" ~ Snow Patrol

I was going to do some kind of traditional Irish music today, but decided to go a slightly different direction - an Irish band.  Well, sort of... Snow Patrol's members may hail from Ireland originally, but the band's home base is in Scotland... anyway, they're pretty sweet and I probably should have had them on the site a lot sooner than now.


Run is probably my favorite of their songs, although they have quite a few that I like a lot.  This one is fairly straightforward musically, and the minor chords in the verses go perfectly with the emotions expressed in the lyrics.  The sparse and haunting strings accent the mood, and Gary Lightbody & co. bring it up for the choruses with a hopeful call to the lover, to seize that love and let it burn brightly, no matter the cost.

(apologies for the cheesy lyric video; it's the only way to get the full song)


"Light up, light up,
as if you have a choice,
even if you cannot hear my voice,
I'll be right beside you, dear..."