Ten years. Used to seem like forever, but now it seems like it went by in a blur. Yea, this song is from ten summers ago. At the time, I was rocking this disc every day on the way to soccer conditioning with mi hermano, not a care in the world. Well, probably I was starting to care about college, but looking back, I'm really not sure why...
So yeah, here's a song about perseverance and keeping your head up through tough times, from the early years of one of my favorite bands, Relient K. Masters of witty pop-culture references and infectious pop-punk tunes, these boys broke free of the oppression of growing up in Ohio and have gone on to make tons of great music. My favorite part of following a band is when they broaden their horizons and hone their talents while still putting out music I want to hear. RK has done that over the years, adding more piano and other instruments along with more intricate harmonies while shedding some of the wit in exchange for more frequent lyrical depth. Still, sometimes it's nice to go back to the relative simplicity of their early works:
And for you indie types, here's a more mellow "back porch acoustic" version (complete with lawnmower):
"Adversity - we get around it, searched for joy, in you I found it."
It's a new month, so it seems a good time for a song that speaks of new beginnings. Freelance Whales are more than just an epic band name. They bring slightly unconventional instrumentation to indie pop and slather it in lush harmonies.
The album "Weathervanes" is nonstop fun, start to finish. Oh wait, there's a pretty sad song right in the middle... but other than that, nonstop fun. And this track kicks it off with a bang... wait I mean a banjo:
Part of the reason I picked this song today was so I could also show you this video of the PS22 Chorus collaborating with the Whales:
And just for good measure, an NPR Tiny Desk version which lets you watch them play their instruments (I'm not really sure what that is... a box-cordion? oh wait let me google it ~ a "harmonium". cool.):
"We keep on churning and the lights inside the house turn on And in our native language we are chantin' ancient songs Then when we quiet down, the house chants on without us."
In other news, I'm experimenting with a fun site called thesixtyone.com. It's a little bit of a different take on discovering new music; I recommend checking it out. Here's this track on the site: http://www.thesixtyone.com/s/Vx2GgH2oe9U/
You may have preconceived notions about Billy Joel, or even about this song. I challenge you to put them aside for a few minutes and give it a critical listen. It's definitely vintage '80s style, and actually made someone's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever". In Joel's own words, "It's one of the worst melodies I've ever written. I kind of like the lyric though." He's on track there - the lyrics are what make the song for me. (to be fair, the music is catchy, in that awkward way of 80s tunes where if you're in the right mood you dig it, but if not you want to rip your ears off...)
I had a prof in college open a class session with this song. It was an early class, and most of the kids were kind of dazed and confused and maybe didn't really get it, but I was jamming to it and knew we were in for a fun lesson. But... you don't care about that.
Joel wrote the song when he turned 40 in 1989, and it's a three-minute rapid fire retrospective look at world history during those 40 years. The gist of the song is that there's a lot wrong in the world; and "we" don't want to take the blame for problems which we didn't directly cause. Humanity as a collective over the course of history has done a lot of damage, and yes, we all are responsible in some small part, but most of us are "trying to fight it..." It plays out as a combination history lesson, morality play, and exhortation to do what you can to make the world a better place.
Surely you'll get some of the references, though if you're around my age you were just a little kid when the song came out so some of the stuff that happened before our time may not be immediately recognizable. But if you're so inclined, wikipedia breaks down the entire song.
The video goes along with the theme, showing American families over the course of those years and some of the horrible events that occurred during that time frame. And you have to love Joel sitting in front of a fire drumming on a table with his hands in the choruses:
"Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British Politician sex J.F.K. blown away, what else do I have to say?
We didn't start the fire It was always burning Since the world's been turning We didn't start the fire No we didn't light it But we tried to fight it..."
This song epitomizes everything that is great about The Avett Brothers, and this particular live version even more so. You get a feel for their softer side at the beginning, and it builds into a foot-stompin' ruckus by the end. Scott throws in a witty aside between lines ("...disregard your father's word"..."...what does he know?"), and you get the mid-song instrument change after Scott breaks a string on his banjo. They have a guy whose sole purpose during shows is to re-string guitars and banjos after they fail to withstand the frenetic strumming of the brothers. The unbridled passion is evident in every show, in every song.
OK Go are possibly more famous for their music videos than for the songs themselves, but they have some pretty good stuff musically too. This one's tons of fun. (oh btw, it just occurred to me tonight that I can slap YouTube videos right into posts, rather than linking. how about that. booyah.)
"You can't stop these kids from dancing, and why would you want to, especially when when you are already getting yours? 'Cause if your mind don't move, and your knees don't bend, well don't start blaming the kids again..."
BONUS:
Rube Goldberg Music Video:
AND
Band Music Video:
What fun. (these versions have their own audio which is different from the studio cut. each is spiffy in its own right.)
