As I was being “subjected” to my partner’s choice of radio station last Sunday morning, I began to wonder what I’d like to listen to now. Somehow, somewhere in that thought process (I was browsing KF at the time, and had just read the “Keyboards you wish you had never sold” thread), I got to thinking if I could only ever listen to / hear another 5 songs, what would they be?
THE RULES.
If you can say why you chose a song, that would be nice.
If you can include a link to the song somewhere online, so others can have a listen, please do so.
If you’re introduced to a song/composition you’ve never heard before, and you think it’s awesome, then let the poster know. If you think something is rubbish, that’s ok too, but be nice about saying it.
In no particular order, then:
1) Sé lest, by Sigur Rós.
This song is an absolute treasure, buried on the Takk album. I can never quite get my head around the time signature, which (I think) changes repeatedly – I usually give up trying shortly into the song, as there is so much gorgeous stuff going on. Hard to believe anyone can sound so well singing (for all intents and purposes) gobbledegook, but I’ve come around to thinking that Jonsi uses his voice more like an instrument, which fits in so will with the other “soundscape”-type sounds they use – stings, choirs, synthy dings & dongs, etc.
After 7 years listening to this song, I still get goosebumps all over when the marching band turn up and get into the swing of things, around 07:30. If anyone gets a chance to listen to the album version through a reasonably good set of headphones, I strongly recommend it – it wasn’t until I did so that I noticed (again, on the album version) that the sound of the marching band is slowly panned from right to left as they play, to give the impression of them walking from right to left. Genius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKuVFWA9jM4
2) Paranoid Android, by Radiohead.
I can recall being somewhat dismissive of Ok Computer initially, but boy! that album turned out to be quite the grower. I know there can be strong debate regarding which of Radiohead’s songs is “better”, but, for me, this is the type of song where you could hear something new every time you listen to it. The link below is to a jazz cover of PA, which I suppose, sonically, this couldn’t be much further away from distorted/overdriven guitars and Thom’s screaming vocals, however I think it not only captures, but also emphasises, the subtleties and nuances that didn’t come out in the original, with gentle brass swells here and there, and a gorgeous piano lead starting around 03:06.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnGA2PFk ... re=related
3) Little Faith – The National
From the clean, opening chord that cuts through the synth at 0:23; to Matt’s deep, rusty voice, singing bittersweet, melancholy lyrics: “I set a fire just to see what it kills”, “All our lonely kicks are getting harder to find”; to the frenetic drumming; to the use of brass; and the strings – oh my word, the strings. The tremolo strings that slowly build up during the bridge, then come crashing in around 03:10 are magnificent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XGLwRn6jjw
4) Bette Davis Eyes
I had never, ever, EVER like ANYTHING about the Kim Carnes’ song Bette Davis Eyes, but a few years ago when on holiday, we were eating in a restaurant and I literally had to stop and do a double-take, then another, until I realised what I was listening to. I asked the waiter if he could let me know what CD they were playing, but he couldn’t find the box I spent some time hunting on the internet when I returned home, and unearthed this little beauty – a cover by a lady called Karen Souza. I could happily drown in this version, and I think part of the reason I like it so much is it underlines how important perspective is – the same song, the same lyrics, the same melody, but differently arranged, can take a song from “car-crash” to “heaven”. Maybe there are other things in life we could look at differently, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sWb2Suh9kg
5) The Sound of Summer Running – Alison Brown.
I first heard this piece of music on a radio station while driving to a friend’s house sometime in 2005, and I didn’t want it to end. I made sure I tuned in the rest of that week, as the DJ had a habit of repeating some tracks (don’t they all?
) and that way I was able to discover the artist, and the album the track came from. There was no “Shazam” in 2005 – we’ve come a long way since then. Apart from saying that it sounds like the banjo and violin have been dipped in honey, I’m at a loss to describe how gorgeous this is, so I’ll let the music do the talking.http://www.reverbnation.com/alisonbrown/songs
Honourable mentions must go to Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode, Eveytime You Go Away, by Hall and Oates (and NOT Paul Young’s insipid cover), Mack the Knife (I love the Kevin Spacey cover), Midnight City by M83, Dashboard by Modest Mouse, Into My Arms by Mick Cave, Treehouse by I'm From Barcelona, All My Life by the Foo Fighters, but… I did limit to 5, didn’t i?!
And I'm gonna come back in 5 years, and see if/how much my taste has changed.
So – any takers?
Edited to include links that were misbehaving.
