Eighties Flashback

Nothing takes me back to a specific event or time more than a certain song or artist. I went to both high school and college during the eighties, and as with any time period it saw its share of bad music, but there was plenty of good music as well. I consider high school and college as formative years, musically. A lot of what I listened to was influenced by who I hung around and what they were listening to. My college roommate opened the door for me to music beyond Eric Clapton and Bruce Springsteen, my mainstays, into R.E.M. and U2, both of whom were huge in the late eighties. I had a slightly funkier influence from several older and wiser aunts who were into Talking Heads.

Everyone could compile a list of songs that are memorable to them for some reason from their high school and college days. Here is mine:

· My Best Friend’s Girl (The Cars) – for some reason my friends and I listened to The Cars rather obsessively
· Tempted (Squeeze) – this was a popular bar song. Ah, Squeeze…
· Welcome to the Boomtown (David & David) – I’m not sure why I decided I liked this group and bought the entire album, and I’m also not sure they had another hit
· Modern Love (David Bowie) – I loved David Bowie and bought the Just Dance album with my babysitting money. I’m sure I was NOT David Bowie’s target audience
· Lips Like Sugar (Echo and the Bunnymen) – This was me being sort of edgy in college, although in reality it was my roommate being cool and me just along for the ride
· Pump It Up (Elvis Costello) – I will always associate this song with doing group aerobics in the lounge of my freshman dorm, which I’m sure was quite a sight
· Forever Man (Eric Clapton) – I could not even guess how many times I listened to Clapton’s Behind the Sun [tape] on my Walkman (yes, Walkman!)
· Lean on Me (Club Nouveau) – this was the funky new version of Bill Withers’ song and the girls in the dorm room next door played it over and over and over…
· I’m Sorry (Hothouse Flowers) – While I was studying in Vienna my junior year of college, my roommate there introduced me to this group, and I must say they’ve held up well
· Wrapped Around Your Finger (The Police) – I don’t think there’s much I need to say about Synchronicity
· (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville (R.E.M.) – Again, a nod to my college roommate who got me into R.E.M. when they were still kind of toward the beginning of their careers
· Love For Sale (Talking Heads) – my Denver aunts got me into Talking Heads and for some reason my freshman year roommate thought the name of this song was hilarious
· Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2) – I remember that my roommate mentioned that her little sister told her that U2 must hate Sundays as much as she did because of the title of this song- very funny
· The One Thing (INXS) – This group was kind of getting popular in college. I loved the name of this album, Shabooh Shoobah

The eighties also saw the dawn of MTV, and back then they actually played videos. In retrospect, I’m a little shocked that my family a) had cable, and b) my mom allowed what I recall as unlimited doses of music videos. I’m including a video that is as bizarre to watch now as it was then (who could forget Ric Ocasek’s head on the body of a bug???). Enjoy the flashback!

The Black Keys: Brothers

I have to admit that I’m rather surprised this album is so high on iTunes right now (#2 a week after its release), not because it’s not good (it’s very good), but because it just doesn’t seem like it has the sound that would give it a wide audience appeal, particularly in its first week out and being a band that isn’t super widely known (I don’t think- maybe it’s just me). I reviewed Tighten Up in Misc. Singles and loved it. I was excited and surprised to see it doing so well sales-wise, so I took the plunge and bought the album. I can only blame myself for not knowing what I’m getting in these situations, but in this case it’s a good thing! If I had known this was a very bluesy album I doubt I would have bought it, but I have really grown to like it.

My first couple times listening to an album if I’m not familiar with the artist is always kind of a blur- it has an overall sound and that’s about all I come away with. To be honest, I didn’t really like it at first since when I listened to it I was not sitting in a smoky club and am not currently going through a bad breakup but rather was sitting on my back porch or going about my suburban mom kitchen duties- possibly not quite the right setting for this one. My kids were also not impressed, and this one is definitely not designed for the ‘tween or teen set. I thought the overall tempo of the songs was very slow and the lyrics fairly depressing (more on that later). When I started considering the songs individually and got to know them better, however, it turned out there is only one song that I really think is over the top blues and I don’t enjoy. In fact, I’m having a hard time narrowing down a list of singles to recommend because I like so many and think they’re probably better as a group than on an individual basis.

I often think that whether you like or don’t like a particular song or album has to do with what mood you’re in and what emotions the songs evoke. This one digs deep as the sound and lyrics are so soulful. When I found out that one of the two members of the group was going through a bad divorce while the songs were being written, it kind of made sense. I almost feel like I’m invading his privacy listening to the songs and knowing that. Mind you, not all of the songs are sad or depressing- there are upbeat moments, but the blues sound in general is not going to make your pre-party playlist. After I had listened to this album a few times through, I decided that The Black Keys could be compared to Ray Lamontagne in case you already know you like his sound.

Get this album but know that you need to give it some time and consider it contemplatively. Let it reach those deep down feelings and you will really appreciate (and enjoy) it. Okay, I tried to list the singles I would recommend and ended up with a list of 9 of the 15 songs on the album, which is ridiculous. The video for Tighten Up is below. That song is probably the most upbeat and I still think it has the potential to be popular on a wider scale. I guess if you held a gun to my head and told me to pick one or two more to recommend I would say Everlasting Light and The Only One as those would give you a good taste of what the overall album sounds like.

On another note, I’m still loving New Pornographers’ album. If you didn’t catch the video in my previous post check it out- they’re good.

The New Pornographers: Together

One of the things I like about writing these posts is that it has pushed me to try music that I might not ordinarily listen to. It also gives my brain something to do when it’s not otherwise engaged (see previous post). I find it very easy to get caught up in a daily routine that seems quite similar from one day to the next, and while being a mom to four kids is very challenging and rewarding and my job certainly keeps me busy, I sometimes feel itchy to experience more. To me, music is more accessible, from both a monetary and logistical standpoint, than other new experiences (travel or art or even dining). I’ve found it hard to express why I like or dislike a particular song or album, especially in a way that other people will find either interesting or compelling. Music is such a personal thing, so why let someone else choose what new music you hear by just listening to the radio? Whether you like or dislike something new, it’s fun to try something that might be outside of your everyday realm. I also think it’s cool to find music that everyone else isn’t listening to.

And that is my transition to Together by The New Pornographers. I liked Crash Years (from Misc. Singles II) so much that I thought I’d try the whole album by this band. As I mentioned in that post, I had subconsciously formed an opinion of this group based on their name, assuming there would be some vulgarity associated with their music- how Tipper Gore of me! In reality, they are an indie group comprised of two females and five males, and they mix up their music pretty well. Some songs have female leads, some male leads and some both, kind of like listening to a mix tape. You could definitely play this in the car with your kids, although I’m not sure how happy they would be about that- this is not as flashy as Ke$ha or Lady Gaga.

The iTunes version of this album has 3 bonus tracks, bringing the total number of songs to 14. While there are no songs that I strongly dislike, some favorites have definitely emerged. Test drive the 30-second version on iTunes and fork over $0.99 for one of these songs:

· A Bite Out of My Bed (shared lead vocals)
· Valkyrie in the Roller Disco (male lead)
· My Shepherd (female lead) – my favorite
· Crash Years (female lead) - getting radio play
· Your Hands (Together) (shared lead vocals) - video below
· Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk (shared lead vocals)

The video for Your Hands is below, and so far it is the only video from this album, which just came out two weeks ago. Impressive martial arts- enjoy!

Running Inspiration

Last October I completed the Chicago Marathon (note the verb “completed” rather than “ran”). In part, I blame my teenage daughters, who both run track and cross country, for making it seem effortless to run ridiculous distances on a daily basis. This is very misleading and not realistic for someone in her forties who does not have negative body fat like a teenager might. Nonetheless, I was inspired by reading “The Couch Potato’s Guide to Running the Marathon” (seriously) and off I went. I consider the marathon one of my greatest accomplishments to date, as anyone who trains and completes it should, no matter what their time (special huge emphasis on this point).

While immersed in the grueling five-month training process, I was lucky enough to have several coworkers who were also training for their first marathon, so we provided a mini support system for each other. Instant message topics included such technical things as brands of socks that were most effective, at what point during an 18-mile run a cracker might be eaten, etc. At some point I offered what I thought was a brilliant idea: we should all make a cd of songs to run to and trade with each other. What better way to be inspired than with a fresh crop of good music??? To my shock, I was met with a lukewarm response. One person told me that she generally does not run with an iPod or radio and uses the time to really gather her thoughts. What a lovely, new-age concept. Good for her, but my thoughts will only last for about the first three minutes of a run; I can most closely be compared to a toddler who must be distracted from an unpleasant task. Since I haven’t found anyone who runs as slowly as I do and can entertain me during my runs, I have decided that music is the closest alternative.

I was not to be discouraged by the response from my coworkers and prepared what I felt to be a fantastic playlist to train with. Sometimes when I run I like to listen to something new and really focus on the songs, which distracts me from my pain (always the goal, never fully achieved). Often, though, I think a good running playlist acts as an audio cheerleader, making you feel good and inspiring you to keep going. I’ve read that people who are able to match their pace to the music they’re listening to can improve their endurance, which seems reasonable. If you can figure out how many beats (steps) per minute you run, there is a website (http://www.jogtunes.com/) that gives you songs at various BPM. I’ve tried that and it works okay, but I prefer songs that are personal favorites to keep me going. There is also a new device similar to an iPod that you wear while running and it will actually choose music to match your pace, both from your own library and one that’s pre-programmed (a little light on the details for that as it came from Runner’s World, which I don’t read nearly as carefully as Rolling Stone). All this is support that I am not crazy- music can help you run better. Yay!

What follows is my personal playlist, prepared for the pretend swap during last year’s training, which never actually materialized. I’ve modified it a bit since last year to include some newer songs. It includes quite a range of artists and songs to keep things interesting and is about an hour long. Perhaps if you have a good enough playlist, you can also be inspired to exercise!

· Jai Ho! (A.R. Rahman & The Pussycat Dolls)
· Reptilia (The Strokes)
· Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel)
· A-Punk (Vampire Weekend)
· One Way or Another (Blondie)
· Heart of a Champion (Nelly)
· I Get Knocked Down (Chumbawamba)
· I Like the Way You Move (Outkast)
· Can’t Get You Out of My Head (Kylie Minogue)
· Shake It (Metro Station)
· Two Step (Dave Matthews Band)
· Be Yourself (Audioslave)
· Homecoming (Kanye West)
· I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)
· That’s the Way Love Is (Poi Dog Pondering)
· Bouncing Around the Room (Phish)

If you have any other great suggestions, please let me know. During a bout of severe amnesia, I signed up for the 2010 marathon and am facing the commencement of training very shortly!