Track of the Day: 'Chicago' by Sufjan Stevens

Published on Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Northern Star

When Stevens wrote a song about Detroit, he mentioned specific landmarks and places to comment on how the once-great city is crumbling from within.

“Chicago” doesn’t have those specifics, because it’s not about the Windy City itself. Stevens has said in interviews that Chicago represented something different from Michigan, his home state. It was a vibrant, living city with many paths of escape. It’s something that many of those who have rown up closer to the city can relate to.

The title city is not a destination for Stevens. It’s a personification of his desire to find that place we dream about when we’re young. He best expresses this desire with the line, “I was in love with a place in my mind,” as he spends his nights in a parking lot.

If the song’s message could be distilled to one line, it would be: “If I was crying ... it was for freedom / from myself and from the land.”

As graduation approaches, I take this song to heart because it speaks directly to what many of my fellow students feel. We want to break the shackles of our many years of school and go out and find our own freedom, be it in Chicago or anywhere else. But, to use a well-worn cliché, it’s not where we go — it’s how we get there.

“All things go,” Class of 2008.

Track of the Day: 'Dirty Knife' by Neko Case

Published on Friday, May 2, 2008
The Northern Star

One of country music’s most beloved qualities is actually one of my least favorite aspects of the genre: its direct, easy-to-understand lyrics and emotions. Sure, when it’s done well by distinct singers, it can’t be beat, but I’m getting a degree in English. I like a little poetry in my lyrics.

This is why I absolutely love singer/songwriter Neko Case. She has such a wonderfully distinct and powerful voice that could run circles around Carrie Underwood or Faith Hill, yet her lyrics are filled with strange – and at times violent – imagery that excites the imagination.

“Dirty Knife” is a slow-burner that starts chillingly with Case’s understated, “So suddenly the madness came / with it’s whiskered wolven ether pangs.” As the backing band softly plucks their guitars, it gives the madness a surreal sense of calm and order.

But as soon as the “blood runs crazy,” the instrumentation starts to unwind and Case describes an ambiguous scene of man cornered by wolves and insanity, “In the glow of the furniture / piled high for firewood,” while a cello rumbles an ominous melody.

All the while, Case keeps just enough sweetness in her voice to keep the song as beautiful on the surface as it is creepy underneath. Even the lyrics have a kind of nursery-rhyme quality to them, like the line “and the woodsman failed to reach those fangs in time ... ”

So while truer country fans can have their Taylor Swifts and Dolly Partons, this indie-geek will take Neko Case any day because of the mystery and weirdness she brings to the genre.

Track of the Day: 'SexyBack' by Rock Plaza Central

Published on Friday, April 25, 2008

The Northern Star

A good cover song can bring out all the original’s best qualities, or it can completely turn the original upside-down and backwards.

Rock Plaza Central does the latter on its cover of Justin Timberlake’s ubiquitous 2006 hit, “SexyBack.”

While the former NSYNCer brought sexy back with Timbaland’s futuristic production, the Toronto-based indie band takes the song out of the dance club and into a log cabin in the middle of the forest. It’s like going to a hoedown and dancing the robot.

Singer Chris Eaton channels bits of Hank Williams and Jeff Mangum as he warbles the song’s ridiculous lyrics. You can practically hear him smiling during the chorus, especially with the line, “Look at those hips,” as the rest of the band chimes underneath him with “Go ahead, be gone with it.”

With the horn accents in the second verse, along with the almost-creepy sounding fiddle solo at the end, there seems to be a great deal of artistic effort made in what appears to be a novelty. Lark or not, Rock Plaza Central’s rendition gives “SexyBack” a pleasant, easygoing melody without losing a shred of the original’s weirdness.

Track of the Day: 'For Today I am a Boy' by Antony and the Johnsons

Published on Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Northern Star

The first time anyone listens to Antony and the Johnsons, it’s a jarring experience.
First, there’s that wavering, high-pitched singing that draws comparisons to Nina Simone. Then, there’s the fact that the torch-burning voice is coming from a six-foot-four-inch man.

Then, there are the lyrics: “One day I’ll grow up / and be a beautiful woman,” sings Antony over his expressive piano playing, “but for today / I am a boy.”

The way Antony embraces his androgynous image and plays with gender roles makes him interesting, but his classic take on songwriting and intimate performances are what make him endearing.

Track of the Day: 'Beautiful Life' by Gui Boratto

Published on Monday, April 7, 2008
The Northern Star

For many, the thought of electronic music brings up images of loud, sterile, robotic beats at a trendy, drugged-out dance party.

But Brazilian artist Gui Boratto shows a different side of the genre on the transcendent “Beautiful Life,” the centerpiece of his debut album. The song sounds less like a sweaty rave at midnight and more like a summer sunrise, as the keyboard melodies and programmed drums pulse with a palpable warmth.

At eight and a half minutes, it may be too long and repetitive for someone not accustomed to electronic music. But as guest vocalist Luciana Villanova’s sings the hook, “What a beautiful life / what a beautiful world,” Boratto’s piece feels like it has the power to melt the ice off anybody’s heart.

Track of the Day: “All the Wine” - The National [Click for Audio]

Published on Thursday, March 20, 2008
The Northern Star

When people think of a pick-me-up song, they usually imagine something like the theme for “Rocky,” or “I Will Survive,” by Gloria Gaynor. But part of what makes “All the Wine” so endearing is how subdued it sounds.

Matt Berninger’s low baritone croons on how he’s a “perfect piece of ass,” in the way that a sad drunk would, which is indicative of the song’s mantra-like chorus, “And all the wine is all for me...”

Yet, this almost pathetic sound ironically works in his favor. It makes Berninger sound more human, more relatable. As the band starts to swell around him, his declarations sound more determined and powerful.

“I’m so sorry / but the motorcade will have to go around me this time / ’cos God is on my side.”

“All the Wine,” is good enough to put anyone lonely in a state of mind where nothing can touch them.

Track of the Day: 'Cuckoo Cuckoo' by Animal Collective

Published on Friday, February 29, 2008
The Northern Star

Since Feb. 14, I’ve been trying to find a good song about death.

The penultimate song on Animal Collective’s latest (and arguably greatest) album, “Strawberry Jam,” speaks from the mind of a ghost. Over a serene, melodic piano line, singer Avey Tare describes the strange and sad feelings from the other side. “Life was good / now death’s all wrong / because you can’t feel a thing / no heart flutters in late spring / you just drift and pray / for sun-kissed golden days.”

Then the chorus explodes in a cacophony of noise, as Tare screams out his anguish before finally going “cuckoo,” while the band flails about wildly like a group of children having a tantrum.

What draws me to the song is the cartharsis it brings, because after I heard the news, I didn’t want to be cooled down or reminded of another time. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to lose control.

In the chorus, Tare screams out, “All I want is one favorite song / and two or three minutes don’t seem too long / And where’s my mom? / I want to hold her tight.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Track of the day: "1000 Umbrellas" - XTC

Published on Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Northern Star

Last week I picked an incredibly sad song for this column. In response to that, here is a song that openly mocks sad songs.

The group XTC and its front man Andy Partridge were only second to Morrissey and the Smiths in terms of English bands producing comedic levels of melodrama in their music.

“1000 Umbrellas” is XTC’s finest example of that. Propelled by a lush and beautiful string arrangement, Andy Partridge bemoans the end of a romantic relationship with Shakespearean gusto, using every metaphor he can along the way.

“And just when I thought that my vista was golden in hue,” he sings at the song’s middle. “1000 umbrellas open to spoil the view.”

The word “misery” comes up over and over. When it does, Partridge doesn’t just sing the word – he heaves it like a sobbing lover while an orchestra plays buoyantly behind him.

Of course, it’s all in great fun, since it provides Partridge with a plethora of opportunities to showcase his English wittiness. For all it’s moaning a groaning, there is almost no way to take a line such as “I cried ‘til I floated downstream to a town they call ‘Misery,’” and not smile a little in spite of it.

“1000 Umbrellas” can be found on XTC’s 1986 album “Skylarking,” on Geffen Records.

Track of the day: "Names" - Cat Power

Published on Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Northern Star

This is one of the saddest songs ever written, though it’s not the kind of sad that only brings tears; it takes the breath away.

Cat Power, also known as Chan Marshall, plays a simple piano line as she gives short histories of five people she knew growing up, all of whom were victims of physical, sexual or drug abuse.

With such sparse musical background, most of the focus is on Marshall’s smoky and frail voice and the devastating lyrics she sings.

Two of her old girlfriends are particularly hard to stomach. The first’s story is laced with shocking specifics: “She taught me how to please a man/After school in the back of the bus/She was doing it every day /She was 11-years-old.”

The second girl’s pain is even worse because of what isn’t said. After Marshall sings, “Her father would come to her in the night,” she is silent for a few measures, letting the weight of the line fall on the listener.

The tales of horror change into tales of deep, regretful memory. It becomes overwhelmingly sad when one begins to remember the names from his or her own childhood.

“Names” can be found on Cat Power’s 2003 album, “You are Free,” on Matador Records.

Track of the Day: 'Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger' - Daft Punk

Published on Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The Northern Star

Recently, I was told about an NIU student saying Daft Punk’s excellent 2001 single was “totally ripping off Kanye West.”

Never mind the fact that Daft Punk’s song came out six years before. Any big fans of the French powerhouse dance group will tell you that hearing “Stronger” by Kanye West only makes them want to hear its source material more.

It’s easy to hear why. The hiccupping beat encourages the most acrobatic break dancing or perhaps an excellent version of “The Robot.” Off the dance floor, the song still delivers, thanks to its deft, layered production.

But the song’s best moment is when the electronically processed vocals speed up into a Guitar Hero worthy solo that’s as catchy as it is mind-blowing.

It’s no wonder Kanye decided to sample this. It’s one of the few songs that lives up to its hype-building title. Of course, Kanye didn’t really improve on his source material. On its own, it’s just too, well, harder, better, faster, stronger.

“Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” can be found on Daft Punk’s 2001 album “Discovery” on Virgin Records.

'Wolf Like Me' provides great energy for Halloween

Published on Wednesday, October 31, 2007
The Northern Star

“Wolf Like Me” is perhaps the most apt representation of Halloween in the past five years.

The song is essentially about sex, but through the lens of a man turning into a werewolf. In the movies, this process often looks painful, but TV on the Radio, the Brooklyn-based art-rock group, seems to revel in its wicked kinetic energy.

The band barrels through the song with enough forward momentum to rival a pack of wild dogs. Singer Tunde Adebimpe half-chants his lycanthrope-themed come-ons: “When the moon is round and full/Gonna teach you tricks that will blow your mongrel mind.”

The song also features one of the great rock formulas of slowing the tempo down for the bridge, as though it was the eye of a hurricane. When it comes back to full speed in the final verse, it’s exhilarating.

This song’s real strength lies in its boundless energy. It evokes the sugar-high adrenaline rush of young trick-or-treaters as well as older, costumed partiers.
Though it only came out last year, it has the potential to become a track on your costume party’s mixed CD for years to come.

“Wolf Like Me” can be found on TV on the Radio’s 2006 album, “Return to Cookie Mountain,” out now on Interscope Records.

'Marry Me' protrays a timeless sentiment

Published on Tuesday, October 16, 2007
The Northern Star

The title track of St. Vincent’s (nee Annie Clark’s) debut album from this year is both utterly sweet and utterly twisted.

It starts with Clark’s pleading voice, singing “Marry me John / I’ll be so good to you,” and it’s hard not to fall for it.

Then, she follows that up with a strange turn: “You won’t realize I’m gone.”

The verses further illustrate that she’s “as fickle as a paper doll / being kicked by the wind / when it comes down again / [she’ll] be in somebody else’s arms.”

Essentially, she’s telling John they should get married or else she’ll just start cheating.

But the greatness of this song is that it doesn’t sound nearly as warped as the lyrics would suggest. In actually sounds quite romantic.

It’s the timeless sentiment that’s been sung about forever.

But it’s all a rouse. No matter how pleasant the melody is, there’s just no way to ignore the song’s best line, “We’ll do what Mary and Joseph did without the kid.”

“Marry Me” can be found on St. Vincent’s debut album of the same name on Beggars Banquet Records.

Track of the Day: “Androgynous” - The Replacements

Published on Tuesday, October 9, 2007
The Northern Star

It’s easy to act mature when writing songs. It’s even easier to be juvenile and silly. But few groups could manage to be both quite like The Replacements.

Most of the album “Let it Be” can be divided into two groups of songs. There are the raucous punk songs from a band that refuses to be taken seriously, including “Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out,” “Seen Your Video” and the KISS cover “Black Diamond.” Then, there are the true steps into mature, heartfelt song writing, such as “I Will Dare,” “Sixteen Blue” and “Answering Machine.”

To this day, I’m not sure which category “Androgynous” belongs to, but I love it more for this reason.

It’s full of contradictions. The song’s arrangement is sparse and loose, like most of the Replacements’s best songs. Primarily, it’s just singer/songwriter Paul Westerberg playing some rudimentary piano chords and singing about a couple who fall in love wearing each other’s clothes. You’d think it’s one of the funny songs.

Then, consider how The Replacements never really used piano primarily on their albums before. It would be a new direction for the band, focusing more on playing a pop song instead of rushing through a punk song.

And then there are lyrics. I still chuckle at Westerberg’s first line, “Here comes Dick/He’s wearing a skirt.” Again, you’d think it was one of their joke songs. But that’s not entirely true.

By the end of the song, before the third chorus when Westerberg labels Dick and Jane as “future outcasts” when they dress like their gender, he’s saying something about the nature of fads and the stereotypes that come with them.

He’s looking down at people who would judge them for looking the way they do when all that matters is that they love each other. It’s subtly one of Westerberg’s deepest songs.

Above all else, “Androgynous” is one of the catchiest tunes Westerberg ever penned. Putting it on with a group of friends seems to magically encourage people to put their arms around each other and sing along, “Closer than you know/Love each other so/Androgynous.”

At that point, whether or not the song is joke or a statement doesn’t seem to matter. That’s probably the song’s best quality – it can be exactly what you want it to be.