Sunday, January 3, 2010

Best of 2009, Part the Second

Just like I promised...
The best of 2009.. continued...















Bad Romance/Speechless
2009 American Music Awards
Lady Gaga


Last year, Lady Gaga pooped out up out of nowhere. I remember I was at a deli in the Gayborhood and I hear Poker Face and I thought... holy shit! Now, I rarely go out dancing anymore (which is going to change now that I'm not wrapped up in stupid guys anymore) but they played her Let's Dance a bunch of times, the times I did go out... and that shit is FIERCE! She looks amazing, she can actually sing, play and write her own music... and she is like the female David Bowie! HOT!!!

Why is it so great?:

Did you watch the fucking AMA's? Her performance was SICK. She is a genius, she is ferosh, fab, she is everything and nothing all at the same time... she's the musical equivalent to Heidegger's Being in Time... she is... because she is.

Best Lyrics:
"I'll never talk again, boy you've left me speechless..."






I saw these guys in the summer of 2008 at Allgood, I hated that festival and I hated the Avett Brother... ok, maybe it was the heat, dehydration, lack of sleep, lack of the Dead and my sunburn and anger that made me a little less open to new music, but whatever... I was in no mood... hearing that a music reviewer in San Fransisco losely and unwarrantably compared them to TOWNES VAN ZANDT made me less interested in what they had to say, let alone the noise that came out of them...


Why is it so great?:


I heard this song a few months ago on XPN on a particularly low afternoon and thought it was very beautiful. It's desperate, you know... when you're tired, hurt, cold, and all alone... all you want is someone with warm arms to turn to, even if they are bad for you... it's easy to identify with someone so broken down... well, for me it is anyway. This song is simple, clean, and unassuming... NOTHING LIKE THE GREAT TOWNES VAN ZANDT! This song was already on my list, but when avid Avett Borthers fan, Chelsea suggested it to me, I had to agree.

best Lyrics:

"dumbed down and numbed my time and age you dreams to catch this world the cage the highway sets the travelers stage all exits look the same three words that became hard to say i and love and you"


Michael Franti & Spearhead


Just click on the link, I don't need to tell you why this song is so fabulous!








The Swell Season


So, these were the guys who won an Oscar for the song Falling Slowly in the movie Once two years ago. They got married, formed the Swell Season... then got divorced; very Fleetwood Mac. They still play together, but it's kind of sad... maybe because they are European or maybe because they play folk music... but either way... it's sad.


Why is it so great?:

Have you ever fucked up really badly with someone you care a lot about? You know, said the wrong thing, acted the wrong way, did something really stupid or hurtful? Don't lie, jerk, of course you have, we all have. This song is a man's attempt to get someone he loves to sit down, on their terms, and listen to what he has to say. he wants to try and fix things and he misses this person. He may not be able to, but he has to try.


Their sound reminds me of 1970's Bob Dylan, but the writing is a little reminiscent of Leonard Cohen, if you ask me. Grab a beer, a cigarette, and a pen and paper... because after you listen to this, you will be reminded of your mistakes and the one that got away... and you should write about it...


Best Lyrics:


"I wanna turn this thing around, I wanna drink with you all night until we both fall down..."





Good Times
Susie Shu


Another fantastic find from One Tree Hill, Susie Shu is an amazing singer songwriter that has earned a comparison to the legendary Townes Van Zandt. She writes up-beat sad songs in a sad key and is not afraid to put her femininity and her anger down on paper. Vocally she is reminiscent of more recent folk singer, like Rachel Yamagatta or dare I say Kathleen Edwards but her lyrics and music are from an older generation. She touches on complicated phrasing like Joni Mitchell and croons like female Van Morrison. Call me crazy...


Why is it so Great?:

on a completely personal and selfish note, this sing basically tells my story with a person i like to call "the last one"... it makes me cry. Sometimes you need a good cry, and since Ryan Adams went off and got married, I need someone new to bum me out.

Best Lyrics:

"Well, he told me he didn't know me that well, if only he knew he was my lion and I was his gazelle. Circumstances draw the line, I was never his and he was never mine."



Coming next: Honorable Mentions!

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