Wednesday, October 26, 2005
This whiskey priest, he burned his church to keep his girls alive...
iTunes has a four-song live session by the New Pornographers for sale starting... now. The version of "Sing Me Spanish Techno" included continues the sad trend of Carl struggling to find his key when singing it live. The absolute high point, though, is "Streets of Fire", which builds from a campfire sing-along complete with hand claps and four-part harmonies. It's the sweetest sleepover ever, and well worth the not-quite-dollar.
Also, according to their website, you can get New Pornographers ringtones, but I don't support that. I keep my phone on vibrate.
Today also sees the release of a new Spoon single, "My First Time, Vol. 3". It swings like "I Turn My Camera On", and that I support. Call me crazy, but I hear a laid-back Afghan Whigs vibe in the song, and that, too, gets my support.
Actually, the last few weeks have been real clutch for iTunes purchases. Last week I bought Bloc Party's "Two More Years/Hero" single and Iggy Pop's "Candy", which had randomly popped into my head after probably a decade's absence. The Bloc Party songs are 80's robots, but still make a good martini. And while those two songs have dominated my playlist the last week, I come not to talk about Bloc Party. I come to talk about Kate Pierson. Listening to "Candy" reminds me: why didn't Kate get more 'spect? Just in this song: The way her voice catches, the way she belts out "Candy" right before the fade out, that swirling "whoa-ah-whoa-ah-whoa-ah!" that sounds as joyous and unfettered as dancing on a table. Her voice goes from honey to sandpaper and back again in the breath between notes. She should have been singing torch songs and whiskey ballads. She should have been making kick-ass vocal cameos like the ones on "Candy" and R.E.M.'s "Me in Honey", a hired killer. There should be smokey old pictures of her sitting at pianos in cowboy hats and blue jeans. Instead, she's remembered for belting out "tin roof... rusted!" I blame Fred Schneider; eat it, Fred. In the long run, she should have been the Neko Case of the 90s.
And that my friends, is coming full circle.
Also, according to their website, you can get New Pornographers ringtones, but I don't support that. I keep my phone on vibrate.
Today also sees the release of a new Spoon single, "My First Time, Vol. 3". It swings like "I Turn My Camera On", and that I support. Call me crazy, but I hear a laid-back Afghan Whigs vibe in the song, and that, too, gets my support.
Actually, the last few weeks have been real clutch for iTunes purchases. Last week I bought Bloc Party's "Two More Years/Hero" single and Iggy Pop's "Candy", which had randomly popped into my head after probably a decade's absence. The Bloc Party songs are 80's robots, but still make a good martini. And while those two songs have dominated my playlist the last week, I come not to talk about Bloc Party. I come to talk about Kate Pierson. Listening to "Candy" reminds me: why didn't Kate get more 'spect? Just in this song: The way her voice catches, the way she belts out "Candy" right before the fade out, that swirling "whoa-ah-whoa-ah-whoa-ah!" that sounds as joyous and unfettered as dancing on a table. Her voice goes from honey to sandpaper and back again in the breath between notes. She should have been singing torch songs and whiskey ballads. She should have been making kick-ass vocal cameos like the ones on "Candy" and R.E.M.'s "Me in Honey", a hired killer. There should be smokey old pictures of her sitting at pianos in cowboy hats and blue jeans. Instead, she's remembered for belting out "tin roof... rusted!" I blame Fred Schneider; eat it, Fred. In the long run, she should have been the Neko Case of the 90s.
And that my friends, is coming full circle.
