music
Six Songs
“Free Energy” Free Energy
Holy shitballs.
Seriously, holy shitballs.
It’s only February, but I’m almost ok with declaring this my 2010 theme song. Balls out party rock at its finest (and they’re from Philly! – though I don’t know them). They have a three-song EP on iTunes right now. I suggest you buy it, then email me immediately to say it’s the best $2.49 you’ve spent in years, and possibly ever. Because if this stuff doesn’t get you out of your seat, clapping your hands and pumping your fists (though not at the same time – that would be impossible), you, my friend, are dead. Both to me and probably literally.
“Don’t Forget Me” Neko Case
I’m a little biased, because I love Neko Case. But dang, this song, a Harry Nilsson cover, is just so purdy. I don’t know many lyricists or singers who can drop “cancer” in a line and pull it off, making you feel all warm and happy and love love love.
“Secret Heart” Ron Sexsmith
I knew this song, and was vaguely aware of this guy, but never really got into him until recently – and early returns are very good. Sensitive, slightly effeminate, and Canadian – all things that I love or aspire to be.
(And yes, I just watched the “Elvis Costello: Spectacle” episode featuring, among others, Neko Case and Ron Sexsmith.)
(Also, what’s the origin of the name “Sexsmith”? For example, I think that a “smith” in someone who works in or with something, kinda like a goldsmith works in gold or a silversmith works with silver. So does a sexsmith work in sex? Or, better, a blacksmith work in blacks? Inquiring minds…)
“I Can Drink Any Woman Pretty” Todd Snider
Because I live in what is more or less a hotel room, all of my guitars are stored at my dad’s house in Philly. However, this humorous country ditty (whose title is pretty much self-explanatory) makes me want to go back there and get one so I can play this song to my friends when we’re sitting around someone’s apartment fucked up. Favorite lines: “Now I admit at first I didn’t even want that woman near me/Hell, she looked like she’d been beaten up with a rake/But as I gulped down another round, I said, hey woman hang around/You’re getting’ better looking with every drink I take.”
“Long Hot Summer Night” Jimi Hendrix
Speaking of guitar, there were three things that I would have given ten years of my life to be able to do back when I was in high school. They are:
1) Have sex with any one of the approximately 4600 girls that I fell deeply in love with between 1993-1997.
2) Play the guitar fill that starts 1:45 into this song, right after Jimi sings, “And the telephone keeps on screaming!”
3) Seriously, even if I could have just kissed one of those 4600 girls that I fell in love with in high school, or got a good five minutes during which I could smell the hair of any one of them, I would have lopped at least four years off the end of my life, no doubt.
Alas, #1 and #3 never came to pass (the hair smelling in #3 came close, but I’m still not ready to talk about that particular sleepover party). And neither did #2, but I was closer to that – by far – than the other two.
“Little Secret” Passion Pit
Another fun anthem that’s becoming my go-to song when it’s the weekend and about 9pm and I’m in the shower, washing up and guzzling a vodka red bull (have I mentioned that I’m 30?). Looking forward to doing this very thing in just a few hours.
[Have a good weekend.]
