Spotify Me
Part 12: Extraordinary Playlists and Where to Find Them
Mark’s
Discover Weekly Playlist for the week of 11/16/2015
It really
does nothing to get mad at snow. You go outside, you start up the snow blower, and
you go out and get going. And let me tell you, snow is magical… when you get
about 5 to 6 inches. When you deal with a snow storm its expensive, exhausting,
and clogs your snow blower even though the thing is 9 horse powers. You get mad
and abandon the blower for the good ol’ shovel, because he’s never let you
down. But then you realize that shoveling is terrible. That’s not a joke
shoveling snow is miserable. So you kick the snow blower and get it running
again and power though both your driveway and your elderly neighbors. And I bet
you can’t wait for the best part! It’s still snowing! And when you finish you
get to start all over again because there is MORE SNOW!
Listen guys,
this thing had a name, Winter Storm Bella or something. I didn’t even know they
named winter storms. But she was a beast. But she isn’t the worst we have seen,
and won’t be the last we see this season. So it’s good that while I’ve been
freezing here in the great white Midwest, I at least got to listen to some
great songs. The past few articles have been rough but this week was great. So hopefully
the trend continues, and in the meantime let’s talk about some songs.
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| The Hands That Thieve Victory Records |
I once had a
friend who refused to listen to what I call “angry Ska.” When he explained to
me that Ska is supposed to only be happy, I kindly explained to him, in the
best and most polite way I could, that he was a narrow minded fool. When I
listen to Ska, I usually divide the songs into sub categories based on the
emotions that drive the song. There is happy, sad, and of course there is
bitter and regretful anger. Streetlight Manifesto
has that category locked down pretty tight. Not all of their songs run along
this vein, however, those that do are so packed with emotion and energy, I
sometimes can feel overwhelmed. That being said, I haven’t listened to every
single one of their songs. When The Three
of Us started playing, I could recognize the very characteristic style that
Streetlight Manifesto almost immediately.
And there is quite a bit going on in the song that I love. The defiant
attitude, the blaring horns, and especially the three repeated “Oh my Gods” all
have a significant amount of feeling in them that really take a hold of me.
This is a song with a story to tell if you are willing to listen.
 |
| Conical Monical Pretty Balanced |
If the odd
tones and dissonant chords of this song make you feel anxious or nervous in any
way, then the song is doing what it intended to do. Everyone has had the
experience of moving out and trying to make it on their own. It’s a hard and
stressful period in anyone’s life. I’m living that song right now. And the song
captures the experience pretty neatly: discussing the reluctance to leave home,
the struggle to become independent, and trying to live on your own even when
you aren’t sure what you are really doing. Then, while the lyrics tell the
story, the instrumentation paints the picture of a girl who is trying, succeeding
at times, but struggling still. Everyone over the age of 18 should be able to
relate to this song because you are either living it, or have in the past. And
if you haven’t then, well, I guess you’ve had it pretty well then haven’t you? Maybe you shouldn't rub it in peoples faces.
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| neveroddoreven Dharma Records |
I have a
hard time placing the exact tone of this song. But to me it does present a
small amount of almost arrogant confidence. You feel c ool while listening to
this song, you want to strut, feel powerful. The distortion in the vocals and instrumental
adds an element of raw attitude that add to that power as well. And all that
power seems to be going to the narrator of this song. The singer seems to know a
lot about the people he meets during his day. He tells them plain truths, asks
invasive questions, and questions their base in reality. And to be fair, the
singer brings up valuable points. The characters in the song are all trying to
recapture their youth in ways that are for the most part ineffective. The music
is cool, dirty, rude, and fun.
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| People Who Can Eat People are The Luckiest People in the World Asian Man Records |
Today, punk
rock is kind of synonymous with “Diet Metal” in a way. However, when it was
first starting out, punk’s definition was little more than the sound of a generations
raw angst and sense of rebellion. The bands that headlined this act were some
old greats such as Blondie, Violent
Femmes, and one of my favorites The
Talking Heads. The punk rock movement eventually faded, and bands either disappeared,
or adapted to survive. However angst
never dies and that leaves us with great songs like this one. The instrumentals
are sweet and simple, just a few instruments that keep a sad tune flowing for
the solid 4 minutes of the song. The lyrics are stream of thought, severely defeatist,
and leave no room at all for a bright side. The idea is that everyone has a
dark side, and that’s pretty much the side that’s going to win. No one really
cares about other people, and the world hasn’t really left us with enough time
to figure that mess out. It’s an intense emotional and existential struggle that
the narrator is dealing with, which in a way really reminds me of those old
punk rock classics. If you are a fan of bands like Violent Femmes, you should take a look at this song, and the rest
of the bands work.
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| Ahoy! Nonesuch Records |
I’m very
excited to talk about this song. It might actually be my favorite song I’ve
written about so far. But before you read this, listen to the song, because it
tells a story and I don’t want to ruin it. It covers a classic idea, a man in
love with his ship. This is an idea that has been thrown through ever generation
and ever genre from Jack Sparrow to James T. Kirk. Spoilers begin here though
because not every love story ends happy, and sometimes the sad stories can be
crippling. I’ve said I like sad songs before and this one conveys utter despair.
You see, the singer loves his ship, the Anna Bell Lee. But when he takes his
ship north through the ice looking for a new world the ship becomes stuck in
the ice. As the winter gets colder, the crew abandons ship, wondering out into
the ice. But the captain stays behind, as Anna Bell Lee sacrifices herself,
giving him her hull to burn for warmth. The emotion during this part of the
song is palpable. The ship was his world and his home, and now it’s gone. The
instrumentals say quite a bit too. The plucky strings provide you with a time
period while the tune creates a sad atmosphere. During portions of the song
there are bass notes that emphasize certain statements that I can’t get enough
of. Suffice it to say that I really like this song, am excited to look into the
rest of the bands work. Every once in a while you find a song you just can’t stop
listening to and this has been that song for me.
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