Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Song of the Day: "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" by The Postal Service


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It's been too long since I listened to my song of the day, "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight." It's off the collaborative 2003 album with the inspirational title Give Up. 

Vis-a-vis this particular tune, I love the weird sense of disaffection, the singer's kafka-esque unfamiliarity and the orchestral sweep of the electronic mix. Then, wait for it, the beat speeds up and the song takes on the momentum of a brisk game of pong played at five times the normal speed.

Give up was a unique and landmark album that lived in my CD player nearly two-decades ago. The Postal Service is a collaboration between Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, producer Jimmy Tamborello and vocalist Jenny Lewis. (I had no idea about the latter musician's participation until consulting Wikipedia, the worlds most distrusted yet most consulted source.)
The lyrics on songs like this and "Such Great Heights" feature Gibbard's trademark image-rich and metaphor-drenched poetry. His tendency toward melancholic introspection, however, is buoyed by riff-heavy guitar and keys, brisk beats and the creative chaos of collaboration.

Monday, April 19, 2021

Song of the Day: "I Don't Mind If You Forget Me" by Morrissey



Is there any better album that Morrissey's solo debut Viva Hate? What an explosion of energy, defiance and wit. I'm currently listening to some of the B-sides off the album, courtesy of YouTube for the first time in like 15 years. 

"I Don't Mind If You Forget Me" was a favorite when I was young and holds up wonderfully. I love the wasp-like guitar, the fast trotting drums and, as per se, the words of singer/songwriter Morrissey, who is my personal patronus. There's something liberating and healing about the final refrain: "Rejection is one thing, but rejection from a fool is cruel." 

--Sarah Torribio


Sunday, April 18, 2021

Song of the Day: "Eating Me Alive" by Alkaline Trio


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I am so into the synths in my song of the day, "Eating Me Alive" by Alkaline Trio, off the band's album 2010 album This Addiction.  I am easily seduced by darkwave power pop/pop-punk because I'm both happy and sad and find satisfaction in four-chord rock songs that weave together melodies in both major and minor keys. 

--Sarah Torribio


Saturday, April 17, 2021

Song of the Day: "Out of Sight" by The Beths

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My song of the day, "Out of Sight" by The Beths, is some lovely alt-rock. I like the romantic keys, the guitars that jangle, chime, buzz and build and the smart, melodic introversion of vocalist Elizabeth Stokes. 

The song is off the band's new album, Jump Rope Gazers