(Ed. Note: This is a guest Random Ten written by work associate and singer/guitarist Nick Murphy. If you're in the Boston-area, look for his band, The Acre, playing fine venues all over the city)
1) The Frames – "Lay Me Down" - For The Birds (2001)
So far, so fucking good. The Frames are a band that never quite peaked here in the US, but areabsolutely massive (some say even bigger than U2) in their home country of Ireland. You may have heard of the band’s alter ego, the Swell Season, which consists of all the members of the Frames and the daughter of the Czech Republic, Marketa Irglova. Marketa and the Frames' incomparable front man, Glen Hansard, also starred in a quasi-documentary/musical a few years ago, Once, in which they won an Oscar for best original song.
While the Swell Season has flourished in playing increasingly larger venues across the US, the seven or so Frames records have remained relatively unknown and untouched. The band is marked as one of my top bands to see live and, fuck it, top bands ever. For Christ's sake, Glen Hansard is the reason I gave up being a teacher in college and took loads of poetry classes in the hopes of becoming a musician. Here’s to hoping …
“Lay Me Down” is the second track of the band’s most beloved album, For The Birds. The Frames have had quite a tumultuous experience with record labels so when it came time to record this one, they thought, “screw it, we’ll do it ourselves.” The result is an immaculate record produced in large part by 90s simmering rock producer, Steve Albini. While Albini worked extensively with the Pixies and Nirvana in the early 90s, the sound the Frames achieve with this record is nowhere near that of the raucous tilt de Frank Black and Kurt whats-his-face. Subtle textures and skewed flits of melody run rampant throughout the album, but the main focus is on Glen’s songwriting. Here, “Lay Me Down” is about “lovers, fathers and the cold, cold ground” as Glen once said at the Middle-East Upstairs in Boston. The song washes over you like a cool breeze with only the hint of a ghost in the form of a minor chord Glen tossed in as a wink to an ex-lover.
2) The Anniversary – "The Death Of The King" - Your Majesty (2001)
The early 2000s was a weird time for Midwestern, independent, emo-pop bands. With the rise of the Get Up Kids, the Promise Ring, the Anniversary, Hot Rod Circuit and other Moog-toting bands rounding out the Vagrant Records line-up, we saw an influx in sweater vests, horn-rimmed glasses and the sale of above-mentioned Moog synthesizers. Something happened after 1999 that changed the way these bands thought about their instruments. Maybe it was Y2K, Radiohead’s Kid A or the discovery of a band called the Rolling Stones, but everyone wanted to make more complex and interesting music. What the fuck right?
While the Get Up Kids went off and found Jesus (aka the Byrds’ Sweetheart Of The Rodeo), the Anniversary thumbed through their parents’ vinyl collection and realized, “hey … these albums from the late 60s don’t suck!” The result - Your Majesty. Maybe these kids were onto something; with the revival of late 60s pop more prevalent than ever today, maybe the Anniversary should give it another go. Or not.
3) Wilco – "My Darling" - Summerteeth (1999)
My first foray with Wilco’s saccharine-soaked pop-opus, Summerteeth, was in the movie I Am Trying To Break Your Heart. After Jay Bennett is excused from the band (we’ll save that worn path of the carpet for another day), we hear him playing a stripped-down-acoustic style of the song in what seems to be some high school auditorium while Tony Margherita (Wilco’s longtime manager) explains how shitty Jay’s life is after leaving Wilco. While I was stunned at the relative “bluntness” of Tony’s words (“Jay wore out his welcome”) I couldn’t help but notice the sullen and apropos version of “My Darling” Jay was playing for the soundtrack as Wilco moved on without him. One could make the argument the band hasn’t sounded the same since Jay left, but has the band ever sounded the same … ever? I will give it to him though, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is my favorite record of all time and I don’t think it would have been possible without Jay’s wild eccentrics.
From here I grew to love Wilco, find Tony Margherita’s name absolutely hysterical and could be the best defacto band manager name ever, and lament Jay’s 2009 death due to an accidental overdose while he was suing Wilco and the producer of the movie, Sam Jones, for royalties not rendered - a strange end to a really interesting musician.
4) The National - "Daughters Of The Soho Riots" - Alligator (2005)
Matt Berninger is my favorite lyricist, period. So shoot me – I don’t give a fuck. The guy can flat out write. He has this knack of writing what you’re feeling into these short, disjointed, arbitrary yet gorgeous images that depict loneliness, pent up aggression, self-doubt, anxiety and general musings on everyday interactions. His wife, former New Yorker editor and sometime the National songwriter Karin Besser, once said “the tension of sharing a small space with another adult is something he captures really well.” I couldn’t agree more, Karin.
This is especially true on the group’s third album, Alligator. Matt’s lyrics are murkier and darker than ever with lines in this song “break my arms around the one I love / be forgiven by the time my lover comes”, “you were right about the end it didn’t make a difference / everything I can remember I remember wrong”, and “I have your good clothes in the car / so cut your hair so no one knows / I have your dreams and your teeth marks / all my fingernails are painted.” I like to think Matt sits up late right after his wife goes to bed and writes these songs in the dark as he stares at the woman he loves and only feels anxiety about having someone rely on you. For his best pillow talk moments, check out “About Today” from the band’s EP Cherry Tree with the highlight: “’hey, are you awake?’ / ‘yeah, I’m right here’ / ‘well, can I ask you about today?’”
5) Local Natives – "Airplane" - Guerilla Manor (2009)
This is the first single of an absolutely stunning record by LA-based band Local Natives. If you haven’t heard of these fellas, please take a moment to punch yourself in the thigh and dig your head out of the sand.
I could go on forever about the drums, perfect California harmonies, and killer riffs on the rest of the album, but I’ll stick to this tune. On first listen you think this is a song about wanting an ex-lover back with the chorus reiterating “I want you back, back, back / I want you back.” In today’s “I’m so sad because she left me” culture it’s not out of the realm of reason. Psyche! It’s about the dude’s grandfather! But regardless of the lyrics, the dynamics, subtle and polite use of strings accompanied by the aforementioned harmonies create an absolutely gorgeous song.
6) Elliott Smith – "Amity" - XO (1998)
Oh Elliott, why did you leave us so fucking early? The last few years I’ve submitted to a hiatus from Mr. Smith - I spent my late teens and early 20s huffing Elliott Smith songs from a paper bag. But I think it’s high time I go see my local dealer (Newbury Comics) and sift through his vinyl (fuck you, I have all the albums but I’m a vinyl junkie).
After his Oscar nod and subsequent performance, Elliott signed to the dismal fuckers in Dreamworks Records (who only a few years later folded under the weight of being idiots). Thus Elliott had a much bigger budget to flesh out his previously recorded 4-track tunes. Being a big fan of the mid-60’s flash-in-the-pan heartthrobs, the Beatles, his albums grew denser with orchestration, John Bonhman-esque drums, keys and all-around better production quality (which some cite as a detriment to Mr. Smith’s songs). While his sound grew, his songwriting remained introspective and tight as his vocals remained on top of every mix - and rightfully so. No other track (save my favorite on the album, “Waltz #2”) demonstrates his new budget and affection for those mop-heads quite like “Amity.” “Amity” moves with an easy punch and demonstrates Elliott’s heavier songwriting prowess while showcasing his abilities as a guitar player (sneaky good), piano player and arranger. This song makes me miss him – I will dive back into his albums this rainy weekend.
7) Ray Lamontagne – "Barfly" - Till The Sun Turns Black (2006)
Ray is a weird dude. Painfully shy and a bit surly, he has one of the best voices in music. I remember reading an interview which he pretty much shat on every other singer in the world stating “everyone sings through their nose where I sing from the fire in my gut” or something like that. Maybe he was talking about indigestion, but I like to think he was being poetic.
Ray’s songs are often wrought with self-loathing and portray images of drinking gin in the middle of rain soaked field with your arms around the one you love, mud caked all over your clothes – my kind of guy! Ray hinted at those sentiments with his fantastic debut, Trouble, but really hit his stride with Till The Sun Turns Black. Produced with Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams’ Heartbreaker and Gold, Kings of Leon), this album sounds like it should – straight from the early 70s. I think there is something lost in today’s production techniques with the focus being more on blasting your ear drums into oblivion via stupid ear buds (guilty as charged), so it’s really nice to hear an album with so many subtle nuances that reward close listening. The Hammond B3 in the right channel, the wonderfully brushed drums, the harmony in the left channel and that fucking guitar tone – perfection.
8) Ryan Adams – "Answering Bell" - Gold (2001)
Speak of Mr. Productivity himself, Ryan Adams. Following his absolutely perfect break-up record, Heartbreaker (which has more celebrity cameos than an episode of 30 Rock … hiooooooo), Ryan took his new found success (and unfortunate happiness) into the studio to record his follow-up, Gold. Once the darling of the dwindling alt-Country movement, Ryan explores pop on this record while still keeping his toes in the Country water. The result is an overproduced, confusing and sometimes genius record. While Gold is full of hits and pop songs, that’s not what we completely want out of Ryan, is it? We want to hear him heartbroken, drunk and kind of pissed – well at least I do. And don’t get me wrong, I love songs off this album (I actually think “When The Stars Go Blue” is my favorite), just not the whole thing. He’s had a fistful flubs since this one (Demolition, most of RocknRoll, and all of 29), but I bow to the church of Ryan Adams look forward to his next opus.
Oh and “Answering Bell” – not on that list of songs I love off this record. Tempted to just say “next” but I don’t think those are the rules.
9) Okkervil River – "A Girl In Port" - The Stage Names (2007)
As we wind down this mix I want to congratulate my iPod on a shuffle well done – great job!
Okkervil River’s The Stage Names is the first part of a concept movement focusing mainly on the pitfalls, allure, mystery and sex behind fame and pop culture (Lady GaGa – you’ve been warned). And honestly, Will Sheff, Okkervil’s principle songwriter and lead man, shines when he’s got a concept to reign in all of his ideas. On their previous album, Black Sheep Boy, Sheff wrote about 3 albums worth of songs based on a minute-and-a-half Tim Hardin tune of the same name – you can see where I’m going here.
“A Girl in Port” is Sheff at his best: mellow, pensive, heart sore (“with my tender heard, with my easy heart”) and tired. Beyond Sheff’s own self, he’s plain-and-simple a great story teller going into great vague detail that creates a story in your head but tantalizes you enough to actually make it your own and decide on an end. Plus those fucking horns that close the song, like a depressed mariachi band – so good.
10) The Shins – "Turn On Me" - Wincing The Night Away (2007)
Ever have that relationship that you just feel like the other person hated you? That’s what this song is about or rather getting out of a relationship and being super angry at the other person and not in a “you’re such an asshole” way but more of “well, you were a waste of time you jerk. And you’re still an asshole!” Make sense? No it didn’t make sense to me either.
This song is a prime example of why James Mercer has caught the attention of so many people – his writing is witty, clever, cutting and precise. When he sings “You had to know I was fond of you / fond of Y-O-U” you almost cringe in thinking of the person who he’s seething at. And yes, James, adults do play “the most ridiculous, repulsive games.”
Mercer needs to get back with the guys from the Shins – as much as I’ve enjoyed Broken Bells (I’m actually sick of Danger Mouse – he’s overproduced every single band I really love [Beck, the Black Keys]). I want the jangle of the Shins back.
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Well that was fun – I appreciate John letting me ramble. I’ll have to do it again sometime.
Nick Murphy
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