Post by Tony LeCalvez
- The Words That Maketh Murder – PJ Harvey
- The Great Curve – Talking Heads
- Climb That Mountain High – Reba McEntire
- Mini Monster – Jake McKelvie & the Countertops
- Home – LCD Soundsystem
- Para Sempre – Thievery Corporation feat. Elin Melgarejo
Here is a collection of “feel good” songs to add to your casual playlist this week, starting with “The Words That Maketh Murder”. A fun swing-and-chant, this song sounds like something The Lumineers could have made if they were better songwriters. The fun ensemble sounding band with their chants and group vocals hide some dark lyrics of war and social injustice while maintaining the fun millennial indie band ambiance.
“The Great Curve” is a song off of the legendary Talking Heads album “Remain in Light” it’s a manic song with a million different things going on, but all of it fits together very well with a strong hegemony between the percussive instruments and rhythms – not to mention a distorted guitar solo so chaotic it disrupts the balance of the percussion section in such a tasteful manner that it becomes my favorite part of the song.
Next is Reba McIntyre with “Climb That Mountain High”.Before we had Miley Cyrus singing about conquering mountains, we had the incredibly talented Reba McIntyre. Her amazing voice stands out as one of the strongest voices in Country music and this song is only one on an album full of gems.
A friend just showed me Jake McKelvie & the Countertops, and I was immediately struck by the raw production of this band. The lyrics are delivered in an amateur but clear way that pierces over the messy instruments. The vocal delivery has this laid back quality that despite its clarity fits well with the messier instruments. Classic “parking lot” album to be listening to.
LCD Soundsystem sounds more like a piece of equipment than a band and I feel the same way about their music. These tracks sound like layers added by a synth track machine. Every track needs a minute for the layers to be placed on top of each other, but as soon as the vocals kick in the song breathes life. Their very funky and very fun song “Home” is only one track from a very unique and cool artist.
I’m a sucker for Bossa Nova. The vibe is always relaxing and smoother than other forms of Jazz, and Thievery Corporation’sstrange infusion of jazz, bossa nova, and electronica always leaves me confused on how to classify their music. But “Para Sempre” sounds like classic Bossa Nova with a beautiful feature by Elin Melgarejo to elevate the song.