Andrew Bird

It’s Megan’s birthday! Happy birthday! I picked a keyword today, can you figure it out?

The Budos Band, “Old Engine Oil”

The opening track of V, which I like a lot. This track in particular has a lot of classic rock vibes going, which go well with that big, brassy horn part.

The Beautiful South, “Old Red Eyes Is Back”

I adored the first Beautiful South record (Welcome To The Beautiful South), and was kind of disappointed with the followup (Choke). There just weren’t as many transcendent moments, there weren’t as many of the really acid moments in the lyrics, and it felt kind of rushed out. When 0898 Beautiful South came out, I was happy to hear it was closer to the first album. It’s still not quite as good, but it’s close, and it’s my second favorite album from them.

Andrew Bird, “Pathetique”

Bird Songs collects all three of Andrew Bird’s early records, when he was still recording as Andrew Bird’s Bowl of Fire. The first two records, Oh! The Grandeur! and Thrills, have a very old-timey feel, very similar to what the Squirrel Nut Zippers were making. The third record, The Swimming Hour, was really his breakthrough record, melding his older sensibility with more modern songwriting, with pretty special results. If you haven’t heard the records, this collection is a monster deal. If you, say, already have all three records and then pre-ordered this compilation without knowing what it was, it’s less of a bargain.

Andrew Bird, “You Woke Me Up!”

A companion piece to Noble Beast, Useless Creatures is an all-instrumental exploration which allows Bird to indulge his more exploratory impulses. As always, everything Bird does is interesting, but this is not one of his more loveable records.

Victoria Monét, “Experience”

Victoria Monét is primarily known for her work with Ariana Grande, which means I know zip about most of her music. I’m very out of touch! But I picked up this album (Jaguar) after it showed up on a bunch of year-end lists, and it’s very pleasant. I also enjoy the kind of electro-funk sounds on this track, I’ll take those any day.

The White Stripes, “Fell In Love With a Girl”

White Blood Cells still strikes me as such an unusual breakout album. The White Stripes didn’t particularly soften their approach or anything, it’s still the same kind of garage rock they’d been making to this point, and yet it really got huge. I’m not sure why them and not some other act.

Tune in to this space tomorrow when I will be baffled by other commonplace things.

Scratch Acid, “She Said”

In the mid-80s, Scratch Acid helped for the noise rock scene in America, taking the racket that the Birthday Party was kicking out and taking it another step further. Scratch Acid also provided half of the Jesus Lizard, which is certainly notable enough for any band. All of Scratch Acid’s work (one LP and one EP) are collected on The Greatest Gift, which is a must for any noise rock fan.

Neutral Milk Hotel, “Song Against Sex”

In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is a record that sort of became a shibboleth among indie dorks, the sort of thing you had to pledge allegience to in order to fit in among certain crowds. Or make fun of, to piss off those indie dorks. But mostly, people don’t talk about the first Neutral Milk Hotel record, On Avery Island, which to my ears is pretty comparable. Sure, the second album is better, but I don’t think it’s so MUCH better to explain the different reputations.

Pixies, “Here Comes Your Man”

A classic. Also a member of the group of songs where I can play both the bass and drums for it.

Fugazi, “Waiting Room (version)”

Another classic! Sounding like my dorm room in here today. Except this isn’t from 7 Songs, it’s the demo version from First Demo, which is a huge amount of fun if you’re a big Fugazi fan. Which I am!

Andrew Bird, “Polynation”

Goddamn! Really hitting some of my favorite artists here! However, this is a just a little interstitial tune from Break It Yourself.

Grandaddy, “Now It’s On”

I think I’ve used this space before to kind of lament how Grandaddy hasn’t really connected with me. I can see the quality, but it’s just never really clicked. This is a fine tune, though.

American Music Club, “Outside This Bar”

American Music Club were still kind of finding their way with their second album, Engine. Musically, they would eventually open up some of the arrangements which would help give some more space to Mark Eitzel’s lyrics. But as you can hear on this song, the often harrowing storytelling was definitely there.

De La Soul feat. Usher, “Greyhounds”

De La Soul launched a Kickstarter in 2015 to record their new album using a new method. Tired of chasing and clearing samples, they decided to bring musicians in to the studio to record them playing a bunch of different things, and then used those sessions as their library of music to sample and construct the tracks. The resulting album, …And The Anonymous Nobody, isn’t one of De La’s best albums, but how could it possibly be? It is very good, though, and clearly a different record from the ones that come before it. If you haven’t listened to anything from De La Soul from after the Prince Paul years, you should listen to…well, Stakes Is High. And then The Grind Date. And then probably this one!

Helmet, “Better”

Helmet’s debut album on Amphetamine Reptile Records was a savage and self-assured record, and they backed it up by touring heavily and blowing people away. Then, Nirvana blew up huge and the major labels started looking for heavy rock acts to sign to satisfy a market suddenly hungry for them. Every single one of them landed on Helmet, and a ferocious bidding war erupted. Interscope were the winners, signing Helmet to a million dollar deal and sending them into the studio. As a teaser, they released a CD single with three of the songs from the upcoming album (including this one) along with one live track, and I got to see what Helmet would sound like with serious dollars behind them. The answer? Helmet!