No Songs Left Behind

By the time Jody and I rolled around to this "Great List" idea, we'd been friends for a few years. Music industry friends, to boot. That means that we've been suggesting music to each other over the past few years regularly. A lot of what we both think is "Great" in contemporary music is music we've been talking about before the Live Debate began.

So, to honor THOSE great songs, I just wanted to throw up a few. I haven't consulted Jody, but I suspect each song listed below would meet his standards for the List. It's been a few years for each, and I love them all still. What songs have you loved over the last two or three years?

The National - "Fake Empire" Jody and I love this guy's voice, and pretty much every inch of this dreamy, heartfelt song.

Bloc Party - "Signs" This song is just awesome. The saddest dance tune ever.

Bat For Lashes - "Siren Song" Can you tell how sentimental and sappy I am? I love music that tugs at the heartstrings, and believe me, this one really does.

Beirut - "In The Mausoleum" The songwriter/producer is the today's composer. In Beirut, I hear the music Bela Bartok would be making today. I love how amazing they sound, just in a living room, just jamming, just on a handheld camera... The ultimate in Do-It-Yourself, right? You have no idea how much I want to be at that piano in this video.

Radiohead - "Reckoner" How on earth do you pick just one great Radiohead song? As I was trying to, I started up "In Rainbows" and I'm almost at the end of the album now. I think Thom Yorke will be remembered as one of this generation's greatest composers.

Is that enough gushing for one day?

When I go to check the news...

...here is what I see:



Wonderful. It turns out that my state has no money.

Today, I played The Books for Jody.

We also rolled around to an obvious classic.

When you listen to it, think of us in poor, broke, mismanaged Illinois.

"Catch Fire" ending

Here is the ending that I was performing in the video, along with our first draft of the arrangement to go with it.

"Catch Fire" video 1

The first song we began our little adventure with is called “Catch Fire.” It’s a weird song. It starts off as stable, piano-driven rock. By the end, the song changes into something of a grand march, with horns blaring and cymbals crashing. The song is still a work-in-progress, and we’ll be posting videos and music clips as time goes on.

This clip is rated R for language. We beeped it, but you can totally tell.

The footage is all from the first week of January, when this project was just getting started. Hopefully the next time you hear the song, you’ll hear a longer passage of music and drums (maybe even vocals!). Let us know what you think!



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Additions to the Great List

Here are a few more songs from this week's Great List discussions:

A few of mine:
Astor Piazzolla - "Muerte Del Angel"
Tori Amos - "Muhammad, My Friend"
Sting - "The Lazarus Heart"
Aaron Copland - "Appalachian Spring"

A few of Jody's:
Black Crowes - "Cursed Diamond"
Led Zepplin - "Ramble On"
The Antlers - "Wake"
Milosh - "You Make Me Feel"

And a few others:
Jeff Beck / Tal Wilkensfeld - "Cause We Ended as Lovers" (submitted by my musicophile uncle, Mark)
Sufjan Stevens - "The BQE, Movement III: Linear Tableau with Intersecting Surprise (submitted by friend and colleage, James Mitchell)

So far, I love every song on the list. What do you think? Any examples of "greatness" here?

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Imogen Heap, "Cumulus"

Jody doesn't know it yet, but this is going to be my submission of Great Music for the day. It's unusual for Imogen, if you know her. She's highly vocal, and usually less abstract than this piece implies. The piece rests on chamber instruments, beautifully composed, over lush electronic soundscapes. I find it both inventive and gorgeous. What do you think?

"Follow My Lead" and "Catch Fire"

More samples from our January in the studio:





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