Clang & Clatter

I’ve been waiting all week for the Friday Five at Popdose.

Sixpence None the Richer - “I’ve Been Waiting” (Divine Discontent, 2002)
Known more for the hit “Kiss Me” and their cover of “There She Goes,” you’ll have to trust me when I say there’s much more to Sixpence than that. This song is—as is much of the album—soft, quiet, lush, introspective, and beautiful. While I miss the loud-indie-rock-guitar moments from This Beautiful Mess, I’m just fine with this version of Sixpence.

Arcade Fire - “The Suburbs” (The Suburbs, 2010)
I’ve already admitted in other Friday Fives to having missed the Suburbs train when it first rolled by, and this album opener might be one of the reasons why. It’s not that it’s a bad song, it’s just that it doesn’t go anywhere until Win Butler’s falsetto parts in the chorus. It’s odd that I don’t like this more as it reminds me quite a bit of The Hold Steady’s “A Slight Discomfort,” which I do like. Weird.

Foo Fighters - “Let It Die” (Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, 2007)
This one’s a slow builder from the arpeggiated acoustic intro and main theme to the bombastic end section with Grohl screaming “Why’d you have to go and let it die?”

Cake - “Mahna Mahna” (For the Kids, 2002)
Written by an Italian composer for an Italian film about sexual practices in Sweden, made popular by TV in the U.S. shows Sesame Street and The Muppet Show and British comedy The Benny Hill Show, and covered in true Cake style and fashion for a compilation of new renditions of “children’s songs.”

Caedmon’s Call - “Prove Me Wrong” (Long Line of Leavers, 2000)
One of a handful of songs written or co-written by former (and along with Derek Webb, primary) lyricist (though never full band member) Aaron Tate. This was the last Caedmon’s album to feature Tate’s songs, seeing them transition to collaborating with quite a few professional CCM songwriters before Andrew Osenga from The Normals joined the band as one of the primary songwriters. Long Line of Leavers sees Caedmon’s Call move further in a pop-oriented direction started with 40 Acres, and while the album as a whole is fairly strong, actually containing a couple of my all-time favorites from the group, this particular song has never really grabbed me.

Get your filthy hands off my Friday Five.

P.O.D. - “Bullet the Blue Sky” (The Fundamental Elements of Souththown, 1999)
Very respectable cover of this U2 number that has more of the energy of the Rattle and Hum version than the one from The Joshua Tree.

Beastie Boys - “So What’cha Want” (Check Your Head, 1992)
A couple of weeks late, but still a very fitting tribute to Adam “MCA” Yauch. As I mentioned recently on my blog, I had not previously delved very deeply into the Beasties’ catalog, so I have spent a bit of time getting acquainted with their newer material and reacquainted with some of their older stuff. Along the way I have gained a deeper appreciation for the guys’ musical abilities, on this album especially.

Jimmy Page & the Black Crowes - “You Shook Me” (Live at the Greek, 2000)
The Crowes do their best Led Zed impression with the man himself. Nice.

Pink Floyd - “Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert” (The Final Cut, 1983)
Political filler from what was essentially a Roger Waters solo album.

King’s X - “Danger Zone” (Black Like Sunday, 2003)
Black Like Sunday is a reworking and reimagining of old (some of it pre-King’s X) material, much of which previously had never seen the light of day outside live performances. Overall the album is very spotty, and while this is not one of my favorites, I can find very little to dislike or complain about when it comes to King’s X.

Brian Ibbott’s latest podcast over at Coverville is what he calls a “cover story”—cover versions of and by a particular artist. This time it’s the Beastie Boys, and it also serves as a tribute to Adam “MCA” Yauch. Very interesting Beastie covers by Barenaked Ladies, Coldplay, and Hello Tokyo, with the Beastie Boys covering the Jam thrown in for good measure.

Enjoy!

Just shufflin’ through tunes on a Friday for IckMusic’s Friday Five.

Rush - “Manhattan Project” (A Show of Hands, 1988)
Another Friday Five, another live Rush track to kick off the list, this time from their more polished, synth-based period. Though this is not the Rush I was first introduced to, nor is it the Rush I immediately reach for, I really liked their 80s output. This is a great album, although it is so polished you forget at times you’re listening to concert performances.

King’s X - “Far, Far Away” (Out of the Silent Planet, 1988)
Excellent track from the debut album of my favorite band. Some of the songs from this disc are beginning to sound dated, but I love Ty Tabor’s guitar tone, the vocal harmonies, and the swirling sitar in the background. This is the beginning of the sound that King’s X perfected on its next release Gretchen Goes to Nebraska and the sonic palette some fans wish the trio would revisit.

The Waiting - “Nobody’s Love” (Blue Belly Sky, 1998)
Poppy upbeat fare from a 90s jangly alterno-pop Contemporary Christian band that I had a brief infatuation with. Their lyrics and musical style set them well apart from their CCM kindred whose sickly-sweet bubblegum pop sounds filled the airwaves on my local CCM FM station.

The Isley Brothers - “Love the One You’re With” (Givin’ It Back, 1971)
I love the vocals on this Isley Brothers take of the Stephen Stills song. They seem to be feeling it more than Stills ever did.

Geoff Tate - “Grain of Faith” (Geoff Tate, 2002)
The Queensrÿche frontman’s solo album was quite a bit different stylistically from the music his main gig was putting out a the time. A bit more on the pop side, the songs still have some guitar crunch tempered with more electronic and ambient elements and drum loops than you might expect. But that voice is ever-present throughout. Worth a listen if you’ve never heard it before.

I think I’m goin’ blind from shufflin’ IckMusic’s Friday Five!

Rush - “The Spirit of Radio” (Rush in Rio, 2003)
Rush has always been an amazing live band, and this DVD/CD combo helps solidify the fact that the band was as good as ever in the early 2000s. The Rio crowds are crazy fanatical about their music, and this entire concert is a lot of fun.

Coheed and Cambria - “The Velourium Camper I: Faint of Hearts” (In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, 2003)
Comic book rock from the very talented and creative mind of Claudio Sanchez. I just wish all of their stuff was as catchy as this. Heck, I wish the second half of this song was as catchy as the first half. “Koo koo k’choo!”

Dinosaur Jr. - “Goin’ Blind” (KISS My Ass, 1994)
Admirable kover of this klassic KISS kut. Ahem. I didn’t really know what to think of this album when it first came out, especially since it was so closely controlled by Gene and Paul. But then again, what in the KISS circus isn’t?! This is definitely one of the better tracks from this collection that stylistically is all over the map.

The Wildhearts - “Top of the World” (The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed, 2003)
Ginger should be the most sought-after songwriting partner in the world. At the very least, he and The Wildhearts should be a much, much bigger deal than they are. Catchy, well-written songs, great melodies, and crunchy riffs.

Mutual Admiration Society - “Think About your Troubles” (Live at The Bowl at Lime Kiln, 8/17/2004)
I’ve never really cared for this Harry Nilsson cover, but I love the combination of Glen Phillips and Nickel Creek. They recorded and completed their debut album in 3 days, but it took 3.5 years to get it released due to record company shenanigans. The recorded versions of their songs are good, but this collective really shines in a live environment.

It’s Friday, I’m in love (with IckMusic’s Friday Five)!

Glen Phillips with Nickel Creek - “Let It Fall” (Live at the Red Light Cafe, Atlanta, GA, August, 1, 2003 at the Atlantis Music Conference)
Newgrass trio Nickel Creek joined former Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman Glen Phillips for the second set of this excellent live performance. They played acoustic versions of everything from TTWS, Glen Phillips, and Nickel Creek tunes to Randy Newman and Elliot Smith covers. “Let It Fall” is a track from Nickel Creek guitarist Sean Watkins’ debut solo album and is one of my favorite songs that Glen has ever lent his vocals to. If you’re interested, you can pick up the entire set at the Internet Archive’s live music archive.

Soasin - “Sleepers” (Saosin, 2006)
Melodic emo/screamo track from Saosin’s debut album. I know little of the band’s history other than a vocalist change that at one point seemed to polarize fans of the Newport Beach, CA post-hardcore outfit. Showy, excessive, dynamic, and emotional, the track is much too short at 2:51. But I like it.

The Cars - “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” (The Cars, 1978)
I can remember a time back in the early- to mid-80s in my teens when I used to spin this vinyl at least once a week—back when I actually had the vinyl and a turntable. I have neither these days, but I do have these lovely 0s and 1s to listen to whenever I get the itch for some early Cars goodness. Their debut is still one of the best albums these guys ever released.

Hayseed Dixie - “Let’s Put the X in Sex” (Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute to KISS, 2003)
I’ve always had this affinity for cover tunes—even more so these days since I discovered the Coverville podcast several years ago—and over the years I’ve amassed quite a few hokey covers of songs that I never really cared for in their original form. “Let’s Put the X in Sex” is once such song, and I would like to forget that one of my favorite bands of all time ever released it. As a matter of fact, I like to pretend that the KISS of Unmasked and onward is some impostor band that has the real Gene Simmons chained up in a dungeon someplace.

Queensrÿche - “Get a Life” (Hear in the Now Frontier, 1997)
HITNF was the last Queensrÿche album to feature guitarist and founding member Chris DeGarmo, and in my opinion, was the point where the band began a downward spiral they have yet to pull out of. While I liked quite a bit of the followup Q2K, they have released little since this album that I could really grab onto or identify with as a huge fan of their progressive metal beginnings of The Warning and their excellent 1982 EP.