Threepeat
When I was in junior high, I used to sit up in my room and make tapes of songs on the radio. My favorite was three for Thursday, when the radio station would play three songs by the same artist in a row. My mental habit of intuitively grouping music in threes comes from those days on the floor holding down the record button.
Groupings are not an automatic happening in that many, many songs I enjoyed last year never fell into a group, and that does not inhibit my enjoyment of them. Sometimes I enjoy the contrast between songs, other times the grouping is out of a simple sense of euphony. In the case of specific older songs, I recovered a new meaning.
Here are some sets that were important to me in 2007: (Note: Individual songs are in a precise order, however, the numbers are arbitrary, i.e., this is not a ranking)
1. Whitest Boy Alive-Dreams
Burning
Fireworks
Golden Cage
2. Lucinda Williams-West
Everything has Changed
Come On
Where is my Love?
3. Manu Chao-La Radiolina
Me Llaman Calle
A Cosa
Mundorevés
4. Feist-The Reminder
My Moon My Man
Past in Present
The Limit to your Love
5. The National-Boxer
Mistaken for Strangers
Green Gloves
Ada
6. Brandi Carlile-The Story & KCRW.com presents…
Turpentine
Josephine
Hallelujah
7. Tori Amos- Under the Pink, Scarlet’s Walk & Little Earthquakes
Cornflake Girl
A Sorta Fairytale
Silent All these Years
8. Joshua James-The Sun is Always Brighter…
Today
Soul and the Sea
Commodore
9. Ryan Adams-Follow the Lights EP
My Love for you is Real
Down in a Hole
Dear John
10. Macy’s- Muzak songs I sang to while folding clothes
Rachel Yamagata-Reason Why
Sarah McLachlan-Into the Fire
James Morrison- This Boy
11. Macy’s-Muzak songs I sang to while cleaning out the fitting room
Angela McCluskey- Somebody got Lucky
Paolo Nutini- Last Request
Dido- Life for Rent
12. Ryan Adams-Easy Tiger
Everybody Knows
Oh my God, Whatever, Etc
The Sun also Sets
13. David Vandervelde-The Moonstation House Band
Nothin’ No
Jacket
Murder in Michigan
14. Rodrigo y Gabriela-itunes live session
Tamacun
Orion
Stairway to Heaven
15. Ryan Adams- Rock N Roll
Note to Self: Don’t Die
Do Miss America
Drugs not Working
16. Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Show your Bones
Cheated Hearts
Way Out
Turn Into
17. Goldfrapp- Supernature
Ooh La La
Lovely 2 C U
Ride a White Horse
18. Hard-Fi-Once Upon a Time in the West
Suburban Knights
Tonight
I Close my Eyes
19. Jackson Browne-Jackson Browne & The Next Voice you Hear
Doctor my Eyes
Running on Empty
Tender is the Night
*I have been listening to these exact same three songs in this exact order since I was in the 6th grade.
20. John Butler Trio- Sunrise over Sea, Grand National
Betterman (Also in another grouping titled “Songs That Aren’t About Me (But I Wish They Were)”
Better Than
Daniella
21. Led Zeppelin-The Complete Led Zeppelin
Tangerine
Fool in the Rain
Hey Hey, What Can I Do?
* ‘Cause sometimes Zep can just about save your mortal soul
22. Loretta Lynn-Van Leer Rose
Van Leer Rose
Portland Oregon (Best musical description I’ve heard of how Portland feels)
Miss being Mrs.
23. Muse- Black Holes and Revelations & Absolution
Starlight
Supermassive Black Hole
Blackout
24. Mute Math-Mute Math
Noticed
Typical
Break the Same
25. Rilo Kiley-Under the Blacklight
Silver Lining
Close Call
Under the Blacklight
26. Sufjan Stevens-Seven Swans & A Sun Came!
That Was the Worst X-mas Ever!
The Dress Looks Nice on You
A Winner Needs a Wand
posted by Michelle @ 8:08 PM
6 Comments
6 Comments:
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This looks like fun! I have my own recent "frequent listens" for a few of the artists you've mentioned, but they're not exactly the same:
Feist
-Mushaboom (from Let it Die)
-I Feel It All (The Reminder)
-The Water (The Reminder)
-1234 (The Reminder)
-Brandy Alexander (The Reminder)
The National (Boxer album)
-Fake Empire
-Mistaken for Strangers
-Brainy
-Green Gloves
-Ada (I love the opening line "Lady don't talk about reasons why...")
Sufjan Stevens
-Ring Them Bells
-The Lord God Bird
-Borderline
-All Delighted People
And then there are a couple others not on your list:
Yael Naim
-Paris
-New Soul
-Pachad
Rosie Thomas (These Friends of Mine album)
-Much Farther To Go (featuring Sufjan)
-Kite Song
-Say Hello (featuring Sufjan)
And while I'm at it, to top everything off, why not mention a couple of "singles" I've been listening to?
"Life is Beautiful" by Keb' Mo'
"Sideways" by Let's Go Sailing (remix version by Asa Taccone)
"Apologize" by Timbaland and One Republic
"Chunari Chunari" by Abhijeet and Anuradha Sriram (on the Monsoon Wedding soundtrack)
"Hachidan" by Yamato Ensemble
"Edo Lullaby" by Ensemble Nipponia
"Picking Flowers" by Lei Qiang
All of that being said, many thanks Michelle for the names of new artists for me to explore!
Oh, and by the way, your recent post on The National's Boxer album was also quite good. They definitely deserve more attention. Personally, I've only known about the group for a little over a month, but they're certainly getting a lot of playing time from me these days. I really like the lead singers voice. In fact, this may sound really weird, but every so often when I hear his deep vocals coupled with the musical style (typically more acoustic) of some of their songs, I suddenly feel as though I'm in some sort of parallel universe where Mark Knopfler (lead singer from the Dire Straits) has taken his music career in a surprisingly new direction, turning up right in the middle of the indie music scene of the 00s. (Geez, I hope that statement doesn't turn any readers off from giving their music a chance.)
And shoot! As long as this comment is, I should have made a "playlist" post on my blog. Oh well. And so it goes.
Thanks for the comments, Chris! I also have "Alligator" by The National, if you would like it. I've been meaning to get into Rosie Thomas for some time, and I'm definitely going to now that you've suggested her as well.
I'm sure you know, The National are originally from Cincinnati. Some years ago, there was a massive nightclub fire there. I always imagine that The National was playing at the club that night, and that's why they always sound so sad.
I'm not as familar with some of the other artists you mentioned; I'll have to look into them!
mine!
the shins
-split needles
my morning jacket
-one big holiday
bat for lashes
-i'm on fire
circa survive
-living together
modest mouse
-bukowski
muse
-glorious
radiohead
-reckoner
tool
-rosetta stoned
snow patrol
-make this go on forever
-set the fire to the third bar
Michelle, I'm definitely interested in listening to "Alligator" if you have it. And of the other artists on my list, I can't recommend Yael Naim enough. "Chunari Chunari" is also a very fun Indian song that you can easily find a video of on YouTube.
And to both you and Steve (if you even get this message), which of your artists/songs do you recommend me checking out first?
chris, you would like 'bat for lashes.'
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