Ok, so before I get into the meat of this post, let me say something up-front: I try to have a relatively narrow theme for every week, because otherwise I tend to get really excited and ramble about songs incoherently, which... does not produce posts as readable as I would like them to be. However, for this weeks post, I have no idea what the theme is. I know exactly what songs I want to talk about, and all of them are pretty tightly linked to each other in my head, but on paper the links look tenuous, at best. However, in general, all of the songs I'll be talking about are from bands headed by female leads, and they could generally be described as having a pop sound. So... yeah, I'm glad I took the time to narrow it down like that.
Anyway, starting off let's talk about the Marina and the Diamonds, the (really semantically confusing) stage name of Marina Diamindis, a Welsh-Greek pop chimera that produced one of my favorite bubblegum pop ballads of all time: I am Not a Robot. This is the song I would listen to if I felt compelled to release my strong inner woman, who doesn't need a man in her life. At this point in my life I have never felt compelled to use it for that specific purpose, but sometimes I wish that I could. It just feels wasted when I use it for easy listening. Also, as long as I'm talking about her I should my other favorite song by her, Are You Satisfied. Frankly, her singing style can to get very old very quickly, especially on her inferior songs, but when it works, it works really well. Go listen to her yodel, it's fun!
Next up, Tegan and Sara. They're a pair (or I guess set? I've never great at this terminology, but there's two of them) of twin sisters, who create songs that I really like. Most of their stuff has a relatively minimal with a focus on guitar and two part harmonies, which I'm a fan of. I think I've mentioned this previously, but I have a huge soft spot for well sung harmonies, and they've got a lot of songs that put harmonies to good use. My personal favorite would probably Call it Off, which is just kind of lovely, but Alligator and Back in Your Head are also definitely worth checking out. Also, Walking with a Ghost doesn't really have any noticeable use of harmony, but it was the first song of theirs that I loved, and it's still pretty rad.
Moving on, this next band is a bit less straight pop, really more of a classic Motown vibe. The Noisettes are a band that my sister Rachael introduced me to a few years ago, and for that I am eternally in her debt. I guess you could describe them as indie rock with a light Motown twist, which is to say they're awesome. By far the best song they have is Never Forget You, which always reminds me of Martha and the Vandellas, which is a universal positive in my books.
And lastly, have you guys ever heard of Caro Emerald? According to Wikipedia she's a Dutch jazz singer whose career started in 2009, but my personal pet theory is that she's actually a (presumably Dutch, I have no reason to doubt that part) jazz lounge singer who was somehow transported from the mid 1950's to modern times, and then just kept working on her album. It's a winning effect; her songs have a very old-fashioned sounds that's rather delightful, particularly if you're in the mood for, to pull a name at random, some Martha and the Vandellas. Anyway, my personal favorite Caro song is A Night Like This, followed closely by Back it Up.
And most lastly of all, here's a bonus song! I discovered this song four or five years ago through pandora, and I still feel like smiling stupidly every time I hear it. Key of C is ridiculous, and a little bit retarded, but it's also great. It seems to be composed entirely out of small, ear-catching hooks that loop relentlessly throughout the whole song, and might be the most cheerful song I know, outside of, possibly, Mr. Blue Sky by ELO and Get Dancin' by Disco Tex and his Sex-o-Lettes. Seriously though, it is becoming increasingly apparent to me that Get Dancin' may be the apex of all musical achievement.
No comments:
Post a Comment