Spatula Forum

The seven-songs-I'm-enjoying meme

Tag, I'm it! Lefty Brown asked me recently to provide “7 Songs You Are Enjoying This Week“. The rules are: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what they are. They must be songs you are presently enjoying. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.

So here we go –

1. All My Friends, LCD Soundsystem (Sound of Silver) From James Murphy's utterly captivating 2nd album (which I really must do a full review of soon), this drifting reverie and ode to times past is one of the highlights. Bittersweet and beautiful; "You spend the first five years trying to get with the plan / and the next five years trying to get with your friends again." Life in your late 30s when you start wondering what it's all about, Alfie.

2. History Lesson Part II, The Minutemen (Double Nickels on the Dime) - Great classic 1980s punk rock road trip song, a break from the racheting guitars to deliver a mellow manifesto. "Our band could change your life," the song says, and it's a nice affirmation of how music really does matter.

3. After The Garden, Neil Young (Living With War) - Protest songs are hard to do in 2007, hard to pull off without seeming like a bedraggled, unironic hippie. But "Living With War" does a good job of channeling anger at Bush's world into some taut, hook-filled and righteous tunes. This anthem looks to a hopeful future. Inspirational but not cheesy, and it just feels good to have someone saying these things.

4. St. Elmo's Fire, Brian Eno (Another Green World) - From one of Eno's classic '70s albums, where he began combining electronic textures with his fractured found-art vocals. This one builds up a gorgeous head of steam with its soaring chorus, backed by ragged guitar riffs by Robert Fripp and shimmering keyboards that circle around in a beautiful daze.

5. Imitosis, Andrew Bird (Armchair Apocrypha) - Another blearily lonely tune, anchored by Bird's Jeff Buckley-meets-Nick Drake deadpan tone and some clever instrumentation and percussion that has a vaguely Spanish feel. A song that makes loneliness almost seem desirable.

6. We're All In Love, New York Dolls (One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This) - The concert from a few weeks back still echoing in my head, and this kickoff to the Dolls' first disc in 35 years or so rocks like it was 1973. Blaring harmonica, wall of guitars and David Johansen does a combination scat-rap snarling delivery. Chewy good fun.

7. Fidelity, Regina Spektor (Begin To Hope) - I spotted the kooky video to this song on NZ TV and had to download the single from iTunes. She seems a bit like a Russian Tori Amos/Fiona Apple hybrid, and this song boasts a ridiculously catchy wordless chorus hook. A fragile and lovely little number; I might just have to check out her album next.

I won't tag 7 others because I'm too busy brain-dead after a week with Peter and no naps, but if you read and are inspired, meme away!