This session is all about Cold War Kids. Like the Minutemen, CWK is one of those bands that people seem to either love or not care for. They are jangly, messy, kinda screechy at times, but what a great band, with some great songs.
And I couldn't stop myself. We have five songs: Rubidoux, Tell Me In The Morning, Hang Me Up To Dry, Hair Down, and wrapping up with the "hidden" track on Rubidoux, Sermon vs. The Gospel.
So let's dive in. We start off with The Rolling Stones and Monkey Man (what an awesome groove); then on to A. C. Newman with Miracle Drug; then The Thermals (they just won't go away) with Here's Your Future; and wrapping up with a repeat (but a repeatable repeat) of Amanda Palmer and Leeds United. (I need to look up more Amanda Palmer.)
Stolen Car by Patty Griffin (a remake of the Bruce Springsteen song). Patty Griffin has the ability to take the saddest, most painful of songs and somehow make them even more sad and painful. Not that it’s not beautiful and amazing. I’m just saying.
Sweet Jane (live) by The Velvet Underground, which always makes me smile for some reason. Cowboy Junkies, of course, did a wonderful delicate version of this, and I love the VU version as well. So delicate and – I don’t know – caring and comforting somehow.
From the falls:
Totally different tone with Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel. Now I know this is played all the time on the radio, but here’s why I’m playing it: Whenever I listen to it, I feel like this is the universe talking to me. (I guess I feel a lot of songs are kind of like that.) And then a conversation between myself and the universe. Too weird? Maybe. But there you are. And I just love the groove and the build and the lyrics and they all come together and it’s just wonderful.
And of course the video is fun, but listen to the song before you watch the video.
“You could have a ski train if you just lay down your track…”
We start off with the pretty much always amazing Laurie Anderson with Let X=X. Then on to Talking Heads with Thank You For Sending Me An Angel (not quite sure why that one's in there, but there it is), Simon & Garfunkel with The Only Living Boy In New York (that song never fails to give me the chills, for some reason); and wrapping up with Matt the Electrician (thanks Christy!) with Friends.
