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We're Not Who You Think We Are

Archives for November 2014

Certain Songs: Archers of Loaf – “Greatest of All Time”

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Album: Vee Vee.

Year: 1995.

While “Greatest of All Time” isn’t the best indie rock song of all time, it much just be the most indie rock song of all time. Over a pair of clean-sounding but utterly skewed guitars, Eric Bachmann spins a fantasy that had crossed the mind of more than one indie rocker:

“They caught and drowned the front man
Of the world’s worst rock & roll band.
He was out of luck, because nobody gave a fuck.
The jury gathered all around the aqueduct.
Drinking and laughing and lighting up.
Reminiscing just how bad he sucked, singing

Throw him in the river.”

And who was it? Steve Perry? Lou Gramm? The guy from Loverboy? Eddie Vedder?

In 1995, the Our Band Could Be Your Life unity of indie rock had been shattered by a lethal combination of success, drugs, imitation, radio, the internet and – of course – death. 

It was replaced by endless sniping, posturing and arguing over indie bona fides. It was around this time that being an indie rocker went from being an necessity to a career choice. And “Greatest of All Time” captures this perfectly.

And the end of the song, after a flyover by the singer of the greatest band of all time – who is way too smart to be anywhere near these people – not knowing what else to do:  

“The people gathered all around the radio.
To hear the transmissions from the devil’s soul.
Locked and stunned and sick and cold.

Toasting their dead hero.”

Which is where they were eventually overcome by a surging river of guitars and remain to this day.

Fan-made video for “Greatest of All Time”

My Certain Songs Playlist on Spotify

Every “Certain Song” Ever

Certain Songs: The Arcade Fire – “No Cars Go”

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Album: Neon Bible.

Year: 2007.

Quite possibly the biggest music this band has ever made and a rip-roaring highlight of their second album, More Songs About Children and Dreams – whoops, I’m sorry, I meant Neon Bible – “No Cars Go” had me singing “Us kids know!” the year I turned 45.

But here’s the thing, where is this place? Is it even a better place? Win Butler isn’t telling. Or at least, he isn’t telling me – far from a kid and getting ever further – what the kids know. Still, if the kids know where this place is, it will probably show up on the internet, like MySpace or Facebook or that new Twitter thingy.

“Between the click of the light and the start of the dream.”

What a second, is it sleep?

God damn it, has even Win Butler now been corrupted by the Sleeping-Industrial Complex?  It was probably that 10.0 that Pitchfork gave Funeral.

Oh well, it doesn’t even matter, cos I’ll follow that drumbeat anywhere, even to sleep, not that I could ever sleep while the Arcade Fire was playing this song.

“No Cars Go” Performed Live at the BBC, 2007

My Certain Songs Playlist on Spotify

Every “Certain Song” Ever

Certain Songs: The Arcade Fire – “Rebellion (Lies)”

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Album: Funeral.

Year: 2004.

Funeral didn’t really change my life the way it did the lives of so many others, but this song is one of the greatest works of art of the 21st century.

I had no idea that I needed a synthesis of the Velvet Underground and Talking Heads as filtered through post-millennium Bruce Springsteen, but the moment that the snare drum and violin take over from the John Cale-ish piano, I’m all in, and the rest is just forward motion as they layer on (and off) the backing vocals, guitars and even handclaps!   

(Reminder of the Handclap Rule: Handlclaps automatically make a good song great and a great song immortal.)

And the words! As a life-long insomniac who resents the 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night he does get – and currently is having his sleep patterns fucked up by the time change – the opening salvo of “Sleeping is giving in / No matter what the time is” resonates in the deepest part of my soul.

Of course, I understand the reasons we need sleep, but gods damn it, I’d rather be awake and experiencing life than asleep and missing it.

There have been so many great songs celebrating sleeping, it was clearly about time we got a transcendent one calling bullshit on the whole Sleeping-Industrial Complex.

Official Video for “Rebellion (Lies)”

“Rebellion (Lies)” Performed Live in Paris, 2007

My Certain Songs Playlist on Spotify

Every “Certain Song” Ever

Certain Songs: The Apples in Stereo – “Silver Chain”

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Album: Tone Soul Evolution.

Year: 1997.

Most of the time, when you say “Beach Boys influenced” to me, I nod my head wisely and assume that whatever you’re talking about is too damn baroque for me. But “Silver Chain” combines the “ba ba ba ba ba” backing vocals and swelling horns on the chorus with a jangly guitar counterpoint that would have never even crossed Brian Wilson’s mind.

Also: unlike the vast majority of songs in The Apples in Stereo’s catalog, “Silver Chain” wasn’t written by Elephant 6 mastermind Robert Schneider, but rather by drummer Hilary Sidney.

I can’t remember who it was, and Google was no help, but I saw The Apples in Stereo open for somebody in the mid-90s (really thinking it was Pavement, but I have no proof) and what I remember most about them was that Hilary Sidney was the most joyous person I’d ever seen on stage. 

There was no doubt whatsoever that she knew that she’d never have more fun doing anything in her life than getting on stage and playing those songs. And I think that this ridiculously gorgeous song captures that joy.

Fan-made video for “Silver Chain”

Certain Songs: Altered Images – “Don’t Talk to Me About Love”

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Album: Bite.

Year: 1983.

If there was one thing you could say for sure about me in 1983, it was that I didn’t like Eurodisco-influenced “new wave” songs. Or non-guitar riff oriented songs in general. And I especially didn’t like those types of songs sung by high-pitched female vocalists who had previously put out an annoying song called “Happy Birthday” that got requested on KFSR every single fucking day.

Except for the fact that I love this song, and always have. Even more so that the Blondie songs that it’s clearly influenced by.

It’s pretty obvious why: that soaring chorus, as full of counterpoint as any R.E.M. song, and carrying a melody that some bearded duded with an acoustic guitar would kill to have written. And yet, there is no doubt that the best place for that killer melody was floating on top of the long drawn-out spaces that the disco rhythm created.

And so, it dragged me towards something I thought I could never possibly like. Awesome! BTW, that’s one of the hallmarks of a universally great song: it should somehow fuck with the listener and/or make them think that anything is possible – including liking a song that on paper they wouldn’t even give a second shake to.

Official Video for “Don’t Talk to Me About Love”

My Certain Songs Playlist on Spotify

Every “Certain Song” Ever