I still haven’t gotten over Daniel Blumberg’s departure from
Yuck. Listening to the B-Sides from the band’s sterling debut, it just makes
the letdown that was Glow & Behold
sting a little more. Still, the b-sides are satisfying enough to warrant the
feeling of salt in wound. “Coconut Bible” is the best of them, and captures the
crunchy, 90s alt rock throwback sound that made Yuck my favorite album of 2011. The guitars are equal parts
distortion and chiming and the melody is pure pop gold. Blumberg’s new project,
Hebronix, inspires the same bummer emotions as Glow & Behold and illustrates the alchemy of what could happen
when all of these people worked together. Here’s hoping for a surprise reunion
that will probably never ever happen!
Yesterday afternoon I gave Jeff Tweedy’s new solo album (Sukierae, under the moniker Tweedy) a
listen and it put Wilco on the brain. My relationship with Wilco is a long and
storied one that I’ve chronicled here every time I task myself with writing
about one of the band’s albums. At first I hated them, didn’t understand what
all the fuss about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
was about (this was 2003, when I was 17 and pretty stupid). Then at some point
in college (circa 2005, when I was 19 and still pretty stupid) it clicked and I
became obsessed. In terms of a piece of American music, I think it stands right
up there with Bob Dylan’s Highway 61
Revisited or the Ramones eponymous debut or NWA's Straight Outta Compton in terms of being a record that is
quintessentially American. Though recorded before 9/11 (which, fittingly, was
the album’s original release date) if you listen to the lyrics of “Ashes of
American Flags” or “Jesus Etc,” it seems as if YHF ushered in the post-9/11 age we are currently a part of. After 2007’s
Sky Blue Sky my rabid Wilco fandom petered
out, but I still worship Yankee Hotel
Foxtrot. Once I’d thoroughly devoured the album, I sought out the demos,
and then the engineer’s demos, which is where I found this little nugget: “Cars
Can’t Escape.” It’s a beautiful, mournful tune that is out of sync with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot but stands on its
own tremendously well. The sweetness the melody coupled with Jeff Tweedy’s
dejected vocals make this song like the song they play on the jukebox right
after the bouncer yells “Last call!” Our poor schmuck stares into the heady
swirl at the bottom of his pint glass and mutters, “So I tap my glass and nod
my chin and wonder who you’ve been in rhythm with.” The wonky sonic elements
that give YHF its unique texture and
landscape make an appearance at the track’s end, watermarking the track to its
very specific time and place in a Chicago loft at the beginning of a brand new
century. Like the album it didn’t turn up on, “Cars Can’t Escape” is timeless.
I have this fantasy about future explorers a thousand years from now
discovering a time capsule I have left them. Inside is Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and I like to think if they listened to it
they would see a portrait of this bygone era. I might try to slip this one in
there too, you know, just in case they were hungry for more introspective bearded
dad rock from the early 00s.
Not only is this one of GBV’s best b-sides, it’s one of
their best songs. It’s Tobin Sprout’s best contribution to the band’s
discography, which is saying something considering his songs are so often
better than Bob Pollard’s. Or maybe it just stands out in contrast to the three
mega-weird Pollard tracks it precedes on this brisk EP (which also includes the
single versions of “Game of Pricks” and “My Valuable Hunting Knife,” and back
to back those songs are damn near unstoppable). “Dodging Invisible Rays” has
all the shambling power of Bee Thousand
and Alien Lanes but is obviously a
brilliant standalone track that couldn’t be shoehorned into either of those
collage-like records. One of my favorite things about GBV’s massive output is
that, if you dig enough, you will ultimately uncover these perfect little gems.
There’s something special about tracks like “Dodging Invisible Rays” or “Paper
Girl” or “The Key Losers” or “Choking Tara (Creamy Version).” They’re
underserviced and when you listen to them, you get the feeling that you’re the
only person in the world listening to this particular track at this particular
moment. This one, though, this one is my favorite. “Dodging Invisible Rays”
also appears on a disc of demos, b-sides, and live cuts that came with a deluxe
edition of their Best Of Human Amusements
at Hourly Rates (also included on the disc dubbed Demons and Painkillers (I think this was also included with the Hardcore UFOs boxset). If you can find
this version, it’s your perfect gateway to the greatest band of all time (after
you’ve absorbed Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes, of course).
Brand New/Safety in Numbers Split/ Triple Crown/ 2002
For a band built on sweeping, well penned songs about
hyper-dramatic relationship issues, “Moshi Moshi” feels entirely out of place.
The earwormy pop of this track out of step with the emo-dripping pop-punk of Your Favorite Weapon and the theatrical
emotional epics on Deja Entendu. And
yet, it still feels like a Brand New track and features the sort of melodramatic
lyrics that make Jesse Lacey’s songs such a delicious pleasure (“If I kissed
your neck/ Would you slit my throat?”) while also intentionally trying to be a
little goofy (“The more I hang around you/ The more hang-ups I get”) to up the
sense of playfulness. Even though this song lives outside of Brand New’s
wheelhouse, it’s a perfect example of a great b-side: a track that doesn’t
quite fit on a band’s album, but excels on its own as an example of the band’s
versatility. Not all b-sides have to do this to be great, but considering there
really isn’t a place for this on either of Brand New’s early albums, it’s nice
that they thought to release it anyway.
It’s hard to tell if there is a more beloved Jawbreaker
track than “Kiss the Bottle.” Sure, “Boxcar” is about as well known as
“Blitzkrieg Bop” and “Jinx Removing” is as seminal as it gets when it comes to
mixtape staples, but holy Christ this song cuts right through you. Blake
Schwarzenbach’s vocals sound like a metal spoon caught in a dishwasher (with
good reason, too, as it was the last song Jawbreaker recorded before his throat
surgery) and that translates to the most perfectly weathered voice needed to
sing a song about goddamn regret. It’s an ugly song about drunks with
relationship issues. The chugging guitars sounds like it’s coming in and out of
consciousness, and though the song was recorded between Bivouac and 24 Hour Revenge
Therapy, it wouldn’t really belong on either of those records. It is,
however, the finest song Schwarzenbach had written up to that point and full of
the emotional intensity that would make 24
Hour Revenge Therapy and Dear You
so easy for heartbroken 18 year olds to fawn over. So many of my AIM away
messages were Jawbreaker quotes from that era, and Schwarzenbach’s songwriting
was deeply influential to me in a number of ways. When I started writing songs,
I tried to match that raw emotional honesty (not that I was really any good at
it). I started gravitating towards music with that realness. It’s a reason why
I totally shut down when I hear vapid lyrics. It’s all I can focus on. I know
pop music is supposed to be fun and vapid and the lyrics aren’t supposed to
matter but thanks to Jawbreaker, it’s something I find incredibly important.
As much as I love Frightened Rabbit (which is a whole
fucking lot), I’ve always found their b-sides to be a little throwaway…which is
sort of the whole essence of a b-side, so no harm done. But “Boxing Night,”
from the State Hospital EP is a
marvelous exception. The picture Scott Hucthison paints of the day after
Christmas is perfect, and with pure Frightened Rabbit (read: Scottish) glumness:
Boxing night
I celebrate in style,
in boxer shorts and spirits
Floor littered with
ghosts of bottles past
There’s a naked hush,
clothed only in breath and a pulse
Of a heart that is
kicking as though it is desperate to be born
Jesus Christ.
Good Glasgow could
burn to its timber tonight, I’d barely blink an eye.
Hutchison’s songwriting is prized for his brutal
understanding of agony, and the lilt of this song almost feels like a sick
joke. It’s fantastic. Absolutely
terrific. The little acoustic guitar line that runs through this track
practically bounces. The choruses swell into these big, optimistic triumphs
with ethereal backing vocals and a glorious sense of fulfillment. Somehow,
Hutchison has found a way to be bleak without being depressing, and maybe
that’s one of the reasons why he’s one of the best songwriters out there.
Hutchison recently released his first solo effort under the moniker Owl John and it's morose and terrific. I've been wallowing in it for the last month. Review forthcoming. Here's one of my favorite tracks, "Los Angeles, Be Kind."
The Get Up Kids – “Central Standard Time”
Vagrant, 1999
One of the earliest memories I have from when my wife and I
started dating was seeing the 7” split the Get Up Kids and the Anniversary did
together on her dining room table…melted to form a cute little bowl. I don’t
even remember what was in the bowl. Probably nothing, which made me even more
frustrated. “How could you!” I think I asked, incredulous. We’ve been together
ever since. Coming of age in Kansas City in the late 90s/early 00s, the Get Up
Kids were all we had. Outside of the area they are typically met with derision
by people who think they know better, but around here they’re basically an
institution. Fucking beloved. “Central Standard Time” is a perfect b-side,
because though it was recorded along with the rest of their 1999 emo
masterpiece Something to Write Home About,
it has a lot more in common with the songs on their debut Four Minute Mile. It’s a fine track seemingly built for a split 7”
where it doesn’t have to worry about not fitting in. I feel like I’m giving
this song a pep talk. “Hey! Don’t listen to them! So what if they’re wearing
fancier shoes and are dressed in fancier clothes, you do your own thing. Just
be yourself and someday, you’ll show them all!” Ok, maybe this song isn’t going
to show anyone anything. It’s a footnote in the Get Up Kids discography, and
it’s not even their best b-side (that would definitely be “Mass Pike”), but
it’s so damn catchy that you can almost forgive them for inspiring Fall Out
Boy.
Superchunk – “Home at Dawn”
Snap! Crackle! Punk!, 1994
Superchunk have a lot of fucking fantastic fist-pumping
anthems. They’re the flagship jams that people think of when they think of
Superchunk. “Slack Motherfucker.” “Precision Auto.” “Hyper Enough.” “Detroit
Has a Skyline.” These are all songs that are very near and dear to me, but my
favorite Superchunk song is one of their least fist-pumpy songs, “Home at
Dawn.” It’s special for a few reasons, a big one being I’d never heard it until
I randomly found it on vinyl at Love Garden, took it home, threw it on the
turntable, and proceeded to listen to it twenty times. I couldn’t get enough. I
still can’t get enough. It’s one of those songs I’ll listen to on repeat. The
way that guitar line reels with the character in the story Mac is telling us.
The embarrassment of walking home after spending most of the night with
someone. Probably hungover. Definitely hungover. It’s so beautifully realized,
it puts you right there. On that sidewalk, stumbling over the bricks as the sun
starts to creep over the horizon. No traffic on a usually busy street.
Everything simultaneously new and ending, locked in a loop. I’ve already
covered this song on this blog already, but I love it so much I’m covering it
again.
The Mountain Goats – “New Chevrolet in Flames” "See America Right" Single, 4AD, 2002
Like clockwork, every new Mountain Goats record produces at
least 2-6 b-sides, most of which any other band would use as a lead single on
their latest album. John Darnielle is no mere mortal. Or wait, yes he is, that
is part of his appeal. He’s the everyman who apparently never stops writing.
Just a normal guy with a prolific streak that gives Bob Pollard a run for his
money. I’ll be covering a lot of Mountain Goats tracks hroughout this feature
promoting great B-Sides, but “New Chevrolet in Flames” from the Tallahassee sessions is not only my
favorite MTN GTS B-Side, but my favorite B-Side of all time. It helps that Tallahassee is my favorite album and
that the Mountain Goats are one of my favorite bands. It also has one of my
favorite lyrics: “Oh would that you would kiss me/ With the kisses of your
mouth/ Because your mouth is sweeter than wine and has a more complicated
history than the American South.” AND THIS TRACK WAS BURIED IN THE “SEE AMERICA
RIGHT” SINGLE! This lovely tale of getting drunk on Colorado Bulldogs
(effectively a White Russian with Coca-Cola added. After falling hard for this
song, I spent a period of three months asking bartenders if they knew how to
make one. Most didn’t, except one guy in Austin, who made me one of the most
delicious cocktails I’ve ever had) and setting a car on fire is a masterpiece.
When I caught the Mountain Goats at the Bottleneck earlier this week, John Darnielle played "The Day the Aliens Came," a song I'd never heard before. I went home and found it on the Come, Come the Sunset Tree demos thing. It was kind of more awesome live, but listening to it more, man, it's kind of amazing. Mostly, it's amazing because Darnielle is the kind of guy who can write a brilliant song and bury it somewhere in his massive discography. He's got too many other amazing songs that hog the spotlight. Digging up the little ones, discovering something I didn't know existed, that is one of my favorite things about liking music. Then I started thinking about how a lot of my favorite songs by some of my favorite bands are the songs that fly under the radar because finding them was such a special experience that I never wanted to let them go. So, in case you like these bands and haven't heard these songs, here they are.
5.) The Weakerthans - "Utilities"
I'm cheating here at number five. The Weakerthans don't really have any B-sides that aren't covers or reworkings of songs they've already recorded, but this one was a B-side for a long time until it ended up as the last song on Reunion Tour. I still prefer John K Samson's solo acoustic version, and I feel it best displays the sentiment that anyone can relate to: I want to be useful. There are a handful of videos of Samson playing this song, but they're all pretty much fantastic because it's just one of those songs that kinda always sounds good.
4.) The Hold Steady - "Girls Like Status"
My love for the Hold Steady is wide and far-reaching. It's so massive, when Jenny and I are hanging out in Minneapolis in a couple of days, one of the things we're planning on doing is visiting landmarks that pop up in Hold Steady songs. This song was apparently on the Aqua Team Hunger Force movie soundtrack, which is weird, because Superchunk had a song on that soundtrack and they're on this list. This is the perfect B-side. It's a fucking great song, highlights all of the band's strengths, but wouldn't have really fit on Boys and Girls and America. Plus, it references the Mountain Goats and Dillinger Four, two bands I love and adore. And the Mountain Goats are on this list too!
3.) The Mountain Goats - "Attention All Pickpockets"/ "New Chevrolet in Flames" / "The Day the Aliens Came"
Can't choose, and really, how can I? With such an epic discography, and with so many of those songs flying under the radar, well, it's pretty impossible to choose just ONE favorite Mountain Goats b-side. So, here are my three favorites. One from Tallahassee. One from We Shall All Be Healed. One from the Sunset Tree. All are spectacular, all hit a different. Well, as different as Mountain Goats songs can be. I like how "Attention All Pickpockets" is almost soaring despite being amazingly sad. I love how "New Chevrolet in Flames" almost has swagger and introduced me to the Colorado Bulldog, which if you haven't had one, well, make it yourself because no one at the bars in this town know how to make one (I DID however, order one in Austin a few years back, and I believe it was on the Utne Reader's account, but I can't swear by it. I just know it was at that little nook on Cedar Street and it was amazing and made with expensive vodka). "The Day the Aliens Came" is a new favorite that I just heard for the first time, uh, a few days ago, but I know it's gonna stick with me because goddamn, it should have been on the album. It seems to fit pretty perfectly, but I'm sure John had his reasons.
2.) Superchunk - "Home at Dawn"
I found a 7" of this at Love Garden months back and it was for some bizarre reason, marked down to some ridiculously cheap price given the quality of this song. Maybe it's because it's an A-Side only 7", but I listened to this song over and over again so many times I don't know when I would have had a chance to get to side B. The woozy bass line and the drifty guitar riff matches the post-night of drinking and bad decisions vibe of the lyrics and Mac MacCaughan sounds like he's screaming from the center of the earth. Well, screaming over the guitars at least, that said the mixing is great because it sounds like the song is about to fall apart at any second. I always put this song on mixes for the car and while the rest of the songs tend to get a little stale, I'm always ready to play this one over and over and over forever. Even if it is kind of emotionally devastating every single time.
1.) Guided by Voices - "Dodging Invisible Rays"
Guided by Voices is my favorite band. I will never get past thinking that. I'm the kind of person who immediately bought two tickets to their classic reunion tour in the closest city possible. In this case, Minneapolis, and at the time I didn't know WHO would go with me, but I figured I better jump on it just in case. Things worked out and Jenny is going with me, and we're headed there in...8 hours. Quite stoked, and since I'm obsessive I've been hounding reviews of the reunion shows and it looks like they're playing "Dodging Invisible Rays" and well fuck, that might complete my precious little life. This song gets the top spot because I once forced my bandmates to cover this at some Kite Tails show at the Replay a ways back. I think we covered Prince that night, too. But playing this one was one of the most fun things I ever did. Everyone's all Bob Pollard this and Bob Pollard that when it comes to GBV, but this is one of Tobin Sprout's shining moments and if you want to cast doubt on my opinion that he was the glue that held GBV together during their glory days, well, I'll most definitely disagree with you. Unless your answer is "Light Beer," and then in that case, I have no choice but to say "Well, that too."
