Weekly Song List: Friday, October 26th

Craft fair mania!!! It's been a crazy week getting ready for the Salem Open Market and (as always) there are a few key songs that have helped keep my energy up. Stylistically, they're all over the place. But for me, they work wonders. 

And so, I give you this week's song list. Enjoy!

1. Paddling Out. Miike Snow: As all of my Twitter followers know, Miike Snow has been one of my favorite bands to listen to while getting ready for this craft fair. Their music blows my mind all the time, but the energy of album Happy To You really set the tone for my week. I also saw these guys live in Portland, ME this past weekend, so that experience is still fresh in my mind. I love this song with all of my heart. They played it live and it was a blast to dance to with a theater full of happy people.

2. Joy Ride. The Killers: From their 2006 album Day & Age. Again, I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something magical about this album that helps me to be super focused on my work, and yet full of energy and spirit. This song is a particular favorite. Love the whole album. Also, Sam's Town holds this same magic for me.

3. In Particular. Blonde Redhead: From their 2000 album Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons. I was completely obsessed with this album in 2000. I remember listening to it over and over again in my studio (I went to art school, so I spent a lot of time in my studio). Such a great album. And again, that inexplicable motivating force.

4. Movement & Location. Punch Brothers: Talk about motivating. This song literally moves forward, and at a great and steady speed. Such a beautiful song. This song was my introduction to Punch Brothers. Upon hearing more of their music though, and seeing them live a few weeks ago, I'm now totally enamored with these fellows. If you haven't heard it yet, listen to this song immediately.

5. Poor Tom. Led Zeppelin: I think that this is the first Led Zeppelin song I've featured on a weekly song list, which is crazy bananas. I have so much love for Led Zeppelin. Oh my sweet goodness. Like "Movement & Location", "Poor Tom" has amazing forward movement to it. The drums!!! I mean, seriously. The drums. Awesome. I recently invested in the Led Zeppelin complete studio recordings box set. Excellent idea on my part.

6. You've Got Her In Your Pocket. The White Stripes: I know that this song has already been featured on one of my weekly song list, but that just goes to show you how much I love it. Jack White and his guitar. I would do a variety of very dramatic things to hear him play this song live, as is. Just Jack and his guitar. Oh my! A beautiful, heartbreaking song.

7. Cooling. Tori Amos: From the 1999 double album To Venus and Back. This particular song is from the live album portion. I initially heard this song on the PBS live music/interview show Sessions At West 54th during which a musician or band would perform and then David Byrne would interview them about their music and creative process. Amazing show. I saw Tori on this show and it completely changed my feelings toward her music. I felt so connected to her creative process and ideas, and I really enjoyed her live performance. "Cooling" was her closing song and it blew me away/made me cry. Gorgeous song. I'd say it's one of my all time favorite songs. On this recording she talks about how she only plays it live "because it just didn't want to be on any of the records". She also refers to it as "one of her best friends of all the songs". I love this idea of her songs taking on their own identities and having a will of their own. Brilliant.

Photo: Miike Snow

P.S. Woah! I wrote so much about that Tori Amos song. I guess I just has a lot to say about it??? It didn't seem like that much when I was writing it, but alas.

Weekly Song List: Friday, August 17th

It's been a nutty week here in the Fussy Gussy studio. Getting ready for the Rock & Roll Yard Sale on Sunday. I'm very excited. But more on that tomorrow.

For now, on this ridiculously humid Friday night in mid-August, I give you the Fussy Gussy "Weekly Song List". I've included the usual 7 songs for the week, plus one "bonus" song that has been sort of my anthem this week. Enjoy!

1. In the Long Run. The Carrie Nations: From one of my favorite movies Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (not to be confused with Valley of the Dolls). The Carrie Nations are the all girl band at the center of the plot. This is my favorite of their songs. But they're all great!

2. Does He Love You?. Rilo Kiley: I love Jenny Lewis' voice so much. It's a perfect blend of sweet and strong. I think she's amazing. And this song is one of Rilo Kiley's best, I think. Great story. Love the build.

3. A Song For You. The Carpenters: Written by Leon Russell, though I'm most familiar with The Carpenters version of the song. Beautiful, heartbreaking song. My favorite lyric: "I love you in a place where there's no space or time". Swoon.

4. Raining Twilight Coast. Robyn Hitchcock: I was lucky enough to see this man live in a very small, dark club. When I was, maybe, 16 or 17. I remember much of the set (if not all of it) being just the man and his guitar. This song brings me back to that show. Brilliant.

5. Little By Little. Radiohead: I recently fell head over heels in love with the Radiohead album The King of Limbs on an afternoon car ride (there's something magical about listening to music in the car). This is my favorite song from the album.

6. Black Tin Box. Miike Snow: My favorite Miike Snow song right now. Great deep, gritty sounds. Spatially dense. I'm going to be seeing these guys live this Fall, and I'm so very excited. I think it's going to be one of the best shows ever.

7. We Own the Sky. M83: Simple. Electronic. Yummy. Gorgeousness.

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8. (Happy Friday Bonus Song) Ball & Biscuit. The White Stripes: Thank goodness this song is over 7 minutes long. Amazing guitar. Love everything about it!

Photo: The Carrie Nations

Weekly Song List: Wednesday, August 1st

It's Wednesday, and that means it's time for the Fussy Gussy "Weekly Song List". And so, here you have it!

1. Silenced By the Night. Keane: I love this song because it sounds like it was recorded in the mid-to-late 1980s. And I love Tom Chaplin's voice.

2. Dark Side. Kelly Clarkson: Kelly Clarkson is one of those pop singers who (for me, at least) transcends pop because her voice is so, so strong. I watched (and voted for) her on the first season of American Idol and I LOVE this new song of hers. Perfect blend of pop and creepy music box.

3. Only If For a Night. Florence + The Machine: This song blows my mind. It's so powerful and beautiful. And there's mention of a ghost! Perfection. Absolute perfection.

4. Laura. Bat For Lashes: the new song from Natasha Khan AKA Bat For Lashes. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Simple. Haunting. I can't wait for her new album. Until October!

5. Ananaemonesia. Chairlift: I heard this song for the first time on WERS (one of my fave local radio stations). It reminds me of Berlin's "The Metro" a bit, which I love. Caroline Polachek has a very cool, unique voice. Great dance song!

6. Arcade Blues. Neon Indian: I love Neon Indian to pieces! This song is perfect for dance parties and driving. And dancing while driving.

7. Bavarian #1 (Say You Will). Miike Snow: What can I say about Miike Snow? They're kind of my favorite right now. I listen to their album Happy To You way too much. This song is one of my top three favorites from the album. Love the marching drums.

Photo: Neon Indian

And So It Came From 1989

"What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue?" This is the question posed by Swedish pop duo Roxette in the chorus of their 1989 hit "The Look".

I heard "The Look" today on my way home from the movies and it sounded kind of amazing?

I don't remember being that aware of the song when it came out. In 1989, I was an eleven year old obsessed with musical theater and old standards, which is why my reaction today was so surprising. It's not like I was reliving some feeling or moment from my pre-teens. The song just sounded really good to me.

It's a great sing-along-song too! I love it when this sort of thing happens.

Röyksopp

I really, really love Scandinavian electronic music.

The above photo is of Svein Berge and Torbjorn Brundtland of the Norwegian electronic duo, Röyksopp.

It's where my love of Scandinavian electronic music really began, and took hold. I have so much love for these two that I don't really know what to write.

To begin, their music is technically crazy rich. Gorgeous. When they do have lyrics, they're usually sung by someone equally awesome, like Karin Andersson or Robyn (see posts below). I love so many different kinds of music, but often I find myself drawn to music that either sounds like it was generated by machines or sounds like it came straight from center of the earth, or something, like made from fire or a volcano. Highly artificial meets highly organic. Somehow, Röyksopp manages both for me. The music is emotional yet cool.

And to boot, they take wildly weird photos like the one above. They're so great!

Robyn + Body Talk

I'm so into Robyn right now! I've liked her for years, but there's something extra special about her most recent album Body Talk. It's a perfect dance album, heavy on the synth, heavy on the dance beats. Robyn's voice sounds fantastic, and I really enjoy her lyrics about heartbreak, dancing, and fembots. Especially the fembots.

Like Karin Andersson (see posts below), Robyn is from Sweden and has collaborated with Norwegian electronic duo, Röyksopp (see post above). Their song "The Girl and the Robot" is so completely awesome! Great dance track.

Robyn recently headlined the O Music Awards in LA, and I caught a few of her performances online. She's got some pretty excellent dance moves, let me tell you.

Fever Ray

I love this photo of Karin Dreijer Andersson of Fever Ray. Andersson is from Sweden, and Fever Ray is her solo project. She makes up one half of the duo The Knife (see post below). The other half of the duo is her brother, Olaf Dreijer. She's also collaborated on a number of songs with the Norwegian electronic duo, Röyksopp (see post above).

Fever Ray is known for obscuring her face in some way, either with props, her own hair, or elaborate makeup, like in this totally surreal acceptance speech at a Swedish awards show in 2010.

I love Fever Ray. I think she's super interesting and she takes risks.

The Knife

Karen Dreijer Andersson and Olaf Dreijer of Swedish electronic duo, The Knife. Like Fever Ray (see above post), The Knife have a haunting quality to their songs. They also tend to wear masks and rarely appear for interviews or awards shows.

Trent Reznor + Karen O = Something Amazing

I saw the The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trailer last weekend, and I was blown away. It was one of the best and most exciting trailers I've seen in a long time. If not ever.

Like many out there (perhaps?) I was a little miffed by the idea of "Hollywood" remaking the original: a perfectly grim, gritty, atmospheric, well written, well acted Swedish movie based on the (also) Swedish book. But then David Fincher was on board. And Daniel Craig was cast, and Rooney Mara, followed by such favorites as Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgard.

But it was not until I saw this trailer that I decided I definitely want to see this movie! The trailer is perfectly edited, fast paced, and completely intriguing. And the best part: throughout the entire trailer plays a thoroughly unexpected cover of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song", performed by none other than Trent Reznor and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' front woman, Karen O. It's awesome. Totally awesome.

It even rivals Jack Black's van-driving-cassette-tape rendition in School of Rock. Awesome in a different way.

Eighteen Year-Old Crush

I was 13 years-old when the movie Dead Again came out in theaters, and subsequently when (my now) 18 year-old crush on Kenneth Branagh began. He was my first intense actor crush, and at that point he would been have somewhere around 30 or 31, which is where I am now. I LOVED the movie, and went to see it multiple times in the theater. I fell in love with the character of Roman Strauss, and with the mystery surrounding the seemingly doomed-past-lives-romance that forms the basis for the movie. I remember a photo that I treasured of Branagh, from a magazine. He was sitting in a throne looking very handsome and brooding. I had that one of my wall.

My crush remained pretty intense for a few years. Like all matters of the heart, it would change as I changed. Hamlet was a favorite of mine, and to this day I tend to watch pretty much any movie that he's a part of. BUT, my recent experience with the BBC series Wallander has brought my crush back in a big way. I can't pinpoint why exactly. All I can say with certainty is that this series is excellent. I really enjoyed all three episodes, and recommend it to anyone who likes crime stories set in Scandinavia. Of course, there IS the fact that no one in the series speaks with a Swedish accent. Mostly British. But then most of the written words that appear in the series are in Swedish??? I don't know what better way the producers could have have handled this. It didn't bother me as much as make me giggle.