PF 2020: Dan's S2L2A3

Josh naturally inspires this list, especially at Christmastime. His annotations per selection made each song that much more alive, so I’ve attempted to do the same. The theme isn’t a tidy thread, if most songs extend a sense of raw religion (with deference to the Greek etymology: ‘connect again’). All songs here have been produced after my 1993 departure from the U.S., explaining the conspicuous lack of favorites from Zeppelin, Bowie, Heart, John Williams (Fiddler), etc. Enjoy!

1.)  Silversun Pickups, “It Doesn’t Matter Why” (2019). The extension of the title is “we’re known, we’re just known.” While overtones of ‘Big Brother’ may be a concern for this Pasadena quartet, they also appear to satirize that notion.

2.)  J. Mascis, “SeeYou At The Movies” (2018). A gentler track from an east coast grunge guy, founder of the band Dinosaur Jr. This song comes from his most recent solo album, Elastic Days, a fair coming-to-terms with growing old.

3.)  Kurt Vile, “Bassackwards” (2018). Once the frontman of The War On Drugs, this Philly native has a hillbilly style and an amiability reminiscent of cousin David Strand. Play this vinyl record backwards—I betcha no controversies!

4.)  Wolf Alice, “Planet Hunter” (2017). Ellie Roswell heads this band from Camden Town, where she invariably ran into Amy Winehouse. Different styles result from these Londoners, yet both provoke a need to stand up for self.

5.) Andy Shauf, “Eyes of Them All” (2016). A friend in my writers’ group recommended this Saskatchewan artist while I was drafting a 1-act play called “The Bereaved”; it made the final scene and enhanced the mood of the reveal.

6.)  Justin Lavash, “Love Turns Out Alright” (2015). Fluent in Czech, this British bohemian often comes to Roztoky. His voice reminds me of Mark Knopfler and Joe Vold, and this song channels John Paul Jones’ mandolin in “That’s The Way”.

7.)  Spoon, “InsideOut” (2014). Josef Lev included this Austin, Texas band on his playlist while we drove from California to Arizona and back. They probe and push back on “holy rollers” who may or may not extend gospel truth.

8.)  Hillsong United, “Oceans” (2013). A prayer from Australia that Andrea gave to more of the world. “(Where Feet May Fail)” reminds me of Mark 9:24, and the rising oceans both of Noah and our own contributions to climate change.

9.)  Aşa, “Why Can’t We” (2011). Emma included “Fire on the Mountain” from this Nigerian-born artist some years ago. I’m reminded in this newer song of Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5” that Tilo loved stomping to in a Lombard living room.

10.)  Phantogram, “YouAre The Ocean” (2010). I reversed chronology on this list because I wanted the more meaningful ‘ocean’ song to feature first. Still, this upstate NY duo are candid about addictions and a need to address them.

11.)  Beck, “Volcano” (2008). Wanted to echo Kirsten’s choice of “Morning” a couple S2L2A3s ago, a more beautiful song. Why this one? We’re transported to a silent Japan in way of wonder and care. It rounds out my 5-act Echo Chamber.

12.)  John Prine, “Taking a Walk” (2005). Jonathan wrote good poems about taking walks with Yoshi. Prine is from Maywood, where I remember recording an interview with Grandma Lamken—a lovely walk that may be lost, but not really.

13.)  Arcade Fire, “Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)” (2004). Montreal was Kateřina’s point of entry to what Dvořak commemorated in his New World Symphony. The band mixes nostalgia with angst in this series of neighborhood vignettes.

14.)  Sonic Youth, “Peace Attack” (2004). Perhaps nature in NYC needs to start as early as “3 Feb”, regardless what some groundhog might have indicated the day before. Oxymorons abound in “the great anti-hate: springtime is wartime.”

15.)  Outkast, “HeyYa!” (2003). From Atlanta to your living room, via the raves and craze of early rock ’n’ roll. André Benjamin is a showman, to be sure, yet also a thoughtful critic of the music industry, a la Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here.

16.)  Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Maps” (2003). Yeah, the sequence is a nice coincidence. Another NYC group, this time showing the dynamics of what a trio can do—Josh and I talked about #s for a band, Rush and The Police boosting the cause for 3.

17.)  Blur, “Coffee and TV” (1999). Another London band—one that Sparta hockey fans love when their team scores: “woo hoo” from their “Song 2”. I rather picked this ballad, though, for its nicer musicality and storyboard.

18.)  Smashing Pumpkins, “1979” (1996). Speaking of storyboards, this song has demonstrated that deeply at workshops, where I encourage teachers to add lyrics to poetry units. This Chicago band shares my fondness for Cheap Trick.

19.)  Phish, “Free” (1996). Trey Anastasio and his crew are granola Vermonters, like the 80s sitcom Newhart (Larry, Darryl, Darryl, et al). Josh bought me Billy Breathes some years ago and I’ve also used their song “Waste” in workshops.

20.)  Pavement, “Elevate Me Later” (1994). There’s something Oasis about this indie/punk band from Stockton, California. Ben and I have played a dozen games of chess with Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain in the background. He’s won most;)

+.)  Jon Batiste, “Prince” (2019). Technically not a ‘song’ (sans lyrics), this jazz composition leaves us to imagine if the New Orleans pianist is referring to the Minnepolis icon or, more likely, the Prince of Peace as Batiste would have it.

Play on! Everyone should have a S2L2A3…