Broken Bells
"The Mall and Misery" Broken Bells
(2010)
The need to know: Broken Bells combines the superpowers of The Shins' James "You gotta hear this song. It'll change your life." Mercer and multi-instrumentalist/producer Brian Burton, who you may know better as Danger Mouse--half of Gnarles Barkley, producer of Gorillaz's sophomore effort Demon Days and mastermind behind The Grey Album, his controversial mash-up of Jay-Z's Black Album and The Beatles' White Album. The duo met and discussed a collabo in 2004 at the Roskilde festival, but they wouldn't really put the gears in motion until four years later--AND it was miraculously largely kept secret until their debut single "The High Road" emerged in 2009. If you're thinking a match up between folks with that kind of musical background would have to be awesome, then you're definitely on the ball.
Why it's worthy: A standout track on an album with many standout tracks, "The Mall and Misery" closes out Broken Bells' eponymous debut with a danceable amalgamation of layered vocals, Shins-ian verses and a modern-life-is-rubbish ideology. In short, it's the best both halves can offer the whole and done to perfection.
Quotable lyric: "I know what I know/ Would not fill a thimble/ So let your mind go"
Where you've heard it: If you're my neighbors? Through the walls a lot last Friday night.
The Jealous Sound
"For Once In Your Life" Kill Them With Kindness
(2003)
The need to know: In 2003, The JEalous Sound released their debut LP, Kill Them With Kindness, a romp of indie rock with touches of emo mischief that landed on SPIN's top 40 albums of the year list. But, after signing to indie label The Militia Group in 2005, reports that the band was busy recording a follow up devolved into rumors that singer/guitarist Blair Shehan had left the band in ruins. A few years of silence and speculation followed, with an EP of the remnants of the band's studio sessions, entitled Got Friends, seemingly capping things off in 2008. In 2009, however, the band reemerged to open for emo legends Sunny Day Real Estate, and is currently back at work on a true follow up to their debut.
Why it's worthy: Being a night owl has its perks. "For Once In Your Life" celebrates (and questions) what goes on in those hours with anthemic choruses and painted-picture verses. The song plays out like a night spent picking apart the world and making revelations that never quite live long past sunrise.
Quotable lyric: "The sun's coming up/ As we're coming down"
Where you've heard it: This song was on every mix I made in 2003. If you knew me then, you've heard this song.
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
"Mostly Waving" Knives Don't Have Your Back
(2006)
The need to know: One of the most fun parts about being a Broken Social Scene fan is following its members, and Emily Haines gives us much to track down. Though the bulk of her time is spent fronting synth-rockers Metric, in 2006 she released Knives Don't Have Your Back, under Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton. A collection of songs penned while on duty with Metric and BSS, it's not all that surprising to find her trading in her synth for the good ole ivories, and toting songs with heavier emotional weight and less danceability.
Why it's worthy: An oddly ominous and sexy song, "Mostly Waving" shows us a different Emily Haines than the one we're used to seeing. But what makes this song so great is Haines' impeccable vocal delivery, which, lets face it, is nearly always on target anyway. With her other outlets she's never afraid to be sweet ("Swimmers") or shout when necessary ("Monster Hospital"), but here she's more sultry and vulnerable, and allows her voice an extra layer of mellifluousness that melts over every second of "Mostly Waving". You can't help but get stuck in it.
Quotable lyric: "Get the line down/ Don't elaborate like that/ You frighten off the frat boys/ Use your baby talk."
Where you've heard it: A remix of "Mostly Waving" appeared on the companion EP, What Is Free To A Good Home?, a collection of B-sides from the Knives sessions.
Guided By Voices
"Game of Pricks" The Best of Guided By Voices: Human Amusements at Hourly Rates
(2003)
The need to know: One of indie rocks longest standing holdouts, Guided By Voices are practically an institution. No, they are one. Led by Robert Pollard, the band released over 17 albums, not counting live releases, EPs and compilations (which at least double that number), during a 20 year career that earned the band a sold fan base without ever requiring them to sign a major label contract. Known for Pollard's quirky, stream-of-consciousness lyrics and often lo-fi recordings, especially in their early days, GBV walked the line of accessibility without ever crossing over it. And oh how we love them for it.
Why it's worthy: A short, punchy pop song in a catalog of short, punchy pop songs, "Game of Pricks" still somehow feels like something special. Originally recorded for 1995's Alien Lanes, this version is clearly crisper (the original exemplifies lo-fi) but the slick production fits the song like a glove. It's a testament to the song, and Pollard's songcraft, that it works so well both ways.
Quotable lyric: "I'll never ask for the truth, but you owe that to me"
Where you've heard it: An extreme Guided By Voices fan, Jim Adkins and his band, Jimmy Eat World, covered "Game of Pricks" for the BBC while promoting 2001's Bleed American. The recording ended up on the Japanese-only Good To Go EP.
The Hold Steady
"Chillout Tent" Boys and Girls in America
(2006)
The need to know: The Hold Steady have undoubtedly won the title of indie rock's favorite bar band, and, unlike the majority of the indie scene's pouty, dapper heroes, Craig Finn and co. are rockers to the core. Armed with an arsenal of songs full of good ol' sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll tales, Finn's lyrical dexterity, and, yeah, a touch of southern rock gee-tars, are what give them the win. Loud rock and drunken poetry are always worth cracking open a case of beer, and The Hold Steady excel at both.
Why it's worthy: Music festivals are always an interesting experience. Thousands upon thousands of people crowd together in the name of music only to sweat it out in the sun, and there's never enough toilet paper and always too many drugs. And that is exactly where we get the story of "Chillout Tent". Featuring guest vocals by Elizabeth Elmore and David Pirner (Soul Asylum) as our concert going heroes, Finn narrates a story of two kids who got messed up on more than just the music and end up spending some time together in, naturally, the Chillout Tent. With one of the catchiest choruses in The Hold Steady's repertoire, it's a tune much less heavy than the subject matter would otherwise dictate (drugs! overdosing! sex!) and, of course, that's why it's so awesome. An idyllic party song on the surface--both kids O.D. yet end up having a great time regardless, which makes the song take place in, seemingly, a world without consequences--"Chillout Tent" is, like much of Boys And Girls In America, both a celebration of and commentary on escapist youth culture. "Chillout Tent" may not be one of The Hold Steady's best songs (its Boys and Girls In America follower "Southtown Girls" is definitely superior) but it's certainly one of their most fun.
Quotable lyric: "She looked just like a baby bird/ All new and wet and trying to light a Parliament/ He quoted her some poetry/ He's Tennyson in denim and sheepskin"
Where you've heard it: If you haven't been people like this, you've definitely seen people like this.
The need to know: On the cover of 2009's Middle Cyclone, that's Neko perched atop a muscle car, bearing a sword. And, yes, she really is that much of a bad ass. As both a part-time front woman for The New Pornographers and solo tour de force, it's Neko's powerful vocals that make her recordings so unforgettable. More than just a serious set of pipes, though, she's also one hell of a songwriter. Often crafting dark portraits of believable characters in her distinct country noir flavor, her albums have consistently provided some of the best alt country this side of Wilco.
Why it's worthy: An ominous, dreamlike trance, "Prison Girls" threads hopelessly dark imagery with swoon-worthy "Ohs" for a tapestry as rich and inescapable as its narrator's predicament. Vivid, haunting tableaus juxtapose the song's stunning, poetic cry of "I love your long shadows and gunpowder eyes"--a phrase I could hear Neko sing for hours on end (and I sometimes do).
Quotable lyric: "I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes"
Where you've heard it: Neko gets to play guest programmer tonight on TCM, where she'll be playing four of her favorite classic flicks. Unrelated, but still good to know. (Thanks A.V. Club!)
Eels
"Things the Grandchildren Should Know" Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
(2005)
The need to know: After finding modest mainstream success with 1996's Beautiful Freak, Eels receded to the underground ranks, crafting unabashedly honest, explorative albums that have only gotten better with time. One of those bands most people have no doubt heard without actually having heard of, Eels have always hovered just under the proverbial radar, lending tunes to soundtracks as varied as Scream2, Shrek, Knocked Up and over 25 more. The band's penchant for tongue-in-cheek sarcasm even drew the misplaced ire of the Bush administration with 2000's Daisies of the Galaxy album for its innocuous storybook-style cover and the politician's misunderstanding of the albums lyrics. One of indie rock--and, indeed, all of music's--most intriguing personalities, Mark Everett (aka E) penned a tome of memoirs telling his strange, unrockstar life in 2008, also titled Things the Grandchildren Should Know.
Why it's worthy: Nobody mixes heartbreak with optimism like E. And nowhere does he do it better than here. The closing track to his semi-autobiographical two-disc epic Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, "Things the Grandchildren Should Know" is both E's love letter to life and his legacy. No stranger to writing about his life ("Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor" from Electro-Shock Blues is notoriously about his sister's failed suicide attempt), this song is more a confession than a retelling. He lays bare his coming to terms with who he is, his final understanding of and love for his detached father, and his struggles to connect with the world outside his own head. For a songwriter never afraid to be unflinchingly honest, "Things the Grandchildren Should Know" puts E out on a wire with no safety net, which makes this album's final revelation feel like finally meeting the man we only thought we knew.
Quotable lyric: "I knew true love and I knew passion/ And the difference between the two/ I have some regrets but if I had to do it all again/ Well, it's something I'd like to do"
Where you've heard it: Although this particular song wasn't included, the bulk of Blinking Lights was commandeered for the score to 2008's Jim Carrey/Zooey Deshanel comedy Yes Man.
The need to know: With an intermittent recording career dating back to the late 1960s, it wasn't until he signed to Fat Possum Records (the current home of The Black Lips, Andrew Bird and Wavves) several decades later that R.L. Burnside would get his due. The Mississippi native caught the attention of the indie rock set in the late 90s through collaborations with Jon Spencer (of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, amongst other projects) and proceeded to release compilations of his early recordings as well as new, studio records into the 2000s. He passed away in 2005.
Why it's worthy: Burnside's electric charged country and Delta blues are nothin' to sneeze at, and "Snake Drive" is the pennacle to 1997's Mr. Wizard. Slurred lyrics and searing guitar squeals meander along this near 7-minute jam, while a rhythmic riff keeps the tune from devolving into a messy ramble. I first heard this song as a teenager (my dad caught one of Burnside's shows. NOT fair.), and the repetition hooked me. I still can't stay away for long.
Where you've heard it: The original, and much shorter, version of "Snake Drive" appears on the 1996 Jon Spencer appearing A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey.
Death Cab For Cutie
"Company Calls Epilogue" We Have The Facts And We're Voting Yes
(2000)
The need to know: The poster boys of modern-day indie rock, Ben Gibbard and co. have gone from underground darlings to near household names in just a smidge over a decade. Their melodic, lovelorn tunes have found traction all across the board due to Gibbard's wit soaked honesty and guitarist/producer Chris Walla's trademark axemanship.
Why it's worthy: It's a song. About a dude. Who busts up a WEDDING. If that isn't worth some obsession, I'm not sure what is. I'm hereby declaring this song the anthem of anyone who's ever let the right one get away--and realized it all too late. As humorous as it is poignant and, I'll admit it, disturbing, this is Gibbard at his lyrical best--and his band ain't slackin' neither. Oh, and a happy ending: Gibbard married it girl actress (and bona fide chanteuse from She & Him) Zooey Deschanel in 2009.
Quotable lyric: "I'm dressed up for free drinks and family greetings/ On your wedding, your wedding, your wedding date/ The figures in plastic on the wedding cake/ That I took were so real"
Where you've heard it: An alternate version appeared on DCFC's Forbidden Love EP, which also appeared in 2000.
The New Pornographers
"Sing Me Spanish Techno" Twin Cinema
(2005)
The need to know: If you haven't yet discovered the delights of The New Pornographers, boy are you missing out. Formed in 1997, the group--which has an all-star lineup including Neko Case, Dan Bejar (of Destroyer), Kurt Dahle (formerly of Limblifter) and ringmaster A.C. Newman, among other talented individuals--creates dynamic, high-spirited power pop, and, well, that genre doesn't get much better than this.
Why it's worthy: "Sing Me Spanish Techno" is a quirky pop tune as only A.C. Newman can craft them. Why does he want us to sing Spanish techno? I honestly have no idea, but "Listening too long/ to one song" is certainly a mantra we can adopt. And, with a chorus like that, consider this tune the unofficial theme song of Songs to Obsess Over.
Quotable lyric: "The hourglass spills its sand/ If only to punish you/ For listening too long to one song"
Where you've heard it: When my phone rings. It's my ringtone. Because I'm cool.
Think of Songs to Obsess Over as the neverending listing to the best mixtape you've ever heard. It's a place to help you discover new songs, bands, albums and remind you of old faves. Anything is fair game: from the hippest new bands to the goofiest of guilty pleasures, if it gets us obsessed, it's on.
Read. Enjoy. Hear for yourself. Join the Obsession.
