Case File #16: "Sleepwalk Capsules"

At the Drive-In
"Sleepwalk Capsules"
Relationship of Command
(2000)




The need to know: Once upon a time there was this great band called At the Drive-In. But, as is the story of many great bands, the group called it quits just before making it big. In the aftermath the band divided into two camps (deep rooted creative differences caused the break), with Jim Ward going on to found the considerably more radio-friendly Sparta and Cedrix Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez forming the much more experimental The Mars Volta. Their final album as At the Drive-In, 2000's Relationship of Command has nevertheless found its place as not just one of the best albums of the decade, but one of the most influential post-hardcore (and some would say rock) albums ever recorded. 

Why it's worthy: One of the great things about ATDI, a characteristic that many of their followers ignored, was that even at their most ferocious, Bixler-Zavala's vocals never devolve into completely incomprehensible, though serrated, madness. Which is good considering ominous political overtones subtly coat the bulk of the band's material. "Sleepwalk Capsules" alone is rife with references to religion and politics, Julius Caesar and The Emperor's New Clothes. And while screams and shouts perfectly compliment the band's onslaught of guitar cacophony, especially when Bixler-Zavala and Ward play at call-and-response, his words don't get lost in the well-orchestrated mess.

Quotable lyric: "All utensils are fixed on you/ Atop this podium split in confession/ Dripping with drool from the nerves of this sentence"

Where you've heard it: At the Drive-In's "One Armed Scissor" is a playable song on Guitar Hero World Tour.

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Case File #15: "Rag & Bone"

The White Stripes
"Rag & Bone"
Icky Thump
(2007)




The need to know: You know Jack White, the guy from both The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs? Well, he's also in this other little band called The White Stripes. With that band, comprised of Meg White and himself, he temporarily fooled a lot of people into thinking his ex-wife was really his sister and runs around in a lot of interesting red, white and black outfits. Oh, yeah, he also makes some of the best rock 'n' roll to hit radio this decade. The dude is near unstoppable.

Why it's worthy: I have to admit that this song appeals to my love of yard sales, thrift stores and those great "antique" shops that you only come across along rural southern roads. A great bit of Jack and Meg role playing (Meg might have the cutest speaking voice I've ever heard, and Jack his hilarious), the song is a silly tale of some junk collectors out on the prowl. Accompanied by a bluesy rock guitar riff, "Rag & Bone" feels like a cross between the bad-assery of "Seven Nation Army" and cute goofiness of "Hotel Yorba" or "We're Going to be Friends," which only proves that Jack White doesn't take himself nearly as seriously as some critics do.

Quotable lyric: "It's just things you don't want/ I can use 'em, Meg can use 'em/ We can do something with 'em/ We'll make something out of them/ Make some money out of them at least"

Where you've heard it: My boyfriend and I quote this song to one another constantly. Does that count?

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Case File #14: "I'm Good, I'm Gone"

Lykke Li
"I'm Good, I'm Gone"
Youth Novels
(2008)




The need to know: One of the most promising debuts of 2008, Lykke Li's Youth Novels is a varied tapestry of straightforward pop, spoken-word dreamscapes, and danceable quirkiness. The Stockholm native has also nabbed ear time for her cover of the Kings of Leon tune "Knocked Up" and she also penned the stark, haunting "Possibility" specifically for the New Moon soundtrack. And the perplexing continues...

Why it's worthy: "I'm Good, I'm Gone" is a peppy electro-pop romp about working for the man. But rather than a labor-inspired dirge, it's a celebration of knowing she'll one day leave those losers in the dust. Mix in a serious piano beat and Lykke Li's sharp-like-a-whip voice and it's a song fit for "working hard" 80s film montages (in a good way!)...or at the very least it's the perfect antidote for your own long day at the office. A girl can dream.

Quotable lyric: "If you say there ain't no way that I could know/ If you say I aim too high from down below/ Well, say you're not 'cause when I'm gone/ You'll be callin' but I won't be at the phone"

Where you've heard it: "I'm Good, I'm Gone" was used in the 2009 slasher film remake, Sorrority Row.

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Case File #13: "Cavalier Eternal"

Against Me!
"Cavalier Eternal"
As the Eternal Cowboy
(2003)




The need to know: One of the most exciting currently performing live bands on the planet, Against Me! won over an underground following for their furious modern punk tunes and Tom Gable's introspective and often politically charged lyrics. Of course they caught ample flack (and praise) for their major label debut, 2007's New Wave, but what came before still stands as some of the decades best of the genre. These anarcho-punks may not be as mysterious as they used to be, but their current status isn't all bad.

Why it's worthy: Break up songs aren't hard to come by in rock music, but ones as frank, clever and truthful as this aren't often among them. Part anatomy of a fucked up relationship, part realism on why relationships end, Against Me!'s acoustic leanings dress "Cavalier Eternal" up as a rogue's confessional, which, I suppose, it is. Appearing in its relatively raw form (Fat Mike famously convinced the band to use the demo version of "Cavalier Eternal" rather than the rerecorded version), the acoustic off-the-cuff jangle is ultimately what makes the song is so compelling. Who said punk music always has to be fast and furious?

Quotable lyric: "This just isn't love/ It's just the remorse of a loss of a feeling/ Even if I stayed/ It just wouldn't be the same"

Where you've heard it: Fat Wreck released The Original Cowboy in 2009, a collection of the demos for As the Eternal Cowboy which includes this version of "Cavalier Eternal." The song was also released as a single in 2004, featuring the rerecording originally intended for the album. 

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Case File #12: "Chillout Tent"

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.

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