TV on the Radio - “Staring at the Sun”
TV on the Radio is one of those bands that languished in my library for a while before I sat down and truly listened to them. However, once I finally did sit down and listen, I began kicking myself for not doing it sooner. Always with a hint of the electronic, TV on the Radio’s sound can be difficult to pin down. They can sound a bit like fuzz-rock on one song, can border on jazzy the next, the song after that will be an a cappella number, and the next song will feel a bit like trip-hop. I know this sounds like TV on the Radio can be difficult to listen to at first, but repeated listens always reward with something I hadn’t noticed before.
As a band I overlooked for far too long, I can’t recommend TV on the Radio highly enough.
Note: We previously featured TV on the Radio’s cover of “Mister Grieves” (originally performed by the Pixies) on our muxtape.
Laurie Anderson - O Superman (For Massenet)
We like to think of Tuneage as a blog aiding music discovery, but it’s also about music appreciation, and Laurie Anderson’s “O Superman”, over 8 minutes long, is a track that certainly deserves a certain some appreciation.
It was first released in 1981, reaching an unexpected #2 in the UK singles charts. Anderson wrote it as a cover of the aria “O Souverain, o juge, o père” from Jules Massnet’s 1885 opera Le Cid, after listening to a recording of it made by Charles Holland. It was released to mixed reception, but stands today as a widely lauded piece of music.
The Wikipedia page for the song has a lot more information about the song, and makes up a surprisingly interesting read.
Mew - Eight Flew Over One Was Destroyed
For some, Mew is a tough act it take. Falsetto vocals crooning over dense, distorted, polyrhythmic tracks, all in the scope of a through-composed concept album may seem daunting for even the most seasoned music fan.
For me, Mew represents everything I’d ever wanted in a band. They sound like nothing else on the planet, put on an incredible live show, and truly understand and respect their craft.
This is taken off of their 2003 Danish release “Frengers” (not quite friends, not quite strangers) which was re-released for the US in 2007. Their most recent release “And The Glass Handed Kites” brought them acclaim in the states, but their buzz has diminished quite a bit since heading back to Denmark to record.
It makes no sense hearing Mew in a vacuum, so head on over to their MySpace and check out Snow Brigade, et al.
Roxy Music - Do the Strand
I’m still not sure how to “do the Strand”. I gather that it’s some imaginary dance tied up with teenage rebellion that makes one’s body jerk around spastically yet gracefully to the urbane, glam rock sounds of Roxy Music.
This song might be from 1973 but it’s timeless in its ability to make us all dance like no one’s watching. And feel that we look really, really cool while doing so.
While most dance tracks repeat rehashed mantras like “Oh yeah, get down” over and over as if they offer the key to nirvana, Roxy frontman Bryan Ferry peppers the joyful absurdity of the song with intellectual references like “Mona Lisa” and “Lolita.” It’s like an education during perspiration or something. Most of Roxy Music’s songs are rooted in an avant garde approach to rock music, but this doesn’t make them less accessible.
Their music remains pleasurable on any listening level, and I consider them one of the greatest rock bands ever. Maybe you will (or do) too.
