My Top 12 Songs of All-Time...Right Now: #10

Queens of the Stone Age
"Go With The Flow"
Single from the album Songs for the Deaf
Single Release Date: April 7, 2003
Billboard Hot Alternative Songs Peak Position: 7

If I was driving and ever had the unfortunate circumstance to have only one song to play, it would undoubtedly be “Go with the Flow”, the second single off Queens of the Stone Age’s fantastic 2002 album Songs for the Deaf. Why? Perhaps it is the music video imagery of speeding through the desert or the concept of the album involving travel from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree. Or, you know, it could be the striking immediacy of the song, intensely propelling forward like a bat out of hell that make it the ideal highway song.

There are a plethora of impressive QOTSA tunes, fast cementing them as one of my favorite bands. Often stuck with the misnomer “stoner rock”, Queens have demonstrated that they are capable of experimentation with many different sounds. Homme oftentimes likes using the term “robot rock” to describe his criminally underrated band, referring to the solid and repetitive nature of the guitar riffs in many songs. “Go with the Flow” is the perfect defense of my adoration for the band: the repetitive piano plinks, the ferocious drumming of Dave Grohl, the whining and moaning of the guitars, and the typically fantastic vocals and lyrics of Josh Homme. All of this culminates in a three-minute bombardment of the senses, entrancing the listener and refusing to let go until the last note.

My Top 12 Songs of All-Time...Right Now: #11

M83
"Couleurs"
Single from the album Saturdays = Youth
Single Release Date: February 25, 2008
Billboard Heatseekers Albums Peak Position: 1
Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums Peak Position: 4
Billboard 200 Peak Position: 107
* The single never charted in the U.S.

A near-180 from yesterday’s entry, we go from stream-of-consciousness stoner rap over sitars and slide guitar to an epic, eight-minute electro experience. M83 first caught my attention in 2008 with their outstanding album Saturdays = Youth, particularly the retro-tinged single “Kim & Jessie”. However, as I delved further into the album and their discography, I realized they have some pretty powerful epics. I was fortunate to see them live in NYC for my birthday in 2009, and to this day, my two favorite live performances are from that show: “A Guitar and a Heart” (from 2005’s Before the Dawn Heals Us) and “Couleurs”.

It was very difficult to decide on which M83 song to place. “Run into Flowers” is a beautiful, evocative piece, but unfortunately did not translate well live. “A Guitar and a Heart” is propulsive and loud, gradually building up to an unforgettably intense ending that translates well through any medium. “Couleurs” seemed to win out on its balance of both worlds. It is one of those ambient electronic songs that does all of the work, as it completely and totally immerses the listener. It grows and expands until it hits full stride, with all components creating a grandiose, nocturnal atmosphere that almost induces spontaneous dancing. The second half breaks it down without missing a beat, as it changes gears while not allowing any particular part overstay its welcome. In essence, “Couleurs” is an experience, propelling the listener into a different world…a blissful, brilliant world.

My Top 12 Songs of All-Time...Right Now: Preface and #12

Superlatives are often thrown around rather haphazardly in every facet of existence, and the music world is no exception. Writers and publications often patch together lists that deem ten or twenty or a hundred songs, albums or artists as “the greatest,” “the best,” or some other hyperbole “of all time.” Why bother such an exercise in futility and exclusivity? Quite simply, because it’s fun.

I am not attempting to create such a list to stir debate or evoke emotion. Rather, this is more of a “journal entry,” a highly personal account of the dozen songs that have impacted me the most up to this point in my life. For some odd reason, I have decided to publicly post the results, as if anyone was truly concerned about such matters. To be honest, there are two motivations for such an action: 1. Let’s be honest, this hibernating blog could use some posts, and 2. I am just pleased that I was able to finally craft and finalize such a list.

To address the latter point, creating one of these definitive, “all-time” lists is borderline maddening. To take the large pool of music I have been exposed to in my lifetime and distill this into a compact list of surefire “greatest” songs is almost absurd. However, I think I have finally narrowed down the songs that most represents my current music taste. These songs all have a few things in common: They are all very influential on my interest in a particular artist or genre and they are all great enough to warrant the prestigious title of “infinite replay value.”

One quick caveat: I decided to neglect, for lack of a better umbrella term, “classic rock” songs. There are a ton of amazing ones out there, but I decided to limit my list to songs I was alive for upon release and that more directly impacted my musical taste.

Without further ado, here are My Top 12 Songs of All-Time…Right Now, one day at a time. Naturally, we begin at Number 12:

Beck
"Loser"
Single from the album Mellow Gold
Single Release Date: March 8, 1993
Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position: 10
Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks Peak Position: 1



Beck has been one of my favorite artists for a while now, consistently impressing with his wide-range of musical influences. While I was only a wee lad when initially released, most people would also likely cite “Loser” as the first Beck song to which they were introduced. No surprise: “Loser” was Beck’s breakthrough, and perhaps most popular, song, cracking the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100, back when rock wasn’t music’s oft-neglected bastard child and things like that mattered in the first place. The song truly encapsulates what Beck does best: Seamless genre-blurring, nonsensical stream-of-consciousness faux-rapping and infectiousness. The song starts with that unmistakable slide guitar intro, which leads into Beck flawlessly sing-speaking about spray-painting the vegetables, beefcake pantyhose and shaving one’s face with mace in the dark over an unorthodox sitar backing. Then, there’s that chorus: “Soy un perdedor / I’m a loser, baby / So, why don’t you kill me?” While Beck claims that this is merely a reference to his poor rapping skills, its simplicity is still somehow profound. We can all relate at times to that pathetic, defeatist attitude that Beck is exuding, rather apathetically. It is as if to say that he recognizes his flaws, but could care less, as suggested by his sardonic claim to be killed. Beck has expanded his musical palette since Mellow Gold, but his initial folk roots will always be a part of his music, including “Loser”, which was his answer to getting his music heard: “I knew my folk music would take off, if I put hip-hop beats behind it.” Without a doubt, Beck definitely represents qualities I have appreciated over the years in music, and “Loser” is the distillation of said qualities.

Review: The King of Limbs by Radiohead

Radiohead
The King of Limbs
XL/TBD Records
Release Date: February 18, 2011 (digital) / March 28, 2011 (CD/vinyl) / May 9, 2011 ("newspaper" edition)

If all you know about Radiohead is their 19-year-old (!) debut single “Creep”, then you quite simply do not know Radiohead. Radiohead have cemented themselves as one of the most consistently impressive bands around, dating all the way back to their sophomore release, 1995’s The Bends. Every single album since has been stellar, reinventing, refining and expanding their sound on every effort to make for a revolutionary and enthralling experience. This includes OK Computer (1997), one of the ‘90s best albums, and Kid A (2000), which is what many consider one of the best albums of the ‘00s. That’s one hell of a track record.

Their last LP, 2007’s In Rainbows, took the world by surprise (literally), by announcing its release a mere ten days beforehand and charging fans whatever they thought the album was worth to them. The pay-what-you-want tip cup payment method slightly overshadowed the album’s actual content at first, but soon enough, it became clear that they had done it again and released another fantastic album worthy of the Radiohead canon.

Four years later and here we go again: A four day head’s up followed by the worldwide, independent release of their eighth record, The King of Limbs. Although they did away with the optional payment, the impossible hype still surrounds the always-dazzling English quintet to deliver yet again.

So…did they?

Well, it’s not that easy to tell…yet. The album was released by the band Friday, February 18, so as of this writing, it has been out for under a week. Even with repeated listens since then, the longer-term impact of the record is still unclear. Still, it is a collection of songs like any other album and, greater implications aside, it can be analyzed as such.

The King of Limbs is easily Radiohead’s shortest LP to date, clocking in at a lean 37 minutes and a mere eight tracks long. The overall sound of the album seems thoughtfully restrained, as it never fully erupts or swells at any given point. Instead, there is the sense of instrumental precision, making every note worthwhile and noticeable. Of note, Phil Selway’s light and often times off-timing percussion is present on many of the album’s tracks. However, on most of these songs, it is Thom Yorke’s patented falsetto that stands out, working as an instrument in and of itself, entrancing the listener with whatever cryptic lyrics he sings.

Speaking of which, the album’s potential meaning is still murky. The album title may be a reference to a 1,000-year-old oak tree near where the band recorded In Rainbows. This unconfirmed fact, coupled with the numerous allusions to nature and the softer “feel” of the album, may imply contemplation about a return to simpler, natural roots. The eerie, propulsive instrumental track “Feral” plays out like its title suggests, like a once-domesticated animal escaping its confines to become wild and free again. Lead single and standout “Lotus Flower” finds a nice middle ground between solemnity and bombast, abiding to a more-normal structure and sound, encapsulating the listener with its effortless, chill-out vibe and Yorke’s standout vocals. In fact, many of the tracks tend to have the general sensibility of Radiohead’s previous slower, ballad-type songs, but each with different nuances. “Morning Mr. Magpie” gradually becomes foreboding and uncertain, whereas “Give Up The Ghost” is a fragile, haunting number with little more than an acoustic guitar strum and Yorke’s singing backed with a repeated falsetto of “Don’t hurt me”.

Simply put, it is easy to see how the album could be considered a disappointment or at least polarizing among longtime fans, especially when they are used to the band’s propensity for innovation. Even then, The King of Limbs is a great album. Like many great albums (and most of Radiohead’s previous works), it is not immediate. It is a sneaky record (partially due to the length), one that can be listened to ten times without notice. However, they will not be wasted listens: Each spin will have something new uncovered, as the relaxing, chilled-out subtleties of the album surround. Admittedly, it may still be one of Radiohead’s weakest albums, but considering their past, that very well makes it one of the year’s best. Many have considered The King of Limbs as a transitional album, somewhat like Amnesiac before it, bridging two fantastic, complete albums. In other words, don’t chalk this up as the downfall of one of rock’s elite. One of the last lines of the closer “Separator” is “If you think this is over / Then you’re wrong.” Let’s hope so.

Rating: 4/5