Second, the criteria I use to pick the lucky selections are as follows:
1. lyrical - since I tout myself as a writer, at the top of my list are songs that have what I deem "good lyrics." This means that they feel original, well-crafted and thoughtful, including the grim, good-natured, humorous and so on.
2. atmospheric - it "feels" good, whatever that may be at the time. I tend to look for originality here too, although I may tend to be repetitive - a bit paradoxical, I know, but excuse me if that happens. For the more technical-minds, that may mean modal compositions, odd time signatures, creative instrumentation, dissonance and tension, artistic mixing, etc.
3. virtuosity - 'nuff said there, right?
4. all of the above - sometimes things just come together.
...And last but not least,
5. guilty pleasures - c'mon, everyone has their own little skeletons in the closet. judge not and ye shall not be judged.
Ok, so without further ado, this submission's Top Five are:
5. Afro Blue - Lizz Wright (from Salt - 2003). Jazzy stylings I dedicate to a friend with whom I wanted to share this song for a while. To be perfectly honest, I find that jazz has a tendency to repeat itself. Yes, the players can play, but swing?, dominant chords?; aesthetically it bores me a bit. There. I've said it. Sorry to all o y'all I've offended. However, there are times when I come across something that I find to be a welcome departure, and this is one of them, which I choose mostly for its mysteriously suggestive vibe. In terms of instrumentation, it is based mostly on a typical acousticg guitar-piano-stand up bass-drums-singer quintet format, but add to it some cool afro/latin percussion, and some horn accents, and a little gem is born. Did I get corny there? I could put this one on repeat for a day or too and still be grooving, what can I say?
4. Still on the jazz tip, we have Oh God by Jamie Cullum (Catching Tales - 2005). I can't give him props for originality here - this sounds like he got Take Five by Dave Brubeck and put lyrics to it. However, the result is quite artistic and satisfying. I find myself singing backups to the chorus. It's another one I could put on repeat, and just jam. As a little additional entry here, check Catch the Sun from the same album: a beauty.
3. Let's go to Africa, yes? Camions Sauvages by Amadou et Mariam (Dimanche a Bamako - 2005) features in at number three. This is a sweet collaboration between the blind couple from Mali and famous Spanish/French singer-songwriter Manu Chao, who, BTW, produced the record. So we're talking Africa meets South America meets Europe. This particular ditty is in French, so I can't comment about the lyrical artistry, but it's one of those where the music builds in layer after layer over a constant chord structure, in typical African fashion. I can say the title means Savage Trucks, and I can feel the grit of the dirt roads, as they get the motor running, get out on the highway, and cruise at a fast steady pace on remote routes cutting through the savannah, each new part, a new face in the blur of the landscape - unbelievable snap shots of the savage heart of L'Afrique.
2. For the last two, we move into my area of expertise, my love, my passion, my inescapable compulsion: rock music. For this first-ever number two (hahaha, very funny), I turn to one of my present favorite artists. I've always dug his shit, pardon my directness. What I find particularly special is the evolution he's had over the years: he has progressed in exactly the way I'd hoped for. More than an evolution, it has been a polishing, a tasteful development - a weird moment to be in, though. I had a similar sensation the first time I heard Stadium Arcadium by Red Hot Chili Peppers, this thought that they had somehow come into their own. But at the same time, somehow, that cd made a very light and ephemeral impact on me that maybe lasted for a week. That hasn't happened to me with this guy, though, and I am curious about what will come next. I'm referring to Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. From their (his) CD Year Zero (2007), I'd like to highlight The Good Soldier. It somehow underlines this evolutionary process I sense in Reznor's work - one I think really began solidifying on With Teeth (2005) and has progress into 2008's The Slip. All the NIN elements are there, but they are combined in the right measure. Nothing is missing and nothing is overdone... The atmospheric work is flawless: every part flows to and from each other in a delicately subtle sonic statement. The lead guitar lick at the end is just so spot on: truly tasteful, each note is the perfect one, at the right time and the right timbre. Plus, the lyrics are - although not the most memorable ones he's written - also right on: an ironic/authentic commentary on the war on Iraq and the religious/hegemonic rhetoric behind it. Fuckin A!
1. Ok - and so we arrive at this entry's number one: drum-roll please. The honor falls to Forever Can Be by Ashes Divide. It really is one of my faves from the past months. Following his inspired work as composer and guitarist for A Perfect Circle, Billy Howerdel outdoes himself with this ditty off the band's debut CD (Keep Telling Myself It's Alright - 2008). Like in APC, the production work is just outstanding - an orgasmic combination of simple yet enormously rich guitar work. The virtuosity comes in the combination of non-pretentious counterparts that fill the space of the song in a flowing mid-tempo that creates a crisply engulfing landscape for some of his best vocal work yet. The lead melody is just beautiful - what can I say folks? - and the lyrics, melancholy and assertive in a delicate way, seem to let you in slowly and then just grab hold. For further gems on this record, check Denial Waits and Enemies.
And so concludes this, my first entry in this kind of format. Like with all the others, I welcome comments: go crazy and put in your two cents, but mostly, I reiterate my invitation to open up the forum to new music - I will positively appreciate whatever new ditty you can contribute.
Stay tuned for the next one.
