Music For The Masses

 The Chef and I have been toying with this idea for awhile. Have random blog entries that are not long, twisting diatribes but short, to the point quick hitters about whatever we fancy. It is for us so we can keep the page constantly updated with new content, and it gives us a chance to put out there what has been on our
minds. With that in mind I would like to write about three songs that I just really, really enjoy for reasons that are my own. In no particular order they are:

1. Flowers in the Window by Travis – This song, to me, is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. It is so simple and yet full of powerful lines. To me every line in it is gold. Most of all I hear this song and it makes me so happy. I never fail to smile and sing along with it. To me the song is about growing old together with a person. Lines like,

You stand up, out in the crowd

You are one in a million

       Tell me when you see that person you want to spend the rest of your life with that       

      you immediately can feel that and all of a sudden the world slows down and its

      just you and that person.

There is no reason to feel bad
But there are many seasons to feel glad, sad, mad
It's just a bunch of feelings that we have to hold
But I am here to help you with the load

             We will fight, angry and mad with each other but in the end but in the end I want

            To work through all of these things with you cause you are worth it.

And I love you so, let’s watch the flowers grow

 This is without a doubt my favorite line from the whole song. The way I hear it is I want to grow old with you together, and I can be happy with you forever. And if all we do is watch the flowers as we grow old I’m ok with that. It would be perfect because I am with you.  

 This is one of the few songs that when I hear it I get misty eyed everytime. It is what I imagine people feel when they first hear Louis Armstrong’s, “What A Wonderful World” or John Lennon’s, “Imagine”. They just feel this joy of life. The link below is one to the Fran Healy (he is the lead singer of the group Travis) acoustic that took place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn back in 2009. It is the version that introduced me to what has gone on to become one of my most favorite songs of all-time.

2. Lady Venom by Swollen Members – This song by the Canadian hip-hop duo is just a great fun record coming off their debut LP Balance. They are an underground hip-hop group which is a the term for groups who for the most part are not mainstream in the sense that they do not get lots of radio play or are well known beyond the most hardcore of fans. I discovered them maybe 10 years ago at a now defunct (at least in America as I believe they still exist in Canada) HMV. At the time I was just buying every cd I thought looked interesting. Obviously this was before I discovered torrents and now I download way more music then I pay for. But I took a chance on this album cause I had caught a video for this song on the Canadian music channel MuchMusic (awesome channel at the time cause they played artists I had never heard on MTV) and was immediately hooked by the thumbing beat and great rapping by both Madchild and Prevail. They were then, and still are to me two of the most original rappers out there. Its sad that I live in a world where all rappers do the same boasting, and sing the same hooks to the point it they all sound the same. It is one of the reasons why, as in Nas’ own words, hip-hop is dead. But Swollen gives me hope that hip-hop is not dead just dormant. Its why SM are one of my favorite groups of all-time.

3. Codex by Radiohead – To me it is the best song off their most recent album, The King Of Limbs. The reason is that the song is so stripped down in that all that is played is a piano in the background. And its not even a complex composition. Its just a simple couple of keys played over. Even the song barely has any words sung to it. This is literally the whole 4:47 song:

Slight of hand
Jump off the end
Into a clear lake
No one around
Just dragonflies
Flying to the side
No one gets hurt

You've done nothing wrong
Slide your hand
Jump off the end
The water's clear
And innocent
The water's clear
And innocent

That’s literally all Thom Yorke sings. To me its one of those hidden gem Radiohead songs (I know saying that about Radiohead is like saying the sky is blue, or Channing Tatum can’t act) that hits you in a certain way. Its just simple, beautiful, and sweet.

      With the exception of Radiohead, these are pretty nifty picks. Makes a long subway ride all the more bearable.