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Music Meme, The Shorter One

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I’m already behind on music memes I’ve been conscripted to do, but since it’s shorter I’ll do Lauren’s, tagged by Roxanne.


1. What is the total volume of musical files on your computer?

Zilch. Remarkable, I know; I don’t have an I-Pod and don’t have downloading chops. To paraphrase Richard Thompson, I am an old man inside a vaguely young man.

2. What song are you listening to right now?
Loudon Wainwright’s “No Sure Way.” Really good one. A post-9/11 song that gets it right by focusing on the sudden exaggeration of quitodian details. And boy, Bill Frisell is terrific.

3. Last CD I bought?
3 at the same time: The Mountain Goats, The Sunset Tree; Spoon, Gimme Fiction, and Lucinda Williams, Live at the Fillmore. The Lucinda live double was a pure impulse buy; I had no inkling about it, but it was cheap and thought it might make an interesting contrast with her studio perfectionism. But it’s excellent; I’ve played it as much as the other two, which are predictably strong. Actually, I’m gotten some very good stuff over the last couple months. The Decemberists indeed worthy of near-namesake Mark Schmitt, the new Low very, very good, new Go-Betweens fantastic. I’ve found the new Beck somewhat disappointing, though.


4. Five songs you listen to a lot and which mean something to you:

1. Bob Dylan–Simple Twist of Fate.

I don’t know what to pick off of my favorite album, but although its fatalism isn’t quite optimistic enough for my existentialist label, this unconscionably beautiful song may be my very favorite.

2. Television–Venus.

Great riff. “I fell into the arms…of Venus De Milo” a definitive lyrical hook.

3. Randy Newman–Guilty.

Again, as with Blood on the Tracks the quality of songs here is so exceptional as to defy singling out one. I think I’ll save “Marie” for the other meme, and “Rednecks” is obvious. So I’ll go with this one, which takes on additional power in context. The particular genius of Newman’s critically distant first-person songs is to guarantee empathy with those who you’re inclined to hold in contempt.

4. Ani DiFranco–Letter to a John.

Politics and music can mix, of course, although better by implication than by direct argument. Catchy as hell, too, especially in the Living in Clip version.

5. The Rolling Stones–Paint It, Black.

Perfect–irresistible hook, struggling with dark impulses, Watts/Wyman could power a locomotive.

Since this list leans a little sad/angry, if I had a sixth it would be Big Star’s “September Gurls” or Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey.”

I pass to Amanda Marcotte, Lindsay, and Erik.

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