we've recently rearranged our entire apartment, which has uncrowded our space in a way we hadn't expected. there's a wide open (dance) floor where rhan's work desk used to be, and that dinky ikea table set has become our new windowside cafe. hot weather has coincided with this new arrangement, and so in a belated answer to a tag from no good for me, one of our very favorite blogs, we're posting our new apartment summer songs: songs that have drifted in this warm and sunny space so far.
something on your mind by karen dalton
karen dalton is known as the billie holiday of folk music; she is a revelation to me. we last listened to in my own time this sunday, a lazy, warmish afternoon, which is perhaps the ideal climate for a voice so arresting. this is time taking its time.
money by the flying lizards
somebody's muxtape made us think of the flying lizards; i played this song about four times in a row after we tracked the album down. the flying lizards walk this weird line of parody and earnestness, and the delivery of the lines "but your love won't pay the bills/i want money" gets me every time. the dance floor came in handy.
don't get me wrong by the pretenders
as much as i love the pretenders, i always thought this song was a little bit dorky; as rhan put it, it's a fraction too close to katrina and the waves. but listening to it again recently i realized that i actually love this song. it's hokey, yes, but also sort of sad-sounding, and when chrissie hynde says "it might just be fantastic" at the song's end, i can't help but agree with her. the secret, delighted suspicion that things just might work out.
nantes by beirut
past its prime, but listening to this song lately has reminded me how much i loved that beirut show last year. a composite audience of indie geeks and fraternity brothers, this was a show of arms over shoulders and swinging beer steins. take it in and sing it out. (jse)
ciao ciautistico by xxl
when i like something musical, i tend to go whole hog and buy or acquire all i can of the artist. this can wreak havoc on your shuffle if you’re not careful, and xiu xiu has been doing just that to mine for quite a while (especially since i can’t quite put my finger on what it is i even like about this group). this cut is from a collaboration with the group larsen.
UMEgination by yoshimi and yuka
we had house guests over the 4th. they left saturday evening. it was quite a full couple of days. sunday we woke up and enjoyed our space a bit, sitting in our windowside cafe with coffee and this bit of loveliness.
t.o.j. by el-p
i haven’t played this in our newly arranged place much past last evening, but i liked the way it felt. this from an album called fantastic damage. i like the organized narrative sound of el-p. (rse)
listen to each and every one of these songs right here.
thank you liz, kat, laura for the tag!
SUMMER APARTMENT SONGS
