Friday Music

Here we go….

Laura and I finally watched “Crazy Heart” last night on DVD (Netflix actually sends you physical copies of movies — I’d almost forgotten). I liked the film — definitely felt that Bridges deserved his Oscar. The film’s theme (played over the closing credits) won an Oscar too — but I actually liked the opening song better. I’m not a huge fan of country, but there are some songs that grab me. This is one of them. Jeff Bridges – “Hold On You.”

I’ll admit that it was the band name that drew me in. Occult Detective Club is a band from Texas who hearken back to the Post-Punk era — definite echoes of Sham 69, Billy Bragg, The Jam and (dare I say it) The Clash here. Their second album, CRIMES, is due out in February — this is a preview: Occult Detective Club – “C’mon Levi.”

I’ve linked to the stream, I’ve linked to the video, and (on Twitter) I’ve even linked to the remix contest. So I figured that I should link to the mp3. I love this song so much — Amanda Palmer’s tribute to pubic freedom, using Aussie slang: Amanda Palmer – “Map of Tasmania (feat. The Young Punx).”

Icelandic pop! Sindri Már Sigfússon is the lead singer of Icelandic folk-pop band, Seabear, and records solo under the name Sin Fang. I stumbled across this track last week, and I really love the sound of it (which I can’t seem to describe without using terms like ghostly and ethereal): Sin Fang – “Always Everything.”

Watched “The Boat That Rocked” (which was chopped down by 20 minutes and released in the US as “Pirate Radio”) — loved the film. Loved the soundtrack even more. Here’s a late-60s track that doesn’t get a ton of play here in the US, but which I’ve loved ever since I discovered in via MTV’s “Closet Classics” (when they’d fill out their broadcast day by playing clips from European music shows of the 60s and 70s as “videos”): The Easybeats – “Friday On My Mind.”

Fifteen years on (jesus christ!), this is still the epitome of the trip-hop single, in my opinion: Sneaker Pimps – “6 Underground (Nellee Hooper Edit).”

If we’re going to go back, might as well go back to the post-punk period for U2, which I still consider their best sound. This is from the 1981 album “October.” U2 – “Gloria.”

….and just because I want to: another single off a-ha’s massive 1985 album, “Hunting High and Low”, which is now almost entirely forgotten in favor of constant replays of “Take On Me.” a-ha – “The Sun Always Shines On TV.”

There you go. Enjoy.