Sunday, January 4, 2015

Six Older Songs I Discovered in 2014

Following up on my previous post about my favorite 2014 songs, here are six old songs I discovered last year.

1. Barenaked Ladies: Another Postcard (2003) - It's fun to find an unheard album from a band one likes for $0.50 and it turns out to be good.  Full of BNL's funny lyrics and undeniable hooks.


2. Ben Folds Five: Boxing (1995) - I saw Ben Folds solo, for the first time, this spring, and I highly recommend it if you get the chance.  Kind of like a Harry Connick, Jr. show except with more rock music being pounded out of the piano, but just as entertaining.  Heard this one for the first time at the show, about Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell.



3. Oscar Isaac & Marcus Mumford: Fare Thee Well (Dink's Song) (2013) - The most prominent song from Inside Llewyn Davis, which was the best film I saw in 2013 in part because of the music, which recreates the early '60s New York City folk era so well.  I almost chose to go with "The Ballad of Queen Jane" instead, but you need to see the film before watching the video of it.  The scene where it is played is the high point of the film, one I couldn't get out of my head for days.



4. Michael Penn: This & That (1989) - Despite liking "No Myth" when it first came out in the '80s, I had no idea Aimee Mann's husband and Sean Penn's brother was such a good pop songwriter.  His cult following has apparently known for some time.



5. Perfume Genius: Dark Parts (2012) - The album is full of spare arrangements that sound like modern-day Elliott Smith to me.  That's a good thing.  I went with this song over a couple other excellent ones on the album partly because there's a dog in the video.  People love dogs.  (And dogs love trucks.)



6. Vampire Weekend: Obvious Bicycle (2013) - I was late to the party on these guys too.  Planning to check out the back catalog in 2015.


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