Someone Still Loves You Brian Wilson

I recently watched a documentary about the life of Brain Wilson, lead singer and song writer for The Beach Boys. The documentary details the band's rise to fame and the detrimental effects this had on Wilson's sanity. Although interesting, it was difficult for me to watch. I had no idea Wilson suffered from mental illness and was shocked to learn how the record company completely dismissed his problem and forced him to create music while trying to cope with depression and bipolar disorder. Sane or not, I love and will always love Brian Wilson. I can not tell you how many times I have listened to the album Pet Sounds or how important those songs and his lyrics are to me.

Be My Baby by The Ronettes was, according to the documentary, Wilson's all time favorite song and the inspiration for his own hit Don't Worry Baby. I found this connection to be especially interesting. I consider both of these songs personal favorites, but had never before consciously noticed a connection between the two. Now that I know one inspired the other, it is impossible to ignore the similarities. Wilson's use of The Ronettes song is an excellent example of how artists can take aspects from existing music without plagiarizing or infringing on copyright laws. 

After a breakup, more than a few days of wallowing in self-pity becomes not only pathetic, but also counterproductive to personal sanity. When I allow myself to lay in bed watching Elliott Smith videos long enough, I get seriously delusional. I start to think I would be better off leaving laughter in TV sitcoms and kindergarten classrooms where it belongs and surrendering to the gravitational pull of my broken heart's black hole of doom. My thoughts venture off into..."Elliott was right, sunshine is overrated...I need to move to a place like Portland where the weather is consistently as gloomy as my mood"

And that is why my favorite, and less delusional, option for curing for a heartbreak hangover is good ole fashion girl power. No, I am not talking about the Spice Girls or Alanis Morissette...I'm talking about Bettye Swann and Barbara Lynn. These two soulful ladies have landed themselves spots on just about every iPod playlist and mix CD I have made since March. My dad can tell me, "that dumb boy lost the best girl he'll ever find" and my friends can remind me that "he's just not worth my tears", but for some reason when Barbara and Bettye sing it out, I believe them. If Bettye's not cryin', neither am I. If Barbara's movin' on, I'm goin' right on with her.

Songs of Summer

Summer for college students is the season of seasonal occupations, lounging poolside, frolicking in the sun, floating down rivers, eating popsicles, or simply put, enjoying youth…unless you’re me. If you are me, then your summer entails spending the sunny hours of every weekday confined to a classroom or windowless auditorium and the majority of your weekends holed up in 24 hour coffee shops cracked out on dark roast trying to catch up/keep up with the demands of fast paced summer school classes.

Am I grateful for higher education? More than anything. Am I being a whiny baby? Maybe a little.  

Here are four old tracks sure to breathe new life into any summer mix:

1. Grazin’ in the Grass: if this song doesn’t make you smile…you may be a robo-alien 

2. The Techniques: old-timey, chill-out, beach-side reggae.

3. Os Mutantes: psychedelic 60s by way of Brazil.

4. The Beach Boys: Nuff’ said.

Modern Oldies

Some people tell me to "lay off" the oldies, to quit digging through my parents dusty records and plug in to what's trending now...and some of the time I do. I may download indie music, go to raves and jam at big outdoor festivals but one thing's for certain, I will never turn my back on my first true love. Oldies.

I don't intentionally neglect the current music scene. It just seems that every time I drift to far from oldies, the ghost of music's past hunts me down and drags me back. I can't help it if I feel more connected to Elvis and The Beach Boys than I do to Ke$ha and Lady Gaga. Just because I'm a "Gen Y'er" doesn't mean that I should have to forgo my personal taste to fit in with the rest of them. Why do they need me anyway? Don't these modern acts have enough followers on Myspace and Twitter already?

Although most of my favorite music is actually 40-50 years old, every now and then a modern track comes along that sounds too much like it could have been a hit in 60s for me to ignore. Two of these "modern oldies" are posted here for listening pleasure. 

 

My Blue Valentine

Let it be known: I have a serious soft spot for soul music. When it comes to soul, I like mine heartfelt and raw. It just ain’t good soul if it doesn’t move you or make you move. Can any able bodied listener really resist dancing when James Brown cries out for you to “get up off of [yo’] thang”? I hope not.  

Despite being a total downer drama about a young couple facing the ramifications of an abortion that should have been, a recent viewing of the movie Blue Valentine has affected my life in several positive and unexpected ways.

First, Ryan Gosling’s rendition of The Mills Brother’s classic, You Always Hurt the One You Love inspired me to buy a ukulele.

Second and more relevant to this blog, the soundtrack, mainly produced by indie rockers Grizzly Bear, included a rare “lost” soul track: You and Me by Penny and the Quarters.  

I have listened to this song at least once a day since the date of my exposure and I am not even close to getting sick of it. Something about this track’s demo sounding, lack of over production makes the emotion seem all the more authentic. The discrepancy between the sweet lovey-dovey lyrics and the melancholy, almost desperate quality in lead singer’s voice makes this song unique. It’s not every day that I come across a song that can make me giddy over love and want to cry at the same time.  

 I love oldies. I love digging through the one dollar bins at record shops to find the perfect old, worn, scratched up, forgotten record to take home and spin. Through this blog I hope to share with you some of my favorite lost oldies tracks and artists that I come across on my never ending dig for old music new to me.