Blog

Name your top 10 most played bands on Last.fm:

1. American Music Club
2. Richard Hawley
3. Red House Painters
4. Ween
5. John Vanderslice
6. Josh Rouse
7. Matt Pond PA
8. Feist
9. The Zombies
10. Suzanne Vega

Now answer the questions according to the numbers:

What was the first song you ever heard by 7?
The Hollows is the first I remember, those soaring strings coming out of the chorus really impressed me. Played it several times, though it wasn't until the File 13 reissue that I actually picked up the album.

What is your favourite album of 2?
Coles Corner was my favourite album of 2005.

What is your favourite lyric that 5 has sung?
White Plains, the whole thing really. If there's one line that encapsulates it, "but the truth is I have no faith in happiness/it turns to fear, draws the devils near." You cannot escape what is inside yourself, there are intrinsic elements that make you YOU and some of them are negative.

How many times have you seen 4 live?
Once, when they played Radiothon at Trenton State College in 1992. Had tickets to see them at the Roxy in the late 90's but didn't realize the 6:30pm start time on the ticket actually meant 6:30! Damn dance clubs ...

What is your favourite song by 6?
Michigan. It's a tough call as I like pretty much everything he's done. For those who haven't heard it, the song is a basically an aural letter home. I can feel right where he is. When his voice breaks a little it hurts, you know what he's going through. The lyrics hint at so much without being specific about the details. That's the sign of a great songwriter in my book, restraint. He doesn't need to load on the details, but just gives enough for it to connect. The mystery is in the space in between the words, and that's what gives the song richer meaning.

What is a good memory you have considering the music of 10?
I have many fantastic memories of listening to Suzanne Vega. Luka became a hit when I was a junior in high school. I was driving my debate partner home from an afterschool research session when it came on the radio one day, she expressed admiration for it and I was immediately entraced. Purchased the Solitude Standing CD, probably later that week, and transferred it to cassette as a driving soundtrack. I have a vivid memory of driving my mother's 1984 Nissan Stanza with Fancy Poultry blaring over the speakers, one of those snapshot moments that inexplicably never leaves the memory, I can still feel that moment to this day.

Is there a song of 3 that makes you sad?
Well, Mark Kozelek is arguably the champion of sad songwriting. If I had to pick a personal saddest moment, it would be Have You Forgotten, if only because lack of self confidence keeps us from trying and experiencing so much in our lives. Even with that knowledge it's difficult to extract myself from the emotion.

What is your favourite lyric that 2 has sung?
Well, my favorite song is Coles Corner, a sumptuously melancholy song, eerily channeling Scott Walker through an early evening haze. A detached observance of details, settings and possibilities ignored by a populace obsessed with places to be and people to see. The song just melts, coating the listener with Hawley's aimless world of fading hope. The romantic possibilities of transcendent music and compelling companionship are just out of reach. As you might notice, I'm having a difficult time picking one lyric. The moment where he says "No smile, no flower nowhere" is particularly moving, outside of the context of the song it's meaningless.

What is your favourite song by 9?
Care of Cell 44. Ever notice that its gender-neutral?

How did you get in to 3?
4AD sent a promo of Down Colorful Hill to WRUR, where I was doing reviews as the assistant Music Director at the time. It was easily the most gushingly positive review I wrote during my tenure there, which is a sign of how immediately enthusiastic I was about RHP (and still am today).

What was the first song you heard by 1?
Most likely Rise from the EP for that single. While it didn't make too much of an impact on me at that moment, somewhere along the line it prompted me to purchase the disc. Took me awhile to really appreciate AMC, unlike my RHP story above.

What is your favourite song by 4?
Impossible to pick a favorite by them, considering the depth and breadth of their musical output. The one that seems to make most of my mixtapes is Pollo Asado, just for the stonerish vibe and the not-so-obvious comedic moments.

How many times have you seen 9 live?
Never, though Argent & Colin Blunstone are coming around very soon. I'll still likely miss them as I haven't heard too much positive about the reunion shows.

What is a great memory you have considering 9?
I have an aunt that's around 15 years older than I am. When she moved out of the house, my grandmother gave us her box of 45s. I credit/blame this box of records with starting my life of musical obsession. I must have been 5 or 6, we had a Fischer Price turntable with a needle that gouged the hell out of those records. But Dusty Springfield, The Zombies, Bobby Vee, Peter & Gordon, Nancy Sinatra, Rolf Harris, etc ... permanently seared the value of perfectly produced pop songs in my musical taste buds.

What was the first song you heard by 8?
It would have to be Gatekeeper since that's the first track on Let It Die. I passed up purchasing the heavily discounted disc several times before impulse finally trumped fiscal responsibility, considering its placement on this survey it was a good investment.