Like spinning plates

I realized during last night's episode (the second to last ever for The O.C.) that I'm actually going to miss this show. I like to make fun and all, but occasionally it makes for inspiring television, specifically the use of music. Take for instance the opening, which used Radiohead's uneasy "Like Spinning Plates" to illustrate the post-earthquake wobbly foundation the characters find themselves on. It conveys beautifully both the tension and liquidity of the surroundings, and represents a bold music choice, considering it's inherent inaccessibility. The song crops up again following the aftershock, reminding us again that we can't be that sure of our footing.

Elsewhere, Sufjan Stevens' instrumental "The Incarnation" provides the right tension in multiple situations, and this song fades impressively into the next song used, Silversun Pickups' "Rusted Wheel," which also has an eerie tension associated with it. Finally, Bloc Party's "Kreuzberg" provides some resolution to this tension, uplifting the mood as the gang all bonds together for whatever comes next. Even as the mood lightens, lyrically, the song has us braced for change:

I have decided, at twenty-five
Something must change

Recognizing the end of the show has been one of the bright points of these last few episodes. Jokes about The Bait Shop ("how does such a small venue get such big name acts?") and other unanswered questions have dotted the path, and last night was no different. To help Ryan deal with his pain, Seth counts down all the folks that Ryan has punched in the face ("How about Johnny...did you hit him? Because I know a lot of people were pulling for that to happen.") Then later when Ryan finds out Seth donated blood for him, Ryan jokes that he has a "strange urge to listen to Death Cab and read comic books." To which Seth quips:

Ah, it's too bad (it's not true) because if we could've turned this into a body swap comedy, we could've squeezed another year or two out of this.

Maybe The O.C. could take a page from Buffy and extend the series through comic books. Kid Chino and The Ironist could swap bodies and... oh, never mind.

Playlist: The O.C. - Episode 415
Title track: "Night Moves" - Bob Seger

1. "The Sad Song" - Fredo Viola (MySpace) - A recap of the last episode.
2. "Like Spinning Plates" - Radiohead - The beginning of the episode as the characters are dealing with the initial aftermath of the earthquake. Again later as Seth and Ryan are walking down the street trying to stay focused by listing everyone Ryan's punched in the face.
3. "I Turn My Camera On" - Rock Kills Kid - Seth rides Summer on his bike handlebars, on their way to the Cooper's house.
4. "The Incarnation" - Sufjan Stevens - Taylor and Summer look for Pancakes. Again later while Sandy talks to a Doctor, and Seth looks for help.
5. "Rusted Wheel" - Silversun Pickups - Seth and Ryan are driving and get a flat tire.
6. "Kreuzberg" - Bloc Party - The end of the episode... everyone is together and thankful.

Previously: Love's fault (Episode 4.14)

tags: music, television, soundtrack, the oc, bloc party, radiohead, sufjan stevens, silversun pickups, indie rock, rhapsody

Love's fault

Three little words... that's all it takes from Ryan to unite he and Taylor for the next four years at Berkley. Love and school... a theme that Bloc Party's album (A Weekend in the City,) touches on with their song "I Still Remember," which recounts what could have been:

And our love could have soared
Over playgrounds and rooftops
Every park bench screams your name
I kept your tie

The twist here, of course, is that the fleeting encounter is between two school boys, a storyline that's still fringe territory here in the states. The song might be their best chance at a hit here the US (see video,) and it will be interesting to see how it translates. Elsewhere, Rogue Wave sucks the life out of the classic Pixies "Debaser," making it palatable for Taylor's birthday party and Damien Jurado solemly asks "would you change your last name to mine?" on the song "What Are the Chances."

Back to themes, throughout the episode there is a constant reminder of impending doom. In response to the constant predictions of an earthquake, Taylor and Summer tempt fate by wishing that "the big one" would just happen already, and Seth and Summer go to an art/film exhibit featuring a plethora of reminders that little by little, the earth is being destroyed.

Seth: "Let's go rent An Inconvenient Truth, I want to count how many times Al Gore looks solemnly out of an airplane window"
Summer: "Do not make fun of Al Gore!"

And when the real earthquake hits, it makes Grey's Anatomy's little ferry incident look like a shriner parade. Only two episodes left, which it looks like they'll at least need to deal with the quake's aftermath. I can guarantee you I'll work 'aftershock' into next week's post.

Playlist: The O.C. - Episode 414
1. "I Still Remember" - Bloc Party - Taylor and Summer discuss Taylor's birthday and college plans while shopping
2. "Broken In All The Right Places" - i am jen - Summer visits Ryan at work to talk to him about Taylor's birthday
3. "Debaser" - Rogue Wave - Taylor's birthday party, when she first arrives
4. "What Were The Chances" - Damien Jurado - Taylor's birthday cake is presented
5. "The Sad Song" - Fredo Viola - The end of the episode as night falls on Newport

Previously: Combien du temps? (Episode 4.13)

tags: music, television, soundtrack, the oc, bloc party, pixies, rogue wave, inconvenient truth, indie rock, rhapsody

A slightly dissapointing Weekend

Bloc Party's sophomore album, A Weekend in the City, details 48 hours in London, and finds the band reaching for something they can't quite reach. Gone is the brashness and swagger of their debut (Silent Alarm,) with the lads instead seemingly trying to turn every song into an epic event. The fact that they've got Jacknife Lee behind the board on the recording/mixing certainly gives credence to this, as he did the same thing with U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.

Album: Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City

It's not a bad release, it just can grow tiresome, with the claustrophobic production making the songs sound too similar at times. There's not a bad song on the album, but there's also no "Helicopter," or "Banquet" or "Like Eating Glass" (or "Luno" or... you get the picture.) The closest they get to Silent Alarm-like greatness is with the song "Hunting For Witches," which starts out like Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio" before breaking into something like "Banquet" version 2.0.

Another song that's sure to be discussed is the beautiful "I Still Remember," which remembers a romantic encounter between school boys. The content of which (along with "Kreuzberg") has lead singer Kele Okereke not necessarily coming out of the closet, but at least talking to the rumours that he's gay. Kele's vocals are so sincere in every song, you either have to applaud or cringe after awhile, but at the very least know that he's serious about what he's singing about. And when all is said and done, there's something to be said for pulling it off in a scene that prides itself on irony and distance from the lyrics.

tags: music, album review, bloc party, indie rock, new release, rhapsody