Beginning of the End to LOST: The Music

While recently re-watching the first five seasons of Lost in preparation, I'd greatly underestimated the amount of popular music used in the series -- though the total amount of songs spanning the five season still falls just shy of 50. But I guess when you've got a composer the caliber of Michael Giacchino (Up) at your disposal, there's not as much call for it.

People still listen to music, though, and even after Hurley's batteries died, the music played on. Witness the opening to season two, with Mama Cass' "Make Your Own Kind of Music" ("Man of Science, Man of Faith") acting as an introduction to what lies within the mysterious hatch. Juliet popping on Petula Clark's "Downtown" ("A Tale of Two Cities") to introduce us to a very normal 'others' existence on the island. Bearded Jack's angst-y drive to the Hoffs-Drawlar funeral home was to Nirvana's "Scentless Apprentice" ("Through the Looking Glass"), a subtle nod to the timeline revealed in the newspaper -- April 5 of 2007, the 13-year anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. And how appropriate was the use of "Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray" from Patsy Cline (already an artist associated with Kate) for Juliet's perspective in the Kate-Sawyer-Juliet love triangle.

Already eagerly anticipating what musical clues will be dropped our way for this final season.

Playlist: Lost - Seasons 1 through 5
1. "Leavin' On Your Mind" - Patsy Cline (Ep 1.03, "Tabula Rasa")
2. "Wash Away" - Joe Purdy (Ep 1.03, "Tabula Rasa")
3. "Are You Sure" - Willie Nelson (Ep 1.06, "House of the Rising SUn")
4. "I Shall Not Walk Alone" - The Blind Boys Of Alabama (Ep 1.08, "Confindence Man")
5. "La Mer" - Charles Trenet (Ep 1.12, "Whatever the Case May Be")
6. "These Arms Of Mine" - Otis Redding (Ep 1.14, "Special" / Ep 2.19, "S.O.S.")
7. "Delicate" - Damien Rice (Ep 1.17, "In Translation")
8. "I Got You (I Feel Good)" - James Brown (sung by Hurley in Ep 1.21, "The Greater Good")
9. "Redemption Song" - Bob Marley (sung by Sawyer in Ep 1.24, "Exodus Pt. 2")
10. "Make Your Own Kind Of Music - Mama Cass Elliot (Ep 2.01, "Man of Science, Man of Faith" / Ep 2.02 "Adrift" / Ep 3.08, "Flashes Before Your Eyes")
11. "My Conversation" - The Uniques (Ep 2.04, "Everybody Hates Hugo")
12. "Easy Money" - Billy Joel (Ep 2.04, "Everybody Hates Hugo")
13. "Waste Awhile" - Solly (Ep 2.04, "Everybody Hates Hugo")
14. "Up On The Roof" - The Drifters (Ep 2.04, "Everybody Hates Hugo")
15. "Stay (Wasting Time)" - Dave Matthews Band (Ep 2.06, "Abandoned")
16. "Outside" - Staind (Ep 2.08, "Collision")
17. "The End Of The World" - Skeeter Davis (Ep 2.09, "What Kate Did")
18. "Walkin' After Midnight" - Patsy Cline (Ep 2.09, "What Kate Did" / Ep 2.20, "Two For the Road" / Ep 3.15, "Left Behind")
19. "He's Evil" - The Kinks (sung by Charlie in Ep 2.10, "The 23rd Psalm" and in Ep 2.12, "Fire + Water" )
20. "Moonlight Serenade" - Glen Miller (Ep 2.13, "The Long Con" / Ep 3.01, "A Tale of Two Cities")
21. "Catch A Falling Star" - Perry Como (Ep 2.15, "Maternity Leave")
22. "Pushin' Too Hard" - The Seeds (Ep 2.16, "The Whole Truth")
23. "Compared To What?" - Les McCann (Ep 2.17, "Lockdown")
24. "The Hard Way" - Kasey Chambers (Ep 2.20, "Two For the Road")
25. "Downtown" - Petula Clark (Ep 3.01, "A Tale of Two Cities" / Ep 3.16, "One of Us")
26. "I Feel Like Going Home" - Muddy Waters (Ep 3.03, "Further Instructions")
27. "I Wonder" - Brenda Lee (Ep 3.05, "The Cost of Living")
28. "Slowly" - Ann-Margret (Ep 3.06, "I Do")
29. "Building A Mystery" - Sarah McLachlan (Ep 3.08, "Flashes Before Your Eyes")
30. "Wonderwall" - Oasis (sung by Charlie in Ep 3.08, "Flashes Before Your Eyes")
31. "Show Me The Way To Go Home" - Bing Crosby (sung by Sawyer in Ep 3.09, "Stranger in a Strange Land")
32. "Shambala" - Three Dog Night (Ep 3.10, "Tricia Tanaka is Dead" / Ep 3.20, "The Man Behind the Curtain")
33. "Rondo alla Turca in A major - Allegretto, KV 331 from Sonata No. 11" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Ep 3.10, "Tricia Tanaka is Dead")
34. "Rump Shaker" - Wreckx-N-Effect (Ep 3.14, "Expose")
35. "Scentless Apprentice" - Nirvana (Ep 3.23, "Through the Looking Glass")
36. "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys (sung / typed in by Charlie in Ep 3.23, "Through the Looking Glass")
37. "Xanadu" - Olivia Newton-John (Ep 4.04, "Eggtown")
38. "Prelude, Op.3, No. 2 in C# Minor" - Sergei Rachmaninoff (Ep 4.09, "The Shape of Things to Come")
39. "Everyday" - Buddy Holly (Ep 4.11, "Cabin Fever")
40. "Gouge Away" - Pixies (Ep 4.13, "There's No Place Like Home")
41. "Shotgun Willie" - Willie Nelson (Ep 5.01, "Because You Left")
42. "Dream Police" - Cheap Trick (Ep 5.02, "The Lie")
43. "Candida" - Tony Orlando (Ep 5.08, "LaFleur")
44. "Ride Captain Ride" - Blues Image (Ep 5.09, "Namaste")
45. "I Can't GIve You Anything But Love" - Django Reinhardt (Ep 5.10, "He's Our You")
46. "Fantaisie-Impromptu In C# Minor" - Frederic Chopin (Ep 5.14, "The Variable")
47. "Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray" - Patsy Cline (Ep 5.16, "The Incident")

Ear on TV: Week of 04.06.09: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

If the schedule below smells like déjà vu, it's because the talkies are on vacation this week and are giving us a full slate of reruns. At least there's another Saturday Night Live this week, which this year has usually meant a quality music choice, thanks to Hal Wilner, who hasn't been this adventurous since his days booking Night Music. After Phoenix's amazing performance the other night (three songs!) Wilner and SNL follow that this week with New York's own Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Compared to Phoenix, it's a slightly less daring choice, to be sure, but it continues the trend of great and gutzy musical guests chosen for the program (Fleet Foxes, TV on the Radio, Ray Lamontagne). YYY's latest, It's Blitz, saw it's release last week to rave reviews and finds the band incorporating some eighties dancefloor sounds into their punk attack. Singer Karen O's brash attitude should serve as the yang to the yin of this week's host Zac Efron.

Elsewhere, you have to dig deep, but Sundance has been broadcasting great music films every Friday night, and this week it's the recent Pixies tour film, loudQUIETloud (2006,) on the docket. The film follows the dysfunctional indie band through their much ballyhooed reunion and tour in 2004. In it we find that despite them sounding great on stage, off stage Kim Deal still has a beef with Black Francis, and the rest of the band has gotten paunch and bald. Some things change, while others remain the same... we're still waiting on that new album, by the way.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, April 6
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Motley Crue (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Bronx
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (REPEAT)
Tuesday, April 7
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: MSTRKRFT (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Cursive (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Prince (REPEAT)
Wednesday, April 8
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Bell X1 (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Millencolin
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Prince (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: The Virgins (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: N.A.S.A. (REPEAT)
Thursday, April 9
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Les Claypool (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Ringers
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Naturally 7 (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Gabriella Cilmi (REPEAT)
Friday, April 10
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: U2 (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Less Than Jake
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: PJ Harvey & John Parish (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: M83 (REPEAT)
SUNDANCE: loudQUIETloud a film about the Pixies: Pixies
Saturday, April 11
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
PBS: Austin City Limits: Femi Kuti (REPEAT)

Gouge away, Losties

Man, I love Lost... there's not many shows that have me immediately searching for obscure references. Ok, perhaps I do that with a lot of shows -- but so few reward me with the payoff that Lost does, time and time again. Take the song that Jack listens to for a mere seven seconds or so before strolling into Hoffs/Drawler funeral parlor. Pixies' "Gouge Away" is blasting the jeep of the disheveled and bearded Jack, which syncs up nicely with Jack’s previous angst-filled drive to H/D, in last season’s mind-blowing finale ("Through the Looking Glass").

You'll remember that drive featured Nirvana’s "Scentless Apprentice,", which was appropriate as it’s played on the anniversary of Cobain’s death, and is an ode to Suskind’s Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, but I went over that all last year. How does it relate to this year’s? For one, some would say that Nirvana’s fame couldn’t have occurred without the Pixies before them, just like Jeremy Bentham, the philosopher, might not have accomplished what he did without John Locke before him, linking the two names here in Lost land. Ok, maybe you think that’s a stretch, a justifiable position... so let’s instead look at the content of the song.

Charles Thompson (aka Black Francis, aka Frank Black) has often stated that his lyrics are mostly meaningless, that he instead uses them more as syllables that sound good with the music accompanying it. That’s probably true to a certain extent, but more often he’s actually referencing some interesting themes. In the case of "Gouge Away," Thompson’s revisiting the old biblical story of Samson and Delilah, the popular tale of a man of great faith who gets his strength from his hair.

Locke, much like Samson, is a man of faith, but instead of hair (he has none, to be sure,) his source of strength is the island itself. On the island, he can be shot and left for dead and still come back. Off the island, under the alias Jeremy Bentham, the name we figured out via the last finale’s obituary, his enemies are free to metaphorically gouge out his eyes – he’s murdered to look like a suicide, left only as our mystery stiff in a casket from last season. But is Locke really dead, or is it a proxy (or a fake "auto-icon") used to get the O6 together for an island reunion, ala Rescue from Gilligan's Island?

Elsewhere, the finale left lots for Losties to chew on in the coming nine months. When Ben finishes 'moving the island,' (apparently utilizing the "Casimir effect") he’s transported ten months into the future, as we saw a few episodes back with "The Shape of Things to Come," dropped in the Tunisian desert with his Dharma parka and fresh wound to clue us in. That leads many to believe that the island was moved not across space, but merely time – 10 months into the future. The big donkey wheel helped open up a wormhole (yes, wormhole!) that allowed the island to make the odd journey.

What might have been my favorite subtle thing in the show, was the relationship parallels between the lives of Keamy and Michael with the boat and the island respectfully. Keamy's literally tied the life of the freighter to that of his own, and it's no coincidence that Michael's there at the other end delaying the reaction. When he's delayed it enough to get the O6+ out of harm's way, the island allows his previously scheduled death wish to commence. Boom goes freighter. Speaking of the freighter, the new characters introduced from the crew really got the shaft, it seems, as far as the strike goes. The fact that Lost originally tried to get Kristen Bell for the role of Charlotte clues us in that there story was meant to be a lot richer. Fisher Stevens' Minkoski was reduced to one episode, while we barely even Zoe Bell's Regina before she dies. So it comes as some relief that more is revealed about the possibility that Charlotte was born on the island. Miles' reply was so perfect, dripping with both intrigue and his patented sarcasm: "what do I mean?"

Of course, we won’t find out until next season, which has me singing "Gouge Away" at my eyes in frustration, thinking about the nine months or so we have to wait.

Ear on TV: Week of July 2

If you're still jonesin' for some fireworks after the 4th, look no further then this Saturday night for Austin City Limits' rerun of a triumphant performance from the Pixies. Recorded in 2004 at the tail end of their reunion tour, this episode catches the band at their full (reunited) fury. You'd think that it would've warranted a DVD release by now, but aside from bootlegs, this is your only source for the performance, so see it again (or see what you missed.)

Meanwhile, over at Sundance, this week's Abbey Road features the honey-kissed voice of Ray LaMontagne, along with Shaun Colvin and The Zutons playing in the legendary studio.

And finally, my second son is scheduled to be born later today, which should explain the brevity of my commentary (along with my absence in the coming week.) Happy 4th all!

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, July 2
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Bravery (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Rufus Wainwright (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Sinéad O'Connor
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Kings Of Leon (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Arctic Monkeys (REPEAT)
Tuesday, July 3
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Lucinda Williams (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Bloc Party (REPEAT)
Wednesday, July 4
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Dr Dog (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: The Bird and the Bee, Henry Rollins (REPEAT)
Thursday, July 57
SUNDANCE: Live From Abbey Road: Ray LaMontagne, Shaun Colvin, The Zutons
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Kelly Clarkson (REPEAT)
Friday, July 6
IFC: The Henry Rollins Show: Placebo
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Elvis Costello (REPEAT)
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Rihanna (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Tom Waits, Snoop Dogg (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Joseph Arthur (REPEAT)
Saturday, July 7
PBS: Austin City Limits: The Pixies
Sunday, July 8
Waaaaaaaaaaaaa (what I'm probably listening to anyway)

tags: music, television, soundtrack, talk shows, pixies, ray lamontagne, indie rock, rhapsody

Now Downloading: New Releases 05.08.07

Today, the much anticipated new Wilco allbum (Sky Blue Sky) arrives to us a week early. Not that it was necessary, considering the Elliott Smith rarities compilation (New Moon) from Kill Rock Stars hits the digital shelf today along with new releases from Bjork, Mary Timony and Rufus Wainwright (also a week early.) Add to that advance singles from White Stripes, Interpol and Black Francis, and you've got yourself a fine week for releases.

Playlist: New Releases 05.08.07

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Album: Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (week early exclusive)

Most Yankee Hotel Foxtrot fans might recoil initially at the seemingly 70's FM radio sounds ala Steely Dan that permeate Sky Blue Sky, but lying beneath the simplicity is a world of complexities. Jeff Tweedy recognizes the strengths of his players, and here the fretwork of guitarist Nels Cline is given a ton of open space to work with (perhaps that's what the album title Sky Blue Sky is referencing?) If it's not their best album (YHF/Summerteeth) then it's at least their most cohesive. There will be haters, but, like the songs themselves, you need to give it time and room to breath, and it opens into another world.

Free Album stream from AOL

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Album: Elliott Smith - New Moon

Between 1994 and 1997, Elliott Smith recorded his best work, on the albums Elliott Smith, Either/Or (and with Heatmiser, don't forget Yellow No. 5 and Cop and Speeder.) New Moon collects various songs that didn't make the albums of that time, along with early versions of songs that would appear later. It's a vital collection of post-humous material, in a time when these sort of things have been scattered messes. "New Monkey," "High Times," and "All Cleaned Out" are all such great songs it's initially puzzling that they didn't make the cut back then, but those albums were pretty stellar. One of the best things about the album is the contribution to the liner notes from former roommate and fellow musician Sean Croghan (of Crackerbash, who sang "High Times" on the recent Smith tribute album.) Also chiming in with memories are former bandmate Sam Coomes (Heatmiser, Quasi) along with fellow Portland musician Rebecca Gates (The Spinanes.) With all the 90's acts reuniting, it's nice to hear Smith in the mix as well, even if it's from the grave.

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Album: Mary Timony - The Shapes We Make

I've always been drawn to Mary Timony's guitar work, but it had taken a backseat since she started releasing albums under her own name. But on The Shapes We Make, she adds Dischord/DC scene vets Devin Ocampo and Chad Molter (Smart Went Crazy, Faraquet) along with production from Fugazi guitarist Brendan Canty, so the guitar is back at the front of this product, ala her work with Helium. She's still playing with the music structure, though, and enjoying some of her best lyrical turns. Since she's on Kill Rock Stars now, it's appropos that she give us some Riot Grrl politics in the song "Pause/Off":

My reaction to your faction?
Go back to school and learn your fractions!
Get your laws off my body, mister.
Paws off, Supreme Court Misters.
Don’t mess around with me and my sisters.

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Single: White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
Single: Interpol - "Heinrich Maneuver"
Single: Black Francis - "Threshold Apprehension"

This week sees three significant singles from anticipated upcoming releases. The first on everyone's lips is White Stripe's "Icky Thump," which signals that the album of the same name (due June 19) is going to be their heaviest release yet. Still no bass, but Meg's bass drum is UP FRONT, and lyrically, it's got some bottom end as well: "Who’s using who? What Should we do? Well you can’t be a pimp and a prostitute too."

Interpol's single "Heinrich Maneuver" starts with "how are things on the West coast?" as a not-so-caring inquiry to an ex-lover, and the riff pushes the band back into Turn on the Bright Lights territory (a welcome return.) The new album, Our Love To Admire, hits shelves July 10.

"Grand Mariner and a pocket full of speed" sings Charles Thompson (aka Frank Black, aka Black Francis) on his latest single "Threshold Apprehension." The song title (and pending album Bluefinger, due in September,) were taken from Dutch painter Herman Brood's work. He's using the Black Francis moniker here as the songs were written (and didn't make) the new Pixies album still in the works.

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More going (or already in) the Sansa
Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars (Rhapsody exclusive, one week early)
Lavender Diamond - Imagine Our Love (Free album stream from AOL)
Maximo Park - Our Earthly Pleasures (Free album stream from AOL)
brakesbrakesbrakes - The Beatific Visions
Travis - The Boy With No Name (Free album stream from AOL)
Mice Parade - Mice Parade
Sage Francis - Human the Death Dance
Electrolane - No Shouts, No Calls
The Clientele - God Save the Clientele
The View - Hats off to the Buskers

Not making it into Rhapsody this week:
Shannon Wright - Let in the Light (Free album stream from AOL)
Bjork - Volta - In, but for purchase only...

tags: music, album review, wilco, elliott smith, mary timony, bjork, rufus wainwright, indie rock, new releases, 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