We’re drawing closer to our first birthday show at Bug Jar here in Rochester, and it’s kind of got me on edge. I feel like there’s a lot to be done, but when I think about it, I don’t know what that “lot to be done” actually is. So, either I’m blissfully ignorant of all the responsibilities I’ve been shirking, or else I’m actually on top of things. I hope it’s the latter.
Back to today’s regularly scheduled post. If you don’t know what this all means by now, well, I’m not going to help you. Get a tutorial here.
91. Marvin Gaye – Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (mp3) from What’s Going On (3:14) [Time Remaining: 574:04]
Regardless of any perceived writing affinities on this blog, I have a particular soft spot for Marvin Gaye, and at the heart of that soft spot is “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology).” (Which, written like that, makes me realize how unwieldy it is to say.) It’s one of those songs that I listen to on repeat each time it comes on; it’s one I seek out on a jukebox just to see who else gets into it; it’s just as relevant today as it was when it was released 40 years ago, and undeniably more pressing. It’s the smoothest call to action you’ll ever hear.
There was an edit of the song I found last year that stretched the song out to nearly 8 minutes, and I like that version just as much as the original; but with the time constraints we’ve given ourselves, I’ll just be content to listen to the original 2 or 3 times.
92. Pedro the Lion – Simple Economics (mp3) from Winners Never Quit (4:22) [Time Remaining: 569:42]
With Pedro, it’s hard to pluck a single song off of an album since the entire album tells a single story (although I’ve done it for this project once already). There aren’t really singles to be taken from an album, because often they can seem out of place when listened to on their own. Winners Never Quit is no exception, and it deals with two brothers – one considered the good son, the other the proverbial fuck-up – and the reality behind their given roles.
Winners Never Quit was the first album I bought from Pedro the Lion, sometime in late 2000 after its release. This track was an immediate favorite, delving into politics and infidelity, and it’s (obviously) remained that way since. The upbeat indie-pop contrasts the dark content of the lyrics, and makes a forceful and memorable statement.
In what seems to be a particularly angry week in music, as well as the week that EMI releases Ben Harper’s catalog on vinyl, here are some selected releases for tomorrow, February 24.
