This is quickly being worn out because I’ve had it on repeat since I saw it the other day; it’s David Bazan covering Low’s “Just Like Christmas,” and it’s pretty much my favorite thing going for the time being. There’s something perfectly melancholy about the way Bazan sounds; it’s playing right into my Seasonal Affected Disorder.
Bazan’s most recent album, Strange Negotiations![[video] David Bazan // Just Like Christmas (Low cover)](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=tympanogram-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004YCO1D2 "[video] David Bazan // Just Like Christmas (Low cover)"){kind=small}
![[video] David Bazan // Strange Negotiations (Live, Acoustic)](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=tympanogram-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004YCO1D2&camp=217145&creative=399373 "[video] David Bazan // Strange Negotiations (Live, Acoustic)"){kind=small}
, is out right now, and he’s back on the road, this time with a full band.
![Bazan Strange Negotiations [mp3] New from David Bazan // Wolves At The Door](http://tympanogram.com/files/Bazan-Strange-Negotiations.jpg "Bazan-Strange-Negotiations")
Never a critical darling, David Bazan has already tweeted some of the negative reaction to his newest album; I haven’t heard the entire release, but based on the single that he made available at the end of last week, I can’t possibly agree with the reactions I’ve read. It’s certainly not deserving of the ”truly terrible” tag.
Bazan has never pulled punches lyrically; whatever the theme of the album, he explores it as completely as he’s able. When I saw him play at a house show early last month, he struck me as particularly thoughtful, and that thoughtfulness is conveyed in his songs. This newest release (Strange Negotiations, out on May 24th via Barsuk) is more politically bent by Bazan’s account, delving into the economic situation that the United States finds itself in, and, to some extent, the reasons we got here.
Musically, Bazan is more straightforward rock on this track than the indie slowcore pace of Pedro the Lion’s earlier albums. ”Wolves At The Door” tends more to Control than it does Bazan’s first solo effort – 2009′s Curse Your Branches. Maybe there’s less to love about the rest of the album, but with this, Bazan has me looking forward to hearing what else the album offers.
Really, Bazan himself probably answers his critics better than I could when he sings here: “you’re a goddamn fool, and I love you.”
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David Bazan // Wolves At The Door [mp3] from the forthcoming Strange Negotiations
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.
If you’re unaware of my penchant for David Bazan’s music, you can read about it here; I won’t rehash it this afternoon.
Of Mr. Bazan’s entire catalogue, I’d have to rank this track in my personal Top 5. The song is told from a modern point of view, but it’s actually a retelling of part of the Book of Hosea from the Old Testament. In Hosea, the book’s namesake is asked by God to marry a prostitute in order to convey to the Israelites how they were being unfaithful to Him. (It pairs up with a later song on the album titled “Of Minor Prostitutes and Their Prostitute Wives.”)
Told from the point of view of Hosea, the song is powerful and sad. It’s an interesting bridge between a time long past and today, and a gentle reminder of how little things actually change when it comes to relationships.
Pedro the Lion – Bad Diary Days (mp3) from It’s Hard To Find a Friend
