95 North. . . The Newspaper

Better Oblivion Community Center? The phrase itself purports that we make a collective attempt to improve on our, well, failure. It's sort of what we run into as we scroll through Instagram, as corporations feed us the anecdotes to the anxieties they create, and the market is awarding them. The better the oblivion, the bigger the profits, the deeper the oblivion-inducing claws sink into our very humanness. At least that's the idea that two s ongwriting aces, Conor Oberest and Phoebe Bridgers, came up with- releasing a concept album of sorts detailing the feelings that fill each step between us and the outside world- a political parade with confetti- a small black box we live through.  Heavy political notions and societal critiques aside, if you listen to any song off of Better Oblivion Community Center, let it be "Dylan Thomas". Named after the famed early 20th century Welsh poet, "Dylan Thomas" greets us with a jingly, bright, energetic...

Sufjan Stevens, the guy who's in tune with the inner working of the heart, has a song for us this independence day: "Fourth of July", off of his excellent 2015 album Carrie & Lowell . The album itself is a reflection on Sufjan's turbulent childhood, with images of his mother dying her hair and smoking cigarettes in the bathroom, leaving him at the video store when he was 5, day drinking, and other similar scenes filling the contents of the record. In this context, "Fourth of July", a song about her death, finds itself placed right in the middle of the album- constituting the heart of the Carrie & Lowell project. The song is carried by a hauntingly beautiful piano melody that seems to sweep right through you- delicate, yet strong in the sense that it all but demands a wide-eyed introspection of some sorts. Here, Sufjan encounters his emotions, a vivid imagination, and the natural world as he retells the story of his mothers death. He imagine...

Hiss Golden Messenger is the musical moniker for singer/songwriter MC Taylor. In 2010, he released a stark, acoustic based album entitled Bad Debt . The album is full of late night brooding. . . a kitchen table lit by candles and a baby sleeping in the other room. The kinda dark hours where you're soul bursts, explores some dark territory, and scans all corners of the mind, trying to map meaning. The best of the batch of songs featured on Bad Debt is represented by "Jesus Shot me in the Head". A provocative title, for sure, meant to convey the radical act and nature of an instantaneous religious conversion experience. Here, the metaphor of salvation- or dying to your old self- comes in the form of Jesus' killing off one's old self, in order to be "born again". Often, born again conversion experiences are preceded by a life lived on the low, which is accurately described here- the rough friends, the Motel 6, the drugs, the drinking. . .it's all pa...

Phoebe Bridgers had been circling around the L.A singer-songwriter scene for a few years. It was inevitable that her talent would see her through- with an ear for melody and class A writing skills, Bridgers steadily attracted the attention of many- and unfortunately, that of Ryan Adams. Adams, who was revealed by the New York Times to be at best, a manipulative, misogynistic, and coercive force (see the article  here ) that dangled record deals and studio time for talented young women like Bridgers. In this context, "Motion Sickness" is a song that recounts an ill-fated, manipulative relationship with an older man. A few steady sweeps of an electric guitar greet us at the start of the song, sending the whole enterprise in motion, down the sidewalk, down memory lane, down a reflective L.A. street lit with regret, anger, and just enough catharsis to roll everything downhill.

Most summer recipes call for long memories, a grandmother or two (if they're around, or at least the memory of them) rivers, companions, lakes, night skies, loons, and the months of June, July, and August. The big, circular-picked guitar rhythm that greets us on Big Thief's excellent 2019 song "Cattails" encompasses all of it, as we get locked into the sweetness of one of the best acoustic guitar patterns I've heard in a while. Wistful is the word, here, but of the light variety, like mulling over your problems by a river on a beautiful summer day. The circular, repeating guitar pattern, like Saturn's rings, reinforces the strong notion of seasons, natural cycles, and memory. The light does come shining. Just don't forget your lawn chair.

Cautionary tales are often cemented into the catalog of stories for children for a reason. Their simple moral framing allows them to serve as anecdotes of utility, passing along moral knowledge from one generation to the next. The content of these stories is such that the emotional impact is up front, the lessons clear, and the call to action is cemented in the developing brain. However, at a certain point a cautionary tale loses its luster- it's black and white ethics don't hold a candle to the world lit with grey in front of us. Instead, we search for nuance, meaning, and dignity. When cautionary tales won't do, we are brought to a place of enrichment and meaning through songs like the Drive By Truckers emotional rocker entitled "The Fourth Night of my Drinking" off of their 2010 album The Big To-Do .  "The Fourth Night of My Drinking" may appear to, on the surface level, provide listeners with a cautionary tale on the perils of drinkin...

AWW SHEEET. . . was my first reaction when I heard the opening swirls of an organ, deep bass, and snare hits that greet us on Noname's new single entitled " Song 32". More than anything else she's put out to date, " Song 32" accounts for her thesis statement on her name & places her identity in the music world at large. She's so far away from dropping in on Ellen, showing up at a Democratic candidates rally, or exploding on twitter. If you're into that stuff, the art that gets approved by mainstream pop culture like I am, "Song 32" will call you out for your bullshit and make you feel like you've been sleeping, failing to see the world from a critical lens. You know she's right. You know liberal savior Obama bombed Lybia. You know Nike shoes are the same thing as Walmart shoes, minus the swoosh. This anti-branding, anti-corporate stance, which is reflected in both her name and the title to this song, comes complete with refer...

Rust Never Sleeps: Neil Young live. Courtesy Getty Images "Powderfinger" may be Neil Young's best song. In a few short minutes, Young manages to paint an evocative picture that is cinematic in its scope- place, setting, theme, backstory- it's all there as Young tells the story (in first person) of a young man that encounters war, death, and violence admist the backdrop of a small town life, filled with family tragedy and everyday musings. "Powderfinger" can be heard in two formats: first, there's the revved up electric version that Young cut with his band Crazy Horse. Of course, Young's got the heart-wrenching acoustic version in his back pocket as well. Both can be heard below. Most impressive of all is Young's ability to communicate, deeply, the tragedy of an early death on a river town. While the song is filled with specifics, it manages to be general enough- and finds it place in the Vietnam War or perhaps the American Civil War in eq...

Great music is like good conversation, it begins without beginning—as if you’ve been dropped smack-dab in the middle of an ongoing dialogue, having skipped all the boring niceties of “How are yous” and “Where ya’ froms.” It’s organic and fluid. When done properly, both music and conversation provide refuge from the dangers of normalcy. Fulfillment through sound, if you will. Let’s briefly explore the uniqueness of songs that seemingly begin at their musical zenith and lack a finite ending; or what we’ll call, “Escher Songs,” in tribute to the artist M.C. Escher whose work explored notions of infinity and illusion. One of the best examples is Bob Dylan’s “Changing of the Guard,” a song which opens as if it began yesterday. When you first push play on Street Legal the rational assumption is that you’ve had the volume turned off. The second assumption is that there’s been a horrible production error and the first 20 seconds have been accidentally spliced out. Instead of introducin...

1. Everlong (acoustic): Foo Fighters Dave Grohl is as likable as he is talented. The former Nirvana drummer throws his acoustic into "drop D" tuning here and delivers a perfect, melodic and moving tune that has become an alternative rock touchstone, moving everyone from David Letterman to Miley Cyrus. 2. A Little at a Time: Magnolia Electric Co The sparse midwest, freight trains, dim lit bars, and regret fill up Magnolia Electric Co's songs. Lead singer, the late Jason Molina, was originally a bass player and thus had an interesting and incredibly unique style in playing the guitar. Random notes seem to fit together like a spray painted boxcar rolling through an Indiana night, as Molina's trademark wind-wandering voice drives asks plenty of questions. 3. They Thought I was Asleep: Paul Kelly Paul Kelly is a clever, emotive, and efficient songwriter. His voice fits every chord he plays with his steady hands. Here, the Australian masters a few turns of phra...

Bob Dylan's recent release(s) have renewed my interest in exploring the music of Frank Sinatra. Recently, I turned back the dusty pages of the old newspaper to Sinatra's 1955 album,  The Wee Small Hours . What a killer it is. The title track is a jaw dropping heartache. Sinatra carries this tune expertly, complete with a detectable sense resignation in his voice. Here, Sinatra takes us down the dark streets of our past as we see the city lights glowing in his eyes. If anything, this song explains the album cover, which features Frank wearing a dark suit jacket and smokey grey hat, blue and faded amidst the city streetlights. This song is a killer of a heartbreak because it could easily split you in two, yet the comfort of the crooner here offers some repose. Repose, rest, heartbreak, and memories over a cup of coffee overlooking the brick apartment buildings that seem to stretch on forever in the city. It's all there in Frank Sinatra's "Wee Small Hours...

Cold Specks-a musical moniker for Canadian songwriter Lassan Hussein-just released my favorite new song of 2017, "Wild Card". Something about this song connects deeply, soul to soul. After all, all eyes are on "you", not her, here. This song won't  hit you upside the head and turn you around. Instead, it seeps into your consciousness slowly and surely, like a trusted friend. Here, you'll hear humming keys, faint handclaps, and a singer with an uncanny sense of melody. For a July night, it couldn't get any better: If you'd like to check out Ms. Hussein's KEXP session, click  here.

I’ve been using the same toothpaste for the last 30 years. I’ve been showering the same way for as long as I can remember. I still enjoy the cereals of my childhood. I tie my shoes in the same order and with the same technique as I did when I was six. I am a creature of habit. Like all humans, I crave consistency and predictability. I like Jeff Lynne for the same reason I like Lebron James—both are the embodiment of certainty. When I shuffle through the Electric Light Orchestra catalogue, I know exactly what I’m getting. There are no surprises, and rarely ever any disappointments.  “Mission (A New World Record)” is the title song off ELO’s seminal album and another Jeff Lynne masterpiece. The opening bars could easily be mistaken as something off Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon . The intro lyrics are eerily spoken to the accompaniment of synthesizer chords and a passing siren. Lynne takes on the persona of a visitor from outer space who is describing his observations of...

Folk songs not only tell good stories, but they can teach us eternal truths just as well as any Pastor, Rabbi, Imam, Holy Book, or street side pamphlet can. In her song "Revelator", Gillian Welch artfully displays her wisdom, asserting that time itself is the judge of the strength of human relationships. I've never heard it put that way before. When you listen to the song, human instinct will tell you right away that she's right. Time does tell all tales. In other songs, you may of heard  that John is the revelator, but I disagree. He might of wrote the book of the seven seals but the dramatic and apocalyptic stories he weaved together did not come and flat out state the gospel truth like Gillian Welch does here. In "Revelator", Welch's voice is clean, direct, and more beautiful than ever. You can hear her fight through those California waves with ease. Sideman David Rawlings paints some dramatics with his lead guitar on the edges of the song. ...