Song of the Week

As a proud owner of exactly 0 posts here on Now Playinz, I figured it was finally time to start a thread. Hope everyone is doing alright out there; things are cruising along fine on my end.

The plan is basically to check in once a week and drop whatever we’ve been spinning most heavily over the last seven days—just pick an album and a song (they don't even have to be from the same record, obviously). Feel free to throw in a quick critique or some random thought if you're feeling it.

So, here it goes:

Album of the week: The Faint - Wet fra Birth. These disco punks still hit hardest for me because of that incredible Mote cover of Sonic Youth (if you dig SY and haven't heard it, go fix that immediately). It's a solid listen, even if it isn't life-changing; my favorite lines are:

i might be an introvert
to you, a shallow fashionista
deep as any paper plate
dressed just like the girl beside you

(from the track How Could i forget).

Favorite track: drop kick The Punks. Pure rock energy.

And for the song of the week: Jefferson Airplane - Let's get Together. For those who aren't hip to it, this is that Come on people now, smile on your brother... tune that got totally butchered on Nevermind. Very hippie, but cool regardless.

np The Faint - Birth

Album of the week—Linkin Park - Live in Texas.
Sunday's track—Halid Bešlić - Požuri.
Favorite lyrics - Usher - Let It Burn

A critical review? Seriously? You want me to sit here and dissect things like some pretentious critic with a clipboard? Fine. But don't expect me to sugarcoat anything or give you some polished, academic nonsense. I’m just gonna say what I think, straight up, without all the fluff. If you're looking for a deep dive into why everything is falling apart or why certain tracks hit harder than others, I'm your guy. Just don't ask me to be nice. Most stuff out there is garbage anyway.
I'm not here to write about anything genius. I just deal in human stupidity.

not playing - Nina Sky - Move Your Body Girl

The Faint is pretty good; they’ve got a solid groove going.

My album of the week, obviously—Worlds Apart od and you will know US by The Trail of dead. I guess we were all expecting something else, but let’s be real, this is already their second outing with Interscope, so it’s bound to sound a little polished. Still, the guys went for some sweet retro vibes here, dipping into that Bacharachov territory with string arrangements, a full symphony, and those gorgeous female backing vocals (probably because Conrad, if I remember correctly, went to high school with Beyoncé🙂... The absolute highlights have to be the Lennon-esque dead and goniti (that's what it's called, right?) and that Texas-style march, The Rest will Follow. Oh, and the album doesn't even drop until next year—not like the label is rushing it just because of U2, No Doubt, or Eminem.

A total cocktail of the biggest hits from 😬 Šaban Bajramović!! Ol fakin viik! 🎉 🙂

Drew Sanders7 said:My album of the week, obviously—Worlds Apart od and you will know US by The Trail of dead.

I’m also throwing in Modest Mouse's "Modey Lemon"/"Thunder & Lightning," which has been on heavy rotation for me the last couple of months. Just pure, high-energy garage rock. Apparently, they're one of Jack White's all-time favorites.

My Album of the Week is "Funeral" by Arcade Fire.
Honestly, I’ve been playing it on loop for the last two days and it’s hitting just right. It moves through that heavy melancholy at the start before settling into those lush, sweet melodies toward the end—especially "Haiti i Rebellion ( Lies".

Anyway, people are going to be dissecting this record for a long time... if they aren't already.
I would’ve had some more specific critiques if I'd caught them live last week... or whenever it was. (Aljosa, were you there? I think they played near you too...). Guess I'll just wait for another chance to see if they’re actually that eccentric and interesting in person.

Oh, right, here's a little something 😁 — they're from New York City ( or click here if you want to dive deeper )

Lyrics?
[Neighbordhood #1 (Tunnels)]

And if my parents are crying then I'll dig a tunnel from my window to yours, yeah a tunnel from my window to yours
You climb out the chimney and meet me in the middle, the middle of the town. And SINCE there's no one else around, we let our hair grow long, and forget all we used to know -- then our skin gets thicker from living out in the snow.

Song of the week (believe it or not, from the same album): Rebellion ( Lies). Or maybe... Haiti or una Annee Sans Lumiere..

My album of the week is hands down: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - "Damage". Absolute genius. 😁 🙏 .

Song of the week: Mars, Arizona. 😎

Looking ahead to next week, starting today at 6:30, I’m calling it now—the top album is likely gonna be: Delgados: "Universal audio". 😎 😁

I finally moved past that whole crn Franjo phase and spent most of my time spinning paraf—all three albums, actually. 👍

Other stuff I had on repeat:

Grateful dead - American beauty Wilco - Summerteeth
Wilco - Summerteeth
Antonio Carlos Jobim - some kind of best of (honestly, jazz isn't usually my thing, but this was Mom's choice)
Ella Fitzgerald - same deal as the Jobim stuff

Then there was also Bodycount :2up: and Suicidal Tendencies :2up: 🙄

And whenever we were driving back and forth, we'd blast Idol and some of those punk-reggae-ska-dub compilations I used to put together. 🎉

My go-to for the first real fall weekend (and I’m not counting that mindless background noise filled with the screams of dying Svab from Silent Storm 🙂 ) is Jesse Sykes & The sweet Hereafter - my Girl, which sounds pretty much like Margo Timmins meets Calexico. So, we've got the most beautiful vocals on the planet paired with these neo-Morricone soundscapes, all blending perfectly with 😁 and this Sunday rain—it honestly just leaves me with one question in my head: Trucidare, what the hell are you doing at KSET?? 😁

I spent a massive chunk of time behind the wheel last week, so my favorites were basically whatever I happened to have on shuffle—since they were all MP3s, I just kept looping certain albums. Morcheeba was huge—stuff like "Part of the Process," "Who Can You Trust," and Big Calm. Honestly, it was phenomenal driving for four hours last night on some desolate stretch of highway, mostly stuck in a single lane (and they actually charge you $33 for that like it’s a major interstate!?!), crawling through traffic under a sky that finally decided to clear up. My absolute favorite has to be "What New York Couples Fight About," because it's that duet with, you know, Kurt Wagner. There's this killer line: "once the label is on something / it becomes an it"

n/p Beck - Pay No Mind

Album of the week: reis Rammstein pjesma
Song of the week: Amerika
Lyric: Amerika stih : We're All living in Amerika
👍

So, after about six weeks, I finally ditched Placebo and swapped them out for the old-school Interpol. Honestly, while I was totally vibing with the whole Placebo (placebunt) era, /every me'n'every you, without you, .../ , Interpol is looking seriously promising. It just perfectly captures that vibe—you know, like those crisp, chilly autumn days we get here in the States.

Madlib (Jaylib, Madvillain) and Jay Dee (Jaylib) absolutely crushed the production on this one. Honestly, it’s about time too—after eight years and two total flops in between, they finally realized they should team up with these two (among a bunch of other names I’ve never even heard of) to pair those heavy beats with lyrics that make them sound seasoned and wise. It turned out to be a killer album. The only real letdown is that corny, stereotypical R&B hook on "It's Like That," which just makes him look like he lacks any real grit, but it's such a minor flaw that it doesn't ruin the overall vibe. The standout track, and easily my song of the week, has to be "Church," especially with that intro by Spike Lee.

Album of the week (though honestly, it feels more like the album of the month): Iron & Wine - "Our Endless Numbered Days" 👍
Song of the week: pesma : Feist - "One Evening" (really charming stuff, even if the rest of the album doesn't quite hit the same high)

R.E.M. album - Around The Sun
Pulp song - What you see is What you get

lyrics:

What you see is what you get
You’ve made your bed, you better lie in it
You choose your leaders and place your trust
As their lies wash you down and their promises rust
You’ll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns

And the public wants what the public gets
But I don’t get what this society wants
I’m going underground, (going underground)
Well the brass bands play and feet start to pound
Going underground, (going underground)
[so] let the boys all sing and the boys all shout for tomorrow

Song of the week: some snap rama ethno vibe, it just hits different... wow!🙂
Album of the week: bootleg remix vol 12 (absolutely killer!!!)

Album of the week: Felt - The Splendour of Fear. There aren't many records that hit with this kind of high-end polish, especially this 1984 gem that clocks in at just over half an hour and features six tracks, four of which are instrumentals. It’s dream pop or proto post-rock, but honestly, it’s way more than that.

Song of the week: Felt - The Stagnant pool np Pips Chips & Videoclips - 2 x2

np Pips Chips & Videoclips - 2x2

driftingeagle27 said:np Pips Chips & Videoclips - 2 x2

Oh please, acting all like the "proud owner of zero posts on NP," and then you're just sliding in here!🙂 😁

Sounds from the Verve hi-fi, compiled by Thievery Corporation.
I don't really get much T. C. — I only have The Mirror Conspiracy at home — but they did a killer job with this compilation. Stan Getz, Elis Regina, Jimmy Smith... honestly, I could paste the entire tracklist here, because I'm loving everything. I listened to the album last week probably ten times already, just soaking it all in. And then again today in the car driving from Cleveland to Chicago. I can't pick a favorite track—and definitely not the lyrics, since half the songs are instrumentals and the ones with words are mostly in Spanish, which I don't understand.

I’ve got Fiona Apple - Jagged Little Pill (plus some live tracks) on loop right now, and I'm almost at a state of total zen listening to Yo-Yo Ma Cello Blue.