The answer is sometimes simple. Watching Shameless and the music as always…very good. Do I think it fits the show? No. I read an interview with the music supervisor once and rolled my eyes with a “c’mon man!” The music is good…but almost too good. Its over thought. Which works for me, and works for Coral…but don’t pretend.
“Kline says she is able to expand on its characters — and seeing as the Gallaghers are not a mainstream family, the music isn’t either.”
I don’t really feel Fiona Gallagher reading a whole lot of Pitchfork. I’m just nit-picking, the music is awesome.
Coral watched a couple episodes last night and a few songs stuck out for her. At the time, watching the show, it was hard to place. But she went to bed and I was bored so to the internet I went. One was Josh Radin’s “Winter.” Damn, we even have that record!
The other was hard to place then a quick internet search and of course I remember… the Snow Patrol guy’s “other” project Tired Pony. I listen to the song away from the TV and it sounds like Snow Patrol’s “Set Fire to the Third Bar.”
Tired Pony – “Get on the Road”
On Friday, Cait Fraser at the Veneto had me download a song that she loves. She says its her “get ready to go out song.”
The band is from Melbourne, Victoria and they’re called Little Red. Neat pop-rock sound. It appears they’ve had a few minor Aussie hits…the song “Rock It” is friendly enough. Give it a spin.
Little Red – “Rock It”
I remember in the summer of 1995, my friend Bob got tape or compact disc of the record of Let Your Dim Light Shine by Soul Asylum. We jammed that album heavy and it remains to this day one of my favourite albums. I can still throw it on and I get that gnarly deja vu feeling. I didn’t know too much about Soul Asylum at the time. There was no wikipedia and I was too 15 to care… but when I got older and started at CiTR, I was picking through the records in the vinyl closet and discovered a massive hoard of old Twin/Tone and A&M recordings from the 80s. Like what-the-fuck…because in 1998 we actually said all the word, what, the, fuck. So for a few weeks at 4AM, I dropped the needle on all sorts of weird jams from David Pirner and company. Long before I loved the Replacements, I loved Soul Asylum.
OK, back to 1995, this story doesn’t really have a point so you can stop reading. But in 1995, Bob and I played Soul Asylum heavy rotation style like kids do. That and we had limited funds so we probably only had like this album, maybe G&R’s Spaghetti Incident and a handful of Megadeth records and tapes.
So you’re 15 and emo as fuck and Soul Asylum is depressing and emo and it all just works.
Fast forward to today (or maybe yesterday? or maybe the weekend?) and I am tired. Like tired to my bones. I am so tired that I am also tired of being tired. And that thought swirled around my brain. So clear, so fuzzy. I was tired of being tired. I could not get no rest… I knew it was Soul Asylum, I knew it… and it HAD to be from Dim Light… and sure enough, track 14. Eureka. You won’t believe how happy rediscovering this song has made me.
I was waiting for a chain reaction with the missing link
Waiting for that trickle-down forever circling the sink
I was tired of being tired
I could not get no rest
So I kept sleep-walking and talking in my sleep
Yes I did my best
Soul Asylum – “I Did My Best”
The whole record is so spot on. I wouldn’t say the above song is my favourite, I just really feel it today. But you might remember “Misery” or “Just Like Anyone” from the 90s. That second song’s video I remember getting played on Much all the time. And holy moly, is that a young Claire Danes? Why yes it is… and she is getting taunted by those mean girls! i hope she doesn’t go all Carrie on them at the school prom!… oh what’s that? you’ll just grow majestic wings? Atta girl!
I like music and I like you. Go with yourself.
The Morning After 