Song of the Week: Damn These Vampires-The Mountain Goats

The Song: Damn These Vampires

Why it's the song of the week: John Darnielle is a lyrical master, of that we can be sure and Damn These Vampires is a fine example of that.There is a lot to be said about his lyrics, much more than can be said here but Darnielle is definitely a writer who "writes about things" whether it's a disintegrating relationship in "Tallahassee" or  drug addiction in "We Shall All Be Healed". However, Damn These Vampires, while likely metaphorical, is a song I'm hesitant to discuss in this way. Darnielle is probably writing about something other than mere vampires but I also feel that he's the kind of writer that might just write a song that is just about vampires. As such, take it as you will but give this song a listen.

Best lyric:
Feast like pagans 
Never get enough
Sleep like dead men
Wake up like dead men
And when the sun comes
Try not to hate the light
Someday we'll try
To walk upright
 
Bottom Line: The whole of The Mountain Goats discography deserves a listen but "Damn, These Vampires"  is a good a place as any to start.

Song of the Week: Belle and Sebastian-If You're Feeling Sinister

The Song:

Why It's The Song Of The Week: Stuart Murdoch is undoubtedly a lyrical master but no other Belle and Sebastian albums can compete with their second album "If You're Feeling Sinister" and particularly with it's title track. The track opens with the eerie sound of children playing and then turns dark at is talks about death, suicide and characters who are on the fringes of society or even completely ignored by it. The chorus suggests that "if you're feeling sinister/go off and see a minister/ he'll try in vain to take away the pain of being a hopeless unbeliever" but as harsh as this is, it is tempered by the fact that Murdoch himself is religious and even composed this song while living and working in a church. As such he knows that doubt plagues believers too and that's what makes this song so brilliant.  The song ends: But if you are feeling sinister/Go off and see a minister/Chances are you'll probably feel better /If you stayed and played with yourself . Lyrics that take this song from just angsty and make it insightful, funny and all the more moving.

Best Lyric: Saint Theresa's calling her, the church up on the hill is looking lovely/But it DIDN'T interest, the only things she wants to know is/How and why and WHEN and WHERE to go
How and why and WHEN and WHERE to follow

Bottom Line: Belle and Sebastian have staying power for a reason and it's because of tracks like these that resonate with fans, all the while staying self aware; it's the great lyrics, the musical composition, the production. It's just a great song.

Song of the Week: Robyn "Dancing on my Own"

The Song:

Why it's the Song of the Week:Well, let's just be honest, there are just so many things to love about this song and the video from the overly dramatic bridge to the high-waisted skirt (and jeans!) that Robyn dons for the video. The video looks like a combination of an 80's music video and an 80's work out video. Seriously, Robyn's dancing looks like it should be in a karate inspired exercise video and well, the club arts are basically Robyn looking depressed while people do some hilarious dancing around her. Robyn is just so pretty and her voice is so sweet, and at least 90 percent of her songs are about rejection and yet, you don't get the impression that she's the kind of woman to whine and cry and be pushed around, maybe because the majority of the video is her punching the air. Still,  since it's appearance on Girls last season  Dancing on my Own has solidified it's place as an anthem for girls who are occasionally (or frequently) a hot mess both on the dance floor and when it comes to love. The song itself has the kind of brutal honesty you don't really want in a pop song, but Robyn also makes it clear that while she may be dancing on her own she's also laughing at herself.

Best lyrics: "there's a big black sky over my town/ I know where you at I bet she's around"

Bottom Line: Robyn says it herself when she says "yeah, I know it's stupid", and certainly there are some stupid things about this song but it's also ridiculously catchy and so well produced  that honestly, if loving Robyn is wrong...I don't want to be right!