This wouldn't be much of a music blog (or music/food blog) without something recognizing today's festivities. Of course, quality love songs are generally in short supply -- when you're in love you have other things on your mind than writing about it -- but there are a few that I genuinely like.
MP3: The Free Design - Found Love
| (Buy)
Ok, this is Cheese Central but there's something genuine and innocent about it. It kinda sounds like what it feels in the early days -- dumb, goofy, smile-inducing.
MP3: Aberfeldy - Vegetarian Restaurant
| (buy)
More of a unrequited love song, really, but still hopeful. "Love the way that you shell the peas / How I wish you were shelling me."
MP3: The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group - My Foolish Heart
| (Buy)
From the "I'm Sticking With You" school of indie love duets. I wish Mr. Ruiz would make some more music.
MP3: The Weather Prophets - Frankie Lymon
Truly a song I wish I had written. It's all very VU too but I just love the lyric and deliver. "You make me think of all the good things / You make me wanna smile and try and sing like Frankie Lymon."
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And some for the haters...
MP3: Carol King - Crying in the Rain | (Buy)
Never been much of a fan of King's own recordings (love her songs) but this single from the '60s is pretty great, with perfect understated production that gives it a genuine sad, heartbroken feel. A good lyrical hook too.
MP3: Fun Boy Three - The Tunnel of Love + The Colourfield - Thinking of You
| (Buy)
Somebody broke Terry Hall's heart into a zillion million pieces and he was maybe just a little bitter when he wrote these. "The Tunnel of Love" is pitch black; at least "Thinking of You" sounds happy.
MP3: Hefner - Hymn for Alcohol | (Buy)
Booze and breakups go hand-in-hand and Darren Hayman works the metaphor to the last drop. "It's just wishful thinking that all this hard drinking will lure you back to my ramshackle stable."
MP3: The Darkness - Holding My Own
| (Buy)
You can take the title of this one to mean "I'm keeping it together without you" or you can read it the obvious way. Pretty sure Justin Hawkins intended it as both. The Darkness were clever that way. Oh, this ones got about three awesome guitar solos in it.
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MP3: Pernice Brothers - Grudge F***
| (Buy)
And here's one on a whole other level of pathetic; the 4AM drunken, sad, lonely, rock-bottom booty call on which some of us have had the unfortunate experience of being on the other end. I think the lyrics to this came right after she hung up. The original version is on The Scud Mountain Boys' Massachusetts but I actually prefer the full-orchestra remake from the Pernice Brothers most recent album.
Grudge F#ck is one of my favorite live songs EVER...
Posted by: liz | Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 12:39 PM
I found love/ didn't even know i needed it.
this song makes me really happy. would be perfect in a montage.
Posted by: McG | Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 01:46 AM
You know, I didn't even think to look at the picture or the date, I just read the post title.... "Required VD Post", and I thought... VD? Venereal disease?
My bad :D
Posted by: hunter wry | Friday, February 22, 2008 at 01:30 PM