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Compilations » October 2008 » Duets of Dodging Acorns


WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 2008

Duets of Dodging Acorns



This month is certainly dominated by boy/girl duets and a glorious amount of terrific tracks. Each song is delightful in its own unique way between the musically complex and the lyrically genius. Not every song will be a favorite for ChipperDemon listeners but there is at least one favorite for every listener.

October made it hard for there to be a bad set of songs with the release of some major beat thumpers. TV on the Radio came out with their new album recently and was a second place finalist for this month's compilation with "Dancing Choose," which just goes to show how stiff the competition was. Ben Folds came out with his new CD, and if it weren't his collaboration with ChipperDemon's favorite Russian musician, Regina Spektor, who knows if he would have even gotten an honorable mention. Ingrid Michaelson, whom you may recognize from last October's mix, has also come out with her new album and has proven to just get better and better. 

To have also improved over the year is Los Campesinos! with their new released stuff. They made an appearance on last November's CD. To top off all the big name releases, Jukebox the Ghost, from June, April and October, has been reported to be in the studio and mixing up some good stuff for their next album. Luckily, we got a hold of the demo and are more than excited to include two of their premature productions in October's collection. Aside from the known names there are quite a few new musicians added to ChipperDemon's artist folder this month as well. Mother Mother and Jared Mees and the Grown Children are happy additions.



Tracklist as follows:



1. You, Me & the Bourgeoisie - The Submarines  (lyrics)
Because ChipperDemon consistently collects commercial songs (this track is featured in iPhone's new 3G phone commercial) we give you the delightful Submarines. The chorus insists on ChipperDemon's attention, "who are we to breakdown? every day we wake up, we choose love, choose light, we try, it's too easy to just fall apart." Honeysuckle Weeks (May 2008) is there second album, making an appearance on Nip/Tuck and Grey's Anatomy and then later recording a version of "Little Boxes" for the show Weeds. Apple wasn't the first to snag this duo.

"You, Me & the Bourgeoisie" has been voted as a favorite by 2 users.


2. Bees - Jared Mees and the Grown Children  (lyrics)
With the release of Caffeine Alcohol Sunshine Money (October 2008), Jared Mees exemplifies the fantastic possibilities of boy/girl voice collaborations. Between the poppy "Friday Night," lyric heavy "Tallest Building in Hell" and twang filled "Black Coffee," the album is quite versatile and worth an extensive listen. It's hard not to love a band when their songs feel light and with simple lyrics but complex music to support it. Also, their record label is called Tender Loving Empire, it's just hard not to fall in love with that. "The radio is on and it's turning my heart into gold."


3. Miserabilia - Los Campesinos!  (lyrics)
Los Campesinos! came out with a surprising amount of great tracks on their new set of works with their signature boy/girl use. We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (October 2008) consists of slightly more lyric and much more music strong tracks making album number two quite a fantastic addition to ChipperDemon's Los Campesinos! collection. "Miserabilia" burts on the mix with great bits of imagery, "We got nostalgic, ended up filling shoe boxes with vomit." The chorus also just screams out making it a very powerful song.


4. Anticlimax - Kat Flint  (lyrics)
This track mixes up the beginning of the compilation a little bit. It breaks from the energy building and delights one with a lovely guitar riff into a fantastic set of lyrics. "I try to decide to be good when I'm lonely, but doo doo doo doo doo doo, I can't." Kat Flint's Dirty Birds (September 2008) features various instrumental tracks with clever lyrics. There's nothing all together unique about her music style, however, credit is always due to musically talented clever lyrcists. She has certainly been added to the ChipperDemon must watch list.


5. Midnight Blues - The Detroit Cobras  (lyrics)
Ever since the Black Keys came out with their last album, rock/blues heavy songs have been like candy. This track from the Detroit Cobras' Mink Rat or Rabbit (1998), a cover from Charlie Rich back in the 1950s, offers a delirously delicious electric guitar and low sultry smoker's voice that belts this wonderful bridge, "Everytime I feel a little bit free, I hear those blues, midnight blues." And then the best lyric of the song, "I just can't help but feel a little bit chained, everytime I hear you call my name." This Detroit Cobra cover is just pure ear candy.

"Midnight Blues" has been voted as a favorite by 1 user.


6. Old Friend - Future Islands  (lyrics)
To continue the pattern of unexpected sounding tracks this 80s-esque synthpop sound from Baltimore's Future Islands follows "Midnight Blues" quite nicely and continues this rather quick beat that picks up the pace of the compilation. Future Islands, formed in Greenville, NC, dropped Wave Like Home (September 2008) with a plethora of bumping beats worth listening to. The only noteable lyric, "I whisper the tongue like an old friend" is all the song needs, it's really the music that gives it its charm.


7. Sociopath - Anya Marina  (lyrics)
This absolute gem of a song is just a demo of what is to come from this flirtatious rock sound off of Slow & Steady Seduction Phase II (December 2008). It wouldn't be expected that this clever lyrcist would be featured on MTV and nominated for a Best Pop award, but she was. The rest of the songs on the album are quite poppy, a little less clever, but a few of them are delightful. "Sociopath" wins its listeners greatly with, "I'm pathologically addicted to what you call a dickhead." The song is just masochistically enjoyable.


8. Nobody - Jukebox the Ghost  (lyrics)
With the intention of Jukebox the Ghost making an earlier appearance on the compilation, "Nobody" just fits so well right after "Sociopath." "Nobody" is a little masochistic itself and rings a bit of similar sentiment as Los Campesinos' "Miserabilia." However, Jukebox the Ghost jumps into the mix with their piano strong, significant vocal style and finger tapping crescendos. It's exciting to see them back on the music scene so soon after their debut album, Let Live and Let Ghosts (April 2008).

"Nobody" has been voted as a favorite by 1 user.


9. Crooked Teeth - Oliver Thiessen  (lyrics)
Of all of the songs Oliver Thiessen seems to have come up with, "Crooked Teeth" stands out by a great deal. It has this eerie simple sound that lulls and sways its listeners. His voice guides through the song but lets one get lost in imagery of moonlit nights and golden fields. The sentiment gets a little lost with complicated lyrics but holds the song together with the beginning, "Your teeth are crooked from all the lies you ate... you thought it was love but you were wrong." It's the song's simplicity that really makes it stand out.


10. You & I - Ingrid Michaelson  (lyrics)
This track is another fantastic boy/girl duet done by the amazing Ingrid Michaelson. Her new album, Be OK (October 2008), is a wonderful series of Ingrid original tracks. Her ability to write about such simplistic messages in her somewhat peppy style is an attribute unmatched. "You & I" is just one of many great songs but definitely exemplifies her lyrical talent. "I want to do what bunnies do with you if you know what I mean" coming from any other artist would be entirely different, she manages to say it with innocence and charm, maybe it's because its accomponied by a eukelelea. Proceeds from her new album also go toward Stand Up To Cancer. "Baby, how we spoon like no one else."

"You & I" has been voted as a favorite by 1 user.


11. Hayloft - Mother Mother  (lyrics)
This rather fast paced track knocks the mix up a notch and leads listeners into this odd imagery but has such an unexpected sound that it holds attention. "Young lovers with their legs tied up in knots." Mother Mother is the first Canadian band to pop up on this month's compilation and does not disapoint. While the second track of theirs from O My (September 2008) on this mix is perhaps the superior of the two, the combination of them both shows their impressive variety. 

"Hayloft" has been voted as a favorite by 1 user.


12. I Love You - Esser  (lyrics)
Perhaps one of the catchiest songs on the mix, Esser's "I Love You" will find its way into the everyday life constantly repeating, "Love is no excuse for bad art." Esser is by far one of the oddest artists that ChipperDemon seems to have come across. With a lack of internet literature on the band and their London location they are almost impossible to research. "I wish I could find the words, to tell you how I feel, oh these cold and tainted syllables" will haunt one's eardrums; beware.


13. You Don't Know Me (Featuring Regina Spektor) - Ben Folds  (lyrics)
With no offense to Ben Folds, he has this very repetitive sound with his voice. While he appears to have an immense amount of song composition talent, his songs nearly always fall flat in some way. Yet! with Regina Spektor of the other end of the piano bench the creation of one of the best songs this year comes out onto a ChipperDemon compilation. With an excellent mix of beat and Regina's subtle influence, "You Don't Know Me" is outstanding ditty to bob to from Way to Normal (September 2008).


14. Soo Clean - St. Paul Slim
It's not often that ChipperDemon features a rap song, so when we do we like to think it's because it is just that great of a song. St. Paul Slim, while very vulgar, has accomplished a rather brilliant set of lyrics in "Soo Clean." "I wouldn't buy your shit if it came with a gas card" and "I'm old school like the woolly mammoth" are just a couple of the lines that brought this song onto this month's compilation. 


15. Me + Your Daughter - Natalie Portman's Shaved Head  (lyrics)
Aside from having a song title-esque band name, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head is an of course ChipperDemon loved band. Their simplistic fun song subjects and boogie inducing sound inspires the lamest to move even just a little. "Me + Your Daughter" off of Glistening Pleasure (July 2008) is original and smile producing with it's naughty overcast on the high school days that these kids are not far from leaving behind. "Brothers like me know to be squeeky clean, very cool for the parents... me and your daughter touching my body, she is so lovely." It makes one want to protect all high school girls they come across.


16. Total Job - The Faint  (lyrics)
It does seem a little unfair to include The Faint on a second compilation in a row considering how many songs had to be cut but "calling Sydney" just sticks in the head and their unique sound is needed for some variety among the entire compilation. It is also just hard to avoid The Faint's new album, Fasciinatiion (August 2008), which has just been such a long wait for ChipperDemon. 


17. Boys with Girlfriends - Meiko  (lyrics)
Meiko is certainly not new to ChipperDemon but "Boys with Girlfriends" off her new self titled album (September 2008) is just a great song. Following a theme with many of the songs on this mix, the simple and down to Earth message about such an every day thing that isn't heard that often is really Meiko's strength. While some of her songs are tear inducing she also has sweet and innocent tracks as might be remembered from "How Lucky We Are" on June's A Year's Worth of Treasured Trash. "I know better not to be friends with boys with girlfriends" how precious.


18. Mistletoe - Jukebox the Ghost  (lyrics)
Again, just another fantastic track from Jukebox the Ghost. It is perhaps too much of a tease to have two of their pre-recorded songs so early but who can wait for great music? As for this song, "Don't look at me like another lost soul" grapples at those heart strings out of the chorus. It's also somewhat refreshing and interesting to center a song on such a symbol rich object "Oh my mistletoe, called me up on the phone." With the holidays coming up around the corner, this is sure to be track repeated throughout the coming months.


19. My Body is a Cage - Sara Lov  (lyrics)
Covering Arcade Fire, "My Body is a Cage" by Sara Lov on her 5 song collection, The Young Eyes ep, has a lovely melody and somber message that is few and far between on this collection. Her voice carries the song and is probably why her version is slightly stronger than Arcade Fire. 


20. Wrecking Ball - Mother Mother  (lyrics)
Mother Mother does a great job of using imagery to stage their songs. While they are not telling a story and providing the listener with a well illustrated song they do have lovely metaphors. The image of a fist as a wrecking ball is poinant and easy to visualize. Mother Mother has definitely proven their skill and versatile song approach, which is always recognized and appreciated.

"Wrecking Ball" has been voted as a favorite by 2 users.


Bonus Track
The Right Key but the Wrong Keyhole - Charmaine Neville Band, Reggie Houston & Amasa Miller



Posted by ChipperDemon at 5:15 PM  |   1 comment
"This is another one of my favorite compilations from the handful I've listened to so far.

1. You, Me & the Bourgeoisie - The Submarines
The lilting vocals and the retro melody buzzing out of that fuzzy, faintly psychedelic guitar immediately drew me in, and the very subtle "oooh"s and "aaah"s in the background, the plinking keys, and the handclaps cemented it. This recording seems a bit lower-fidelity than it wants to be, but this is a really strong way to kick off the set.

2. Bees - Jared Mees and the Grown Children
Relaxed, breezy fun. I lean towards an acoustic guitar sound that shares this same sort of percussive quality, and the plucked strings, the jagged (almost atonal?) violin, and chipper female backing vox slather on an enormous amount of color.

3. Miserabilia - Los Campesinos!
I'm still floored that the "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed" sessions started off as just a way to hammer out some B-sides, and somehow this outstanding selection of songs (their second full-length in the same calendar year!) emerged in the process. "All Your Kayfabe Friends" is one of my current musical obsessions.

4. Anticlimax - Kat Flint
I'd be keen on the layers of vocals, handclaps, and headbobbing guitar as it is, but it's the buzzing bleat of a kazoo that really sells "Anticlimax" for me. I'd like to think I'm enough of an expert to say that I'm listening to a melodica here rather than an accordion too. I own more than my share of free-reed instruments, although I tripped while playing my old Hohner melodica in my kitchen a few months back and broke it. Sobs.

5. Midnight Blues - The Detroit Cobras
I thought I recognized "Midnight Blues" as a cover right off the bat, although nosing around Google, I'm not sure where or why I might've heard it. I'll chalk it up to general media consumption, I guess. I love, love, love its final few seconds, but "Midnight Blues" as a whole is outstanding, especially the guitar that suggestively snakes around the verses and fully uncoils to strike once the chorus rolls around.

6. Old Friend - Future Islands
I think "Old Friend" would make more of an impact if it were a minute shorter -- the chirping synthesizer and awesomely ridiculous drum machine drew me in at first but feel much too repetitive much too quickly -- but I like it.

7. Sociopath - Anya Marina
The lyrics throughout "Sociopath" are as sharp as that breezy acoustic pop hook. The vocals are breathy and sultry, and I can almost picture Anya Marina belting them out with a smirk plastered across her face and her eyes looking suggestively to the side.

8. Nobody - Jukebox the Ghost
It took "Nobody" around 45 seconds to settle in for me, but once the levee broke and the torrent of poppiness flooded in with that bouncy piano, I was hooked.

9. Crooked Teeth - Oliver Thiessen
Is that an E-bow laying down that haunting texture in the background, I wonder?

10. You & I - Ingrid Michaelson
Ukelele! What a clever choice of an instrument to help convey that wide-eyed, childlike, and giddily optimistic view of love. "You and I" is wonderfully layered, from the way the male vocals first kick in at the minute mark to the layers of harmonies that follow to the stomping and handclaps that round out the song.

11. Hayloft - Mother Mother
I kind of like the jarring way the frantic energy of the guitar instantly distinguishes "Hayloft" from the rest of the CD up to this point. The melody is terrific, but I'll admit to not being overwhelmingly crazy about the vocals.

12. I Love You - Esser
The jagged collage of "I want you but I don't know how to tell you that" pasted together piecemeal from seemingly numerous takes intrigued me instantly. An entire album of this would probably drive me nuts, but a mix CD needs something completely left-of-center like this every once in a while to throw people off.

13. You Don't Know Me (Featuring Regina Spektor) - Ben Folds
I'm a longtime fan, although I'd have to say that his solo work hasn't grabbed me as consistently as Ben Folds Five had. I fell head over heels with "You Don't Know Me" when the not-nearly-as-clever-as-it's-convinced-it-is video first started making the rounds. The mechanical beat, synth strings, and Regina Spektor's backing vocals absolutely set it apart from the traditional Ben Folds sound. I usually think of his songs as either skewing towards slow, impassioned ballads or aggressive, hypercaffeinated pop songs, and this seems so much more confident and relaxed by comparison while still being wonderfully sharp and poppy.

14. Soo Clean - St. Paul Slim
Black-uh-bong-bong. Now I know what inspired the title of November's comp. Hypervulgar and still cacklingly clever.

15. Me + Your Daughter - Natalie Portman's Shaved Head
Awesomely ridiculous synthpop. I'm seeking out an excuse to see them in Atlanta next month.

16. Total Job - The Faint
"Total Job" veers off in a very different direction than "Me + Your Daughter", but piling the synthpop delirium back-to-back works really well.

17. Boys with Girlfriends - Meiko
Neat. I think I've heard Scott's not-his-ex-girlfriend blast this on iTunes before. It's a sweet, cheery smile of a song.

18. Mistletoe - Jukebox the Ghost
Roll back the clock four decades, and "Mistletoe" note-for-note would've fit comfortably on a Beatles record. (Depending on where Professor Whoopee dialed the Wayback Machine, I could've given Elton John the nod instead, but the impassioned but buoyant piano-driven melody strikes me as owing more to The Beatles.

19. My Body is a Cage - Sara Lov
I can't claim to be all that familiar with the original -- something about The Arcade Fire always kept them out of arm's reach for me -- but this is indeed a lovely rendition.

20. Wrecking Ball - Mother Mother
I love the ascent of the poppiness. "Wrecking Ball" so starts off bright and cheery as it is, but I wasn't expecting just how euphoric the banjo-driven (!) melody would turn out to be.

21. BONUS TRACK: The Right Key but the Wrong Keyhole - Charmaine Neville Band, Reggie Houston & Amasa Miller
A very different, very unconventional, and very inspired choice for a bonus track. At least I picked up on the innuendo quickly enough, and that's more than I can say for the somewhat similarly titled "Brand New Key", if you're familiar with that one. I still don't get where rollerskates factor into "Brand New Key", though, and I believe I've even had it expressly explained to me. Oh well. I'm curious how "The Right Key but the Wrong Keyhole" would've played if saddled up next to "My Body Is a Cage" instead of "Wrecking Ball" since both songs are kinda/sorta similar thematically."

posted by Adam on Monday, March 23rd, 2009 at 1:22 PM.

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