Music

Lex and I have been having a friendly back and forth here about love songs. I think this is one. You may or may not…Death Cab for Cutie, “Grapevine Fires” (I particularly like this version because it is live):

When the wind picked up the fire spread
And the grapevines seemed left for dead
And the Northern sky looked like the end of days
The end of days

The wake-up call to a rented room
Sounded like an alarm of impending doom
To warn us it’s only a matter of time
Before we all burn

Before we all burn
Before we all burn
Before we all burn

We bought some wine and some paper cups
Near your daughters school when we picked her up
And drove to a cemetery on a hill
On a hill

And we watched the plumes paint the sky gray
But she laughed and danced through the field of graves
And there I knew it would be alright
That everything would be alright

Would be alright
Would be alright
Would be alright

And the news reports on the radio
Said it was getting worse
As the ocean air fanned the flames
But I couldn’t think
Of anywhere I would of rather been
To watch it all burn away

To burn away

And the firemen worked in double shifts
With prayers for rain on their lips
And they knew it was only a matter of time

L-R: Suffeli (laulu, kitara) Milla (rummut) Salla (basso) Maria (kitara, taustalaulu)

More outstanding girl rock. Thee Ultra Bimboos are (or were) an all-girl punk/pop/garage rock band from the frozen wasteland of Finland. All the songs on here are good. But one called “Liar, Liar” is just killer — big punk rock guitar sound, and beautiful harmony vocals on the chorus. It is almost like garage rock meets bluegrass or something. I listened to it about ten times and decided to share.

(Special girl rock bonus for our readers: Kim Shattuck‘s handpicked Best of the Muffs.)

As long-time readers know, I live for girl-rock. My greatest rave has been Lisa Marr, who has been far too quiet lately, with The Muffs, featuring the glorious Kim Shattuck, a close second. And we must not forget Angela from the unjustly obscure Cutters (check out “Postcards”). Nor can we overlook Kitty from the Kowalskis (check “Kiss me One More Time”).

I recently gave a listen to Visqueen. I suppose I ignored them because when they opened for The Muffs in Chicago, a show I missed because of work, grrrr, my wife didn’t like them. She was standing there with our friend, a living encyclopedia and oracle of Rock, who said to her, disdainfully, “you don’t get it do you? They’re channeling Heart”. Good insight, but a Heart in a world where punk rock already happened. Go to the Visqueen MySpace page, and listen to “Ward”, which is a great song.

Rachel, the singer, has a key strength for any girl singer. She knows how to sing the word “baby”.

Read more