Red Cave :: Yeasayer

So apparently there's this band Yeasayer and I thought I wasn't super into their music so I didn't really pay much attention to their stuff.

Then I go to an LVC event and one of the houses sings an acapella version of Red Cave and I am hooked. The song is in my head for days, and I can't figure out where the song came from. Is it an old folk tune? Is it from some communist song book? Then I finally hit on the right combination of search words and find out that it's by Yeasayer off their old album "All Hour Cymbals," how embarrassing for me!

Regardless, it's an excellent song. The song is structured in a round, and there's something almost primal about It reminds me of singing with your head thrown back at the top of your lungs under a starry night sky on a crisp fall night around a fire with your nearest and dearest. For you listening pleasure I've included links to both a live version of the song and the actual recording. I was tempted to provide you with multiple versions of the song live, but then I remembered that I am not the only one who can use youtube, and you might not be as hooked on the song as I am.





Lyrics

I went out past the willow and the well
caught my breath upon the hill
at the edge of the domain

and I went down
and further down
and when I got up,
I'm at the red cave

and with that sound
as if I had been put under a spell
she led me to her whirlpool
warm despite a winter's day

Mary's house in the hollow of the
white hazel rapid whirlpool
and the church of the red cave

I'm so blessed to
have spent that time
with my family and the friends
I love with my short life i have met
so many people I deeply care for

I'm so blessed to
have spent that time
with my family and the friends
I love with my short life I have met
so many people I deeply care for

The Loneliness Song :: Best Friends Forever

I heard this song a couple years ago on The Current, and I really dug it then, but it never really made it onto my iPod until a couple days ago (why???? I dunno!!!). Best Friends Forever is a band from Minneapolis, composed of two actual BFFs ('best friends forever'). They've been BFFs for 13 years. This song is a dialogue between the two of them, sort of a BFF love song. They are great. CLICK HERE for their myspace profile. And CLICK HERE for the story about them on Minnesota Public Radio.

I couldn't find the lyrics online. But my favorite part is where one says, "How do you know what to spread on my toast? / And how do you know the toppings I like on my piiiiiiiza??" So cute. I love songs about friendship.

Loose Lips :: Kimya Dawson

During the break I got to see the movie Juno with my friend Mugsie completely by accident. And that was good because it was an excellent movie. It introduced me to the music of Kimya Dawson, of the Moldy Peaches. Because of the generally amazing soundtrack of the movie, I purchased it on iTunes and have ended up playing Loose Lips 25 times already.

The lyrics are both silly and meaningful, which is quite an accomplishment. The song reminds me of friendships I've had/have, of activism, of just living. And it's a great singalong song. Really, I don't have anymore to say about the song. I've been enjoying it a lot the past week so I'll let it speak for itself.

Loose lips might sink ships but loose gooses take trips
To San Francisco, double dutch disco
Tech TV hottie, do it for Scotty
Do it for the living and do it for the dead
Do it for the monsters under your bed
Do it for the teenagers and do it for your mom
Broken hearts hurt but they make us strong, and

We won't stop until somebody calls the cops
And even then we'll start again and just pretend
That nothing ever happened
We won't stop until somebody calls the cops
And even then we'll start again and just pretend
That nothing ever happened

We're just dancing, we're just hugging
Singing, screaming, kissing, tugging
On the sleeve of how it used to be
How's it gonna be?

I'll drop kick Russell Stover
Move into the starting over house
And know Matt Rouse and Jest
Are watching me achieve my dreams

And we'll pray all damn day, every day
That all this shit our president has got us in will go away
While we strive to figure out a way we can survive
These trying times without losing our minds

So if you wanna burn yourself
Remember that I LOVE YOU
And if you wanna cut yourself
Remember that I LOVE YOU
And if you wanna kill yourself
Remember that I LOVE YOU
Call me up before you're dead
We can make some plans instead
Send me an IM, I'll be your friend

Shysters live from scheme to scheme
And my 4th quarter pipe dreams
Are seeming more and more worth fighting for
So I'll curate some situations, make my job a big vacation
And I'll say FUCK BUSH AND FUCK THIS WAR
My war paint is sharpie ink
And I'll show you how much my shit stinks
And ask you what you think
Because your thoughts and words are powerful
They think we're disposable
Well both my thumbs opposable
Are spelled out on a double word
And triple letter score

We won't stop until somebody calls the cops
And even then we'll start again and just pretend
That nothing ever happened
We won't stop until somebody calls the cops
And even then we'll start again and just pretend
That nothing ever happened

We're just dancing, we're just hugging
Singing, screaming, kissing, tugging
On the sleeve of how it used to be

Better Already :: Northern State

I'm not super familiar with Northern State, other than they are hip-hop-ish and they are cool. My friend Kelly sent me the video for this song and she said it reminded her of me... was it the s'mores? the unicorns? or the super-gay rainbows and lightning bolts? Or maybe it's been all the shit we've had to go through just to ride the Friend-Ship together.

Or it could be my ten-month journey to recovering from a identity-shattering breakup. After all the b.s. I went through, I didn't even know who I was anymore. I felt about 90 years old, and I finally had to admit to myself and my friends that I could no longer take care of myself. They pulled me up, dragged me out, introduced me to people, and made me laugh when all I wanted to do was die. I dedicated my life at that point to getting "better": I took the summer off, went camping, spent a week in DC, and really began to live for the first time in my life.

Here's the video, it's super zany:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBVt5Hlgyuk






We don't have to leave the living room to have a good time-
Everywhere we go- people want to know-
We don't have to leave the living room to have a good time�K

Get ready, already, no time to waste
No matter what we do it's still the case
We're stuck in one place
Like I'm standing on your shoelace
We come face to face or
Stand back to back
We trick the train to stay on track

And we don't have to leave the living room to have a good time!

We going way out- now
We gonna head down- now
Singing hey now-
Call when you're on my block
at the end of your luck so-

we getting on we getting better already
the truth be told you're know we're better already
uh oh oh uh oh oh oh
we getting on we getting better already

gotta get out of my own way so I could go my own way
say what I wanna say on audio delay
move my mouth and throw my voice
retrace my steps, my choice, my plan
begin again where we began

And we don't have to leave the living room to have a good time!

We going way out- now
We gonna head down- now
Singing hey now-
Call when you're on my block
at the end of your luck so-

we getting on we getting better already
the truth be told you know we're better already
uh oh oh uh oh oh oh
we getting on we getting better already

Hey! Hey!

Deep water, deep cracks, deep holes and deep creases
Deep sleeping dreams of broken pieces
Pick them up and make them fit
Quit or don't quit. Get even, some new shit can you believe in.

we getting on we getting better already
the truth be told you know we're better already
uh oh oh uh oh oh oh
we getting on we getting better already (x2)

We don't have to leave the living room to have a good time-
Everywhere we go- people want to know-
We don't have to leave the living room to have a good time�K