When it comes to ranking Beatles albums, everyone (I included) seems to give Beatles For Sale a blind eye, perhaps due to the dearth of originals on it, the fact that it wasn’t released as an album until the CD remasters in 1987 and that it came between two great albums A Hard Day’s Night and Help!. However two of their best songs start the album, "No Reply" and “I’m A Loser” which finds Lennon at his early peak as a songwriter, both charismatic and insecure, and quite capable of making a great melody. Despite all the hoopla that always surrounds the sound quality of any recording by The Beatles, early or otherwise, these two are recorded to perfection and are fine examples of The Beatles already perfecting the pop songwriting form.
In pop music it seems that shorter is better and in this debut of a weekly series I’ve compiled a few remarkable songs that manage to transfix the listener and make them forget the brevity of the song length. Whether it’s the Revolver flavored “Tomorrow Goes Away” the absolute gem of “Cold War” the amazing vocal workout of “Why Don’t We Do it in The Road” or the quick little tongue-in-cheek “Her Majesty”. All of the above will make your day out for the better, and barely take up any of your time. Enjoy the free downloads after the jump.
Hello folks, welcome back to a brand new year of Art of the Mixtape. To help kick it off I bring you a nice bucolic little mixture of some great songs.
1. Greatest Show On Earth- The Felice Brothers
On their eponymous debut, The Felice Brothers very much earned their label of following in the tradition of Bob Dylan and The Band. Perhaps what is most impressive is their narrative ability, delivering slices of Americana in a world weary mood. However, “Greatest Show On Earth” stands out with its jaunty New Orleans infused melody. Come for the story, stay for the music.
The Dodos burst onto the San Francisco music scene with a unique drumming centric sound, but don’t let that scare you, they’re very much a rootsy rock band with a percussive twist. Many of their other songs showcase a more daring aesthetic but “Fables” is a very endearing acoustic standout with a nice vocal to boot.
You’ll be hooked from the very beginning of this number by the unfortunately little known Port O’Brien, very much a cousin to The Shins output circa “New Slang”, the guitar/vocal/drum hook is amazing.
Blake Mills came out with a very under-promoted debut and his number “Hiroshima” is delightful ear candy that grows from the likes of worthy predecessors such like the homegrown material of Paul McCartney’s McCartney and Ram, absolutely beautiful melody, before a slide guitar solo comes out of nowhere sounding like Duane Allman coming from the dead.
Detractors would say that they took this directly out of the book of previous acts like Fleet Foxes, they would be right, but they do it so well that its hardly an insult, their harmonies are gorgeous.
16. Let The Distance Keep Us Together- Spoon/ Bright Eyes
Spoon can create a great melody out of anything, but when they write great lyrics to go with it, there’s hardly a modern band that can compete with them.
Perhaps no man is better qualified to write a finger-picked acoustic piece of Americana than one who went to Oberlin and graduated with a self made major in “American History through Narrative Folk Music”
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