BIRTH

Have you ever gotten the feeling that you were born at the wrong time?
Have you felt like you would be more comfortable if only you had been born in the Victorian Era, or perhaps the Roaring Twenties? It's a popular feeling, so don't feel alone. I've felt that way myself. When I was very young, I was the only one in my family who at olives. I loved eating olives so much that I thought I might have been better off being born in ancient Greece, where I had heard that they had a lot of olives. It was a stupid idea. Those sorts of ideas usually are. Usually, people are born at the exact right time – or at least that's what I've come to understand. Still, every now and then I (and probably many others) still feel that tug that says "you were born at completely the wrong time."
But instead of ancient Greece, I often feel as if I was born either two years too early or two years too late. Usually the latter; the former is a new concept that just hit me today. Either way, occasionally I feel a bit pigeonholed by the year in which I was born. When your best friends are all a few years older than you, as is everyone you've ever dated [because I have so very much experience in that field], that will happen, I suppose. But then, that's the way it goes. Some days you feel forty, some days you feel 19. Most days you just wander around looking for love. Maybe not.

Anyway, here's some music. The first of the batch is a band from way back, and the rest sound like they ought to be, but in all actuality they aren't! Golly!
Learn much from the mention of this first act, it'll change your life, or at least your social status. Knowledge is power, and all that.

Os Mutantes
Old? Check. The album I'm most familiar with came out in 1968. Weird? Check. Just listen. Foreign and obscure? Double check. This, my friends is a band of rebels from Brazil. Think of them as the Beatles, or more appropriately, as the Velvet Underground of Brazil during some of its most turbulent times. Move over, Che Guevara (yes yes, I know how irrelevant that statement is...). So, when you feel discouraged in the middle of an extremely pretentious crowd, whip out this crazy little trio and set your chin upright. Or, you know...just enjoy them or whatever. That's cool, too.

os mutantes - ando meio desligado

os mutantes - le permier bonheur

note: if you don't know who the Velvet Underground is, please, for the love of all things good and musical, find out.

Sugarcubes
Another band that will up your social status, if that's what you're about (then again, if that's what you're about you really shouldn't be listening to them). Do you know Bjork? The crazy Icelander in the goose-dress with the little-girl voice? Yes, her. This is the band that she started out in. And really, whether you like Bjork or not, they're worth checking out. Imagine all of your favorite 80's pop bands with crazy Icelandic tendencies, and you've got this one right here.
Give it a spin and see what you think. If you don't like it, at least now you can namedrop (I can't believe I keep promoting this sort of thing).

sugarcubes - birthday

[intermission]















Beirut
You know what, on second thought, no. If you haven't heard about them already, they're great. They sound like gypsies. Just go buy their album, someone else has likely already told you about them. Gulag Orkestar's the name, look it up and buy it.

Dr. Dog
All this band ever listens to is Credence Clearwater Revival on vinyl. Or at least it sounds like they do, sometimes. But then come the David-Byrne-esque cries and the slightly better than the seventies production. Still, even with those elements, if you had played this band for me and asked me what year it sounded like they jumped out of, I most definitely wouldn't have guessed 2007. It's impressive what they do, really.

dr. dog - worst trip

dr. dog - the girl

A Band of Bees
I shouldn't even have to write anything here, just listen to the song, you'll see why they're here.

band of bees - chicken payback

seriously, now, come on.

Well, that's all for now. Feelin' some age-confusion yet? Me too. Let's roll with it and see what happens.

Have a great day,
Archer

P.S.







the pipettes - i think we're alone now [yeah, that song]