5-4-Fri: Songs

For your diversion and entertainment, this week the management presents five songs you may wish to enjoy:

1. "L.E.S. Artistes" by Santigold. She used to be known as Santogold until a few months ago when she force-fit her first name back into her moniker, but this song is pure gold no matter what she's called. Insanely infectious hook, driving punk "rap" that references Blondie and Gwen Sefani, and an articulation style (plus electronic clapping!) that echoes DEVO. Here's a sample of the lyrics:

I'm here for myself
Not to know you
I don't need no one else
Fit in so good the hope is that you cannot see me later
You don't know me
I am an introvert an excavator
I'm duckin' out for now
a face in dodgy elevators

2. "She Said, She Said" by the Black Keys. Okay, normally, I believe that anyone who covers the Beatles should be shot or otherwise punished by some kind of musical Sharia Law. But, this is an example of one group taking an iconic song and making it wholly their own. Plus, HOW did the Beatles write lyrics and licks that would make any modern alt-group proud:

I said "Even though you know what you know
I know that I'm ready to leave
'Cause you're making me feel like I've never been born."

3. "Take Me to the Riot" by Stars. I am thinking of playing Den Mother to a Tape Club in 2009 and this song would definitely be on my mix tape. Sounds to me like what would have happened if Steven Morrissey had been in a band with a female co-singer. Also, I am really am a sucker for that classic rock song structure that goes: start soft in the verse, get loud on the chorus, get soft again:

You despise me and I love you
It's not much but it's just enough to keep
Saturday nights in neon lights, Sunday in the cell
Pills enough to make me feel ill, cash enough to make me well
Take me, take me to the riot

4. "Fit But You Know It" by The Streets. Who knew the Brits could rap? I absolutely love the post-Ska sensitivity The Streets brings to this song and it is both freeing and charming that Michael Skinner is doing rap without trying to be inner-city Black, which cripples a lot of otherwise promising rap(ish) music. Proof of lyrical cleverness:

I didn't wanna' bowl over all geezer and rude
(Not rude like good, but just rude like uncouth)
You girls think you can just flirt and it comes to you;
Well let me tell you, you see, yes, yes, you ARE really rude
(And rude as in good), I knew this as you stood and queued,
But I just did NOT wanna give the satisfaction to you.

5. "Help, I'm Alive" by Metric. I heard this first on the always-awesome KEXP, Seattle's radio masterpiece, which provides the streaming goodness to us East-Coasters. Canada's Metric has a nice mix of good ole guitar-driven rock and synthesizer New Wave vibe. This song switches back and forth between both to good effect. In a weird way, I am reminded of Lucinda Williams' complaint that she remains standing after getting dumped. Check the lyrics:

I tremble
They’re gonna eat me alive
If I stumble
They’re gonna eat me alive
Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer, beating like a hammer
Help, I’m alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer

PS - Thanks, again, to Steve Jobs and the boys at Apple for -- despite the complaints about iTunes -- getting me back into High School listening mode. Oh, and "Obstacle 1" by Interpol is a list-worthy song that sounds like David Bowie were still recording aggressive stuff in NYC instead of settling down to a life of Pop Icon with Iman; now playing on iTunes.