My eyes are watering. My throat is itchy. And I’ve been sneezing like crazy. It can only mean one thing: Spring is in the air.
Despite my allergies, I was able to appreciate a beautiful spring day here in Columbia, SC, today. And in honor of this time of renewal and revitalization, I thought I’d put together a little springtime mix. Bear in mind as you listen to this mix that when I think of Spring, I still feel a bit of the melancholy of Winter trying to hold on.
1. To Be Young - Ryan Adams
When Heartbreaker came out, it was a revelation for me. I have always been a fan of traditional country music, and of course I like rock and roll. So this record, as my first exposure to Ryan Adams, was an almost perfect mixture of the genres. Poppy enough to be completely accessible, while taking enough musical and lyrical chances to be interesting, Heartbreaker is one of my favorite records.
To Be Young is the first song on the album, and it sets the tone right away: this isn’t your daddy’s country music. The song is structured lyrically like a blues song, but the accompaniment is a modified Western swing with syncopated brushes on the snare and a tambourine driving the beat. It’s a great springtime song because of that dichotomy between the lyrical content and musical sound.
2. Today is the Day - Apollo Sunshine
If To Be Young has a mixed message, Today is the Day is nothing but positive vibes and happiness. I first discovered Apollo Sunshine as a free download over at Amazon. It was this track and another, and since then, this one has been a staple of my mixed CDs and iTunes playlists.
Not much more to say than “If that grass looks fun to roll in, then roll in that fun grass.”
3. Another Travelin’ Song - Bright Eyes
Typically a pretty depressing outfit, Conner Oberst and company manage to crank out a jolly number every once in a while. And even though Another Travelin’ Song is another case of melancholy lyrics accompanied by joyful music, I think the net feeling at the end is positive.
Musically, we’ve got another Texas two step situation. And lyrically, the loose associations seem to be a metaphor for the singer’s writer’s block. But I have to say, I love the opening line, “Well, I’m changing all my strings, I’m gonna write another travelin’ song.” It’s a great message for Spring.
4. Mushaboom - Feist
When I lived in the apartment with my old roommate, we used to set the DVR to record Subterranean on MTV2. That’s when I saw the video for Mushaboom and realized what an amazing song it is. Then tonight, when I was putting together this mix, I looked up the lyrics and realized what an appropriate song for Spring this is.
Besides the airy feeling to the instrumentation and the breathy quality of Leslie Feist’s voice, the lyrics are all about moving forward in your life (a subject I’ve been dealing with a lot recently). I can’t tell you how spot on this line is: “It may be years until the day my dreams will match up with my pay.”
5. Tall Green Grass - Cory Branan
If you haven’t been able to tell from my Friday lists, I listen to a lot of singer/songwriters (when did that become a genre??). But I’ve only got five songwriters who can do no wrong in my eyes: Bob Dylan, Mike Doughty, Sarah Harmer, Tom Waits, and Cory Branan.
Cory Branan gets compared to Conner Oberst and Ryan Adams a lot, but for my money he is beyond both of them. He has an economy of style that both of those guys can’t match. Branan’s words serve his music serves his songs better than just about anybody I’ve ever heard writing, and it’s a crime he’s not better known.
I first heard Tall Green Grass as a live recording with just Cory and an acoustic guitar (as most of his live performances are) before his album 12 Songs came out. In that recording, he tells this great story about the day he wrote the song: eating fried chicken with some friends and playing basketball in his cowboy boots against some eight year olds. So he writes this song about being in love and up to no good in an idyllic country setting. It’s one of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard at capturing such a specific mood. The man can write.
I hope your first few days of Spring have been as nice as mine down here in South Carolina. I’m hoping my allergies decide to go easy on me this year since I’ve moved into one of those new-construction subdivisions with no trees. We’ll see.
