Rocksongs And Other Concerns

I’m on the verge of turning thirty-five. I still love rock music and new music – but I am increasingly self-conscious of the ways and means by which it is acquired. Thanks to my little brother – who visited recently – I had a chance to replenish my supplies and re-introduce some music to a generation somewhat lacking in musical literacy. Among the titles exchanged between generations X and Y:

Devo – My brother had never heard of them at all. A CD of ‘Are We Not Men?’ was added to his stack at the nearby record shop, and hopefully another group of youngsters can groove to this spastic nerd-rock from the art-school lads from Cleveland, circa 1978.

Neutral Milk Hotel, “King of Carrot Flowers, Part 1” – This indispensable masterpiece from Jeff Magnum is a reminder that, with the right arrangement and delivery a heart-shattering, timeless song can still defy categorization. I’d heard tracks from NMH before, but my brother had the sense to add it to a mix.

Art Brut – There's always a place for funny, smart-alecky British punk.

Jose Gonzalez, “Heatbeats” – Seethe, if necessary, at the fact that this dreamlike folk song was included in an award-worthy commercial from a major corporation. (Requires Quicktime, and entirely worth the click.) But it’s still an unforgettable song.

The Kinks, “Village Green Preservation Society” – This title track song is both a sly definition of conservatism and a tune that sticks in your head. It’s a forgotten British invasion relic that now takes, surprisingly, an almost academic amount of cultural literacy to decode. Once upon a time it just probably played on the jukebox.