In 2010 The National appeared on the Music Court’s incipient end-of-the-year countdown. “Bloodbuzz Ohio” reached the eight spot, and, three years ago on Dec. 22 I wrote the following about the song:
When the lyric, voice and instrumentation all join together to struggle with the same concept that the song represents, well, that demonstrates musical experience and intelligence, two things that The National has a lot of.
“Bloodbuzz Ohio” probably deserved a higher placement on the 2010 list. I’m making up for that now. “Don’t Swallow the Cap,” a single off of the National’s sixth studio album Trouble Will Find Me (May 17, 2013), is a perfect demonstration of the above quotation. The new album, which was recorded in New York (north of NYC), debuted at #3 on the US Billboard 200, the same spot as the band’s 2010 release High Violet. While both releases are similar in content and ratings, the new album represents an expected maturation for the band, and this musical efficacy is best displayed in “Don’t Swallow the Cap,” the #3 song on the Music Court’s 2013 list.
One of the rare negative reviews of Trouble Will Find Me stated that the music seemed emotionally dry. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, the melancholic baritone of Matt Berninger is even more saturated with driving, lachrymose rhythms and candid, painful lyrics. It is easy to be deceived, though, because it does seem that the musicians in the National are finally comfortable with who they are. Comfort does often lead to complacency, but for the National it has led to newfound puissance.
While Berninger’s distinctive baritone absorbs the vast majority of the National’s praise, it is essential to point out the two sets of brothers who lay the groove and hold down the musical fort with adroitness. Aaron and Bryce Dessner, who also produced the album, take care of the guitar and airy keyboard that provide the complement to Berninger’s somber vocal. Scott Devendorf helps drive the rhythm forward with an effective bass guitar, and his brother Bryan is responsible for the persistent drumbeat. For the first 30 seconds of “Don’t Swallow the Cap,” the band is in full force. Perhaps most impressive in the song’s inception are the effervescent keyboard sounds that are high-pitched (relatively) and alien-like. The sounds set an eldritch scene, one that Berninger snugly fits into when he opens his mouth.
“Don’t Swallow the Cap” is yet another quintessential lugubrious lyric that features such gems as “I have only two emotions, Careful fear and dead devotion” and “Don’t think anybody I know is awake.” It’s a song about loss and grieving, and Berninger’s croon glides throughout the song like a figure skater, effortlessly manipulating the thin ice. Excellent song by an excellent band.
We are immersed in the New Year’s Holiday and perhaps the greatest part of it is the Twilight Zone marathon on SciFi or Syfy (they change the name of their channel often). I plan on sitting back and enjoying each episode all day long. Seriously, no episode of this the Twilight Zone is bad. Rod Serling, Binghamton native (by the way), was an absolute genius.
So, let me take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful New Years. Your support is invaluable and I hope you have enjoyed the blog over the past year. I will strive to improve it even more over the upcoming year. There is always room for improvement, of course. I am happy to hear any suggestions or comments you have. Feel free to e-mail me at musiccourt@gmail.com.
I would also be honored to have you like the Music Court on Facebook. You can access the page through this link:
Also, please follow me on twitter. My handle is “musiccourt”
Over the past few weeks I have put together a countdown honoring the best 11 songs of 2010. If you have missed any of the song reviews during the countdown, do not fret. Below, I will provide a short rundown of the countdown with links to each review. Enjoy some of the best songs of 2010 before you toast to a New Year!
Number 11
“Tighten Up” by The Black Keys
I Said:
Yes, Frank is infectious, but so is the opening whistle, catchy riff, excellent bass and drum portion (Pat Carney at his best). The song is excellently put together, clean, but rugged. The mini-solo that repeats throughout the song serves as a shaking breakdown (or Frank dance portion). Because, as we all know, Frank is a Funkasaurus Rex.”
This is a 5-minute work of genius. Notice how we immediately are introduced to a wacky string section that already hits us with the Grizzly Bear sound. And when they erupt into the acoustic chords and normal string section it is as if we have been sent back in time. The string coordination is beautiful. Chris Chu’s voice appears in the first verse and, just like an ocean wave, douses listeners with water infused with vocal goodness. The harmony prior to the chorus is so British harmonizing it is absolutely scary. The lyric is not shabby either.
The band lives on vocal harmony. That is how they evoke their feelings. And, they have always done this well. But, by adding more instruments they have created an even more dynamic presence on stage. Now they pair more complex instrumentation with their harmonies. This provides a sound that hits you on multiple levels. This is why “Infinite Arms” works. The end of the song features the combination and it sounds like the puzzle pieces have been put together. It is form fitting. The song then fades beautifully.
The song is immediately depressing. The charcoal video is paired with Berninger’s gloomy voice, dark but level, and a solemn loneliness that immediately presents itself after the drummed opening. The squirming repetition is almost as uncomfortable as Berninger’s drunkenness throughout the video. But, please don’t take that the wrong way. Songs are occasionally supposed to move you out of your comfort song. If you listen to pure mainstream you never get the opportunity to experience different music. And this is exactly what “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is. It is representative of a band that may be slightly out of your normal listening zone. So expand it and taste something that nears on acerbic and austere, but still maintains a hook and melodic quality that draws you in.
Then the pre-chorus hits you with a wall of sound that just comes out of nowhere. Suddenly you are being hit by an orchestral sound before the chorus (or what seems like the chorus) hits you with this Bowie-like “Ashes to Ashes” segment. Then a sing-a-long and a flute. You stop and think to yourself, what the hell is going on? And that is when I first realized that this is a good piece of psychedelic music.
Gorillaz often do an exceptional job combining visual and auditory stimulants that excite and please the listener. Like I implied above, listening to a Gorillaz song and watching any released visual material is like watching a short film. Art and music are combined effortlessly.
It successfully blends two different genres of music effortlessly. It is so impressive. It may have been hard to find, but Broken Bells found and mastered the high road.
“Another New World” is the album’s chef d’oeuvre. It is a close to eight minute wonder. Seriously, the song is spectacle. Josh Ritter and his Royal City Band (his often forgotten tour/studio musicians) produce an epic.
“Fuck You” is a warped Motown song. Everything from the old-school video with the corny dance moves to the call and response to the soul swing and vocal. It’s funky and fun. Cee Lo Green displays his vocal range and at times even introduces humor into the song. It is bright Motown with a spiteful “Fuck You.”
The chorus is infectious. It’s like a disease. For days you are singing “let me come home.” And then the band adds an instrumental breakdown. The horns are matched with shouts of home and then a vocal end.
Before the song ends, Matsson holds out the word “the” in this vocal climax that is shattering. It is also a perfect way for me to end this countdown. There is an animation in Matsson’s croon that is warm, inviting and aggressive. This is a true strength in his music. He is a folk musician who can provide the erupting emotion that Spector’s “wall of sound” does, but with only himself and a guitar. He is a one-man-band who is significantly stronger then mostly all of his five or more band counterparts. That is an impressive feat. Heck, he might actually be the “King of Spain”
Last year at around this time in December I was summing up a decade of music. Today premieres a preview of the top songs of 2010, a post category that will run from December 20 – December 30 (Skipping the Sunday in between). Each day will feature a different song in a running countdown to the best song of 2010. Please understand this disclaimer. All opinions expressed in this list (especially order of songs) are opinions. That’s right. So, if you have another song that you believe deserved a spot, post it in a comment and let’s talk. Also, be nice. It’s New Years and Christmas and overall merriment should be the pervasive thought during this season.
Anyway, before I travel home tomorrow (today marked the official end of Fall semester of my senior year at Binghamton University), I wanted to leave you with the #11 song on my 2010 countdown. The list is made up of 11 songs to mark our transition into 2011 and to hold true to the “one for good luck” axiom. I know. Aren’t I witty? Okay, not really. Let’s get to some music.
We kick off our list with a song about a dinosaur. Well, no, it’s not about a dinosaur, but Frank, the Black Keys’ puppet dinosaur, does star in the video for this catchy rock tune. Take a listen:
Yes, Frank is infectious, but so is the opening whistle, catchy riff, excellent bass and drum portion (Pat Carney at his best). The song is excellently put together, clean, but rugged. The mini-solo that repeats throughout the song serves as a shaking breakdown (or Frank dance portion). Because, as we all know, Frank is a Funkasaurus Rex.
I shook the 8-ball and out of the mysterious liquid realm came a suggestion to pick “Bloodbuzz Ohio” by The National as the eighth song on our Top 11 list. All hail the mighty 8-ball. Putting aside my idolatry for the black circle of broad responses, I believe the 8-ball made the correct choice. Is it odd that I had previously written “Bloodbuzz Ohio” in as the number eight song of the year?
Song: “Bloodbuzz Ohio”
Band: The National
When The National released High Violetin May of 2010 something clicked with the national public. Prior to its release, this 11-year-old Indie rock band, led by baritone Matt Berninger, had released four previous albums. Boxer, released in 2007, charted highest in Finland, reaching the 23rd spot. The National swam in the sea of under appreciation for talented bands releasing good material. But, after High Violet hit, led by an excellent full-album performance highlighted by the song we are featuring today, people started taking notice. The song charted practically everywhere, reaching the #3 spot in the United States (where The National only hit #68 with Boxer). To this date, High Violet has sold 400,000 copies worldwide and has gone silver in the UK and gold in Ireland. 11 tracks for an 11 year history. The band finally now gets to experience some deserved recognition.
The National formed in Cincinnati. Berninger’s croon and lyric are the staples that hold the band together. But, the band also consists of two sets of brothers, the Dessners and Devendorfs, who create the band’s wonderful instrumentation. Padma Newsome, from The Clogs, often contributes keyboards and strings (which she does for “Bloodbuzz Ohio” which we will begin to discuss…right now!)
Let me share a brief preface before you settle into the piece. The song is a tenebrous masterpiece, melancholic in voice, video and music. The lyric delves into the topic of traveling back home and it certainly opens a fresh wound that bleeds out slowly onto the listener.
The song is immediately depressing. The charcoal video is paired with Berninger’s gloomy voice, dark but level, and a solemn loneliness that immediately presents itself after the drummed opening. The squirming repetition is almost as uncomfortable as Berninger’s drunkenness throughout the video. But, please don’t take that the wrong way. Songs are occasionally supposed to move you out of your comfort song. If you listen to pure mainstream you never get the opportunity to experience different music. And this is exactly what “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is. It is representative of a band that may be slightly out of your normal listening zone. So expand it and taste something that nears on acerbic and austere, but still maintains a hook and melodic quality that draws you in.
The chorus is exceptional. It is capable of drawing incredible emotion out of you. I go back to repetition but I think this is where the true strength of the song lies. The lyrics are also repetitive. He repeats almost every line twice and maintains a few lyric openings like “I still owe money” and “I rest my eyes.” Perhaps the best moment comes when the song lifts into harmony and Berninger sings that he is on a “blood buzz.” So, what is a blood buzz?
Like I said above, the song exposes traveling back to Ohio (where he grew up). The “blood” refers to his family, his literal blood. The buzz is that feeling you get when you go home. Notice how after he sings that he is on a “blood buzz” the instrumentation fights with two conflicting musical parts. In the background is a keyboard striking 4-5 high notes, tinged with optimism. But a repetitive brash and scratchy chord attempts to cover up the sweetness. This fight represents Berninger’s lyric and character in the video. When the lyric, video, voice and instrumentation all join together to struggle with the same concept that the song represents, well, that demonstrates musical experience and intelligence, two things that The National has a lot of.
The Music Court 