Don't Forget To Dance

“Let’s Go Get Stoned” by Joe Cocker

HAPPY HOLIDAY!

It’s been a while. I haven’t forgotten you. I hope you haven’t forgotten me. I will return again soon. In the meantime, do as Joe Cocker says.

When you work so hard all the day long
And everything you do seems to go wrong
Just drop by my place on your way home
Let’s go get stoned

DFTD’s Favorite Albums of 2009: Fanfarlo, Reservoir

Earlier this year, both allenskyy and I, separately and without consultation, posted different songs off Fanfarlo’s debut album Reservoir (1,2). Well, actually, I just spaced that month and missed a bunch of posts, allenskyy’s Fanfarlo post included. So when I discovered this awesome Bowie-trumpeted album, I thought, heck, this should make a great DFTD post. Little did i know it already had.

And it does again, because with this post I am solidifying Fanfarlo, Reservoir’s place among Don’t Forget to Dance’s Favorite Albums of 2009. It’s just what the doctor ordered for that too-long gap between Arcade Fire and Beirut albums.

Strap on your New Years hats and red suspenders cuz there’s only one more day to go in 2009 and there’s no way better to start the celebration than dancing along to Fanfarlo’s “The Walls Are Coming Down”.

The ships the ships are coming in,
The great ideas are wearing thin,
There is nothing left to do.

DFTD’s Favorite Albums of 2009: Datarock, Red

Ten years ago I would never have dreamt I’d ever find myself listening to a Norwegian dance-punk group, let alone recommending their third studio album as one of the year’s best. But that is just what I’m doing.

After hearing “Molly” here on DFTD in a June 1st joefro post, Datarock’s Red, released around the same time, steadily crept up my iTunes playlist until it reached a semi-permanent place on my 16GB iPod Touch (I don’t switch up the music on it often- I much prefer to listen to albums over and over until I have all the lyrics memorized - it’s a sickness). There it stays, getting massive play on both my headphones and my speakers at work (sorry gang ;).

Equal parts Talking Heads, Atari, Casio and the nerd band at the end of Revenge of the Nerds, this homage-heavy album is the ’80s fan’s dream. There’s the aforementioned “Molly” (about Molly RIngwald, who else?), the much talked about “True Stories” (all its lyrics taken from Talking Heads song titles), and of course the song of this post, “Amarillion”.

“Amarillion” is the perfect ’80s movie companion song. If I mixed it into a soundtrack from a movie of that era, you probably wouldn’t know it didn’t belong. Because it does belong. As does Datarock’s Red on my Best of 2009 list.

I wanna hold your hands tonight
I wanna walk you home from school
I wanna take you on a date
I wanna treat you like a fool

“White Feather” by Wolfmother

The new Wolfmother album is out along with an almost totally new Wolfmother. If you didn’t know already, the original lineup split back in August ‘08 after only one album, citing, “irreconcilable personal and musical differences.” After a short hiatus, lone remaining member, lead singer and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, formed a new group under the same moniker.

The just released Cosmic Egg features the same retro 60s/70s psychedelic and prog rock we all loved from the first album. This time, however, instead of just channelling Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Black Sabbath, Wolfmother has broadened their sound to include songs reminiscent of The Who, Pink Floyd and even Blue Oyster Cult.

Crank up the volume and ask a veteran to dance along while you cut a rug to Wolfmother’s “White Feather” off their sophomore album, Cosmic Egg.

You step to the left, you step to the the left on your dancing feet, now.
Dancing feet, I can’t compete now with with your dancing feet, now.

“New Wu” by Raekwon ft. Method Man & Ghostface Killah

Just when I thought rap was completely taken over by Kanye and his poppy copycats, the Army of the Wu comes through and shows how it’s really done. With Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2, Raekwon pulls off another top-to-bottom classic. Joined by every living member of the original Wu (except U-God whose character was killed off on the first Only Built…), Rae makes me feel like it’s the mid-90s all over again when NYC rap was at its peak and there were still new sounds coming out of the rap world.

Is this a sign of things to come or just a last gasp until rap’s eventual death? I certainly hope the former. I also certainly hope that you will be dancing along as you listen to “New Wu” by Raekwon.

Just what the block missing
The two-seater wit the top missing
And two divas wit they tops missing
Now that’s living to me
I’m what these kids is killing to be
But I don’t want my children to be

“Psalms 40:2” by The Mountain Goats

What’s this? Another Mountain Goats album? Yes, that’s right. John Darnielle is as prolific as he is good. In the past his albums have been about travelling, California, Florida, breaking up and growing up in a violently dysfunctional family. This time he tackles everyone’s favorite fiction best seller - the Bible. In fact, each of the songs on The Life of the World to Come is named for the Bible verse that it relates to. Do you need to know the Bible to enjoy the album? Definitely not. Just as you don’t need to believe in the underlying religions to learn from the Bible’s teachings, you don’t need to know the Bible verses to understand what he’s singing about or to enjoy the music.

So put the Bible back under that one short table leg and instead start tapping the toes on your short dancing leg while listening to “Psalms 40:2” by The Mountain Goats.

Each morning new.
Each day shot through.
With all the sharp small shards of shrapnel,
That seem to burst out of me and you.

“Pa Pa Power” by Dead Man’s Bones

Right in time for the spookiest of holidays (no, not Easter - though a holiday based on a zombie Jesus is pretty spooky) comes Dead Man’s Bones’ debut album… Dead Man’s Bones. If you feel as I do that tunes featuring children’s choirs and about werewolves, zombies, graves, creepy crawlies and love make for wonderful listening, then you’ll certainly enjoy this album.

Oh, did I forget to mention that it is the passion project of actor Ryan Gosling and some other dude? No? Well it is. Deal with it.

We won’t destroy you.
No, we will not destroy you.

“Don’t Build the Bridge” by Immaculate Machine

Wow. It’s been quite a while since my last post. I’m sure you all missed me greatly.

Things have been moving pretty quickly, and as the late John Hughes wrote, “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Who wants to miss life? Certainly not I! But I also don’t want to forget to dance. I mean, Ferris Bueller didn’t - even on his day off!!

So with that in mind, here’s a little ditty from an album I’ve been listening to a lot lately, “Don’t Build the Bridge” by Immaculate Machine off their 2009 LP High on Jackson Hill.

Don’t build the bridge,
If you don’t want to let the riff-raff over!

“Beneath Your Tree” by Bowerbirds

New Bowerbirds album! YAY!

Not due out until sometime in July, Upper Air finds Bowerbirds on a new label, Dead Oceans, and with a new percussionist, Matt Damron. Damron joins Beth Tacular and Phil Moore on a wonderful, mellow, heartfelt nu-folk album that continues where 2007’s Hymns for a Dark Horse left off.

I have this album on repeat.

“Film Noir” by The Gaslight Anthem

These guys have apparently been on a lot of 2008 best of lists, but until a few weeks ago I hadn’t heard of them, though I’m sure some of you have. If you haven’t, and if you like glorified bar bands like Springstein (they’re even from right around where E-Street is) and The Hold Steady, then you’ll enjoy rocking out to their debut album - The ‘59 Sound.

I’m all washed out by the side of the road
Broken bones, Matilda left a note and a rose
Saying “Baby, honey child, I love you so long but you deserve much better than me”