“Among six billion people
I want the ones who never wanted me”

That’s probably the most devastating and sincere line that I’ve heard for years. There is no hope for a future healthy relationships with the father, only a monologue of a defeated son who’s sought all his life for his father’s approval. The adjective heavy fits perfectly in here, when dealing with such a great deal of emotion evolving in our family complexity and the constant insecurity and loneliness, even throughout the adulthood.

2. The Twilight Sad – That Summer, At Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy

This is an interesting choice for a song title and it serves well its atmosphere and tension. We can see a dysfunctional home with “a strong father figure” but in contrary to Menomena, this lyrics is terrifying and the images could be taken out of a horror movie.

“Kids are on fire, in the bedroom”

This text can be very enigmatic and elusive, but the primal emotion is out there and you can feel it in every word and note.

3. Johnny Cash – A Boy Named Sue

Mr. Cash was always a great storyteller. This song is a developing tale, somewhere in the middle between a grotesque comedy and an old time western. In a nutshell, the boy named Sue suffers from being a laughing stock because his girly name. He sees it as a sick joke from his abandon old man. After years to come he decides to have his revenge. Look out for the live version in Folsom part and you’ll understand it’s much more than a song – it’s a story only someone like Johnny Case can tell without being boring for a second.

4. Neil Young – Old Man

I put this in here only because I think many people still believe this song is about Young’s father, Scott Young – will it isn’t. On his infamous acoustic show at Massey Hall in 1971, Neil introduced a first version of this song to the audience. He told about the ranch he just bought around that time. There was an awkward moment when his father asked him if this song is actually a tribute to him. When he heard the actual story his comment had only one vowel: “oh”.

5. Wolf Parade – You Are a Runner and I Am My Father’s Son

Following Menomena’s song there’s a line:
“You ate up all my breadcrumbs,
Now I’m lost alone inside your cave”

The son feels he’s got nowhere to go or follow because his father hadn’t left any trials. In here the vibe is a bit different but not as different as you may think – the son hints he’s going to follow his father’s footsteps blindly, although his father already had left his family. The title suggests the narrator is no different from his father now.

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What more can I write about Daniel Johnston that haven’t been written? Johnston is both a musical genius and a sad story. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. On top of that he took way too many drugs than he could ever handle, which unsurprisingly only made his mental condition even worse.

Johnston was deeply in love with Laurie Allen, which was his long-time muse and obsession. He had never denied that a great deal of his song are greatly inspired by her.

His love to Laurie was indeed an impossible love. Here are a few words from the documentary – Daniel Johnston and the devil:
“He started following her around with a tape recorder and begging Laruie to say ‘I love you Dan’ which eventually she does. She has no idea he is massively obsessed with her. That’s the kind of love that he needed to have. He needed to have a love which he couldn’t successfully connect up with. He had to have a thing he can chase but couldn’t have. So when she marries someone else it was even better because then he can really pine, she was gone.”

2. The Decembrists – We Both Go Down Together

This one is a modern Romeo and Juliet story – two lovers from a different background and an impossible love which is not meant to be. The song title implies for the tragic ending – a possible suicide of the two.

3. Nick Cave – Mermaids

On his last tour (2013) Nick Cave used to host kids choir for a few of his songs. One of these songs was Mermaids. Unfortunately he had a really hard time finding kids for his European tour. Unsurprisingly most of the kids parents weren’t zeal to hear their kids singing lines such as: “I was the match that would fire up her snatch”. Cave is infamous for his graphic and sexual themed lyrics and this song is no exception. I won’t linger about this lyrics because any attempt to interpret Cave’s lyrics will be futile.

4. The Smiths – Hand in Glove

Homosexuality, strangeness, loneliness (all over again). Yada Yada Yada.

5. The Beautiful South – Don’t Marry Her

This song had two small but profound modifications from its original for the radio friendly version. First, the original line was ‘don’t marry her fuck me’. That fact is well-known and It was censored and substituted by ‘have me’. To say the least, the song lost its meaning with only one word. Second the line - ”She’ll grab your sweaty bollocks” Was changed to - ”She’ll grab your Sandra Bullocks”

To be honest, in this case I think the change is even better.

The post Songs about forbidden and impossible love appeared first on Music Charger.

According to this song the best way to fight loneliness is by denial – smile all the time, lie to others and mostly to yourself, laugh at every joke and surround yourself with people. We are lonely by nature, but we found solace in the little things – a good company and even the daily routine. The truth is if you fake it all the time you’ll eventually believe it.

2. Elbow – The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver

Frustration, desperation and longing – this song got it all. I read an old interview with Guy Garvey, the band’s frontman, who told the story about his brother in law who had been to a pub and met a men who was a tower crane driver. He was very arrogant and proud about his occupation and couldn’t stop talking about how much money he made. By the end of the night and after a few more beers he confessed about his loneliness. His colleagues knew he was making more money than them and they have tried to avoid him. He had no friends on site and by the end of the day he was left alone.
In the song itself, the line “Gotta get out of TV” refers to Guy’s sister who found it difficult working on the TV industry and was very miserable and lonely as well.

3. John Frusciante – Song to Sing When I’m Lonely

John’s explanation about the influence for this song and the album in particular for was: “I guess most of these songs on Shadows Collide with People were mostly written out of some kind of unhappiness I suppose. In general I feel pretty happy to be alive and even when I write sad songs it seems like they come out of some clear state of mind that comes from basically thinking about myself and about things. In my life there has been so much extreme sadness, I’d say especially during the few years that I wasn’t in the band. Extreme loneliness or extreme sadness or just extreme complete disconnection from the world. Those emotions are still very much a part of me, and so I think when I write songs those things go into them.”

4. The Mountain Goats – Get Lonely

When Pitchfork’s journalist, Tom Breihan, introuduced himself to John Darnielle, The Mountain Goats singer and writer, their conversation was kinda weird. Danielle asked him if he has a girlfriend, and when he replied positively he received the following answer:
“I hope she leaves you. Then you’ll understand it” (regarding his latest album- “Get lonely”).
This anecdote may give a small taste of Darnielle’s world and perhaps his unique sense of humor.

5. Rodriguez – Cause

In this great documentary from Searching For Sugarman Rodriguez former producer is talking about this beautiful sad song:
“This absolutely a killer. One of the saddest songs that I’ve ever heard. It really makes me sad because it’s the last song that we recorded and that was the last song that Rodriguez ever recorder. What makes it even sadder was that the album was released in November 1971. We expected big things and it did absolutely nothing. And then two weeks before Christmas Sussex (the label) dropped him of the label. And the very first lines of the song as if premenision was:
‘And I lost my job two weeks before Christmas’ “

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Here are three fun facts about Mudhoney:

1. The original band was formed on high school and was called “Mr. Epp and the Calculations” after their Math teacher (Hey, what about a band called Mr. White?)

2. Mr. Epp were “rewarded” as “the worst band in the world” on KZAM-AM radio.

3. My girlfriend allegedly saved Mudhoney’s frontman, Mark Arm, from a deadly tram accident in Barcelona. We are still waiting for the thank you letter.

2. The Killers – On Top

Heading back to 2004 (looks like an old ancient history by now) the Killers debut album hit me by surprise. It wasn’t revolutionary or sophisticated. In fact The Killers are one pony trick, but luckily for them it is a hell of a trick. On their first album the Killers, as the name suggests, wrote some killing pop songs without the need to apologize for it.

3. Kaiser Chiefs- Love’s not a Competition (But I’m Winning)

You’re probably familiar with Kaiser Chiefs from the ubiquitous hit single ‘Ruby’. I can’t hear that damn song anymore, it’s all over the place. Having said that, this one is just simple and beautiful, and sometimes that’s more than enough.

4. Goldfrapp – Number 1

‘Felt Mountain’, Goldfrapp’s debut was a phenomenal head start. This album could easily be labeled as the new James bond movie soundtrack (and yes- this is a compliment). The problem with great debut albums is in the fact you set yourself a really high standards. Unfortunately, they haven’t delivered since then.

The band had not to few crappy albums with a disastrous mixture of 80’s music and cheesy dance rhymes. Despite its flaws (or perhaps because of them), this song can be perfect for a workout, any workout.

5. The Rolling Stones – Winning Ugly

Is there any need for introduction? “Dirty work”, The Stones 18th (!!!) album from 1986 is far from the mythology of Exile on Main Street, Sticky Fingers or Let it Bleed. Still, “Winning Ugly” is highly underrated piece of work and he is the winner of a rather forgettable album.

This song is about oppressing and being oppressed, it’s about power and about passion. For once their lyrics aren’t ironic but confused and impulsive.

6. Ghostface Killah- The Champ

One of the benefits of getting your hands dirty on making those mixtapes is the search for the ultimate songs without the music genre boundaries. This is a great example of getting out of my musical comfort zone.

What’s makes “The Champ” so addictive? It is the great combination between unexpected guitar riff, funky trumpets (that I’m sure are sampled from a different song-can you tell what is it?) and of course the really great flow.

The post songs about winning appeared first on Music Charger.

Steve Albini has already been in the music business for a while. Here’s just a short list of the few names that he had the chance to work with: Nirvana, Robert Plant, The Pixies, PJ Harvey, Low and this list can go on and on. Albini is also known as the front man of Shellac (or the longer name- Shellac of North America) for more than 20 years.

This minimalist rock trio (as they like to refer to themselves) has the honor to serve as the unofficial house band of the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona. How come? Probably the organizers thought they are that good (and they are). You can describe ‘Prayer to God’ as a personal manifest. This song is so powerful it’s unbelievable and you can literally feel the raw quality of it.
Actually, Albini is asking god to literally kill his cheating girlfriend and her new lover.

2. Wilco – Jesus Etc.

“Jesus don’t cry
You can rely on me honey
You can combine anything you want”

I can hear these lines for a million times and still it will have the same effect on me. I can’t put into words and I’m not sure it really matters – if a song touches you so deeply there must be a real truth out there.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is an album that may not change your life but it may be your next soundtrack for the winter.

Jesus Etc. is a song about searching for answers to unsolved questions. Perhaps these questions be brought on by substance abuse or simply be thought up by questioning this seemingly insignificant existence.

3. Spacemen 3 – Lord Can you hear me?

Jason Pierce (Spiritualized , Spacemen 3) has maintained his ambivalent relationship with god through his music. Even without the context of its lyrics, you can define his music has a modern gospel and blues mixed with psychedelic atmosphere. This song sounds like a desperate prayer, and you don’t have to be a believer to hear his sincerity. Pierce has the soul of a believer with the heart of a rock & roll star.

4. Neutral Milk Hotel – King Of Carrot Flower part 2+3

Although this attribution refers mostly to part 2, you can’t ignore part 3 and have to listen to it whole. Most likely you need to listen to the full album without any interruptions but if ‘In the Airplane over the Sea’ was ever in your playlist I guess you won’t need my advice here. Jeff Mangum may not have a beautiful voice in the conventional meaning but when he’s screaming out with such sincerity, even a cynical like me can’t ignore the “I love You Jesus Christ” mantra.

Mangum explained that the theme on this album is not based on any religion but more in his belief in the essence of eternal things.

5. Regina Spektor- Laughing With

One of my friends is a former repentant and once he told me about all the great obstacles in the religious life, the peer pressure, the loneliness and the struggle with all this difficult process. He clanged to this song like his new bible although you can interpret it in so many different ways. However, I strongly believe this song was written in atheist perception. You can hear it when Regina mentions god, war and death almost in the same line.

However, when Regina says God can be funny, she refers to religion, not god himself. God is funny because every person on earth has its own notions to what religion is, and what’s right and what’s wrong according to their individual perception.

The post songs about god appeared first on Music Charger.

It seems the dream-pop duo from Baltimore just can’t go wrong. Victoria Legrand is probably on my top 10 female vocals of the last decade.

“Is your heart still mine to save?” she asks without waiting for an answer.

2. Billy Idol- White Wedding

My snobbish music instincts have warned me but what can I say –it’s a classic. Not a very original choice I reckon, but this song must be on this list. How can you resist the endlessly repeated line: “it’s a nice day to start again”? (Note to self: people actually can hear you when you’re singing out loud with headphones on!).

3. Al Green – Let’s Get Married

This is really a great love song but surprisingly it has a sad story behind it. If you’re not in the mood please skip to the next paragraph.

In 1974, Mary Woodson White, Green’s current girlfriend, became upset when Green refused to marry her (apparently she was already married). Ironically this happened only four months after Al Green peaked at No. 32 on the Hot 100 with this song.

The story continues (again, if you’re sensitive please skip this paragraph – it will ruin this song for you). During the evening, Mary found Green’s personal gun and shoot herself. A note was found in her purse by the police. It was written: “The more I trust you, the more you let me down.”

4. Gogol Bordello – American Wedding

They say it’s an American Wedding – so why I feel a little out of place?
If you’re looking for some really uplifting tunes for you wedding- this gipsy gang will knock you of your feet.

5. Conor Obrest and The Mystic Valley Band – Wedding Day In Funeralville

Conor Obrest (aka Bright eyes ) has such a distinctive voice, one you can recognize from miles away. With The Mystic Valley Band he covers John Prine’s classic and gives his own interpretation to it.

The post songs about getting married appeared first on Music Charger.

1. Animal Collective – College

Normally it’s hard to figure it out with all their gigantic keyboards wall of sound and their too often catatonic tunes but Animal Collective music has a very profound and primal melodies. This A Cappella style resembles the most the vocals of the legendary Beach Boys. Sometime one sentence is more than enough- You don’t have to go to college” they say.

In my college days I was wondering to myself if college is really the answer. To be honest, I’m not sure right now that I knew back then what the question was.

2. The Libertines – Campaign Of Hate

I think I need to put a few things in their perspective- The Libertines are an overrated band. Don’t get me wrong – they have written some great songs, but I don’t find them as appealing as other contemporary British bands such as Blur and Pulp.

That being said, they still own some undeniable gems like this one.

3. Vampire Weekend – Campus

Vampire Weekend took Paul Simon’s African tribal rhythms and atmosphere from the all-time classic “Graceland” and still got their own familiar sound – all under the influence. The lyrics give you the idea of how it’s like to break up with your ex which unfortunately stays on the same campus as you.

4. Andrew Bird- Measuring Cups

Andrew Bird is a Multi-instrumentalist and a great whistler. I’m dead serious- check him out!
I think the writer hints about measuring cups as a quantification of someone’s inelegance. The question is – do you really consider grades in school as a ledger for success and intelligence?

5. Rufus Wainwright-The Art Teacher

I have to let it out of my system first- Mr. Wainwrights is usually not my cup of tea. It will be an understatement to say that his songs are way over the top. However, “the art teacher” has such an irresistible melody and lyrics which will be perfectly suitable for this spot.

6. The White Stripes – We’re Gonna Be Friends

When Jack White unplugs his killer electric guitar some magic can happen. This can be interpreted as a childhood lullaby or on the other hand as a requiem for childhood and the days of innocence.

The post songs about school appeared first on Music Charger.

How can you tell a really good party song? When you find yourself dancing your ass off from the first beat. This song is catchy as hell and moving but still makes you think. Only Kevin Barnes, the band’s frontman , can write such poetic and enigmatic lines like: “you fucked the suburbs out of me”.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a real party – try to catch them live! Along with The Flaming Lips Extravaganza, Of Montreal are the real deal – defiantly the best show in town.

2. The Hold Steady- The Party Pit

“Boys and Girls in America”, The Hold Steady’s third album, is a concept album about the American youth- without bullshit and with zero self-righteousness. You defiantly can see a direct reference to the drug culture just as it is. This song clearly refers to taking Ecstasy on a party:

“Sailed away on such separate trips”.

3. Kings Of Leon – My Party

If you don’t take them too seriously, KOL music can be quite enjoyable (mostly their releases before “Only by the Night” from 2008). At its core My Party is a great feel-good song with jumpy bass line, Ska distortion guitars and above all -Caleb Followill’s ubiquitous voice. What a great build up for the night!

4. Andrew W.K. – Party Hard

“I Get Wet”, the debut album of Andrew W.k., is probably the ultimate all time party album and this is the most famous song out of it. The iconic album’s features W.K. with a large stream of blood running from his nose. During the photo shoot Andrew hit himself with a brick. When he realized there wasn’t enough blood to achieve the effect he wanted, he went to the butcher’s shop and blended some animal blood with his own. Classy.

5. The Weeknd-The Party & The After Party

“House of Balloons”, the first album out of the Weeknd’s trilogy mixtapes, should be the perfect soundtrack for every party (and after party, obviously). The Weeknd took the R&B to a brand new level of sleaziness and sophistication. This album supposed to be played by the night. Drugs, sex, lust and over indulgence– you name it.

6. Alabama Shakes- Goin’ To Party

“Guess who’s gonna be there for you When you’re too drunk to know what the heck you’re doing”

Few hours before the inevitable hangover it’s good to know you can rely on someone who’ll take you home safe and sound. After you come home in the morning, drunk and wasted, put this last tune in the background.

The post songs about partying appeared first on Music Charger.

The general belief is that Wayne Coyne, the lead singer, wrote this song about Steven Drozd’s (the band’s drummer) heroin addiction but there’s more than that..
At first Wayne actually believed it was a spider bite and wrote a song about it to his friend. You can hear about the full story behind this beautiful piece On The Soft Bulletin: Complete Film from Scott Booker. In the movie the band manager describes the song as: “a strange song. Steven is getting bitten by a spider, and just lyrically tells the story in such plain spoken manner: Here’s my friend Steven who’s in the band and he got bitten by a spider and the doctors were gonna cut of his hand.” But the thing is the story sounded quite different from Steven himself: “I thought I got bitten by a spider so I go to the emergency room and I told them ‘I thought I been bitten by a spider’. They’re like: ‘well it could be’, so they’re giving me some antibiotics.” he keeps on: “I started talking to the doctor and I’m telling him all what happened. He say ‘you’re might be a drug user’, he knew what’s going on and I said ‘Oh, yes I am’. And he said ‘did you inject your hand?’

2. The Cure – Lullaby

The song (how appropriate) is influenced by the poem “the spider and the fly”. Although Robert Smith, The cure’s frontman, attributes this song generally to childhood nightmares .There are many other speculations about the horrific lyrics: drugs addiction, depression, independence and even sexual abuse.

3. Devendra Banhart – Little Yellow Spider

The little yellow spider is mentioned only on the first verse. You can also find Albatross, squid, mockingbird, (sexy) pig, (baby) crow and a turtle. You can say that probably Devendra had smoked way too much. You might also find in this purposely childish song, a kind of a message – We don’t give the animals the credit which they deserve. Maybe we are more intelligent than them (at least most of us) but we are missing a lot of things if we consider only money and power as indicators for happiness.

4. The National – Terrible Love

“It’s a terrible love that I’m walking with spiders”

Before the album “High Violet” Matt Berninger, The National’s frontman , became a father. This experience combined with his fears and insecurity have a profound influence on the lyrics.
Spiders refer to these fears – the fear of starting a new family, embracing a new born baby and officially start the adulthood.

5. The Who – Boris the Spider

John Entwistle, the Who’s bass player, wrote this peculiar song. On the live album ‘Left for Live’ John have a short remark regarding this song (with his heavy English accent): “This is a bit of a sad song because my tarantula died two days ago. Her name was Doris. She was seventeen and she packed out, which means died.” Let’s send him our dearest condolences. One last fun fact: the spider was actually a present from his friend, Joe Walsh from The Eagles.

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“What can you say about the IMF, or politicians?” asked Thom Yorke in Mojo magazine in July 1997. “What can you say about people selling arms to African countries, employing slaves labor or whatever. You just write down ‘Cattle prod and the IMF’ and people who know, know. I can’t express it any clearer than that.” That’s probably Radiohead’s first ever political song. Three years later, their Sixth Album title – ‘Hail to the Thief”, will be directed against George W. Bush with the paraphrase to the American presidential anthem – “Hail to the Chief”.

2. Gil Scott-Heron — The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

“The revolution will not be televised” is much more than just a protest song or a powerful poem. It’s a phrase that entered the language. According to Scott-Heron the change (or the revolution) won’t take place on the television but only in our minds. It’s a concept which you can see only in your mind and it can never be captured on film. The Afro-Americans in America had to carry this process and fight for their rights without the media intervention.

3. The Clash – Clampdown

Yes, I know – basically it could almost be any other Clash song in here. It’s important to acknowledge that the Clash are much more than just a Punk band. They expended their musical horizons with Ska, Rockabilly and damn – even Reggae. But Clampdown is a song about Socialism vs. Capitalism, conformist lifestyle and the hard-working class.

The youth becomes part of “the clampdown” (aka adult world) but the song suggest they deserve much more – they should fight for the unavoidable status-quo, for their own good. In contrary to the Punk rock stereotype and common belief, Joe Strummer (The Clash lead vocalist and writer) didn’t come from a lower class family. His father was a diplomat and he was sent to boarding school. But Joe was a rebel, he despised the rich people. To the LA Times he said: “I had a chance to be a ‘good, normal person’ with a nice car and a house in the suburbs – the golden apple or whatever you call it. But I saw through it. I saw it was an empty life.”

4. Morrissey – Irish Blood ,English Heart

Morrissey has always had two different aspects of writing – the personal level (which often can be embarrassingly sincere but still enigmatic) and the political one. in the 80′s, the royal family and Margaret Thatcher were his main target. Almost two decades later, the subjects might had changed but the rage and the smart-cynical writing is still there.

5. Arcade Fire – Intervention

In 2007 Will Butler, the lead vocalist and songwriter of Arcade Fire was asked on an interview if he think there’s an element of a protest record on the new album because it sounds angrier than Funeral (their former album). His quite sincere (some will say naïve) answer was:
“It seems like it is the most right time for protest in the history of the world but it’s not really happening. I have this feeling of my generation like ‘oh, another song about the war. We’ve been there done that type of feeling. It’s really dangerous, it’s still happening. It’s not gonna change any time soon but I think it’s kinda important to talk about it. Maybe not in the direct way but it’s important to think about it”.

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