May 2006 List

“Rapture Riders”: Blondie vs. The Doors
(Sound & Vision, 2006)
The “mash-up” phenomenon, led in part by Danger Mouse (one-half of Gnarls Barkley), now includes a pairing of “Rapture” - one of my favorite Blondie songs - and “Riders of the Storm,” by The Doors. Though a bit of a novelty, the contrast between Debbie Harry and Jim Morrison's voices and the similarity in the two songs' chord progressions is worth a few spins.

“Crazy”: Gnarls Barkley
(St. Elsewhere, 2006)
True genius means being able to lay psycho-existential lyrics over hooky beats and haunting melodies, which Gnarls Barkley excels at. I think it’s safe to say that I'm a bit more self-aware after singing along to this song, destined to become a summer classic for 2006.

“Maybe Sparrow”: Neko Case
(Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, 2006)
Neko’s voice soars and sears on “Maybe Sparrow,” a short but sweet enigma of a song that I haven’t quite figured out yet...but therein is its appeal. Her voice is the hook and the simplicity of the corresponding video is magical (scroll down the right hand column at
http://www.nekocase.com/news/).

“Trouble”: Amel Larrieux
(Morning, 2006)
I can’t believe nearly 10 years have passed since I first heard Amel Larrieux’s voice lead “Tell Me” by Groove Theory. Anyhow…her third solo album kicks off with this playful slice of soul.

“Gotyourback”: David Ryan Harris
(Soulstice, 2004)
Not even three days ago, Craig played Soulstice for Mark and I while we were stuck in moderately-moving traffic on the West Side Highway. The traffic, however, enabled us to savor this particularly ebullient cut, which suited the afternoon perfectly as the warmth of the sun poured through the sunroof.