Upon waking up, some living people's (I chose to use the adjective living for the sole reason that zombies do not sleep) thoughts are a consortium of ideas and desires. The common man, i.e the North American (wo)man, will often ponder a few things before rubbing the strange yellowish matter that has accumulated around their eyes. The state of the economy, the affairs of the president, Oprah's bookclub and what's left in the fridge for breakfast are usually predominant in regards to these thoughts. Although, in the dark crevasses and cluttered bedrooms of our great continent , there remains a thriving minority! This group of startling attractive men and women have little concern for Oprah, the economy, or the president, instead being primarily concerned with the following: when Pavement is getting back together, how long until the next Sonic Youth album, and the relationship status of Ben Gibbard. This association of people, known the world over as hipsters, are all aware of one piece of information. In the world of popular music, there are only two categories of song.
You may be arguing (in which case, you should probably stop yelling at your electronics) with me at this moment, spewing out various genres and subgenres, protesting and proclaiming the individuality of certain pieces of music. Black Gypsy Metal, Scottish Indie Pop, West Coast Low-Fi Noise Rock; looking beyond the facade of these genres, it becomes clear to anyone besides the casual listener. In conclusion, all popular song can be lumped into two categories: songs about New York, and songs about California!
Those of you who do not agree with everything you're told (I'm hoping this blog is commie-free, but hey, shit happens) , should now start your enraged ranting. How can I be so full of typical western narcissism, that asshole-esque spirit of manifest destiny, that I dare suggest that all popular songs are primarily about two American cities? Well, my dear reader, I dare that because it's completely true. In this post, we'll be audibly investigating examples of songs that fit into the "songs about New York" category, while the next post will deal with the "songs about California" category, and the final post in this trifecta of awesome will deal with those tender songs that fit in the middle of this Venn Diagram of Song. For now, enjoy the painfully obvious selections below!
New York City; A History of the Defeated
Piazza, New York Catcher - Belle & Sebastian (This band is from Scotland!)
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues (This band is from London!)
Note: The track above is the best song ever written. By anyone, at anytime, for any reason.
New York City Cops - The Strokes (This band is... well, they're from New York.)
New York, I Love You (But You're Bringing Me Down) - LCD Soundsystem
Note: The track above is the poignantly confused and lovely song about New York that one can find.
NYC - Interpol
A Postcard to Nina - Jens Lekman
The next post, and the next post (if you haven't figured it out, this is a potential trilogy) will be a tad more in depth, and a little less painfully obvious.
Until next time?
You stay classy, internet!
