After a series of rollicking tracks, we take a detour into a cooler realm...

MP3 Junior Boys - "Bellona"
Not suprisingly, it was Matt over at Fluxblog that first brought "Bellona" to my attention, after having previously introduced me to electro-popsters Junior Boys by posting "High Come Down" back in January. Both tracks appear on the critically-acclaimed debut Junior Boys LP Last Exit, which garnered a lot of attention from its inclusion in Pitchfork's best new music list back in mid-June & has since gotten a double-disc US release. Of course, always being impatient, I picked up an import copy from Other Music when I was in NYC over the summer, and I've been very happy with it to date.


Junior Boy Jeremy Greenspan in the "studio": hard at work or hardly working?

Each time I listen to this track, I can't help but think of a write-up Nick Sylvester did for it as part of Pitchfork's daily We Are The World singles column (& later included in the site's Mix Project #006):

Try it yourself: Turn a ladyfriend on to "Bellona", break up with her when she's not expecting it, then get your hands on the tracklist for the feel-better breakup mix she made for herself. There, hidden deep in the spiteful shitstorm of Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan groaners will be this Junior Boys track that she couldn't help but include. No matter how much she hates your music or wants your head on a pike, she'll never be able to shake the song's mushy warm synths, its lost pitter-patters, or singer Jeremy Greenspan's amorous deliveries that hooked her in the first place. "All this time I stayed for you," sings Greenspan in the chorus, and it's unclear whether his Godot ever actually makes it. In good spirits, the answer is "of course" and her kissings are plenty; in bad ones, the answer is "absolutely fucking not" and she's back to burning photo albums to the best breakup song in the entire world.

For whatever reason, that odd bit of "hey, try this..." theory has stuck with me. I wonder if Nick actually did this to some girl, and if so, did he do it just to have something to write about? Would that be cruel or ballsy, or both?

Anyway, this track has slowly grown on me over the last few months, seeping its way into my consciousness with its longing-yet-understated vocals & laid back-yet-smiley grooves. It's a change of pace for this mix, which may have been long overdue seeing as "Bellona" is track #7.

Track 01: The Arcade Fire - "Wake Up"
Track 02: Frou Frou - "Let Go"
Track 03: The Walkmen - "The Rat"
Track 04: Interpol - "C'mere"
Track 05: Franz Ferdinand - "Jacqueline"
Track 06: The Killers - "Somebody Told Me"



Set your alarms early tomorrow morning. Catbirdseat tipped me off to the fact that indie rock superhero Ted Leo will be appearing on Friday's edition of Air America's morning show, Morning Sedition. Hosts Marc Maron & Mark Riley are taking their lefty radio shenanigans on their first road trip, broadcasting from Boston's Someday Cafe during their regular hours of 6-9am ET. I haven't been listening much lately, but I will be tomorrow.

Ted & his band the Pharmacists will be in town tonite to play The Middle East in Cambridge & will perform on Morning Sedition the next morning before moving on to Philly, where they will play the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia on Friday nite (more info). Ted's fall tour caps off with a pair of NYC shows at the Bowery Ballroom on Saturday & Sunday.

Abby Chiat, if you're reading this, get yo ass to the Middle East tonite!

This entry was posted by mr gilbert at 12/09/2004 09:00:00 AM.