The Useless Critic 2.0

Song of the Day I fell in love with this song as a little girl. I remember sitting in my parents' backseat listening to the Rod Stewart version. And it struck me as very honest and gorgeous. I mean, I had to be like 3 or 4. So I had no idea what he was singing about. This song has been recorded time and time again, but this version made me fall in love with it all over again when I was 23 and discovered Marianne Faithfull. She had the voice of an angel when she was young. Of course, now her voice is something else, completely. Listen to cover of  Neko Case's "Hold On, Hold On." Yep. Alcohol? Cigarettes? Who knows. It has a different beauty now. I don't think this one you can acknowledge with your head as much as your heart. It's not overly profound. It's just beautiful.  Here is the version I loved as a little kid:

Mass romantic fool, separated by sheets When the curtain calls you speaking On the themes of stolen virtue missing from the radio, radio Now this romantic duel is into the streets Bon appetit, you've eaten me alive you realize This is not the way In the streetlight dawn This beat turns on This boy's life among the electrical lights. "Mass Romantic" - New Pornographers I would argue A.C. Newman is one of the best singer-songwriters out there. like, Brian Wilson good. the end. and Neko should sing on EVERY song. they have a new album coming out. woooooooooo

Climb the boxcars to the engine through the smoke, into the sky your rails have always outrun mine so I'll pick them up and crash them down in a moment close to now 'cause I miss, I miss I miss, I miss I miss, I miss I miss, I miss how you'd sigh yourself to sleep when I'd rake the springtime across to your sheets. My love, I am the speed of sound I left them motherless, fatherless Their souls dangling inside out from their mouths but it's never enough I want you. My love, I'm an owl on the sill in the evening but morning find you, still warm and breathing. Neko is giving a free show in Buffalo on July 23 at the Square, with Jason Lyte as an opener. FREE. I am going. - Brittany http://www.sendspace.com/file/m6oe3w ^ MP3

I briefly heard the new Neko Case this weekend. can't really write a review of it or say anything that in-depth but can that woman do no wrong??? I saw her name in Newsweek this week and smiled. You need to listen to her if you haven't yet, folks. She's one of the best songwriters out there. http://www.newsweek.com/id/187782 (no Neko, at least on this computer :( )