Photo by Carson Lund
1. Secos & Molhados | Sangue Latino
This song is sheer energy. When the vocals come in I feel Hope and Wonder swell up in me. When that first chord change happens I feel a sort of momentum driving me towards a good place. Watch the video on YouTube to see the singer in his wonderful revolutionary garb in the face of a militarily dictated Brazil.
2. The Replacements | Swingin Party
First off, the flow. It’s impossible not to nod along to this tune. Then we can talk about the production value. I love those drums and guitars and Paul Westerberg’s voice strikes through like an angel’s would. I also love the lyrics here. All that business about the feather... So funny. What is that?
3. Sonoak | You Are Good
The first note strikes and I feel peaceful because I know the rhythm so well by this point. I know to nod back and forth as if in prayer. This song was clearly written at a time of Grace. Holy notes to Self.
4. Stereolab | Come And Play In The Milky Night
This song reminds me of the scene in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou where the whole crew takes their climactic plummet in the submarine, searching for the shark. It has a sense of exploring The Unknown. I love that bass riff too much, to me it’s The Anchor in The Exploration.
5. Sun Kil Moon | Duk Koo Kim
How can I spoil this one with my words? All I’ll say is I only listen to this song when tragedy happens in my life. It’s so powerful that it’s the only piece of Art I can trust when things go truly wrong.
6. Arthur Russell | Soon-To-Be Innocent Fun/ Let’s See
What a tune. I wish it were nine and a half minutes longer. I feel like this is a rare recording in that it seems like Arthur Russell was able to articulate an idle mind’s meander, only it’s the weirdest mind you can encounter. I love when he sings with a hush as if he didn’t want to disturb his roommates in the middle of the night or something.
7. Gang Starr | Moment Of Truth
I listen to this song at the crack of dawn on the first day of every film shoot of mine. It not only gets me pumped up, but it also has a way of doing so with a samurai-like spirituality. I feel like Guru had a wisdom that all too many song writers lack.
8. Caetano Veloso | Cucurrucucú Paloma
Another song that is so masterful and holy that I really shouldn’t speak much about it. Cinema loves this song. It’s been used in four very good movies, but only one of them really deserves to be spoken of, Hable Con Ella by Almodóvar. I love songs like this that prove that the mark of Age is necessary for Full Communication. Sometimes it feels too much like the Music market is saturated by 20’s & 30’s that expire like milk soon after.
9. Blueboy | Fearon
Keith Girdler, Rest In Peace. Fear is one of my closest associates in my life. To hear him sing this refrain so gracefully just feels like those rare moments when the veil is lifted and all is clear once again. Then there’s that killer solo at the end.
10. Even As We Speak | Anybody Anyway
The perfect Pop song. Lights up like a firecracker and every crackle and Pop of its 2:10 hits me right where it should. I think I’ve listened to this song forty times in a row when I first heard it. A little gem here.
