Oh yeah, I'm looking good today. This green really brings out my eyes.

***

Cat Power - "The Greatest"

The drumming here is as good as drumming can be in a context like this. Give the man a Grammy, or a bottle of scotch, give him a bath, because, frankly, he's dirty. He's done something so beautiful here that I've almost had a nervous breakdown trying to express it in words. He leaves me weak. His drums frame and reframe, saying again and again "look at the song this way, then like this." He's a tour guide and the song is some natural wonder which he completely reveres. "Have you noticed how the piano and guitar interact, pay attention to the down-beat, pay attention to the up-beat, just listen to her voice, to her overdubbed harmony tracks, so lowdown and just out of reach, now listen to that guitar break into a million pieces." His tight drum rolls and tentative snare/high-hat interplay provide a perfect dynamic counterpoint to Marshall's piercing piano chords.

Also, I love it all: The "Moon River" quoting strings, the deep soul guitar, the round tone and careful placement of the bass, and most of all, Marshall's perfect vocals - broken, scared, awed, serene. [Info]

***

The Double Stops - "c44"

"c44" sounds a bit like Kelley Stoltz's "Prank Calls," posted by Sean the other day. But whereas "Prank Calls" is the work of one man, a studio perfectionist with an affinity for the Beach Boys, "c44" is very much the work of a band, a chugging, sloppy team with an affinity for the Velvet Underground. Like early VU, they employ a sort of 1 2 3 go approach to song, squeezing out small climaxes from a limited dynamic range. [Info]