No Doiron Doiron Day
Please note: MP3s are only kept online for a short time, and if this entry is from more than a couple of weeks ago, the music probably won't be available to download any more.


 

In honour of Julie Doiron's show in Montreal tonight, I have decided to have a Julie Doiron day, on which I will post songs related to, but not performed by, one of our city's finest singer/songwriters.

***

Okkervil River - "He Passes Number Thirty-Three"

"He Passes Number Thirty-Three" is taken from the split Julie Doiron/Okkervil River ep.

I know, this is Sean's band. But still, today is No Doiron Doiron Day, and there are only so many great songs that apply. So, we will share. Sean would want it that way.

Sheff is buoyed up by his love. Whatever she needs he will provide. This sort of altruistic optimism, though deeply foreign to me, is always tremendously satisfying in a lyric.

Also satisfying is the impressive competence and good taste (that most rare and essential of combinations) of the band. Thickenings and fleshings out keep propelling you to the inevitably rocky chorus. On banjos and bass new melodies emerge without warning. There are more good melodies in this song than in the entire work of Honus Wagner, who, admittedly, was a baseball player.

This is also the best song to sing along with in the history of all of the times. I encourage you all to try. The louder the better. [Buy]

***

Neil Haverty - "Seven"

This is a Julie Doiron song from her collaboration with the Wooden Stars. It was covered by Haverty for All Their Broken Hearts, the Doiron tribute album.

"Seven" unfolds easily, maintaining a warm, conversational tone throughout (does treble exist in your world, Haverty?). At first just guitars and voice. Then drops of keyboard. A vocal flourish. Shakers. Drums. Everything's up in the mix. There's the treble.

Haverty identifies Doiron's strong point as a songwriter, and emphasizes it. He breaks down what he has built up to highlight the lyrical centrepiece of the song:

Tell me you are lonely and I probably will believe you
Tell me you are lonely
Tell me you are lonely and I'll want to be with you.
Tell me you are lonely.

This is a standoff. She wants him to say that he is lonely. But she implies with the empty second halves of the second and fourth lines that she is lonely too (it would rhyme, see?). But if she can't say it, how can she expect him to say it.

Nicely done, Doiron. You too, Haverty. [Buy]

Posted by Jordan at October 1, 2004 12:13 AM
Comments

The link to the Okkervil River song seems to be a little bit broken.

Posted by Kevin at October 1, 2004 2:29 AM

Haverty vs. Haggerty???
HAVARTI???
much in common???

Posted by su at October 1, 2004 2:51 AM

Yup, the Okkervil River track link is broke. Just an FYI.

BTW: Jordan, you've been doing a great job thus far.

Posted by mr g at October 1, 2004 10:49 AM

I seem to have called Haverty "Haggerty" on a number of occasions. I will fix that. I'm also gonna try to fix the mp3 problem. Everyday, I seem to be getting worse at the technical side of things. I blame all of you. Why do you have such an insatiable appetite for good music?

Posted by Jordan at October 1, 2004 11:23 AM

what is the number 33 that he refers to?

Posted by Max at October 1, 2004 1:04 PM

That number is a positive integer between thirty two and thirty four. As you seem to already know, it is represented by two of the numeral '3' side-by-side. I think that in this case, it represents an age, but I'm going to listen again to make sure.

Posted by Jordan at October 1, 2004 3:33 PM

Also, the Okkervil River song is now up and running. Thank you to Dan Beirne for that small piece of computer magic. Apparently, I did none of the things necessary for making an mp3 work.

Posted by Jordan at October 1, 2004 4:52 PM

i've always interpreted the okkervil song this way:

it's sort of this glorious, slow burning love song until you get to the end when the lyrics reveal what's really going on. the object of affection, who this guy wants to provide for and protect, is just a girl he sees while he's walking to the grocery store (or something). he's so far inside his mind that he keeps falling in love with everyone he sees (ahem) but he is completely powerless to even speak to them, so this inner life (psychotic or not) is created. the number thirty-three is used because he doesn't know her name, and probably refers to her in relation to the amount of times this song has happened to him today.

Posted by cody at October 2, 2004 10:59 AM

Jordan, now YOU are making me jealous.
Why wasn't I in Montreal on Julie Doiron Day?

Posted by rodrigo at October 4, 2004 12:49 PM

Actually, Julie Doiron is no longer one of this city's finest singer/songwriters, as she's moved back to New Brunswick.

Posted by Vic at October 5, 2004 9:04 AM

I did not know that. Duly noted.

But doesn't she still belong to Montreal at least just a little bit?

Posted by Jordan at October 5, 2004 2:11 PM

Yaa, I agree with Cody.

Posted by Jim at October 8, 2004 9:45 AM

Thanks for putting up my track.
Random, but appreciated.

Posted by Neil at November 17, 2004 4:03 PM

Post a comment







(Please be patient, it can be slow.)
about said the gramophone
This is a daily sampler of really good songs. All tracks are posted out of love. Please go out and buy the records.

To hear a song in your browser, click the and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'

All songs are removed within a few weeks of posting.

Said the Gramophone launched in March 2003, and added songs in November of that year. It was one of the world's first mp3blogs.

If you would like to say hello, find out our mailing addresses or invite us to shows, please get in touch:
Montreal, Canada: Sean
Toronto, Canada: Emma
Montreal, Canada: Jeff
Montreal, Canada: Mitz

Please don't send us emails with tons of huge attachments; if emailing a bunch of mp3s etc, send us a link to download them. We are not interested in streaming widgets like soundcloud: Said the Gramophone posts are always accompanied by MP3s.

If you are the copyright holder of any song posted here, please contact us if you would like the song taken down early. Please do not direct link to any of these tracks. Please love and wonder.

"And I shall watch the ferry-boats / and they'll get high on a bluer ocean / against tomorrow's sky / and I will never grow so old again."
about the authors
Sean Michaels is the founder of Said the Gramophone. He is a writer, critic and author of the theremin novel Us Conductors. Follow him on Twitter or reach him by email here. Click here to browse his posts.

Emma Healey writes poems and essays in Toronto. She joined Said the Gramophone in 2015. This is her website and email her here.

Jeff Miller is a Montreal-based writer and zinemaker. He is the author of Ghost Pine: All Stories True and a bunch of other stories. He joined Said the Gramophone in 2015. Say hello on Twitter or email.

Mitz Takahashi is originally from Osaka, Japan who now lives and works as a furniture designer/maker in Montreal. English is not his first language so please forgive his glamour grammar mistakes. He is trying. He joined Said the Gramophone in 2015. Reach him by email here.

Site design and header typography by Neale McDavitt-Van Fleet. The header graphic is randomized: this one is by Neale McDavitt-Van Fleet.
PAST AUTHORS
Dan Beirne wrote regularly for Said the Gramophone from August 2004 to December 2014. He is an actor and writer living in Toronto. Any claim he makes about his life on here is probably untrue. Click here to browse his posts. Email him here.

Jordan Himelfarb wrote for Said the Gramophone from November 2004 to March 2012. He lives in Toronto. He is an opinion editor at the Toronto Star. Click here to browse his posts. Email him here.
our patrons
Said the Gramophone does not take advertising. We are supported by the incredible generosity of our readers. These were our donors in 2013.
watch StG's wonderful video contest winners
search


Archives
elsewhere
our favourite blogs
(◊ means they write about music)

Back to the World
La Blogothèque
Weird Canada
Destination: Out
Endless Banquet
A Grammar (Nitsuh Abebe)
Ill Doctrine
A London Salmagundi
Dau.pe
Words and Music
Petites planétes
Gorilla vs Bear
Herohill
Silent Shout
Clouds of Evil
The Dolby Apposition
Awesome Tapes from Africa
Molars
Daytrotter
Matana Roberts
Pitchfork Reviews Reviews
i like you [podcast]
Musicophilia
Anagramatron
Nicola Meighan
Fluxblog
radiolab [podcast]
CKUT Music
plethoric pundrigrions
Wattled Smoky Honeyeater
The Clear-Minded Creative
Torture Garden
LPWTF?
Passion of the Weiss
Juan and Only
Horses Think
White Hotel
Then Play Long (Marcello Carlin)
Uno Moralez
Coming Up For Air (Matt Forsythe)
ftrain
my love for you is a stampede of horses
It's Nice That
Marathonpacks
Song, by Toad
In Focus
AMASS BLOG
Inventory
Waxy
WTF [podcast]
Masalacism
The Rest is Noise (Alex Ross)
Goldkicks
My Daguerreotype Boyfriend
The Hood Internet

things we like in Montreal
eat:
st-viateur bagel
café olimpico
Euro-Deli Batory
le pick up
lawrence
kem coba
le couteau
au pied de cochon
mamie clafoutis
tourtière australienne
chez boris
ripples
alati caserta
vices & versa
+ paltoquet, cocoa locale, idée fixe, patati patata, the sparrow, pho tay ho, qin hua dumplings, caffé italia, hung phat banh mi, caffé san simeon, meu-meu, pho lien, romodos, patisserie guillaume, patisserie rhubarbe, kazu, lallouz, maison du nord, cuisine szechuan &c

shop:
phonopolis
drawn + quarterly
+ bottines &c

shows:
casa + sala + the hotel
blue skies turn black
montreal improv theatre
passovah productions
le cagibi
cinema du parc
pop pmontreal
yoga teacher Thea Metcalfe


(maga)zines
Cult Montreal
The Believer
The Morning News
McSweeney's
State
The Skinny

community
ILX