Five on Friday: JJCnV's Dana S.
The singer and guitarist, also in Sturdy Ladies, Hot Pennies, and TMI, shares some of her favorite songs.
Dear fine people of Signal and Noise,
I genuinely like you guys a lot, but I’m also… well, frustrated. How can you expect me to narrow all the songs I love to a mere FIVE?? How can you consider this a reasonable task? Additionally, if I were to fork this list in 2 weeks, it’s quite possible it would be entirely different. Tastes change all the time. I’m not fickle, I’m … uh… evolving.
That being said, I really do love these 5 songs, thanks for inviting me to this party so I can share ‘em.
‘Motor Away’ by Guided by Voices
Some songs take you to a time and place, and for me, this is one of ‘em. This song is the equivalent of a rainy day (the best kind of day, if you ask me). Hearing it is like seeing a friend who’s been absent from your life for a while, and you didn’t realize how much you missed them til they came back into your sphere of awareness. I don’t listen to this as often as I probably should, but every time it pops up, it’s, well, all the stuff I already said. In other words, I like it a lot.
‘Waving My Arms’ by The Birthday Party
The chaos of The Birthday Party is magnetic. I discovered this band when I was pretty young, and this song hit me like a ton of bricks. It was one of the first things (along with Lydia Lunch) that evoked a truly visceral response, the kind you can’t necessarily put into words. It made my young self realize that this kind of unhinged, dark, somewhat menacing vibe is a love connection for me.
‘Friends of Mine’ by Duran Duran
Guys, Duran Duran are more than just Rio and The Reflex. When they fell from heaven and landed in my pre-teen ears, Friends of Mine was a ‘wait… what?!?’ moment. The bass, keyboard accents, and almost droning vocals give a kind of weirdo vibe, then the song breaks into a super catchy chorus. And the faux hand claps! Come on! The ending isn’t my favorite (totally unnecessary guitar solo… no thanks), and it’s too long for my taste, but the rest is chef’s kiss. Tied for this spot is “Careless Memories,” another killer track on this record. (Duran Duran pro-tip: if you’ve never seen the video for “Night Boat,” go to YouTube immediately. It involves a lot of ‘acting’… and zombies. No shit.)
‘You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It?)’ by The Undertones
I’d venture to say we’ve all been in a situation in which we feel like, ‘How much more obvious do I have to be?? I’m obviously into you, so hurry up and call me! So annoying, right? Annoying but relatable. This song is bitchin’ on so many levels. It’s close to perfect! I don’t know what magic is happening between that guitar and bass, but - wow! This song goes down smooth, a great balance between somewhat sweet and somewhat bitter. Kind of like a great cocktail. The kind of cocktail you need in order to forget that person who hasn’t called yet.
‘I’m Not Like Everybody Else’ by The Kinks
If you want a song that could potentially speak to both your teen AND adult angst, this is it. It’s far from a rager or maybe it’s more of a simmering type of rage, but it gets right to the point: All that stuff that I’m expected to go along with in this life? Nah, I’m not doin’ it. Cause I’m not like all you suckers. Honestly, this song is a whole lifestyle if you want it to be.
