Operations Manager Robin Rose
Stevie Wonder
"Heaven Help Us All"
With all the hate from the White House and destruction of our country, this song is just as relevant and important as ever.
Associate Editor Brett Callwood
Stereophonics
"More Life in a Tramp's Vest"
With Welsh rockers Stereophonics set to tour North America soon, it's a great time to revisit this classic from their debut.
Senior Editor Joseph Maltese
LCD Soundsystem
"Losing My Edge"
In my office, I have a printout of the lyrics to LCD Soundsystem's "Losing My Edge," the group's breakthrough single in 2002, despite frontman James Murphy's decades in the music industry.
Spanning 2 sheets of printer paper, the lyrics delve into Murphy's musical tastes, influences, fears and ripoffs, in snarky truths about his experience and forecasts in music, channelling his inner ultimate know-it-all. We all know a music snob. Chances are, we try to be one. "I was there..."
"I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody I know."
"I hear you're buying a synthesizer and an arpeggiator and are throwing your computer out the window."
"I hear that you and your band have sold your guitars and bought turntables.
I hear that you and your band have sold your turntables and bought guitars."
"But have you seen my records?" preludes Murphy essentially listing his album collection.
The reason I print out the lyrics is I wanted to highlight each act that I knew, and continue marking off new discoveries as I seek them out.
Can, Beach Boys, Daft Punk. Sure, easy. Captain Beefheart, The Sonics, Human League. Yeah, deeper cuts. I can't say I was as familiar with Pere Ubu, Dorothy Ashby or Nation of Ulysses.
Also, the song is funky as hell.
But have you seen my records? This Heat, Pere Ubu, Outsiders, Nation of Ulysses, Mars, The Trojans, The Black Dice, Todd Terry, the Germs, Section 25, Althea and Donna, Sexual Harrassment, a-ha, Pere Ubu, Dorothy Ashby, PIL, the Fania All-Stars, the Bar-Kays, the Human League, the Normal, Lou Reed, Scott Walker, Monks, Niagra, Joy Division, Lower 48, the Association, Sun Ra,
Scientists, Royal Trux, 10cc, Eric B. and Rakim, Index, Basic Channel, Soulsonic Force, Juan Atkins, David Axelrod, Electric Prunes, Gil! Scott! Heron!, the Slits, Faust, Mantronix, Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines, the Swans, the Soft Cell, the Sonics...
Photo of Stereophonics by Kekslover. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
