Rainy Afternoon. Get Lost.

Rainy Day Music: Joy Division Edition

Rainy Day Music: Smashing Pumpkins Edition

Since I can't seem to find "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" online except in this video of the entire album the song's from, just watch until 7:20. The two songs I wanted to post ("Mellon Collie" and "Tonight Tonight") are the first two songs on the album:

Rainy Day Music: Bright Eyes Edition

I thought I already posted this, but my tags tell me otherwise, so here it is: "Lua" by Bright Eyes, the only Bright Eyes song I still like:

Rainy Day Music: Mazzy Star Edition

All these years, I thought Mazzy Star wrote "Five-String Serenade" and that the White Stripes uncharacteristically covered Mazzy Star. Then, several months ago, upon having discovered 60s garage rock band Love thanks to the White Stripes, I discovered that Love front-person Arthur Lee actually wrote "Five-String Serenade." Suddenly, the White Stripes' choice of cover didn't seem so uncharacteristic. I still like Mazzy Star's sleepy, sombre version the most though.

Rainy Day Music: Matthew Good Band Edition

Man, can Matt Good write a song or what?:

Rainy Day Music: M. Ward Edition

On the way to Tofino, British Columbia

Really, Transistor Radio (Merge Records, 2005) is a rainy-day album. It definitely made the drive to Torino in pouring rain a lot cooler:

Rainy Day Music: The Kills Edition

Rainy Day Music: Cat Power Edition

"I Don't Blame You" was the first Cat Power song I ever heard and remains my favourite Cat Power song since, but I never really paid attention to the lyrics until last night. "I Don't Blame You" is heavily rumoured to have been about Kurt Cobain, and it's easy to see why:


Last time I saw you, you were on stage
Your hair was wild, your eyes were red
And you were in a rage
You were swinging your guitar around
'Cause they wanted to hear that sound
But you didn't want to play
And I don't blame you

I don't blame you

Been around the world in many situations
Been inside many heads in different positions
But you never wanted them that way
What a cruel price you thought that you had to pay
And that for all that shit on stage

But it never made sense to them anyway
Could you imagine when they turned their backs
They were only scratching their heads
'Cause you simply deserve the best
And I don't blame you

I don't blame you

They said you were the best
But then, they were only kids
Then you would recall the deadly houses you grew up in
Just because they knew your name
Doesn't mean they know from where you came
What a sad trick you thought that you had to play
But I don't blame you

They never owned it
And you never owed it to them anyway

I don't blame you

Rainy Day Music: Frank Sinatra Edition

It could be many, many Sinatra songs, but I choose these three:

Rainy Day Music: Regina Spektor Edition

I really don't listen to Regina Spektor enough, which is strange because I absolutely love her first and third albums 11:11 (self-released, 2001) and Soviet Kitsch (Sire Records, 2004). Her voice is incredible not only in the way it sounds but the way she sings as well, especially on the far more black-coffee-jazz-inspired 11:11.

My love for 11:11 in particular aside, the three Regina Spektor tracks I've decided to share are from Soviet Kitsch:






Edit: Grooveshark widgets don't appear to be the most reliable widgets in the world, so here's "Chemo Limo" via YouTube instead:

Rainy Day Music: Jesus and Mary Chain Edition

It's a rainy, shitty day, and I feel equally miserable. I slept all of three hours last night due to the caffeine, can't get back to sleep and probably won't be able to get back to sleep any time soon. The only alternative I'm up for is dragging my ass out of bed, sitting around the house like a zombie and listening to gloomy Glasgow noise-pop innovators Jesus and Mary Chain while the city of Vancouver provides me with a soundtrack of window-muffled traffic and the pitter-patter of warm summer rain. Maybe I was subconsciously attracted to song titles like "Nine Million Rainy Days" or those of the songs I'm going to share:

"Darklands" and "Just Like Honey" pretty much capture my zoned-out dreariness:





At least "Down on Me" and "Happy When It Rains" sound upbeat musically: