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| You're Doing it Wrong, Clown... |
Luckily for us, there are some songs that can cut right through that winter cold and bring us some sanity when we're stuck indoors for days on end. And so here is the beginning of a new section of Direct Hit, The Playlist. Hopefully these 8 songs can warm things up for you on these frigid winter days.
1. "Let's Go Sunning" by Jack Shandlin
This one serves two purposes, a shoutout to my fellow Fallout fans, and as an essential Winter pick-me-up. Composed by writer Jack Shandlin in 1954 and performed by an unknown singer, this song is pure 50's idealist gold. You can almost see the classic atomic family as they frolic for a picnic...or maybe you're like me and you think of nothing but fragging ghouls. Either way the song never fails to put a smile on your face.
2. "Walkabout" by Atlas Sound featuring Noah Lennox
Atlas Sound is the side project of Deerhunter's Bradford Cox. This song comes from his excellent 2009 album Logos and features a guest spot by Noah Lennox (AKA Animal Collective's Panda Bear.) The track is sunny and warm, with enough nostalgia to go around.
3. "Three Trees" by Tanlines
Tanlines may not be a band with household name status, but their tropical flavor of electronic music is perfectly suited for a winter playlist. The electronic duo's music contains a lot of diverse influences, including traditional Carnivale music from Brazil, Caribbean melodies, and African percussion. List this one under Kooky Carnival on acid...
4. "Warm Heart of Africa" by The Very Best
The Very Best is a musical collaboration consisting of Malawian musician Esau Mwamwaya and British DJ Radioclit. If it seems like an odd couple, it is, but there's no denying that the two have been making infectious Afro-Tinged music since 2008. Mixing the traditional music of Malawi with electronic and hip-hop sensibilities, the band never fails to make you feel like dancing, even when some of the lyrics are in the native Malawian language of Chichewa. This track also features Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend.
5. "Tropicalia" by Beck
Beck has always been one of my perennial favorite artists, and it's mainly because he shows so much diversity in his music. Taken from his album Mutations, "Tropicalia" is a bit of a change up even for Beck. With Rio de Janeiro flavored percussion, and a Bossa Nova beat, this song doesn't have to work hard to transport you to a beach somewhere.
6. "The Sweetest Thing" by Camera Obscura
Camera Obscura sound as if they could have existed in the early 60's...and that's a compliment of the highest order. This track is from their amazing 2009 release, My Maudlin Career, and like the rest of the album it's tinged with nostalgic pop sensibilities. You can't help but get the warm feeling of flipping through a sepia hued photo album filled with old memories.
7. "So Bored" by Wavves
Noise pop group Wavves seemed to have nailed the "hey didn't I hear that in a surfer movie" aesthetic and have existed within that sound over the course of two albums. Hey, if it aint' broken, don't fix it. This track is from their 2009 album Wavvves (yes that's 3 V's) and it is a quintessential lo-fi surfer noise track. It costs lots of money to by a surf board and move to California, so why not just experience it with a pair of headphones? Never mind the obscure Japanese show in the video...these guys do a serious amount of drugs.
8. "Living in the Sunlight" by Tiny Tim
Lately, I've been attempting (pretty slowly) to learn the Ukulele. While it's a fun endeavor, I'm sure I'll never reach such cult status as Tiny Tim. A truly underrated artist, Tim was much more than a novelty with a falsetto/vibrato voice. This song is pure gold, and seeing his madcap live performance from an Australian variety show never fails to please. Tim was definitely a pioneer, a Weird Al before the times of Weird Al, and like Yankovic the goofy exterior belies a competent musician. Whether you were introduced to this song via Spongebob or not, it is truly immortal and serves as a reminder of happier days.
-Cory Pratt
