Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes

The Tune for Today is:

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Only in My Dreams

If at first you don't succeed at love 
Just dream a little dream about a girl so real
When she don't call up no more, well
Never give up, you gotta believe it
If only in my dreams (only in my dreams)
If only in my dreams she'll be right there next to me

And if I could say, if only in my dreams you're the luckiest girl
In the world there's no other more lucky in love, you don't have to explain it 
'Cause you're the one who's in love and we'll have so much fun
On the beach, on the ocean of my dreamscape only in my dreams

If at first you don't succeed at love
Just dream a little dream about a girl so real
And when she don't call up no more, well
Don't ever give up, yeah you gotta believe it
If only in my dreams she'll be right there next to me
(Only in my dreams) Only in my dreams

And if I could say, if only in my dreams you're the luckiest girl
In the world there's no other girl luckier, you don't have to explain it 
'Cause you're the one who's in love and we'll have so much fun
On the beach, on the ocean of my dreamscape only in my dreams

And if I could see that you'll be real with me
And we'll have so much fun, and it's just begun

If only in my dreams you're the luckiest girl
In the world there's no other more lucky in love, you don't have to explain it 
'Cause you're the one who's in love and we'll have so much fun
If only in my dreams

Review by Heather Phares (allmusic)

To anyone familiar with his music, it's obvious that Ariel Pink is weird, but it bears repeating: Ariel Pinkis really weird. It's also not a surprise that he's a (self-professed) "nympho" either, but he sheds more light on that throughout Mature Themes, which is both his most accomplished album and some of his most twistedly immature music. As on Before Today, the album's sound is just a shade clearer than what came before it, and his backing band Haunted Graffiti's tight musicianship provides the perfect foil forPink's stream-of-consciousness sprawl. But while Mature Themes' conceptual glue makes it more cohesive than all of his previous work put together, glorious randomness abounds: not many artists would interrupt a song to order food at a drive-thru, as Pink does on the rhapsodic "Schnitzel Boogie," or write a song about being bros with a legendary seer, as he does on "Nostradamus and Me," one of his more ecstatically drifting pieces of chillwave. As always, Pink's lyrics are densely knotted with wordplay and innuendo; his fondness for sound effects approaches Spike Jones levels, and his fondness for dropping violent imagery into his songs makes them all the more jarring and surreal, as on "Is This the Best Spot," where G-spots and H-bombs go hand in hand. Yet all of this weirdness feels like it has more of a point on Mature Themes than it has on his previous albums: sex and love can be strange and complicated. "Pink Slime" takes on a whole new meaning in Pink's hands, and amidst its silliness, "Symphony of the Nymph" tackles gender roles and sexual stereotypes; despite the song's bragging, whenPink sings "I'm just a rock n' rolla from Beverly Hills!," there's more than a hint of strain in his voice. And even if a lot of the album's sexual imagery seems adolescent, Pink turns it on its head with the album's soft rock title track, which addresses the teenage ideal of a girl and boy in love (along with his wish to be taller). He goes deeper into that fantasy with the jingle-jangle single "Only in My Dreams," which is is sweetly creepy and full of bubblegum yearning like a vintage AM radio hit, and with the fantastic album closer "Baby," a cover of Donnie & Joe Emerson's 1979 song (and 21st century mixtape favorite) that features Dam-Funk helping Pink complete the smooth loverman persona. It's one of the few times where Mature Themes is actually sexy as well as sexual, and the way Pink disappears into the song may be his biggest mind-f*ck yet. Even his surprises end up being perfectly Ariel Pink things to do in retrospect, and with this album, he's mastered being more superficially accessible yet ultimately more cryptic. Mature Themes just reveals more levels with more listening; as Pink himself sings on the psych oddity "Early Birds of Babylon," "hey, how does he do that?



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Sly & The Family Stone - Stand!

The Tune for Today is:

Sly & The Family Stone - I Want to Take you Higher

Feeling's gettin' stronger
Music's gettin' longer too
Music is flashin' me
I want to, I want to, I want to take you higher
I want to take you higher
Baby, baby, baby light my fire
I wanna take you higher

Boom laka-laka-laka, boom laka-laka-laka boom

Feeling's nitty-gritty
Sound is in the city too
Music's still flashin' me
Don't ya, don't ya, don't don't don't ya want to get higher
Baby baby baby light my fire
I wanna take you higher

Boom laka-laka-laka, boom laka-laka-laka
Boom laka-laka-laka, boom laka-laka-laka
Boom laka-laka-laka, boom laka-laka-laka

Higher
Higher
Higher

Feeling that should make you move
Sounds that should help you groove
Music still flashin' me
Take your places
I want to take you higher
I want to take you higher
Baby baby baby light my fire
I wanna take you higher

Boom laka-laka-laka, boom laka-laka-laka
Boom laka-laka-laka, boom laka-laka-laka
Boom laka-laka-laka, boom laka-laka-laka

Higher
Higher
Higher

Boom laka-laka-laka, boom laka-laka-laka
Boom laka-laka-laka, boom laka-laka-laka
Boom laka-laka-laka, boom laka-laka-laka

Higher
Higher
Higher
...

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Stand! is the pinnacle of Sly & the Family Stone's early work, a record that represents a culmination of the group's musical vision and accomplishment. Life hinted at this record's boundless enthusiasm and blurred stylistic boundaries, yet everything simply gels here, resulting in no separation between the astounding funk, effervescent irresistible melodies, psychedelicized guitars, and deep rhythms. Add to this a sharpened sense of pop songcraft, elastic band interplay, and a flowering of Sly's social consciousness, and the result is utterly stunning. Yes, the jams ("Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey," "Sex Machine") wind up meandering ever so slightly, but they're surrounded by utter brilliance, from the rousing call to arms of "Stand!" to the unification anthem "Everyday People" to the unstoppable "I Want to Take You Higher." All of it sounds like the Family Stone, thanks not just to the communal lead vocals but to the brilliant interplay, but each track is distinct, emphasizing a different side of their musical personality. As a result, Stand! winds up infectious and informative, invigorating and thought-provoking -- stimulating in every sense of the word. Few records of its time touched it, and Sly topped it only by offering its opposite the next time out.

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Django Django - Django Django

The Tune for Today is: 

Django Django - WOR

Raise the phone
And drop it on the zone
To call you had to stip me to the bone

Don't slam the door
Wait out deep in hell
Took a chance on you and it's time to ring the bell

Side effects
Have you walking in a daze
Another fall out from this thing just radiates

You'll be the first
I'll always be the last
I'll duck and cover 'till the threat is past

Make your move now and try to win the game
But in the end it always stays the same
Don't shy away behind those lost in lines
I read between them almost everytime

Hold the fight
It's all I'm asking for
But the aftershock just shook me to the girl

Flick the switch
And watch it all around
Best get out before ...

Press the button now
And drop it on the zone
To call you ahd to strip me to the bone

Don't slam the door
Wait out deep in hell
Took a chance on you and it's time to ring the bell

Review by Jon O'Brien

Three years after their double A-side single "Storm"/"Love's Dart" prompted claims that they were the saviors of the guitar band scene, London-based Edinburgh four-piece Django Django finally commit their quirky brand of intelligent art rock to a full-length album. While the group risked missing the boat with such a lengthy wait, the recent success of fellow avant-garde purveyors Everything Everything andMetronomy suggests their refusal to rush has worked in their favor. Indeed, with indie audiences now eschewing the usual ramshackle "meat and two veg" outfits in favor of something a little more stimulating, its timing couldn't have been better. They'll certainly find plenty of intrigue here, as frontman Vincent Neff's sun-soaked harmonies weave their way around an array of jerky rhythms, spacy electronic bleeps, and acoustic folk-pop riffs on 13 tracks that sound like Franz Ferdinand, the Beach Boys, and the Beta Band (whose keyboardist John is drummer David's brother) have collided in one almighty experimental jam session. Initially, it's a thrilling listen, with the jangly surf-pop of "Hail Bop," the video-game funk of "Zumm Zumm," and the glitchy jazz-blues of "Firewater," the latter the only time they venture anywhere near the same territory as the legendary guitarist who inspired their moniker, all proving the band's hyperactive nature doesn't get in the way of an infectious melody. But halfway through, the band seem to run out of ideas, with several uninspired Wild West pastiches (theTarantino-ish foot-stomper "WOR," the twangy Americana of "Life's a Beach") and a meandering instrumental ("Skies Over Cairo") that borders on the gimmicky. Django Django may be just a bit too obtuse to repeat the success of their Mercury-nominated labelmates, but while it doesn't quite live up to their early hype, it's still an encouraging first offering, suggesting that they might do with album number two.

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Tune The Chosen Tune

Roxy Music - Siren

The Tune for Today is:

Roxy Music - Sentimental Fool 

Surely you cannot be leading me on? 
Well if that's so, however can I love again? 
How could I believe again? 
How can I hold on? 
Sentimental fool 
Knowing that fate is cruel, 
You ought to forget it. 
Yes, I know it's true, 
I've seen what love can do, 
But I don't regret it. 
Oh, you silly thing-- 
Don't you see what's happening? 
You're better without it. 
No, that's not the case-- 
If you were in my place, 
You never would doubt it. 
Sentimental fool 
Who broke the golden rule, 
You couldn't resist it. 
Though it's all in vain, 
I'd do it all again 
Just to relive a minute. 
A woman in love 
Can make you feel good-- 
You know what you're living for. 
She'll give you so much 
And keep you in touch 
With all that's worth living for. 
Oh once she gets in 
Through thick and through thin 
She'll show you what living's for. 
The rhythm of love 
It must go on 
Can't stop. 
The beat of your heart 
Is like a drum 
Will it stop?

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Abandoning the intoxicating blend of art rock and glam-pop that distinguished Stranded and Country Life, Roxy Music concentrates on Bryan Ferry's suave, charming crooner persona for the elegantly modern Siren. As the disco-fied opener "Love Is the Drug" makes clear, Roxy embraces dance and unabashed pop on Siren, weaving them into their sleek, arty sound. It does come at the expense of their artier inclinations, which is part of what distinguished Roxy, but the end result is captivating. Lacking the consistently amazing songs of its predecessor, Siren has a thematic consistency that works in its favor, and helps elevate its best songs -- "Sentimental Fool," "Both Ends Burning," "Just Another High" -- as well as the album itself into the realm of classics.

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Tindersticks - Curtains

The Tune for Today is:

Tindersticks - Another Night In

Greed's all gone now, there's no question 
And I can see you push your hair behind your ears 
Regain your balance 
Doesn't matter where she is tonight 
Or with whoever she spends her time 
If these arms were meant to hold her 
They were never meant to hold her so tight 
For the love of that girl 
Greed's all gone now, the panic subsides 
When I could run, pulling arms to love her 
Try to put myself on on the inside 

For the love of that girl 
Tears swell, you don't know why 
For the love of that girl 
They never fall, they can never run dry 
For the love of that girl 

Promise is never over, never questioned it needed reply 
But she could breathe deep into my neck 
Let me know I'm just on the outside 

(chorus) 

Greed's all gone now, there's no question 
And I can see you push your hair behind your ears 
Regain your balance 
Doesn't matter where she is tonight 
Or with whoever she spends her time 
If these arms were meant to hold her 
They were never meant to hold her so tight 

Reviem by Stephen Thomas Erlewine (allmusic)

Curtains finds Tindersticks exploring the same dark, string-drenched territory as their first two albums, and while it shares a surface similarity with its predecessors, there are subtle differences that make it a rewarding listen. The tone of Curtains is slightly brighter than that of the second album, with the songs unfolding into lush, affecting laments that recall Scott Walker at his finest. Though the sound is seductive, what is most impressive about Curtains is the songwriting. The Tindersticks have become more assured writers, letting the songs gradually develop into intimate epics. Stuart Staples' lyrics are similarly textured and subtle, with alternating layers of pathos and humor. Curtains, in many ways, functions as the culmination of what The Tindersticks set out to accomplish with their first two albums, and the results are appropriately stunning.

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The DirtBombs - Ultraglide in Black

The Tune for Today is: 

The DirtBombs - Chains of Love

(p.s lovely movie)

Darlin'
Chains of love wont set me free
Chains of love wont let me be

Try to get up in he mornin'
But i just cant make it
Youve got a spell on me
And i just cant break it
Got to love on my backside
And i just cant shake it
If you dont help me baby
I know i cant make it

Coz im suffering from the heartache
Hey Hey

Chains of love wont set me free
Chains of love wont let me be

When had your sweet love baby,
i treated you so bad
But you were so sweet an so kind
Just give back these chains of mine
Your sweet love baby!

Chains of love wont set me free
Chains of love wont let me be

Cant get to sleep at night
Thinking about you
There is a voice in my soul babe
Says i cant go on without you
Since ive lost your sweet love baby
Everythings gone wrong
But your sweet memory
With all the love on!

Coz i got Hartache
Hey Hey

Chains of love wont set me free
Chains of love wont let me be
Baby, Got to, Got to, Got to break free baby
These chains of love baby!
Whooo!
Chains of love!
Chains of love!

Review by Douglas Siwek (allmusic)

Take a stack of soul platters from the 1960s and 1970s from the likes of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles,Sly & the Family Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder; mix generously with a propulsive mix of two bass guitars, two drummers, and the vocals of a Detroit rock legend; and you have an underrated gem in the Motor City music scene. Ultraglide in Black puts a rock spin on recognizable nuggets of soul and funk while retaining the original version's integrity and message. Most of the tunes covered here are spirited party tracks, including a sparkling version of Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" that features a strident breakdown. Vocalist Mick Collins, of the Gories fame, paints each track with a flavorful delivery which at times will have the listener literally transported to AM radio's yesteryear. The Dirtbombs have created a record that is akin to stumbling across a box of cool records in your parent's attic, and is suitable for continuous play at any house party.

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Chromatics - Kill for Love

The Tune for Today is: 

Chromatics - Lady

If I could only call you my lady
Baby I could be your man
Wise men they say
Only fools fall in love
Why do we fall in love
Baby I just want you to come back
And give us all something to do
Give us all something to do
If you could only feel the flame
From the candle I burn for you
Lady if you want me to come back
I'll come running back to you
But baby if you ask me to come back
You've got to give me something to do

Review by K. Ross Hoffman (allmusic)

It took nearly five years for Chromatics to follow up 2007's acclaimed Night Drive (an expanded, analog-remastered edition of which appeared in 2010). Despite that interval -- and unlike any previous full-length under the volatile Chromatics banner -- Kill for Love is very much an extension of the sound and approach of its predecessor. It also runs nearly 92 minutes in its full digital version (only 78 in physical formats, with space limitations necessitating the omission of epic ambient closer "No Escape"). That's quite a lot of music, even if you've been waiting half a decade for it, but it feels entirely warranted, if not flat-out necessary in this case, because this is torpid, achingly gradual music that requires time and patience to achieve its fullest impact -- and because this is the kind of album you don't so much listen to as live inside while it's playing. Anyone familiar with Night Drive or the other Italians Do It Better-associated projects of Chromatics' prime aesthetic mover Johnny Jewel (Glass Candy, Desire, Symmetry) can probably intuit what's in store here: atmospheric, deeply stylish aural landscapes in pop song silhouettes, and darkly glistening electronic "pop" infused with post-punk's steely, nihilistic ennui. Kill for Love feels in many ways like an ultimate, quintessential expression of this aesthetic, in part because it creates a properly expansive context, and also because not a minute is wasted -- it maintains an impressively high level of quality and and emotional resonance throughout -- but particularly in how it blurs the distinction between "proper" songs and the sort of moody, cinematic instrumental (or nearly instrumental) pieces which form the bulk of the album's latter half almost to the point of irrelevance. One corollary to this is that the more overtly pop moments, clustered in the first third, here don't quite "pop" like they could -- with slightly different production choices, songs like "Lady" and the title track might be instant synth pop earworms; here, draped in haze and analog crackle, they're shyer to reveal their charms, though Ruth Radelet's hushed, mournful melodies do seep in and grow addictive with repeated listens. Contrasting Radelet's glassy-eyed clarity, a heavily processed male voice takes over on the brooding "Streets Will Never Look the Same" and "Running from the Sun," recalling the bleary, washed-out vibe of Sweden's Radio Dept. Once again, Chromatics use a cover song in a pivotal role here, opening the record with a stripped-down, deadpan take on Neil Young's "Hey Hey My My," dubbed "Into the Black" (although it's closer in tone to Young's more somber "Out of the Blue" acoustic version) -- it's a strange, almost anti-hip choice, and somewhat inscrutable as an opener, but as with just about everything else here, it is inarguably effective, and starkly beautiful in its simplicity.

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