Radio Flyer's Recommendations for Valentine's Day Blues

Hi everyone,

Sorry if you've been trying to avoid the fact that Valentine's Day is this Saturday - but you were bound to be reminded somehow, and how better than Radio Flyer Review's Valentine's Day recommendations? I have identified which recommendations fit with which circumstances and have included a key so you can figure out which music will match your situation. If you're planning to have a happy Valentine's Day with your significant other, sorry, but this list is not for you.

Key:

*	Music for the broken-hearted
**	Crying in your beer music (a specific subdivision of music for the broken-hearted)
#	Music for the angry and bitter
+	Music to make you feel good about being independent (I don't have much of this because I really don't own or listen to much music to make anyone feel good about anything, but I tried...)

In no particular order:

1. Rid Of Me by PJ Harvey #
Break-up albums don't come angrier than PJ Harvey's masterpiece. Every line of every song is pretty much another kick in the face whoever it was who pissed her off. There's something darkly empowering about the album, but it never once feels good. Of course, the title track takes the cake: "I'm gonna twist your head off, see? / Till you say don't you wish you never never met her."

2. "In My Life" by the Brian Jonestown Massacre #
This has got to be my favorite bitter break-up song in the indie rock canon. "I'm gonna take you out / I'm gonna make you cry," etc. Word of advice: never break up with Anton Newcombe.

3. Country Music ** (and sometimes #, +)
The entire genre of country music (well, at least all of it that isn't completely crap) is made for this situation. It's hard to go wrong, but if you really have no idea where to start, I'd suggest going back to the classics, either the genre's leading ladies (Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt) or even back to Mr. Johnny Cash himself. But really, just about anything from the genre will do.

4. "Fuck You (An Ode To No One)" by the Smashing Pumpkins and "Violet" by Hole #
Pumpkins' leader Billy Corgan was once romantically involved with Hole's Courtney Love, and rumor has it, they wrote these songs to/about one another, obviously post break-up. Seems like there may have been some hard feelings.

5. No Shouts, No Calls by Electrelane *
I know, I know - will you shut up about Electrelane already!? The answer is no, I won't. I love this band and I can think of very few lyricists who capture heart-break as honestly and accurately as Verity Susman. If this album isn't enough for you, also try "Birds" off The Power Out ("It's not that I can't go on without you / Got a lot of things to do / I'm busy, busy all the time / Still I can't stop thinking about you")

6. "Good Arms vs. Bad Arms" by Frightened Rabbit **
Hands down, the best crying-in-your-beer song of 2008. Key lyric: "I'm not ready to see you this happy"

7. Pre-war blues *,#,+
There's something very cathartic about hearing someone 80 years go saying exactly what you're thinking now, and particularly saying it on a crackly old recording over some nice guitar lines. There's a lot to chose from here, but here are some recommendations:

	> J. T. Smith - "Howling Wolf Blues" (*) or "Heart Bleeding Blues" (*,#)
	> Lucille Bogan - "You Got To Die Some Day" (#) or "Lonesome Midnight Blues" (*)
	> Martha Copland - "I Ain't Your Hen Mr. Fly Rooster" (+)
	> Robert Johnson - "Love In Vain" (*)

8a. Disintegration by the Cure *
This is an obvious choice, but still merits mentioning. One of the greatest break-up albums ever, this is perfect for crying your eyes out to for hours on end. Track picks: "Pictures of You" and "Disintegration"
8b. "Doing the Unstuck" by the Cure +
This isn't exactly a happy song, to say the least, but in a way, it can be helpful to have a I'm-Getting-Over-It song from someone you know feels just as miserable and hopeless as you (in this case, Robert Smith). Yes, it's sarcastic, but there's something empowering about it anyway.

9. Late 90's American indie pop *,#
For some reason, at least in the US, the late 90's were a great era for honest, direct lyrics. Some examples to get you started:

	> Magnetic Fields: "I Don't Believe In The Sun" (*) or "I Don't Want To Get Over You" (*)
	> Quasi: "I Never Want To See You Again" (*,#)
	> Elliot Smith: "Somebody That I Used To Know" (#) or "Everything Reminds Me Of Her" (*) (OK, these weren't technically released in the 90's, but what's a couples months' difference?)

10. "I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You" by the Ramones +
It doesn't get more direct than this.


Last resort...
Now, I happen to know a lot of people going through a really hard time right now, be it the stupid holiday this weekend, the economy, or just a string of bad luck. Now, I really hope none of you reading this are bad off enough to take these recommendations, but sometimes you just need music that's as low and messed up as you feel. So just in case...

For the very, very sad: Things We Lost In The Fire by Low

For the very, very angry: I'll Sleep When You're Dead by El-P or Broken by Nine Inch Nails (cliches exist for a reason!)

For the utterly miserable: Still by Joy Division or Spiderland by Slint

Guest Post: How To Like The Ramones

In response to my post yesterday, my friend "Pancho" sent me some helpful tips on how to like the Ramones. Here's what he wrote:

They are stupid, naive juvenile delinquents from the 50s who have a fast look and sound and are the four coolest guys on Planet Earth. Their leather jackets rule; their haircuts rule; their guitars rule. Their concerns are the most pressing on Planet Earth; hanging out at the beach, hanging out with girls, hanging out sniffing glue, hanging out getting shock treatment, hanging out in the park after dark, hanging out pretending to be Nazis, hanging out mythologizing themselves as this great rock gang with a legion of followers, and of course, not hanging out with you. Melodies? Forget about it. "Yummy Yummy Yummy" is the melody that may have inspired them the most. When you fuse this with the volume and aggression of Ron Asheton's guitar, well, it's fucked up and way hipper than thou, even though we're talking about four unemployed construction workers from Queens. Yes, the Ramones are a total art accident and thank god. They are indeed a gang, they are rock and roll, they are America, they are speed, they are poets, they are hopelessness, they are hopefulness, they are the best day you ever had, they are your insanity, they are the 50s, they are the 70s, they are the future, they are New York. They are dumb and brilliant. They are Phil Spector and Lou Reed. They are straight guys who hustle, Jewish Nazis, leftists and conservatives, united by Sha Na Na, the British Invasion, complete creepiness, desperation, sick humor, and hate. Most of all, they are worthless punks with naive hearts and bad bad brains. They bring you the profound in the simple--"chewing out a rhythm on my bubble gum/sun is out and i want some"--"met her at the Burger King/Fell in love by the soda machine," "gabba gabba we accept you/we accept you/one of us--and the darkness in your idyllic manicured world--"Get the glory/Like Charles Manson," "hey ro-me-o/I don't wanna go/down to the basement," "you're a loudmouth baby/you better shut it up/I'm gonna beat you up." Who are they? They are the Ramones. The key to enjoying the Ramones is to stop thinking and maybe even to stop listening. At least stop listening for music. They are about feeling good. They are about celebration. They celebrate being an outsider and an insider. They celebrate their awkwardness and anger at their awkwardness. They celebrate love and insanity most usually in the same song. They celebrate being cool but also being themselves. They are the sickest pop joke ever, catchy and anthemic, with rallying cries that no one got behind until 30 years later. They are self made but also made by Queens, made by CBGB's, made by the places they made. Melodies? I take that back-maybe. Songs? Oh yes. A template? To die for, impossible to duplicate. The Ramones are damn impressive. They are our rock treasure. But gabba gabba hey, don't listen to the Ramones to be impressed. Listen to the Ramones to love your life.

Top Five Bands I Should Like But Don't

OK, I've been contemplating publishing this list for a while, but I've been hesistating, partly out of fear of misunderstanding. These are bands I respect a lot and want to love. But on an emotional level, I just don't like them. I know, I'm missing out!


5. R.E.M. - I don't get it. This is the only band on the list that I don't own albums by, but I've given them lots of listens, especially because people are always playing them for me, trying to win me over. I want to like them, but they don't hold my attention, just annoy me and then fade into the background.

Number of albums I own: 0


4. Nirvana - After listening to Nirvana intensively while working on a term paper about Kurt Cobain in college, I started to come around to appreciating the band, but I still can't stand Nevermind. It just seems whiny and dull to me. And it's probably the most important album of the last quarter century!

Number of albums I own: 3


3. Radiohead - I've tried so hard to love Radiohead, I bought a bunch of their albums when I was in high school and listened to them all the time. I convinced myself and others that Radiohead was one of my favorite bands, but the reality is, I never enjoyed it. I find OK Computer depressing, but only vaguely so, not in a way I find moving or even interesting. I could come around to some songs on The Bends, but try as I might, I've found it completely impossible to warm up to OK Computer.

Number of albums I own: 3


2. The Smiths - I couldn't begin to the count the number of times I've been told I'd really like the Smiths. I really disliked them when I first heard them as a teenager, but as I became more open-minded, I expected they would grow on me. They haven't. I get really annoyed after a couple of songs and have to turn them off. For some reason, I can't stand Morrisey's voice.

Number of albums I own: 1


1. The Ramones - I know. The RAMONES. How can a wannabe-punk such as myself dislike the greatest punk band of all time? The truth is, I've never been crazy about what happened between the Stooges and the advent of hardcore, but the Ramones remain my least favorite band from the era. The truth is, most of their melodies either bore or annoy me. I know they are worth my respect and love, and I hope with time, I'll come to understand what other people see in this band. But for the time being, I just don't get it.

Number of albums I own: 2


This list is a work in progress, in that I hope it will grow shorter with time. Suggestions, anyone?