The Strokes - A Secret Song

The Strokes are fucking awesome. I try to rarely cuss in my blog, a complete departure from my everyday life, but they deserve it. One of their more recent songs is actually one of my favorite, "You Only Live Once" from the 2006 album First Impressions of Earth (I don't want to even hear it music nerds, this was album had some gems). It is upbeat, catchy, and has the trademark Julian Casablancas vocals. However, this was not the original song they were going to feature on the album. The demo was much slower, more of a rock lullaby, a collection of mottos and past experiences. The song was called "I'll Try Anything Once". This title/statement is certainly in my constitution and is on a short list for epithets.

I did not know about it until a Julian Casablancas solo show, promoting his 2009 album Phrazes for the Young, on March 24. In the middle of a set that was exclusively songs from his album, he played "I'll Try Anything Once" with only a little keyboard to help him. It was poignant, he sounded great, and just fucking awesome. The high from attending the show ended up launching one of the crazier nights I have had since moving to NYC where Miller High Life, A Black Key, A Moldy Peach, a Yeah from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, expensive cigarettes, and a basement bar were all part of the background.

I have since recovered but only been able to find the song on YouTube. I have included the video with the best quality and a video montage. You can try some of the Live videos if you don't mind the chatter of the audience, the outfit and the stage presence Mr. Casablancas has almost makes it worth it. I listen to this song a few times a week, it fits any mood, and I finally thought it was time to share.

It also good vacation packing music, just keep hitting replay or work it into a Casablancas-heavy playlist of your own. I will credit this song for the efficient bag I have packed for Colombia, assuming I make the 6:30am flight...

TV That Inspires Music and Vice Versa

Snoop Dogg - "Oh Sookie"

I would not have thought Snoop Dogg and TrueBlood would collaborate but then again, who expected to see Jaime Foxx at the Country Music Awards last year? The fact that HBO either paid for this music video to be made or fully endorsed it once it came out makes them even cooler than I already knew them to be. The marketing team behind TrueBlood have been crafty since the beginning - getting Tom Colicchio to hock the Tru Blood beverage like a Diet Coke commercial, selling the Merlotte's uniform that provided another option to the girls that are typically nurses, angels or devils for Halloween, to even building a complete site for the American Vampire League (Tru Blood also has a functioning web site!). Whether you are a fan of the show, of Snoop Dogg, or both you have to give him and the marketing team for TrueBlood credit for crossing a show with a growing fan base with an unexpected music character/pop culture mainstay.

By the way, I would kill, or at least maim, to meet any of the music supervisors HBO has employed for their hit shows starting with The Sopranos, placing Treme at the top of the list. TrueBlood features some great music placement; they are particularly good at fitting the perfect song to the end of an episode and the opening song is a perfect fit with the montage of images. If background music and song placement in shows is not something you pick up on regularly, try tuning into it for HBO, Showtime, AMC, and Current TV shows. I think The Hills and The City have taken it too far and too mainstream though; displaying the song and artist at the bottom of the screen every time there is music on is just annoying and it all sounds alike anyway.

Some of my favorite lines from the song:

"Order you a gin and juice at Merlotte's"

"We can do it in the daytime, Bill won't know a thang"

"Snoop is a thug, I smoke true bud"

Enjoy!