April 17, 2012

“Lolita, Ya Ya” by Sue Lyon

The most recent stage in the metamorphosis of Pete Campbell begins with a car crash. Crashes, really, of all mangled shapes and significance- photos of them projected on the wall of his driver’s education class.

Given the company he keeps, it shouldn’t be surprising to anyone that he manages to delude himself into considering, aloud, a romantic trip to the New York Botanical Garden with his teenage classmate- Jenny, very much a Dolores Haze figure.

However, achieving Humbert Humbert status so quickly would make it seem like Pete crouched his way through a Super Mario Bros. warp zone…

3:31pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZioDyvJqLGVq
Filed under: FirstSong Lolita Ya Ya Sue Lyon Stanley Kubrick Mad Men Super Mario Bros. New York Botanical Garden 
April 16, 2012

“More Than a Feeling” by Boston

Today is Patriot’s Day- the day Boston commemorates the start of the American Revolution and the Battles of Lexington and Concord with a marathon and an extra-early matinee at Fenway Pahk.

Here, I commemorate those times spent as a youth riding in the car with the dial locked on “classic rock” radio in NYC…

Pat St. John anybody?


1:45pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZioDyvJmgG7s
Filed under: FirstSong More Than a Feeling Boston Pat St. John 
April 13, 2012

“Hanging on the Telephone” by Blondie

Happy birthday, Antonio Meucci: Italian-American, Staten Islander, and true inventor of the first telephone!

Apologies to Jack Lee- and his band The Nerves- who actually wrote and released this song in 1976, but blondes really do it better!

As for the telephone, here are 5 other songs that come to mind:

“Telephone Line” by Electric Light Orchestra

“Your Phone’s Off the Hook, but You’re Not” by X

“New York Telephone Conversation” by Lou Reed

“You Didn’t Try to Call Me” by The Mothers of Invention

“Phone Sex” by Superchunk

9:29am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZioDyvJb20Fx
(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: Antonio Meucci Blondie Electric Light Orchestra FirstSong Hanging on the Telephone Happy Birthday Fridays Lou Reed Superchunk The Mothers of Invention The Nerves X telephone Staten Island 
April 12, 2012

“It’s Not the End of the World?” by Super Furry Animals

North Korea is planning the launch of a high-powered rocket; within the span of 24 hours there were 4 separate earthquakes in Mexico and Indonesia; and a reporter decided that it was a productive use of the Commander in Chief’s time to get his thoughts on Kanye versus Jay-Z…

At least it’s not the end of the world?

1:51pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZioDyvJY2D3n
Filed under: FirstSong It's Not the End of the World? Super Furry Animals 
April 11, 2012

“She Kissed Me (and it Felt Like a Hit)” by Spiritualized

This is not the first time Spiritualized has graced these pages, but @newnewthom thought this would be the perfect Yang to yesterday’s Yin.

9:45am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZioDyvJTuV_T
Filed under: FirstSong She Kissed Me Spiritualized 
April 10, 2012

“He Hit Me (And it Felt Like a Kiss)” by The Crystals

On Sunday, Mad Men waxed sociologically on women & violence- touching on the Richard Speck murders, racial violence in Harlem, and the duty of Vietnam. Almost too fittingly, the episode ends on this chilly number.

Anybody with a Phil Spector or Marty Scorsese fetish knows about The Crystals, but before Sunday - as the NYT points out- this single remained in relative obscurity since 1962.

4:11pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZioDyvJRAzJo
(Notes: 4)
  
Filed under: FirstSong He Hit Me The Crystals Mad Men Phil Spector Martin Scorsese 
April 9, 2012

“Son of a Gun” by the Vaselines

Easter->Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam->The Vaselines->Son of a Gun

10:48am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZioDyvJMZRzT
(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: firstsong Son of a Gun The Vaselines Nirvana Easter Jesus 
April 6, 2012

“Caring is Creepy” by The Shins

Happy Birthday Zach Braff…You managed to make it difficult for the world to listen to The Shins without experiencing a subtle sense of nausea- for at least 8 years!

You also made it difficult for our girlfriend’s to kiss us without secretly wondering what it would be like if we were YOU!

Finally, you won a Grammy, and that’s just annoying…

Anyway, what was it like- working with Peter Sarsgaard?

10:35am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZioDyvJBBX2f
(Notes: 3)
  
Filed under: FirstSong The Shins Garden State Happy Birthday Zach Braff Peter Sarsgaard 
April 5, 2012

“Centerfield” by John Fogerty

We’re born again, there’s new grass on the field…

10:13am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZioDyvJ7TJKi
Filed under: firstsong Centerfield John Fogerty Baseball 
April 4, 2012

“Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

10:34am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZioDyvJ3yDVX
(Notes: 4)
  
Filed under: FirstSong Rosalita Bruce Springsteen 
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