pop culture, reviewed

So once again I have been too delinquent to blog, even in the face of NBC’s full-season pick-up of Friday Night Lights (I am so sorry I doubted you, Peter Berg!) and even though I’ve been to four shows in the last month (quick rundown: PB&J not that great, Cardinals unbelievably awesome and I’m not just saying that because I’m a superfan, Andrew Bird fantastically talented, Joseph Arthur excellent except for some excessive noodling and effects).   You’d think that after a period of such quiet, I would come back with a thorough post about all of the above and some additional witty pop culture insights… oh, you wouldn’t think that?  Well, right on, you, because all I’ve got today is my Favorite Songs of 2007 So Far.  Here you go, in no particular order.

“History Song,” The Good, The Bad, and The Queen.

 “The Story,” and “Turpentine,” Brandi Carlile.

“Broken Radio,” Jesse Malin (featuring the Boss!).

“Dreams of Leaving,” The Clientele.   

“If the Brakeman Turns My Way,” and “Hot Knives,” Bright Eyes.

Almost every track off of Andrew Bird’s Armchair Apocrypha, seriously.  My first favorite song was “Heretics,” then “Spare-Ohs,” then “Scythian Empire,” then “Plasticities,” and then “Imitosis,” then “Dark Matter,” and, well, you get the drift. 

“Young Folks,” and “Amsterdam,” Peter Bjorn and John.  Good on the album, not good live.  Contrary to what the awkward guy on his blind date claimed to his date during the show, at no point were Peter Bjorn and John ever “rocking out!!!!!!!”  Still good songs, though.

“No Bad News,” Patty Griffin.

“Famous in a Small Town,” Miranda Lambert. 

“Us v. Them,” LCD Soundsystem.

“Keep the Car Running,” Arcade Fire.  Confession:  I just can’t get all excited about Arcade Fire.  I feel about them the same way that I do about the Decemberists.  They are pleasant enough and I understand the appeal, but personally, I cannot get that into it.  I do like this song a lot, though.   I also like the song “Neon Bible” enough that it’s possible that given a few more listens to the whole album, I could be converted. 

“Paranoia in B Major,”and “Shame,” The Avett Brothers.  These are my first favorites off of what I predict will be one of my favorite albums of the year.  LOVE.

All apologies to Jeff Tweedy because I just haven’t listened to Sky Blue Sky yet — but I will!  I promise!  We have it already!   Also, we just got The National’s Boxer yesterday and I love it already, but I haven’t had time to decide what will be most oft-played tracks.  “Mistaken for Strangers,” maybe, but it’s too early to tell.