Stimulate The Open Chords

Pavement “Raft” – For me, this song will always be tied up in memories of stupid teenage crushes. In a lot of ways, the song still conjures up those old feelings of cautious optimism and awkward enthusiasm, but it’s difficult to hear some of the lyrics without thinking of how I interpreted them when I was 15. “You’re an ocean of honey/painfully funny” still sounds like a lovely compliment to me, but “you’re mesmerizing/stop criticizing me” no longer feels like an ideal romantic scenario. I want to blame growing up in the early 90s for my teenage romanticization of screwed up relationships, but I know that it was mostly just a lot of low expectations and poor self-esteem on my part.

Fun fact: This is the single version of the song – the version on the new Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain reissue cuts off the intro. (Click here to buy it from Matador.)

The Child Who Was A Keyhole “Shortwave” – When I hear this song, I imagine that the band all have open-mouthed grins and are playing to an audience of highly enthusiastic furries. This is hardcore twee, best suited to people who feel that Tullycraft are too macho for them. This band ought to consider doing a public access children’s show, or at very least hitting a few pre-schools and day care centers on their next tour. (Click here to buy it from The Child Who Was A Keyhole.)

Also: R.I.P., John Peel. He was an inspiration.

And: Laces has posted an incredibly beautiful cover of Mary J. Blige’s “Deep Inside” recorded by Cat Power in a Peel session to honor the memory of John Peel.