Song(s) of the week

I apologise for not blogging much this week. Unfortunately all the shows I normally cover have gone away on their midseason breaks and the only new episode this week was from The Big Bang Theory. Don’t worry though, if you’ve been yearning all week to hear my opinion of this week’s episode, just look under the song of the week – I’ve left it for you there.

On a related note, if my blogging becomes somewhat scarce in the next few weeks, do not fret, I will be back in full force after Christmas as shows start coming back from the break. Until then please continue to enjoy the worldwide sensation that is the song of the week.

This week’s picks are:

“Stay Positive”, “Sequestered In Memphis”, and “Lord, I’m Discouraged” by The Hold Steady

Alright, I admit this week this segment should have been called band of the week, considering my inability to pick only one song. Come to think of it, every week so far probably should have be called band of the week. Oh well.

Where I found The Hold Steady: A few years ago I was working at a summer job when my boss at the time decided to throw me on the night shift. At the time, I was pretty pissed (I still am sort of).  The decision left me in an almost deserted lab night after night, tediously working on whatever tests were required for that shift. There was one upside though – the lab I worked in was basically soundproofed and I could play whatever music I wanted using the computers in the room. Naturally, I began scouring the internet for whatever new music I could get my hands on. I found The Hold Steady located at the top of a music critic’s (for the life of me I can’t remember who) top five albums of the year, and the rest is history.

You may eventually notice that my future song of the week picks are skewed disproportionally toward songs from 2008 – you can chalk that up to my time on the night shift.

What I like: Their lead singer (Craig Finn) has a very unique vocal delivery. This may throw some at first but trust me, it grows on you, and if you were to pick one thing that this band knows how to do, it’s write a hook. “Our songs are sing-along songs” sings Finn in The Hold Steady’s “Constructive Summer” – it’s hard to think of a better descriptor than that.

But I don’t want to limit them to just hooks. This is one of the great storytelling bands out there, and some of the lyrics they come up with are brilliant. “Lord, I’m Discouraged” perfectly captures what it’s like to be into someone who isn’t nearly as into you (you can just trust me on that one), and combined with their ability to throw together intoxicatingly catchy choruses, you’ll find yourself singing along with random lines like “subpoenaed in Texas, sequestered in Memphis” like it were a universal experience.

Stay Positive - The Hold Steady

Sequestered in Memphis - The Hold Steady

Lord, I'm Discouraged - The Hold Steady

***Spoilers***

The Big Bang Theory – “The Justice League Recombination” (B)

This episode was a marked improvement over last weeks. I’m happy they’ve gone back to the Leonard and Penny storyline. Even for those who didn’t like the original relationship it has to be nice to see the show pick up a recurring storyline featuring either of these two – neither of them have had much to do lately. Plus, who doesn’t love a little sexual tension?

I have a feeling I would have enjoyed this episode more if I knew more about the Justice League characters they were dressed up as. As big of a nerd as I am, my knowledge of comic books is lacking (don’t worry, I still know more about Star Wars than you do). I did like watching the remarkably stupid Zack interact with the rest of the group though. Pairing up a character like that with a bunch of PhDs (and one Masters Degree) was a good call, and I wouldn’t mind watching him stick around for a couple more episodes.