Flak Magazine: Wayne Lewis' 2003 annotated mix CD, 02.03.04

The rhythm section takes the weight as Ted Leo spins out a tourist's travelogue of international hostility and ugly American self-loathing. And here's to taking risks: the lyrics sheet for this one might as well come with footnotes, as Leo spits references literary, biblical and geopolitical with the odd ridiculous SAT vocab word (c.f., the US as "this land of fungible convictions"). In other words, the song shoots right past pretentious and lands at awesome.

2. "What Ever Happened?" | The Strokes | Room on Fire | RCA | 2:54

If you can ignore the hype and set aside thought of their trust-fund backgrounds, celebrity girlfriends and trying-hard-to-appear-effortless stylishness, the Strokes make just the right music for a time of diminished expectations. A moment of sympathy, maybe, for a catchy little pop band saddled with a "Return of Rock" profile. Or to get to the point, no sophomore slump for these NYC scene-kings. The leadoff track to their second record presents the Strokes at their most effervescent, featuring a singalong chorus that sticks, even if one suspects half the time that that part about, "please don't make this harder" is a thinly veiled reference to Little Julian.

3. "No Culture Icons" | The Thermals | More Parts Per Million | Sub Pop | 2:21

Taking chunks of the mid-period Guided by Voices template — brevity, anti-production value, big vocal melodies set against punked-up classic rock guitar charge — and making it even rawer and more amped, the Thermals trump nostalgia (for either 1976 or 1996, not sure) with lyrics that are at once whip-smart and scattershot. It's about art. It's about a girl.

4. "Sleeping Aides & Razorblades" | The Exploding Hearts | Guitar Romantics | Dirtnap | 2:36

Garage pop done right by a bunch of guys cut down too young in a tragic car accident while on tour last year. They want to play it tough and snotty, but their hearts are on their sleeves and tears are in their eyes. If you've ever been up watching "M*A*S*H" reruns and doing shots of rum because thinking about her (substitute "him" as applicable) won't let you sleep, we have a song for you.

5. "Hey Ya!" | OutKast | Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (Flak review) | Arista | 3:55

You think it's played-out. But it's not. See the main mix.

6. "Daughter in the House of Fools" | Enon | Hocus-Pocus | Touch and Go | 2:52

Enon goes dancehall: confusion is key. See the main mix.

7. "Gone for Good" | The Shins | Chutes Too Narrow | Sub Pop | 3:13

The Shins go country, sweet and lazy, but still stay the Shins, i.e., a song about a girl who's overstayed her welcome somehow involves poisoned pills and wrestling doves. The key moment comes around 1:20, and again at 2:57, in the really big "theeee-heeeere," when frontbrow James Mercer actually sounds kind of, I guess, happy to deliver this kiss-off. Very revealing.

The "woo-hoo-hoo" backing vocals on the chorus are ridiculously addictive, and the overall effect of the song is akin to taking a happy pill. Although the line about how "you're under 18" might be a little too Winger for the 21st century. Scratch that, though: on balance, easily the best piece of music to be featured on FOX TV's "The O.C."

9. "City Girl" | Kevin Shields | Lost in Translation OST | Emperor Norton | 3:48

Woozy, whispery and earthbound, the recluse returns. See the main mix.

10. "Stars and Sons" | Broken Social Scene | You Forgot It in People (Flak review) | Arts & Crafts/Paper Bag/Outside | 5:08

The bass is groovy.
And who can resist soul claps?
Thank you, Canada.

11. "USA Nails" | The Blood Brothers | Burn, Piano Island, Burn | Artist Direct | 5:14

The Blood Bros. usually sound like a train derailment being narrated by a couple of cartoon woodland creatures on speed — in the best way possible. Which helps obscure some of the sharpest macabre poetry around, in this case dealing with dead babies and prison phone calls. Opening chant "1-900-USA-NAILS, oh, baby," and centerpiece lament, "making me cry..." represent these guys at their catchiest.

12. "Jenny" | Stellastarr* | Stellastarr* | RCA | 4:16

You didn't think the United States needed an answer to Pulp, did you? Well, "need" is a strong word. Nonetheless these glam/new-nu-New Wavers coughed up a little essential listening to add to the long list of great songs about "Jenny" (I refer you to the Mountain Goats, Mark Eitzel, Tommy Tutone, et al.). They nick the groove from "Dancing with Myself" (or maybe it's the Jesus and Mary Chain's "Head On"?) in parts, they know when to bring it down, they curse sassily, they know when to bring it back up, they scream at the end.

13. "Hip Hop Quotables" | Ludacris | Chicken & Beer | Disturbing Tha Piece/Def Jam South | 3:09

This is the sound of an MC saving up all his best lines for one song, as the title self-consciously suggests. The results: hilarious, hardcore, occasionally campy boasts, but no chorus (can't say "no hook," though, 'cause we're working at an average of about one hook per bar). The reference to the "Roscoe's off Pico" puts it over the top. That's my Roscoe's.

14. "Sometimes I Remember" | The Pernice Brothers | Yours, Mine & Ours | Ashmont | 2:45

It's the school dance. The shy, pretty redhead is standing by the bleachers, nervous. The camera cuts to the floor, where her handsome, mysterious crush slow-dances awkwardly with the "popular" girlfriend he's grown sick of. The redhead and the crush lock eyes. He opens his mouth as if to say something. She gets a worried look on her face, then turns and dashes out of the gym. Her kooky platonic guy friend (who's secretly in love with her) rushes after the redhead. This song ("Pernice goes New Order," in four words) is playing.

15. "Palmcorder Yajna" | Mountain Goats | "Palmcorder Yajna" single | 4AD | 4:09

John Darnielle: the Case for Sainthood (No. 317 in a Continuing Series). Mountain Goats ringleader Darnielle put in time holed up in a motel room with the most hapless speed freaks Southern California's Inland Empire has to offer. Then he wrote a song about it, alternating between detailing wry observations, ominous portents and paranoid nightmares. So we don't have to.

16. "Tiny Vessels" | Death Cab for Cutie | Transatlanticism (Flak review) | Barsuk | 4:21

Sometimes you're even happier when the stuff you love most falls apart. After years of devotion to the genre of the sensitive heartbroken guy with a guitar, I find myself digging this particular Death Cab track because I can think of few examples of Mr. Sensitive being so fully unmasked as an asshole. It's some sort of confession: "You are beautiful/ but you don't mean a thing to me." In plain English, the song's narrator uses admissions of love to get sex, then discards the girl in due course. He shows a total lack of empathy for the one he's throwing back. I mean, imagine the comfort the object of his dismissal can take in the sentiment, "It was vile/ and it was cheap." It's all so gross that it's irresistible. (Also, this is a pretty good song.)

17. "If She Wants Me" | Belle & Sebastian | Dear Catastrophe Waitress | Rough Trade | 5:05

Stuart Murdoch does as you would expect, creating yet another paean to idleness, but there's something special about how these Scots simulate summery soul stylings. Maybe this one is the happy pill I was looking for.

18. "A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity to Be Free" | Elliott Smith | "Pretty (Ugly Before)" single | Suicide Squeeze | 3:08

A little bit homemade and a little bit classic-sounding, Elliott Smith's final release before his death strikes a middle ground between his lo-fi beginnings and his Abbey Road later days. The keyboards are warm, and the harmony guitar solo in the outro is totally awesome (as all harmony guitar solos are destined to be).

19. "Vincent O'Brien" | M. Ward | The Transfiguration of Vincent | Merge | 2:38

I thank my esteemed editor Eric W. for recommending M. Ward's disc to me. A character study and a voice of encouragement, "Vincent" integrates paradox — the jaunty (that piano line!) and the melancholy — with nuance: inspirational without being corny, sad without being depressing.

20. "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" | Jay-Z | Black Album | Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam | 4:05

Token Hip-Hop Inclusion 2.5, or "but, I like all kinds of music." Timbaland provides the off-kilter groove. Hov provides the strut and the pop sense. I don't know what else to say except, "It sounds good in my car."

21. "I Don't Blame You" | Cat Power | You Are Free (Flak review) | Matador | 3:05

I guess I should start with the disclaimer that You Are Free is mighty uneven. Something about Chan Marshall's mystique sort of crumbles by the time she gets down to the "dance/ romance/ take a chance" rhyme. But then again, this is about songs, not albums, right? And I continue to have a soft spot for rock stars singing to other rock stars. The sympathy here is so unforced, she might just be singing to herself.

E-mail Wayne Lewis at capsighs@pacbell.net.