Five Star Songs: Care of Cell 44

I don't watch Mad Men. I'd like to, I find the show to be very appealing, but I didn't jump on the bandwagon before the seasons piled up and it was too late. Anyway, the latest episode featured a song by The Zombies and it immediately stirred some waves between the oldies lovers. Slate wrote a nice article about it and I encourage everyone to read it. The song is called This Will Be Our Year and is taken from the band's 1968 masterpiece album, Odessey & Oracle. For today's edition of Five Star Songs, though, I chose a different song from that record, Care of Cell 44. It's the album opener and, as such, sets an incredibly high standard. Luckily enough, the rest of the LP keeps up wonderfully.

The Zombies are one of the lesser known bands from the 1960s, but also one of the very best. They released only two studio albums in their first incarnation, that lasted from 1962 to 1968. The debut is mostly significant for containing their biggest hit, She's Not There, which was recently used in a Coco Chanel commercial. But that song was only a sign of things to come, because The Zombies' vastly superior sophomore album is what they will be remembered for.

The Zombies weren't breaking any new ground with Odessey, as the psychedelic era had already been a few years underway by the time they recorded it. Originally, the album wasn't even very succesful. But time proved to be very generous to its blend of baroque pop and jazz, and it has since become one of those endearing classics. Rolling Stone has it at #100 in its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list, it's included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and, above all, is a staple of my humble CD collection. I hope you enjoy it too.

The New Pornographers

If anyone asks, tell 'em I'm busy. But just between us, I can always find the time for discovering new music.

The New Pornographers are a Canadian indie rock band who have released five studio albums to date. The song Crash Years is taken from the last one, which came out in 2010. I must admit, though, that all of the albums are rather brilliant. I've been spinning them constantly for these past few days and honestly cannot get enough of them. Your thoughts?

You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive

I love Justified. It's one of the best scripted shows on TV. The penultimate fifth season has just finished, and while it may have been a little uneven in parts, the final episodes were once again nothing short of breathtaking. The best thing about the show is that you never know what's going to happen next. The writers have their way of coming up with completely unpredictable twists and solutions, thus keeping the audience constantly on their toes. The world of Justified is inhabited by a wide range of colourful, fascinating characters, most of whom don't get enough screen time, but the heart of the show lies in the relationship between U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens and his rival, criminal Boyd Crowder, the main duo portrayed brilliantly by Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins. Their chemistry is terrific, and so is every scene they share.

A lot of the show's plot takes place in Harlan, Kentucky, and so far, all seasons but one have ended with various covers of Darrell Scott's song You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive. It's a powerful song about the town's coal mining history, but it also sums up Justified perfectly. It has been covered by Brad Paisley or Patty Loveless, among others. Here's the original version.

Future Islands

I'm familiar with most US talk show hosts, though I don't watch regularly any of them. I wanted to share a video of Future Islands, who's brand new album Singles is rather brilliant, and this popped up. It was by far the most viewed musical segment on Letterman, and I can see why. Future Islands' frontman Samuel T. Herring dances way better than Thom Yorke. Your thoughts?