1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. 2. good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting the first job she applied for.
I’ve been working my tail off trying to get an advance copy of PJ Harvey’s new record, Let England Shake . That has yet to come to fruition, but I happened across something just as exciting along the way: the upcoming Twilight Singers release. It’s called Dynamite Steps . Here’s the title track:
For those of you not familiar with The Twilight Singers, let me give you a quick history lesson. The group was originally formed as a side project by Afghan Whigs frontman Greg Dulli. The lineup has changed quite a bit over the years, but Dulli has a way of pulling things together and making the sound cohesive and epic.
I’m a die-hard Afghan Whigs (RIP) fan to this day but I’ve never had any complaints about what Greg Dulli lends his talent to, whether it’s The Twilight Singers, The Gutter Twins, or any of his other asides. This new album manages to capture an array of styles we’ve seen from past projects, yet gives us some nice new twists. There’s the intensity and raw rock of the Afghan Whigs, the melancholy beauty of previous Twilight Singers albums, and Dulli can never quite escape his soul/Motown roots, but there’s still something special and unique about how it’s put together.
I’ll leave you with a couple more tracks. I need to get back to my quest for Miss Harvey’s new album, but I’ll have Dynamite Steps on in the background the whole time.
The album hits stores February 15th. Be sure to grab your copy then.
Let me introduce myself as a new contributor around here. I’ll do my best not to be the new neighbor who moves in and leaves the house in disrepair just long enough to go into foreclosure, bringing down everyone’s property values. I promise I’ll mow the lawn every week. Just keep those damn kids off it in the meantime or there will be some serious fist shaking going on. You’ve been warned. This new beginning has got me thinking about other great beginnings. In particular, great album openers. So I’ve put together a little list of what I consider some of the Best. Opening tracks. Ever. Here are my criteria:
1. The album itself has to be solid. None of these lopsided records that start strong but peter out by the time you’re through. 2. The first track should effectively set the tone for the rest of the album.
That’s it. That still leaves things wide open, and I could make a list that never ends, so I’ve narrowed it down to 3 selections that have special significance due to their impact at the time I first heard them.
The Afghan Whigs
The Afghan Whigs. “If I Were Going”. From the album Gentlemen:
This is a moody album, and the opening track embodies that aesthetic fully. It sets the stage for a record that lies somewhere between concept album and musical theater in its repetition and reworking of themes. The album had been in my car stereo for weeks and I never really took the time to give it a close listen until one night on a lonely drive through the Virgin River Gorge. The moon was out and I was lost in thought, then I heard the opening distant train noise, the Saddest Tambourine Ever(tm), and the sparse guitar riff. From there I was hooked. Turn off the lights and let this one sink in. You’re in for a hell of a ride.
I realize I could justify naming the opener from any Radiohead album since The Bends, but this has remained my overall favorite of their works so far. As far as establishing tone, this track does it in spades. Expertly matched guitars, paranoid sci-fi vocals, frenetic looped drums, and a stuttering bass line, all interspersed with computer sounds. It captured my feelings about the adult world I was just starting to play in, and made me feel like I had some crazy talented friends overseas who understood it all. I remember wondering if this was a new direction in Radiohead’s music. It was. And maybe a change in music all around.
Matthew Good Band. “Giant”. From the album Beautiful Midnight:
Combining cheerleaders with rock music has been done since, and probably before, but never with as much aplomb (yeah, you heard me, Marilyn Manson). The cheer and drum beat put you back in the bleachers at your high school pep rally, then things shift and Matthew Good takes over with his fabulous brand of Canadian rock. Writing about it, I’m not sure it works. Listening to it, I have no doubt it does. This album came at a time when I was delving into math rock and complex polyrhythmic music, and it reminded me that sometimes you just need to shut up, stop counting, and rock.
For those of you not familiar with The Twilight Singers, let me give you a quick history lesson. The group was originally formed as a side project by Afghan Whigs frontman Greg Dulli. The lineup has changed quite a bit over the years, but Dulli has a way of pulling things together and making the sound cohesive and epic. 
