SOMETHING OLD
Townes Van Zandt - For the Sake of the Song
1968
Townes Van Zandt - For the Sake of the Song
1968
In two months, I will turn 24. I will have attained my dream job, experienced living in another country, and many other achievements for which I am proud. There will be many things, however, that I have not achieved. Perhaps the most painful of all is that I will not, at 24, have written as stunning of a debut album as Townes Van Zandt did at that age.
The album in question, For the Sake of the Song, was recorded in Mount Juliet, Tennessee in the spring of 1968. It's not considered his magnum opus, though many of its songs became fan favorites once he re-recorded them on later, more stripped-down records. The album is actually rather controversial, as Van Zandt had locally cemented himself as a raw, acoustic country artist before releasing it to the surprise of listeners who found it wildly over-produced. For example, the esteemed Waitin' Around to Die is best known for its 1969 recording, but was originally released on the debut record in a seriously intense, western film-esque, rattling arrangement. Also re-recorded for that 1969 album is his debut's title opening track, which is the focus of today's feature.
For the Sake of the Song is a beautiful song boasting breathtakingly moving lyrics ornamented by delicate guitar and what I think may be a pan flute. I've read through some lyrical analyses online, many suggesting a theme of unrequited love, some on behalf on the male narrator and some conversely on behalf on the female subject. Others assert that it centers on Van Zandt's very real struggle with drugs & alcohol and its toll on the relationship, with one Reddit user even suggesting that "singing" is a euphemism for the subject's "nagging" for him to quit his addictions. But alas, who is he to decide that she's wrong?
Regardless, whatever inspired the storytelling here is a deeply human experience, and clearly played a role in the unordinary maturity and brilliant perceptiveness of a young Van Zandt.
SOMETHING NEW
RAYE + Al Green - Goodbye Henry.
March 27th, 2026
RAYE + Al Green - Goodbye Henry.
March 27th, 2026
I curiously turned this song on waiting for a Al Green sample, and reproachfully questioned the propriety of listing him as a feature as I waited, because in my mind the man was fully dead (sorry, Albert). I even started to wonder if the lyrics "love and happiness" alone warranted the feature, as a nod to his famed 1972 song of the same name. Then, there it was: his very much alive voice, only slightly aged but with that beloved smooth raspiness still in tact. Al Green is 79 years old, and this isn't his first collaboration with RAYE, who is well respected by fellow soul artists. The duo released a cover of Lou Reed's Perfect Day at the beginning of the year.
In this partially spoken-word song, RAYE recounts her experiences with a boy not actually named Henry and addresses the audience directly, suggesting that many may resonate with the pain she's describing. It's explicitly described as a "sad song," but not an angry one. She adorns her hurt with good wishes and acceptance. Shoutout to all the Henrys out there, whether pseudonymously or not.
It's very unique and bittersweet, laying the English singer's sense of humor, sorrow, and impressive vocal chops out on the table all at once.
SOMETHING BORROWED
Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Neil Young)
1991
Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Neil Young)
1991
When the London band Saint Etienne formed in 1990, they immediately set out to achieve their first goal: to bring Neil Young's ass to the dance floor.
This is a really fascinating way to cover a song. Despite adding indie dance beats and shifting the time signature, it actually comes across as even more melancholy than the acoustic original because it transposes its major chords into minor ones. It may very well be a sign of the 90s that would suggest dancing your pain away rather than singing folk songs about it.
At the time, the band was really into Young and wanted to see where they could take his music. They initially wanted to experiment with Ambulance Blues, but felt that the "cyclical nature" of Only Love would better suit a techno dance track. And that it did. I really love this version.
SOMETHING... FOR THE 100TH DAY OF THE YEAR
Geese - 100 Horses
2025
Geese - 100 Horses
2025
Today, April 10th, marks one hundred days of 2026... and what a hundred days those have been.
In these treacherous times of war et cetera, the humane man is as powerless as he is devastated. I don't mean to sound defeatist, or worse, complacent. But we must consider the profound lack of power you or I have during tyranny, and we must consider the sanctity of our daily lives. We must find levity somewhere.
So, Geese's100 Horses is my perfect selection for this day for the following reasons:
1. It numerically acknowledges the hundredth day.
2. It contemplates war.
3. It brings me immense levity, which I would argue is an integral role of the music in our lives.
1. It numerically acknowledges the hundredth day.
2. It contemplates war.
3. It brings me immense levity, which I would argue is an integral role of the music in our lives.
There is only dance music in times of war.
That's a lyric I immediately loved when this song was released as a single last summer. I even created art inspired by it, which got published in GeeseZine, and bought a great shirt flaunting the words. It flashed images in my mind of Charli xcx "bumpin' that" as the world turned toward the vivid green escape of Brat while Gaza experienced drone strikes in ghastly quantities — which is not a criticism of our culture, just an observation that makes Cameron Winter's lyricism feel incredibly true and apt.
There are so many lyrics in this song that I love, but it also has such a raw rock edge that I've been desperate for in new music. There's a scene in a Zoey 101 episode where Zoey's younger brother Dustin is accidentally given entirely too much caffeine and goes on a multi-day, sleepless binge of running and jumping around with a smile on his face. That's how I felt as soon as the band started playing this song when I saw them live last year, and I sometimes catch myself re-living that high when it plays through my headphones.
My weird digressions aside... if that isn't levity one hundred days into a frightening year, then I don't know what is.