How to Become a Psychiatrist

Recently, Tyler Cowen at Marginal Revolution, my favorite non-music blog, posted a link to this article discussing a paper in the Australian Psychiatry journal. The study analyzes the (non-causal) connection between the type of music a teen listens to and in what ways the kid is effed up. Pretty simple. I'm skeptical of the results, but, as Cowen wrote, "in my view you want your kid to like indie rock." Hell yes, Mr. Cowen. Hell yes.

Here's a quick summary of the paper's findings:

WHAT STUDIES SAY ABOUT YOUR SOUNDS:

POP: Conformists, overly responsible, role-conscious, struggling with
sexuality or peer acceptance.

HEAVY METAL: Higher levels of suicidal ideation, depression, drug use,
self-harm, shoplifting, vandalism, unprotected sex.

DANCE: Higher levels of drug use regardless of socio-economic
background.

JAZZ/RHYTHM & BLUES: Introverted misfits, loners.

RAP: Higher levels of theft, violence, anger, street gang membership, drug
use and misogyny.

Interestingly enough, I think the description for pop pretty accurately describes issues faced by Rob Gordon -- John Cusack's character -- in High Fidelity.

What I want to know is what it means if you listen to this kind of music:

The Locust - How to Become a Virgin (Plague Soundscapes, 2003)

BUY the High Fidelity soundtrack

Sad and Simple Song

The Field Mice's "Emma's House" is among my favorite songs. I love it for its simplicity and its unapologetic melancholy. It inspires images of overcast seasides, brisk winds, and the painful passage of time. How romantic!

Of course, all of this gushing begs the reasonable question, "If you love it so much, why don't you marry it?" And my answer is that I would, if it were legal. But, as of now, I can only marry men and women (and possibly chimpanzees in Spain).

But in all seriousness:

If you were to marry an album, which would it be? Leave your answers as comments below!

(Ex: I would marry Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, because I think we're compatible for the long term. It really understands what's "goin' on.")

Here's "Emma's House:"

The Field Mice - Emma's House (Snowball, dated to some time in the late 80's or early 90's)

BUY Snowball

THIRD

When Portishead released Third in April of this year, I was not immediately impressed. I had a hard time warming up to the relentless percussive blasts of "Machine Gun" or Beth Gibbons' dreary vocals, which never quite seem to lock into a proper melody or harmony.

I forgot about it until Radiohead covered Portishead's "The Rip" earlier this summer. I checked out the original version to find that Portishead's was actually better. From there, I looked into Third with fresh ears and listened to the whole thing from start to finish (while stuck in miles of traffic just outside of Long Island).

What I found is that Third is, like many other great albums, highly textural. My snippet listenings were not doing the music justice, because it must be listened to as one cohesive work in order to be fully appreciated. Gibbons provides lead vocals unlike those featured in almost any other band. Her voice leaks into Geoff Barrow's dense arrangements of strings and drums and becomes no more or less important than the other components. The music is smooth, rich, and unmelodic, yet it somehow invokes the mood of a 50's nightclub ballad. Weird.

Here's a sampling, but buy the whole album. Really:

Portishead - Hunter

Portishead - Machine Gun

Concert Recap: Wolf Parade @ Terminal 5, NYC

Wolf Parade was intense. Really intense. If I had seen the concert from the lower level rather than upper-most level of Terminal 5, it is probable that my brain would have exploded. Wolf Parade has never been my fave, but they proved to be talented showmen on Friday night. Perfectly timed lightwork (almost as good as that displayed by Dave Sawicki at Girl Talk Dance Party pt II), terrific segues between songs, and simple, pure, rocking out all went into making the concert memorable. While their new stuff was good, their Apologies to the Queen Mary material really set things on fire. (Silent video above)

The highlight of the concert was the classic "You are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son," which flowed seamlessly into the energetic "Fancy Claps." Pure power. "This Heart's on Fire," with Dan Broeckner on lead vocals (I think), was also very good.

In other news, I got to watch my big sister scratch up a rat's brain at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Long Island. Fun stuff.

Here are some pictures:

My sister scientist (and chaperone)

WOLF PARADE

Mad scientists/Pablo Bunny readership

Wolf Parade Tonight!

Hey, I'm going to see Wolf Parade tonight @ Terminal 5 in NYC! Then I will blog about it. That's pretty much how it's been going these days.

I'm looking forward to some serious shreddage. And cannon duels, of course. Overall, I hope to be thoroughly entertained by these gallant Québécois.

Here's some sample entertainment for you!

Wolf Parade - Language City (At Mount Zoomer, 2008)

BUY At Mount Zoomer

Lucksmiths in the Studio

According to The Lucksmiths' website, the band has begun recording their first LP since 2005's Warmer Corners. The band says that the release date is "not too far away," whatever that means. Given the strength of Warmer Corners, I can only hope that the album arrives in time for "Best of 2008" lists.

Here is the song I will be listening to most as my friends and I leave for school this fall:

The Lucksmiths - The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco (Warmer Corners, 2005)

BUY Warmer Corners

Via Maureen Dowd

I usually end up reading Maureen Dowd's op-eds in the NY Times, even though she rarely makes a point. Usually one can find some moderately interesting Obama interview tid-bits scattered throughout. But in today's paper, something struck me particularly:

The British opposition leader David Cameron gave Obama a copy of Winston
Churchill’s “A History of the English-Speaking Peoples” and a box of CDs by
British bands, including the Smiths, Radiohead and the Gorillaz.

Hey, what do you know? Radiohead? The Smiths? Very nice. It sounds like this Cameron guy gave Obama everything he needs to know about the UK: Churchill and brit-rock. World tour = success!

Radiohead - Fog (Knives Out single, 2001)

(BUY IT)