For 5 days we will look at 5 songs (20 songs) and take a deep dive into an artist and their impact. This isn’t a list, more of an homage to the unsung. Hard to ignore some of the finest songs ever written.
LAMB
Lamb is the duo of Vocalist Lou Rhodes and Producer Andy Barlow. Hailing from Manchester, UK they are a distinct blend of trip-hop and jazz within a stew of electronica. Once I heard the pixie-dust wisp of Lou Rhodes’ voice and the undulation of Andy Barlow’s production I was absolutely hooked. I discovered Lamb on the much beloved Canadian music station “Much Music” which turned me onto an array of musicians. The “B-Line” Video was in rotation and…..
Do you ever hold onto strange memories of art and artists that have impacted you on a cellular level and remember the first time you were in their influence. Lamb had that effect on me and once I saw that video, I ran and bought the Fear of Fours record. I was not disappointed, that whole record is a masterclass in emotion, restraint, and control. Rhodes voice swells and withers, a gasp just behind the notes, Barlow’s beats, teetering on drum and bass, grounds you in place. Head in the clouds, feet firmly cemented to the earth. It might not seem to work on paper, but in practice, at times, is perfection. Lamb put out four spectacular records, took a hiatus in 2004 and released three more records from 2011 through 2019. There was a distinct shift in their sound as Barlow and Rhodes sought other creative paths during their time apart not making music. Rhodes with Mercury Prize nominated solo albums, and Barlow producing other artists and releasing music as LOWB. But I would argue that their self-titled Lamb, Fear of Fours, What Sound, and Between Darkness and Wonder is one of the best 4-album stretches by any musicians ever. And because I suck at editing, Lamb will be the first 20 song – 5 Songs – discussion on House Vulture. And why? Because they are fucking worth it!
“B Line” – Fear of Fours – 1999
This is the song that made me fall in love with Lamb. The “ba da ba dop” in the beginning, the descending, smoky bass line, the way the verse bleeds into an angular and swelling chorus that moves the body. The slight accent on Rhode’s voice that lends credence that smoky jazz room. Its everything all at once. It’s an electronic exorcism.
“One” – What Sound – 2001
The heartbeat rhythm underneath the track throughout, brings the listener in, with the chorus of voices added to the heartbeat, feels utterly alien and human all at the same time. Like some bionic half-breed of computer and person breathing, or not breathing.
“Angelica” – Between Darkness and Wonder – 2004
A piano driven instrumental that samples composer Claude Debussy’s “Clare de Lune”. Lamb’s instrumentals are always noted for being the perfect amount of sound. Not trying to layer too much and the piano taking center stage. Even though Rhode’s vocals are stellar, I’m not sure it would have added to the overall, which makes it all the more worthwhile.
“In Binary” – Backspace Unwind – 2014
The only song on our list from Backspace Unwind. The surging beat is felt through the floor. A singalong verse is complimented by the airy chorus. Backspace Unwind was a bit of a departure from the classic Lamb sound, but “In Binary” is a strong spotlight in the evolution of the duo.
“Little Things” – Fear of Fours – 1999
Breakbeats with Rhodes velvet voice flowing out of the forest. The way she sings “We forget to live” is haunting. The melody of the verse and control in Rhodes voice is next level. Barlow’s production as always is on point. Tracks like this one are one of the reasons I fell in love with Lamb in the first place.
“What Sound” – What Sound – 2001
The dramatic opening of Rhodes asking the listener “What is that sound” is ominous, asking the listener and then answering the question. “The sound that makes the world go round” beautiful string arrangement interrupted with Barlow’s ever present exceptional production.
“Stronger” – Between Darkness and Wonder – 2004
Almost pop sensibility fills this gem of a love song from Between Darkness and Wonder. A pristine vocal from Rhodes as another very simple but yearning questions: “Without this love where will I be?”
“The Spectacle” – 5 – 2011
A shadowy and angelic piano and string driven track from 5 haunts the room, overflowing with emotion, filling the nooks and crannies. Rhodes voice perpetually winding around an invisible maypole, thin as veneer, deep as the ocean, powerful as splitting atoms.
“Gorecki” – Lamb – 1996
A downtempo beauty of a love song, one the duo’s best. Rhodes voice is even more veil-like. Seething with vulnerability, lust, and intimacy. When she sings “Gonna love you til the seas run dry” it is utterly believable. Barlow’s production kicks in. The song also samples Polish composer Henryk Gorecki’s Third Symphony and has been heard in numerous television shows and was featured in the first I Know What You Did Last Summer movie.
“Five” – Fear of Fours – 1999
One of the few instrumentals on the list, the songs whimsy drumbeat, jazz bass line, and genius rhythm makes for a body moving, air drumming extravaganza. The synth and what feels like a diminished vocal set, provides a solid parallel to the beat.
“Just Is” - What Sound – 2001
You know when you hear a song, and it immediately changes your mood? “Just Is” is that kind of song. It is Springtime, walking through a damp forest just after a light rain with the sun peeking, or wearing tutus in the mud. I have no idea, but I know that the feeling is some kind of comfort, and its fucking awesome. And that flute? I have always been fond of the play on words in the song. Is Rhodes saying, “What Is, Just Is”, or is there a play on words and she is asking “What Is, Justice”? I might just be reading to hard into it, or maybe that’s the point.
“Rounds” – 5 – 2011
5 was such a great record, and “Rounds” was one of the better songs on the record. A subdued Rhodes vocal with a haunting guitar, and Rhodes’ piano dotting the melodic landscape building to a chorus overflowing in a trance state. Voices underneath, subconscious, ghostly…
“Trans Fatty Acid” – Lamb – 1996
7 minutes of mantra-trance inducing Andy Barlow production with Rhodes weaving and winding her way around the curves providing sparse melody where it is needed. The genius of the song is that the beat never really changes except for a well-placed hi-hat glitch and a double snare that allows for minimal change. But the beat hits so hard its almost not needed. Adding a live version of the song here as well. Love the energy.
“Alien” – Fear of Fours – 1999
The slicing way the drums break into what I can only describe as metal being laser etched, or the opening of UFO cargo door is choice. The bass line and Rhodes vocals are brilliant, paralleling the out of context chord progression. This is where Lamb is on a completely different level than others, three very different contextual sounds all melding into something that is otherworldly.
“Gabriel” – What Sound – 2001
One of Lamb’s more signature and straightforward songs “Gabriel” was a key track on the limited US release of What Sound in 2001 as well as their best of record, Best Kept Secrets. A beautiful and endearing track, Rhodes’ voice takes center stage and soars above Barlow’s crystal production.
“Butterfly Effect” – 5 – 2011
“Butterfly Effect” from the criminally underrated 5 record could be a harken back to Fear of Four days beginning with what sounds like a warm blanket, and Rhodes’ lulling you to sleep. Around the 1:30 mark a slew of “la”s that could be mistaken for an alarm clock is jolting but not misplaced. And, again, the dynamic of vocals and production is near perfect.
“Lusty” – Lamb – 1996
First song off their first record, is immediately gripping, with Lou Rhodes’ vocals delicate and comfortable. Barlow’s production is alien-like with the hard edge of the percussion and Rhodes voice complementing each other as they slink through the chorus. Rhodes knows exactly how to wrap herself around the production, and this very first foray into the band speaks volumes. The chorus “only you can soothe me, come cool me down” soars with desire.
“Bonfire” – Fear of Fours – 1999
“Bonfire” pairs the best of a jazz bassline and drums with Rhodes’ mystical and extremely sexy rasp. Again Rhodes wraps her vocals around masterful production by Barlow. When Rhodes sings “burn like a good a bonfire, in whatever you do” is enough to heat the room. The songs swells with orchestration that could only be described as dramatic and very well placed.
”I Cry” – What Sound – 2001
Lamb’s ability to keep the listener guessing, taking risks, and making melodies from the sharpest of angles is one of the duo’s most interesting and intriguing abilities as musicians. “I Cry” is a direct example of this mish mash of sounds that are brought together to make a cohesive and beautiful movement of sound that only Lamb can make.
“Til the Clouds Clear” – Between Darkness and Wonder – 2004
One of the most singer/songwriter friendly songs in Lamb’s catalog, the beautiful yin and yang of the beginning verses into the swelling power of Rhodes’ voice culminating in a dramatic wail, the chorus could be a completely different song, but again, cohesive in an array of dots that only Lamb can connect.
For 5 days we will look at 5 songs (15 songs) and take a deep dive into an artist and their impact. This isn’t a list, more of an homage to the unsung. Hard to ignore some of the finest songs ever written.
ISIS
ISIS was a ground shift in metal. Taking cues from Neurosis and Tool, they put together a unique sound of moving earth and beauty in destruction. Their songs swell like storms at sea, feeling the calm, waking to the madness, and surveying the results. They feel catastrophic, demoralizing, but not the parts where vocalist Aaron Turner’s blood numbing, old world calling comes through and the band is moving with tectonic plates. It’s the quiet and eerie anticipation before the ground swell. Very few bands have the ability to grab attention, ground you into the earth, and sway with the movement of the universe. This is not background music, they are like mini-symphonies. And yes, that sounds a bit dramatic, but listen to Panopticon with headphones in the dark, I promise you it won’t be wasted time. The band has a definite growth arc from the clubbed over the head more straight forward Celestial, to the subdued and very strategic Wavering Radiant. The band split up in 2010, but for 5 albums, a string of EPs, and a few high profile collaborations, ISIS moved the needle. I came to the band in 2002 when Oceanic was released on Ipecac Records, Mike Patton’s label. I would buy anything that Ipecac put out and I bought that record on a whim back when you could do that based on the cover art. Did I mention that Aaron Turner was the founder of the hyper-influential Hydra-Head Records? And….because they are so tremendous, our 5-songs once again turns into 15 songs because I can’t edit for shit, and they are, once again, fucking worth it.
“Syndic Calls” – Panopticon - 2004
“Syndic” is a term given to a government official or representative, providing an err of mystery surrounding “Syndic Calls”. There is a pressure to this song. It moves in fits and bursts with minimalist voice. The anxious build up in the middle of the song until it boils over is signature Isis. Where chaos and beauty always find each other.
“Holy Tears” – In the Absence of Truth – 2006
The first single from In the Absence of Truth is an ominous entry full of dark and moody movements. Around 2:30 the break down brings an alien-like tempo guitars and organ swirling around each other. The video for this song is as wild and disturbing as the song itself and worth watching the whole way through.
“Collapse and Crush” – Celestial – 2000
We had to at least add one song from the Celestial record. Isis is at their most brutal on Celestial and Collapse and Crush, while showcasing that brutality, has the ability to witness a band at the beginning of an evolution from straight sludge to the nuanced sounds on Wavering Radiant. Collapse and Crush doesn’t let up for the entirety of the song, following the lead of the album.
“Backlit” – Panopticon – 2004
“Backlit” is different than other songs on Panopticon. The song feels comfortable, eventually curling its up and around you, providing protection from the cold, Aaron Turner actually sings quite a bit on this song, and in true Isis fashion, his voice is almost lost in the mix, hard to hear the actual words, using it sparsely in places where it makes the most sense as an instrument unto itself. The warmth eventually leads to a place where Turner growls, but it’s different here. Because you were lulled into a sense of comfort, the steel of his words builds an anxious cocoon, instead of the more friendly cloak worn earlier in the song.
“Dulcinea” – In the Absence of Truth – 2006
“Dulcinea” was the muse of Don Quixote in Cervantes’ iconic novel. She was the ultimate motivation for his quest. Turner’s sparse lyrics echo that story: “He is not mad, His thought is clearer than, The saner man.” Isis lays this song out beautifully, a subdued beginning gives way to a chorus-toned guitar over a manic drumbeat, never really reaching the heights of Isis angst, keeping it bottled until the 3-minute mark, and a very brief outburst. With that guitar tone the focal point throughout. At 6 minutes all hell breaks loose with pure intensity and a darker shift in consciousness.
“20 Minutes / 40 Years” – Wavering Radiant - 2009
A towering song that feels as its title suggests, immediate, yet longing for something one cant grasp at the moment. One of my favorite Isis songs, it is heavy, dark, beautiful, circling, swelling to a consensus. Amazing how such a dirty, dark, and menacing riff can be tied to chaotic, beautiful, wispy, gentle, and atmospheric moments all at once. Jeff Caxide’s bass drives the song into the underworld. There is a part around the 2:30 mark where the chord progression unveils the opening of the cave, the light in the dark, the way your mothers face is a welcomed sight following a nightmare.
“So Did We” – Panopticon – 2004
The first track off Panopticon kicks the listener in the teeth, as does the whole of the record, but “So Did We” slinks along until the 3:45 minute mark where the minimalist and ambient takes over facilitating a sense of loneliness and longing that continues, bigger, louder, and undaunting until the drone of the chord progression provides a hyper-malaise and sense of warmth that is the only thing connecting you to your surroundings.
“Not in Rivers, But in Drops” – In the Absence of Truth – 2006
Chaotic rhythms and trance-inducing mantras drive a standout track from In the Absence of Truth. The percussion takes you off a cliff into a sonic waterfall, eventually laying you down cleanly on a mud-soaked floor beneath. Manic power chords and tempo changes give way to signature Aaron Turner sing alongs. Aaron Harris’s drums take center stage serving as the engine throughout leaving the listener wanting.
“Stone to Wake a Serpent” – Wavering Radiant - 2009
Wavering Radiant was a definite shift in tone for Isis. They still offered the heavy hammer and nail sound, but something evolved. “Stone to Wake a Serpent” is one of the songs that showcases that shift. Nuanced tones, scattered movements, and almost giddy drums offer something more menacing than heavy. Obviously it has that Isis charm, but something deeper, heavy-plus, and again with the organ sound, part of what makes this song special. As if this version of the band was a doppelganger, puppets of themselves, and they were the ones playing along.
“False Light” – Oceanic – 2002
“False Light” might be one of the heaviest songs in ISIS’s catalog. A head nodding banger of relentless viscous pummel until minute 3, then the desolation hits. Like speeding through rapids, falling down the waterfall, and ending in the most pristine body of water imaginable. The hidden in the corners, barely noticeable effects from multi-instrumentalist Bryant Clifford Meyer is perfect. This is the yin and yang, unbridled torment and unconscious beauty one in the same.
“Wrists of Kings” - In the Absence of Truth - 2006
The pounding tribal drumming of Aaron Harris propels “Wrists of Kings” into cinematic territory, providing the underlying rhythm for what could be a jungle movie montage (not meant as a diss). Midway through there is a tempo change, and ambiance gives way to Turner’s distinct growl closing out a swaying and chaotic wave of sound.
“Ghost Key” – Wavering Radiant – 2009
Beginning with an eeriness reminiscent of what I think a “Ghost Key” would sound like, a magical item trying to unlock a hidden place, then firmly slamming into an abrupt wall of sound, back to the searching, anticipation, and giant swell of guitar and electronics. Wavering Radiant is known for offering more melody than previous albums, and Ghost Key seems to be a byproduct of that growth and evolution in sound.
“The Beginning and the End” – Oceanic – 2002
The first track of Oceanic immediately grabs you by the throat, Aaron Turner growling along using his voice as another instrument. The rhythm section moving with the wind until it explodes again and again. This is what I am talking about the anticipation of the spaces in between. There are distorted vocals midway through, but they are drowned out by the chaos around them and are meant to be.
“Grinning Mouths” – Panopticon – 2004
“Grinning Mouths” is one of those songs that is not heavy in the normal sense of the word. Its menacing, with well-timed archipeggios and the alien precision of Jeff Caxide’s bass lines, providing anxiety underneath the entire song. Chaotic guitar solos and Turner’s cackling in the background come together in a hammering final minute.
“Hall of the Dead” – Wavering Radiant – 2009
The staccato of the guitar and drums in the beginning of the song with Turner’s well-placed entrance gives way to a more melodic verse. I love a solid double bass for no particular reason. What hooks me is at around the 3:30 mark a pipe organ comes out of nowhere and copies the guitar and bass into something beyond heavy. And…. Fucking Adam Jones from Tool is a welcomed guest.
For 5 days we will look at 5 songs (15 songs) and take a deep dive into an artist and their impact. This isn’t a list, more of an homage to the unsung. Hard to ignore some of the finest songs ever written.
Placebo
Placebo, ultimately huge on a global level, should be much bigger stateside than they actually are. Combining glam, pop, punk, and dance into a mid 70s T-Rex and Bowie flavored soup, filtered through a millennial kaleidoscope, they consistently deliver hard to ignore, albeit anxiety-inducing, songwriting. Singer Bryan Molko’s razor-tinged voice, and equally razor blade guitar sink their hooks with a charismatic, gender-defying delivery. They achieved major success with their debut record, the self-titled Placebo, and their follow up Without You I’m Nothing, with the latter’s title song offering a solid duet with David Bowie himself. Bowie would often praise the band and invited them to tour on his Outside and Earthling tours. Later albums, including Loud Like Love and their latest, 2022’s Never Let Me Go, showcase the bands inspiring evolution. Because of their strong catalog, we have upped the 5-song limit to 15-songs, because Placebo is so fucking worth it.
Allergic (To Thoughts of Mother Earth)” Without You I’m Nothing - 1998
Another from the Without You I’m Nothing Record with a caustic opening guitar riff and staccato lyrical delivery, the ease and indifference of the songs unfolding mirror that of the time period. The repeating vocal of “The light divinin’, the light defining” in the chorus is enough to meditate to.
My vote for one of the best cover songs of all time, Placebo tackles the T-Rex classic with ease. The band slips into that skin and conjures the ghost of Mark Bolan. Molko’s sneer and the comparable guitar make it a perfect fit. Originally on the excellent and underrated Velvet Goldmine Soundtrack, it eventually gets released on the Covers record. This song could have fit nicely somewhere between the self-titled debut and Without You I’m Nothing.
“20th Century Boy” - Velvet Goldmine Soundtrack - 1998 / Covers - 2003
“Beautiful James” - Never Let Me Go - 2022
Placebo made fans wait a full 8 years after 2013’s Loud Like Love and showed back up as a duo for Never Let Me Go. The album was the band’s strongest in some time with lead single “Beautiful James” showing them in top form with a catchy synth opening the intro and shoegaze guitar under the waves. The lyric “Bring me back to life, never let me go” conjures immediate subtext.
“Brick Shithouse” - Without You I’m Nothing - 1998
This song is an immediate gut punch with cackling guitar and driving rhythm section. “Now your lover went and put me in the ground, I’ll be watching” The way Molko says “watching” is frightening at best. This is one of the catchier songs on the record and could have easily been a single. Shows the breadth of the Without You I’m Nothing record as a whole.
“Begin The End” is hypnotic, focusing on an ending relationship, Molko wailing “I tried, God knows I tried, but there’s nothing you can do to change my mind” over a staccato beat is heartbreaking with the tension very real. It’s a very scream the chorus in the car by yourself vibe.
“This Picture” - Sleeping With Ghosts - 2003
Apparently, this song has a link to James Dean and a fetish he had with having cigarettes stubbed out on his chest. That’s all, no notes, great song. “Beware the ashtray girl”.
“Begin The End” - Loud Like Love - 2013
“Pure Morning - Without You I’m Nothing - 1998
“Pure Morning” was an immediate turn on. The song is pure sex, slinking and curving, backed by a nasty and contagious beat. The guitar is otherworldly with Molko’s delivery alien-like, not only speaking, but circling the words around the music as another instrument. Love the line “A friend in need’s a friend indeed, a friend with weed is better, a friend with breasts and all the rest, a friend who’s dressed in leather”. I still giggle every time.
“Loud Like Love” - Loud Like Love - 2013
A pop chorus, sing along lyrics, and call and response outro check the boxes for the second single from the Loud Like Love record . The intro bringing Summer of Love vibes with the same positive theme. Immediately out of the intro with “Love on an atom, love on a cloud” and the mantra “Breathe, breathe, breathe, believe”. Its easy to ride that wave home.
“English Summer Rain” - Sleeping With Ghosts - 2006
The fourth single from Sleeping with Ghosts is a disco lite danceathon, with Molko crooning over the top. Light trip-hop vibes peppered with melting guitars throughout, a solid undertaking.
“Nancy Boy” - Placebo - 1996
“Nancy Boy” is the fourth single off their self-titled debut and was their breakthrough hit in the UK. Talking through themes of sex and drugs, coupled with a tight and very singable chorus, makes for a dancehall sing along. I personally love Molko’s voice inflections while singing the term Nancy Boy, feels very ahead of its time.
“Slave To The Wage” - Black Market Music - 2000
“Follow The Cops Back Home” - Meds - 2000
A down tempo wave about, and I am only assuming, robbing cops following a night of drinking, I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but I love the songwriting and warbling guitar throughout. The tempo and drone is just right for that malaise one feels riding in a car after a night of binging, seeking some sort of drama to cap the evening, not wanting it to end.
Referring to working a normal job, the chorus “it’s a maze for rats to try, it’s a race for rats to die” is poignant as Molko delivers it monotone over a familiar and droning chord progression. “Sick and tired of Maggie’s Farm, she’s a bitch with broken arms”, have no idea what that means, but I love it.
“Bionic” - Placebo - 1996
From their debut, self-title record, “Bionic” showcases the solid songwriting that has become the basis for all Placebo records since. Both sticky and danceable. There is an easy, uneasiness with Molko repeating “Harder, faster, forever after”, and the chorus “None of you can make the grade”. Followed by hips-shaking breakdown worthy of your time. Hard to believe this wasn’t a full-fledged single.
“Every You Every Me” - Without You I’m Nothing - 1998
“Every You Every Me” is the third single from Placebo’s breakthrough global statement Without You I’m Nothing record. The song was included on the Cruel Intentions Soundtrack with Molko stating the song was quite “perverted and manipulative” much like the movie’s ending.
“Infra-Red” - Meds - 2006
“Infra-Red” is the third single from the band’s 2006 record Meds. Molko has stated that this song is about alcohol and the vengeful quality that emerges. “Someone call the ambulance” “I’m coming up on infra-red, there’s no running that can hide you, cause I can see in the dark” with that knife edge delivery among the dancefloor low end.
For 5 days we will showcase 5 songs and take a hard look at an artist and their impact. This isn’t a list, more of an homage to the unsung. Hard to ignore some of the finest songs ever written.
HUM
Hum is one of the most underrated bands of the 90’s. Lumped in with the Mid-90s post grunge, pre-nu metal phase, their tacit, dry mouth, rot gutted four album discography layers nuanced songs and melodies against a wall of noise that churns vast but beautiful waves of intensity, not scary, but warm and confident in their gestures. Guitarist, singer, and lyricist Matt Talbott sings poetically about space, love, and death, that partner well with both the distortion and Talbotts delivery, knowing full well that if the distortion wasn’t there, they may have been more radio friendly. They have become one of the most influential bands of that time period.
“Why I LIke Robins” - You’d Prefer An Astronaut - 2020
The warmth of the guitar and Matt Talbot’s voice is paralleled by Bryan St. Pere’s restrained drumming and the background feedback that eventually erupts into a jungle of noise. Lush and airy, with an oppressive blanket of humidity that is at the same time filthy and refreshing, frightening and intimate, inviting and gnarly. I’m not sure the question of why he likes robins is ever answered.
“Step Into You” - Inlet - 2020
Hum surprised everyone with their 2020 record Inlet a full 22 years following Downward is Heavenward. The record itself is peak Hum, but heavier, with more snarl. “Step Into You” is a master class in driving pop music enveloped in a crunchy wall of sound dreamscape. Matt Talbott’s lyrics hover around hope and loss; “Remember when we sought comfort in the sand, and then we moved on, to trees that bent the shade for no one else”.
“I Hate It Too” - You’d Prefer An Astronaut - 1995
What starts as a delicate and diminished soliloquy with singer and guitarist Matt Talbott winding his words around a robust melody, quickly turns into a mud stomping, feedback inducing, fever-pitched, mic drop. The pristine clean guitar tone and the drench of noise combine two different songs welded together with “She don’t hold me right, she’s never gonna get me there”.
“Ms Lazarus” is a gem on the Downward is Heavenward album, and in my top 5 songs of all time. They say music is as close to a time machine as you can get, and I still remember the first time I heard this song. Its punchy, melodic sound and clean guitar tone is enveloped in a crunch that never strays too far from the hook. I am sure that there is some ambiguity to the lyrics but one line in particular always hits me “The way your headstone shines, I only wish that it was mine”.
“Ms Lazarus” - Downward is Heavenward - 1998
“Stars” - You’d Prefer An Astronaut - 1995
It would be hard to argue against “Stars” from You’d Prefer An Astronaut as our first song for the week. The loud, soft, loud dynamic on full display against a gorgeous Drop D chord progression. The melody is as warm as they come, calling your name like sirens against a blanket of sound. I have no idea what the song and lyrics are about, but I always wanted a girl to hold a daisy while she waited for me, especially one that would count the vastness of stars.
