The story of my interest in Superchunk reaches back into the early '90s, which makes the band a rarity in my ongoing list of favorite artists of all-time. In fact, Superchunk, at #6 of all time, is one of only three bands in the top 10 who I discovered before our current decade began. So they've had lasting power. For a number of reasons. First of all, of course, is the awesomeness. From their initial self-titled release in 1990, with the "scandalous" first single "Slack Motherfucker" (which was not about what I initially thought it was about) through their wonderful apparent swan song, 2001's Here's to Shutting Up, they are a band that was nothing if not consistent. They may not have hit the great highs of other bands on this list (although they did capture a surprising six songs in my top 200 of all-time), but they had so many good songs and so many endlessly good albums that they may never fall too far, even if they never record again (which seems sadly likely at this point).
Superchunk's founders were instrumental in the creation of Merge Records, which to this day is one of the greatest indie rock labels in existence, having released both my #2 album of all-time (Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane over the Sea) and Arcade Fire's entire catalog. They've also spawned side project Portastatic (which adds another song to the top 25 of all-time) and Mac doesn't seem to be slowing down, even as he ages into an indie rock elder statesman. So yes, I love me some Superchunk. Even if everyone I knew in the late '90s made fun of me relentlessly when I named them among my favorite bands. Suck it, haters. You don't know good music. And oh yeah, they have some great political views, too.
Superchunk's Discography: The only one I wouldn't highly recommend is Indoor Living. The rest of their albums are pretty much universally awesome. By the way, the entire Superchunk collection is available at Emusic (along with the entire Merge Records catalog). If you're not already a member and want to try, E-mail me -- you can get 50 Free mp3s as a trial member when "a friend" sends you the link.
Superchunk 1990
Matador
No Pocky for Kitty 1991 Matador
Tossing Seeds: Singles 89-91 1992 Merge On the Mouth 1993
Matador
Foolish 1994 Merge Incidental Music 1991-95 1995 Merge Here's Where the Strings Come In 1995 Merge Indoor Living 1997 Merge Come Pick Me Up 1999 Merge Here's to Shutting Up 2001 Merge
Top 20 Favorite Superchunk Songs
1. "Driveway to Driveway", Foolish, 1994, 4:41 (#19 Favorite Song of All-time)
I still have briars in my clothes
Did i lay you down in those?
The names on the stones were all erasedAnd i thought it was you that i had chased
Driveway to driveway drunk
I don't remember this too well
Glad i have the scrapes to prove
Prove it was me who fell
And the names were all we knew
And the names were all erased
From stage to stage we flew
A drink in every hand
My hand on your heart had been replaced
And i thought it was you that i had chased
Driveway to driveway drunk
I don't remember this too well
Glad i have the scrapes to prove
Prove it was me who fell
And the names were all we knew
And the names were all erased
2. "Hyper Enough", Here's Where the Strings Come In, 1995, 3:31 (#33 Song of All-time)
3. "Cadmium", Incidental Music, 1995, 4:43 (#96 Song of All-time)
4. "Shallow End", Incidental Music, 1995, 2:49 (#106 Song of all-time)
That's a pretty impressive run there - 4 different songs from 3 different albums released within one year made my top 106 of all-time
Well you're barking out what you think
And you're drinking your expensive drinks
You're in your car and you're on the phone
Think you better follow that cord back home
Is that a pearl I'm supposed to keep
Cause you are putting me to sleep
Well i know you think you're deep alright
But you should stay in your shallow end
Now you're feeding me watery drinks
And i'm singing while your sunfish sinks
You got a ponytail dragging you down
Like the cloud that follows you around
Is that a call i'm supposed to keep
Cause you are putting me to sleep
Well i know you think you're deep alright
But you should stay in your shallow end
5. "Slack Motherfucker", Superchunk, 1990, 2:54 (#126 of all-time)
Titled "Slack MF" back in 1990 because our society was all uptight about curse words then. Now, thank god, we can actually say motherfucker without worrying about too much blowback from the puritans - thank you, Samuel L. Jackson !
Oh yeah, and I used to think this was an anti-boss, anti-system people-powered anthem; instead, Mac was really just whining about a co-worker who was slacking off at some crappy job they shared. Kind of takes a little of the "youth against authority" spirit out of the song. It's cool nonetheless.
You haven't moved from that spot all night
Since you asked for a light
You little smokestack
You've wasted my time
I'd like to see you try and give it back, yeah
I'm working
But I'm not working for you
Slack motherfucker
Relax, sit down
I'll kick that stool right out from under you
You ran out, sitting outside
Well, I can do the same thing too
I'm working
But I'm not working for you (no)
Slack motherfucker
I'm working
But I'm not working for you
Slack motherfucker
You motherfucker
6. "Detroit Has a Skyline", Here's Where the Strings Come In, 1995, 2:50 (#171 of all-time)
7. "Rainy Streets", Here's to Shutting Up, 2001, 2:07
8. "Seed Toss", No Pocky for Kitty, 1991, 3:00
9. "Cool", Tossing Seeds, 1991, 3:37
There's nothing new
There's nothing new
Everything's borrowed
Everything's used
There's nothing new
But we know it's cool
And we're cooler than you
And you know it's true
10. "So Convinced", Come Pick Me Up, 1999, 1:59
11. "Foolish", Incidental Music, 1995, 4:50
12. "Late Century Dream", Here's to Shutting Up, 2001, 4:38
Well you never did like the way the road stretched out
Never knowing where all these oily black threads are tied
Under the lights of a spaceship landed
On the ice of a curve unsanded
There's a clover leaf
That'll wreck your life
And everybody lives in a knot
Everybody lives in a knot
Everybody's trying to make space around what they think they've got
Everybody lives in a knot
Everybody lives in a knot
Everybody's trying to make space around what they think they've got
It was never better
It was never any better
But a nation is not soothed
When they tell her
And the doctors all look shocked
But everybody grows up weened on some sick late century dream
Or the happy face on a shirt smiling "shop till you drop," yeah
Everybody lives in a knot
Everybody lives in a knot
Everybody's trying to make space around what they think they've got
Everybody's trying to hold on to a dream even as they watch it rot
13. "Precision Auto", On the Mouth, 1993, 2:47
Do not pass me just to slow down
I can move right through you!
Do not pass me just to slow down
I have precision auto
14. "Song for Marion Brown", Indoor Living, 1997, 4:10
15. "Like a Fool", Foolish, 1994, 4:43
16. "Out on the Wing", Here's to Shutting Up, 2001, 5:48
Mac seems to hate to fly as much as me. He's got several songs lamenting travel and/or plane flights, including this one.
Here's to shutting up
At least until the wheels are off the ground
Hum something to yourself for luck
White knuckles and looking for the sign that says, "Move Around"
She said, "I just can't be conscious for this"
"But we are not pulling teeth, we are just flying, miss"
Well I know, but take me to the place where I can taste the mistTake me there right now
Take me there right now
Make me an example of a world that does not care to know howAirplanes are heavy
Ships deserve to sink
Well our leaks deserve a levee
Well tell me what do you thinkWell I know we are just flying
When your whole life feels like lying
And when the things you know for real start to shrinkWell tell me what do you think.
17. "Does Your Hometown Care?" Cup of Sand (Disc 1), 2003, 4:18
18. "Skip Steps 1 & 3", No Pocky for Kitty, 1991, 3:07
19. "1,000 Pounds (Duck Kee Style)", Cup of Sand (Disc 2), 2003, 3:30
You finally pulled back when the world pulled your hair
Alone in the room with a question hanging
You left with your hand in the air, and it's still thereAt your age life moves so fast
Twelve years old, skinny legs, built to come in last
Add a mirror that would never lie
When you're doomed, it never pays to tryAnd every time i saw you
You were trying so hard to explain
Broadcast failure
Like a plastic bowl spinning down the drainBut you came through, you came through
When nobody expected you to
You came through, you came through
With all those narrowed eyes upon you
You came through, you came throughNow you wish you weighed a thousand pounds
So you could crush those bullies and demons down
From your seat at the back of the bus
Still waving back at us
20. "The Question is How Fast", On the Mouth, 1993, 4:06
Just missing the cut: "Swallow That", "I Guess I Remembered it Wrong", "Art Class", "Animated Airplanes over Germany", "The Only Piece That You Get", and of course, "Never Too Young to Smoke".
Don't part with your illusions . When they are gone you may still exist , but you have ceased to live.
Posted by: cheap jordans | November 12, 2010 at 01:58 AM