"ASHES OF AMERICAN FLAGS" WILCO (2002)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

One of my favorite Wilco songs happens to reside on an album full of outstanding tracks. On Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, “Ashes Of American Flags” falls on the more languid side of the spectrum, a change of pace from the “I’m The Man Who Loves You”, “Heavy Metal Drummer” and “War On War” type-fare. The song’s identity is steeped in that unique Wilco maneuver of pairing super simple melodies with unexpected, experimental musings, which is why I love it so much.

The words on this song feel like a stream of consciousness. I can’t quite follow or make sense of Tweedy’s lyrics. But it seems to work despite that fact. The lyrical ambiguity matches the instrumental approach of starting with simple guitar strums and drumbeats before these elements are taken over briefly and unexpectedly by an alien-like arrangement at the 2:26 mark. Wilco has become so good at this that whenever another band tries to do something similar it just feels fabricated and fake. “Ashes Of American Flags” is the real thing.

“I could spend three dollars and sixty-three cents On Diet Coca-Cola and unlit cigarettes.”

"LAWRENCE, KS" JOSH RITTER (2008)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 21: Lawrence, KS

Americana is one of the more intriguing genres to be somewhat formalized in the music listening lexicon. The label seems so appropriate when you hear music under its moniker, primarily because the genre has a relatively broad definition – essentially anything that stems from a music style rooted in America, like country, bluegrass and blues. It’s why Americana fits well for a broad range of artists, from Dylan to Cash to Springsteen. Josh Ritter may not be the legend that those aforementioned names are, but he has been a long mainstay in the Americana scene, crafting songs about American life, including “Lawrence, KS”.

Earlier this month, I featured John Mellencamp’s “Small Town” on Mental Jukebox. Both “Small Town” and “Lawrence, KS” are about small town life. But they are presented from two very different perspectives. While Mellencamp romanticized small town life, there’s something extremely vulnerable and raw about Ritter’s “Lawrence, KS” and other tracks from his catalog. It’s a town that the protagonist can’t seem to leave despite how it kills him inside.

“And my debts are not like prison Where there's hope of getting free. Lord I can't leave this world behind.”

"TOUCH ME I'M GOING TO SCREAM, PT. 2" MY MORNING JACKET (2008)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 11: Louisville, KY

There are typically two characteristics of a good morning jacket. First, a good one keeps you warm, and second, a good one serves its purpose early with no need to keep it on for the remainder of the day. That’s it. It isn’t complicated. In many ways, My Morning Jacket’s music has played that role for me, including this unique song from one of my favorite MMJ albums.

The aspects in “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Part 2” that get me going are both foundational and ornamental. At the foundation is a peculiar melody and song structure. It grooves early and then strangely fizzles out as if there’s a power shortage in the recording studio. On the peripheral is Jim James’s voice dancing seamlessly between high tenor and falsetto and an alien-like synth riff that sounds like it’s trying to communicate with us. I simply can’t get enough of it.

“IT'S BEEN SO LONG, SINCE SOMEONE CHALLENGED ME. AND MADE ME THINK, ABOUT THE WAY THINGS ARE. MADE ME THINK, ABOUT THE WAY THEY COULD BE.”

"BRIGHTER!" CASS MCCOMBS (2013)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 27

The clean guitar picking, McComb’s hush-hush falsetto and Americana roots swirling around on “Brighter!” remind me of late night star gazing. The simplest of songs are often the best ones we have. I just love the stark, ethereal quality to “Brighter!”. There’s a lightness and buoyancy to the music and lyrics that seem to transcend time and space. “Brighter!” The lyrics seem more like a stream of consciousness than a coherent narrative – and that’s the charm of it.

“I stopped in for a little while and threw in the evidence. I wandered off a little while resequencing events.”

"MAHGEETAH" MY MORNING JACKET (2003)

Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs

The band name unfortunately kept me from exploring the exceptional My Morning Jacket catalog for quite a few years. But once I explored it, it was like opening up a treasure trove of great music. Jim James is more of a musical mastermind than a showy frontman, which I always appreciated. A gifted songwriter, his penning of the entire It Still Moves is a remarkable highlight from the 2000’s. There isn’t a weak track on the album, but the opener “Mahgeetah” stands out for several reasons.

The term “alt country” is often used to describe My Morning Jacket’s music, and it’s a befitting description of “Mahgeetah”. The guitar layers and tempo transitions give it that alt feel, while the harmonies and lyrics are reflective of the band’s southern roots. The big guitar solo happens at the 5 minute mark of the studio recording, but it’s the shimmering guitar hook that gives the song its festive, nighttime feel. My favorite aspect of the track, however, isn’t any of the guitar parts, but the song’s theme itself. James not only personifies his “geetah”, he refers to it as his lady.

“Don't rock bottom, just listen, just slow down. So, now are you ready to go, my lady? I been waitin on the boat here, I been waitin so long.”

"COLD GIRL FEVER" THE NATIONAL (2001)

For the first half of September, I’ll be selecting my Top 15 favorite songs from The National. A band that has rarely let me down — both in the recording studio and in concert. #FaveArtistTop15

The National’s musical roots started in country and its various alternative expressions. It all began with their self-titled debut album, a recording that existed before they ever performed live. Listening back to that first LP, it’s quite a trip reflecting on the band’s significant evolution over the past 20 years. It’s not one of my favorite albums from the band, but “Cold Girl Fever” is still a track I enjoy immensely.

Playing a seminal role in the band’s development and aesthetic, “Cold Girl Fever” may have sounded light years behind Alligator and Boxer. But it seemed to gather trademark elements of the band, neatly packaged in layers with a handsome bow on top. “Cold Girl Fever” was built on mood, not melody. It was a beautiful collision of two worlds — the Americana-infused universe felt in the opening guitar strum and Berninger’s bass drone and then the experimental universe epitomized by the hypnotic synthesizer hook and odd tempo halt at the 1:55 mark. This was the rookie track that became a foreshadowing of great things to come.

“Don't hold on to me when there's nothing to hold.”

"FEEL YOU" MY MORNING JACKET (2020)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

My Morning Jacket is, by far, one of the most prolific bands of the 2000s. Other bands have come and gone. Some have fizzled out quickly. Some are barely hanging on a thread. But My Morning Jacket keeps going year after year. The Waterfall II were outtakes from the original Waterfall sessions. But these songs were so good, they resurfaced and were an equally strong collection of songs. Released during the pandemic, The Waterfall II came at a time when music played an even more important role in my life. It was during Covid that I first started Mental Jukebox — which was inspired by great songs like “Feel You”.

I don’t know what else to say about the amazing guitar riff on “Feel You”, except that it feels like a natural extension of Jim James’ vocals. The two parts blend effortlessly. Like my last entry, “Only Memories Remain”, there’s something transcendental about this song. Musically it sits somewhere softly in between the isolating vulnerability of Jeff Buckley and the accessible, but masterful songwriting of Elton John.

“Are we undercover? What's left to see?”

"ONLY MEMORIES REMAIN" MY MORNING JACKET (2015)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

The best music we have is often characterized by the ability to do one of these two things: help us live in the moment or transport us somewhere unforgettable. I think My Morning Jacket’s catalog is not only versatile in genre, they’re versatile in helping us to achieve both of these experiences. “Only Memories Remain” always brings me to another place without fail.

Atmospheric. Spellbinding. Immersive. These are the typical words that we use to describe a lot of good music these days. But “Only Memories Remain” is so much more. There’s something incarnational about it. Jim James’ lyrics are so down to earth that they can easily become our own words and thoughts. We’re not in his head. He’s not in ours. Because strangely they feel one and the same.

“Sometimes life has other ideas. And though we both know how much it meant, now only memories remain.”

"TOUCH ME I'M GOING TO SCREAM, PT. 2" MY MORNING JACKET (2008)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

Today I was thinking about the purpose of a morning jacket. Its name implies two characteristics: 1) something that keeps you warm, and 2) something that’s worn only during the early part of the day. It’s essentially an article of clothing that gives you the comfort and warmth you need to get you going for the rest of your day. In many ways, My Morning Jacket’s music has played that role for me, including this unique song from one of my favorite MMJ albums.

The aspects in “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Part 2” that get me going are both foundational and ornamental. At the foundation is a peculiar melody and song structure. It grooves early and then strangely fizzles out as if there’s a power shortage in the recording studio. On the peripheral is Jim James’s voice dancing seamlessly between high tenor and falsetto and a alien-like synth riff that sounds like it’s trying to communicate with us.

“It's been so long, since someone challenged me. And made me think, about the way things are. Made me think, about the way they could be.”

"GOLDEN - LIVE AT THE FILLMORE" MY MORNING JACKET (2005)

In my series “Long Live Live”, I’m highlighting some of the most revered live recordings of all time. You’ll see my musical biases, but there’s no doubt that each of these tracks played a pivotal role in shaping music history. I started Mental Jukebox last year because I needed another music listening outlet when there were no more live shows to go to. These songs remind me that nothing will ever replace the blend of atmosphere and performance captured in the live experience.

There’s a magical element to live shows that many of us have been missing since the pandemic began. That special aura that comes with quieter songs. Songs that transport us and immerse us well into the night. That’s “Golden”, one of My Morning Jacket’s slower, sleepier songs. The band’s live recording at The Fillmore is full of live magic—the kind of performance that makes you wish the concert never ends.

“Sure sometimes they thrill me. But nothin' could ever chill me. Like the way they make the time just disappear.”

"BRIGHTER!" CASS MCCOMBS (2013)

The simplest of songs are often the best ones we have. “Brighter!” does its thing with just a simple melody, simple instrumentation and simple production. The clean guitar picking, McComb’s hush-hush falsetto and Americana roots remind me of late night star gazing. I love the ethereal quality to “Brighter!”. There’s a lightness and buoyancy to the music that seems to transcend time and space.

“All eyes move to thee. All eyes aren’t born free. All eyes want to see.”

"GREEN EYES AND A HEART OF GOLD" THE LONE BELLOW (2013)

Some of the most powerful bands in music history have been trios. Cream. Rush. The Police. Nirvana. Muse. And The Lone Bellow also has power. Big doses of vocal harmonies. Big doses of alt-country. A lot of sonic power coming from just three musicians. When I heard The Lone Bellow perform live as musical unknowns, they won us over with the energy, emotion and vigor of “Green Eyes”.

“Green eyes and a heart of gold. All the money’s gone and the house is cold. And it's alright.”