Friday, July 14, 2023

La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special "Moody Black and White Art Direction" Edition

From 2023 (and her forthcoming album Gold Control), please enjoy charmingly monikered singer/songwriter/rocker JEEN and her poetically probing examination of (as she so aptly explains) "trying to get out from under it so we don’t just become casualties of our shittiest days."

Appropriately titled "Just Shadows."

This one crossed my desk unbidden the other day (I was not previously familiar with its young auteuress) and it grabbed me right away, despite a certain chaotic over-production and a vocal that under normal circumstances might have struck me as mannered. But by the time the chorus came roaring out of my newly acquired Klipsch computer speakers, I was convinced; this is a record that really sounds like what it means, which is what you want (and these days don't so often get) from your rock-and-roll.

In any case, you can (and should) find out more about JEEN (inluding where to get her previous releases) over here at her official website.

But now to business: To wit:

...and your favorite or least favorite song referencing light and/or dark (literal or emotional) in its title or lyric is...?

Discuss.

Meanwhile, have a great weekend, everybody!

And try to stay as cool as possible, given the Chinese-hoaxed heat we're currently experiencing!!!

20 comments:

Allan Rosenberg said...

What is this? You're taking the rest of the week off?

;-)

I like the song rocks real nicely. Played it twice back to back.

Captain Al

Sal Nunziato said...

Good track.
I dig it.

Gummo said...

Wow! You've been emphasizing the Pop side of Power Pop for a while, now you brought back the Power!

Good song! I like her voice, too. Yeah, a couple of layers of production coulda been sheered off but that's quibbling. Definitely going to check out her music.

The video should come with a warning for anyone prone to seizures, though.

Alzo said...

Paint it Black.

Anonymous said...

Darkness Darkness-The Youngbloods

I've Seen the Light-Five Americans

MJConroy said...

"Dark Days" by Graham Parker from one of his best albums (Deepcut to Nowhere)

Anonymous said...

The Jeen track is a lot of fun. Thanks for the tip.

Bob Dylan - Not Dark Yet
Bob Mould - See A Little Light
UFO - Lights Out

Paul in DK

Phil Cheese said...

This is the easiest question I've had all week. My favorite pick is "Woman In A Cage" written by Rob Hoffman, one of my best friends in southern Ohio. If the title alone doesn't perk your interest to listen, perhaps the name of his regional band will: " Uncle Daddy and The Family Secret. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gyYoFb2qXQ

BG said...

I'd go see her. I don't say that very often these days.

Black is Black - Los Bravos
Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress - Hollies
Here Comes the Sun - Beatles
Sunny Afternoon - Kinks
Long Black Veil - Band
Darkness on the Edge of Town - Springsteen

pete said...

I'm not surprised no one has mentioned this yet - but despite my congenital dislike of the group it's a great record, dammit! "Light My Fire"

MJConroy said...

DWIGHT TWILLEY BAND - Feeling In The Dark

edward said...

Oh common, no one added White Light/White Heat but the Velvets?

Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
You Want it Darker - Leonard Cohen
There's A Light - Rocky Horror Picture Show
You Light Up My Life - Deby Boone (didn't say they had to be good)
Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Dark Dark Heart - John Wesley Harding
Dark Sunglasses - Chrissie Hynde
Let Her Go Into the Darkness - Jonathan Richman
Talking in the Dark - Elvis Costello
Blinded by the Darkness - T-Bone Burnett

danny1959 said...

@edward Patti Smith used to cover "You Light Up My Life."

getawaygoober said...

Blue Oyster Cult - 7 Screaming Diz-Busters "I can't stand the light."

M_Sharp said...

Good song! Let's rock!

"Dark End Of The Street" - James Carr
"Light Of Day" - Joan Jett & Michael J. Fox' greatest hit

Anonymous said...

Kinks - Days
Bobby Bland, Bob Seger - Turn On Your Lovelight (not the Dead)
Concrete Blonde - Sun
Procol Harum - Whiter Shade of Pale (We skipped the light fandango ..)
Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
Bob Dylan – Dark Eyes
Badfinger - We're For the Dark
Love – A House Is Not a Motel (where the light shines dim all around you)
Creedence - As Long As I Can See the Light
Tom Petty – Luna (black and yellow pools of light)
George Harrison - Beware of Darkness
Blue Oyster Cult - 7 Screaming Diz-Busters (Lucifer the Light)
WORST EVER - Grand Funk - All the Girls In the World Beware (I got dark brown stains in my underwear)
Loses Flavor Fast - Collective Soul - Shine
Youngbloods - Sunlight (Three Dog Night did a nice cover)
Santana - Evil Ways (My House Is Dark ...)
Concrete Blonde - The Darkening of the Light (Double Bonus)
Tom Petty – Strangered In the Night (Well it was dark at midnight)
Hollies - Long Dark Road
Journey - Lights
Jefferson Airplane - Caroline (Dark Eyed Girl)
Yes – The Gates of Delirium (Soon, oh soon the light ….)
Spirit - Dark Eyed Woman
Metallica - Hit the Lights
Classics IV - Stormy (Bring back that sunny day)
WORST _ Styx - Light Up
Nick Cave - Darker With the Day
Grateful Dead - Dark Star (Dark Star crashes pouring its light into ashes) (Double Bonus)
Beatles - Let It Be (In my hour of darkness there is still a light) (Double Bonus)
Steve Miller Band - My Dark Hour
Tom Petty – Straight Into Darkness
Grateful Dead - Dark Hollow
George Harrison - Dark Horse
Kinks - Little Miss Queen of Darkness
Beatles - The Inner Light
Grateful Dead-Truckin' (Sometimes the light's all shining on me ...)
Quickilver - Light Your Windows
Beatles - Good Day Sunshine
Kinks - Wicked Annabella (In a dark & misty house)
Gram Parsons - In My Hour of Darkness
The Butt - Blinded By the Light
Grateful Dead - Scarlet Begonias (Once in a while you get shown the light)
Kinks - Lola (dark brown voice)
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
Procol Harum - In Held 'Twas In I (In the darkness of the night)
Traffic - Light Up Or Leave Me Alone
Pat Benatar - Promises In the Dark
Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence (Hello darkness my old friend)
James Carr, Flying Burrito Bros - The Dark End of the Street
Merle Travis, Johnny Cash - Dark As a Dungeon
Kinks – Daylight
War - Slippin' Into Darkness
The Butt - Darkness On the Edge of Town, Dancing In the Dark
Grateful Dead - St. Stephen (Sunlight splatters dawn with answers)
Big Star - Watch the Sunrise

VR - microdosing with these dutch psilocybin pearls is the shit. the hell with that jellyfish crap. no brain fog. alert and a step ahead of time. and always in the ranger's hair. thousand times better than starbuck's. ping ping ping! ricochet rabbit. it's hanna-barbera all over again.
roses and rainbows, baby.

Anonymous said...

Rolling Stones - Shine a Light
Mother Truckers - No Mercy (Walk out of the darkness; walk out of the light; walk out of those mortal coils that have been wound too tight) https://www.soundike2.com/artist/the-mother-truckers/656460.html (lead track on superunknoown classic Broke, Not Broken) (download cheap music at Soundike)
Warren Zevon – The French Inhaler (drugs and wine and flattering light)
Shy Guys - Black Lightning Light
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O77xYvq-Mr4
Mott the Hoople - Born Late '58 (didn't get home till light)
Led Zeppelin – In the Light
Jackson Browne - Fountain of Sorrow (Fountain of Light)
Crazy Horse - Downtown (Ain't it bad when you're dealin' with the man and the light shines in your eyes)
Small Stars - Don't Keep 'Em Waiting (You're just a junkie for the limelight/spotlights) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0l5SYYZ2DA
Rolling Stones - 2000 Light Years From Home
Be Bop Deluxe - Ships In the Night (Without love my light is dim)
Soundgarden – Fell On Black Days
Paul McCartney-Wings-Rock Show (the lights go down)
Rolling Stones - Moonlight Mile
Led Zeppelin – Battle of Evermore
Drive-by Truckers - Daylight
Melanie/Mott the Hoople - Lay Down (Candles In the Rain)
Rolling Stones - Child of the Moon
Doors - Moonlight Drive
Neil Young – Harvest Moon (Let’s go dancing in the light)
Humble Pie/Peter Frampton - Shine On
Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly
Otis Redding/Patti Drew/Grateful Dead/Black Crowes - Hard To Handle (Pretty little thing let me light your candle)
Heart-Dog & Butterfly - (Moonlight holding me light as down)
Jackson Browne - Song For Adam (so little light to find my way)
Neil Young - Don't Let It Bring You DownDrive-by Truckers - Checkout Time in Vegas (brighter than creation's dark)
Lucinda Williams - When the Way Gets Dark
Rolling Stones - The Lantern
Lou Reed – Perfect Day (and then later, when it gets dark, we go home)
Jackson Browne - Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate
Don McLean - American Pie (to light the sacrificial light ... we sang dirges in the dark)
UFO - Crystal Light
Lucinda Williams - I Can't Let Go (Turn off trouble like you turn off a light)
Jackson Browne - Before the Deluge (when the light that's lost within us reaches the sky)
Neil Young - Roll Another Number (It's too dark to put the keys in my ignition)
Small Stars - Showtime-Everything's Keno In Reno
Cream - White Room - (Silver horses ran down moonbeams in your dark eyes ... Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes)
Eagles - Take It Easy (Lighten up while you still can)
Don McLean - Vincent (with eyes that know the darkness in my soul)
Rush - Limelight

Such fun. Hey Steve you mentioned a Klipsch system for your computer. I got one a couple of months back for the bedroom computer and love it. Got in on amazon and for the bucks it throws out. Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX is my model. Did you get the same? I mentioned above but will repeat "Soundike2.com" is the best place to download cheap music. Been doing it for years. Check it out. Pretty amazing selection too.

VR

Anonymous said...

RE: JEEN

Hate the production. What a mess. Her voice might be interesting, but its hard to tell with all the effects and treatments. Lay it on us raw with a bit of echo. Song doesn't exactly blow me away either. Give me the Heartless Bastards any day.

VR - beseeching a religous experience in which the warmth of the spirit will flow through the mind and body. the rituals never stop, the sacraments don't abate. the anointing is perpetual. the milk of human kindness baptizes and conjoins the flesh with the cosmos. Give it to me baby. Swim in the watery fire.

Band/Dylan - I Shall Be Released
Band - Twilight

steve simels said...

VR -- I got the Klipsch model speakers one level down from yours. We needed something for relatively low volume listening and they work fine.

mistah charley, sb, ma, phd, jsps said...

gerry rafferty's 'right down the line'

I know how much I lean on you
Only you can see
The changes that I've been through
Have left a mark on me
You've been as constant as a Northern Star
The brightest light that shines


bonnie raitt's cover is even better