Marc Fagel

YouTube video by Luna - Topic That's What You Always Say

Seems like the song was created specifically for Luna to cover...

I still remember a local San Francisco journalist reporting on seeing his first Yo La Tengo show, watching Ira shred his guitar and proclaiming, "That fucker really BELIEVES."

YouTube video by The Dream Syndicate - Topic That's What You Always Say

I'd try to sit and talk with you, but you know how moods change all the time...

My Top 2000 Songs #1055: That's What You Always Say Music-obsessed retired lawyer, sharing a few thoughts on some choice cuts from my obscenely oversized music collection each day.

2000 Great Songs #1055: That's What You Always Say. The Dream Syndicate conjure what sounds like a great lost garage rocker, found on an old 45 in the back of a record store, where it sat unnoticed for 15 years until they dusted it off and cranked it up.

I always like to kick back with a few Feelies videos as well, so best of both worlds!

YouTube video by SuperSpurrs Yo La Tengo - Outsmartener - 2021-04-21 - Copenhagen Bremen, DK

Another performance of Outsmartener, but without the horn.

YouTube video by Hans-Jorn Jakobsen The Troggs - 66-5-4-3-2-1

BTW, this has long been one of my favorite YLT tracks, but never realized it was a repurposed Troggs song. (Was listening to a tape of a show where they covered the Troggs track before turning into one of their own.)

YouTube video by roolin Yo La Tengo w/William Parker | Outsmartener - Bowery Ballroom, NYC 12/27/2019

Dunno ‘bout you, but Sunday night is when I sink into the sofa with a pair of headphones and binge on Yo La Tengo clips.

Yep, that's why I was so disappointed back then as well. That greatest hits cassette everyone had in middle school didn't serve the band well. But then I found all the trippy psychedelia, and came around on the rest of it.

Grateful Dead: These Go To Eleven! Music-obsessed retired lawyer, sharing a few thoughts on some choice cuts from my obscenely oversized music collection each day.

And if you share my love of this song--I have re-uploaded my mix of 8 wild, never-officially-released performances of The Eleven. 80 minutes of lysergic bliss.

Enough trips to the local dispensary and it's inevitable.

YouTube video by Grateful Dead - Topic The Eleven (Live at Shrine Auritorium, August 23-24,1968)

Six proud walkers on the jingle bell rainbow, five men writing with fingers of gold...

Opinion: After complaining about the Grateful Dead for decades, outing myself as a midlife Deadhead wasn’t easy I’m willing to accept that aging will bring deterioration to my body and my memory and my ability to locate the car keys, but am I powerless to protect my taste in music?

And now our old friend Jeff Gordinier has formally validated the Dead for former college radio nerds! To the moon!

My Top 2000 Songs #1054: The Eleven Music-obsessed retired lawyer, sharing a few thoughts on some choice cuts from my obscenely oversized music collection each day.

2000 Great Songs #1054: The Eleven. The @grateful-dead.bsky.social at their most primally psychedelic, the oddly-timed track never recorded for a studio album but a staple of their late 60s shows is as much a jam as a proper song, pure acid-drenched chaos.

YouTube video by Judee Sill - Topic Enchanted Sky Machines (Remastered)

My heart is so hungry, living on patience alone...

My Top 2000 Songs #1053: Enchanted Sky Machines Music-obsessed retired lawyer, sharing a few thoughts on some choice cuts from my obscenely oversized music collection each day.

2000 Great Songs #1053: Enchanted Sky Machines. Nothing like a little jazzy folk gospel from Judee Sill to stir the soul.

YouTube video by Tamar Berk tamar berk - stay close by (official video)

Here's the video for LP-opener Stay Close By. (And check out the whole thing over on Bandcamp, tamarberk.bandcamp.com/album/ocd.)

New Releases: Tamar Berk Music-obsessed retired lawyer, sharing a few thoughts on some choice cuts from my obscenely oversized music collection each day.

New Releases: Loving the latest one from indie singer-songwriter @tamarberk.bsky.social--another great album of emotional heart-tuggers from a woman who's been through it, happily showing off her 90s/00s alt.rock influences, ranging from dense grungy/dreamy layered epics to more effervescent pop.

The AVClub used to ask musicians to talk about their most hated songs, and @yolatengo.bsky.social's Ira Kaplan offered the 1-800-Kars-4-Kids commercial jingle. Which I thought was the perfect response--a universally reviled piece of music but without the snobbish sh*tting on other people's taste.

Sue!

YouTube video by Josh Ritter Josh Ritter - Where the Night Goes [Official Video]

You dropped the pedal like a holy roller, sheriff of hell couldn't pull you over...

My Top 2000 Songs #1052: Where The Night Goes Music-obsessed retired lawyer, sharing a few thoughts on some choice cuts from my obscenely oversized music collection each day.

2000 Great Songs #1052: Where The Night Goes. In the grand American tradition of 70s classic rock staples like Bob Seger and Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham, brought up to date by Josh Ritter. What I wish oldies radio would sound like in 20 years.

This whole album is quietly revolutionary.

Scrolling through the Ps over morning coffee.

Continuing to spend some summer downtime organizing and occasionally purging my over-large collection of live music. Re-discovering a lot of great gigs along the way.

YouTube video by Creeper Lagoon - Topic Dear Deadly

God save us, abandon ship the captain's down...

My Top 2000 Songs #1051: Dear Deadly Music-obsessed retired lawyer, sharing a few thoughts on some choice cuts from my obscenely oversized music collection each day.

2000 Great Songs #1051: Dear Deadly. If you wanted to perfectly encapsulate the late 90s indie vibe, you could do worse than this one from SF band Creeper Lagoon, which pairs post-Pavement slacker guitar rock with some wickedly dynamic production.

My Top 2000 Songs (#1001-1100) Playlist · Marc Fagel · 49 items · 4 saves

I'm halfway through the first 100 songs on the second 1000 entries of my Top 2000 (wow, that's a mouthful)... if you need a playlist to get you through the rest of the week, here you go!

YouTube video by TheCureVEVO The Cure - Never Enough

However I smile I smile the most...

My Top 2000 Songs #1050: Never Enough Music-obsessed retired lawyer, sharing a few thoughts on some choice cuts from my obscenely oversized music collection each day.

2000 Great Songs #1050: Never Enough. @thecure.com follow the dark, epic Disintegration with an anomalously bouncy single, borrowing the wiggy electricity of the Madchester scene and crafting the rare Cure tune that makes you want to crank it up and dance.