Single Saturdays: December 10th, 2022
Single Saturdays is Five Cent Sound’s new weekly roundup, where our staff members share a song that they’ve fallen in love with and make their case for why others should give it a listen.
“I’m Goin’ Down - Recorded at Electric Lady Studios NYC” by Vampire Weekend
Annaliese Baker
If you read the song title and thought to yourself, “Bruce Springsteen wrote that,” props to you: he did! It was on his 1984 album Born to Run, which most fans believe to be the best song on the album. In June 2019–in the midst of their Father of the Bride tour– Indie/Alternative band Vampire Weekend released a cover of Springsteen’s “I’m Goin’ Down,” recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. And I believe it is on-par with the original version, if not better.
I’ve grown up listening to Vampire Weekend; they are my father’s favorite band, surpassing his two-decade favorite Pearl Jam after the release of their 2013 album Modern Vampires of the City, which I feel has to count for something. The band is known for their eclectic lyrics, often referencing obscure literary works or late ‘80s and ‘90s pop culture–a nod to lead singer Ezra Koenig’s English degree–with rhythms inspired by African, Baroque Pop and Classical music. Vampire Weekend found success easily; they were doing something entirely new in the music industry.
While “I’m Goin’ Down” is not a song they wrote, it still feels innately Vampire Weekend yet still honors the beauty of Bruce Springsteen’s original. Aside from the lyrics, the guitar has a strong presence in both versions of the song. While Springsteen’s focuses on electric guitar, Vampire Weekend’s focuses on acoustic guitar, creating a more intimate relatability. The second verse begins: “I pull you close when we kiss I can feel a doubt / I remember back when we started / My kisses used to turn you inside out.” Ezra Koenig sings the lyrics–one that tell a story of a relationship that no longer exists–with a sense of the joy found in grief, whereas the original is much more upbeat and steady. Although Koenig’s emotional read of the lyrics is different, it provides an interesting contrast to their lighthearted, synth-pop instrumental component including a piano, tambourine, and drums. Although it isn’t one of their original songs and had a very subtle release, Vampire Weekend’s “I’m Goin’ Down - Recorded at Electric Lady Studios NYC” is arguably one of their best songs. Three generations of music fans–my grandfather, my father, and me–have found great joy in it; I hope others can find joy in it too.
“Her Morning Elegance” – Oren Lavie
Isabella Ercolano
Last week, my suitemates and I fell down a rabbit hole of watching music videos on our TV. After watching a few classics (remember the chokehold “Somebody That I Used to Know” had on us?), we stumbled across a video none of us had seen before. The thumbnail was of a woman laying on a bed from a bird's eye view. The title read “Her Morning Elegance.” 35 million views. Click. The video starts. I truly wish nothing more than to witness it all again for the first time.
The music video is all stop motion and takes place solely from the bed we saw in the thumbnail. The video uses elements from the bed, such as different color pillows and sheets moving across it, to give the illusion that the woman is walking, swimming, riding the train, falling and so much more. My words don’t do it justice. Take a look for yourself if you'd like. “Her Morning Elegance,” released in 2007, begins with a funky melody of keys in the beginning for a few measures before we hear Lavie’s deep, soulful and folky voice for the first time. At the end of the first verse, Lavie sings, “a cello lying in its case” and we are greeted with a beautiful cello melody which appears from time to time throughout the song. The melancholy lyrics mixed with the upbeat rhythm makes the song appear unhappy yet hopeful at the same time.
Within the first two verses Lavie sets the scene. “Sun has been down for days, a pretty flower in its vase / She pours a daydream in a cup, a spoon of sugar sweetens up.” We as listeners get the sense that this woman appears to be lonely, depressed and daydreams as a way to cope. As the song continues and Lavie gets to the chorus, we get deeper into her internal battle with it all. “Nobody knows. Nobody knows. / And she fights for her life as she puts on her coat and she fights for her life on the train. She looks at the rain as it pours. And she fights for her life as she goes into the store where the people are pleasantly strange.” The silent, lonely struggle that Lavie describes is a raw and familiar feeling that many of us can relate to.
I believe “Her Morning Elegance” isn’t just about this sad struggle, however. “Her Morning Elegance” is about daydreamers. The entire video takes place on a bed but it is daylight outside. This woman is using daydreaming to cope with the battles she is fighting alone in her head. She is not giving up, even on her loneliest and darkest days. Listen to “Her Morning Elegance” on days where it all just feels too much, maybe when you feel like you're fighting for your life as you put on your coat and you may feel less alone. I hope you like this song as much as I do.
“Candy Wrappers” – Summer Salt
Sydney Johnson
Trop-pop, or tropical pop, is a genre of music that mixes the sounds of Latin tropical roots with American popular music. The band Summer Salt have defined their sound using this genre, and have made their own name in the indie pop music world as well. In 2014 they released their first EP Driving to Hawaii, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2022 that I discovered them when they opened for the band The Driver Era. Immediately I was obsessed with their unique sound and distinct instrumentation. One thing I truly enjoyed about their sound, even after the show, is that you can hear every instrument in both the studio and live versions.
The song “Candy Wrappers” was one I had stuck in my head after I left the venue. The song opens with a shaker and a distorted electric guitar riff that give off a vacation vibe; however, as the drums and lyrics begin you hear the bittersweet message of the song. The song is about losing a summer romance as you go into the fall and how you can’t just wait around for them to come back. “Well, I just can't sit around here waiting / Waiting for her to get back home.” As heartbreaking as the song is, the upbeat and happy sound is able to transform the song. There are two different types of musicians and music listeners: Those who are who pay attention to the lyrics. The deep meanings behind the songs and the way words are strung together, and those who prefer the sound of music and care more about the instrumentation and the makeup of the song. They are looking for a good sound rather than a good message. “Candy Wrappers” is a song that satisfies both types of listeners, and I recommend it if you are looking for a song about missing your summer fling or even just to play in the background as you clean.