Listening • How to Win at Relationships

While I can’t personally relate to “a mescaline freakout at an off-Broadway show / in the morning,”* there’s something familiar and friendly about Luke Temple’s “Saturday People.” Its folksy feel and tripped-out lyrics make you want to gather on a big ol’ front porch in the country with all of the freaks, creeps, and weirdoes you’ve ever known. After a group swirl in a hand-holding circle, you would pause to make an announcement. “Friends,” you would say, “I care about each and every one of you. But I really can’t lend you five dollars for bus fare or anything else, so please stop asking.”

*I’ve only been in New York for a few weeks and grad school hasn’t started yet. Check back during finals week.

» Listen to “Saturday People” at The Yellow Stereo


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If putting lemons in the dishwasher to freshen things up is a life hack, is telling someone how you feel about them and their actions toward you an emotion hack?

If so, let the Emotion Hacker of the Year award go to Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, for her title track, “Marry Me.” With piercing honesty that’s whimsical in turn, Clark states her desire to marry a fellow named John, as sparse and carefully orchestrated instrumentation pleads and plays along with her. While as far as I know Clark is still single, it’s likely that her emotional productivity was maximized by the direct use of this simple command/request.

» Listen to “Marry Me” at Said the Gramophone

First runner-up: “You Broke My Heart” by Lavender Diamond
» Listen to “You Broke My Heart” at 3hive

Second runner-up: “Let’s Make Out” by Does It Offend You, Yeah?
» Listen to “Let’s Make Out” at Pitchfork

Third runner-up: “Can I Get Get Get” by Junior Senior
» Listen to “Can I Get Get Get” at You Ain’t No Picasso


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France must be experiencing an unusual number of sunny afternoon showers lately. No other explanation could account for the amount of rainbows in its music videos.

It may be past its peak of hotness, but “Je Veux te Voir” by Yelle is still adorable. That is, until you realize that the bright colors are only there to distract you from the fact that this slender female electro-pop songstress is saying some harsh and dirty things about the manhood of ex-boyfriend and rapper, Cuizinier of TTC. Then it’s just awesome. (Though kind of hard to believe. I mean, the guy covered Warren G.)


» Listen to “Je Veux te Voir” at MySpace
» Listen to “Regulate” at Fluo Kids


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As Cuizinier’s cousin and cohort in TTC, Teki Latex is slammed in Yelle’s rant, too. I have no idea what he’s saying in “Les Matins de Paris,” but he’s cuddly looking and makes cute blobby things appear all over Paris, so I have a hard time hating on him.


» Listen to “Les Matins de Paris” at MySpace


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“A Cause des Garçons” shows the newer, lighter side of Yelle—well, comparitively, anyway. As someone whose armoire is constantly self-animating so it can boogie around while I’m trapped inside, I can totally relate. See also the insanely danceable Riot in Belgium remix.


» Listen to “A Cause des Garçons” at MySpace
» Listen to “A Cause des Garçons (Riot in Belgium Remix)” at MySpace

 —Heather Rasley, Aug. 29, 2007

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