Eleanor Friedberger makes all of the cheesiest moments of 1970's pop culture and music sound like a great idea. Listening to her music makes me feel like I'm watching an old episode of The Brady Bunch or Banana Splits and that strange decade is never going to end. She used to be in The Fiery Furnaces who were a fine band but just too defiantly odd to ever break big and now she's not. Here are two songs from her latest album. She's as eccentric as they come and as a result I find it difficult to get through a whole record at a sitting because she never stops jumping around but in short bursts she's difficult to beat. She makes music that makes it feel like the sun is always shining. This first one here seems to be a love song to another girl. It's about four minutes long, manages to mention Soft Machine and Come On Eileen and is pretty much perfect.
'I could see the tops of her white socks
Just beneath the desk
Her pants didn't reach all the way down her legs
And you know what happened next
I said hi politely and we went to time for coffee
Yeah yeah yeah that was when I knew
That was when I knew I was wrong wrong wrong all along
That was when I knew, yeah
That was when I knew
They said we both write weird music
And she played me Soft Machine
And lent me a record that badly warped which screwed up everything
I was broke, just fifteen
I scoured London for a replacement
I found it cheap in an Oxford Street basement
Yeah yeah yeah that was when I knew
That was when I knew I was wrong wrong wrong wrong
That was when I knew, yeah
That was when I knew
I met her in my bedroom
Oh at a party, Halloween
And she was wearing a pair of overalls
So I sang "Come On Eileen"
I was being slightly mean
And that just made her smile
Which made me feel childish
Yeah yeah yeah that was when I knew
That was when I knew I was wrong wrong wrong
That was when I knew, yeah
That was when I knew
We played a song from scratch that night
And when she done up singing
She just took off, stage left
And left us there winging it
The band went down swinging
As she made her exit, arms in the air
I caught her eye, I was unprepared
When I couldn't get her out of my head
So I got her out of hers instead
No I couldn't get her out of my head
So I got her out of hers instead
I know I couldn't get her out of my head
And then we ended up in...
She glided by on antique roller skates
And overtook our car
Just down the street
Up from where we parked
Just south of Market
In the Castro sun she seemed to glisten
And when she spoke I listened
Yeah yeah yeah that was when I knew
That was when I knew I was wrong wrong wrong
That was when I knew, yeah
That was when I knew'
Just beneath the desk
Her pants didn't reach all the way down her legs
And you know what happened next
I said hi politely and we went to time for coffee
Yeah yeah yeah that was when I knew
That was when I knew I was wrong wrong wrong all along
That was when I knew, yeah
That was when I knew
They said we both write weird music
And she played me Soft Machine
And lent me a record that badly warped which screwed up everything
I was broke, just fifteen
I scoured London for a replacement
I found it cheap in an Oxford Street basement
Yeah yeah yeah that was when I knew
That was when I knew I was wrong wrong wrong wrong
That was when I knew, yeah
That was when I knew
I met her in my bedroom
Oh at a party, Halloween
And she was wearing a pair of overalls
So I sang "Come On Eileen"
I was being slightly mean
And that just made her smile
Which made me feel childish
Yeah yeah yeah that was when I knew
That was when I knew I was wrong wrong wrong
That was when I knew, yeah
That was when I knew
We played a song from scratch that night
And when she done up singing
She just took off, stage left
And left us there winging it
The band went down swinging
As she made her exit, arms in the air
I caught her eye, I was unprepared
When I couldn't get her out of my head
So I got her out of hers instead
No I couldn't get her out of my head
So I got her out of hers instead
I know I couldn't get her out of my head
And then we ended up in...
She glided by on antique roller skates
And overtook our car
Just down the street
Up from where we parked
Just south of Market
In the Castro sun she seemed to glisten
And when she spoke I listened
Yeah yeah yeah that was when I knew
That was when I knew I was wrong wrong wrong
That was when I knew, yeah
That was when I knew'
The second is about staring at the sun which is a bad idea and trying to be happy which is a very good one. Have a nice day! Meanwhile, here's The Brady Bunch to help you along.
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