A Hard Question

My friend Kat just sent us all an email asking for a number of answers to questions about 2006 (sort of like those email quiz things but more personal). One of them was 'favourite song of 2006'. This was difficult but in the end I selected 'No Children' by the Mountain Goats. I'd probably have to also mention Martha Wainwright 'When the Day Is Short'. Although neither of these songs were released in 2006 I discovered both of them last year, and the question didn't specify whether or not the song had to be released then. For favourite album I also picked Martha.

There's something about those songs, both of them, that makes them compulsive listening. The Mountain Goats song is absolutely hilarious:

I hope that our few remaining friends
Give up on trying to save us
I hope we come up with a fail safe plot
To piss off the dumb few that forgave us
I hope the fences we mended
Fall down beneath their own weight
And I hope we hang on past the last exit
I hope it's already too late..

All of this is set against a piano/guitar tune that makes it sound far less depressing than the subject matter suggests. A divorce has never been this much fun. If you want a sample, have a listen here: http://sixeyes.blogspot.com/2006/12/mountain-goats-and-john-vanderslice.html

'When the Day Is Short' has a great melody and again great lyrics, but the (insert technical musical words here) section where it changes completely and the guitar cranks it up is the best part by far. If you want to download her stuff though you'll have to find it yourself, or I can lend you the album. I had one of those 'strange coincidence' moments after the song had been stuck in my head all day, turned on the TV to ABC2 and there she was, singing it live.