THE INEXORABLE MARCH OF GUEST POST MADNESS

Today's contribution comes courtesy of Caley:

Originally, I intended to make this post about my favourite saddest sad songs, but, I figured, it being the Holiday Season, and all, too much sadness would be a little too much. So, instead, I give you the saddest song I've ever heard, balanced out with one of the happiest blasts of noise I've ever heard.

Joel R.L. Phelps and the Downer Trio, "Now You Are Found [1962-1999]" - In 2000, Joel R.L. Phelps, formerly of Silkworm, released the "Inland Empires EP", 7 songs, 6 covers, and one original. This is that original, and what an original it is! Like I said, it's a sad song, possibly the saddest song I've ever heard, but it's so beautiful, as well. It's about the heroin overdose death of his sister (hence the dates in the title). There are two amazing things about this song, in addition to its unbeatable level of sadness. First off, the details in the lyrics are just perfect,in that they make a portrait of Phelps' sister, so that the listener, on one hand, feels like they know her, but on the other, recognizes that, while they may be able to relate to certain aspects/events, this is uniquely a song about his sister, and no one else. On the relatable front, he has lyrics like "Could've wept for your son and daughter if they could remember what you looked like" that can mean a lot to anyone who's lost anyone important. On the other hand, lyrics like "I stole Alice Cooper/When I knew that you were gone" and "Got up early for the papers/Thought I looked cool in your old bells" are unique to this situation, this is Phelps mourning his sister, not some everyman mourning for all the lost sisters in the world. The second remarkable thing is Phelps' voice: at times just above a whisper, softly singing lines of lament like "So I'm stuck here now with the living" but then turning to a mournful wail for the follow-up line "With my mother and my dad". At other times, the pain comes right through the headphones (or speaker, if you prefer), like when the edge comes into his voice as it takes a brief, angry turn: "Could've killed those coked-out brothers/With their sabres guiled with lies". What is possibly the most amazing, in addition to everything else I've written, is that Phelps plays this song live with amazing regularity. It always struck me as a song he played once, to get it all out of his system, and then, never again. I can't even begin to comprehend how he could play this song on a regular basis without becoming a complete wreck. The label that put out this EP has a website that no longer seems to exist, so hit up www.joelrlphelps.com and see if you can't find someone selling it, because it is great: it has this song, two Iris Dement covers, one Townes Van Zandt, one Steve Earle, one Fleetwood Mac, and one Go-Betweens cover.

88 Fingers Louie, "I've Won" - I'm not a big punk rock guy. I had my brief high school affair with punk rock and it ended like most relationships, with punk rock barely on speaking terms with myself. But, there is a bit of punk rock that sticks around and is still relevant to me. This song is just staggering for a variety of reasons:

- Reason #1. It's one of the greatest declarations of love ever in song.
- Reason #2. It's 88 Fingers Louie, not a punk band not really known for their tenderness (One of their albums is titled "Up Your Ass" with cover art depicting a number of fists rising up out of a toilet)
- Reason #3. The singer's voice is terrible, not in a CYHSY affected/eccentric kind of way, but in a sounding like his throat is full of gravel to the point the words come at you as if they're the tiny stones he's trying to spit out of his mouth. He even tries to hit a high note at one point and it sounds like he's going to lose his voice completely.

Put these all together and it's amazing. To hear this painful voice singing (slinging?) lyrics like "Some people go through life, searching for this thing called love/Call it fate, call it what you want, but it happend to me/And I can't believe the way she makes me feel inside/When I'm around her I just can't help but smile", is just great. I listen to this song all the time. Other highlights include when he shouts (his voice isn't strong enough to scream) the title, "I've won" over and over, referring to how this girl makes him feel like he's won in, well, life. And also, toward the end when he admits his own corniness by saying "Deep in my heart I can't lose her/and I don't feel like such a loser now". I'm pretty sure the band is long gone, but Hopeless Records still seems have copies of their albums available.