A Quick, Sad Post

On the same day that I was writing about Tinderstick's first North American tour since 2003, Pitchfork ran an article by frontman Stuart Staples as part of their Guest Lists feature. In it, he mentions 2 songs as his favorites of the past year: "Demon Days" by Robert Forster and "Comme un Lego" by Alain Bashung. Here are both those songs, along with Stuart Staples' comments on each from the Pitchfork article (link is below):

Robert Forster - Demon Days (from the album The Evangelist)

"Demon Days" began life as a song of Grant McLennan's (Robert's writing partner of 25-plus years with the Go-Betweens) and was finished by Robert after Grant's sudden death. It is in no way maudlin; it's blown out like a bubble on a summer afternoon.

Alain Bashung - Comme un Lego (from the album Blue Pétrole)

Bashung, to me, is like the last true voice of France, or what I hold as my idea of France. After a 30-year career, he is so loved there. And recently, while dealing with illness, he has remained dignified, unshakably honest, and so close to the essence of his music. Bleu Petrole isn't resigned, it's the sound of a man struggling to carry on with his journey, still full of anger, hope, and energy. "Comme un Lego"-- three strummed chords, nine minutes long, feels like a simple stage for this voice. A voice that gives me shivers thinking about it.

Alain Bashung died this past Saturday, aged 61, from lung cancer.

Related:
Pitchfork - Guest Lists: Tindersticks
Compare and Contrast: Tindersticks vs Asphalt Ribbons
Amazon Link for The Evangelist
Amazon Link for Blue Pétrole