I have to go with California (All The Way), a song that I loved to begin with, but gained a whole new appreciation for the first time I saw Luna live. It was at Massey Hall, they were opening for Lou Reed. Awesome.

Gotta be Tugboat… not surprisingly, it always makes me thing of my time as the “captain” of a little tugboat on a dredging site in Eastern Canada… good times.

When Will You Come Home because it is such a beautiful sound, so plaintively stating that he’s “Watching Kojak On My Own” waiting for the subject’s return

That would actually be “Words You Used to Say”, despite the uncanny ability of every Galaxie 500 album to take around two years to get under my skin. Words is a single that, I think, really refines what he’s been doing for decades: simple, stripped down songs, with every instrument doing exactly what it should. And that synth line is truly baller.

My pick is Tiger Lily by Luna. I discovered Luna within the last few years and no doubt was encouraged by the sheer influence of your love of all things Wareham, Mr. Yang. Without knowing the titles of the some songs at first, Tiger Lily (especially the glorious chorus) crept into my brain until I HAD to find out the name of the song that altered me so. My biggest regret was when Dean and Britta did a radio instudio set last year to unveil the world premiere of 13 Most Beautiful in Pittsburgh, they were walking past me to set up and I kill myself that I didn’t request the tune.
They are coming again in June to the Warhol Museum to do a one off (?) performance in celebration of a new exhibit and it would be great to have a copy of the book for him to sign.

Too many to pick….but a killer track is “Knives from Bavaria” from the L’Avventura project. Britta is aces in my book, she basically whispers this entire song. When I first heard this cd, I realized that even if Luna ever broke up (tragic…..they did) there was a future with Dean and Britta. I could rest easy. No duo like them in my book.

Love ’em all truly…tough choice, but I’m going to go with Romantica…mostly because I’m especially fond of the line “how can I know what I think ’til I see what I say?”

And because I think Dean was kind of an ass to slag off Sean the way he does both throughout the book and Tell Me Do You Miss Me, I’ll note that Still at Home and Broken Chair might have been my favorite songs on Rendezvous.

Hard to pick – big Tugboat fan (British Sea Power also do an ACE version)… also really like Blue Thunder. I think “On Fire”was the album that sold me on the band in the first place, and that lead-off was GENIUS!

My choice, after much thought, would have to be Galaxie 500s “Oblivious”. The entire “Today” album is so full of innocence and energy that despite its technical flaws, in fact because of them, it is my favorite Galaxie 500 album. It has such a distinct feel from start to finish-happy go lucky and melancholy at the same time. I love the Velvet Underground, but always wished they would do one record that consisted entirely of their pretty stuff such as Sunday Morning and Stephanie Says. Galaxie 500 hundred did it for them. Borrowing elements from the New Seekers and Pet Clark, filtering them through rich guitar sounds and cathartic delivery. “Oblivious” is the song that stands out the most from this fine collection. The lyrics are raw and pure. The chord pattern pleasant yet haunting, the bass line shouldn’t fit but it does. Then there is the harmonica solo, the flawed yet somehow perfect rambling that typifies the ever present imperfections that made Galaxie 500 seem so human.

One time I thought I had lost my ipod. I had accepted that it would be a while before I could replace it and would erstwhile do without it. But, it showed up in a very unlikely place. The first thing I listened to upon its return was “Oblivious”. I had my bike with me, but walked home and listened to the song over and over again on a gray day that threatened rain.

Knives From Bavaria is such a wonderfully mysterious song. I’ve always loved Britta’s delivery on this song, and seeing the band play it live at the Silent Movie Theater really brought it all home to me.

“Tracy I Love You” is a great song, especially live. It really brought out what Luna was as a band: awesome. The drum beat is addictive, the lyrics are cool, and Sean’s guitar playing in this one is amazing. It also helps if you love a girl named Tracy…

Its so hard to pick just one, and it changes a bit with my mood, but I would have to say “I want everything” is tops right now, just because I almost want to cry when I hear it.

D&B – Moonshot (Myths Of Heaven)

is a scream. ;) I had a great experience with this one.

Well, if D & B hadn’t taken time to listen to me before a show in Atlanta — that “Moonshot” was getting heavy rotation on my iPod —- then I wouldn’t have made such a FOOL out of myself AND simultaneously broken down — in one go (!!!!) — my intense anxiety and fear of crowds when Dean dedicated “Moonshot” to me during the “NO APPLAUSE” set —- I started to scream, like a banshee over, over and over. Oh, I admit it was an obnoxious outburst. I also maintain IT FELT FANTASTIC TO LET GO LIKE THAT! At the end of the song, EVERYONE applauded, whistled, we were all in it together. NOTHING could shut us up. It was beautiful.

I loved, I DO love, the simplicity of that bit of rebellion, especially when it turned/turns positive and lovely. And however it went, it was in the name of music. “Moonshot (Myths of Heaven)” was the song I needed to hear and have to become at one with the rest of the human race, even for a few minutes. I thank Dean & Britta for their tolerance of my outburst, but they seemed to get it.

And by the way, “Moonshot” is a hell of a song.

The blend and variety of sounds (and moods) Wareham (Britta & the band most certainly) have composed make it nearly impossible for me to chose just one. However, If I may be permitted, I would like to submit a hybrid entry, representing all (o3) memorable and not yet complete musical points in all of their collective history.

Galaxie 500: Ceremony
Luna: Black Postcards (acoustic Broken Chair)
Dean & Britta: Ginger Snaps

I’m enormously happy for the success each and every member of the band has experienced post Luna, but I have a feeling the band isn’t done yet. It’s time to reverse the stigma of “The greatest band you’ve never heard of” once and for all.

Thanks for all the great sounds everyone.

So many magical Luna moments, and so hard pressed to choose among them. It seems like the first time I really heard each Luna album, it’s linked to some vivid moment in my past, now far enough away that the memories take on a certain tinge of sadness just from the perspective of distance they bring.

It’s springtime again, and that was always my favorite time of year in NYC, you can finally leave your windows open at night and feel the cool breeze flow in and rustle your blinds, smell the leaves on the trees, feel the warm chill in your lungs. I somehow always found a way to put Bewitched on the cd player at such moments. I could see the twin towers off in the distance from my front window, and always just loved that gentle paean, Going Home, imagining the Twin Towers talking to each other and listening to that gently undulating guitar riff

I have to choose “Tell Me” from G500 On Fire… that was the album I took with me to India, and while traveling there for 6 month, i was trying to learn how to play my guitar, and that song and album just kept me going, practicing every freaking day . those simple 3 chords of each song were just a whole world to explore and learn from.
Allot of travelers came to me and asked me what was that cool and strange music that was playing on my cheap speakers, and i spread the word about G500. hopefully someone kept it with him (:

So now , 6 years later, i still owe to that song and album so much of my guitar playing technique…

Thank you Galaxie 500, Thank you Dean Wareham

“When Will You Come Home” (Galaxie 500) … it comforts me.

tough one… I’d have to go with Chinatown from penthouse I think… In my opinion Luna provides a soundtrack for hanging out and drinking and chinatown kind of makes you feel like it’s ok to be doing that … totally brings me back to my younger days when yeah i “was out all night chasing girlies, late to work and went home earlies” and there was nothing wrong with that … I think you gotta love Luna’s cover of Everybody’s talkin though … anyone that can work a kazoo solo into a song has skills

Hmmm, very difficult indeed but I have to settle for “4th of July”, nostalgia kicking in here STOP That was the first song I ever heard of Galaxie 500 STOP Must have been 1989 or 1990 on “City Limits” (Much Music), some friday after midnight (this makes it Sat. I guess, coz I was having milk and cake! STOP Was literally blown out by the music, the video STOP Particularly love the drums at the end of the song, sounding like a military march STOP Felt that I have discovered the music that will accompany me for the rest of my life………

Axl – Schmaxl. Dean got the real essence of Sweet Child of Mine!
When that one pops up on the shuffle, time to sit, stare and wonder.

I know you said one, but come on…Math Wiz, Black Postcards, Me and My Babies, When Will You Come Home, Another Day. This is just a start.

I already have the book. Give it to someone who doesn’t. Thanks.

The obvious choice is a G500-song, but I don’t think that’s fair to where DW is now in his life… but I do have to stay in the past though, with Luna – and probably disqualify myself by having to choose two songs:

23 minutes In Brussels – for the song as a whole, the guitars, the drive…

Bobby Peru – mostly for the words

“I don’t mind you keeping secrets from me.
But please don’t keep them from yourself.”

-h :o)

G500 – Flowers

Pumping through my headphones on the bus ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh, during a perfectly pitiful grey rainfall on one of my first days ever in the UK.

My favorite song of Dean’s is the same one it’s always been… what ever song he is going to write tomorrow.