last monday evening inside los angeles’ hollywood bowl, radiohead‘s thom yorke and jonny greenwood acoustically performed live tell me why, a cover from neil young’s classic 1970 album “after the gold rush”. previously over the years, radiohead has enjoyed covering other neil young work such as on the beach (acoustically in 2003 on british radio), cinammon girl (live in paris, france in 2001) and after the gold rush (from thom’s 2002 bridge school benefit show on neil’s very own piano.)

let the sun wrap its arms around me
and bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing
and feel, feel what it’s like to be new

death cab for cutie‘s video for soul meets body (from the 2005 album plans) shared this soft humored originality of perfectly phrased and catchy melodies that visually followed exactly along with the change of scenery. even the cartoon music notes that danced and floated through the band’s cottage in the woods seemed so compact and safe at the time, but now represents so much more.

in interviews regarding this song, ben gibbard said that he wrote it when he couldn’t shake the feeling of knowing that your loved ones will die one day, and that you will be heart broken. his lyrics “if the silence takes you, then i hope it takes me too” describes this type of unrequited love, that is pure and shared between two people til the very end. listening and circling to the dreamy repetition of “a melody softly soaring through my atmosphere“.. the meaning presents the necessary idea as a personal comfortable place, where we all want to let go.

l i s t e n soul meets body (piano/acoustic on npr, 2007)

always with the end of august into early september, it feels important to remember hurricane katrina. in 2005, tv on the radio released their own contribution, the single dry drunk emperor as a free digital download and personally attached their own heartfelt message as a dedication to the entire country.

“we (tv on the radio) were back in the studio thinking and feeling again and made this song for all our everybody. in the absence of a true leader we must not forget that we are still together. hearts are sick, minds must change; it is our hope that this song inspires, comforts, fosters courage, and reminds us this darkness cannot last if we work together. let us help each other, heal each other, look after one another. the human heart is our new capitol. this song is for you, us, we, them. it is free, pass it on. to those affected by hurrican katrina: new york city’s heart is with you. stay strong! we love you.”