Daily Archives: March 9, 2011

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The Band – The night they drove old Dixie down

Similar to Cortez the killer, this is a history lesson wrapped in an excellent song. My school curriculum didn’t feature any Conquistadors or Civil Wars (not American ones at any rate) so tracks like these are illuminating for me. The lyrics weave a rich narrative. Also, Virgil (the protagonist) is an excellent name – both a classic Roman poet and a Thunderbird.

Finally, this song features in a classic concert and documentary – the last waltz, capturing the end of The Band’s touring career. It featured guest appearances from lots of the great and good from the mid-70’s including a performance from my ultimate musical hero – Van Morrison.

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Two Door Cinema Club – Undercover Martyn

These guys are a band from Northern Ireland, and are signed to the same label as Phoenix (I seem to have made several references to them recently – not sure why). Despite reading several glowing reviews I am yet to be wowed by too much of their stuff.

However, I have been enjoying this track a lot recently. What I most like about it is the intro, which I think is great. The rest of the song is pretty good too, jangly and energetic – two excellent qualities in a pop song.