Forgery League

Sitting in a darkened theatre watching Bring On The Night, which follows Sting and collaborators through the recording of and tour for Dream of the Blue Turtles. (I’m not a huge fan, especially when it comes to his lyrics, but I like a lot of his tunes.) Something about that outlandish key change at the top of the chorus, with one of his trademark melodies swooping over it just sent chills down my spine. It’s like the whole song’s just sailed over a cliff and soared up into a pitch-black sky.

La Mer by Debussy, I don’t remember the conductor or orchestra - I think it was a Time/Life box set we got at a library sale. There’s a moment when the horns rise up, lifting a single violin note with them like a wave cresting. No vibrato on this version, just a pure, sweet little zing! - perfect.

The Pixies, “Vamos”. The Surfer Rosa version. While the rest of the band chugs along frantically, Joey Santiago’s guitar, possessed by the insane ghost of a police siren, suddenly sits bolt upright and goes: vipvipvupvipvupvipvipBOAINNNNGGGgggg. (New list: favorite weird guitar noises.)

XTC, “New Town Animal In A Furnished Cage”. Near the end, Andy Partridge just lets out this scream. Not a long, drawn out holler, but a pinched, neurotic, can’t-keep-it-in-can’t-let-it-out scream that’s cut off about two microseconds after it starts. “AA!” And then he goes into the chorus. (Compare to Björk’s longer, trumpet-dive scream on “I Miss You”.)