Attack of the Killer Track! is a series that explores tracks from artists from a variety of genres. Some of the tracks were singles, some of them were obscure b-sides or long forgotten album tracks. One thing is certain – all of them are killer tracks.
Mention a Hollywood actor or actress who has a music project they are promoting and you can usually count on a collective groan (I’d usually be among them). Over the years there have been a few artists who have broken the mold of half-baked musical projects by Hollywood stars, and Jason Schwartzman’s Coconut Records is probably my favorite (Zooey Deschanel’s She & Him is a close second). Coconut Records is basically Jason Schwartzman’s solo project, where he plays all the instruments and invites friends to help out on a few tracks (yes, Deschanel is one of them). Far from a pure vanity project, it came about after Schwartzman left the band Phantom Planet in 2003 (where he had served as drummer from 1994 until his departure). Originally set to focus on his film career after laying the tunes to rest, it proved to be an impossible task to say goodbye to music. 2007 saw the release of the debut Coconut Records album, Nighttiming . Melodies inspired by The Beatles with an indie flair, the entire album is worth picking up. The tune that resonates with me deeply is West Coast - 3 1/2 minutes of pop melancholy that encapsulates longing and loss perfectly. I always think of this song when I’m saying goodbye to friends & family in Philadelphia and getting ready to head back to the Seattle area. These words capture my thoughts:
And I miss you
I’m goin’ back home to the West Coast
I wish you would’ve put yourself in my suitcase
I love you
Standin’ all alone in a black coat
I miss you
I’m goin’ back home to the West Coast
Source:
http://jasons-jukebox.com/2013/10/13/coconut-records-west-coast/