Geoff Farina - Steely Dan
Geoff Farina's "Steely Dan" feels even more like a farewell transmission than Songs:Ohia's "Farewell Transmission" (which, hopefully we can all agree, is an awesome song in its own right). Every time I listen to this, I picture Geoff standing on the roof of a small shed, or a bungalow, playing this song through a tiny practice amp, letting it loose into the air. This is another song that, by way of its structure and feel, somehow conveys the pleasures of being able to play music for yourself and only yourself. "And Steely Dan is all you ever wanted in a band." That is a comforting phrase, delivered in the same manner as a friend taking you by the shoulder after some tragedy and showering you with platitudes, but in a heartfelt no-bullshit way that acknowledges how the sayings and commonplaces do not contain emotion or consolation, but are nevertheless a means to an end.[Buy the Steely Dan 7"]