My Top 1000 Songs #648: Stay Tuned

[I've been writing up my Top 1000 songs on a daily basis--you can see them all in descending order by hitting the All My Favorite Songs tag.] 

Ambulance Ltd.'s self-titled 2004 debut is one of rock & roll's greatest one-and-done releases, right up there with the legendary Modern Lovers album (yes, Jonathan Richman has had a long & fruitful career since that record, but you know what I mean...). The record is a surprisingly varied collection of indie styles and influences, from the early 2000s alt.rock of fellow New Yorkers the Strokes to classic Velvet Underground vibes to artier indie rock like the Sea & Cake. As such, it's hard for me to pick a favorite, or even a representative track, but I'm going with "Stay Tuned"--not necessarily as one of my 1000 favorite songs on its own merits, but as a stand-in for one of my favorite albums.

Oddly, it wasn't one of the record's singles, and doesn't appear to be a fan or band fave (no live versions showing up on YouTube), but it's got this snaky little guitar noodle and an enchanting mellow pop veneer, a laid-back early 70s aesthetic that makes it feel a little lost-in-time. Hard to describe, but just one of those deep cuts that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.