Julian Velard – “New York, I Love it When You’re Mean” (audio) (Premiere)

If LCD Soundsystem‘s “New York, I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down” is the definitive sad-sack ballad about the Big Apple, then Julian Velard’s “New York, I Love it When You’re Mean” is its optimistic counterweight. Velard’s affinity for old-school singer/songwriters, the kind who play the classic tunes of lyricists like Cy Coleman, is in full display not just in “New York, I Love It When You’re Mean,” but also the entirety of If You Don’t Like It, You Can Leave, his upcoming concept album about that most revered of American cities. Though many in the music press have declared liking Billy Joel an act of supreme uncool, Velard is a reminder of why the music of the Piano Man, whose lineage he falls squarely into, continues to persevere. (If You Don’t Like It concludes with a cover of Joel’s “Where’s the Orchestra?”)

Call it sentimental, call it saccharine, but what Velard does exceptionally well is play music that’s thoroughly fun and equally honest. As fine as LCD Soundsystem’s lamentation is, it would not be crazy to guess that James Murphy feels the same way Velard does about the city. Velard’s heart-on-a-sleeve devotionals to New York are a refreshing reminder to look on the bright side of life, and ideal accompaniment for the now-blossoming summer.

“This was the first song I wrote for the album, and the one that launched this idea of a New York concept album,” Velard says of the tune. “I wrote it with and for someone else, a Japanese-American artist Emi Meyer. Emi was in town for the first time and really falling in love with the city. She wanted to capture the feel of New York in a song. At first I thought that was a ridiculous idea. There are a century’s worth of music and movies about NYC, entire genres that have been shaped by it. But as soon as we started, lyrics pouring out of me. I had 34 years of untapped research on living in New York. I got more experience with the city than I do with romance. The song came so easily, we finished it that afternoon. And that’s when I knew I had a lot of songs to write.”