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Archive for June, 2004

Kim Wilde
Kids In America
Kim Wilde (1981)

Rockstar Games did what the WB has tried to do for years without success: put together a soundtrack with recognizable artists that doesn’t seem hackneyed or painfully hip. One of the coolest things about the latest batch of Grand Theft Auto games has been the selection of radio station programming, which adds plenty of atmosphere to a series already chock-full of it.

Vice City took us back to the 80s, and Rockstar managed to license a shocking number of songs by real artists for the game. Hence, instead of session musicians playing muzak versions of all your favourite new wave, electro and adult contemporary hits, you had the real “Africa” by Toto (twice!), the real “Working For The Weekend” by Loverboy, and this.

For a track that hit the top 40 before I was born, “Kids In America” sounds surprisingly fresh. My guess is putting off the temptation to use crrrrazy synth effects! and out-of-this-world! drum machine loops has paid off here. It’s fun! It’s hip! You can shoot up 80s cars and blow up parts of Miami to it! What’s not to love?

June 25, 2004
filed under Pop
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Dave Grohl and Louise Post
Touch
Touch (1997)

This is arguably one of those songs that works better in spring than during the summer. Summer is only a couple of days old, though, so this gets a free pass. Besides, a little more sun can’t hurt.

Written in those kindler, gentler days when alterna-rockers could date and make beautiful music together without having to worry about breaking up their bands shortly thereafter, “Touch” is one of those hidden gems you probably never heard on the radio despite the star presence of both Grohl and Post. On the other hand, this also prevented you from hearing about Nina Gordon and Ashtar Command, so we’ll call it a draw.

“Touch” postively sparkles. Both Grohl and Post turn down the loud riffs usually associated with their respective bands, instead turning in a matched set of sweetly-sung harmonies and glittering guitar work. A surpsingly propulsive drum track adds a little extra to the mix, making this an above-average pop song for the alternative set. Perfect for a relaxing afternoon of gazing into your favourite rock star’s eyes lovingly. Or, you know, just the relaxing afternoon bit.

June 25, 2004
filed under Hard
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Ivy
Digging Your Scene
Guestroom (2002)

You’ll probably know Ivy in one of two ways: as the other band Adam Schlesinger plays in (the first being Fountains Of Wayne), or as the band who did that song in There’s Something About Mary. Their slick brand of euroclass pop is hard to resist, even if it doesn’t leave much of an impact afterwards.

Guestroom was a covers album the band put out in 2002, ostensibly to let everyone know that they were still alive after a botched album release in North America (Long Distance was out in Japan for quite a while before it came out on Ivy’s home turf). “Digging Your Scene,” originally performed by 80s band the Blow Monkeys, is one of many highlights.

I actually downloaded the original after hearing the Ivy version, just to see how it stacked up. Maybe you had to be a child of the 80s to understand; the beat was leaden, the group of singers on the chorus was overdone, and all in all it didn’t have a patch on Ivy’s rendition. And all it took was a new backbeat, a slight change in key, and Dominique Durand’s great voice. It’s fast and nimble in all the places where the original drags.

June 24, 2004
filed under Hard
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Hey kids. 

If you’re reading this, it means that a) the new sub-domain is up, and b) you’ve somehow managed to find your way to this site. Make yourself at home. Want a drink? Iced tea, perhaps? I’ll put your coat away. 

Yes, like tens of thousands before me, I’ve put up an MP3 weblog. Considering that most of my friends never have a clue about what I’m talking about when the topic changes to music, I thought it’d be cool if I could point them somewhere nice and easy to listen to all the stuff I’d force-feed down their throats if I had half a chance. 

I’d love to implement a comments system, but seeing as how I’ve homebrewed my own content management system, comments may be a ways off. But I’d still like this to be a two-way street, so if you’ve got something you think I should listen to, let me know. The email link’s at the bottom of every page. 

Enjoy the ride.

June 24, 2004
filed under Notes from the Editor
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Danielson Famile
Rallying The Dominoes
Fetch The Compass Kids (2001)

They may occasionally look and sound like a cult (please also see: Polyphonic Spree, The), but it sure does sound like it’d be a lot of fun to be part of the Smith family. Daniel Smith is the head of this famile, forming a band out of his many brothers and sisters and taking them out on the road to play shows dressed up in nurse’s uniforms. First stop: his senior thesis defense.

Since those heady days, the Danielson Famile have defied simple description. Crazy? Don’t seem to be. Religious freaks? They’re no more fanatic than most Christians. Weird underground cult where the members drink Kool-Aid? Well, maybe I’d believe the Kool-Aid part. After all, some members of the band were just kids when they started. But for the most part, Smith and company just seem interested in playing their special brand of hyperactive, off-kilter folk-pop.

“Rallying The Dominoes” is typically atypical; aside from Daniel Smith’s formidable high-pitched voice, there’s a sense of barely-contained chaos, thanks to the start-stop pacing and the ever-present sound of toys sputtering away in the background. The call and response between Smith’s freakout-in-progress and the chorus of siblings is almost too precious. It’s surprisngly addictive, too, as is much of the rest of the album.

June 24, 2004
filed under Soft
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