Art is the music we make from the bewildered cry of being alive. ~Maria Popova
19 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: awolnation, wake up
AWOLNATION: “Wake Up” (2011)
Aaron Bruno’s AWOLNATION is a project marked by ambition and eclecticism. Throughout the 50+ minute debut album Bruno takes a bold, kitchen sink approach that ensures there’s something on the record for almost everybody.
“Wake Up” stands out for me, combining the urgently delivered message of the verses with an irresistible hook in the chorus.
19 Mar 2013 2 Comments
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: the bleeding heart show, the new pornographers
The New Pornographers: “The Bleeding Heart Show” (2005)
There are certain so-called indie rock bands whose stuff will better justify the “classic” label years down the road. The Shins, certainly. And, for similar reasons I think, the New Pornographers. The combination of A.C. Newman and Dan Bejar’s smart and hooky songwriting, Neko Case’s contributions as vocalist, and the always-tasteful referencing of classic pop and rock of the past are the strengths that put them near the top of their class.
“The Bleeding Heart Show” eschews typical alternating verse-and-chorus structure for an arrangement that gradually builds momentum from beginning to end, a trademark writing style of Roy Orbison and…few others, actually.
The song was featured in the 2007 Morgan Freeman movie Feast of Love, as well as TV ads for the University of Phoenix and eMusic.
And just one more thing: I’ve never understood why the band didn’t sequence this as track one. If ever a song was suited to open an album this is it.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/03/14/songs-you-may-have-missed-52/
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2025/08/31/songs-you-may-have-missed-788/
19 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: caitlin rose, no one to call
Caitlin Rose: “No One to Call” (2013)
I’m fascinated by songs that straddle genres, defying you to neatly categorize them. Nashville singer-songwriter Caitlin Rose’s voice draws comparisons to country legends like Loretta Lynn, but despite some pedal steel in the arrangements, this is music that doesn’t want to be wrangled into the country category. Of course, any young singer whose musical heroes include Gram Parsons and Linda Ronstadt is (as that initial guitar blast makes clear) unlikely to end up sounding like a Nashville traditionalist.
On “No One to Call” Rose’s voice is awash in a wall-of-sound arrangement similar to some of Dwight Yoakam’s early 90’s stuff. In other words, it’s country music that a pop fan can get behind.
19 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Recommended Albums Tags: fush yu mang, smash mouth
Smash Mouth: Fush Yu Mang (1997)
Hear me out.
“All that glitters is gold/Only shootin’ stars break the mold” is a true jumblefuck of mixed metaphors that never sat well with me. That said, if you think “Disney soundtrack lightweights” when you think of Smash Mouth, you probably missed part of the picture.
Prior even to “Walkin’ On the Sun” beginning it’s stupefying 60-week chart stranglehold in July of ’97, I took a flyer on their debut album based on a review in Goldmine magazine.
Come to think of it, that’s also where I read about Barenaked Ladies’ debut Gordon album, and liked them way before it was…uh…
Anyway, “Walkin’ On the Sun ” was the only song from Fush Yu Mang to grace the American pop charts, although a cover of War’s “Why Can’t We Be Friends” did make a dent in the Alternative top 40. Within a year, the follow-up LP was out and there were no further efforts to cull singles from the debut. Not that there were any more hits, but there were, in my opinion, some very entertaining songs that deserved wider exposure.
I think.
The one necessary caveat is that the “Walkin’ On the Sun” isn’t representative of the album. Smash Mouth was a ska-punk band at this stage; the evolution to their signature catchy, farfisa-drenched retro pop sound was basically complete by the second album. But what we have with Fush Yu‘s album tracks is trashy hyperactive ska with sly, rapid-fire lyrics that are worth a replay if you don’t catch them on first listen.
“Pet Names” tells of a love affair gone stale through the lens of those cutesy love “handles”. “Padrino” takes a cheeky poke at the mob. “Disconnect the Dots” has riffs galore, and makes me wonder if someone put a bunch of pills in Herb Alpert’s espresso and invited him to play along.
It may be too late to revise your opinion of the band; or maybe you like the sound of “I’m a Believer” Smash Mouth better. That’s certainly valid. But I think it’s worth knowing that before they made that right turn onto Main Street, they careened breathlessly through some relatively interesting neighborhoods–places where Shrek definitely wouldn’t hang out.
Listen to: “Let’s Rock”
Listen to: “Pet Names”
Listen to” “Padrino”
Listen to: “Disconnect the Dots”
18 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in General Posts, On a Lighter Note Tags: beyonce, girls run the world
Adding a layer of irony: that’s four male producers and five male writers plus Bey herself, the extent of whose “writing” role in this anthem of feminist empowerment may reasonably be questioned.
17 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: every moment, guster
Guster: “Every Moment” (2011)
Guster, whose B-sides sound like another pop band’s career highlights, do their best mid-’70’s America impression in the chorus of “Every Moment” from the On the Water EP, a follow-up to their amazing Easy Wonderful album.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2015/01/31/songs-you-may-have-missed-521/
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2019/03/23/songs-you-may-have-missed-633/
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/03/01/recommended-albums-9/
Every Moment Has A Song 