(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)
J. Roddy Walston & The Business, No Age, White Denim, San Fermin, & BBGun...
Well hello again, MP3 junkies! Welcome to Songs Of The Week #58!
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story: TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast. They're also both opinionated and have access to computers. Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column. Over a year later later and here we are.
As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself. It's free and it's fun for the whole family!
To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page. The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.
As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting
So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?
01. J. Roddy Walston & The Business - Heavy Bells (from the album Essential Tremors)
TCDroogsma:
Much like all of those Candian synth-pop bands suffer from the context of The Current Song Of The Day podcast, J. Roddy Walston & The Business benefit from it. I mean, when was the last time I reviewed a song here that contained pounding electric guitars and actual, honest to god yelling?
Unfortunately, I definitely get the sense that "Heavy Bells" only works in this context. This sort of My-Morning-Jacket-as-garage-band thing isn't really my type of sound. It's a fine single and a nice change of pace from the usual drudgery of SOTD tracks, but four minutes is about all I can take.
MinneSarah:
"Country groove band" is the best I can do to sum up this sound. A little funky, a little twangy, and very cyclical. The vocals are screaming to the point of distortion, and the chorus features vocal reverb akin to a three year old catching his breath from crying too violently. While the lyrics repeat "You're going to wake up," this song would be superior to my current ear piercing alarm in making me actually get up to turn it off. Maybe I'm missing some of the soul comforting aspects of Southern Rock, but this song makes me feel on edge.
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
MinneSarah - 2/5
02. No Age - An Impression (from the album An Object)
TCDroogsma:
Wikipedia defines No Age as "experimental punk," which seems like an oxymoron to me. I mean, wasn't the essence of punk rock trimming the fat of more experimental music?
Well, for what it's worth, if "experimental punk" is a valid term than I suppose "An Impression" sums it up pretty well. I've listened to plenty of bands over the years who've written an average song decided, "Fuck it, let's just wrap this up in some distortion" and call it a day. No Age, however, actually sounds like they've carefully thought out just how much reverb & distortion to use to give "An Impression" it's character. Throw in the fact that they've taken drums out of the equation & added some strings and "An Impression" suddenly occupies a space all its own.
MinneSarah:
"An Impression" is a strange little song featuring an indie trip-hop beat, low-fi monotone vocals, and a full on violin solo. While the violin adds a rich texture, it seems out of place with the rest of the song. This genre is called "experimental" for a reason and isn't for everyone. That's just my impression.
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3.5/5
MinneSarah - 1.5/5
03. White Denim - Pretty Green (from the album Corsicana Lemonade)
TCDroogsma:
When I saw this song waiting in my queue I was really, really hoping White Denim had penned an ode to Liam Gallagher's clothing line. Considering how nonsensical the lyrics are I suppose it's entirely possible that's what this song about (though it does contain the lyric "I was swinging up and down & hardly in vain..." trust me, Liam Gallagher is nothing if not vain).
Taking the meaning of the lyrics out of the equation, "Pretty Green" is a semi-interesting slice of country-boogie. It's much smoother around the edges than that J. Roddy Walston song from up above, but I'm not totally sure that's a good thing. "Heavy Bells" is at least defined by it's lo-fi, hard-hitting sound. "Pretty Green" goes halfway on both counts and ends up sounding like neither.
MinneSarah:
Let me just say, I like the Black Keys as much as the next gal, and White Denim takes their sound back to the 70's and the 80's in this song. The vocals are distinctly Southern Rock, and the band gets an A for effort keeping it upbeat and guitar driven.
However, the lyrics aren't extremely coherent, and the song swings from rock to psychedelic funk as from chorus to verse. I would say that maybe this is the type of song that makes more sense when you see it live, but it veers a little too Phish for me to seriously consider taking that plunge.
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
MinneSarah - 1.5/5
04. San Fermin - Sonsick (from the album San Fermin)
TCDroogsma:
San Fermin is the project of Brooklyn-based musician (and Yale graduate) Ellis Ludwig-Leone. To paraphrase the immortal Roger Meyers, Jr., he should have majored in not sucking.
"Sonsick" is an exercise in overthinking. Ludwig-Leone takes the blueprint laid by Dave Longstreth's Dirty Projectors and takes all the wrong turns. Instead of living in a world of subtle risks and rewards San Fermin goes big, bigger, biggest by adding vocals, horns, more vocals, drop outs, build ups.... all in the service of a pretty ridiculous. I mean, only a hyphenated Brookyn-ite would pen a chorus like, "I'll fall for you soon enough, I resolve to love." Take all the time you'd like, bud. And don't hurt yourself.
MinneSarah:
What is a "son kind of sickness"? From the lyrics, I surmise it is something you pick up at a t-ball game while you think about what you could do for the rest of your life.
This song tries to be epic, and it's the premise, not the execution that is a fail. Since when did every single need to build itself up until completely unrecognizable from it's beginning? "Sonsick" is from the debut album of an acclaimed young songwriter, so I don't fault him for wanting to make a statement. However in the context of the rest of these songs of the day that use the same formula, I'm not impressed.
The strength of this song is the earnest vocals, but they are soon layered, to form a pseudo chorus. Midway through the song, the horns add in solemnly, but the sound is like walking past the high school band room. I've never seen Glee, but I would not be surprised if I gave that show five minutes and what I saw was this song.
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 1/5
MinneSarah - 1.5/5
05. BBGun - Heavy (from the album BBGun)
TCDroogsma:
"Heavy" is just that. Over some easy-riffing guitars BBGun lives in a world of regret & missed opportunities. Thankfully, that early-middle-age regret comes coupled with one last blast of youthful idealism:: the power of the electric guitar.
Over the course of the week I was trying to figure out just what it was about "Heavy" that was so charming and I think it comes down to the fact that, at its core, this song could have been just about the most cliched, acoustic, singer/songwriter crap you could imagine. Instead, Al Church & Neal Perbix took those , ahem, heavy problems, laughed 'em off, and turned up their amps, coming of like two guys who know that sometimes the only thing you can do is shrug your shoulders and laugh.
MinneSarah:
While the lyrics proclaim that, "Things are getting heavy," this song keeps the mood light. The jangly guitars are honest and the lyrics are genuinely delivered. "Heavy" also features an apology in which the guitars stop to draw full attention to its sincerity. The end of the song features some vocal aaahhs that sound quite beautiful behind the guitars and add to the mood of the song.
While the subject matter is heavy - crying over the phone, having to move back with your family, accepting failures and mistakes - the song stays upbeat and adds a glimmer of hope to the situation. If I walked into Lee's Liquor Lounge and heard this song, I'd certainly tap my toes in solidarity.
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3/5
MinneSarah - 3/5
Well there you have it, MP3 junkies! Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!
As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR. We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.
For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio
For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah). She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column
