(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)
Mogwai, Dog Bite, The Autumn Defense, Leif Vollebekk, & Little Man...
Well hello again, MP3 junkies! Welcome to Songs Of The Week #79!
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. Mogwai - Remurdered (from the album Rave Tapes)
TCDroogsma:
Over the years, I've talked a lot of shit about The Current. While I don't see that ending any tie in the foreseeable future, I will give them credit for this: They've made me a Mogwai fan.
"Remurdered" marks the third time that Mogwai has turned up as a SOTD track, and I've loved each one of them unconditionally. I'm almost certain that's because I don't think I would enjoy listening to an entire Mogwai album. However, taken in 4-6 minute chunks (and stacked up against the indie flotsam that typifies The Current's playlist), they sound phenomenal.
"Remurdered" doesn't stray far from the Mogwai formula. It starts off slow, humming along on a guitar & keyboard warble for a minute before the guitar begins to bloom (with some help from the drums). That, however, is only a teaser. The whole song blossoms a couple of minutes later, when the keyboards expand, the drums go full post-rock, and a thick bassline glues the whole thing together. It may be Mogwai-by-numbers, but for six minutes, there's nobody like them.
MinneSarah:
I approached this song thinking, "I'll bet this track is a six minute droning instrumental" and I was dead on. Mogwai was the "it" band while I was in college about which everyone fawned over to prove their hipster cred. Nobody ever followed up on by seeing them live or buying all their albums (or truly enjoying the background music)? Mogwai, in my mind, plays the soundtrack to every dorm room in Minnesota circa 2003.
This offering didn't push that idea out of my head, though it did sound more "90's electronic" than I remember them sounding in the 90's. In fact, it reminded me of Orbital's ebbing and flowing electronic technique. This track starts softer during the first three minutes and louder during the last, making it sound like two separate songs drawn together. The song title, "Remurdered," doesn't give a lot of context to an instrumental song, though I think it would be the perfect song title for a cover of a cover, especially if the first cover was a bad try.
Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
MinneSarah: 3/5
02. Dog Bite - Lady Queen (from the album Tranquilizers)
TCDroogsma:
Dog Bite is best known as the side-project of Washed Out keyboardist Phil Jones, which is really a shame. While "Lady Queen" may share an affinity for hinting at melody (rather than simply indulging in it) with Washed Out, Dog Bite definitely stands on its own.
"Lady Queen" appears to be a tongue-in-cheek shot at a woman who demands she gets her way despite not having a firm grasp on what it is she wants. The vocals aren't necessarily prominent in the mix, but they definitely fit in with the overall "shoegaze with keyboards" aesthetic of the song. Vocals and keyboard lines drift in and out of the song, yet it retains a pop structure that Jones full-time gig typically abandons. It shuffles and builds for nearly two minutes before collapsing in on itself, never overstaying its welcome.
MinneSarah:
My new kitten has a new theme song! "Lady Queen" is also her new nickname, just surpassing "Princess Baby" this past week (she's growing up)! If "uptempo downtempo" is a genre, Dog Bite hit the nail on the head. The vocals are disinterested but trustworthy. I love the 90's fuzzed out guitars with a hefty dose of well-planned electronics drums.
"Lady Queen" is a fun listen - the lyrics aren't too serious, and it definitely made me wonder what else Dog Bite is working on right now. While I can't really pin this song down, the wondering what could come next makes me love it all the more.
Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
MinneSarah: 4/5
03. The Autumn Defense - This Thing That I've Found (from the album Fifth)
TCDroogsma:
A couple of things came to mind when I first set upon reviewing "This Thing That I've Found:"
First, I'm a huge Wilco & Uncle Tupelo fan, yet had no idea that bassist John Stirratt had his own band (let alone five albums worth of songs).
Second, given his longevity within Jeff Tweedy's universe, I always assumed Stirratt was the quintessential "good soldier." That he was more than willing to indulge in Tweedy's moods & left turns in the name of great songs and great paychecks.
While I'm still not sure if that second part is true or not, "This Thing That I've Found" shows that Stirratt may have been able to put up with the ebb & flow of Wilco because he was more than capable of burning his creative energy elsewhere. "This This Thing That I've Found" arrives just in time for Valentine's Day. It's a smoothly written, expertly performed love song for the over-30 set, most of whom can appreciate the sentiment of acknowledging both their own & their significant other's past and leaving it where it belongs. It also sounds like a long lost ELO single, which, considering I'm part of that over-30 set, I mean as a genuine compliment. The songs celebrates feelings & mood over specific words. Stirratt may have no idea what the thing that he's found is, but he's old enough to know its special.
MinneSarah:
Everyone knows I want nothing to do with Wilco. I was blown-out-of-my-mind surprised to find that The Autumn Defense is Wilco bassist John Stirratt's side project. Songwriting doesn't get more perfect than this song! The only complaint I have is the slight twang at points during the song...and the Wilco associations.
But seriously, this song is timeless - it'd describe your life if you lived it anytime from the 60's onward - any season. The lyrics are hopeful, but there is a sense of ennui in the guitars. It leaves the listener tapping their feet and wanting more. What a song.
Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4.5/5
MinneSarah: 4.5/5
04. Leif Vollebekk - Southern United States (from the album North Americana)
TCDroogsma:
I hate to say it, but "Southern United States" is exactly the type of country-tinged song that only somebody who's never lived in the southern United States could write. To his credit, Leif Vollebekk opens the song by stating, "I had a dream I was standing under the Memphis moon..." which frames the whole song as merely a dream, rather than an actual portrait, of Dixie.
Unfortunately, that doesn't bring much comfort during the remaining three and a half melody-averse minutes of the song. There's some exceeding loose character sketchers, a very cliched take on southern music (violins & pedal steel guitar abound), a clumsy reference to Lou Reed's Berlin, and nary a chorus to be found. By the end of the song I was at a loss as to just what the point of "Southern United States" was. This is less a song than a fictional travel log entry.
MinneSarah:
If Canada could offer a Jeff Buckley, I believe that Leif would be the best they can do. While I've been pining for a legitimate Buckley replacement for the past 20 years, I'm not entirely sold that he should play "Americana" (personal bias).
While Leif issues a convincing stab at Southern Americana, one cannot help but see it as Canadian romanticism of the American South - which can be more sanguine than an actual Southerner would offer. The lyrics annoy me because they use the same Bob Dylan moment by moment storytelling that I've ripped other songs for using. Throwing in a reference to Lou Reed's "Berlin" may be for hipster cred, or it might just embody the sentiment better than using his own words to describe it - only Leif can know the answer to that question. Note I'm giving above a three to a song featuring a prominent harmonica solo - I don't forsee this happening again.
Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1/5
MinneSarah: 3.5/5
05. Little Man - Flip You Over (from the album Original Face)
TCDroogsma:
I really shouldn't be allowed to review Little Man songs. I've been a big fan of this guy for years now, and he's yet to make a misstep. He can go folk, he can go glam, he can go pop... It all sounds great to me.
"Flip You Over" clocks in at just 2:00, and pretty much sums up the spirit of Little Man in its opening seconds. "Every little thing's been done, wanna get out and have some fun..." For a guy that's been battling Marc Bolan comparisons from the day he strapped on a guitar, that's a battle cry, a mantra, or both. He's right, there's nothing original going on in "Flip You Over." So what? It's loud, it's fast, it's catchy as hell.... Sometimes that's all you need.
MinneSarah:
"Flip You Over" has contagious energy. While I spent most of the weekend thinking this song sounded like it came from a familiar place, the distilled thought on this is, "what if the glam rock bravado of Spacehog was influenced by Led Zepplin?" I'm a huge fan of bands embracing and building upon 70's glam rock, and Little Man does just that.
From what I can glean from the lyrics, they are incredibly empowering. If you create a get up and go playlist, don't leave this one off your tracklist. There is a little twang in this ditty as well, but it seems like it is for emphasis rather than the direction the song takes. This song, a charismatic band performance, a night at Lee's with just the right amount of gin and tonics - well, this scenario could only turn out swimmingly.
Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
MinneSarah: 3.5/5
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). In addition to filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column she occasionally joins TCDroogsma as co-host of the Flatbasset Radio podcast.
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