(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)
Kelis, Fear Of Men, Truckfighters, Fujiya & Miyagi, & Haley Bonar...
Well hello again, MP3 fans! Welcome To Songs Of The Week #93!
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.
Unfortunately, this week MinneSarah took the week off due to what could kindly be called "Current-based fatigue." Trust us, her words were considerably more harsh.
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.
So... Droogsy... thoughts?
01. Kelis - Cobbler (from the album Food)
TCDroogsma:
A few months back I received my bi-monthly e-mail from the label Ninja Tune that included a link to download a single from Kelis' upcoming album Food. I don't know enough Kelis songs to say whether or not I like her, but I figured I'd throw it on my weekly playlist and find out what the story was.
That single was a song called "Jerk Ribs," a horn-stuffed, Motown-type workout that I found so enjoyable that I played it on my Flatbasset Radio podcast that week. It seemed like the famously-difficult-to-pigeonhole artist had found a new home rapping herself up in the music that inspired her.
I suppose it's possible that spending a week with such an enjoyable single would make it tough for a second single to stand up, but I couldn't help but be disappointed with "Cobbler." Those rich, funky horns are gone, replaced by some shuffling percussion & afro-beat style horns that comes off like the most forgettable Dave Sitek song you've ever heard. Kelis' whispery, melody-averse crooning brings almost nothing to the table, lacking enough mystery to create atmosphere and enough ooomph to sell an almost non-existent hook. Even the breakdown (which features Kelis "hitting notes she never sings") feels forced. I don't know if The Current ever embraced "Jerk Ribs," but "Cobbler" sounds like just the kind of mundane, sorta-indie, sorta-R&B that is right in their wheelhouse.
Final Score: 1.5/5
02. Fear Of Men - Waterfall (from the album Loom)
TCDroogsma:
Remember last year when I couldn't stop ranting like a lunatic about Veronica Falls & their single "Teenage?" I think we've finally found this summer's sequel to "Teenage's" youthful, innocent charm.
Where "Teenage" lived in a world of the trivial teenage infatuation presented through the eyes of "this is life and death!" teenagers, Fear Of Men present the grown up sequel. The guitars are excited, yet controlled. There's a synth line that hints at the melancholy lurking underneath the chorus' repeated call of "I'm not alone in this..." This is an "adult pop" song in the best possible sense. A world of excitement, sadness, longing, & hope delivered in a way relatable to everybody who knows what it's like to be overcome by those feelings all at once.
Final Score: 4/5
03. Truckfighters - Prophet (from the album Universe)
TCDroogsma:
As I spent the week with "Prophet" I kept stumbling across the same adjectives to describe Truckfighters. "Stoner Rock." "Desert Rock." "Metal." I was kind of surprised by this. The band owes an obvious debt to Queens Of The Stone Age, but just give the song a spin. They may love Josh Homme, but it sure sounds like they enjoyed Room On Fire & First Impressions Of Earth as much as Rated R.
Lead singer Ozo comes out crooning like a smitten Julian Casablancas during the verse before lashing out like... well... a bitter Julian Casablancas in the chorus. The band around him works up a Polvo-esque fuzzy/precise racket right up until the chorus, when they snap into place like Albert Hammond & Fab Morretti in their prime. Basically, this is what The Strokes would sound like if they adopted Josh Homme as a guitar player (which is awesome). I'm sorry to be so redundant, but just listen to it! There are no other conclusions to be drawn here.
Final Score: 4/5
04. Fujiya & Miyagi - Vagaries Of Fashion (from the album Artificial Sweeteners)
TCDroogsma:
Fujiya & Miyagi have built a career out of creating subversive electro songs that wouldn't be out of place in a packed European club or on Mogwai's tour bus. "Vagaries Of Fashion" fits nicely with their work in the past, continuing their winning streak of sneaky hooks, sneakier lyrics, and an overarching feeling of suspense that gives the impression that they know something you don't.
"Vagaries Of Fashion" opens with the lines, "You keep pickin' the scabs 'round the edges 'till it bleeds crimson red, cracks concrete grey..." Pleasant stuff, to be sure. The song goes on to add all kinds of guitar lines, blips, & bloops, but stays anchored on singer David Best's vocals. With him crooning slyly throughout, the song never gets too high or too low, never completely revealing itself. It's a clever trick and it allows "Vagaries Of Fashion" to be better with every spin. Even when you know what's coming next, it's still exciting.
Final Score: 4/5
05. Haley Bonar - No Sensitive Man (from the album Last War)
TCDroogsma:
Damn! Haley Bonar's really changing the game these days. Where she used to be the Twin Cities sappy, boring, female counterpart to Jeremy Messersmith, Bonar evidently got bored with that folk sound this time around (and not a moment too soon).
MinneSarah & I discussed the the track "Last War" way back in SOTW #78. While that song was also a dramatic departure from the Bonar of old, I lamented that the new synth-heavy sound left Boanr's voice lost in the mix. Well, here on "No Sensitive Man" the synths have been replaced by some buzzy guitar work while Bonar's vocals are the star of the show. Bonar's voice has a rougher, more worn in sound than it used to and frankly, it suits the song perfectly. Evidently Bonar's boredom with folk music also extends to the kind off "sensitive, artistic, fawning" men you meet when you play folk music for a living. "Once you loved his hippie ways... but now you want to cut off all his hair, see what he's made of, wipe his tear's away..." God bless you, Haley Bonar.
Final Score: 4/5
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.
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