Music Picks of the Week
Based on the frequency of my postings on this topic, it'd probably be more honest to say these were my music picks of the month, but I want you to maintain the illusion that I listen to scads more music than you would ever dream feasible.
System of a Down: "Vicinity of Obscenity"
I totally missed the boat on these dudes, assigning them to the broad category of "loud music that I might like listening to under certain circumstances but otherwise don't pay much attention to" bands. Which, in a way, is what I'm sure most people do with music in general. Anyway, what finally got to me was the Zappa-like repetition of the refrain in this song: "Banana terracotta terracotta pie." How can you not fucking love that? With this, System of a Down have entered the exalted ranks of bands that rock so hard you don't give a fuck what they're talking about, and song lyrics whose main purpose is to cleverly disguise obscene sex jokes (see also "Louie, Louie" and "Wooly Bully"). I don't even care that my last sentence doesn't read. Such is the awesomeness of this band.
Sun Kil Moon: "Ocean Breathes Salty"
This is a cover of the Modest Mouse tune, and comes from an album of covers of the same band. They all pretty much sound like this song, and I can't imagine listening to the entire album. However, these songs work perfectly as individual selections. You are initially intrigued by the soft acoustic strumming, not dissimilar to a warm tune from Iron and Wine. Then you realize that you already know the lyrics, but you can't quite place where you've heard them before. Then you finish your coffee and go about your day, but the lyrics follow you, haunting your thought and motion and you become completely disoriented by the memory of this song.
Rumour has it that Sun Kil Moon has also recorded an entire album of AC/DC covers. I gots to get my hands on that shit.
The Crimea: "Baby Boom"
This is yet another band that has been forced to re-record one of their albums by order of their record company (see also Nellie Mackay, Fiona Apple), but in this case, you won't mind. The upgrade in production values and sonic range makes this playful number resonate even more powerfully, and you will ache to hear it come over the car radio someday. The references to Fred Flintstone and Captain Caveman don't detract from the gentle tone, or even seem as obnoxious as they might be in the hands of a band less attuned to their ultimate triviality. On the contrary, the Crimea make everything sound gorgeous.
Defunkt: "Thermonuclear Sweat"
It would be disingenuous to say that this band ever had a "heyday," but it should have occured when they were recording their unique blend of jazz punk funk in the early 1980s. Someone in the future lineup of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (probably Flea) had to have been listening to records like this, in between heroin runs. If there is a downside to radioactive fallout, you won't care after hearing this.
System of a Down: "Vicinity of Obscenity"
I totally missed the boat on these dudes, assigning them to the broad category of "loud music that I might like listening to under certain circumstances but otherwise don't pay much attention to" bands. Which, in a way, is what I'm sure most people do with music in general. Anyway, what finally got to me was the Zappa-like repetition of the refrain in this song: "Banana terracotta terracotta pie." How can you not fucking love that? With this, System of a Down have entered the exalted ranks of bands that rock so hard you don't give a fuck what they're talking about, and song lyrics whose main purpose is to cleverly disguise obscene sex jokes (see also "Louie, Louie" and "Wooly Bully"). I don't even care that my last sentence doesn't read. Such is the awesomeness of this band.
Sun Kil Moon: "Ocean Breathes Salty"
This is a cover of the Modest Mouse tune, and comes from an album of covers of the same band. They all pretty much sound like this song, and I can't imagine listening to the entire album. However, these songs work perfectly as individual selections. You are initially intrigued by the soft acoustic strumming, not dissimilar to a warm tune from Iron and Wine. Then you realize that you already know the lyrics, but you can't quite place where you've heard them before. Then you finish your coffee and go about your day, but the lyrics follow you, haunting your thought and motion and you become completely disoriented by the memory of this song.
Rumour has it that Sun Kil Moon has also recorded an entire album of AC/DC covers. I gots to get my hands on that shit.
The Crimea: "Baby Boom"
This is yet another band that has been forced to re-record one of their albums by order of their record company (see also Nellie Mackay, Fiona Apple), but in this case, you won't mind. The upgrade in production values and sonic range makes this playful number resonate even more powerfully, and you will ache to hear it come over the car radio someday. The references to Fred Flintstone and Captain Caveman don't detract from the gentle tone, or even seem as obnoxious as they might be in the hands of a band less attuned to their ultimate triviality. On the contrary, the Crimea make everything sound gorgeous.
Defunkt: "Thermonuclear Sweat"
It would be disingenuous to say that this band ever had a "heyday," but it should have occured when they were recording their unique blend of jazz punk funk in the early 1980s. Someone in the future lineup of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (probably Flea) had to have been listening to records like this, in between heroin runs. If there is a downside to radioactive fallout, you won't care after hearing this.
posted by Chazzbot at 1:43 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home