Cat Power, Stars, Bill Fay, Two Gallants, The Valdons...
Well hello again, mp3 junkies. Welcome to the 6th installment of Songs Of The Week, in which we ask two of our regular contributors (typically MinneSarah & TCDroogsma) to give us their thoughts on The Current's 'Song Of The Day' podcast.
As we mention each week, please head over to The Current's website and subscribe to the podcast yourself. Free music is free music.
Also, as always, MinneSarah & TCDroogsma have not read each other's comments prior to posting.
Cat Power - Ruin (from the album Sun)
MinneSarah:
Now, I'm not a fan of Cat Power, the singer (I'm 110% in favor of cat power, the thing), but I really did like her voice in this song. The song starts with a latiny/samba beat and then builds with piano and guitar. I expected her to build in vocal intensity as well, but this just isn't that kind of song. The lyrics are about traveling the world and and remembering not to bitch about your own problems when you get home. An annoying section is when she names off countries she has visited, and as the song goes on, they change to cities. It sounds like you don't know Belfast ain't a country, Cat Power. This whole deal was pretty low key, I give it three stars because it was fairly catchy the more times I listened to it.
TCDroogsma:
Holy shit! In a year that's been filled with musical surprises, Cat Power putting out a song that is actually not terrible has to rank near the top of the list.
Don't get me wrong, the lyrics to this song are completely fucking atrocious. Some 'Americans don't know how good they've got it' type shit. Frankly, coming from a performer who famously charges between $30-45 for a ticket only to get stage drunk, get stage fright, freak out, and walk away from the microphone after 6 songs, she can fuck right off with this 'holier than thou' stuff. However, the groove that this song catches (with the looping piano and guitar stabs) is pretty fucking brilliant. Chan Marshall's delivery is spot on as well. The fact that she manages to make such mind-numbingly stupid lyrics into a catchy, enjoyable song is quite a surprise too. Not to mention the fact that her new pixie haircut is foxy enough to retroactively make Kim Deal hot.
Final Score: MinneSarah - 3/5
TCDroogsma - 3/5
Stars - Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Give It (from the album The North)
MinneSarah:
Sweet fucking Christ.... From stale platitudes about geopolitics to stale cliches about romance. Tough week, MPR. Much like the Cat Power bit up above, Stars works up a nice groove. Sure, it's the same groove they've been working up for 12 years, but if it ain't broke... Plus, it's no secret that I'm a huge sucker for boy/girl singing combos. Lyrically, the title tells you everything you need to know. Smartly, they managed to steal Peter Hook and Bernard Summer's instruments to build up hooks. Always a good call.
Not a bad tune, but if you had told me this was a Stars single from 1999 rather than 2012 I would've believed you.
Final Score: MinneSarah - 2.5/5
TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
Bill Fay (w/Jeff Tweedy) - This World (from the album Life Is People)
MinneSarah:
Okay, ever wonder what the British Bruce Springsteen sounds like? Listen to this song. There isn't a lot of lyrical content, maybe two verses that are about the proletariat that built this world in the factories, and much of it is repetitive "This World...this world....this world." Wait, Bill, This World? Oh, okay, that's a uniter. In any case, it skews Jayhawks and (appropriately) Wilco with some violins, which is probably the worst dis I can give a song (in my opinion). The last ten seconds are the best, I gotta give it props for a relatively epic ending, and I'm not just saying that because it was over.
TCDroogsma:
Let's all stop kidding ourselves to two minutes: If Jeff Tweedy wasn't involved with this song nobody would be listening to it. It wouldn't be getting any airplay on MPR and I wouldn't be sitting here struggling to write a critique of a yet another acoustic, singer/songwriter, 'the world is confusing and we're all alone' dirge. So thanks for lending your voice to this one, Jeff Tweedy. You owe me 10 minutes of my life back.
Final Score: MinneSarah - 1/5
TCDroogsma - 1/5
Two Gallants - My Love Won't Wait (from the album The Bloom And The Blight)
MinneSarah:
Yes! This song is extremely guitar driven. When it gets loud (which it does at the beginning), everything gets loud, guitars, drums, screaming lyrics. The lyrics are a lovelorn threat, as creepy as they are romantic. The vocal delivery is passionate and manic, matching the lyrics perfectly. The song ends on an old timey piano interlude that sounds defeated and spooky. Be still my beating heart - seriously - these guys might be outside my house with a pocket full of rocks this very moment.
TCDroogsma:
Let me apologize right off the bat. I really, really like this song and I find myself completely incapable of explaining why. I suppose that, since the Song Of The Day tracks are typically meticulously constructed singles it's nice to hear a song in which the band turns some guitars up, hits some power chords, and actually let's go of things a bit. This song sounds like the bastard child of Helmet & Badly Drawn Boy. This is a compliment.
Final Score: MinneSarah - 4/5
TCDroogsma - 4/5
The Valdons - All Day Long (from the Twin Cities Funk And Soul compilation)
MinneSarah:
Hot damn! Taking a trip in the Way Back Machine to 1970's MPLS was a good choice! I'd imagine this is the type of song that people who are genuine Funk and/or Soul fans would find unremarkable, but since I almost never listen to music in those genres it seems very refreshing. Even pre-Prince Minneapolis was going fucking hard.
Sidenote: If someone could put together a YouTube video of Adrian Peterson clips soundtracked by this is would be, arguably, the greatest thing ever posted to the internet ever.
Final Score: MinneSarah - 2.5/5
TCDroogsma - 4/5
Well there you have it everybody. Thanks for checking out this week's edition of Songs Of The Week. Of course, neither this website nor its contributors is affiliated in any way with the artists, The Current or MPR. They're merely judgmental music fans.
Be sure to vote in the poll at the right of the page for your favorite Songs Of The Week.
For more MinneSarah, be sure to find her on Twitter & Instagram or any place else where the 90's are celebrated as the greatest decade for pop culture ever.
For more TCDroogsma, be sure to find him on Twitter, Instagram, or on his personal blog Caffeine & Obscenities. Based on his wardrobe we suspect he may be contributing blog posts directly from the 90's.
This blog is also on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1), which you should follow to stay updated on new posts and random retweets from our contributors. We're also on Facebook here and it would just make our Fall if you stopped by and gave us a 'like.'
Well hello again, mp3 junkies. Welcome to the 6th installment of Songs Of The Week, in which we ask two of our regular contributors (typically MinneSarah & TCDroogsma) to give us their thoughts on The Current's 'Song Of The Day' podcast.
As we mention each week, please head over to The Current's website and subscribe to the podcast yourself. Free music is free music.
Also, as always, MinneSarah & TCDroogsma have not read each other's comments prior to posting.
Cat Power - Ruin (from the album Sun)
MinneSarah:
Now, I'm not a fan of Cat Power, the singer (I'm 110% in favor of cat power, the thing), but I really did like her voice in this song. The song starts with a latiny/samba beat and then builds with piano and guitar. I expected her to build in vocal intensity as well, but this just isn't that kind of song. The lyrics are about traveling the world and and remembering not to bitch about your own problems when you get home. An annoying section is when she names off countries she has visited, and as the song goes on, they change to cities. It sounds like you don't know Belfast ain't a country, Cat Power. This whole deal was pretty low key, I give it three stars because it was fairly catchy the more times I listened to it.
TCDroogsma:
Holy shit! In a year that's been filled with musical surprises, Cat Power putting out a song that is actually not terrible has to rank near the top of the list.
Don't get me wrong, the lyrics to this song are completely fucking atrocious. Some 'Americans don't know how good they've got it' type shit. Frankly, coming from a performer who famously charges between $30-45 for a ticket only to get stage drunk, get stage fright, freak out, and walk away from the microphone after 6 songs, she can fuck right off with this 'holier than thou' stuff. However, the groove that this song catches (with the looping piano and guitar stabs) is pretty fucking brilliant. Chan Marshall's delivery is spot on as well. The fact that she manages to make such mind-numbingly stupid lyrics into a catchy, enjoyable song is quite a surprise too. Not to mention the fact that her new pixie haircut is foxy enough to retroactively make Kim Deal hot.
Final Score: MinneSarah - 3/5
TCDroogsma - 3/5
Stars - Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Give It (from the album The North)
MinneSarah:
What
are our neighbors to the North up to these days? Making inspirational
songs for your favorite 80's teen movie soundtracks. Their signature
whooping vocal choruses and heavy reliance on synthesizers are actually a
net plus for this song. However, the lyrics are fairly ridiculous and
sound like a prescriptive public service announcement...from the 80's.
TCDroogsma:Sweet fucking Christ.... From stale platitudes about geopolitics to stale cliches about romance. Tough week, MPR. Much like the Cat Power bit up above, Stars works up a nice groove. Sure, it's the same groove they've been working up for 12 years, but if it ain't broke... Plus, it's no secret that I'm a huge sucker for boy/girl singing combos. Lyrically, the title tells you everything you need to know. Smartly, they managed to steal Peter Hook and Bernard Summer's instruments to build up hooks. Always a good call.
Not a bad tune, but if you had told me this was a Stars single from 1999 rather than 2012 I would've believed you.
Final Score: MinneSarah - 2.5/5
TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
Bill Fay (w/Jeff Tweedy) - This World (from the album Life Is People)
MinneSarah:
Okay, ever wonder what the British Bruce Springsteen sounds like? Listen to this song. There isn't a lot of lyrical content, maybe two verses that are about the proletariat that built this world in the factories, and much of it is repetitive "This World...this world....this world." Wait, Bill, This World? Oh, okay, that's a uniter. In any case, it skews Jayhawks and (appropriately) Wilco with some violins, which is probably the worst dis I can give a song (in my opinion). The last ten seconds are the best, I gotta give it props for a relatively epic ending, and I'm not just saying that because it was over.
TCDroogsma:
Let's all stop kidding ourselves to two minutes: If Jeff Tweedy wasn't involved with this song nobody would be listening to it. It wouldn't be getting any airplay on MPR and I wouldn't be sitting here struggling to write a critique of a yet another acoustic, singer/songwriter, 'the world is confusing and we're all alone' dirge. So thanks for lending your voice to this one, Jeff Tweedy. You owe me 10 minutes of my life back.
Final Score: MinneSarah - 1/5
TCDroogsma - 1/5
Two Gallants - My Love Won't Wait (from the album The Bloom And The Blight)
MinneSarah:
Yes! This song is extremely guitar driven. When it gets loud (which it does at the beginning), everything gets loud, guitars, drums, screaming lyrics. The lyrics are a lovelorn threat, as creepy as they are romantic. The vocal delivery is passionate and manic, matching the lyrics perfectly. The song ends on an old timey piano interlude that sounds defeated and spooky. Be still my beating heart - seriously - these guys might be outside my house with a pocket full of rocks this very moment.
TCDroogsma:
Let me apologize right off the bat. I really, really like this song and I find myself completely incapable of explaining why. I suppose that, since the Song Of The Day tracks are typically meticulously constructed singles it's nice to hear a song in which the band turns some guitars up, hits some power chords, and actually let's go of things a bit. This song sounds like the bastard child of Helmet & Badly Drawn Boy. This is a compliment.
Final Score: MinneSarah - 4/5
TCDroogsma - 4/5
The Valdons - All Day Long (from the Twin Cities Funk And Soul compilation)
MinneSarah:
I
heard on The Current that they are working to uncover the funky soul
hits of the 60's and 70's from the Twin Cities. It's reassuring to know
that Minnesota music in the 60's wasn't all Dylan. For that, I commend
the project. I may be as primed as most Current listeners, as I've
been seen rocking out to the new Heavy album, and any upbeat music that
can prolong my summer high is much appreciated. However, this song
ain't my scene, and while it's great for what it is, it's generic enough
that we can see why the Valdons never really hit it big.
TCDroogsma:
Hot damn! Taking a trip in the Way Back Machine to 1970's MPLS was a good choice! I'd imagine this is the type of song that people who are genuine Funk and/or Soul fans would find unremarkable, but since I almost never listen to music in those genres it seems very refreshing. Even pre-Prince Minneapolis was going fucking hard.
Sidenote: If someone could put together a YouTube video of Adrian Peterson clips soundtracked by this is would be, arguably, the greatest thing ever posted to the internet ever.
Final Score: MinneSarah - 2.5/5
TCDroogsma - 4/5
Well there you have it everybody. Thanks for checking out this week's edition of Songs Of The Week. Of course, neither this website nor its contributors is affiliated in any way with the artists, The Current or MPR. They're merely judgmental music fans.
Be sure to vote in the poll at the right of the page for your favorite Songs Of The Week.
For more MinneSarah, be sure to find her on Twitter & Instagram or any place else where the 90's are celebrated as the greatest decade for pop culture ever.
For more TCDroogsma, be sure to find him on Twitter, Instagram, or on his personal blog Caffeine & Obscenities. Based on his wardrobe we suspect he may be contributing blog posts directly from the 90's.
This blog is also on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1), which you should follow to stay updated on new posts and random retweets from our contributors. We're also on Facebook here and it would just make our Fall if you stopped by and gave us a 'like.'
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