Songs Of The Week #17: MinneSarah & TCDroogsma

Mike Coykendall, The Coup, A.C. Newman, Aaron Embry, & Prissy Clerks...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies! Welcome to Songs Of The Week #17!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the SOTW format, each week we ask two of our regular contributors to download and listen to The Current's Song Of The Day podcast. At the end of the week we ask them to give us their thoughts on the tracks and a score of 1 through 5.

This week we had MinneSarah & TCDroogsma give the tracks a listen.

As always, we highly recommend that you download the podcast for yourself and give the tracks a listen. Click here to subscribe to the podcast. It's free music and it's fun for the whole family!

As you can probably see, there is a poll to the righthand side of the screen. Please, vote for your favorite track. The vote doesn't count for anything, really. It's an internet poll, though, and everybody loves internet polls.

So, all that said, what'd you think, kids? 

01. Mike Coykendall - The Hippie Girl

MinneSarah: 

     What did you all do this weekend?  I can tell you what I did - watched Alice's Restaurant - the story of Arlo Guthrie's 60's-infused life leading up to the titular song. While I dislike folk music more than most, and did not enjoy the movie much either (surprise!), this song reminds me of when lyrics told a story, or at least they thought they did.

     Mike Coykendall is a folkey guy, may have actually been alive in the 60's, and he knew a hippie girl who he is praising with some mad props. For a two minute ditty about a hippie girl, who is great in principle, but is still not good enough for Mike himself ("she's perfect for you").  I'd have to agree - maybe this song'd be perfect for you - I mean, have you even seen Alice's Restaurant?

TCDroogsma:

     Only an aging hippie would think to write a song about the virtue of hippie girls.  He doesn't even make a convincing argument, he just rattles off the things that those of us who weren't born until at least the 80's hate about hippies.  She's not perfect for me, Mike.  If she was, she wouldn't need her dad to write a song about how great she is.

     Also, I realize you can barely hear him, but Ben fucking Gibbard is back on this podcast!  That's enough!  It's gonna be death cab for everybody at MPR if you don't stop with this shit!

Final Score: MinneSarah - 2/5
                    TCDroogsma - 0/5

02. The Coup – Magic Clap (from the album Sorry To Bother You)

MinneSarah: 

     First off - The Coup is a pretty amazing soul political hip hop group.  Their 2006 song, "My Favorite Mutiny" carried me through many a pretentious train ride.  The complexity of their songs, including their well written, political lyrics, the singer's Andre 3000 quickfire delivery, and catchy beats are worth checking out. 

     Second - I couldn't stop laughing at the double entendre of the lyrics - it's called magic clap people.  I know it's political, because it always is, but seriously, he said magic clap.

TCDroogsma:

     The first couple of times I listened to "Magic Clap" I wasn't really feeling it.  It took me a bit to realize that was mostly because I had become a little to accustomed to my old definition of The Coup as angry, politicized, boom-pap style rap.  Once I made my peace with the fact that this is now a full band operation, the song really grew on me.

     Admittedly, it's a pretty run-of-the-mill funk workout, but that's not really a bad thing.  I mean, The Coup is now and always will be about Boots Riley's lyrics.  Took much funk would have drowned that out.  Riley brings a B+ game (especially the third verse) and the song is more enjoyable than riot-inducing.  Still, kudos to The Coup for realizing that the revolution may not be televised, but it will almost certainly involved ass shaking.

Final Score: MinneSarah - 3.5/5

                   TCDroogsma - 3.5/5

03. A.C. Newman – Encyclopedia Of Classic Takedowns (from the album Shut Down The Streets)

MinneSarah: 

     Can we give an award for best song title?  I would like to see said encyclopedia.   Unfortunately, this song isn't as caustic as my song of the same title would be.  Everyone loves A.C. Newman, and this is because he sounds so darn upbeat and wholesome.  His songs turn my hate into RC Cola. This song is catchy, upbeat, and lyrically confusing.  I'd listen to it on repeat as I daydreamed what kind of classic takedowns belong in an encyclopedia and possibly A.C. Slater enacting them.  This is where my mind is, sorry.

TCDroogsma:

     By all logic A.C. Newman should be one of my favorite artists.  By combining two things I love (hooks and Canadians), he should, theoretically, always be playing at Planet New Basset.

     For whatever reason, that's just not the case.  I think "Encyclopedia Of Classic Takedowns" is a great example of why that's the case.  It's certainly catchy enough and cleverly polite in a Canadian kind of way, but it just never lets go.  I always get the sense with Newman that he's holding something back in the name of making a track sound just so.  One listen to the chorus (especially when he goes all falsetto up in there) and you can't help but picture him fretting with the backup singers trying to get that high note just right.  In the end, being too much of a perfectionist ends up costing him.

Final Score: MinneSarah - 3/5

                   TCDroogsma -3/5

04. Aaron Embry – Moon Of A Daylit Sky (from the album Tiny Prayers)

MinneSarah: 

     Starting a song with a harmonica is no way to cry out for attention.  If I weren't reviewing this song, I would change the station or turn it off immediately   However, I am reviewing this song, so this is what I think moving past the harmonica.  This guy has a good vocal range, and can pull a vocal melody to hypnotize you until that damn harmonica breaks in again. Aaron relies on the simplicity of an acoustic guitar, harmonica, some background drums and his voice, making it very roots-y singer songwriter stuff.  If you are a fan of Americana, this may be up your alley.

TCDroogsma:

     In the name of the type of Conor-Oberst-pseudo-honesty Aaron Embry brings to the table I won't pull any punches with this "Moon Of A Daylit Sky."  This is probably the worst Song Of The Day of 2012.  Move over Cjell Cruz!  Sorry Touissant Morrison!  There's a new sheriff in town!  And he brought his harmonica because of course he brought his harmonica!

     Look, I'm not trying to be a total asshole here, but I've got no time for this acoustic-harmonica-singer-songwriter bullshit.  Especially yet another tune about some abstract fucking occurrence in nature that's supposed to remind you how beautiful life is.  Motherfucker, I ate toast for dinner tonight because pay day's still 3 days out.  Fuck your moon and fuck your harmonica.

Final Score: MinneSarah - 2/5

                   TCDroogsma - 0/5

05. Prissy Clerks – Bruise Or Be Bruised (from the album Prissy Clerks)

MinneSarah: 

     This song is has a West Coast vibe (although they are local), and the girl singing over heavy guitars and drums is sweet.  The guitars and vocal echo effects are a welcome treat after this week's offerings. The quick and prominent drum beat fuels rest of the song and it clocks in at just over 2 minutes.  As the kind of song I would have enjoyed immensely in high school for it's upbeat, cut to the chase, ethos - I'm gonna break with tradition just come out and say well done, Prissy Clerks.

TCDroogsma:

     I just knew Minnesota was going to come through after those last two clunkers.  Maybe it's just context, but God bless you, Prissy Clerks.

     Fuzzed out guitar?  Check.  Charming female harmonies?  Check.  Vaguely sexual, vaguely violent lyrics?  Check and check (and I mean check!).  This is exactly the type of catchy yet loose vibe that A.C. Newman will just never get right.  I'm sure a lot of effort goes in to sounding this effortless, but for two minutes it sounds like the most fun anybody could have playing music.

Final Score: MinneSarah - 4/5

                   TCDroogsma - 4/5

There you have it, music fans. Another week's worth of tracks downloaded, debated, and filed away.

As always we'd like to take a second to remind everybody that neither Newest Industry or its contributors is in any way affiliated with Minnesota Public Radio, The Current, or any of the artists played. We're merely music fans with keyboards and too much time on our hands.

For more of the always charming MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah). Especially if you're a fan of cats, nail polish, and/or Evan Dando.

For more of the seldom charming TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma) or check out his personal blog Flatbasset. TCDroogsma also hosts our weekly Flatbasset podcast. Check out all those things out if you're a fan of basset hounds, nail polish, and/or Evan Dando.

 




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