I've Got a Newsflash For You, Walter Cronkite

A random person noticed that it had been a really long time since I've written something here, because out of the blue, Sarah in Brooklyn, NY forced me to learn about an "inappropriately named" band called Illinois, and wished for me specifically to share the following news item with the world via Ginger Cookie Disco:

I hope you're relaxed after the three day weekend you just enjoyed (thank you Columbus) and are in the right state of mind to process what I'm about to tell you. Prepare yourself.

Our favorite inappropriately named band Illinois (from Bucks County, PA – we don't get it either) has done something crazier than Sir Ryan Adams (yes, we've unofficially knighted him). When most bands are asked to write and record a debut album, they have about twenty songs to choose from and whittle down to make it the perfect record. Illinois, not being the everyday band came at us with 114 songs, yes, you read that right, 114. That's more songs than most bands record in their entire career. So we here at +1 records decided instead of putting 114 songs on the chopping block, we'd release them all! How lucky for you – first a three day weekend and now this!

Not only are there 114 Illinois songs in your future, but there is also a short film coming your way that Illinois' passionate frontman and songwriter Arch filmed with the lovely folks at People-Food. Now, we can't give you all of this goodness at once, it's not Christmas you know!

This labor of love called 'The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe' will be released as a digital bundle, monthly, with the songs along with one chapter from the short film. It's kind of like the Harry Potter series but you don't have to wait years for it to be completed! The first release will be on election day (November 4th for those of you who are unaware) and then the following five dates:

Chapter 2 || December 2, 2008
Chapter 3 || January 13, 2009
Chapter 4 || February 3, 2009
Chapter 5 || March 3, 2009
Chapter 6 || April 7, 2009

I think it's pretty hilarious that these people knighted Ryan Adams. I'm unaware of what he did that was so crazy, though. Anyway, so there you go, Illinois. The "wackiness" of their self-written band descriptions seems a little too calculated, but that's really the only thing that stands out enough for me about them that I could report. I listened to a couple of their songs and it's pretty fluffy and unobjectionable. I can see them performing in the background on an episode of The O.C. I'm not sure whether that's a compliment or not. Probably not too much of a compliment seeing as The O.C. isn't on anymore.

MP3:  Illinois - Screendoor

 MP3:  Illinois - Alone Again

Computer apologies + Metronomy

I apologize for the lack of posts, yet again. Let's just say that computers and the internet have not been on my side as of late. For the past couple of months I have been using satellite internet that is supposedly high speed. Some days it actually is fast, but other days it is incredibly slow. Of course, every time I feel like posting a song it's on a day where it would take about 5 days (okay, maybe 5 hours) to upload. I kid you not. Here's hoping and wishing for an increasing amount of fast satellite internet days! I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. My latest computer dilemma includes the power adapter for my MacBook melting. Yes, MELTING. I just had to order a new one (for the low price of $82.95). What a bargain! I'm hoping that my computer isn't going to explode or catch on fire while I write this. Either way, let's move on to the music!

I already wrote about Metronomy semi-recently, but their lastest video output warrants a special post of its own. Even as they rise in popularity, I really don't know many people who appreciate these guys. Metronomy are definitely an acquired taste; especially when some of their songs have a sort of ridiculous falsetto worked into them. It takes some time to get used to. Even if you decide that you don't like Metronomy you will at least have knowledge of some new music that you can weird some of your friends and family out with.

Metronomy's brand new video for 'Heartbreaker' is just absolutely adorable and sweet. The song itself is a little more accessible than some of their space creature circus electro pop songs, which verge slightly more on the strange. It's a more simple and straightforward tune that always makes me want to sing along. Unfortunately, I'm pretty certain that I take on a slightly British and definitely embarrassing accent when I do sing along.



'Holiday' demonstrates the more 'space creature disco circus' side of Metronomy that I've mentioned before at least twice. Metronomy have won me over yet again, as I love both the song and the video. I honestly don't know how they manage to be so entertaining.



There you have it. I love that Metronomy have made videos for both 'Holiday' and 'Heartbreaker', because those are two of my favorite songs off their forthcoming album Nights Out.

Sorry, no MP3s today. It's thundering out, so the internet is slow yet again. Check out Metronomy's myspace and go buy some of their songs from a record store or some internet website somewhere! Or maybe you can just keep watching those two videos over and over (and over and over and over).

I've got something to Cher...

It's been a long time since I've posted, but hopefully this will make up for my absence, for I come bearing the gift of Cher. I watched her stunning Biography on Biography a couple of weeks ago and it inspired me to want to write something about how much I've always loved Cher and what an amazing human being she is (I'm pretty sure she's human, at least), and I'm finally getting around to that. It was hard to figure out what I wanted to write about since there are so many awesome things about her to say, so be forewarned that I might be breaking this up into a couple of parts. 

The first thing I would say about Cher is that everything she touches turns to gold. Kind of literally, actually. Gold with like, feathers and sequins and beads. One thing I find amazing is how she can wear the most whore-ish get-up imaginable, yet she still manages to come across as kind of glamorous.

Case in point.

Another amazing thing is how she sings songs that she didn't even write or experience, but she belts them out like what she's singing about was happening to her right at that moment. The best song to illustrate this phenomenon is "Half-Breed". This song rules so hard. It is so damn solemn, you'd think this was a page ripped straight from Cher's diary, but it totally isn't. Someone else wrote this song for her, and she isn't even an Indian. But that only serves to reinforce the overall brilliance. It would be boring in a way if it were true. Also adding to the brilliance is the grandiose orchestra blasting away in the background. It just kicks the quality of the song up at least a million notches. The part of the song that Cher most turns to gold, though, is of course the words of the song itself, and how she delivers them, particularly: "The other children always laughed at me/ 'Give her a feather, she's a Cherokee'" and "The Indians said that I was white by law/ the white man always called me Indian squaw". The best parts of the song for me are the pounding drums at the beginning that sound like a pow wow going on, and the end when she belts out "Both sides were against me since the day I was born!" The other best parts of the song are everything else in between the beginning and the end. She sings the whole song in such a glass case of fiery emotion, it is so dazzling and hysterical. The video is also apparently filmed in a glass case of fiery emotion, if the crackling flames on the screen at the beginning and end are any indication. I love this video to death: It's just Cher against a white background in soft focus wearing a spectacular headdress and a tube top and underwear made out of silver lamé, sitting on what appears to be a heavily medicated horse, barefoot and emoting straight at the camera. It demands to be seen.

I love her bow at the end, and the roaring applause. I don't think there were even any people around, I think Cher just has the sound of random applause following her wherever she goes.

Here is another sparkly Cher song with her telling a story where I have no idea what is going on at all, while looking amazing and wearing the most staggeringly awesome outfit I have ever seen.

Well, I think that might be enough praise for Cher for today, but I want to leave you pondering one sad little factoid: Before Vicki Lawrence recorded it, the guy who wrote "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" had initially offered the song to Sonny Bono to give to Cher, but Sonny foolishly turned it down because he was afraid it would offend Southern people. Man, that is one of the greatest tragedies in music history right there. Cher was robbed.

Metronomy

I wasn't so sure about Metronomy upon a first listen, but now I'm completely hooked. I cannot stop listening to these guys. I honestly don't have the slightest inclination how to even describe what exactly they sound like. The tracks I've heard off of Metronomy's forthcoming album Nights Out have an obvious late 70s/early 80s heavy yet quirky synthesizer influence. That being said, a likely comparison might be Devo. I'm not sure I would go quite that far though...

Honestly, in my opinion Metronomy pretty much sound like space creature circus music circa 1979/the distant future; If you can imagine that. Judging by their video for 'Radio Ladio', it looks like I'm not too far off, at least with the whole 'space creature' vibe.

I wasn't completely sold on Metronomy the first time I saw the video for 'Radio Ladio'. I'm pretty sure it actually made my stomach churn initially. It has definitely grown on me since then. Even disregarding all those colors and cute little dance moves, their facial expressions alone are entertainment enough. In short, Metronomy = space creature circus music + moderately adorable + great.

I enjoy Metronomy's track 'My Heart Rate Rapid' even more than 'Radio Ladio', as cute as that song is. Give a listen in order to hear circus-y synth space disco at its finest.

MP3: Metronomy - My Heart Rate Rapid (zshare)

Also, don't forget to click here to purchase Metronomy's 'My Heart Rate Rapid' 12" while we await the release of Nights Out!!

Autolux - Audience No. 2

I apologize for the lack of new posts in this here blog. I'm hoping to get things into 'full swing' incredibly soon. There really is no reason I can think of to bother listing excuses for not having posted in over a month. Still, If I were to be allowed to have one or more excuses, the short list would include the stresses that come along with preparing to move (which still has yet to happen), as well as not being able to see well out of my right eye (I need to get laser surgery). I'm really not the complaining type, though... which actually ties in with the real topic of this post: Autolux.

Impossible day
I don't complain
I'm over it, I guess
Scattered and gray, so
I hold it back
and keep it sugarless

The aforementioned lyrics from their 2004 song 'Sugarless' have always hit close to home. I used to play that song (and the rest of the album) endlessly on repeat WAY BACK in 2004. I played Future Perfect so often that it never left my stereo, except for when I finally retired it for a spell. It's been fitting my mood perfectly lately, and I've brought it back into heavy rotation. Deservedly so, too. There just is no band right now that sounds anything remotely like Autolux. Somehow they manage to achieve some sort of absolutely unique wonderfulness through sound, melody and lyric that sets them apart from everyone else, in every possible genre.

It's safe to say that Autolux fans have been waiting a long time to hear any new material from the band. Finally, that day has arrived! Sort of. They've posted a new song, 'Audience No. 2' on their MySpace profile. The song can also be found on iTunes. The forthcoming album, Transit Transit is expected to be released 'soon enough', with no official date in sight as of yet. The new track is quite promising sounding, and I am highly anticipating the release of Transit Transit, whenever that may be.

MP3: Autolux - Audience No. 2 (zshare)

MP3: Autolux - Sugarless (zshare)

P.S. I'm pretty sure that my favorite part of the new song, 'Audience No. 2' is the lyric that goes, 'I have always been your vegetable'. There is something enticingly magnetic and fascinating about the way he say 'vegetable' that I can't quite put my finger on. Plus, the word 'vegetable' never fails to be amazing and great.

If you haven't heard Autolux's debut album Future Perfect, I highly recommend that you do so, pretty much right away.

Purchase music by Autolux here:

Farther leads to you

So today I was listening to Denali and starting to think about how they never got enough credit when they should have. The band called it quits in 2004 but they were brilliant and I think overlooked by most.

Denali formed in 2000 when the singer, Maura Davis asked her brother, Keeley Davis (member of Engine Down) if he wanted to start a band with her. Somewhat shocked Keeley agreed to do so and they formed the band, Denali, one of the best bands to hit the indie underground scene. This band was/is truly inspiring and I just found out that they recently decided to reunite as of March 26th, 2008. They decided to play some shows and see what happens from there. Very exciting news!

I wanted to post about Denali in hopes that their creative trip-hop influenced sound was still being enjoyed by others. So get re-familiar or familiar with Denali. Well worth the listen.

Hold Your Breath by Denali

Good Times Come To Me Now

Let us take a moment to address a nearly forgotten gem from the year of my birth, 1983. Haysi Fantayzee's 'Shiny Shiny' is a kooky and upbeat song about what else? The apocalypse, of course.

The garishly dressed and dreadlocked boy/girl duo scored an unlikely hit with 'Shiny Shiny'. Their one and only LP, Battle Hymns for Children Singing managed to reach number 11 on the UK charts. Haysi Fantayzee enjoyed considerably less exposure and success here in the United States. A review on All Music Guide by Ned Raggett describes the aforementioned album as follows:

"Arguably one of the most head-shaking albums ever made -- though to the band's credit, that was the whole point -- Battle Hymns for Children Singing might just be what the doctor ordered for insomnia. It's not so much for the fact that the music will put a listener to sleep as much as it will induce a listener to destroy the sound system it is playing on, therefore tiring out that person for bedtime."

Well, fortunately it does not make me want to destroy a sound system. It does succeed in making me want to get up and dance a weird partial jig, however. The same review goes on to say that 'Shiny Shiny' includes "everything from inappropriate electric guitar solos to Dexy's Midnight Runners-styled fiddles". While all of that is true, I think he forgot to mention another important element within the song: The sound of spoons being played as a musical instrument. It's pretty obvious that spoons are an incredibly essential ingredient in the attempt to create 1980s anti-nuclear new wave hillbilly hoedown pop.

'Shiny Shiny' may be arguably 'bad' by today's standards, but most reviewers and listeners are probably a little too harsh in their judgments. Just because it sounds a little kooky doesn't mean it should be forever restricted and designated as an 'ironic' guilty pleasure. I personally enjoy all of those quirky and strange sounding 'unlikely hits' from the early to mid 1980s. Although I wasn't born until the year this song was released, I grew up listening to a lot of music from that time period. Thus, I don't like Haysi Fantayzee in a purely 'ironic' way. Part of me truly and honestly likes 'Shiny Shiny'. I swear.

To be sold on this song, you absolutely need to watch the video. It's amazing. I mean, just check out those impressive special effects.

Even if you were to disregard the song completely, there is just so much greatness displayed in the video alone. First of all, they are both fucking weird looking and have dreadlocks and look androgynously similar to one another. Secondly, they both have killer moves (particularly, the jaunty hoedown dances the guy exhibits). Thirdly, their outfits resemble some sort of 1980s hobos performing in an old timey cabaret. Of course, the visual effects are stunning as well.

On top of all that, here is the best thing ever: My sister told me the other day that the guy in Haysi Fantayzee reminds her of Adrien Brody. Could you imagine if Adrien Brody had decided to have a go at being an 80s pop star with dreadlocks before he became a serious actor?

MP3: Haysi Fantayzee - Shiny Shiny (zshare)

Purchase Battle Hymns for Children Singing by Haysi Fantayzee here:





I'm sure you want to now. Bring that shit back, I say.

P.S. I just realized that the vocals in this Haysi Fantayzee song sounds eerily like some of the newer songs by Architecture in Helsinki.

Elvis Costello and The Attractions vs. The Armless Creature

Elvis Costello used to be great. Sure, he's still a talented guy, but his finest work definitely occurred within the era of Elvis Costello and The Attractions (1977-1984). I doubt many people would disagree with me on that.

I awoke today with a craving for some vintage Elvis Costello. I indulged in said craving and after a time I decided to explore and search for video footage. Of course, things like YouTube did not exist during the time period in which I listened to Elvis Costello with the most frequency (back in 1999-2003-ish). At that time, I hadn't been able to place many visuals with the music I knew so well. Regardless of how many or how few visuals one has seen, everyone knows Elvis Costello for two things: 1. his bespectacled skull and 2. his famous pigeon toed pose/stance. However, I was unaware of how just how much he worked the latter into his performances.

I just want to say this: Elvis Costello's kinesthetic quality of movement reminds me greatly of the armless creature from the film Silent Hill. That motion picture caused me to have a horrible nightmare recently, by the way. There is a part toward the end of the above video where Elvis Costello sort of chugs forward one leg at a time. This series of movements is particularly reminiscent of the armless creature. Also, he clutches his arms in toward his chest several times. Therefore, he could easily be mistaken for an armless creature. Not to mention that my sister observed, "there is one part where both his ankles are turned in severely and he looks disabled". All joking aside, this is such a classic video. It's rare that a video featuring musicians playing their instruments against a plain white backdrop can manage to be so incredibly entertaining. Plus, did you see the jacket the drummer is wearing? I want it.

For armless creature comparison purposes, here is a short video clip from the DVD extras of Silent Hill:


Hopefully you can get a vague idea of the similarities in kinesthetic quality from that clip, if you haven't already seen the film. I realize the armless creature guy moves in ways that look a bit more extreme than Elvis Costello's inverted and inward rolling feet/ankles. But then, perhaps you need to take a look at a second Elvis Costello video.


Elvis Costello is just flailing all over the place in that one. It's beautiful. Do you see any valid comparison to the armless creature yet? Even if you don't, that's okay. I have too keen of an eye when it comes to movement analysis. I was a dance major in college, so I tend to notice everything. Pedestrian movements are dance too. That is not to say that what Elvis Costello is doing is truly 'pedestrian' by any means. It's probably the antithesis of pedestrian movement, in fact. His quality of movement is actually quite interesting. I find it more enthralling than what many post-modern dance performances have to offer. In fact, you could pretty much stick Elvis Costello on a stage and let him flail his legs around strangely and call it a prolific work of post-modern dance.

Well anyway, this was all worth it to take a look at some classic Elvis Costello videos. I love when Elvis Costello still had an abundance of hair.

MP3: Elvis Costello & The Attractions - (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea (zshare)
MP3: Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Pump It Up (zshare)

Purchase music by Elvis Costello here:

Stand back, gents and ladies, I’m drunk and insane and I’ve got a gun!!

One time I got the idea to type my name into the iTunes so I could see what all songs with my name were on there, and oh, the results. First of all, everyone with access to some musical instrument seems to feel compelled to record their own special version of the Steely Dan song. I ended up buying about fifteen different songs with “Josie” in the title, and one of them was this one. Truly a diamond in the rough, no lie. I can’t believe this song exists. This is the first time in my life that I’ve been genuinely happy to be named Josie, because if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have ever heard this song, and yes, that would be a bad thing. I’ve “studied” this song a lot, as much as any other song telling a baffling story full of plotholes, and there is so much intense emotion throughout all of it, it has me convinced that it has to be true. I like to imagine it’s true, in any case, and what’s more, I like to imagine that it’s a true story about me. But anyway, one thing I do know for sure about this song: It needs to be way longer than two minutes. There is way too much crammed in here, except for a whole lot of, well, information.

Josie went to the barroom, ordered up a glass of beer
Said, “Tell me the truth, bartender, has my true love been here?”
“He’s my man, but he ain’t come home.”
“I ain’t gonna tell you no secrets, I ain’t gonna tell you no lies.”
“But I saw your man a while ago, and I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
“He’s your man, but he won’t come home.”

Why couldn’t he believe his eyes? Was her man lying in some dark alley naked and covered in questionable bodily fluids and multiple stab wounds? Who knows, and who cares.

Josie drank her beer, ordered up a glass of gin
Said, “Ain’t it a shame, bartender? I’m takin’ to drink again.”
“’Cause he’s my man, but he won’t come home.”

Wow, it appears Josie has a serious drinking problem, and I don’t just mean she’s a problem drinker, I also mean she has a problem drinking properly. Has she never heard the old adage “beer before liquor, never sicker”? Maybe in this case it should be “beer before liquor, leads to manslaughter”.

Josie went down the street, revolver in her hand
Said, “Stand back gents and ladies, I’m lookin’ for my man!”
“He’s my man, but he won’t come home.”

Who says that, “gents and ladies”? Well, I do now, for one, because it’s hilarious. Sometimes the more I hear a song, if there was a part that used to make me laugh when I first heard it, the more I got used to the song it wouldn’t make me laugh as much, but not that “gents and ladies” part. No, every time I listen to this song that “gents and ladies” part still gets me the same as when I heard it for the first time, where I’m just doubled-over in pain from laughing so hard. Actually, the entire song still makes me laugh hysterically like it did when I first heard it. My mom was actually the one who told me he was saying “gents and ladies”. The first, like, ten times I listened to it I thought he was saying “Jensen ladies”, like the name of the town was Jensen and she was addressing the ladies of the town of Jensen. God, I was grasping so hard for some kind of reality. I still am.

Josie saw her lover, and her revolver drew
Then Josie pulled the trigger, shot him through and through
He was her man, but he wouldn’t come home.

Way to go, Josie. This song doesn’t reflect well on me as a Josie, does it? Not all Josies are highly unstable, gun-wielding drunks. I mean, sure, I am, but we’re not talking about me right now.

One thing hurt Miss Josie, one thing made her cry
Standing there in the jailhouse doors, the hearse came rollin’ by
He was her man, but he won’t come home.
Sittin’ in the parlor by an electric fan, pleadin’ with her sister,
“Don’t marry a gamblin’ man! He’ll be your man, but he won’t come home.”

Whoa, slow down, pardner. She goes suddenly from standin’ in the jailhouse doors to sittin’ in the parlor. Does she not have to serve any time for this very public murder that pretty much everyone in the whole town witnessed? Did she murder everyone in the whole town except her sister? I wouldn’t be surprised, she sounds like a pretty clear-cut sociopath.

The part with the fan is yet another part that took me a super long time to figure out what the hell words he was actually saying. I thought she was “buyin’ a ‘lectric fan” for some reason. Again, I had nothing even resembling a clue, and this seemed to make some kind of sense. Seriously, in relation to everything else, I was just like, “Well…I guess it seems plausible within this context that she would all of a sudden be buying an electric fan and that it would be a necessary detail for the story.” It was a necessary enough detail to mention that she was by an electric fan, right? I thought maybe her sister worked in a general store or something and that’s why she was talking to her sister. Speaking of the sister, I don’t think Josie needs to be giving her sister any advice on love or marriage or pretty much anything. Maybe Josie shouldn’t pretend like her situation didn’t have a few problems that might not exist in every relationship, hmm? Like maybe her man wasn’t a-gamblin’ before he married her, but she made him so unhappy with her violent, drunken ways that he just couldn’t stand being around her? Yeah, that sounds about right to me.

I've only been able to find one picture of the guy who does this song, and he kind of reminds me of a goat:

And now, gents and ladies, is the time you to listen to all of this yourself. Which you really should do, because otherwise I'll have to, you know, shoot you.

Josie.mp3

The Rapture - The Sound

I've been listening to the song 'The Sound' by The Rapture on repeat all week long. I know it's not exactly a new song, but hey, I had yet to establish this blog when Pieces Of The People We Love was released back in 2006.

The first time I had ever heard The Rapture was in either 2002 or 2003. 'Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks' was my first introduction, and I thought it was a fantastic track and a decent EP. It was raw, angular, noisy and energetic. When The Rapture's first full length album, Echoes was released in 2003 I was surprised to hear that the raw, somewhat amateur sound featured on their EP had all but disappeared and been replaced with a layer of shiny and polished studio production. Still, It managed to become one of my favorite albums to be released in 2003. If I remember anything about that year in music, it was that bands such as The Rapture received both critical acclaim but also a lot of flack from music listeners. There were a lot of bands accused of ripping off post-punk and dance-punk bands from the late 1970s. The most blatant and obvious influence on all of these new bands was Gang of Four. I've been a big fan of Gang of Four myself for years, but it didn't make me hate The Rapture. In all likelihood it may have been the likeness in sound that initially drew me to The Rapture rather than repel me from their music. In 2003, everyone knew of The Rapture, yet I didn't know anyone besides myself and my sister who liked them or had given them a chance. I'm confident The Rapture has a boatload or two of devoted fans, but I also feel they are an underrated band that is easily overlooked.

2006 saw the release of The Rapture's second full length album, Pieces of the People We Love. This is probably the most cohesive sounding and accessible release from the band, yet it manages to not sound over-produced. If anything, the album proves that these guys are immensely talented and have a great deal of staying power. Pieces of the People We Love is an amalgam of post-punk, dance-rock, disco, electronic music, and an infinite amount of other styles. I've also heard from others that it sounds like hippie music. No matter what you think the album sounds like, I think it's safe to say that The Rapture have really come into their own and have progressed their sound quite a lot over the past few years. Basically, Pieces of the People We Love affirms that these guys aren't just another Gang of Four rip-off band.

My immediate favorite off of the album was 'Whoo! Alright-Yeah...Uh Huh' aka 'W.A.Y.U.H.', which features the best and most complex cowbell utilization I've ever heard in a song. 'Don Gon Do It' amuses me because the chorus sounds like a combination of Montell Jordan's 'This Is How We Do It' and The Backstreet Boys' 'We've Got It Goin On'. I'm still trying to figure out if either of those were intentional or not. Anyway, the whole album is impressive. One song, 'Get Myself Into It' even features an excessive amount of saxophone and I still like it. Earlier this week I was listening to music and 'The Sound' came on at random and I was blown away. It's not a track that had stood out to me before. Now I can't stop listening to it. I think it's the combination of cowbell, amazing drumming, loud guitars, synthesizer, the vocals... okay, well, pretty much every single element of the song sounds great.

Here is a live performance of The Rapture performing 'The Sound' in 2006. It's sort of remarkable how great they sound live here:

Too esoteric for a Saturday night...

MP3: The Rapture - The Sound (zshare)
MP3: The Rapture - Don Gon Do It (zshare)

Purchase music by The Rapture here:

If you failed to give The Rapture a fair chance before, I suggest that you do so now. Hop to it.

AH CMON FUCK A GUY.

Last night, a friend of mine bestowed upon me the gift of Chuggo's video for 'Come On Fuckin Guy', or as it's more widely known, 'AAAAAHHH CMON FUCK A GUY'. This friend of mine advised that I designate a special post for Chuggo here on Ginger Cookie Disco. I thought to myself, 'No way. Sure, we have a sense of humor on this blog, but we write about things that have artistic merit. Even when Josie contributes an in depth analysis of The Doobie Brothers it's not just laughs. Obviously The Doobie Brothers are not only hilarious, but also amazingly talented (particularly in the Michael McDonald years). But Chuggo? No way could I ever write a post about Chuggo'. Here's why: At first I thought the video wasn't that great or funny and that it was just a guy making a ramshackle hip hop parody. Then two things happened. 1. I realized that Chuggo wasn't joking. He's a real rapper from Toronto. 2. I woke up and watched the video six times in a row. By dinnertime the song was so embedded in my brain that I was worried I might yell out 'AAAAAHH CMON FUCK A GUY' in the presence of my family whilst chewing my food.

By this point you may be asking yourself, who exactly is this Chuggo guy anyway? Hip Hop Canada tells us the following about the rapper:

"Chuggo grew up in Toronto on Lakeshore & Islington between a KFC and a Strip club. For the first 7 years of his life his head grew bigger due to a lot of T.V. Dinners. He discovered music at age of nine in the form of X-Clan, N.W.A., Tim Dog, Kool G. Rap and Def Leppard. Even though he didn't learn to snap his fingers till he was twelve nothing could stop him from enjoying the latest from Public Enemy. Chuggo is not an emcee he is a rapper. In late 2002 Chuggo began to work in the studio and released his first solo 12-inch vinyl in 2003. Chuggo is a member of The Lakeshore Stranglas "the most dangerous rap group this side of the border" alongside 2Gats, White Fang, Black Male, Koshur and Ritz Nabisko."

Okay, there is a guy in his group called 'Ritz Nabisko'. Does life get any more amazing than that? Ritz Nabisko, people. As for the aforementioned video, there isn't much I can say about it. You sort of just need to witness it for yourself.

Almost as hilarious as the video and song itself, are the comments people have left underneath it on YouTube. If you scroll through, you will see an endless sea of every single person saying 'AH CMON FUCK A GUY'. As Natasha (one of Ginger Cookie Discos's contributors) so astutely observed; anyone who corrected the lyric and left a comment saying 'CMON FUCKIN GUY' has been given a bunch of thumbs down ratings. Actually, pretty much any comment that fails to contain lyrics from the song has been given thumbs down ratings. Not only is Chuggo hilarious, but so too are his fervent fanatics. All I really have to say in regards to this whole Chuggo phenomenon is that my favorite line in the song is "I put mayonnaise on everything, that's how I eat'. Good stuff, although I'm personally not a big fan of actual mayonnaise.

So that you do not miss out on the full Chuggo experience, do not forget to visit Chuggo's myspace as well as his wikipedia page. You may learn some interesting facts. AH CMON FUCK A GUY.

Hot Chip - Bubbles They Bounce

There is no doubt that It's been a big month for UK electro pop darlings Hot Chip. Here in North America, February 5th saw the release of their third album, Made In The Dark. Whether you're a devoted fan or a recent convert, February has proven to be an exciting time for all Hot Chip fans alike.

Just prior to the album release, Hot Chip released several versions of the 'Ready For The Floor' single. Version #1 of the 7" single features a radio edit of 'Ready For The Floor' on the A Side, and a quirky bouncy dance track on Side B, appropriately titled 'Bubbles They Bounce'. The latter track is a true gem. If you're a big time Hot Chip fan like myself, I'm sure you've heard Alexis and Joe's side project BOOJI BOY HIGH. Alexis and Joe (the two brains behind Hot Chip) disguised themselves behind the pseudonyms Georgios Panayiotou and Mother Markzbow for the project. Are these guys nerds? Quite possibly, considering the blatant homages to Devo. BOOJI BOY HIGH released a 7" last year on DFA Records which included the tracks 'DOUBLESHAW' and 'Twist Myself Again'. I've just now realized that 'Bubbles They Bounce' reminds me of a cross between Hot Chip and BOOJI BOY HIGH. Can you imagine that? It's a real stretch, I know. It's almost as if 'Bubbles They Bounce' takes the bouncy 1990s rave influenced synthesizers (as can be heard in DOUBLESHAW) and cleans them up with the polished and professional Hot Chip touch that we have come to know and love .

I might love 'Bubbles They Bounce' more than any of the songs on the new Hot Chip album. I wonder why they didn't include it on Made In The Dark. Perhaps because the vocals are a bit more strange sounding than usual. The combination of odd (at times, manipulated) high and low pitched vocals reminds me of either muppets or several different breeds of mice, or maybe... muppet mice. Alright, I've got it. If a band of muppet rodents posed as Hot Chip and recorded a song, 'Bubbles They Bounce' would be the end result. I mean that in the best way possible, of course. My ears are ringing with a joyful sound.

Make sure to stay tuned for the last minute of 'Bubbles They Bounce', which is almost a separate song unto itself. Hot Chip have given us the glorious gift of two amazing songs in one. I guarantee that both will be stuck in your head for weeks. Aaaaayoooo.

MP3: Hot Chip - Bubbles They Bounce (zshare)

MP3: BOOJI BOY HIGH - DOUBLESHAW (zshare)

Purchase music by Hot Chip here:

Dedicated to a Brother

You know what this blog needs? Some in-depth discussion of the Doobie Brothers and the deep-yet-mind-boggling lyrics of Mr. Michael McDonald. Not being able to understand Michael McDonald's songs - or simply Michael McDonald - is an inevitability I've just learned to accept, but one thing about him can't be denied: The man knows how to write catchy songs that will never leave your head. He channels his black magic powers through pleasant synthesizer backbeats that have you singing along to lyrics that sound like he's talking about something important, but when you actually think about them ultimately make no sense. 

Before he became a Doobie Brother, Michael McDonald was a keyboardist/background vocalist in Steely Dan, which is entirely appropriate because Steely Dan is just like the Doobie Brothers, only they're more the Doobie Brothers if they went to college. And as a slightly bitter aside, Steely Dan is also responsible for totally bastardizing my name with such stunning lyrics as: "We're gonna break out the hats and hooters/when Josie comes home" and "Strike at the stroke of midnight/dance on the bones till the girls say when/Pick up what's left by daylight/when Josie comes home". Anyway...in 1975, one of the Doobie Brothers started bleeding internally and was dying or something so he had to leave the band, and when they invited Michael McDonald to come in to fill his spot, he took over the whole sound of the band and made such an impact that, in the wikipedia entry for the Doobie Brothers, the time period after he became a member is referred to as "the Michael McDonald years".

Michael McDonald didn't really change the Doobie Brothers' sound all that much. Actually, he more just focused the band on doing more of what they were already good at: Excelling in ambiguity. Seriously, the Doobie Brothers are the most non-committal band ever. Have you ever noticed that the Doobie Brothers music can be playing in virtually any environment and somehow still be acceptable? It might not be what everyone wants to hear, but I can't imagine anyone ever having a strong reaction to expend the energy to stop it from playing. Their music doesn't demand very much from you at all. It isn't too much of anything. The tempo of their songs always lingers in some kind of musical limbo between easy listenin' and hard rockin', and the lyrics are all slightly interesting but ultimately mundane. It's like they're always right about to take a stand on something, but they hold back to avoid the risk of alienating anyone in their audience. It's true, check this out from their official website where even they don't know how to describe themselves:

Doobies defined

The “dictionary definitions” below represent some of the ways we’ve heard people try to describe our music, and show some pretty good reasons why someone once said simply - “listen to the music.” It’s hard for us as the Doobie Brothers to define our music, and as a matter of fact one of the things that has kept the band going through the years is an approach that isn’t self-limited stylistically.

Doobie Brothers n. [’Hind. dub; Sans. durva, a kind of pasture grass; L. frater; G. bruder, Sans. bhratar; AS. brothor, male sibling’]

• Music group known for blues based songs with a rock edge, often with lush vocal harmonies (see also rock ‘n’ soul).
  
• Assemblage of musicians specializing in country based rock featuring instrumentation such as violin and finger-picked acoustic guitar combined with electrical instruments and drums.
  
• Musical entity recognized for incorporating sophisticated jazz stylings into “popular hit” songs.
  
• “Rock” band, origins circa 1970, with reputation for exciting live performances and skillful musicianship.
  

Poor Doobie Brothers. There are tons of examples from their songs I could give as evidence to support this theory, but I'll keep it down to my two favorite examples:

"Listen To The Music". This is the song that introduced the world to the Doobie Brothers, and it's pretty much the quintessential Doobie Brothers song in all its neutral, affable glory. This is the song Goldilocks was listening to while she was eating baby bear's porridge. There is not one single occurrence of a definitive statement in this entire song, not even about what kind of music we're going to be listening to. One thing you can be sure of, though: Whatever kind of music it is, you know it's going to be just alright with us.

"Takin' It To The Streets". This is the best example I can think of for this whole thing I've been talking about, not just because it fits all of the criteria for your typical Doobie Brothers song, but it also ushered in the "Michael McDonald years", being the first song he contributed as a Doobie Brother. This is one of those songs that feels like it's saying something really deep and important and introspective, but closer examination of the lyrics shows that it, in fact, isn't.

You don't know me but I'm your brother

I was raised here in this living hell

You don't know my kind in your world

Fairly soon the time will tell

The most I can gather from this is that it sounds like whoever he's talking to is being threatened, but I don't know what the threat is. Maybe if there were one or two qualifying nouns, like what "kind" he was, or where the "here" was that he was raised in. "Fairly soon the time will tell" - man, I sure hope so.

You, telling me the things you're gonna do for me

He's going to say something important now, I just know it.

I ain't blind and I don't like what I think I see.   

WHAT

He doesn't like what he thinks he sees? So he's either not sure that what he sees is really there, or he's not sure whether he even sees anything at all, but whatever it is he doesn't like it and now we're the ones who are supposed to be "takin' it to the streets" based on his half-assed assessment of the situation. Wait a second, though: Takin' what to the streets? Exactly, he's not sayin'. Just "it". Whatever you think is important enough to be takin' to the streets. He's not even going far enough to say what you do once you get to the streets, that's for you to figure out. Doobie Brothers aren't going to overstep their bounds to tell you what to take to the streets or what to do with it in the streets, what if you disagree with what they say, or what if you don't feel like doing anything at all? You might get mad at the Doobie Brothers for trying to solicit some kind of specific action from you, and you might not want to listen to the music anymore, which is already something they have clearly expressed they would really like for us to do all the time.

I think the best way to end now is to showcase some pieces of original Michael McDonald art I found on his official website. It's really something. I'm not sure what exactly, but it certainly is, um, right here, you can't argue with that:

Nice. Hey, Michael: Don't quit your day job, buddy.

Sickness, Valentine's Day & Xanadu all bundled up.

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I have been very sick this past week. I haven't been this sick in years, or possibly ever. There was even a point two days ago where I was in so much agony from coughing that I had to cry for a minute. It's kind of funny, but on the other hand, this illness has been pretty brutal. I'm slowly getting better day by day, thanks to having spent four days laying in bed watching copious amounts of HGTV. Apparently, watching people get their living rooms redecorated is quite soothing.

Today is Valentine's Day. It's the perfect day to watch the classic 1980 film Xanadu. There is no better movie to watch on Valentine's Day, and there is no better movie to watch when you are sick. Roller skating, dancing, moderately bad acting, music by ELO, Michael Beck roller skating into/through a brick wall wearing extremely short shorts... I mean, what more could you ask for? It's not only magical, it's pure perfection. Unfortunately, most people I know do not share this opinion. Their loss, I say. If you know what's good for you, you'll go watch Xanadu right now, or at least listen to these fun (and beautifully sappy) classic songs from the film. Happy Valentine's Day all!

MP3: Electric Light Orchestra - The Fall

MP3: ELO & Olivia Newton-John - Xanadu

Juno: So Quirky, You'll Puke.

I finally saw Juno last week. I actually liked it far more than I expected. To be quite honest, I thought I would hate it, because I am extremely fed up with the recent influx of pregnancy comedies in Hollywood. I never saw Knocked Up or that other movie about the two guys who are trying to "make a baby for daddy", and quite frankly I'd really rather not. I made an exception for Juno, however, since everyone in the universe was praising it to high heavens, and I'm sort of glad I did because it really was pretty cute. The story is pretty cute, the acting is superb, and Michael Cera in short-shorts is generally a good thing. (I don't care how young he is. He's hot. Shut up.)

I did have one problem with Juno, however: THE DIALOGUE.
OH MY GOD. The dialogue is "campy" at best, and nauseating at worst. It's seriously got the worst and most contrived writing I have ever seen in a movie. It runs rampant with pop culture references, namedropping, and awful, corny humor. Here is an example of what I mean:

Juno: (yelling through the house) Uh, dad?
Mac MacGuff: Yeah?
Juno: Either I just wet my pants... or...
Mac MacGuff: "Or"...?
Juno: Or... THUNDERCATS ARE GO!

THUNDERCATS ARE GO? Come on. What the fuck is that? On what planet is that even remotely funny? Perhaps one-liners like that are to be expected in a film written by an ex-stripper. There is also a scene in which Juno is asking the pharmacist if her pregnancy test could be a false positive, to which he replies, "This ain't no etch-a-sketch. This is one doodle that can't be undid, homeskillet." The worst of all, however, was the gothy receptionist chick at the abortion clinic who asked Juno if she wanted some "boysenberry" condoms, commenting that it made her "boyfriend's junk smell like pie".

Anyway, regardless of the fact that I find the dialogue annoying and tasteless, I still think that this movie is worth seeing for the excellent cast, the awesome soundtrack (Kimya Dawson, Belle & Sebastian, et cetera), and Michael Cera in short-shorts. Go see it.

Michael Showalter's Sandwiches & Cats

I've finally gotten around to giving Michael Showlter's debut comedy album Sandwiches & Cats a listen. I absolutely love Michael Showalter, but I'm typically not a fan of most stand-up comedy and I never find myself sitting around listening to comedy albums on repeat all the live long day. Surprisingly, I rather enjoyed Sandwiches & Cats upon a first listen and have already managed to make it through the entire album a few times thus far. I'm embarrassed to admit that several times I found myself sitting there with my headphones on, chuckling out loud with no one else present in the room. I suppose that's a testament to just how powerful and moving Sandwiches & Cats truly is.

One highlight of the comedy album includes Michael Showalter's dismay at being mistaken for Screech. "He thought that I was one of the most iconic losers ever of all time. Do you know how badly that hurts?" On another track, Showalter goes through a list of some pretty unbelievable alternate names for the so-called restless leg syndrome, including 'jiggly legs', 'the kicks' and 'sewing machine foot'. Michael Showalter's joke about his love for DVR is interrupted by a mewing sound coming from the front row. He then spends several minutes marveling at the audacity of the woman sitting in the front row who brought her two cats to his comedy show. An actual video of that spectacle can be seen here.

Michael Showalter's Sandwiches & Cats is mixed bag of observational humor, slight self-deprecation and a few separately recorded comedy sketch songs. Amazingly enough, the songs aren't bad. For example, It's quite enjoyable to hear Showalter's song abut the ten commandments of sandwich making, where he yells excitedly (as only Showalter can) about how mustard goes with everything.

My absolute favorite track on the album is 'The Apartment', where Showalter talks about the honor of being editor in chief of his high school literary magazine and then proceeds to read through a dramatic poem that his teenage self had written. The way Michael Showalter reads the poem is so amazing, you just have to hear it for yourself. All in all, Michael Showalter's brand of comedy is both hilarious and comforting. He makes me quite glad to be alive and a part of this world, a world where Starbucks sells thermoses and copies of Akeelah and the Bee. I highly recommend giving Michael Showalter's Sandwiches & Cats a listen.

MP3: Michael Showalter - The Apartment (zshare)

MP3: Michael Showalter - Sandwich Commandments (zshare)

Purchase Sandwiches & Cats here:

Kyle XY? Because You Need To Be Watching This Show, That's Why

I've been a member of the Ginger Cookie Disco Nation for only a day, but I don't think it's ever too soon for one to start exerting their pop-cultural influence by immediately telling people what they need to be watching and listening to. This also marks the first post to depart from music to television, and I will do my best to make this transition of topics as smooth and painless as I possibly can.

Okay, I'm not going to waste any time here and just get straight to the point: Everyone should be watching Kyle XY. Everyone. The only people who may possibly be excepted here are the blind, deaf, and/or retarded, and even then those are generous exceptions. So that means if you aren't blind, deaf, and/or retarded and you aren't currently in love with this show, there is one of the following things wrong:

1. You aren't aware of its existence.

Yo, check it, unaware person: There is an amazing, brilliant, truly original series overflowing with awesome on Mondays at 8/7 central on ABC Family called Kyle XY. I realize that you were somehow not aware of this fact, but you no longer have that problem. You now have a new problem, which is that you haven't watched it yet. Let's fix that.

2. You're aware of its existence but just haven't watched it yet.

Hey, whatcha doing? Have you been waiting for me to tell you that you need to be watching it? Because if you were, I'm telling you now that you need to be watching it, so let's get on that. It's currently in its second season, but it isn't necessary to have seen the first season to understand the second season. It helps if you have, but don't let that stand in the way of giving it a go. The premiere of the second half of season two resumes tomorrow night at 8/7 central, preceded by an all-day marathon starting at 11am. You won't regret it. Unless, of course, you watch it and don't like it for some ungodly reason, in which case you might want to get checked out. There's a chance you may not actually be a human being.

3. You're aware of its existence, you watched it, and you didn't like it.

I can't help you. Whatever is going on to make you dislike Kyle XY was present long before you ever watched Kyle XY, and that's something you'll just have to work on.

Here's a really awesome video someone put on OurTube showcasing in a nutshell what happened during season one:

Okay, well, the bottom line here is that even if you don't want to watch it or don't like it, everyone still needs to watch it. At the very least, Kyle's intense adorability never fails, so you can always watch for that. There is really no possible way for you to lose with this show. Trust me.

David Shrigley's Worried Noodles

They're noodles, and they're worried. How the hell can noodles be worried, you ask? I have no idea. What ARE these worried noodles, you ask? I shall tell you. There's this Scottish artist named David Shrigley. In 2005, he published an LP-sized book called Worried Noodles, a wacky collection of song lyrics and pictures. This year, he has re-released this book accompanied by a two-disc compilation of 39 artists who have set his words to music. Among these artists are Deerhoof, Franz Ferdinand, Islands, Hot Chip, Final Fantasy, and David Byrne.

The songs on the compilation range from disturbing to hilarious, and are sometimes both. Take, for example, Manager and Coordinator of Prostitutes, recorded by Les Georges Leningrad:

Give me a chance, mate.
Allow me to demonstrate
That I can do things well.
Better than the last bloke
Who stole from you
And called the police on you.
I will not let you down.
I can do things well but
I'm only ten years old
And I'm in a wheelchair.

Need I say more? I think not. However, the lyrics are way more exciting than the actual song, so I will not be posting the mp3 for it. Instead, I would like to draw everybody's attention to No, which is featured twice, with one version by Franz Ferdinand and one by Hot Chip. Franz Ferdinand's version is a guitar-driven dance-rock hoedown, and Hot Chip's version is soothing and reminiscent of their early work. I'm going to post the Hot Chip version, because I highly prefer it to the former.

MP3: Hot Chip- No

Let's Get Serious For Reals, You Guys

Hi!!

I am Josie, and I am going to be periodically contributing random things here from here on out. Hmm. You know, I've always said that "from here on out" phrase out loud, but I've never actually written it down before now. It looks weird. Anyway, I've not prepared an actual post with substance yet, but I wanted to do a semi-introductory thing so that there wouldn't be any more confusion than necessary. In the mean time while you're all waiting for me to conjure up this actual post with substance, to give you an idea of what kind of atmosphere I'm going to be bringing into the Ginger Cookie Disco, I come bearing the gift of Jermaine Jackson.

Let's Get Serious

I found this song a couple of years ago and I always try to get it into as many people's lives as possible, because it really is a gift to the world that needs to be experienced. I've listened to it many, many, many times - okay, probably too many times to be admitting to other people - and I can't figure out if it's the best or the worst song ever, but what I do know is that it has seriously grooved its way into my soul. There is really only one thing to be said about it, and it's from the song itself:

"S-E-R-I-O-U-S/ Baby, let's get serious/ Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah YEEEAAAHHH-owwww!!!"

Oh em gee. I can't even think anymore after writing that so I'll have to go for now, but I'll leave you with one final thought to ponder as you listen to this masterpiece:

This song was written for Jermaine Jackson by ...wait for it... Stevie Wonder. I am super serious, baby.

Jens Lekman - Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo

It's no secret that I've been gushing over Jens Lekman for the past couple of years. The first song of his that I ever heard was 'Tram #7 To Heaven', which I'm confident should be everyone's first venture into the world of Jens Lekman. I felt as though I had been transported in time back to 1962 and was listening to a scratchy record on one of those old turntables, except Jens was asking me If I had eaten my banana from 7-Eleven.

October 2007 finally brought us new material from Jens Lekman; his second full length release Night Falls Over Kortedala. This album is no disappointment. I fell in love with it immediately. Everything I love about Jens Lekman is still there: the beautiful melodies, the obscure samples, the witty lyrics and the nostalgic feeling that is ever present in all of Jens Lekman's songs. Night Falls Over Kortedala offers a sound that is much larger and stronger in comparison to Lekmans' previous releases. Jens Lekman knows what he is doing. There is not much to say about Night Falls Over Kortedala other than that it is an absolutely wonderful and unique recording.

What I really want to talk about is the song on Night Falls Over Kortedala that I thought for sure was my least favorite. 'Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo'. It's a favorite among many long-time fans as well as recent converts. The 1950s horn, prevalent throughout the entire song is just a little bit much for me to handle. Every time I hear it I feel like I'm on the set of Grease or Happy Days (which isn't necessarily a pleasant feeling). Despite my original distaste for it, 'Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo' has begun to grow on me. While listening to it today, I started to notice lyrics in the song that I hadn't noticed previously. It suddenly struck me that this song is actually pretty great.

There's a cow and an ostrich just waiting for you!

A glass of apple cider just waiting for you!
The smell of 1952 just waiting for you!
And all I'm doing here is just waiting for you...

Sure, any Jens Lekman fan is aware that a great deal of his lyrics are humorous and 'quirky', but those lyrics just really hit the spot. It's probably the usage of 'ostrich' that did it for me. I can't really think of the last time I heard the word ostrich utilized in a song. Also, the visuals of a cow, an ostrich and apple cider waiting for me out in the country is just pretty profound and well... amazing.

There is another charming little verse earlier in the song where Jens Lekman attempts to squeeze in a million words per line about what people in a small southern Swedish country town are like.

Why do the people in the country wanna look like the people in the city?
When the people in the city aren't the slightest pretty
I want the people in the country to wear flannel shirts and saggy jeans all covered in dirt
I want the people in the country to be open and kind
but most times I've met those with a narrow mind
with a big black dog to bite your behind
if they ever find out you're not one of their kind

Maybe I can appreciate it because I've definitely seen some tiny tiny country towns in the United States that seem to be stuck in the 1950s (Vermont, I'm looking at you). In closing, 'Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo' is a much better song than I originally thought it was. I'm even beginning to appreciate those over the top horns that make me feel like I'm wearing a poodle skirt, cardigan sweater and saddle shoes at a high school dance.

MP3: Jens Lekman - Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo (zshare)

Purchase Night Falls Over Kortedala here:
(CD, MP3 and Vinyl formats available)