Who says I can't be timely when it comes to my Wicked Guilty Pleasures posts? Twenty-seven years ago today a cool little John Hughes flick called Pretty in Pink was released and the world was introduced to Andie, Blaine and of course the always off-the-wall Duckie. The soundtrack was pretty rad too. It featured one of my favorite Suzanne Vega songs (Left of Center) as well as songs by Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths, INXS, New Order, Psychedelic Furs and of course this OMD hit.
27 February 2013
27 February 2013 - Sly Fox - Let's Go All The Way
Admit it. You forgot about this song, even though you loved it when it was new.
I admit it. I did. Until I heard a cover of it yesterday (that we will be featuring on Totally Covered tomorrow). I really loved this song when it was a hit in 1986, and, although it has a dated 80's sound, the energy of the tune still endures.
Now, the question is, is the song a protest against Reagan-era foreign policy or a plea to a girl to "go all the way"? We can say one thing for sure: zhum zhum zinny zinny.
I admit it. I did. Until I heard a cover of it yesterday (that we will be featuring on Totally Covered tomorrow). I really loved this song when it was a hit in 1986, and, although it has a dated 80's sound, the energy of the tune still endures.
Now, the question is, is the song a protest against Reagan-era foreign policy or a plea to a girl to "go all the way"? We can say one thing for sure: zhum zhum zinny zinny.
26 February 2013
26 February 2013 - Train featuring Ashley Monroe - Bruises
Where to begin? I am a huge Ashley Monroe fan. HUGE. I loved her first album Satisfied and of course I adore her girl group The Pistol Annies (with Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley). "Hippie Annie's" new album Like A Rose comes out next week and I'm fairly certain that it will be one of my favorite records of 2013.
. . . And then there's Train. Blech. Boring. I tried to give them a chance last summer when I saw them with my wife at a music festival in Virginia Beach. I mostly just drank crappy beer and impatiently waited for to them to end their set so we could rush 20+ blocks down the boardwalk to go catch Jamey Johnson.
And now to the present. I recently saw today's video on the CMT Countdown. Needless to say I was conflicted. I wanted to love it, because it was Ashley. I wanted to hate it because it was Train. It took me a few months to admit it, but I freakin' love this song. Enough to give Train another shot? We'll see.
. . . And then there's Train. Blech. Boring. I tried to give them a chance last summer when I saw them with my wife at a music festival in Virginia Beach. I mostly just drank crappy beer and impatiently waited for to them to end their set so we could rush 20+ blocks down the boardwalk to go catch Jamey Johnson.
And now to the present. I recently saw today's video on the CMT Countdown. Needless to say I was conflicted. I wanted to love it, because it was Ashley. I wanted to hate it because it was Train. It took me a few months to admit it, but I freakin' love this song. Enough to give Train another shot? We'll see.
25 February 2013
25 February 2013 - Yael Naim - New Soul
A simple song, or so it seems. Really, it's a densely layered song with horns, guitar, piano, and drums, with ten seconds of striking silence (at the 2:14 mark). Yael Naim had never had a big hit in the US, and she hasn't had one so big since. And, even though it's a dense and complex song, it's sung sweetly, earnestly, and simply by the artist.
The video, in which she moves into an apartment, only to push on the walls and find that her apartment is in the middle of a lake on a raft, is kind of fun and sweet, too.
A lot of people think that this ad made the song a big hit. Actually, the song had already peaked on the US pop charts - it peaked in the Top 10 and fell very very quickly - when this ad came out. The song had a 2nd life from this ad, racing back up the pop charts. MTV's heavy rotation, however, is what made this song a hit, not Apple.
Enjoy the ad anyway.
The video, in which she moves into an apartment, only to push on the walls and find that her apartment is in the middle of a lake on a raft, is kind of fun and sweet, too.
A lot of people think that this ad made the song a big hit. Actually, the song had already peaked on the US pop charts - it peaked in the Top 10 and fell very very quickly - when this ad came out. The song had a 2nd life from this ad, racing back up the pop charts. MTV's heavy rotation, however, is what made this song a hit, not Apple.
Enjoy the ad anyway.
22 February 2013
22 February 2013 - Feist - 1234
You all remember when you first saw this video. Sure. It was this commercial.
But, before it was an iPod Nano commercial, it was really a video. It wasn't just made for the commercial. And, because of the commercial above, Leslie Feist scored the biggest hit of her career, based mostly on the strength of downloads, and won a Juno award for Single of the Year. It deserved it, too - the sweet, jangly, yet melancholy folk-pop that brings bits of piano and banjo into the mix and builds to an exciting ending is truly compelling.
Plus, you can tell they had a lot of fun making this video.
Little known fact: the song was a cover. Originally written by Sally Seltmann for her New Buffalo project, it was shelved before release. When New Buffalo toured with Feist's band Broken Social Scene, Sally brought the song forward..... and here it is, performed live well before it was recorded for the above video. At this point, it was still called "Sally's Song". The arrangement is a little different - more horns, slightly different lyrics - but it's clearly the same song.
One thing that this Canadian indie singer-songwriter got that most Canadian indie singer-songwriters don't get (not even Carly Rae Jepsen) is a trip to Sesame Street. I mean, she did record a song about counting......
But, before it was an iPod Nano commercial, it was really a video. It wasn't just made for the commercial. And, because of the commercial above, Leslie Feist scored the biggest hit of her career, based mostly on the strength of downloads, and won a Juno award for Single of the Year. It deserved it, too - the sweet, jangly, yet melancholy folk-pop that brings bits of piano and banjo into the mix and builds to an exciting ending is truly compelling.
Plus, you can tell they had a lot of fun making this video.
Little known fact: the song was a cover. Originally written by Sally Seltmann for her New Buffalo project, it was shelved before release. When New Buffalo toured with Feist's band Broken Social Scene, Sally brought the song forward..... and here it is, performed live well before it was recorded for the above video. At this point, it was still called "Sally's Song". The arrangement is a little different - more horns, slightly different lyrics - but it's clearly the same song.
One thing that this Canadian indie singer-songwriter got that most Canadian indie singer-songwriters don't get (not even Carly Rae Jepsen) is a trip to Sesame Street. I mean, she did record a song about counting......
21 February 2013
21 February 2013 - Postal Service - We Will Become Silouettes
WOW! I just found out that I'm likely going to see The Postal Service this summer (add to that concert, a Belle and Sebastian/Yo La Tengo show that I'm getting tickets for tomorrow and it's gonna be 2003 all over again!). I played the hell out of Give Up when it came out 10 years ago and I still give it the occasional spin when the mood hits. Let's go back a decade and check out my favorite track (and video) from Give Up.
20 February 2013
20 February 2013 - Fiona Apple - Sleep to Dream & Criminal
In continuing with the "why haven't we already posted this" theme, I bring you Fiona Apple.
This song, an early single, set Ms. Apple up for greater airplay success to come, earning heavy rotation on MTV, when they still occasionally played videos. The tune is bassline-heavy, with a compelling piano/guitar arrangement - she is a pianist first. Combine that musical dark dream state with her husky voice and the fact that she looks a LOT younger than she actually is, and you've got a hit on your hands!
Really, in the US, Fiona Apple is a one hit wonder. And because I'm a populist and pander to the wants of the people, here is her biggest hit. In all seriousness, it is an excellent song that deserved every bit of airplay it received (and the Grammy she earned for the performance). It's a little lighter-hearted in sound, but equals "Sleep To Dream" in darkness of theme.
Update: I was reminded that we DID feature Fiona Apple on Totally Covered, with her Beatles cover. Another great song.
This song, an early single, set Ms. Apple up for greater airplay success to come, earning heavy rotation on MTV, when they still occasionally played videos. The tune is bassline-heavy, with a compelling piano/guitar arrangement - she is a pianist first. Combine that musical dark dream state with her husky voice and the fact that she looks a LOT younger than she actually is, and you've got a hit on your hands!
Really, in the US, Fiona Apple is a one hit wonder. And because I'm a populist and pander to the wants of the people, here is her biggest hit. In all seriousness, it is an excellent song that deserved every bit of airplay it received (and the Grammy she earned for the performance). It's a little lighter-hearted in sound, but equals "Sleep To Dream" in darkness of theme.
Update: I was reminded that we DID feature Fiona Apple on Totally Covered, with her Beatles cover. Another great song.
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