Category: Songs (Page 37 of 96)

DMed’s Video of the Week: Moby, “Alice”

January 11, 2008 / David Medsker

There should be a warning label with this video, something along the lines of the “Happy Fun Ball” skit on “Saturday Night Live.”

– Those who are pregnant or may become pregnant should not watch “Alice”
– Those who suffer from vertigo should not watch “Alice”
– Do not consume excessive amounts of alcohol before watching “Alice”
– Do not taunt “Alice”

Simply put, this is not an easy video to digest. On the plus side, Mr. Melville seems to have gotten back in touch with his former self to create a dizzying hip-hop track that is equal parts Play and Everything is Wrong. Here’s hoping that the rest of the record lives up to that potential.

Electronica, External Music, Pop, Seen Your Video, Songs, Videos

Video Vault – The New Pornographers, “Your Daddy Don’t Know”

January 9, 2008 / Will Harris

I’ve been going through this really weird musical phase lately, where I’m positively lapping up awesomely cheesy AOR from the ’70s and ’80s. After posing a question to the Audities list – the home of insanely great pop – about some of the best bands in the genre and being pitched recommendations for bands like Shooting Star, Tycoon, and others, it was brought to my attention that the New Pornographers did a cover of a song called “Your Daddy Don’t Know,” by the Canadian AOR band known as Toronto. (Geez, would you have guessed they were Canadian if I hadn’t told you?) I don’t know if the rest of Toronto’s oeuvre is as good as this song, but as long as it’s as least as good as the outfits the Pornographers are sporting here, I sense a best-of purchase is in my future…

Oh, and before you ask, no, I don’t know where you can actually purchase this cover, but I can tell you that it’s on the soundtrack to a Canadian movie called “FUBAR.” The soundtrack itself isn’t on Amazon, but given that it also features Sloan doing Rush’s “In the Mood,” Treble Charger doing April Wine’s “Roller,” and Chixdiggit taking on “The Kid Is Hot Tonight,” I’m half-tempted to click on the below photo and order a copy of the DVD. I mean, if that’s the only way I can hear the tunes, then so be it, y’know…?

Alternative, Artists, External Music, Pop, Rock, Songs, Videos

Ruby Tuesday: The Lilac Time, “A Dream That We All Share”

January 8, 2008 / David Medsker

That boiiiing sound you just heard was BE Associate Editor Will Harris. He introduced me to this song, you see, and in the process introduced me to one of my favorite albums of all time, so he is surely enjoying this post.

Truth be told, I’m generally not a pastoral pop kind of guy. Yes, there are Kinks and XTC records that I will defend to the death, and I even have a healthy amount of Belle & Sebastian in my CD collection – something I am loath to admit after being shamed by my former coworker Katie a few years ago – but if you’re going to be precious, you damn well better make it catchy, and hooks are the one thing on which the Lilac Time does not skimp. For me, the key is the backing harmony of Claire Worrell; without her, lead singer Stephen Duffy’s clever lyrics and the pedal steel guitar land on deaf ears.

Interesting fact: Duffy agreed to co-write songs with Barenaked Ladies singer Steven Page after Page sent him a demo tape. Whether Duffy has made more money from his association with Page than he has on his own, however, is unknown.

The Lilac Time – A Dream That We All Share.mp3

Alternative, External Music, Pop, Ruby Tuesday, Songs

Less Talk, More Music: Prefab Sprout on “Wogan”

January 8, 2008 / Will Harris

I came into the Prefab Sprout camp pretty late in the game, knowing precious little about them until they released their greatest-hits disc, A Life of Surprises, in 1992. Why did I finally take the plunge and pick up that collection? Because of my friends Brian Becknell and Jessie Oulahan, who drove up from Chesapeake, VA, to see me graduate from Averett College, and informed me that Prefab Sprout was the soundtrack to their entire drive. Both those kids have damned fine taste in music, and when they told me that, I knew I needed to give the band a chance. So I picked up the best-of, then began working my way backwards, starting with the group’s most recent album (at the time), Jordan: The Comeback, which opens with this song.

Now, Prefab Sprout’s one of my favorite bands and, if you saw my list of my favorite music of 2007, you know that the recent reissue of their Steve McQueen album was one of the best CDs I heard last year. (Even if you already own it, trust me when I tell you that the new disc of acoustic re-recordings is worth the price of admission.)

Paddy MacAloon, you rule. Now, c’mon, give us another album, eh…?

Alternative, Artists, External Music, Less Talk, More Music, Pop, Rock, Songs, Videos