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Well, it’s official, Top Of The Pops is no more. For forty-two years it’s been the show to love or love to hate as a music lover. I only watched it sporadically, but I will miss the idea of it. I didn’t think I would, but now that it’s not coming back (not anytime soon anyway) I am sad to see it go. What is more Poptastic than good old TOTP?
Oh, whatever will pop bands work up to now? Getting your video on MTV was the thing when they still played music. Yes all you youngsters out there, the M stands for Music, not Make-me-richer-and-more-famous-than-God-with-my-mind-numbingly-stupid-reality-show. Erm, I’m sorry about the rant, unfortunately they get longer the older I get.
Anyway, three years ago they changed the format a bit due to plummeting ratings. When that didn’t help the BBC moved it to another channel and another day, which is always a ratings booster, until it hit such a low that there was no other choice than to get rid of the show entirely. But it seems nobody is really mourning the demise of this pop institution; I still haven’t seen any footage of angry mobs with banners saying “Damn the Man, save the Pops!”. That would have rocked … or popped. Har har.
I think the saddest thing was that in spite of the petitions Art Brut never got the chance to be on Top Of The Pops. Imagine what that would have been like! Instead of ending on a sad note with Jimmy Savile, excuse me, Sir Jimmy Savile turning off the light while shaking his head, why not end the way they started with him announcing an exciting band that’s dying to be on the show.
Art Brut - Top Of The Pops (live)
I was walking to the supermarket the other day, in the middle of this crazy heatwave, and I had the most perfect summer moment. I usually just walk down the sidewalk to the store, but this time I went through the little park here. Anyway, I was listening to Belle & Sebastian’s Dear Catastrophe Waitress and strolling along when, all of a sudden, I started paying attention to “If She Wants Me”. I’ve had that album for two years and I never really thought about it much, just listened to it here and there.
How did I never really notice this song before? As I was walking, everything felt pure and whole and calm. But like all great summery music (The Magic Numbers, The Shins, and Modest Mouse are some of my favorites), it’s not all blue skies and laughter. There’s also a little sadness, longing, and hope. It feels like a gorgeous day in the park with friends and beers, but also like memories that make you sad to think about. I’ve listened to this song at least once a day all week and it’s made feel like everything is going to be fine, put me on the verge of tears, and calmed me down when I was angry. It’s beautiful - a near perfect summer song.
Belle & Sebastian - If She Wants Me
Aw fudge, I was gonna write about Heartless Bastards but they’re really not new enough according to the New Band Day criteria. So to sneak them in anyway I just wanted to say that if they never play one note ever again, they should take pride in knowing they wrote songs like “New Resolution”. From the simple bass line, to the rolling drums, to the restrained voice of their beautiful and talented singer it all comes together like poetry. It’s the kind of song I want to listen to with my eyes closed … on my own, because that looks just a little bit retarded.
Poorboy Johnson And The Goddamn Rattlesnakes don’t exactly have the same effect, they’re more a lying-in-the-grass-chewin’-on-a-reed kind of band. They’re a New York based band that sings about ‘drinking moonshine in the early morn’, but I believe every word of it. Poor Boy Johnson has the kind of cool raspy voice that makes old ladies reach for the cough drops and The Goddamn Rattlesnakes sound like they ran away from a good ole southern hoedown. Here’s my favorite happy song about death. Download more from both The Goddamn Rattlesnakes‘ myspace page and Poorboy Johnson’s page.
If you like any of the current indie bands and are up for a giggle, you’re sure to like some of this crazy music I’ve found around the internet. Usually Poptastic Day is used for something ridiculous, so I hope these guys don’t take any offense. Um, if they were to see this post for some bizarre reason.
First up, we have Indie Blockedappella, a couple of guys who’ve recorded indie songs done acapella-stylee. Which sounds like a laugh, and is, but is also kind of incredible. They do all the instruments, all the back-up vocals, everything. Plus, notice how the singer guy can make himself sound like just about any singer out there. He doesn’t just mimic them, he has an weird ability to pick up on what makes each singer’s voice unique - from Jack White to Colin Meloy. Don’t get me wrong, some of this stuff made me laugh so hard I couldn’t breathe, but you have to admire the skill and effort they’ve put into it.
(You should know that the credit for bringing these guys to my attention goes to Stereogum, who posted about them last week. Thanks, Stereogum guys!)
Songs To Wear Pants To is similarly talented and hilarious, but completely different. This guy “makes music based on your instructions”, which is pretty much exactly as it sounds. You can request a song about whatever you want - a friend, yourself, the dinner you had last night, zombie aliens hiding under your bed, maybe even all of the above - and he’ll write and record it for you. If you pay him, he’ll make time to do it, but you can also make free requests and he’ll do whatever he has time for and catches his interest (you can find out more about paid vs. free requests on his site). He can do indie, pop, techno, rap - everything and anything. He also does his own non-comedy music, you can hear/download that on his site as well. Mr. Pants is ridiculously talented and hilarious and deserves to have a million dollars - go think of the silliest thing you can and then pay him to write a song about it.
My awesome brother actually surprised me once with a Song To Wear Pants To, which he paid for and everything, all about me! It’s called, of course, “100b”. My brother gave him the subject matter in detail, and asked for a three verse song to be part classic punk, part old-school hip-hop, and part White Stripes-esque. Most of it won’t be funny to any one who doesn’t know me really, really well, but it at least shows how incredible this guy is. I just listened to it twice in a row and couldn’t stop laughing - I could listen to him rap “100b records droppin’ dope-ass shit” all day long. Dude, it’s totally true.
Songs To Wear Pants To - 100b
When I first saw Grease I was about seven or eight, I loved it so much I had my hair in a high pony tail and I wore a big rock ‘n roll skirt for days. I still watch every time I happen to come across it on TV. Ok fine, sometimes I wait for it and sing along like a high school girl on cough medicine.
Filthy Little Angels has put out a Grease tribute for us to download for free! It’s a really smart way to introduce new bands. We all know these songs so well that their new versions demonstrate the band’s sound beautifully. I really like Captain Polaroid doing “Blue Moon” and White Man Kamikaze’s “Hound Dog”. It made me curious about the bands so that’s always exciting.
Though I’m not as crazy about some of them. I’m all for weird, but if you’re just trying to sound like you’re making music only little green men and the post-apocalyptic generations of the future will get, I usually have little patience, but I’m not one to look a gift walk down memory lane in the mouth. Does that make sense? Maybe not, but neither does Neil’s Children’s psychedelic but fascinating rendition of “Tears On My Pillow”.
Here’s my favorite cover by The DeBretts. For the whole thing go to the Filthy Little Angels’ download page.
Being someone who enjoys discovering brand new music as soon as I can find it, I should’ve been raving about Guillemots a long, long time ago. I must’ve given them a quick listen a while ago, because I remember thinking it wasn’t my thing. I also seem to remember some description of them that must’ve made it sound like their music was slow and dreamy, because that’s what I’ve always thought they sounded like. I wonder if I got them mixed up with some other band. Anyway, I’ve seen so much talk about them recently, surrounding the release of their debut album, that I thought I better give them another go.
It sounds stupid, but I love it when I’m wrong. It’s like finding a secret ten euro bill in your pocket. I had a listen to some of their music this week and I’m in love; all I can think about is getting a copy of the album. I’m totally ok with jumping on the bandwagon, I’m just glad that wagon didn’t leave without me altogether.
Guillemots seem to be doing pretty well for themselves: they’ve been on Top Of The Pops, their debut album has recieved fantastic reviews, and they’ve just been nominated for the Mercury Prize. If you’re like me and have been missing out, check out their official site and their myspace page.
Most babies are tiny cute creatures that you can’t help but make strange little noises at. Well, not this one, this baby just makes me want to make noises of horror. This little fellow raps about how hard life is as a baby and had a number one hit in most parts of the world back in 1992. I hardly speak French, so I don’t know what he’s complaining about, but unless he hates not being able to wipe his own nose, I’m not sure what else there is. Babies have it great, they lay around all day and people instantly like them just because they look the way they look. The only adult who has that same effect on people is Isaac from The Love Boat.
Little baby Jordy, who was actually four and half at the time, is the youngest person EVER to have a number one hit single and that is why, as horrifying as the act was, he is the perfect Poptastic candidate. Watch the disconcerting video here. I think the parents are even more disturbing than the kid. The first scene where they’re all half naked is supposed to be endearing, but it screams “call the authorities there’s something not kosher with that family”. Oh and the bed scene after that with the animal prints … there are no words, just ew. It doesn’t help that dad looks a bit pervy without even trying and mom walks around in a bright pink shower cap and see-through raincoat half the video. You know what, I take it back, this baby has plenty to complain about. Dang, this is like an instructional video on how to create your own little sociopath.
Tam and I went to see The Strokes on Tuesday night (when I get around to downloading my pictures, I’ll add one here). The screaming teenage girls kind of weirded me out - when did The Strokes turn into guys that girls scream for? Geez, it was like The Beatles in 1964. I’ve never screamed like that for anyone, ever. I was thinking that I’m just too old for that kind of thing, but then the band made its entrance and I forgot all about it. And the screaming girls seemed to be having a good time doing their thing, so who am I to judge?
The Strokes are a great live band - we’ve been to see them three times now and it will never get old. They sounded great, they looked fantastic, and the best part is that they seemed like they were having a great time. As dorky as it sounds, it’s nice to see people enjoy doing what they do, especially when we enjoy what they do so much.
The only thing is that they didn’t play “When It Started” for me. Three times we’ve seen them and three times they haven’t played it and it’s my very favorite Strokes song. If there are any American readers, this week’s mp3 will be boring and I apologize. For those of us with the European release of Is This It, “When It Started” is just a b-side. Which could be why they haven’t played it for me. Anyway, until they do, I’ll have to just keep listening to it and dancing around my bedroom and reminding myself that I’ll never be too old for that.
The Strokes - When It Started
This band really doesn’t need anymore people talking about them. I’m sure they’re going to make it just fine. They have all the right BBC radio djs raving about them. In fact, I was gonna write about them before but then I saw them on Later with Jools Holland and thought well let’s give the spot to another band who hasn’t had as much exposure yet. But-but-but I enjoy their songs a lot. So screw it, I’m not above jumping on the bandwagon. They’re fast, fierce, extremely poppy and enthusiastic and they’ll wrap you right around their drum stick. They are the kind of band that attracts a large amount of trendies, posers and hipsters, who’ll claim they “were there first”. That’s ok, they’ll just join the growing group of Fratellis fans until they get so big that it’s time to be bored with them again.
Hmm, I wonder if they’re named after the bad guys in the Goonies … For more songs go to the usual places.
I have a real soft spot for 80s Hair Rock, I just can’t help it. It’s great for singing at the top of your lungs and provides you with that rare opportunity to be totally serious and completely ridiculous at the exact same time. “Here I Go Again” is one of the best of the best. So here’s what you do: It’s summer, so you surely have a fan in your room. Point it directly at your face, making sure that it reaches your hair. Put it on a low setting first, and sing along (just make up the words if you don’t know them - it’s not like it matters) and then when you get to that point at about 1:14 into the song, when the chorus is just about to come in, quickly turn the fan onto its highest setting. Sing that chorus loud, sing it proud. Ah, good times.
Whitesnake - Here I Go Again
I have a story with a sad ending for you this week, so get the tissues people. Last night, when I couldn’t fall asleep I decided to check out one of my many old videos with random stuff taped on them. I have no idea what is on them because I never label them. So I popped one in and hoped it was something sleep inducing. It turned out I had taped an episode of the BBC show about classic albums, it was the one about Nirvana’s Nevermind. I had already seen it, but I didn’t mind watching it again.
I was happy to discover that I taped one of my favorite action/horror/comedy/thriller movies From Dusk Till Dawn right after that. I love every single actor in that movie, but I always wait for the scenes with Fred Williamson and Tom Savini with his awesome crotch gun. I was so excited, because I was hoping for something fun. I got all into it and as always I enjoyed the songs by the Tittytwister’s creepy house band Tito & Tarantula. Then we got to the part where Juliette Lewis has to shoot her brother because he was being eaten by a pack of vampires and … my video ran out of tape. That was the most disappointing thing since my mom forgot she promised to get me a pillow shaped as a dog when I was nine.
Tito & Tarantula - Cucarachas Enojadas
I actually spent the whole day thinking that I would be writing about someone completely different, only to realize at the last minute that they don’t qualify for New Band Day under the rules that I set us a while back. Nevermind though, because Give Half To The Monkey is way more interesting. Three Scottish guys who play weird piano-driven tunes that are totally funky and danceable, what’s not to love? These guys caught my attention within seconds and I stopped everything to listen closely, a reaction I’ve been missing for a while. I’m pretty damn excited about this actually - I feel like I should gush some more, but I’ll just advise you to go listen for yourself at their myspace page.
Plus, I reckon Give Half To The Monkey is good advice in pretty much any situation, don’t you?
Seeing as it’s Poptastic Day, even if it’s not my turn this week, it seems like a good time to mention the current campaign to get Art Brut some air time on Top Of The Pops before it’s too late. It’s a shame that TOTP couldn’t be saved, it’s an institution. I reckon some renovation could’ve done wonders, but it doesn’t matter now. The only thing that we (the people) can do is get Art Brut on there before it’s gone forever. C’mon, who else could do the final show justice?! A petition has been created and Art Brut needs you. They’ve got 4536 signatures right now - go sign it, quick!
I, as most, didn’t know a single thing about scatting until The Scatman taught us about it in 1995. He bipitty bopittied his way through two world wide top ten hit lists in the mid nineties. While the music charts were filled with ultra cool rappers and post grungey angry teens, this middle aged guy in a suit came along and climbed to the top of the list scatting about what it’s like to stutter.
John Larkin started out a serious jazz musician, but then his manager had the idea to mix his scatting with nineties pop and techno sounds and he became the novelty pop phenomenon known as Scatman John at the age of 53. His first single “Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)” was supposed to inspire kids who stutter, instead the whole world wanted to stutter along with him. Ok, so this song may not make your best of the nineties list, but don’t even try to pretend like you didn’t try to scat along back then.
Scatman John - Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)
