Bad Idea Blue Jeans

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #71: Irreplaceable by Beyonce

2009-11-28T02:20:00.000-05:00

Pop music is, of course, littered with abhorrent trends. But none irritate me more than the "art" of the vocal run, wherein a singer shows off his or her "talent" by attempting to hit somewhere between 3 and 87 notes within a single syllable. I don't understand how anyone can possibly enjoy listening to such horrors. Everyone knows that Christina Aguilera can sing. Does that mean we have to just sit back and take the abuse while she goes on her perpetual quest for the damn brown note?

The quest for vocal histrionics has become a bizarre American Idol-like litmus test. Who gives a rat's ass if you can sing. Can you sing in 4 different octaves and annoy the shit out of anyone within ear shot? Yes? Then welcome to the music biz kid!*** No? Then take your played-out act back to that karaoke hell from whence you came, MC Borophyll. And don't even think about ever singing the National Anthem before a World Series game.

This thesis doesn't simply apply to vocals. It fits for production and instrumentation as well, and as such I tend to be split right down the middle on the majority of Beyonce's catalog. That high-pitched Nintendo-esque sound effect that permeates most of "Single Ladies" annoys the shit out of me, but tracks like "Halo," "If I Were a Boy," and especially "Irreplaceable" thrive with their simplicity and restraint. It's oddly refreshing to hear an R&B track where the producers haven't made it their main focus to reinvent the wheel, and the singer actually keeps the melody in check. If Mariah Carey sang this song (and if people still recognized Mariah Carey songs) she would manage to mangle it in four different octaves.

In addition, I love the video appearance of the 12-woman band for a song that seems to feature a bare minimum of instruments. I can't even hear a bass in the audio track, yet there's women toting bongos and saxophones. Apparenty two live dummers = one click track. The more you know.

***NOTE: Even if you do manage to kill small rodents with high-pitched vocal runs, we still won't turn a blind eye to receiving simulated head on stage during the AMAs. Especially if you're just the Idol runner-up. Rules are rules.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #89: 156 by Mew

2009-11-27T13:00:00.000-05:00

No matter where you live, local news is terrible. When I was a college freshman, we were given a class project where different students each wrote a script and direction shot list for a different component of a mock local newscast. Our instructor informed us that recent studies had determined that the top reason most viewers gave for watching their local news was weather coverage, which is entirely expected. However, the #2 reason was initially a bit more puzzling: Lotto numbers. At first, I wondered if society simply contained more degenerate gamblers than I previously thought. But now, I think it's all about lowered expectations. Viewers know they can count on a weather report and the lotto numbers, but anything else is a crap shoot. Will the top story be a report from downtown on a string of lights from a war memorial, still being erroneously called a "tree?" Or will the local hard-hitting investigative reporter blow the roof off a scam involving faulting ceiling fans? Nobody knows, but they know it will be awful. And that it may involve "ball tapping."

Thank you WTHR for blowing the roof off a legitimately horrifying practice of guys punching either other in the balls. And to think I expected to make it through the Thanksgiving weekend without ever reading this sentence:

Years of enduring ball tapping had finally taken its toll. Undetected scar tissue had completely sealed off Jake's urinary tract, resulting in horrifying pain.

YEARS! Not for nothing Jake, but I make it person policy to put an end to any ball tapping after a maximum of one year. SINGULAR. Hell you could have called the news crew after a couple months and they would have done the story. They're looking for features to do. Right now, there's no doubt a crew wandering around Castleton mall, hoping for the Holy Grail of ball tapping intersecting with Black Friday. A Pulitzer can't be far behind.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #64: Impossible Germany by Wilco

2009-11-24T01:17:00.000-05:00

Last summer, I went to see the Nels Cline Singers play at Martyr's. I went in without ever hearing any of Cline's overwhelming catalog of solo work, but a friend gave me two pieces of advice beforehand.

1. Don't expect anything remotely resembling Wilco.

2. Do expect it to be really, really loud.

These proved to be sound pieces of advice. The sound reverberated through the room to that point where you start to wonder, "Is it okay that I can feel my own heart vibrating within my chest?" And you could clearly tell from various reactions around the room who the people were that were hearing something a bit different from their expectations. It's probably the same reaction you might get from someone who loved The Straight Story, and thus attends a screening of Mulholland Drive.

Personally, I thought the performance was a highly entertaining look at what Spinal Tap may have been aiming for during their Jazz odyssey phase. Especially if you replaced "Jazz" with something along the lines of "Avant-garde-noise-rock-kitchen-sink-jazz odyssey." I'm not sure how else I would categorize offerings like this:

The more I learned about Cline's solo work, the more surprised I was that he would ever cross paths with Jeff Tweedy in the first place. But then again, his timing at joining the band makes sense considering when Tweedy started his working relationship with fellow man-of-noise Jim O'Rourke. At this point, I'd love to see Cline's stylistic strengths utilized a bit more on the next Wilco album. While the majority of Sky Blue Sky is certainly enjoyable, there's not much of it that seems actively exciting as the band can be at their peak.

"Impossible Germany" is clearly the exception to this theory. It's one of the few great songs where the lyrics simply serve as the prologue; they clearly serve their purpose, but they're just setting the epic greatness that comes when Cline can let loose (and Tweedy isn't slouching either.) It's the perfect jam for people who despise jam bands.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #41: The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash

2009-11-22T00:34:00.010-05:00

The art of the fan-made music video montage is a practice I've never been able to wrap my head around. Search for virtually any well known song on YouTube, and more often than not you'll find multiple fan edited productions using that particular number. I'm not talking about those that create a concept and shoot their own video for a song (for example, this fan made Death Cab video was so impressive that it became the official video). I'm referring to the baffling practice of pairing a song with unrelated clips of television/movie/video game characters. Looking for a Wheatus/Gossip Girl production? Not anymore you're not! Is Lady Gaga more entertaining when simultaneously watching some clown play The Sims? Shockingly, no. Have you spent time wistfully pining, "If only I could combine the awfulness of Godsmack with the awfulness of the Saw franchise!" I'm delighted to inform you that your awful wish is granted. And to tell you to think of better wishes. (And as a bonus, it's a video camera recording of a TV playing Saw. The triple crown of failure!) ***

Yet the most perplexing array of fan videos I've seen thus far center around Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around."

Are you the type of person that finds yourself thinking, "Wow, 'The Man Comes Around' is great. It's hands down one of the best songs Johnny Cash wrote in the last thirty years of his life. But I can't help but think that I'd enjoy much more if I could listen to it while viewing a compilation of society's greatest atrocities throughout history." Well wonder no more, because people have heard your cries and responded accordingly. In fact, you've got around a dozen such videos to choose from in the first few pages alone.

Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising, as Cash's song is an apocalyptic masterpiece, heavily referencing the Book of Revelation and telling us all to collectively shut it down. That said, Cash is not standing on the street corner urging all to repent. He's lyrically pretty matter-of-fact for a guy serving as the tour guide on the Armageddon express. When you factor in the tempo, Cash is almost joyful about what's next to come. For a guy who has always represented an unorthodox sense of authenticity, this shouldn't come as a surprise. And I'm sure many of the YouTube uploaders were influenced by the presence of the song in the opening credits of the Dawn of the Dead remake, but Zack Snyder is a better editor than a kid with access to public-access war footage. When serving as a soundtrack for atomic bombs on Hiroshima, or the World Trade Center coming down, it all seems...let's say borderline inappropriate. And it's a tough transition going from this to "Cookie Monster sings Chocolate Rain."

This German fan tribute is kinda creepy, like a weekend video project with the "Sprockets" crew. But it features no explosions or war scenes, which I find shocking, with it being German and all.

***I found this video by trying to take a shot in the dark of the worst band/movie combo. This one popped to mind immediately. I was not surprised to find a result.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000's entry #95: Tonight's Not Alright by Plumtree

2009-11-21T00:00:00.002-05:00

The first cell phone I owned was a tiny Japanese model that is still lighter than all phones I've owned since. One of the ever-so-Japanese gadgety features was the ability to program customized ring tones via a simplistic Do-Re-Me interface. Needless to say, when you're a highly overpaid and underworked employee of the Japanese government you'll find time to tap out a ring tone or two.

Flash then to some evening at one of the gaijin bars with great names like Spoon, Mondo, Flower, or Wanted. Somewhere in the mix, and most likely on purpose, I played my pocket-sized ring tone for Catriona. She was flattered and the insider tidbit she offered made me glow with glee.

The 20-second snippet I'd chosen to recreate in electronic polyphony came from "Tonight's Not Alright" by Plumtree. Thanks to Catriona I had a copy of This Day Won't Last at All and had fallen in love with its entirety. But the heartbreaking walk down the fretboard at the 2:16 mark had been what hooked me.

Now people will and try and make suggestions,
and it only makes sense,
'cause they're having days like today,
where everything seems so crisp and clear,
crisp and clear,
crisp and clear,
crisp and
clear.

The twelve notes that intertwine with those closing words have had an immeasurable and unexplainable effect on me. This album became the soundtrack to my time in Japan, and those twelve notes the backbone of my ring tone, an homage to band I would never see live.

The cool part, the part I can articulate, is that after my debut of Casio-proud talent, Catriona told me that those few seconds were singer and guitarist Carla Gillis's favorite part of the album. It used to strike me as odd that artists could actually like (or dislike) different parts of their work, but finding out that through some cosmic coincidence I was in love with the same moment as someone else made feel fuzzy.

I still have that cell phone and its AC adapter. I used to show it to people who even in this age of smart phones were mesmerized by its wee-ness. The battery used to hold a charge, but would lose full power from time to time. Some time ago, I got it out, plugged it in and fired it up. Evidently the battery can't sit dormant too long because despite any hopes, all stored memory was gone.

I lost my ring tone, but in all honesty, I don't seem to mind.

Bad Idea Live Blog: Dayton vs Villanova

2009-11-20T14:18:00.000-05:00

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=5593057077" >Bad Idea Live Blog: Dayton vs Villanova</a>

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #67: Ocean Breathes Salty by Modest Mouse

2009-11-20T02:34:00.000-05:00

Ocean Breathes Salty

Modest Mouse | MySpace Music Videos

BAD IDEA PROGRAMMING NOTE

Check back to the site around 3pm ET/2pm CT today for a software test run masquerading as a liveblog of the Dayton vs Villanova game in Puerto Rico. Hopefully some of the following questions may be answered:

Will Paul Williams again assume the role of the bespectacled lad in the above video, rescuing his flying friends from certain doom?
Will Marcus Johnson finally make a 3-pointer? Or will he continue to play like a broken-winged Isaac Brock?
Did Chris Wright leave all his athletic ability at the welcome celebration?
Will I use any close officiating call to continue bitching about Ireland getting screwed by France? (SPOILER ALERT: Yes.)

Be here. Aloha.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #5: Crazy by Gnarls Barkley

2009-11-19T00:30:00.004-05:00

This doesn't sound like a song someone wrote. It sounds like something found in a time capsule, years after it was systematically created in a lab, and now we are hearing something that contains no obvious influence of the society in which it was created. It comes from no discernible musical era, sounding like something that would seamlessly fit in with any genre of pop music that has existed within the last fifty years. Likewise it refuses to be pigeonholed into any particular genre. I mean the guy from Goodie Mob is singing over a spaghetti western sample, for God's sake. This is a song that I can't imagine ever aging, specifically because it appears to be without age. It just seems like something that has always been around, but we just didn't know about it.

Within the universal appeal of the song came a torrent of cover versions, from literally every part of the musical landscape. Could there possibly be any other song that would inspire versions from Shawn Colvin, Beyonce, and David Gilmour? And yet, somehow Gnarls Barkley outdid everyone else's take by repeatedly re-tooling the song themselves, coming up with a variety of variations on the original take. The Top of the Pops performance matches militaristic snares with flight crew uniforms. An offering on Later with Jools Holland pushes a shuffling guitar distortion to the forefront. The Star Wars version has Storm Troopers.

But this take from From the Basement is my personal favorite. It's clearly the sparsest and most restrained arrangement. Every note on the guitar seems to burst with the weight behind it, sounding like something you would hear under black-and-white film noir opening credits. Danger Mouse keeps the keys buried in the background, focusing all attention on Cee-Lo, whose vocals echo with equal parts gravity and overall spookiness. It's unfair how ridiculous the man's pipes are, and how easy he can belt it out.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #63: Wilco (the song) by Wilco

2009-11-18T00:30:00.064-05:00

So there's this band called Wilco. You probably have never heard of them, but don't worry. CBS Sunday Morning (aka my source for cutting-edge music reporting) will fill you in on a band that's been a well-kept secret, but might actually start getting some respect!

It's unclear at what point Wilco was first referred to as "America's answer to Radiohead," but since the term was first coined, it's been repeated thousands of times, including Greg Kot's band biography and Chuck Klosterman's Esquire profile of Jeff Tweedy. Surprisingly, Tweedy himself seems to have the best read on what the nonsensical comparison actually means:

"The label of 'American Radiohead' is critical shorthand for 'I don't know what to tell you its like, but trust me you'll like it'."

Self-awareness is not a trait usually associated with rock stars, but Tweedy is spot on with his analysis. That said, when examining the career paths of each band through their seven studio albums, parallels galore seem to be in play when examining how each has transitioned from one record to the next. Let's break it down!

Both bands debut with offerings that could most easily be classified as inauspicious. A.M. is by the number alt-country, and Pablo Honey sounds like an end-of-semester project from a student enrolled in "Early 90's modern rock 101." Neither album is bad, but based on the future output, both are relatively unremarkable. By the way, looking back, how fucking weird is it that Radiohead named an album after a Jerky Boys skit?

The second albums represent huge leaps forward in terms of potential as well as ambition. The best part of a tepid debut is the lack of any sophomore slump. There's not much in terms of stylistic evolution for either band on album #2, but the songwriting within the respective genres is leaps and bounds ahead of what each seemed capable of on their opening efforts. Bonus points for Wilco here, as most bands in their spot at the time would likely have whittled a double album down to one and saved some songs for the next album.

Album #3 is the game-changer album for each band. The one where you find yourself saying, "Holy shit! This band is swinging for the fences!" Both bands reinvent their sound to break out of the easily categorized mold that defined their earlier work. The band that wrote "Creep" bares little resemblance to the warped genius that produced "Paranoid Android." Likewise, anyone expecting a continued Gram Parsons vibe from Wilco would be in for a rude awakening by the time Tweedy is screaming "Something in my veins! Bloodier than blood!" while Jay Bennett goes crazy with the power of the synthesizer.

Album #4 is the "I thought the last album was good, but now I have no idea what on earth I'm even listening to!" album. Here's a fun trivia fact: In 2007, Radiohead would release an album on the internet! Maybe you heard about it? Or maybe you heard virtually every critic act like it had never been done before, while conveniently forgetting such a stunt was more or less exactly what Wilco did in 2000 after the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot rejection; they put it up on their website for free. If any decade-defining list does not contain both these albums in the top 10, then that particular list will wind up in my top 10 list for "Worst top 10 list ever." Got it?

Ok. So here's the one place where the parallel trajectories slightly part ways. Amnesiac wasn't exactly Kid B, but it continues the same push/pull alternation of warmth/alienation that Kid A established. This made it less surprising, but also a more accessible listen. Tweedy, now working without Bennett, apparently listened to a lot of Neil Young, Television, and the sounds of his own migraines to make A Ghost is Born. The ridiculously indulgent noise stunt of "Less Than You Think" seems like something Yorke and company would approve of.

Each band's 6th album seems to respectively be their weakest since the debuts. That said, this really only proves the strength of each catalog, since both Sky Blue Sky and Hail To the Thief are very good albums. But neither quite measures up with the reputation both bands had established for themselves as masters of classic albums. I have no idea how "The Thanks I Get" was cut from the original SBS album, but it bothers me to this day.

We reach present day with both bands putting out albums much better than their last offerings, and seeming secure in where their careers have taken them. Would In Rainbows or Wilco (the album) qualify as either band's best effort? Probably not, but both work perfectly as cohesively brilliant works, as well as summations of each band's career thus far. If you were introducing either band to someone who had never heard them, these would be the places to start.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #61: You Know You're Right by Nirvana

2009-11-17T02:35:00.002-05:00

I liked Nirvana in high school, but I liked them in an extremely casual way. I owned Nevermind and Incesticide but not Bleach nor In Utero. And of the two albums I owned, I never really listened to either all that much. I found the posthumous Unplugged interesting, but for reasons having very little to do with Nirvana, and more to do with the choice of covers within the setlist. Add in the fact that Kurt Cobain's suicide instantly blurred the line between actual talent and perceived lost potential to the point where said line ceased to exist, and I've never had much interest in the band's legacy.

That said, my iTunes playcount indicates that I've listened to the newly released Live at Reading album dozens of times in the last week. In fact, it's honestly the only thing I've felt like listening to, and I'm not sure why. What initially caught my attention was how great it sounds quality-wise, especially in comparison with the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah compilation. But the remastered audio is a very small component of the allure. It's actually pretty amazing to listen to all these songs back to back and realize that this is basically an unedited 80-minute snapshot of a band on what was the high point of their existence, perhaps down to the exact day of that peak: August 30, 1992. Most of the songs have been heard hundreds of times in the 17 years since, but something about the sequencing of hearing them one after another with no filler anywhere seems transcendant.

Also, they are playing fucking loud! It seems ridiculous this much noise can be made by only three people. Revisionist history has created the perception that Cobain was a terrible live guitar player, but that's really only true in regards to the last year or so of his life. To hear him playing at Reading, he is unhinged with boundless energy but always in control of the songs. It's in stark contrast to the guy who would require the services of Pat Smear a couple years later when he couldn't remember what chords to play. The same ferocity is there on Cobain's vocals. He's still at the point where he's snarling instead of whining, and tracks that I previously never thought twice about, like "Aneurysm" or "Negative Creep," sound like classics.

The canon of popular music is littered with defining moments that go down in history for the cultural significance that came to pass. Hendrix at Monterey. Dylan at Newport. The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. James Brown at the Apollo. Michael Jackson on Motown 25. The Ramones at CBGB. Of course, what these occasions all have in common is that they all happened a long time ago. It's not a stretch in the slightest to put Live at Reading alongside the list. It's obvious why it had been such a sought after bootleg since 1992, and whereas the Muddy Banks compilation still seems like a quick cash grab, Live at Reading feels like a piece of rock history, luckily preserved for the future.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #15: Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros

2009-11-16T02:59:00.001-05:00

A full in depth dissertation of Sigur Ros' evolution from sparse, glacial minimalists to dynamic, orchestral showstoppers is coming after the jump!

Of course I'm totally kidding. Do we want to discuss the epic scope of Icelandic ambient post-rock, or do we want to KEEP FREAKING OUT ABOUT THAT COLTS GAME?!? AAAAAAAHHHHHHH! I CAN'T STOP THE SCREAMING INSIDE MY HEAD!

This guy knows what I'm talking about.

Git 'er done indeed, good sir!

Of course, as we all know, screaming fat guys who love the Colts aren't limited to shouting in their own homes. They're also allowed to scream into microphones and lose their minds live via the radio! (The fun really kicks in around the 3:15 mark.)

And how about Bill Belichick. What a dick, right guys? Terrible offensive decisions aren't just for former Patriot coaches! Of course, with Belichick, it's never as simple as simply saying he made a dumb decision. Post-game analysts implied that Belichick refused to punt because he didn't believe in his defense, but this theory makes no sense, as his defense had forced two interceptions and played reasonably well. The truth is he didn't believe the Colts defense could stop him, and he wanted to rub that fact in. But now he looks like an idiot. And then that asshole security guard took down a cameraman! For shame!

He treated that cameraman like the guy was one of Tom Cable's exes.

The downside to this is that the inevitable "Can the Colts go undefeated?" chatter will get old very quick, but for now that's worth suffering through. Don't you agree Bob?

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #77: The Hardest Button to Button by The White Stripes

2009-11-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

Which White Stripes/Michel Gondry collaboration is the best? There is no wrong answer of course. "Fell in Love With a Girl" probably holds the most cultural significance, while "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" seems ahead of its time, considering that Gondry's trademark projection got much more recognition when he repeated it for an equally enjoyable Paul McCartney video five years later. "The Denial Twist" has a compelling concept but the manipulation gets distracting on repeat viewings. That said, it's hard to find fault or boredom with a single frame of "The Hardest Button to Button."

Much of the fun in watching Gondry's work is the "How did he do that?" factor. But there really is no "How did he do that?" factor is this video. He leaves his camera and perspective manipulations at home. There are no tricks for multiplying the drum kits/amps/mic stands. They simply added more of them. So instead of asking "How did he do that?" you find yourself thinking, "This must have taken FOREVER." And indeed it did: Three 16-hour days to shoot thousands of setups, many of which would last fractions of a second in the final product. It culminates with a perfect visual depiction of the rhythm and riffs that form the basis of The White Stripes. At this point of technological growth, it seems almost bizarre to see something like this shot on real backgrounds when it could have been shot in one day on green screen. But the setting here provides an extra layer of fascination, watching the shadows adjust, watching spots where Meg hides in the background, or noticing the military precision with which Jack has a consistent walk down stairs. The panorama under the tunnel at the climax still seems dizzying after hundreds of views. Toss in a quick cameo from Beck and his box, and it's another example of how Gondry can take a relatively simple (if overly ambitious) initial idea, but have the dedication to execute that concept without shortcuts, knowing that every element of the grind shows up on screen in the final product.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #87: 1234 by Feist

2009-11-12T00:00:00.099-05:00

Tuesday was Sesame Street's 40th anniversary. Naturally this post would have more sense on Tuesday, but planning ahead has never been my strong suit. Nevertheless, I present 10 classic Sesame Street musical moments after the jump.

1234 by Feist

This seems like it was probably particularly fun director and shooter. They probably don't get a lot of opportunities to bring the camera crane out on normal street scenes when some adult is just whining about sharing. That said, it was probably a huge pain in the ass for the puppeteers, who rarely have to get their shit together for one-take shots.

ABC Song by Tilly and the Wall

Maybe it's just me, but these girls seem to be flaunting the whole "stomp your feet" shtick RIGHT IN FRONT of the girl in the wheelchair. Sorry you can't walk kid, but will you still sing it with me?

See the Signs by Chris Brown

I'm not the type of person to ever justify domestic violence, but if I were, this is where I would say, "It shoulda been you, Elmo."

Yo Yo Ma and the Honkers

Holy shit! Did you see Big Bird shove Bob? Animal on human violence is no joke, Big Bird! Chris Brown learned it by watching you!

Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard by Paul Simon

Will somebody shut that kid up! Good Lord Almighty! Where's Big Bird when actually you need him to beat someone's ass?

Superstition by Stevie Wonder

The most amazing thing about this clip is actually seeing a musical act get seven minutes to play on television. Of course, this was still in the early phases of the show's existence, so maybe they were just giving the crew a break. Check out the kid losing his shit on the fire escape!

I Got a Song by Ray Charles

Who knew Bert was a leftie? Although I don't really hear much guitar in the actual song, so really I guess that just makes Bert a left-handed fraud. Ernie, on the other hand, is obviously a legit drummer. Also, did Bert always laugh like a goat? I was always so used to him being a miserable dick, so maybe I just never noticed his actual guffaws.

Hold My Hand by Hootie and the Blowfish

Take it away YouTube commenters!

Nasty Dan by Johnny Cash

Two points from the Muppet Wiki:
1. The Muppet Wiki is something that exists!
2. The Muppet Wiki reports that Johnny Cash appeared on Sesame Street four different times. That has to be a record among recovered drug addicts.

Furry Happy Monsters by R.E.M.

Somehow the worst R.E.M. song ever recorded becomes a classic. And all it takes is a Kate Pierson-ified Muppet and a cast of monsters that have mastered the art of wild mood swings. I love how earnestly sincere Stipe is during his mid-song chat with the monsters. It's a demeanor that reminds me of Uncle Andy's Funhouse with its lack of pretense.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #54: Day After Tomorrow by Tom Waits

2009-11-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Wow. I just found this video for the first time today, but I remember Chase shooting it when we were at Camp Arifjan in 2004.

I spent nearly three weeks in Kuwait in September 2004, and in the five years since, I still haven't been able to fully articulate the trip, aside from saying it was the best experience of my life. The laundry list of things I witnessed still seems like something out of a Fellini movie, starting with the fact that my ride forgot to pick me up at the airport on arrival. Imagine the normal encounter one gets when landing at a big airport, where cabbies bombard arriving passengers looking for a fair. Now imagine that same group mentality, only everyone is speaking Arabic and you don't see any other white people. Prejudiced or not, it's not something you can really prepare for.

Once I got my ride straightened out and got to the army base, I immediately jumped into an edit room and got to work, despite the fact that I had been up for about 24 hours straight at that point. Within a couple minutes, a curious soldier poked his head in to see what we were working on. I invited him in where this exchange took place:

HIM: "I've seen you guys shooting video all around the base. If you need any extra video to show, you just let me know, man."

ME: (Curious) "What do you mean?"

HIM: "Man I got some sick video of cows blowing up in Iraq."

ME: (2 second pause) "Uhh...What?"

HIM: "Yeah man it's insane. Cows literally blowin' up! I'll bring it to you."

ME: (Desperately searching for a way to politely pass on exploding cow footage) "Well, you know, there's rights and clearance laws, so we can really only broadcast footage we shoot ourselves. Sounds aweome though!"

HIM: "Shit man, I'll sign over the rights for it if you want it. You just let me know man! Hey, can you sign this banner for me?"

ME: "Absolutely I will."

Ordinarily, I would find it odd that somebody was asking for my autograph, but at that point it seemed pedestrian. I also silently wondered how it would go over had I actually included exploding cow footage on SportsCenter. (Tuesday's #6 play of the night...from Kirkuk!)

Over the next couple weeks, these types of encounters would happen all the time. Not necessarily exploding cow encounters, but one random conversation after another with soldiers from every part of the country. They were so happy to see us doing a show there, that the joy was contagious and we in turn became downright giddy. 18-to-20-hour workdays were the routine for us, and I never once felt tired. Every day was filled with one ridiculous story after another.

We saw a thermometer top 120 degrees on a rather warm day. We then walked past port-o-johns in 120 degree heat, which I'll never be able to put into words. We used our one day off to jet ski in the Persian Gulf. I went to the fish markets of Kuwait City, and asked my military escort if I could hold her rifle. (These were two separate happenings.) We did a piece where Kenny Mayne called out the Baskin-Robbins on the base for having only 28 flavors, and the next day they had 32! I got invited along with our NFL analyst to a house party by out Kuwaiti make-up artist, and I had to explain to said analyst why it might not be the best idea for us to attend. We joined soldiers in mocking Steve Levy for wearing shorts instead of pants like a grown-up. We had a sergeant explain protocol to us if our bus encountered suspicious objects on the road, and his speech to us concluded with the sentence, "If I need to discharge my weapon to protect you, be advised that this medal (pointing to his uniform) means when I fire, I do NOT MISS." (Honestly, he said this! Holy shit!)

But above all else, we had so much pure fun just talking to the soldiers and keeping the warehouse-turned-studio open to watch games at 5am. Honestly I would've loved to have stayed there and done another month of shows, if only to avoid the awkwardness when people finally started saying goodbye to us. While they thanked up profusely for coming, I remember trying to think of the right thing to say back to them. "I hope we can do it again," didn't seem quite right, but neither did "I hope there's no reason for us to come back next year," for obvious reasons. Never did I think it was even a remote possibility that the fiasco would still being going on five years later but sometimes, as a wise man once said, situations get fucked up.

The best thing I heard happened on my 4th day there. We saw a convoy rolling in and I ran over to see what their story was. They were a platoon just arriving back from a year in Fallujah. Keep in mind that Fallujah in '04 was literally the worst place on earth to be with ambushes and attacks on envoys happening virtually daily. We did a short feature to run on SC about the platoon coming back. I asked one of the soldiers what he was looking to most now that he was back in a safe place. Due to the attacks, he hadn't slept for longer than 20 minutes at a time in over a year, but as frazzled as he got over that time, he said he kept one goal in mind.

"We were over there eating MREs three times a day for a year," he said. "And every day I just thought to myself, 'I'd so anything to just eat a normal egg. Just one egg." His tired eyes lit up as he beamed, "So tonight, I just can't wait to go to sleep, wake up tomorrow, go to the mess hall, and eat an egg."

I got your letter today
And I miss you all so much, here
I can't wait to see you all
And I'm counting the days, dear
I still believe that there's gold
At the end of the world
And I'll come home
To Illinois
On the day after tomorrow

It is so hard
And it's cold here
And I'm tired of taking orders
And I miss old Rockford town
Up by the Wisconsin border
But I miss you won't believe
Shoveling snow and raking leaves
And my plane will touch tomorrow
On the day after tomorrow

I close my eyes
Every night
And I dream that I can hold you
They fill us full of lies
Everyone buys
About what it means to be a soldier
I still don't know how I'm supposed to feel
About all the blood that's been spilled
Look out on the street
Get me back home
On the day after tomorrow

You can't deny
The other side
Don't want to die
Any more than we do
What I'm trying to say,
Is don't they pray
To the same God that we do?
Tell me, how does God choose?
Whose prayers does he refuse?
Who turns the wheel?
And who throws the dice
On the day after tomorrow?

I'm not fighting
For justice
I am not fighting
For freedom
I am fighting
For my life
And another day
In the world here
I just do what I've been told
You're just the gravel on the road
And the one's that are lucky
One's come home
On the day after tomorrow

And the summer
It too will fade
And with it comes the winter's frost, dear
And I know we too are made
Of all the things that we have lost here
I'll be twenty-one today
I've been saving all my pay
And my plane will touch down
On the day after tomorrow
And my plane it will touch down
On the day after tomorrow

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #69: Fidelity by Regina Spektor

2009-11-10T00:30:00.019-05:00

Oh Regina. You and I have such a conflicted history together. Half the time I find your slight vocal affectations unique and endearing, such as the "bett-aww" repetitions in the bridge above. Yet often times you can't contain yourself, and what begins as charming goes overboard (see the chorus progression through "Us," or the terrible newer song that reminds me of Joan Osborne*) to the point where I entertain thoughts of ramming an ice pick through my ear.

*Attention everyone: I think we're all set on songs concerning God's point of view. Thanks very much. Shut it down.

*****

Have you heard that newspapers are dying? You probably have not, as it's a theory that I just now came up with for the first time ever. But believe me, this theory is going to blow up HUGE soon. The question that has yet gone unanswered is this: What can be done to save newspapers?

I'm proud to say that the University of Arizona has come up with an answer. Let columnists include the phrase "grow some balls" in headlines. Especially when calling out frat boys.

Oh sure, it's unorthodox. Some might claim that you couldn't get away with these journalistic practices in major metropolitan newspapers, but nothing could be further from the truth. Believe me, if any Tribune or Sun-Times commentary ran with a heading along the lines of "Mayor Daley installs more parking meters in lieu of balls," I'd subscribe tomorrow.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #58: Kim and Jessie by M83

2009-11-09T00:30:00.001-05:00

SIX VIDEOS INCORPORATING THE ART OF SKATING

"Kim and Jessie" by M83

Oh they have a secret world, alright. A secret world involving creepy eyebrows, homages to Thriller and The Big Lebowski, and a variety of ways to resist each others charms, intertwined limbs and all. Bonus points for the subtle social commentary of having the girls switch to rollerblades for the second half.

"Get Myself Into It" by The Rapture

Well of course! The hipsters wearing white suits are OBVIOUSLY going to throw the biggest multi-cultural skating party you've ever been to! They hang out with the guy wearing the Patrick Ewing jersey all the time! For you to suggest anything else makes YOU the asshole. Their friend in the fedora totally has their back. We're gonna meet back up with him later for some clowning.

Side note: Skating while playing a saxophone will land your ass in Roller Cave jail faster than you can say "Hey mom, why cook?"

"Kissing the Lipless" by The Shins

I don't know how it got started, but it's always there. Anytime I see a man ice skating by himself, something inside me really wants to see him fall. ESPECIALLY if he's wearing an "outfit." I've accepted that this is the way it is, and ultimately I blame Chris Farley.

"Medicine" by Orbit

The graceful ice ingenue who pulled off a triple salchow into one Ross MacLochness' heart. It's all in the hips.

"Nothin' My Love Can't Fix" by Joey Lawrence

This video is like a documentary of my adolescence. Every weekend, me and my friends would make our way to the wrong side of town. It was covered in graffiti and despair, so it was the perfect place to dance on skates, practice floor exercises, and fill up buckets with acrylic paint then dump them out for no reason! Once we had our fill of chillin' on scaffolding, we'd head to the beach for a football game, where I would play both quarterback AND wide receiver. And I haven't even gotten to the giant disorientation globe that we'd spin in! Most people only ride in those at Space Camp, but we always just had one with us. It's how we roll. One time the flannel shirt I had around my waist got caught in one of the rings at the playground. Whoa, indeed.

"Fully Flared" by Spike Jonze

Nobody is wearing skates here. And technically, this isn't a music video. It's the intro to a skating video that Spike Jonze directed. However, it might as well be an M83 video since the soundtrack is their song "Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun" (full circle!) That said, this video is five minutes of jumps and explosions, all in slow motion. Having read that last sentence, you're probably saying to yourself, "There's nothing in that description that doesn't sound ridiculously awesome!" And you are right.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #47: Against All Odds by the Postal Service

2009-11-07T10:48:00.000-05:00

The #1 single on iTunes is a song called “Fireflies” by something called Owl City. The first time I had heard of Owl City revolved around news of merchandising footie pajamas to adults (congrats on out-doing Weezer on embarrassing wearable fabric!) so naturally I expected terrible things. But I severely underestimated the overall shittiness of this garbage:

Ugh. What’s the worst thing about this charade? The nonsensically vapid lyrics? The ridiculously calculated visual affect of a kitsch-filled bedroom to artificially create nostalgia? Or the fact that EVERYTHING related to the melody, beats, and vocal affectation is wholesale stolen from the Postal Service (if the Postal Service were terrible at music). And for some reason this clown is UPSET by people continually bringing this up in interviews? Use your footie pajamas to hang yourself from that disco ball, you diaper faced plagiarist. I hope you get beaten with a Speak & Spell.

Good Lord. If only someone could help me calm down from this intense rage burning through my bloodstream. Someone like…Phil Collins?

Look, everyone realizes that 98% of the Phil Collins catalogue is awful. But that other 2% is “In the Air Tonight” and “Against All Odds,” the latter of which served as a centerpiece for one of my favorite This American Life segments, and also may have served as a video inspiration for an earlier playlist entry.

The song itself is overbearingly earnest, but then again so are break-ups in general. The Postal Service cover features Gibbard handling the lyrics without any cynicism, but layered with less outright sadness and more wistfulness and mystery, the opening verse sounding like it's coming through AM radio. The unintentionally hilarious video (edited from the movie "Wicker Park") only adds to the mystique. Josh Harnett is a terrible actor even when he's doing nothing but staring! Or caressing a phone!

The TV disappears but the IKEA furniture cart remains! I wonder if the hipsters inside Debonair vanished too?

If recent history is any indication, we can probably expect an Owl City cover of "Sussudio" before too long.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #93: Fort Hood by Mike Doughty

2009-11-06T00:30:00.002-05:00

Mike Doughty - New Music - More Music Videos

Mike Doughty wrote about the meaning behind the song "Fort Hood," released in 2008. He further elaborated on Stereogum:

I wouldn't call this an anti-war song, because I'm not gonna rail about who lied about what. Too late for that. I'm concerned about lost innocence, and damaged young bodies and minds. I think I say it most directly in the bridge: "You should be getting stoned with a prom dress girl...You should blast Young Jeezy with your friends in a parking lot."

Not to mention my own guilt at being able to live a normal life while that nightmare is going on over there.
The USO invited me to Walter Reed a couple years back; I met a bunch of guys who had lost their limbs. Young guys. But I know that you don't have to be wounded to be scarred by war.

My Dad was in the Army, and I grew up in the 70s on Army bases; he, and basically all the adult men around, had been in Vietnam. There was a lot of weird, angry behavior that was baffling to me as a kid, but now I recognize as post-traumatic stress disorder. That's what I wonder about when I see guys in uniform coming back from the war, sitting around an airport; what's in this guy's head? What has he witnessed? What kind of terrible images is he burdened with?

It's oddball in indie-rock-land to steal a chorus and repurpose it; I grew up with house and hiphop music, so sampling seems very natural to me, the only difference is that I'm actually singing it. Actually, I downloaded (OK, stole) an MP3 of the Japanese cast of Hair. The verses were hilarious and strange, of course, but when the chorus came in, it suddenly switched to English: let the sunshine in, let the sunshine in. I was listening to it on the D train over the Manhattan bridge and suddenly I found myself tearing up, extremely moved.

While this song might now become inadvertently infamous, it'll pale in comparison to the overall eeriness and timing that marked Ryan Adams' "New York, New York." But sometimes on occasions like Thursday, even the hackneyed cheesy refrain from Hair can seem oddly life-affirming. Sometimes that's the best you can hope for.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #11: White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes

2009-11-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

Ah, stop motion. It's retro chic in Fleet Foxes videos or when Wes Anderson is making movies, but where was all the trendy buzz in the heyday of the California Raisins?

This video teaches an important life lesson. We've all at one time or another developed a a magical spinning crank for the purpose of spinning time backwards, thus reverting our physical appearance to that of fifty years in the past. But when doing so, KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE DAMN WHEEL or you'll ruin everything and end up once again a beardy old man living in the forest.

The more you know.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #10: Come Pick Me Up by Ryan Adams

2009-11-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

Ever so often a publication of one form or another will inevitably do a ranking of top films, and it's inevitable that Citizen Kane tops the list time after time. Yet nobody watches Citizen Kane with any frequency, not the way people still occasionally watch The Godfather or Gone With the Wind. Film critics are all too eager to rattle off the laundry list of groundbreaking techniques that Orson Welles introduced as a 25-year-old (!) writer/director, but I can't imagine that anyone watches the film repeatedly the way other classics are viewed. Nevertheless, I'm often curious as to how Welles handled the fact that every movie he directed the rest of his live (13 in total) would inevitably fail to measure up with the first. He made a number of other excellent films, but he wouldn't ever top that debut, and so it is that he is, fairly or not, viewed as someone who a) peaked at 25, and b) later became infamous as a drunken pitchman.

If it weren't for Heartbreaker, Ryan Adams wouldn't catch half the shit he does now. It's easy for people to say that he's too prolific with his output the last several years, but that's really just a nice way of saying that the majority of his recent work hasn't been very good. After all, Jack White has released eight albums the last ten years, but nobody accuses him of needing to self-edit (most likely because he's consistently put out good/great albums.)

But in many respects it's tough to blame Adams. It's not as if his albums have been bad, and in reality most are better than average. Unfortunately, like Welles, he happened to put together a masterpiece when he was 25 years old, and at this point he's unlikely to top it. Again, this isn't necessarily his fault, as over 99% of albums recorded by anyone since Heartbreaker came out are inferior to Adams' debut. (However, he'd make it much tougher for people to write him off if he would go back to listening to Gram Parsons instead of the Grateful Dead.) One edge that I'll give Adams over Welles: Heartbreaker ages much better than Kane.

A side note about "Come Pick Me Up": This probably says more about me than it does about the song, but within the airing of grievances voiced by Adams, the line "steal my records" always strikes me as the most evil. That's against the law, you heartless harlot!

Ryan Adams - Come Pick Me Up (mp3)

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #31: The Funeral by Band of Horses

2009-11-02T01:30:00.073-05:00

I flew back to Indy from Connecticut when Dave died. After the funeral, I was talking to one of his ex-girlfriends when she wistfully sighed, “I never got a chance to say goodbye.” I was puzzled to hear this, primarily because it was the first (and thus far only) time I’ve heard someone actually utter that particular sentence in real life. I thought it was something only said in the minds of unimaginative screenwriters, along the lines of a wedding officiant offering, “If anyone objects to this marriage…” or a nerdy girl at prom demanding to know, “Was I just a bet to you?”

From the time that we become old enough to understand life and death, we are taught that final breaths can come quickly and without warning, be it via a car crashes, aneurysm, or any assortment of freak acts of God or nature. But these occasions are the clear exception. Far more often, we are confronted with a death where we find ourselves with too many chances to say goodbye. Long illnesses, or a diagnosis where we’re told the end is definitely coming but cannot predict the exact date, leave both the dying and the survivors with little to do but wait. And as that tortuous wait plays itself out, you realize that you no longer fear a phone call coming in the middle of the night or the middle of the workday. Instead you fear that every phone call will in fact be THAT phone call. Every visit ends with you walking to your car, wondering if you’ll still have reason to make the return trip the next day or week. It's a thoroughly exhausting process for all parties involved.

“At every occasion I’m ready for the funeral.”

The first verse is ethereal and subdued, with falsetto vocals soaring over the hallowed-out reverb of a lone arpeggio. With the second verse, the catharsis kicks in under the guise of searing power chords and the full drum kit. The vocals are still mournful but unflinching, shouting into the ether of sustain effects. The loss, be it still just expected, or having finally happened, is ever present, but there’s an underlying defiance that stands in place for optimism that can't yet be seen.

It's also apparently a natural soundtrack for yet another car ad, but at this point is anyone really criticizing these business moves? It's not as if there's another viable option for as many people to see the original video, which channels John Cassavetes' directorial style of close ups and overall human misery. When you're seeing dead animals in your whiskey tumbler, it's time for someone to take your keys.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #9: Poor Places by Wilco

2009-11-01T00:30:00.015-04:00

There’s something inherently fascinating about watching a talented person do their job well, regardless of your interest in that job itself. In this regard, I always take issue with snobs who deride “reality television,” as if anything that isn’t scripted falls under a singular umbrella. The key to whether non-fiction television or films are worth watching lies in a vital question the viewer should be asking: "Are the subjects on screen showcasing their talent in a compelling way?" Yes answers seem to apply to "Deadliest Catch," "American Chopper," or "Project Runway." No answers apply to anything with the word "Housewives" in the title, or any talent being showcased in "talent show" format. There's a reason why "Top Chef" is appointment television for me, despite the fact that I know next to nothing about most of the foodie language they're throwing around. Likewise, NPR makes a perfectly compelling argument about why ESPN's 30 for 30 docs are perfect for people who hate sports.

Watching talented people work is the key to the success of Sam Jones' documentary about the making of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Granted, both the film and the album are perhaps overshadowed by the now legendary circumstances surrounding the album being dropped by Reprise - a still baffling rejection that former A&R rep Mio Vukovic will wear to his final days. And yes, it's also true that other surface highlights of the film are the arguments between Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett, culminating with Bennett's bitter departure from the band.

But the soul of the film is Bennett and Tweedy showcasing how they collaborated to come up with arrangements that neither would never achieve afterward without the other. The output that the two achieved in the Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot era was lightning in a bottle, light years beyond Being There, which is pretty great in its own right. The arguments seem obviously petty with Bennett now gone, but the document of their actual work is still spellbinding, particularly in the way that Jones documents the evolution of "Poor Places," from an outstanding-yet-simple folk song to a multi-layered schizophrenic masterpiece. Jones seamlessly paces through the progression, from Tweedy playing the bare demo, to Glenn Kotche experimenting with rhythm, to Bennett grinning like a kid on Christmas as he wonders if they'll lose their mind while looking for more layers to add.

Obviously when Jones decided to record Wilco making an album, he had no idea about the politics and in-fighting that would become such a big part of the narrative. But he also couldn't have known how impressive the final product itself would be. Considering Bennett's early passing, it's nice to have a permanent record of his creative process to remember him by.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #29: Intervention by Arcade Fire

2009-10-30T02:34:00.001-04:00

Neon Bible was released in 2007. This seems insane to me, as it feels like I've owned this album for at least five years or so. Much like the time between seasons of Friday Night Lights, or the collegiate lifespan of Cherokee Parks, this album apparently ages on a completely different pattern from the rest of civilization. Of course the fact that Arcade Fire haven't released anything since then may have contributed to my flawed perception. After all No Country For Men came out in 2007 as well and the Coens have already released two more films since. My point is this: I would like a new Arcade Fire album soon. Thank you and good day.

"Intervention" may contain the quickest "zero-to-AWESOME" acceleration in recorded history, or at least since that first chord in "A Hard Day's Night" that nobody's ever quite definitely figured out. The opening note blaring from the church organ demands immediate attention, and not just because it gives me flashbacks to the time I watched my first grade teacher slap a classmate across the face for talking during the opening song of a school mass. (Yes that did make a lasting impression, WHY DO YOU ASK?) It's an instrument that obviously is rarely used in popular music, due in no small part to the fact that rock bands don't often get around to recording in churches. But it fits perfectly with the storyline of a time when the church's position of power was beyond the challenge of any individuals, especially those sent to die in the name of religion.

Been working for the church while your life falls apart
Singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart
Every spark of friendship and love
Will die without a home
Hear the soldier groan, “We’ll go at it alone”

The lyrics grow crazed and angry, but ultimately the narrator knows he's already defeated whether he lives or dies. While the words are biting, the power truly lies in the unrelenting pipe organ bearing down throughout. In some ways it seems bizarre that this band became a festival headliner in the span of two albums, but when you hear songs like this it seems like a natural fit. The songs themselves are constructed in the aesthetic of a hungry independent band, but they are made to be played in massive stadiums, and it's a tough task to come up with many bands who can pull off that balancing act.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #43: While You Wait For the Others by Grizzly Bear

2009-10-29T01:30:00.012-04:00

Grizzly Bear is a band that will not get in your face. Their output is often an exercise in restraint, and one that makes you pay attention to detail. This is simultaneously their greatest strength and weakness. It’s impossible to not appreciate the intricate nuance of harmonies and minimalist instrumentation (even Jay-Z loves them!), but their spatial tempos can also languish, leaving them susceptible to being upstaged by Wayne Coyne literally doing nothing but waving from another stage.

The upside and downside are showcased on “While Your Wait For the Others,” a track that featured an unorthodox packaging decision when it was released as a single, in that the b-side was an exact replica of the single, featuring one small variation. Resident Grizzly Daniel Rossen sings on the single, whereas the b-side vocals are handled by…you guessed it: Michael McDonald.

"Ya Mo B Bear"

Let’s put the two versions up against each other head to head. First, the single (which I believe may have used shit found in my grandparents’ old house as the puzzlingly random prop collection for the video.)

And now the Doobie-fied rendition, complete with a fan-made video mash-up featuring a dancing Beyonce and Solange Knowles.

Considering that the lyrics revolve around the age-old tale of a woman (or man) who has done her (or his) man wrong, one of the main differences is the delivery of the vital lyric “I’ll kindly ask you to make your way.” Rossen truly does ask kindly in his tenor and phrasing, and frankly he sounds like a pansy. Stand up for yourself, Poindexter! McDonald sings the exact same line, but his inflection can barely contains that soul beneath the surface, letting you know that in actuality he’s not asking a damn thing. He’s Michael fucking McDonald for God’s sake! He didn’t spend the mid-70’s plowing Steely Dan groupies just to be made a damn fool of! Those twee hipsters in Williamsburg might put up with crap, but the silver-bearded assassin suffers no guff, you heartless bitch. POINT: McDonald.

Yet toward the end of the song, McDonald’s lack of restraint starts to overshadow the track. The last minute of the song goes to the next level of awesomeness, with harmonies and guitars blowing up left and right. Rossen’s vocals float like a ghost, keeping the instrumentation in the forefront. But McDonald tends to distract with the shouting, going all “Taking it to the Streets” on us. POINT: Rossen.

All in all, I call it a draw, and a victory for America! I only hope these pairings are a sign of things to come. Kenny Loggins and Animal Collective, you are officially on the clock.

BIBJ Playlist of the 2000s entry #38: The Way We Get By by Spoon

2009-10-28T01:30:00.001-04:00

*Spoiler Alert* There will be at least one (and likely more than one) additional mention of Spoon in the next 40-odd days. So this one is short.

"The Way We Get By" was the first Spoon song I heard, and I remember thinking "These guys REALLY LIKE Elvis Costello."

Spoon - New Music - More Music Videos

Between Spoon and Fastball, I wondered if Elvis had somehow infiltrated the water supply of Austin in the late 1990s. Fortunately, Spoon has not only expanded their sound in the years since, but Britt Daniel has even confronted the Elvis comparison head on, as he showcased in his acting "debut" in one of the long lost UPN staples. Who among us doesn't love rock star cameos featuring title character-based karaoke humor? Especially when Daniel's only two lines of actual dialogue are delivered with such non-actorly smoothness.